NEW YORK – Wave the blue and white banner of IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) high in the sky; they are officially the Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ basketball National Champions.

IMG captured the GEICO High School Nationals last weekend in New York, topping the top to seeds, La Lumiere School (La Porte, Ind.) and defending national champions Montverde (Fla.) Academy in the final and semifinals, respectively. The Ascenders rose to the occasion and knocked off a three Elite 25 team last weekend to the nation’s most coveted championship and moved up three spots to land the No. 1 final ranking.

Last season, IMG did not qualify for the GEICO Nationals and two years ago it petered out in the opening round. This time, loaded with three McDonald’s All Americans, the Ascenders overcame a large fourth-quarter deficit to upend their Florida rivals from Montverde Academy in the semifinals. Villanova-bound Jeremiah Earl-Robinson was tabbed the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

Bravo to the coach Sean McAloon and the Ascenders. Well earned, boys!

As for the elephant in the room, No. 1 McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.), it slipped a spot. The Indians completed a perfect regular season, winning Georgia’s Class AAAAAAA championship, and held down the top spot in the Elite 25 for much of the season. The Indians then accepted an invitation to the GEICO Nationals and eventually back out for an array of excuses.

McEachern’s loss became IMG’s gain. Many gathered at the GEICO Nationals last weekend were disappointed that McEachern backed out. Nonetheless it was a monumental season for the Indians punctuated by two impressive major in-season tournament titles in Florida and Missouri.

With the exception of a few teams that were rearranged to reflect the results from the GEICO Nationals, the Elite 25 rankings had little movement and no additions. No. 15 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) slips up three spots after admirable performance the GEICO Nationals. Watch out for the Gaels next season, a great core returns for coach Grant Rice.

This weekend I’ll be at the 22^ndannual Nike Hoops Summit in Portland, Oregon and will be filing a report. It’s an international game between the top seniors on the USA Team against the World Select Team. The game is Friday at 10 p.m. EDT from the Moda Center.

After five long months, the high school basketball season is over. It was a great ride and so many great storylines. We cannot thank our loyal readers enough for your support and belief in the Elite 25 rankings.

The basketball scene shifts to the club circuit, where the major shoe brands such as Nike, adidas and Under Armour plus West Coast Elite will roll out multiple national events and season-ending national championship tournaments. The action has already begun and goes strong through early August.

Check back frequently to www.bluestarmedia.org for updates and news and notes. We’ll do our best to keep it covered.

The Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ basketball preseason rankings return in mid-November. Next up are the Elite 25 high school football rankings that debut in mid-August. Follow me on Twitter @clawlor for the latest happenings and official announcement when the Elite 25 football rankings will drop.

Until next season, enjoy the summer. We hope to see you at a game soon. –Christopher Lawlor

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Final Boys’ Basketball Rankings, April 8, 2019

1. IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. (29-1)** !

Previous: rank 4.

Low-down: The Ascenders won the GEICO National championship and are the Blue Star Media Elite 25 National Champions. Last weekend, coach Sean McAloon’s team stopped then-No. 2 La Lumiere School (La Porte, Ind.), 66-55, in the final. Jeremiah Earl-Robinson, who was the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, netted 18 points, making 7 of 10 shots and hauled down seven rebounds. Arizona-bound Josh Green added a game-high 19 points with two made 3-pointers. Jaden Springer had 12 points and seven assists. All three made the all-tournament team. In the semifinals, they rallied from down 16 points in the fourth quarter to defeat then-No. 3 Montverde (Fla.) Academy, 74-73.

2. McEachern, Powder Springs, Ga. (32-0)*

Previous: 1.

Low-down: Won the Class AAAAAAA state championship.

3. La Lumiere School, La Porte, Ind. (30-1)

Previous: 2.

Low-down: Advanced to the GEICO Nationals final, losing to No. 1 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), 66-55. Won two major in-season tournaments in Maryland and Hawaii. Brilliant coaching job from Patrick Holmes and stellar play from All-American Isaiah Stewart, who the national player of the year and headed to Washington for his likely one-and-done .

4. Montverde (Fla.) Academy (22-3)

Previous: 3.

Low-down: Advanced to the GEICO Nationals semifinals, losing to No. 1 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), 74-73. Two losses were to La Lumiere School (La Porte, Ind.).

5. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (32-3)*

Previous: 6.

Low-down: Won second straight CIF Open Division state championship. 

6. Mountain Brook, Birmingham, Ala. (31-3)*

Previous: 7.

Low-down: Won a third straight Class 7A state championship. 

7. Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson, Va. (32-5)

Previous: 7.

