No. 10 CIA Bella Vista Prep (AZ) enters Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ basketball rankings; CIF-Southern Section Open Division playoffs tip with mixed results

BENSALEM, Pa. – When a team ascends the Nike EYBL Scholastic standing, that’s quite an impressive feat. And that is exactly what No. 10 CIA Bella Vista Prep of Phoenix has done in their first year in the national conference.

It’s also way the Bears (19-3) debut in the Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ basketball rankings. Last weekend, the Bears improved to 8-1 in the EYBL Scholastic with two wins at the Bob McKillop Classic EYBL Scholastic on the campus of Long Island Lutheran in Brookville, N.Y.

They thumped Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) and needed two overtimes to subdue No. 21 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) and moved to 8-1 in the conference. They have clinched a spot in the inaugural EYBL Scholastic Tournament from March 5-8 at the Riverview Park Activities Center in North Augusta, S.C. The venue is the same that houses the Nike Peach Jam each July.

Expect the Bears to earn a first-round bye as one of the top-6 seeds with the next four playing to whittle the field down to eight quarterfinalists. Four teams won’t make the field. The winner gets an automatic invitation to the CHIPOTLE High School Nationals in April in Fishers, Ind. More on the EYBL Scholastic Tournament next week when the 10-team field is revealed. There are two more EYBL events this weekend at IMG Academy and at The Bishop’s School in La Jolla, Calif.

At least eight teams have clinched berths but the last two are yet to be determined.

The Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Tournament will be played this week with Elite 25 team Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) and St. Paul VI Catholic (Chantilly, Va.) as the favorites to meet in the final on Sunday, Feb. 23 at Bender Arena on the campus of American University in Washington. The semifinals are AU on Saturday, Feb. 22.

The California Interscholastic Federation-Southern Section Open Division playoffs tipped last week with two pools of five teams, including three Elite 25 teams.

The standings are with three dates (Feb. 18, 21 and 25) remaining. The pool winners meet for the title on Saturday, March 1.

Pool A: Notre Dame 2-0; Harvard-Westlake 1-0; JSerra Catholic 1-1; Santa Margarita 1-1; La Mirada 0-2.

Pool B: Sierra Canyon School 2-0; Roosevelt 1-0; Redondo Union 1-1; St. John Bosco 0-1; Heritage Christian 0-2.

The schedule and more information are here.

The Philadelphia Catholic League Tournament is in full swing this week. The semifinals are Wednesday, Feb. 19  at the famed Palestra on the University of Pennsylvania campus and the final is Sunday, Feb. 23, starting at 2:45 p.m. Roman Catholic (Philadelphia) has won the last two titles.

Tickets to the semifinals and final are going fast.

That’s it for the second week in February. The Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ basketball rankings return on Tuesday, Feb. 25.

In Southern California, people are in need after the wildfires continue to ravage the surrounding Los Angeles area. After five weeks, people are starting to pick up the pieces of their lives.

Consider donating here to the Red Cross to assist the relief efforts or to The Salvation Army. No dollar amount is too small and prayers are always welcome. Here’s another one called Fire Aid.

Be safe California.

Bye for now.

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

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Boys’ Basketball Rankings, Feb. 18, 2025

1. Columbus, Miami (23-3)

Previous rank: 1.

The Lowdown: The Explorers opened Class 7A, Region 4 play with a 93-54 victory over Doral (Fla.) Academy in the quarterfinals. They met Western (Davie) on Monday, Feb. 17 in the semifinals. The region final is Thursday, Feb. 20 with the winner advancing to the FHSAA Class 7A state tournament semifinals on Friday, March 7 in Lakeland.

2. Harvard-Westlake, Studio City, Calif. (28-1)

Previous: 2.

Lowdown: Opened the CIF-Southern Section Open Division Pool A, defeating La Mirada, 73-50. The Wolverines play JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano) on Tuesday, Feb. 18 in the second of four pool games.

3. Roosevelt, Eastvale, Calif. (28-2)

Previous: 5.

The Lowdown: Defeated Heritage Christian (Northridge), 74-57, in the CIF-Southern Section Open Division Pool B round-robin game. The Mustangs play Redondo Union (Redondo Beach) on Tuesday, Feb. 18 in their second of four pool games.

4. Gonzaga, Washington, D.C. (24-3)

Previous: 5.

The Lowdown: Defeated Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, Va.), 72-36, and played archrivals DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) on Monday, Feb. 17 to close out the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference portion of their regular season. Up next is the WCAC Tournament that gets underway this weekend.

5. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (18-5)

Previous: 6.

The Lowdown: The Crusaders went 2-0 at the Bob McKillop Classic Nike EYBL Scholastic on their home floor.

6. Brewster Academy, Wolfeboro, N.H. (23-3)

Previous: 7.

The Lowdown: Defeated Hoosac School (Hoosick, N.Y.), 109-40, and Woodmere Lawrence (N.Y.), 77-62.

7. Montverde (Fla.) Academy (18-5)

Previous: 4.

The Lowdown: Upended by No. 15 Link Academy (Branson, Mo.), 40-39, in the EYBL Scholastic in Oakland, Calif. C.J. Ingram scored 14 points and Hudson Greer added 11 in a game that had 10 lead changes and 11 ties. The Eagles travel to No. 21 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) for an EYBL Scholastic showdown on Saturday, Feb. 22. They also play La Lumiere School (La Porte, Ind.) on Friday, Feb. 21.

8. Dynamic Prep School, Irving, Texas (26-4)

Previous: 9.

The Lowdown: Defeated No. 24 Utah Prep (Hurricane, Utah), 67-58.

