BENSALEM, Pa. – McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) are the Georgia Class AAAAAAA boys’ basketball state champions and with it a spot in the GEICO High School Nationals.

At the onset of last week, six spots in the prestigious national postseason tournament were cemented. That left two remaining but it was obvious that those slots were destined for state champions from Florida and Georgia.  Top-ranked McEachern won on Saturday, while No. 17 University School (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) clinched a second straight Class 5A title on Thursday.

Based on past history of the GEICO Nationals, the eight-team field includes teams from the Blue Star Media Elite 25 rankings. The field features McEachern, University School, La Lumiere School (La Porte, Ind.), Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), Montverde (Fla.) Academy, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) and Wasatch Academy (Mount Pleasant, Utah). That’s two state champions and six independent schools. And it’s likely that La Lumiere is the top seed.

The field will be announced this week and the single-elimination tournament is played at Christ the King High School’s Father John Savage Memorial Gymnasium in Middle Village, New York from April 4-6.

The state tournaments continue to churn out the champions. Last weekend No. 13 Ranney School (Tinton Falls, N.J.) won the Non-Public B state championship and enter this week’s New Jersey State Tournament of Champions as the top seed, needing two wins for the overall state crown. Ranney played then-No. 15 Roselle Catholic in the de facto TOC final. That’s why Roselle Catholic stays in the Elite 25 rankings. Also, kudos to No. 14 DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.), which captured the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament in Frostburg, Maryland for the 25^thtime. That was a week after winning the Maryland Private Schools state title.

This weekend the state champions will be crowned in North Carolina, New York, Wisconsin and Illinois.

There are two additions to the Elite 25. No. 19 Belleville (Ill.) West re-enters the rankings and need three victories to repeat in Illinois Class 4A. No. 20 Southwest Guilford (High Point, N.C.) plays for the Class 3A title and earned a spot in the Elite 25 after hammering then-No. 16 Cox Mill (Concord, N.C.) by 30 points in the state semifinals.

There are plenty of storylines on the penultimate weekend of the season.

The Elite 25 boys’ basketball rankings return on March 19. That means only three rankings remain. The GEICO Nationals will determine the National Championship team.

Thank you to all our readers; we cannot do it without you. Get out to a game before the postseason ends.

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

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Boys’ Basketball Rankings, March 12, 2019

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

Previous ranked: 1.

Low-down: Won the Class AAAAAAA state championship, beating Meadowbrook (Smyrna), 62-54. Junior G Sharife Cooper dropped in 17 of his 20 points in the first half and dished off 4 assists. The season isn’t over for the Indians but there will be a respite before entering the GEICO Nationals on April in New York. That’s a well earned honor.

2. La Lumiere School, La Porte, Ind. (28-0)

Previous: 2.

Low-down: Idle. The Lakers will likely earn the top seed at the GEICO Nationals that start on April 4 in New York.

For the first time in program history, the Lakers went unbeaten in the regular season capped by an 81-25 drubbing of Roosevelt (Gary, Ind.). Next is the GEICO Nationals in New York. That’s a five-week layoff.

3. Montverde (Fla.) Academy (21-2)

Previous: 3.

Low-down: Idle. Next stop is New York to defend their GEICO Nationals championship.

4. IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. (26-1)

Previous: 4.

Low-down: Idle. The GEICO Nationals are next starting on April 4 in New York.

5. Curie, Chicago (33-1)

Previous: 5.

Low-down: Won the Proviso West Sectional final, edging rivals Whitney Young (Chicago), 53-51, and Riverside-Brookfield, 62-53, in the semifinals. Damari Nixon’s 3-pointer with 2 seconds left rallied the Condors in the sectional final. Justin Harmon had 16 points and 7 rebounds. Next is league rivals Simeon (Chicago) Tuesday in the Super-Sectional at Northwestern University’s Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston. The winner goes to the 4A state semifinals on Friday.

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

Previous: 6.

Low-down: Won second straight CIF Open Division state championship, drubbing Sheldon (Sacramento), 76-52. K.J. Martin had a double-double with 23 points and 12 rebounds and Cassius Stanley added 20 points. The Trailblazers advanced to the state final by beating Mater Dei (Santa Ana), 83-73, in the Southern California Region final. Martin flipped in 30 points, sinking 14 of 15 shots from the field. Season complete.

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

Previous: 7.

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

8. Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson, Va. (31-4)

Previous: 8.

Low-down: Idle. The GEICO Nationals for next for coach Steve Smith and the Warriors.

9. Moeller, Cincinnati (25-0)

Previous: 9.

Low-down: Defeated Winton Woods (Cincinnati), 57-15, in the Division I Dayton 1 District final. Next is Lakota East (Liberty Township) Wednesday in the regional semifinals.

10. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (23-2)

Previous: 10.

Low-down: Idle. The Crusaders are off until the New York State Federation Class AA semifinals on March 22 or 23 in Glens Falls.

11. Wasatch Academy, Mount Pleasant, Utah (26-3)

Previous: 11.

Low-down: Idle. The Tigers are going to the GEICO Nationals.

