No. 1 Sunrise Christian (KS) takes over top spot in Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ rankings; No. 22 St. Benedict’s (NJ), No. 24 Harvard-Westlake (CA) debut

BENSALEM, Pa. – Sunrise Christian Academy of Bel Aire, Kansas has risen atop the Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ basketball rankings.

The No. 1 Buffaloes, the third team this season to head the Elite 25, did so in grand fashion, beating the previous top-ranked Link Academy (Branson, Mo.) Lions, 74-65, at the Heartland Hoops Classic in Grand Island, Neb. The Buffaloes upped their record to 22-1 and have three games remaining in the regular season.

This surely clinches the No. 1 seed for coach Luke Barnwell’s team at the GEICO High School Nationals that will be held March 31–April 2 in Fort Myers, Fla. The Buffaloes won the inaugural National Interscholastic Basketball Conference championship earlier this month will a near-perfect 9-1 mark. That and several quality wins will be plenty for No. 1 at GEICO.

“I’m truly really proud of our kids,” Barnwell told The Grand Island Independent. “To have one of the top teams in the country waiting for you with almost two weeks to prepare, it was kind of the perfect storm for us to maybe come out here and stub our toe. But man, our kids were locked in and ready to go.”

The Buffaloes received 22 and 16 points from a pair of McDonald’s All Americans Mark Mitchell (Duke signee) and Gradey Dick, respectively.

When the GEICO Nationals invites are extended, expect both Sunrise and Link to receive them. We’re also anticipating Oak Hill Academy (Va.), IMG Academy (Fla.), defending champion Montverde (Fla.) Academy, AZ Compass Prep (Ariz.), St. Benedict’s (N.J.), Prolific Prep (Calif.) La Lumiere School (Ind.) round out the eight-team power field.

No. 22 St. Benedict’s (Newark, N.J.) and No. 24 Harvard-Westlake (Studio City, Calif.) debut in the Elite 25 rankings. St. Benedict’s swept two games last weekend at the East vs. West Classic in Jersey City, N.J. The Gray Bees (20-1) recorded a key win over No. 25 Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) and are suddenly thrust into the GEICO Nationals conversation. However, they’ll need to close out with a bang and that includes a Prep A state championship.

Harvard-Westlake is one of California top-ranked teams and are currently involved in the uber competitive California Interscholastic League-Southern Section Open Division pool play. The Wolverines have two more pool games this week against some stiff competition. The two pool winners face off for the Open Division on Feb. 25.

We’ll have the championship matchup covered next week.

With the postseason taking hold on the East Coast, one of the great traditions in schoolboy basketball commences this week in Philadelphia with the 2022 Catholic League Championships. Roman Catholic (Philadelphia) looks for its third title in three years and is the top seed. The Cahillites went 12-1 in league play.

The first round of the 10-team field is Wednesday and the quarterfinals are Friday at the higher seed. The semifinals will be played at the iconic University of Pennsylvania Palestra on Feb. 23 and the final returns to the same venue on Feb. 28. Although there are no PCL teams in the Elite 25, winning this chip and a PIAA state title will go a long way and add to their dossier.

The tournament schedule (team’s seed number precedes):

First Round
Feb. 16
No. 10 Archbishop Carroll (Radnor) at No. 7 Devon (Pa.) Prep
No. 9 Bonner & Prendergast (Drexel Hill) at No. 8 Cardinal O’Hara (Springfield)
Quarterfinals
Feb. 18
No. 6 Archbishop Ryan (Philadelphia) at No. 3 Archbishop Wood (Warminster)
No. 5 La Salle College (Wyndmoor) at No. 4 Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia)
No. 1 Roman Catholic vs. highest remaining seed
No. 2 West Catholic (Philadelphia) vs. lowest remaining seed
Semifinals
Feb. 23
6:15 and 7:45 p.m. at the Palestra.
Finals Doubleheader
Feb. 28; 6 p.m. (girls) and 8 p.m. (boys) at the Palestra.

If you plan on attending the semifinals or finals, the tickets are going fast. Next week we’ll look at the New York, Baltimore and Washington Catholic league championships.

The Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ rankings will return on Feb. 22.

Stay safe and mask up whenever you are mandated. The pandemic numbers are plunging.

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

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Boys’ Basketball Rankings, Feb. 15, 2022

1. Sunrise Christian Academy, Bel Aire, Kan. (22-1)

Previous rank: 2.

The Low-down: In a late season showdown, the Buffaloes ascended atop the Elite 25 rankings with a much earned 74-65 win over then-No. 1 Link Academy (Branson, Mo.) at the Heartland Hoops Classic in Grand Island, Neb. Duke-bound Mark Mitchell flipped in 22 points and Gradey Dick had 16. This weekend coach Luke Barnwell takes his team for two games at the Dr. Pepper Classic in Chattanooga, Tenn.

2. Link Academy, Branson, Mo. (27-1)

Previous: 1.

