LONDON – It’s time to exhale following an exhaustive weekend of basketball. In what is now a traditional, the Dr. Martin Luther King Weekend not only celebrates a great American but the great American game on the schoolboy level.
High level events in Springfield, whether it be in the city with a shared name in Massachusetts, Missouri or Virginia, set the standard. The Bass Pro Tournament of Championships in Missouri attracted more than 25,000 spectators over three days and the Hoophall Classic at the birthplace of basketball was simply an homage to the game and packed ironic Blake Arena on the campus of Springfield College for five days.
Kudos to all the event operators for bringing in talented players and teams under one roof on one court.
In spite of the hoop heaven atmosphere, only No. 22 Camden (N.J.) enters the Elite 25 rankings. The 11-1 Panthers edged No. 15 Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.), 61-59, at the Hoophall Classic on Saturday. The South Jersey squad will be tested against the two top in-state programs later this week.
So, yes we’re in London for some time off and attend the Chelsea vs. Arsenal, a true London derby, on Tuesday night. Go Blues!
The Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ rankings will return Jan. 28 and will reflect the myriad of changes from the previous seven days.
Get out and see a game in your town this weekend. Hope to see you at a game soon. – Christopher Lawlor
Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ basketball rankings, Jan. 21, 2020
1. Montverde (Fla.) Academy (19-0)
Previous rank: 1.
Low-down: Cade Cunningham, a shoo-in for the McDonald’s All American Game when the rosters are revealed on Friday and Oklahoma State recruit, bucketed 18 points and cleared seven rebounds to pace the offense during a 76-64 win over then-No. 9 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) at the Spaulding Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass. The Eagles also crushed McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.), 94-65, at Hoophall on Monday.
2. Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson, Va. (27-1)
Previous: 2.
Low-down: Cam Thomas bagged Most Valuable Player honors with 26 points (three 3-pointers) and eight rebounds, when the Warriors rallied to defeat then-No. 19 Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.), 72-57, in the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions final in Springfield, Mo. The Warriors captured their fourth Bass Pro TOC title before 9.722 at Missouri State’s JQH Arena. After that coach Steve Smith took his team to the Hoophall Classic on Monday afternoon.
3. Wasatch Academy, Mount Pleasant, Utah (22-1)
Previous: 4.
Low-down: Richard Isaacs, Jr. went off for a game-high 29 points, five assist and two steals as the Tigers upended then-No. Hamilton Heights Christian Academy (Chattanooga, Tenn.), 94-82, at the MLK Classic in Springfield, Va. BYU-bound Richie Saunders added a double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds. The Tigers are back at it this week with two in-state games against Jordan and Juan Diego Catholic (Draper).
4. DeMatha, Hyattsville, Md. (14-2)
Previous: 5.
Low-down: Earl Timberlake put up 24 points and 12 rebounds during a 59-48 victory over Simeon (Chicago) at the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass. Earlier last week coach Mike Jones’ club toppled No. 25 Gonzaga, 70-67, in Washington Catholic Athletic Conference play. The Stags rallied with a 19-14 fourth-quarter spurt.
5. Hamilton Heights Christian, Chattanooga, Tenn. (18-1)
Previous: 3.
Low-down: The Hawks were picked off for the first time this season by then-No. 4 Wasatch Academy (Mount Pleasant, Utah) after a 94-82 decision at the MLK Classic in Springfield, Va.
6. Grayson, Loganville, Ga. (19-1)
Previous: 6.
Low-down: Caleb Murphy’s 17 points paced an impressive 71-56 victory over local powerhouse Wayne (Huber Heights, Ohio) at Flyin’ to the Hoop in Kettering, Ohio. Before the road trip to Ohio, the Rams avenged an early season loss by defeating Newton (Covington, Ga.), 86-39.
7. Corona (Calif.) Centennial (18-2)
Previous: 7.
Low-down: The Huskies continued to roll through the Big VIII league competition and play Roosevelt (Eastvale) on Wednesday.
8. Sunrise Christian Academy, Bel Aire, Kan. (13-2)
Previous: 8.
Low-down: The Buffaloes fired on all cylinders during a 91-48 thrashing of Hillcrest Prep (Phoenix) at the Hoophall Classic in Massachusetts. That key victory was fueled by an eye-popping 15 made three-point field goals.
9. Prolific Prep, Napa, Calif. (20-2)
Previous: 12.
Low-down: It was an impressive week for the Northern California outfit. The Crew rallied to beat Huntingdon (W.Va.) Prep, 84-78, at Flyin’ to the Hoop in Ohio. Jalen Green, a future NBA lottery pick, tossed in 23 points. It was a quick turnaround two days later during a 69-6 triumph over No. 13 La Lumiere School (La Porte, Ind.) at the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass.
10. Dorman, Roebuck, S.C. (17-1)
Previous: 11.
Low-down: The Cavaliers have won 17 straight games and improved to 6-0 in region action with an 81-51 victory over Riverside (Greer).
11. Minnehaha Academy, Minneapolis, Minn. (10-2)
Previous: 13.
Low-down: It was a strange week for the Redwings, who hammered Breck School (Minneapolis), 102-52, and Edina, 85-57, but saw two games halted by the weather, including a key border war contest with Wisconsin power La Follette (Madison) on Saturday. Gonzaga-bound Jalen Suggs poured in a game-high 18 points versus Edina.
12. IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. (11-4)
Previous: 9.
