Mater Dei still No. 1, Ohio school added to Blue Star Media Go-To 25 boys’ basketball rankings

BENSALEM, Pa. – Once the calendar flips to February, the realization that the season is on the brink of conclusion begins to set in. That same feeling is permeating the Blue Star Media Go-To boys’ basketball rankings.

The latest Go-To 25 rankings feature one new school, No. 21 St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio), which is currently Ohio’s top-ranked largest classification (Division I) team. The Eagles are guided by Eric Flannery—one of the nation’s best and a USA Basketball U17 Team coach. The Eagles have a rivalry game this weekend against St. Ignatius (Cleveland) as the regular season is down to two weeks.

Elsewhere, No. 1 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) keeps cruised while No. 2 Curie (Chicago) had the week off.

In Florida, the district playoffs tip off. Additionally two Jacksonville schools helped reshape the rankings. No. 23 Providence Christian tumbled 11 spots while No. 11 Arlington Country Day moves up eight after a big win over No. 15 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.).

Besides the state tournaments, the Dick’s Sporting Goods High School National Tournament—previously known as the National High School Invitational—is searching for a few good teams. It’s safe to say Montverde (Fla.) Academy, La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) and Northside Christian (Charlotte, N.C.) are in—at least as of this week—with several teams hovering around that final five slots, rounding out the event. The tournament will be played April 3 and 4 at a New York City high school before moving to Madison Square Garden in April 5 for the final.

This story will unfold in the coming weeks as will 50 state championships (and the District of Columbia).

Again, get out and enjoy a game in your hometown—sooner than later. Hope to see you at a game soon.—Christopher Lawlor  

Blue Star Media Go-To 25 Boys Basketball Rankings, Feb. 3, 2014

1. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (23-0)

Previous rank: 1.

Low-down: Stanley Johnson showed why he’s nation’s top senior, scoring 61 points in two games last weekend at the Nike Extravaganza. The Arizona recruit pumped in 27 points during a 69-57 win over Whitney Young (Chicago).

2. Curie, Chicago (18-1)

Previous: 2.

Low-down: The Condors enter the Chicago Public Schools League Tournament as the top seed.

3. Rainier Beach, Seattle (19-0)

Previous: 3.

Low-down: A highly charged offense averaged 94 points in two wins. The Vikings close out the regular season Friday against Franklin (Seattle).

4. Montverde (Fla.) Academy (22-1)

Previous: 4.

Low-down: Won the Montverde Academy Invitational Tournament, beating Greensboro (N.C.) Day, 78-46, in final. Ben Simmons had 19 points and 9 rebounds. The Eagles next play Feb. 15 and 16 in New Jersey, coach Kevin Boyle’s old stomping grounds.

5. White Station, Memphis, Tenn. (22-1)

Previous: 5.

Low-down: The Spartans are 9-0 in district play.

6. Northside Christian Academy, Charlotte, N.C. (21-1)

Previous: 6.

Low-down: Defeated Covenant Day (Matthews) by 55 points.

7. Converse (Texas) Judson (28-1)

Previous: 8.

Low-down: The Rockets have three regular season games left.

8. La Lumiere School, La Porte, Ind. (17-2)

Previous: 10.

Low-down: The Lakers were idle.

9. St. John’s, Washington, D.C. (19-1)

Previous: 13.

Low-down: Edged No. xx Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.), 71-68, splitting the season series. Mike Morsell dropped in 21 points. Darian Anderson’s long three-pointer beat the buzzer.

10. Cardinal Hayes, Bronx, N.Y. (19-0)

Previous: 15.

Low-down: The Cardinals peeled off a couple narrow victories, including a 58-54 decision to Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.).

11. Arlington Country Day, Jacksonville, Fla. (18-3)

Previous: 19.

Low-down: The Apaches recorded a huge win, defeating then-No. x Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), 62-53, at the Big Atlantic Classic in Beckley, W.Va.

12. Lincoln, Brooklyn, N.Y. (19-3)

Previous: 16.

Low-down: The Railsplitters captured two more league games.

13. Our Savior New American, Centereach, N.Y. (15-3)

Previous: 11.

