LIONIZED: No. 1 Link Academy Lions (MO) ascend Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ rankings winning GEICO Nationals; State Champions Invitational is next

FORT MYERS, Fla. – The GEICO High School Nationals continues to be the gold standard for schoolboy tournaments and it did not disappoint last week here.

The event launched a new No. 1 Link Academy of Branson, Missouri. The Lions move up two positions atop the Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ basketball rankings after winning the championship in impressive fashion.

Only in its second season, Link completed a 27-1 campaign by returning to the GEICO Nationals final for a second straight year, defeated No. 4 AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.), 71-55, Saturday in the final.

Ja’Kobe Walter, the Most Valuable Player, pumped in a game-high 21 point, draining 3 of 4 from the three-point line. North Carolina-bound point guard Eliott Cadeau, who made the all-tournament team, finished with 11 points, five assists but set the tone early in the first quarter. Cameron Carr scored 17 points and cleared six rebounds.

It capped a brilliant season for first-year coach Bill Armstrong. The lone blemish on this season’s ledger is a blowout loss in February to then-No. 1 Montverde (Fla.) Academy.

Here are some observations from Suncoast Credit Union Arena on the campus of Florida SouthWestern State University.

► The GEICO quarterfinal games last Thursday were all buzzer-beaters. In the first of four games, Link held off No. 6 St. Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.), 68-65. DeShawn Harris-Smith, a Maryland commit, could’ve forced overtime and changed the outcome of the tournament but misfired from the arc as time expired.

In another one that went down to the last second, Blue Cain flipped in a desperation shot from 45 feet as No. 16 IMG defeated Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.), 66-63. Cain, a 3-point specialist, was tightly guarded just inside the midcourt line but had the wherewithal uncork a heave that banked in at buzzer, stunning the entire gym.

The first big upset of Thursday saw AZ Compass Prep take down mighty then-No. 2 Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.), 73-71, Rayvon Griffith’s putback with 10 seconds left broke a 71-all tie. LuHi had its win streak halted at 22 games.

No. 1 and top-seeded Montverde had its string of two consecutive GEICO Nationals titles stopped in a heart-thumping 46-45 loss to No. 10 Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.). The Eagles should have won it but two close-range shots refused to go down, including Cooper Flagg’s putback at the buzzer.

Phew! That was only the first of three days.

► Entering the tournament, the consensus was a Monteverde vs. LuHi final. The top two teams going at it. The previous weekend, LuHi won the New York State Federation Class AA title in a walkover. Montverde’s prolonged down time was seven weeks between games. Too much time, that has to change.

► For the record, here’s GEICO Nationals all-tournament team: Ja’Kobe Walter (MVP) and Elliot Cadeau, Link Academy; Scotty Middleton, Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.); Blue Cain, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.); and Tru Washington, AZ Compass Prep.

► By the way, wing guard Blue Cain of IMG decommitted from Georgia Tech once coach Josh Pastner was relieved of his duties last month. Cain is already fielding several Power-5 offers. He’ll decide soon.

►Annually, the GEICO Nationals is a true measuring stick of the best of the best. All eight teams were ranked in the Blue Star Media Elite 25. With Link moving to No. 1, it will take a superhuman effort this weekend in Washington, D.C. to supplant it. The Elite 25 final rankings drop on April 10.

State Champions Invitational

The second annual State Champions Invitational is ready to go this weekend. The new wrinkle this year is a six-team bracket, two of which are in the Elite 25 rankings. The tournament will be played Thursday through Saturday on the campus of Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

The schedule (All times Eastern Daylight Time):

Thursday

6 p.m.: No. 12 Roselle (N.J.) Catholic vs. Curtis (University Place, Wash.), ESPNU
8 p.m.: Corner Canyon (Draper, Utah) vs. Yazoo City (Miss.), ESPN+

Friday

4 p.m. — Corner Canyon or Yazoo City vs. Sidwell Friends (Washington), ESPNU
6 p.m. — Roselle Catholic or Curtis winner vs. No. 19 Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.), ESPN+

Saturday

12 p.m. — Championship game, ESPN.

This week there were no additions to the Elite 25 but that could change next week with results pending from the SCI.

The real movement was in the Top 10, where eight teams shifted. Link and Ben Davis (Indianapolis) are No. 1 and 2, respectively. Both moving up two while No. 7 AZ Compass Prep hopped up three. No. 3 Montverde dropped and No. 5 LuHi fell three. Two teams will play this weekend at the SCI.

That’s it for the penultimate week of a long high school season.

The Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ rankings return a day earlier next week on April 10. The SCI is remaining event that may impact the Elite 25.

OK, stay safe. Happy Easter and Happy Passover!

Hope to see you at a game soon. – Christopher Lawlor

 Blue Star Media Elite 25 Boys’ Basketball Rankings, April 4, 2023

1. Link Academy, Branson, Mo. (27-1) %

Previous rank: 3.

Low-down: Won the GEICO High School Nationals championship, defeating then-No. 7 AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.), 71-55, in the final. MVP Ja’Kobe Walter tossed in a game-high 21 point, dropping 3 of 4 from the three-point line. North Carolina-bound point guard Eliott Cadeau finished with 11 points. In the semifinals, the Lions toppled No. 10 Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.), 67-61. Also beat then-No. 4 St. Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.), 68-65, in the quarterfinals. Walter had 34 points and 6 rebounds. Season complete.

2. Ben Davis, Indianapolis (33-0)*

Previous: 4.

Low-down: Won Class 4A state championship. Season complete.

