No. 1 Montverde (FL) Academy, No. 3 Oak Hill Academy (VA) showing dominance at St. James NIBC Invitational; two teams join Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ rankings

BENSALEM, Pa. — There will be a sense of emptiness this weekend. Normally the national hoop scene is busting at the seams with events and tournaments conducted over the Dr.. Martin Luther King weekend.

Three of the most notable annual events the Spalding Hoophall Classic (Springfield, Mass.), Bass Pro Tournament of Champions (Springfield, Mo.) and Flyin’ to the Hoop Basketball Invitational (Dayton, Ohio) were canceled leaving a gaping hole.

Yet the newly created St. James National Interscholastic Basketball Conference Invitational in Springfield, Virginia features a handful of Elite 25 teams. Top-ranked Montverde (Fla.) Academy and No. 3 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) put on a show last weekend.

For those interested the games are streamed live. And that’s why you need to tune-in on Thursday when Montverde and OHA play at 7 p.m. ET at the event that has created a “bubble-like atmosphere.” Montverde will host the NIBC Invitational later this season (Jan. 28-30 and Feb. 4-6).

No. 21 Vashon (St. Louis) and No. 23 Pace Academy (Atlanta) enter the Blue Star Media Elite 25 rankings. The Elite 25 featured plenty of shifting with the NIBC results responsible for several teams dropping down (but not out yet). The NIBC has five more date this week, starting tonight and then going Friday-Monday. Expect the unexpected when the high-class of teams collide making the GEICO Nationals even more valuable. There is no word about the GEICO Nationals but they won’t be played in New York. Paragon Marketing, which operates the event, is still in the planning stages and must pull it off with COVID-19 concerns.

Last week, Arizona Interscholastic Association canceled its winter season, affecting boys’ and girls’ basketball, soccer and wrestling. The hoop season was set to start on Jan. 18 but a surge in the pandemic wiped it out.

The Elite 25 boys’ rankings are back Jan. 19 and every Tuesday throughout the season.

One quick note, the Final Elite 25 Fall high school football rankings will go live on Jan. 24 following the Michigan state championships. That’s a full month later than normal and then the Winter/Spring rankings go live in February. This weekend the Texas Class 6A and 5A state championships will be contested. The Class 6A Division I and II title games will shape Final Elite 25 Fall rankings.

In the meantime, stay safe, mask up, practice social distancing, wash your hands regularly and support your local small businesses that have taken major hits since last March.

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

 Blue Star Media Elite 25 Boys’ Basketball Rankings, Jan. 12, 2021

1. Montverde (Fla.) Academy (13-0)

Previous rank: 1.

Low-down: The Eagles extended their win streak to 38 games after holding off No. 7 Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.), 58-52, and No. 24 La Lumiere School (La Porte, Ind.), 65-46, at the St. James NIBC Invitational in Springfield, Va.

2. IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. (11-0)

Previous: 2.

Low-down: The Ascenders won all four games last week.

3. Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson, Va. (10-0)

Previous: 7.

Low-down: The Warriors knocked off No. 25 Legacy Early College (Greenville, S.C.), 82-68, No. 6 Wasatch Academy (Mount Pleasant, Utah), 81-60, and Hamilton Heights Christian (Chattanooga, Tenn.) at the St. James NIBC Invitational.

4. Paul VI, Chantilly, Va. (2-0)

Previous: 6.

Low-down: The Panthers tipped the season off last week with victories over Centreville (Va.), 100-70, and St. Mary’s Ryken (Leonardtown, Md.), 100-71.

5. DeMatha, Hyattsville, Md. (1-0)

Previous: 8.

Low-down: The Stags opened the season with a 115-61 blowout of Avalon (Wheaton). They face John Marshall (Richmond, Va.) Saturday.

6. Wasatch Academy, Mount Pleasant, Utah (12-1)

Previous: 3.

Low-down: Went 2-1 last weekend at the St. James NIBC Invitational in Virginia.

7. Sunrise Christian Academy, Bel Aire, Kan. (6-1)

Previous: 4.

Low-down: Lost to top-ranked Montverde (Fla.) Academy, 58-52 but crushed No. 24 La Lumiere School (La Porte, Ind.), 79-4, at the St. James NIBC Invitational in Virginia.

8. Lawrence North, Indianapolis (9-0)

Previous: 11.

Low-down: The Wildcats face North Central (Indianapolis) Tuesday in the opening round of the Marion County Tournament.

