BENSALEM, Pa. – Things have begun to become clearer for the Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ basketball rankings. That also goes for the GEICO High School Nationals.

First, there are no additions to the Elite 25 but that always changes on a turn of a dime in the month of March. Last weekend, the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference cemented itself as the top league in the nation bar none. No. 10 Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) won the Virginia Independent Schools Division I state title and regionally-ranked Gonzaga (Washington) bagged the District of Columbia state championship too.

The WCAC is the conference of champions as three programs bagged titles with more to come. In Virginia, Glenn Farello’s team won a major chip in a talented field. (FYI: that’s Farello on the ladder cutting down the nets last weekend in Petersburg, Va.). The Panthers needed to navigate a treacherous bracket that included wins over WCAC rivals Bishop Ireton (Alexandria) in the quarterfinals before winning on back-to-back days over Trinity Episcopal (Richmond) in the semifinals and St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School (Alexandria), 67-59, in the final. The Panthers have won two of the last three independent state title crowns. A tremendous achievement considering the grueling league requirements.

In our nation’s capital, Gonzaga won the DC State Championship over Wilson, 55-49, Sunday evening. The Eagles have won 25 games and carry momentum into the final postseason tournament.

Brilliant!

So next weekend all three are joined by five others at the 60^th annual Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament in Frostburg, Maryland. The tournament first-round matchups are linked here with the ACIT tipping on March 12 for three days. No. 2 DeMatha is the WCAC champion and top seed.

We moved another week closer to the end of the season nationwide and even closer to when the GEICO Nationals’ eight-team field is revealed. As usual we handicap the field.

Definitely in: Montverde Academy, Wasatch Academy, Oak Hill Academy, Sunrise Christian, Prolific Prep and Dorman. We’d be stunned if one of these teams are excluded. Dorman goes for South Carolina’s Class AAAAA state title Friday.

Under consideration: States such as Maryland, Georgia, Nevada, Washington, Florida, Arizona and Utah are in play, or state champions are in line for an invitation. No. 5 Grayson is a frontrunner if it wins Georgia’s Class AAAAAAA this weekend in Macon. DeMatha is still a possibility but no word from the Maryland school. That would round out the field of eight. La Lumiere School is on the outside looking in yet has a great history in the GEICO Nationals.

My ballot (in no particular order): Montverde Academy, Wasatch Academy, Oak Hill Academy, Sunrise Christian, Prolific Prep, Grayson, Dorman and DeMatha. If DeMatha declines then La Lumiere is the next in.

We’ll continue to update the GEICO Nationals weekly. The Elite Eight teams will be revealed soon and will compete at Father John Savage Gymnasium on the campus of Christ the King High School in the Queens neighborhood of Middle Village.

The Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ rankings will return March 10. We are knee-deep into March and that means state champions aplenty.

Hope to see you at game soon. – Christopher Lawlor

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Boys’ Basketball rankings, March 3, 2020

1. Montverde (Fla.) Academy (25-0)

Previous rank: 1.

Low-down: Regular season is complete. The Eagles posted a perfect campaign and won’t play again for two months when the GEICO High School Nationals tip off on April 2 in New York. They last won the event in 2018 and made it to the semifinals last year.

2. DeMatha, Hyattsville, Md. (30-3)*

Previous: 2.

Low-down: Idle. The Washington Catholic Athletic Conference champions are in a holding pattern until the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament next week in Frostburg, Md. The GEICO Nationals are not out of the question but approval is needed.

3. Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson, Va. (37-3)

Previous: 3.

Low-down: Cameron Thomas, an LSU recruit, provided the sparkle on Senior Night scoring 33 points and snatching eight boards in an 80-57 victory over Liberty Heights (Charlotte, N.C.). Virginia Tech-bound Darius Maddox popped in 24 points and KK Robinson added six points, 10 assists and eight rebounds. The Warriors are off until the GEICO Nationals on April 2 in New York.

4. Wasatch Academy, Mount Pleasant, Utah (27-2)

Previous: 4.

Low-down: Regular season is complete. The Tigers await an official invite to the GEICO Nationals.

5. Grayson, Loganville, Ga. (30-1)

Previous: 5.