3. Montverde (Fla.) Academy (23-2)

Previous: 1.

Low-down: Lost to No. 10 Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan., 46-45, in the GEICO Nationals quarterfinals. Season complete.

4. AZ Compass Prep, Chandler, Ariz. (25-5)

Previous: 7.

Low-down: Lost to No. 1 Link Academy (Branson, Mo.), 71-55, in the GEICO Nationals final. The Dragons advanced to the title game for the second time in three seasons and went 2-1 at the prestigious event. Tru Washington scored 13 points and Rayvon Griffith added 12. Season complete.

5. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (23-3)*

Previous: 2.

Low-down: Lost to No. 4 AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.), 73-71, in the GEICO Nationals quarterfinals. Season complete.

6. St. Paul VI Catholic, Chantilly, Va. (31-4)*

Previous: 5.

Low-down: Lost to then-No. 3 Link Academy (Branson, Mo.), 68-65 in GEICO National quarterfinals. DeShawn Harris-Smith popped in 18 points in his final performance before heading to Maryland in the fall. Season complete.

7. Duncanville, Texas (28-1)

Previous: 8.

Low-down: Season complete.

8. Prolific Prep, Napa, Calif. (35-2)*

Previous: 6.

Low-down: Lost to then-No. 17 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), 66-63, in the GEICO Nationals quarterfinals. Auburn-bound Aden Holloway flipped in 21 points. The Crew erased a 24-point second half deficit but fell short on a buzzer beater from 45 feet. Season complete.

9. Harvard-Westlake, Studio City, Calif. (33-2)*

Previous: 9.

Low-down: Won CIF Open Division state championship. Season complete.

10. Sunrise Christian School, Bel Aire, Kan. (19-8)

Previous: 10.

Low-down: Went 1-1 at the GEICO Nationals, advancing to the semifinals. Ohio State-bound Scotty Middleton was named all-tournament. Season complete.

11. John Marshall, Richmond, Va. (27-0)*

Previous: 11.

Low-down: Won the Class 2 state championship. Season complete.

12. Roselle (N.J.) Catholic (22-5)*

Previous: 12.

Low-down: Won the NJSIAA Non-Public B state championship but the Lions will play in the State Champions Invitational running Thursday through Saturday, in Washington, D.C. Regular season complete.

13. Centennial, Corona, Calif. (30-4)

Previous: 13.

Low-down: Season complete.

14. Camden, N.J. (23-2)

Previous: 14.

Low-down: Season complete.

15. Imhotep Institute Charter, Philadelphia (30-3)**

Previous: 15.

Low-down: Won the PIAA Class 5A state championship. Season complete.

16. IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. (18-8)

Previous: 17.

Low-down: Went 1-1 at the GEICO Nationals, advancing to the semifinals where it lost to No. 4 AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.), 68-50. Season complete.

17. Columbus, Miami (26-4)*

Previous: 16.

Low-down: Won second straight FHSAA Class 7A state championship. Season complete.

18. Lake Highlands, Dallas (34-3)*

Previous: 18.

Low-down: Won UIL Class 6A state championship. Season complete.

19. Wheeler, Marietta, Ga. (26-6)*

Previous: 19.

Low-down: Won Class 7A state championship. The Wildcats are the top seed in the upcoming State Champions Invitational from April 6-8 in Washington, D.C. Regular season complete.

20. Metamora, Ill. (34-2)*

Previous: 20.

Low-down: Won Class 3A state championship. Season complete.

21. Vashon, St. Louis (24-7)*

Previous: 21.

Low-down: Won Class 4 state championship. Season complete.

22. Simeon, Chicago (32-4)*

Previous: 23.

Low-down: Advanced to Class 3A state final and won the Chicago Public School City Championship. Season complete.

23. St. John’s College, Washington, D.C. (32-4)*

Previous: 23.

Low-down: Won the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Tournament. Season complete.

24. Reading, Pa. (32-1)*

Previous: 24.

Low-down: Won PIAA Class 6A state championship. Season complete.

25. St. John Bosco, Bellflower, Calif. (26-7)

Previous: 25.

Low-down: Season complete.

Dropped: None.

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Archbishop Stepinac, White Plains, N.Y. (22-10)*
2. Lincoln Park, Midland, Pa. (30-1)*
3. Roman Catholic, Philadelphia (27-4)*
4. Mount St. Joseph, Baltimore (38-4)*
5. Christ the King, Middle Village, N.Y. (23-5)

Geography: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia.

Midwest

1. Cass Tech, Detroit (27-1)*
2. Moline, Ill. (35-3)*
3. De Pere, Wis. (30-0)*
4. Wayzata, Plymouth, Minn. (27-4)*
5. Archbishop Hoban, Akron, Ohio (26-3)*

Geography: Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Southland

1. Warren Central, Bowling Green, Ky. (36-1)*
2. Myers Park, Charlotte, N.C. (28-4)*
3. Kimball, Dallas (33-2)*
4. Greensboro (N.C.) Day School (30-5)*
5. Brentwood (Tenn.) Academy (29-3)*

Geography: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.

Far West

1. Notre Dame, Sherman Oaks, Calif. (27-10)*
2. Garfield, Seattle (25-2)*
3. Perry, Gilbert, Ariz. (30-1)*
4. Durango, Las Vegas (21-6)*
5. Bishop Montgomery, Torrance, Calif. (28-5)

Geography: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

 % GEICO High School Nationals Champions

 * Won state, national or conference postseason tournament championship

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. Follow him on Twitter at @clawlor.