The Low-down: At the Heartland Hoops Classic in Grand Island, Nebraska, the Lions suffered their first loss of the season in a 74-65 decision to then-No. 2 Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.). Tarris Reed Jr. scored 22 points and Arkansas-bound Jordan Walsh had 16. They also beat Wasatch Academy (Mount Pleasant, Utah), 59-48.

3. IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. (22-4)

Previous: 3.

The Low-down: Idle.

4. Montverde (Fla.) Academy (21-4)

Previous: 4.

The Low-down: Idle. The Eagles await the GEICO Nationals on March 31 in Fort Myers, Fla.

5. Richardson, Texas (29-1)

Previous: 5.

The Low-down:

Last week, Rylan Griffen, an Alabama recruit, surpassed 2,000 career points. The Eagles won three times but needed to hold off Lake Highlands (Dallas), 84-78, in a District 7-6A showdown. In that game, Cason Wallace tossed in 33 points, Griffen had 19 and Charles Johnson 18. They take an 18-game win streak into the regular-season finale with Jesuit (Dallas) on Tuesday.

6. La Lumiere School, La Porte, Ind. (16-4)

Previous: 6.

The Low-down: Defeated International Sports Academy (Willoughby, Ohio), 78-43. Three games are scheduled this week for the Lakers.

7. AZ Compass Prep, Chandler, Ariz. (21-3)

Previous: 7.

The Low-down: Idle.

8. Duncanville, Texas (27-1)

Previous rank: 8.

The Low-down: The Panthers waxed two District 11-6A opponents as junior Ron Holland averaged 16 points in the games. The regular season concludes at home with Waco on Tuesday.

9. Corona (Calif.) Centennial (27-1)

Previous: 9.

The Low-down: Jared McCain scored 25 points and the Huskies crushed Bishop Montgomery (Torrance), 78-53, in the CIF-Southern Section Open Division Pool A playoff opener. The Huskies play Damien (La Verne) on Tuesday and Crean Lutheran (Irvine) on Friday.

10. Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas (26-0)

Previous: 10.

The Low-down: The Gaels completed a perfect regular season with two wins. The NIAA Class 5A Southern League playoffs began hosting Foothill (Las Vegas) on Monday in the quarterfinals. The semifinals are Wednesday and final is Friday and the Gaels would host both rounds as the top seed. The Southern winner goes to the 5A state tournament Feb. 25-26 in Reno.

11. Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson, Va. (27-7)

Previous: 11.

The Low-down: During a week that legendary coach Steve Smith announced he would be retiring effective July 1, the Warriors pasted Rock Creek Christian Academy (Upper Marlboro, Md.), 128-73, for their seventh game in triple digits and highest offensive output of the term. The Warriors have three games this weekend.

12. Calvary Christian Academy, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (19-2)

Previous: 12.

The Low-down: Won the District 12-4A championship, edging North Broward Prep (Coconut Creek), 51-49, in the final. The Eagles needed to rally in the third quarter and then hold off a late charge. Up next is Halladale in the Region 4 quarterfinals on Thursday.

13. Camden, N.J. (18-2)

Previous: 13.

The Low-down: The Panthers were without junior sensation D.J. Wagner and 7-foot classmate Aaron Bradshaw over the weekend but still beat St. Augustine (Richland), 75-58, at the Paul VI Winter Classic in Haddonfield. Daesar Haskins scored 17 points, Cian Medley had 16 and Rasheer Fleming added 8 points and 12 rebounds to offset the missing staters. The Panthers also defeated Woodrow Wilson (Camden), 80-68, Holy Spirit (Absecon), 68-51, and Winslow (Atco), 83-38. The schedule resumes this week with three games.

14. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (23-3)

Previous: 14.

The Low-down: In CIF-Southern Section Open Division Pool B play, the Blazers charged to an 89-70 win over Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks). The round-robin action continues at home with Mater Dei (Santa Ana) Tuesday and No. 24 Harvard-Westlake (Studio City) on Friday. The Open Division final is Feb. 25.

15. Glenbard West, Glen Ellyn, Ill. (28-1)

Previous: 16.

The Low-down: The Hilltoppers shook off their first loss of the season over the previous weekend, dispatching Hinsdale Central, 44-26, and Oak Park River Forest, 62-35. Two games remain in the regular season but the final against powerhouse Simeon (Chicago) on Saturday in the Proviso West Showcase in Hillside will give them a taste of the playoffs. This is clearly the national Game of the Week. The Hilltoppers earned the top seed in the Class 4A Bartlett Sectional that tips off next week.

16. Roselle (N.J.) Catholic (19-2)

Previous: 17.

The Low-down: Akil Watson and Jamarques Lawrence scored 16 points apiece as the Lions trounced Linden, 85-42, at the Hearts 2 Hands Showcase in Roselle. Also beat Westfield, 73-61, a Tarik Watson and Lawrence each netted 16 points. The top-seeded Lions tip off the Union County Tournament in the quarterfinal round on Saturday.

17. St. Paul VI, Chantilly, Va. (21-3)

Previous: 18.

The Low-down: The Panthers were a perfect 3-0 in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference with another signature win over then-No. 25 Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.), 78-68. Darren Harris-Smith scored a game-high 27 points. The Panthers’ three remaining WCAC games include Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.), St. John’s College (Washington, D.C.) and Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, Va.).