9. Carmel, Ind. (10-0)

Previous: 13.

Low-down: The Greyhounds won twice,, beating Westfield, 54-30, and Center Grove (Greenwood), 51-44, in overtime.

10. Millard North, Omaha, Neb. (11-0)

Previous: 17.

Low-down: Defeated Lincoln (Council Bluffs, Iowa), 85-78. The Mustangs have three games scheduled this week.

11. Archbishop Wood, Warminster, Pa. (0-0)

Previous: 12.

Low-down: The Philadelphia Catholic League favorites will get underway in late January.

12. Minnehaha Academy, Minneapolis, Minn. (0-0)

Previous: 14.

Low-down: Idle. The Red Hawks open the season Friday hosting Mounds Park Academy (St.. Paul).

13. Milton, Alpharetta, Ga. (12-2)

Previous: 15.

Low-down: The Eagles are back in action with four games in eight days.

14. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (0-0)

Previous: 16.

Low-down: Idle. Looks like New York’s top-ranked team will wait until February for a season but no state championships will be played.

15. Duncanville, Texas (14-1)

Previous: 9.

Low-down: Lost in overtime to Waxahachie, 88-85. Juan Reyna pumped in 25 points.

16. St. Frances Academy, Baltimore (0-0)

Previous: 18.

Low-down: Idle. The Baltimore Catholic League is on pause but not for long.

17. Archbishop Stepinac, White Plains, N.Y. (0-0)

Previous: 21.

Low-down: Idle. No games scheduled until early February.

18. Simeon, Chicago (0-0)

Previous: 23.

Low-down: Idle. The state of Illinois is on pause.

19. Camden, N.J.. (0-0)

Previous: 23.

Low-down: There’s no regular season games until Jan. 26.

20. The Patrick School, Hillside, N.J. (0-0)

Previous: 24.

Low-down: The Celtics, like the rest of New Jersey, are on pause until Jan. 26 but practice can commence on Jan. 14.

21. Vashon, St. Louis (5-0)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: The Wolverines doubled up Father Tolton Catholic (Columbia, Mo.), 72-36. There’s one game scheduled this week when the Wolverines face Miller Career (St. Louis) tonight.

22. Moeller, Cincinnati (10-2)

Previous: 25.

Low-down: The Crusaders stopped La Salle (Cincinnati), 59-41, and Turpin (Cincinnati), 45-35.

23. Pace Academy, Atlanta (12-1)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: After an opening night loss, the Knights have won 12 straight games.

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

Previous: 5.

Low-down: Lost to No. 6 Wasatch Academy (Mount Pleasant, Utah), 55-45, and No. 1 Montverde (Fla.) Academy, 65-46.

25. Legacy Early College, Greenville, S.C. (9-3)

Previous: 10.

Low-down: Lost to No. 3 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), 82-68, and No. 7 Sunrise Christian (Bel Aire, Kan.), 79-45, at the St. James NIBC Invitational in Virginia.

Dropped: No. 18 West Oaks Academy (Orlando, Fla.) and No. 20 Combine Academy (Lincolnton, N.C.).

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Gonzaga, Washington, D.C. (0-0)
2. John Marshall, Richmond, Va. (3-0)
3. St. Raymond, Bronx, N.Y. (0-0)
4. Roselle (N.J.) Catholic (0-0)
5. Polytechnic Institute, Baltimore (0-0)

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

Midwest

1. Waukee, Iowa (3-0)
2. Blackhawk, Fort Wayne, Ind. (10-0)
3. Wauwatosa (Wis.) East (10-0)
4. Homestead, Fort Wayne, Ind. (12-0)
5. Hilliard (Ohio) Bradley (7-0)

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

Southland

1. Atascocita, Humble, Texas (11-0)
2. Orlando (Fla.) Christian Prep (13-0)
3. North Mecklenburg, Huntersville, N.C. (2-0)
4. Male, Louisville, Ky. (0-0)
5. Carmel Christian, Matthews, N.C. (14-1)

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

Far West

1. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (0-0)
2. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (0-0)
3. O’Dea, Seattle (0-0)
4. Skyridge, Lehi, Utah (10-1)
5. Eastside Catholic, Sammamish, Wash. (0-0)

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

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 Christopher Lawlor, who consults with a national network of coaches, talent evaluators and prep sports writers. Follow him on Twitter at @clawlor.