9. San Antonio (Texas) Brennan (29-2)

Previous: 10.

The Lowdown: The Bears open the postseason with San Antonio Reagan on Tuesday, Feb. 18 in Class 6A, Division 1 bi-district playoff game.

10. CIA Bella Vista Prep, Phoenix (19-3)

Previous: Not ranked.

The Lowdown: The Bears enter the Elite 25 after sweeping two games at the Bob McKillop Classic EYBL Scholastic on Long Island over the weekend. Miles Sadler had 22 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists in a 71-57 win over Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.). Sadler threw in 31 points in a 91-82 double-overtime victory over No. 21 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.).

11. Hoover, Ala. (32-0)

Previous: 11.

The Lowdown: The Bucs played Albertville on Monday, Feb. 19 in the Class 7A Sweet Sixteen.

12. Wheeler, Marietta, Ga. (24-3)

Previous: 12.

The Lowdown: The Wildcats open the Class AAAAAA state tournament with Colquitt County (Norman Park) on Thursday, Feb. 19.

13. Perry, Gilbert, Ariz. (22-2)

Previous: 13.

The Lowdown: Defeated Chandler, 73-27, in the regular season finale. The top-seeded Pumas play Dysart (El Mirage) on Thursday, Feb. 19 in the Arizona Open Division first round.

14. Grayson, Loganville, Ga. (25-2)

Previous: 14.

The Lowdown: The Rams won the Region 4-AAAAAA tournament final, beating Newton (Covington), 84-74.

15. Link Academy, Branson, Mo. (17-7)

Previous: 23.

The Lowdown: Defeated then-No. 3 Montverde (Fla.) Academy, 40-39, in the EYBL Scholastic in Oakland, Calif.

16. Wasatch Academy, Mount Pleasant, Utah (20-4)

Previous: 15.

The Lowdown: Defeated Millard North (Omaha, Neb.), 67-48, at the Heartland Shootout in Grand Island, Neb.

17. Fishers, Ind. (21-0)

Previous: 16.

The Lowdown: Defeated Center Grove (Greenwood), 88-35.

18. Calvary Christian Academy, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (18-1)

Previous: 17.

The Lowdown: Defeated Avon Park, 68-21, in the Class 3A, Region 4 quarterfinals. Up next is North Broward Prep (Coconut Creek) in the semifinals on Monday, Feb. 17. The region final is Thursday with the winner going to the Class 3A state semifinals.

19. The Patrick School, Hackettstown, N.J. (24-5)

Previous: 8.

The Lowdown: The Celtics lost twice last week to Mount Vernon (N.Y.), 78-75, and Winston-Salem (N.C.), 86-73, but Trinity Prep (Las Vegas) 101-70. Earlier in the week, guard Brandon Lee cracked the 2,000-point mark for his four-year career.

20. AZ Compass Prep, Chandler, Ariz. (18-7)

Previous: 18.

The Lowdown: At their own AZ Compass Prep Classic, the Dragons topped Layton (Utah) Christian, 58-46.

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

Previous: 19.

The Lowdown: Went 0-2 at the Bob McKillop Classic EYBL Scholastic event in New York.

22. St. Paul VI Catholic, Chantilly, Va. (23-5)

Previous: 20.

The Lowdown: Closed out the regular season going 3-0 in the WCAC capped by a 72-61 victory over Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.). The Panthers clinched at least a share of the WCAC regular season championship. The WCAC Tournament starts Friday.

23. Prolific Prep, Napa, Calif. (24-5)

Previous: 22.

The Lowdown: Idle.

24. Archbishop Stepinac, White Plains, N.Y. (20-4)

Previous: 25.

The Lowdown: The Crusaders play Cardinal Hayes (Bronx) in the New York Archdiocesan AA semifinals on Tuesday, Feb. 18. Additionally, Patrick Massaroni was named the New York Catholic High Schools Athletic Association Class AA Coach of the Year.

25. St. John Bosco, Bellflower, Calif. (24-6)

Previous: 21.

The Lowdown: The Braves lost to Redondo Union (Redondo Beach), 77-75, in the CIF-Southern Section Open Division Pool B round-robin play.

Dropped out: No. 24 Utah Prep (Hurricane, Utah).

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Thomas Jefferson, Brooklyn, N.Y. (26-1)
2. Mount Carmel, Baltimore (28-4)
3. Highland School, Warrenton, Va. (33-5)
4. Roman Catholic, Philadelphia (18-4)
5. St. Francis Prep, Fresh Meadows, N.Y. (20-4)

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

Midwest

1. Sunrise Christian Academy, Bel Aire, Kan. (14-6)
2. Kenwood, Chicago (27-1)*
3. Oak Park, Kansas City, Mo. (21-1)
4. Bolingbrook, Ill. (26-4)
5. Cretin-Derham Hall, St. Paul, Minn. (21-1)

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

Southland

1. Reidsville, N.C. (23-0)
2. Allen, Texas (30-1)
3. Huntsville, Ala. (31-1)
4. Lake Ridge, Mansfield, Texas (32-2)
5. Owasso, Okla. (20-4)

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

Far West

1. Utah Prep Academy, Hurricane, Utah (18-10)
2. St. Joseph, Santa Maria, Calif. (28-1)
3. Notre Dame, Sherman Oaks, Calif. (24-6)
4. Santa Margarita, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. (22-6)
5. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (22-5)

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

Records through Sunday

* Won state, national or conference postseason tournament championship

[Editor’s note: Each asterisk represents a separate postseason title]

About: The Blue Star Media Elite 25 Boys’ High School Basketball Rankings are released weekly from December 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 at the conclusion of the season. Follow him on X at @clawlor.