Low-down: The Ascenders jumped to a 14-point lead at halftime en route to a 73-54 over injured-depleted No. 24 The Patrick School (Hillside, N.J.) at the Hoophall Classic in Massachusetts. But less than 24 hours later lost to top-ranked Montverde (Fla.) Academy, 76-64, for the second time this season.
13. La Lumiere School, La Porte, Ind. (11-3)
Previous: 10.
Low-down: The Lakers went 1-1 at the Hoophall Classic in Massachusetts and play Cardinal Ritter College Prep (St. Louis, Mo.) on Saturday.
14. Paul VI, Fairfax, Va. (13-4)
Previous: 17.
Low-down: Jeremy Roach (Duke recruit) and Trevor Keels were added to the all-tournament when the Panthers placed second at the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions, falling to No. 2 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), 72-57, in the final. Also won at the Hoophall Classic on Monday afternoon.
15. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (18-3)
Previous: 14.
Low-down: The Trailblazers continued crisscrossing the national playing Monday versus No. 14 Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.), a powerhouse program from the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference, at the Hoophall Classic in Massachusetts.
16. Duncanville, Texas (16-2)
Previous: 18.
Low-down: The Panthers are cruising in District 8-6A action.
17. Curie, Chicago (17-1)
Previous: 19.
Low-down: The Condors stayed unbeaten in league play with wins over Vocational (Chicago), 72-43, and Hyde park (Chicago), 74-53.
18. St. Frances Academy, Baltimore (22-3)
Previous: 16.
Low-down: The Panthers recorded a 3-1 week in MIAA A Conference play but did get tripped up by rival Mount St. Joseph (Baltimore), 62-53.
19. Rancho Christian, Temecula, Calif. (17-5)
Previous: 15.
Low-down: It was a long way from the West Coast to New England to absorb a “quality” loss but that’s what happened to the Eagles in a narrow 61-59 setback to No. 22 Camden (N.J.) at the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass. They also fell to No. 4 DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) at the event on Monday.
20. Scotlandville, Baton Rouge, La. (21-2)
Previous: 21.
Low-down: The Hornets play at Plaquemine on Tuesday afternoon.
21. Etiwanda, Calif. (19-2)
Previous: 22.
Low-down: The Eagles, who added three more wins, play again against Chino Hills on Tuesday.
22. Camden, N.J. (11-1)
Previous: Not ranked.
Low-down: The legendary program across the river from Philadelphia in South Jersey debuts in the Elite 25 after dispatching then-No. 12 Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.), 61-59, at the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass. Kentucky-bound forward Lance Ware had a double-double with 18 points and 14 rebounds and freshman sensation DJ Wagner threw in 17, making three 3-pointers. We’ll find out if Rick Brunson’s team is worthy of the ranking with games against Roselle (N.J.) Catholic Thursday and No. 24 The Patrick School (Hillside, N.J.) Saturday.
23. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (13-2)
Previous: 24.
Low-down: Ryan Dunn flipped in 14 points and Kasper Klaczek added 10 points and seven rebounds to defeat Trinity Catholic (Stamford, Conn.), 73-46. The Crusaders opened the week on Monday against Iona Prep (New Rochelle, N.Y.).
24. The Patrick School, Hillside, N.J. (9-4)
Previous: 20.
Low-down: The injury-riddled Celtics split two games and look to regain their health with fresh legs this week. Junior forward Jonathan Kuminga is still week to week on an injury.
25. Gonzaga, Washington, D.C. (12-6)
Previous: 23.
Low-down: Split two WCAC games and lost to No. 13 La Lumiere School (La Porte, Ind.), 47-42, at the Hoophall Classic in Massachusetts. The Eagles remain in Elite 25 based on strength of schedule.
Dropped: No. 25 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.).
High-Fives by Region
East
- Neumann-Goretti, Philadelphia (13-2)
- Archbishop Wood, Warminster, Pa. (13-3)
- St. Raymond, Bronx, N.Y. (11-3)
- St. John’s College, Washington, D.C. (15-3)
- Roselle (N.J.) Catholic (7-3)
Geography: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia.
Midwest
- Collinsville, Ill. (18-0)
- Lawrence North, Indianapolis (14-0)
- Evanston, Ill. (18-0)
- Vashon, St. Louis (10-4)
- Bloomington (Ind.) South (15-0)
Geography: Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Southland
- Moravian Prep, Hudson, N.C. (22-1)
- Greensboro (N.C.) Day School (24-3)
- Lancaster, Texas (22-2)
- Norcross, Ga. (20-2)
- Shiloh, Snellville, Ga. (18-1)
Geography: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
Far West
- Eastside Catholic, Sammamish, Wash. (12-1)
- Harvard-Westlake, Studio City, Calif. (19-2)
- St. Anthony, Long Beach, Calif. (22-1)
- Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas (14-2)
- O’Dea, Seattle (10-2)
Geography: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
About: The Blue Star Media Elite 25 High School Boys’ Basketball Rankings are released weekly from November until the conclusion of the high school season in April. Criteria considered are the quality of the team and its players, strength of schedule, tradition, and quality of the team’s league, conference, region or district. The rankings are compiled by Blue Star Media’s Christopher Lawlor, who consults with a national network of coaches, talent evaluators and prep sports writers. The final rankings will be released in April. Follow him on Twitter at @clawlor.
Senior Writer and national analyst for Blue Media and compiles the Blue Star Elite 25 national boys and girls high school basketball and football rankings during the season. Lawlor, an award-winning writer, is a voting committee member and advisor for several national high school events, including the McDonald’s All-American Games. He previously wrote for USA TODAY and ESPN.com, where he was the national preps writer, while compiling the national rankings in four sports.