12. Sunrise Christian Academy, Bel Aire, Kan. (22-5)

Previous: 13.

Low-down: Idle. The Buffaloes accepted an invitation to the GEICO Nationals.

13. Ranney School, Tinton Falls, N.J. (29-3)* 

Previous: 14.

Low-down: Won Non-Public B state championship, beating then-No. 15 Roselle Catholic, 56-50. Ahmadu Sarnor sank 9 of 10 free throws in the fourth quarter and wound up with 15 points. Bryan Antoine’s 15 points were enough as the Panthers needed overtime but outlasted Wildwood Catholic, 54-50, in the South B final. They also beat Rutgers Prep (Somerset), 76-62, in the semifinals. The Panthers are the top seed in the State Tournament of Champions, playing in the semifinals on Friday. The final is Sunday in Piscataway. 

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

Previous: 17.

Low-down: Won the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament, defeating league rivals Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.), 60-51. It was DeMatha’s fourth ACIT title in the last five years and the 25^thin the history of the famed program. Junior C Hunter Dickinson was named the Most Valuable Player, posting 15 points 9 rebounds and 4 blocks in the final and Villanova-bound Justin Moore was named all-tournament after tossing in 24 points. Moore also became the program’s winningest player with 123 victories. Also beat St. John’s College (Washington), 92-79, in the semifinals and St. Frances Academy (Baltimore), 79-74, in double overtime in the first round. Season complete.

15. Roselle (N.J.) Catholic (27-5)

Previous: 15.

Low-down: In what amounted to the overall New Jersey title, the Lions lost to No. 14 Ranney School (Tinton Falls), 56-50, in the Non-Public B final. Kentucky-bound Kahlil Whitney scored a game-high 26 points. Also eliminated Gill St. Bernard (Gladstone), 48-44, in the North B final and Hudson Catholic (Jersey City), 66-54, in the semifinals. In the former game, Whitney scored 15 points and dropped in two free throws with 2 seconds left to clinch the team’s seventh sectional title. Season complete.

16. Carmel, Ind. (24-1)

Previous: 20.

Low-down: Won the Class 4A Logansport Regional, stopping Zionsville, 53-39. In the semifinals, the Greyhounds defeated Northrop (Fort Wayne), 58-42. Next is Penn (Mishawaka) in the 4A Semistates. The state final is March 23 in Indianapolis.

17. University School, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (27-4)*

Previous: 19.

Low-down: Won second straight Class 5A state championship, defeating Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville), 72-46. Jace Howard paced three double-digit scorers with 17 points while Scottie Barnes and Roger McFarlane added 13 apiece. By winning the state tournament, the Sharks book a return trip to the GEICO Nationals. In the semifinals, they crushed The Villages Charter, 91-53. McFarlane (25 points) and Barnes teamed for 47 points and combined to sink 22 of 30 shots. Duke-recruit Vernon Carey Jr., a Duke commit and McDonald’s All American, did not play because of an ankle injury sustained in the regionals. Florida’s Mr. Basketball will return at the GEICO Nationals.

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

Previous: 23.

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

19. Belleville (Ill.) West (31-4)                

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: Won the Class 4A East Moline Sectional championship, beating Danville, 95-83. EJ Liddell scored 25 points and Will Shumpert added 21 for the Maroons, who re-enter the Elite 25 rankings. Next is the Normal Super-Sectional Tuesday against Bolingbrook. The winner goes to the 4A state semifinals on Friday in Peoria.

20. Southwest Guilford, High Point, N.C. (31-0)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: Jay’Den Turner fired in a game-high 29 points, hitting 11 of 16 shots from the floor, in defeating then-No. 16 Cox Mill (Concord,), 88-58, in the Class 3A West Regional final. Junior Miles Taylor added 12 points. The Cowboys face Williams (Burlington) for the 3A title this weekend in Chapel Hill.

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

Previous: 21.

Low-down: Advanced to the CIF-Northern California Region semifinals. Season complete.

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

Previous: 22.

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

23. Nicolet, Glendale, Wis. (25-1)

Previous: 23.

Low-down: Advanced to the Division 2 state semifinals, topping Kaukauna, 57-44, in the section final. The Knights play Elkhorn Friday afternoon in the states in Madison.

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

Previous: 18.

Low-down: The Washington Catholic Athletic Conference champions went 1-2 at the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament in Cumberland, Md. Season complete.

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

Previous: 25.

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

Dropped: No. 12 Bishop Loughlin (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and No. 16 Cox Mill (Concord, N.C. ).

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Roman Catholic, Philadelphia (23-4)

2. Bergen Catholic, Oradell, N.J. (26-3)* 

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

4. Imhotep Charter, Philadelphia (22-6)

5. Christ the King, Middle Village, N.Y. (19-10)*

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

Midwest

1. Bogan, Chicago (28-3)

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

3. Morgan Park, Chicago (29-5)

4. Pickerington (Ohio) Central (25-1)

5. University of Detroit (Mich.) Jesuit (23-2)

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. Greensboro (N.C.) Day School (30-5)*

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. Fairfax, Los Angeles (27-2)

3. 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 have won multiple tournament titles]

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.