Low-down: Deivon Smith’s 22 points and a 10-0 spurt in the third quarter sparked the Rams over defending state champion McEachern (Powder Springs), 82-76, in the Class AAAAAAA semifinals at Buford City Arena. Additionally, South Florida-bound guard Caleb Murphy’s 20 points helped blow out Norcross, 65-27, in the quarterfinals. Leading 23-14 at halftime, the Rams used a 19-6 spree in the third quarter to wrap it up. The Rams meet Wheeler (Marietta) for the state title Saturday in Macon.

6. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (22-3)

Previous: 6.

Low-down: Idle. The Crusaders won’t play again until late March at the New York State Federation Class AA semifinals against the New York Public Schools champion in the Bronx.

7. Dorman, Roebuck, S.C. (29-1)

Previous: 7.

Low-down: Myles Tate scored 15 points and Jalen Breazeale had 13 to defeat

Wade Hampton (Greenville), 66-40, in the Class AAAAA Upper State final

Also beat Spartanburg, 67-51, in the semifinals. The Cavaliers meet Dutch Fork in the Class AAAAA final Friday at the Colonial Life Arena in Columbia.

8. Sunrise Christian Academy, Bel Aire, Kan. (22-3)

Previous: 8.

Low-down: Trounced OKC Storm North (Edmond, Okla.), 90-58. The Buffaloes await an official invite to GEICO Nationals. The regular season is complete.

9. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (28-4)

Previous: 11.

Low-down: Won CIF-Southern Section Open Division final, topping then-No. 21 Mater Dei (Santa Ana), 59-48. Ziaire Williams delivered 25 points. The Trailblazers earned a bye to the semifinals of the Southern California Open Division regional playoffs on Saturday against No. 22 Corona Centennial or Harvard-Westlake (Studio City).

10. Paul VI, Fairfax, Va. (27-8)*

Previous: 12.

Low-down: Won Virginia Independent Division I state championship, defeating St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School (Alexandria), 67-59, in the final. Also beat Trinity Episcopal (Richmond), 76-68, in the semifinals and Bishop Ireton (Alexandria), 73-63, in the quarterfinals. Next is the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament from March 12 to 14 in Frostburg, Md.

11. Prolific Prep, Napa, Calif. (26-3)

Previous: 10.

Low-down: Idle. Next is the Grind Session World Championship starting March 9 in Benton, Ky.

12. La Lumiere School, La Porte, Ind. (23-3)

Previous: 9.

Low-down: Closed out season with a resounding 76-40 win over Aim High Academy (Cement City, Mich.). The GEICO Nationals are fading. Season complete.

13. Camden, N.J. (25-1)

Previous: 19.

Low-down: The regular season concluded for Rick Brunson’s side with a pair of victories close to home. Freshman sensation tallied 20 points, pouring in four 3-pointers, and Kentucky-bound forward Lance Ware added 13 to beat Shawnee (Medford), 75-44. Wagner dropped in a game-high 28 points and Ware doubled at 15 points and 10 caroms to take down Timber Creek (Sicklerville), 85-56. The Panthers, who have won 21 straight times. opened the South Jersey Group 2 sectionals with Lower Cape May (Cape May) Monday and the quarterfinals are Wednesday. It takes six wins to claim the New Jersey Group 2 state title.

14. Scotlandville, Baton Rouge, La. (31-3)

Previous: 14.

Low-down: Idle. The Hornets play Jesuit (New Orleans) or Archbishop Shaw (Marrero) in the LHSAA Division I quarterfinals Friday.

15. Lancaster, Texas (33-2)

Previous: 15.

Low-down: Stopped Texas (Texarkana), 88-44, in the Class 5A, Region I Area playoff and Cleburne, 96-32, in the bi-district playoff round. The Tigers face Sulfur Springs in this week the Class 5A Region II quarterfinals. Three victories needed to qualify for the 5A state tournament.

16. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (25-7)

Previous: 17

Low-down: Wilhelm Breidenbach totaled 18 points and 14 rebounds and Kentucky-bound Devin Askew added 15 points but it wasn’t enough in a 59-48 loss to No. 9 Sierra Canyon School (Chatsworth) in the CIF-Southern Section Open Division final. The Monarchs play Saturday in the Southern California Regional Open Division semifinals, hosting No. 17 Etiwanda or Rancho Christian (Temecula).

17. Etiwanda, Calif. (28-3)

Previous: 16.