Low-down: Advanced to the GEICO Nationals semifinals, falling to No. 3 La Lumiere, 58-57. Junior Cam Thomas had 22 points and 7 rebounds in the setback. 

8. Moeller, Cincinnati (29-0)*

Previous: 8.

Low-down: Won second straight Division I state championship.

9. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (25-2)*

Previous: 9.

Low-down: Won New York Federation Class AA. Junior G Andre Curbelo (native of Puerto Rico) will play in the Nike Hoops Summit this weekend for the World Select Team in Portland, Ore.

10. Ranney School, Tinton Falls, N.J. (31-3)* *

Previous: 12.

Low-down: Won first-ever New Jersey State Tournament of Champions title. Also captured the Non-Public B state crown. 

11. DeMatha, Hyattsville, Md. (33-5)* *

Previous: 13.

Low-down: Won the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament and Maryland Private Schools titles. Coach Mike Jones returns a strong team.

12. Wasatch Academy, Mount Pleasant, Utah (26-4)

Previous: 10.

Low-down: Played in the GEICO Nationals. The Tigers featured a national charged schedule and second appearance at GEICO and first under coach David Evans.

13. Sunrise Christian Academy, Bel Aire, Kan. (22-6)

Previous: 11.

Low-down: Played for the first time at the GEICO Nationals.

14. Carmel, Ind. (26-1)*

Previous: 14.

Low-down: Won Class 4A state championship for the program’s fourth overall title.

15. Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas (28-4)*

Previous 16.

Low-down: Won eighth straight Nevada Class 4A state championship and qualified for the GEICO Nationals in the first year of eligibility. The Gaels are a team to be reckoned with in 2019-20.

16. Roselle (N.J.) Catholic (27-5)

Previous: 16.

Low-down: Advanced to the Non-Public B final, where is lost to No. 12 Ranney School (Tinton Falls) and annexed another Non-Public B North title. 

17. Nicolet, Glendale, Wis. (27-1)*

Previous: 17.

Low-down: Won Division 2 state championship. 

18. University School, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (27-5)*

Previous: 15.

Low-down: Won a second straight Class 5A state championship and played at the GEICO Nationals.

19. Belleville (Ill.) West (34-4)*

Previous: 19.

Low-down: Won second straight Class 4A state championship. 

20. Southwest Guilford, High Point, N.C. (32-0)*

Previous: 20.

Low-down: Won Class 3A state championship. 

21. Curie, Chicago (35-2) 

Previous: 21.

Low-down: Advanced to the Class 4A state semifinals and rebounded to win the third-place game at states. Also captured the Chicago Public League and Pontiac (Ill.) Holiday Tournament crowns.

22. Salesian College Prep, Richmond, Calif. (31-1)

Previous: 22.

Low-down: Advanced to the CIF-Northern California Region semifinals. Won the CIF-North Coast Section Division III championship.

23. Gonzaga, Washington, D.C. (28-9)* 

Previous: 24.

Low-down: Won Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship. 

24. Rancho Christian, Temecula, Calif. (26-6)

Previous: 23.

Low-down: Advanced to the CIF-Southern California Region Open Division tournament. The Eagles played the nation’s most aggressive schedules.

25. Shadow Mountain, Phoenix (26-3)*

Previous: 25.

Low-down: Won the Arizona 4A state championship. 

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Bergen Catholic, Oradell, N.J. (27-4)* 

2. St. Frances Academy, Baltimore (38-7)* *

3. Imhotep Charter, Philadelphia (26-6)*

4. Christ the King, Middle Village, N.Y. (19-11)* 

5. Kennedy Catholic, Hermitage, Pa. (27-3)*

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

Midwest

1. East St. Louis, Ill. (30-6)*

2. Bogan, Chicago (30-4)

3. Vashon, St. Louis (26-5)*

4. Morgan Park, Chicago (29-5)

5. Hopkins, Minnetonka, Minn. (28-4)*

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

Southland

1. Scotlandville, Baton Rouge, La. (35-2)*

2. Carmel Christian, Matthews, N.C. (31-3)*

3. Timberview, Mansfield, Texas (38-2)*

4. Duncanville, Texas (32-7)*

5. Starkville, Miss. (26-1)*

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

Far West

1. Gonzaga Prep, Spokane, Wash. (25-2)*

2. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (29-5)

3. Corona (Calif.) Centennial (27-6)

4. Federal Way, Wash. (26-3)

5. Pinnacle, Phoenix (27-3)*

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

* Won a state, national or conference/league postseason tournament championship

(Note some schools won multiple tournament titles]

** GEICO High School Nationals champions

! Blue Star Media Elite 25 National Champions

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. 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 Senior Writer 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.