Low-down: Went 1-1, losing to Life Center Academy (Burlington, N.J.), 66-65. Junior Cheick Diallo had 29 points,16 rebounds and 5 steals. Saturday’s tilt against Cape Henry Collegiate (Virginia Beach, Va.) at the Battle by the Bay in Atlantic City, N.J., was canceled.   

14. Huntington (W.Va.) Prep (21-4)

Previous: 18.

Low-down: Won two games in the Huntington Prep Invitational.

15. Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson, Va. (29-3)

Previous: 7.

Low-down: After losing to No. 11 Arlington Country Day (Jacksonville, Fla.), the Warriors bounced back with a pair of road wins.

16. Arsenal Tech, Indianapolis (17-2)

Previous: 9.

Low-down: Won Indianapolis City Tournament title but then lost to Hamilton Southeastern (Fishers), 77-71.

17. Sagemont, Weston, Fla. (25-0)

Previous: 20.

Low-down: A perfect regular season was capped with an 81-40 win over Gulliver Prep (Miami). Next up are the district playoffs.

18. Paul VI, Fairfax, Va. (19-4)

Previous: 14.

Low-down: The Panthers rebounded the loss to then-No. 13 St. John’s (Washington, D.C.) to defeat Gonzaga (Washington), 69-49.

19. Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas (20-4)

Previous: 21.

Low-down: The Gaels won three times, including a 68-53 win over JSerra (San Juan Capistrano) at the Nike Extravaganza in Santa Ana, Calif. Chase Jeter contributed 19 points and 11 rebounds.

20. Findlay Prep, Henderson, Nev. (23-4)

Previous: 22.

Low-down: Defeated Elite One Academy (Tampa, Fla.), 101-69. Kansas-bound Kelly Oubre had 26 points and 8 rebounds.  The Pilots had 25 assists.

21. St. Edward, Lakewood, Ohio (15-1)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: The Eagles enter the rankings after an impressive 66-59 victory at St. John’s Jesuit (Toledo) for their 11^th straight win. Junior Kipper Nichols popped in a career-high 31 points.

22. Orlando (Fla.) Christian Prep (23-1)

Previous: 17.

Low-down: Took third place at the Montverde Fla.) Academy Invitational Tournament, going 2-1.

23. Providence Christian, Jacksonville, Fla. (21-4)

Previous: 12.

Low-down: Split a pair of games, beating The Rock School (Gainesville), 72-59.

24. Prime Prep, Dallas (18-5)                                            

Previous: 24.

Low-down: The Truth won twice in Oklahoma and Emmanuel Mudiay was named to the McDonald’s All-America Game.

25. Loyola, Los Angeles (21-1)

Previous: 25.

Low-down: The Cubs avenged last month’s league loss to Chaminade (West Hills), 54-41.

Dropped: No. 23 Whitney Young (Chicago).

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Bishop Loughlin, Brooklyn, N.Y. (17-3)

2. Roman Catholic, Philadelphia (16-3)

3. Neumann-Goretti, Philadelphia (15-4)

4. Archbishop Carroll (Radnor, Pa.).  (17-3)

5. Mount Vernon, N.Y. (11-1)

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

Midlands

1. Whitney Young, Chicago (16-5)

2. Chaminade, St. Louis (18-1)

3. Apple Valley, Minn. (19-1)

4. Zion-Benton, Ill. (19-1)

5. Stevenson, Lincolnshire, Ill. (18-1)

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

South

1. Wheeler, Marietta, Ga. (17-4)

2. Scotlandville, Baton Rouge, La. (25-1)

3. DeSoto, Texas (23-3)

4. Callaway, Jackson, Miss. (19-1)

5. Putnam City West, Oklahoma City (15-2)

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

Far West

1. Corona (Calif.) Centennial (19-2)

2. Corona del Sol, Tempe, Ariz. (23-1)

3. Lone Peak, Highland, Utah (14-2)

4. Etiwanda, Calif. (21-3)

5. Redondo Union, Redondo Beach, Calif. (18-4)

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

About: The Blue Star Media Go-To 25 Boys High School Rankings are released weekly from September until the conclusion of the high school season. 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 April 7, 2014. Follow him on Twitter at #clawlor.