18. Centerville, Ohio (22-0)

Previous: 19.

The Low-down: The Elks defeated Huntington (W.Va.) Prep, 85-72. Also stopped Springboro, 94-59, and Wayne (Huber Heights), 83-59. Ryan Keifer’s 12 points were enough to beat Fairmont (Kettering), 51-39. With the win, the Elks stretched their win streak to 35 games and clinched at least a share of the Greater Western Ohio Conference title. They also stopped Vertical Academy (Charlotte, N.C.), 67-63.

19. Archbishop Stepinac, White Plains, N.Y. (19-3)

Previous: 20.

The Low-down: Sophomore guard Boogie Fland, who missed 13 games with a back injury, has found his scoring touch and that’s bad news for opponents. In three games, the super soph totaled 61 points and 16 rebounds as the Crusaders smashed league foes Iona Prep (New Rochelle), 76-44, Mount St. Michael (Bronx), 80-47, and Monsignor Scanlan (Bronx), 68-57. With the regular season finishing up this week, the Crusaders will host the NYCHSAA New York Archdiocesan Class AA quarterfinals on Sunday. The semifinals are Feb. 22 and the final is Feb. 26 both rounds at Christ the King in Middle Village, Queens.

20. North Little Rock, Ark. (21-3)

Previous: 21.

The Low-down: After an eight-day layoff, the Charging Wildcats did not miss a beat in wins over Southwest (Little Rock), 81-36, and Little Rock Catholic, 65-25. In the latter game, Arkansas-bound Nik Smith Jr. had 19 points, 10 assists and 5 rebounds.

21. St. Frances Academy, Baltimore (30-3)

Previous: 22.

The Low-down: The Panthers annex their fifth consecutive Baltimore Catholic League regular-season title in a 79-64 win over Archbishop Spalding (Severn, Md.). That makes it 26 straight BCL regular-season games since the 2019-20 season. Senior guard Bryce Lindsay scored 22 points, freshman guard Tyler Jackson had 13 and senior forward Taion Robinson contributed 12 points and 7 rebounds. The frenetic late-season schedule concludes Friday with a third league game before the MIAA A Conference playoffs.

22. St. Benedict’s, Newark, N.J. (20-1)

Previous: Not ranked.

The Low-down: The Gray Bees return to the Elite 25 rankings after sweeping two games at the East vs. West Classic in Jersey City. Wins over No. 25 Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) and Southern Cal Academy (Los Angeles) will build a strong case for coach Mark Taylor’s team for another trip to GEICO Nationals.

23. Cardinal Hayes, Bronx, N.Y. (21-2)

Previous: 23.

The Low-down: The Cardinals rebounded from a loss with three wins, capped by a 79-59 triumph over Monsignor Scanlan (Bronx). The regular season finishes up today at Christ the King (Middle Village). The Cardinals are 9-1 in the New York Archdiocese Class AA fixtures.

24. Harvard-Westlake, Studio City, Calif. (22-2)

Previous: Not ranked.

The Low-down: The Wolverines enter the Elite 25 for the first time this season and are amid one of the pressure-cooker tournaments. In CIF-Southern Section Open Division Pool B play, they clobbered Mater Dei (Santa Ana), 67-45. This week the round-robin event continues at home with Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) on Tuesday and at No. 14 Sierra Canyon School (Chatsworth) on Friday.

25. Prolific Prep, Napa, Calif. (22-5)

Previous: 15.

The Low-down: It was a lost weekend in New Jersey at the East vs. West Classic, going 0-2. The Crew will need to finish strong to remain in the Elite 25 and in contention for an invitation to the GEICO Nationals.

Dropped out: No. 24 Dr. Phillips (Orlando, Fla.) and No. 25 Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.).

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (15-5)
2. Imhotep Prep Charter, Philadelphia (19-4)
3. Sidwell Friends, Washington, D.C. (22-1)
4. Bristol (Conn.) Central (17-0)
5. St. Francis Prep, Fresh Meadows, N.Y. (18-2)

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

Midwest

1. Glenbrook South, Glenview, Ill. (28-2)
2. Whitney Young, Chicago (20-9)
3. Chesterton, Ind. (19-0)
4. Simeon, Chicago (23-4)
5. Grand Rapids (Mich.) Catholic Central (15-1)

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

Southland

1. Westfield, Houston (27-1)
2. George Rogers Clark, Winchester, Ky. (24-1)
3. Pebblebrook, Mableton, Ga. (23-2)
4. Beaumont (Texas) United (28-3)
5. Greensboro (N.C.) Day School (30-3)

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

Far West

1. Garfield, Seattle (18-0)
2. Poly, Riverside, Calif. (25-2)
3. Campolindo, Moraga, Calif. (24-1)
4. Damien, La Verne, Calif. (27-2)
5. Brophy Prep, Phoenix (23-2)

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

Records through Sunday’s games

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. The final rankings will be released in April. Follow him on Twitter at @clawlor.