Low-down: Idle. Plays Rancho Christian (Temecula) Wednesday in the CIF-Southern California Region Open Division first round. The winner gets No. 16 Mater Dei (Santa Ana) on Saturday.

18. IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. (19-6)

Previous: 16.

Low-down: Idle. The GEICO Nationals are now remote for the defending champions.

19. Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas (28-3)*

Previous: 19.

Low-down: Won Class 4A state championship, beating Deseret Pines (Las Vegas), 65-37, in the final. Will McClendon scored 14 points Noah Taitz added 13 as the Gaels captured a Nevada state championship for a ninth consecutive year. In the semifinals, they crushed Spanish Springs (Sparks), 67-17. Zaon Collins paced a balanced scoring attack with 11 points and the Gaels raced to a 27-4 lead after one quarter. Season complete.

20. Curie, Chicago (26-2)

Previous: 20.

Low-down: In the regular season finale, it was senior leadership that led the way. Saiveon Williams posted a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds and senior guard Ramean Hinton popped in 21 points and the Condors topped Illinois’ top-ranked Class 3A team, Notre Dame (Niles), 76-69, on the road. Hinton was named the Chicago City Player of the Year. The Class 4A Summit Regional tips Tuesday against Argo (Summit). The final is Friday.

21. St. Benedict’s, Newark, N.J. (30-4)*

Previous: 21.

Low-down: The New Jersey State Prep A champions beat Newark Tech, 91-60, and Olympus Prep (West Berlin), 92-76, closing out the season.

22. Corona (Calif.) Centennial (27-4)

Previous: 22.

Low-down: Idle. The Huskies meet Harvard-Westlake (Studio City) Wednesday in the CIF-Southern California Region Open Division first round. The faces No. 9 Sierra Canyon School (Chatsworth) Saturday in the semifinals.

23. Neumann-Goretti, Philadelphia (22-4)*

Previous: 23.

Low-down: Won Class AAA City Title or PIAA District 12 championship, School of the Future (Philadelphia), 69-52. The Saints open the PIAA Class AAA tournament on Saturday against Brandywine Heights (Mertztown) in Warminster, Pa.

24. Eden Prairie, Minn. (26-0)

Previous: 24.

Low-down: Drake Dobbs and John Henry scored 23 points apiece in a season-ending 77-64 victory over Minnetonka. Next for the No. 1-seeded Eagles is the Class 4A Section 2 quarterfinals with Chanhassen on Wednesday. The winners move into Saturday’s semifinal. The sectional final is March 13 at the higher seed.

25. Minnehaha Academy, Minneapolis, Minn. (22-3)

Previous: 25.

Low-down: Defeated Maranatha Christian Academy (Brooklyn Park), 81-38, and Minneapolis North, 66-55. Gonzaga-bound Jalen Suggs totaled 46 points in both games.

The Redhawks open the Class 3A Section 4 tournament with Como Park (St. Paul) on Wednesday. The semifinals are Saturday and the final March 12.

Dropped: None.

High-Fives by Region

East

1. The Patrick School, Hillside, N.J. (19-7)
2. St. Frances Academy, Baltimore (38-4)*
3. Mount St. Joseph, Baltimore (29-6)*
4. Gonzaga, Washington, D.C. (25-10)*
5. Polytechnic Institute, Baltimore (21-2)

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

Midwest

1. Moeller, Cincinnati (24-1)
2. Bloomington (Ind.) South (23-0)
3. River Rouge, Mich. (18-1)
4. Vashon, St. Louis (20-5)
5. St. Edward, Lakewood, Ohio (22-1)

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

Southland

1. St. Augustine, New Orleans (29-1)
2. Ashland (Ky.) Blazer (30-0)
3. North Mecklenburg, Huntersville, N.C. (28-1)
4. Hamilton Heights Christian, Chattanooga, Tenn. (27-3)*
5. Lee, Montgomery, Ala. (33-1)*

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

Far West

1. Rancho Christian, Temecula, Calif. (22-7)
2. Sheldon, Sacramento, Calif. (27-5)
3. Eastside Catholic, Sammamish, Wash. (23-3)
4. Harvard-Westlake, Studio City, Calif. (24-6)
5. Salpointe Catholic, Tucson, Ariz. (30-1)*

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

* Won state, national or recognized conference/league 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. The final rankings will be released in April. Follow him on Twitter at @clawlor.