BENSALEM, Pa. – Two of the biggest tournaments were completed Monday night in Washington and Philadelphia. Both results had an impact on the Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ basketball rankings.

In our nation’s capital, No. 2 DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) captured the Washington Catholic Athletic League championship for the 41^st time in program history. Jones won his 500th game to boot.

Just up I-95, No. 23 Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia) bagged the Philadelphia Catholic League crown over rival Roman Catholic (Philadelphia), 66-58. The Saints added more league hardware to the school’s trophy case for the first time since 2014. The 21st league title was special for coach Carl Arrigale, who captured an 11th and is the Catholic League’s all-time leader in that category.

Truly remarkable! Kudos to Jones and Arrigale of the nation’s premier coaches.

Three schools enter the Elite 25 rankings with two returning.

No. 17 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) and No. 23 Neumann-Goretti are back in after impressive recent results.

No. 24 Eden Prairie (Minn.) debuts in the Elite 25 with an unblemished mark, holds the No. 1 rankings in Minnesota’s Class 4A and a signature win last week over No. 25 Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis), which slipped 14 spots.

OK, the GEICO High School Nationals are next and the Elite 25 reflects what could transpire when the bracket is revealed in March.

Since the three latest additions to the Elite 25 have no effect on the GEICO Nationals, here’s look at how the 12^th annual event shakes down when it tips off on April 2 in New York.

Definitely in: Montverde Academy, Wasatch Academy, Oak Hill Academy Sunrise Christian and Dorman.

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 state title in March. We’re still waiting on the WCAC to give DeMatha permission. IMG Academy, La Lumiere School and Prolific Prep would round out the eight-team field. Hamilton Heights Christian Academy and St. Frances Academy are done.

Hamilton Heights lost last weekend in Florida and St. Frances fell in the MIAA A Conference final to rival Mount St. Joseph. Hamilton Heights plays this week at the National Association of Christian Athletes Division 1 tournament but even winning won’t be enough. St. Frances will compete at the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament in March but losing last weekend was the final nail.

We believe up to six independent schools will get invites and two or three National Federation sanctioned state/conference winners will round out the field.

My latest ballot (no particular order) has Montverde, Grayson, Dorman, Wasatch Academy, Oak Hill Academy, Prolific, DeMatha (if permitted to attend) and Sunrise Christian. La Lumiere and IMG are on the bubble. The WCAC holds both teams fate.

We’ll continue to update the GEICO Nationals each week and shed light on the eight teams that will make it to 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 3. Hard to believe but four months are competed with one left plus the first weekend in April at the GEICO Nationals.

Hope to see you at game soon. – Christopher Lawlor

Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ basketball rankings, Feb. 25, 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.

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

Previous: 2.

Low-down: Won Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship, defeating No. ghghg Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.), 70-56. It was the 41^st WCAC title for the Stags in 60 seasons. Miami-bound Earl Timberlake contributed 21 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 blocks. Coach Mike Jones picked win No. 500. Also beat St. John’s College (Washington, D.C.), 63-50, in the semifinals and Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, Va.), 85-57, in the quarterfinals when Jordan Hawkins scored 15 points and Hunter Dickinson added 14.

3. Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson, Va. (36-3)

Previous: 3.

Low-down: Crushed New Faith Christian Academy (Riverdale, Ga.), 120-65. LSU-bound Cam Thomas bucketed a game-high 41 points. The season wraps up this week with Winston-Salem (N.C.) Christian Tuesday and Liberty Heights Academy (Charlotte, N.C.) Saturday on Senior Night.

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. (28-1)

Previous: 5.

Low-down: Defeated Pebblebrook (Mableton), 67-54, in the Class AAAAAAA second round. The Rams have a huge state quarterfinal game with Norcross Wednesday. The semifinals are slated for Saturday and the final March 7.

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

Previous: 6.

Low-down: Won the LuHi Invitational, topping Albany Academy, 102-101, in overtime the epic final. Illinois-bound guard Andre Curbelo followed up his miss shot with a fadeaway jumper at the buzzer to win it. Rafael Pinzon topped the Crusaders with 26 points, Curbelo added 21 points and 13 assists and Ohio State-recruit Zed Key posted his second double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds at the event. Also beat Lehman (Bronx), 74-48, in the semifinals as Key notched a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds. 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. (27-1)

Previous: 7.

Low-down: The Cavaliers opened their Class AAAAA title defense, beating Greenwood, 93-49, in the first round and Blythewood, 83-52, in the second round. The quarterfinals are Tuesday against Spartanburg and the semifinals are Saturday in Columbia.

8. Sunrise Christian Academy, Bel Aire, Kan. (21-3)

Previous: 8.

Low-down: Beat Universal Academy (Irving, Texas), 74-48. The regular season closes Thursday with OKC Storm North (Edmond, Okla.). GEICO Nationals are looking good heading into March.

9. La Lumiere School, La Porte, Ind. (22-3)

Previous: 9.

Low-down: The Lakers picked up two wins, including a 74-38 decision over International Sports Academy (Willoughby, Ohio).

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

Previous: 10.

Low-down: The Crew played a pair of Canadian elite teams last weekend at the Crush Valley Grind Session 2 in Napa, Calif. They beat George Harris Prep (Mississauga, Ontario), 86-69, and British Columbia Christian Prep (Port Coquitlam, B.C.), 74-54, as Jalen Green totaled 28 points and 8 rebounds in the latter game.

11. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (27-4)

Previous: 12.

Low-down: When push comes to shove, the cream always rises. When Sierra a supersized game from its two McDonald’s All-Americans, Ziaire Wilson dropped in 23 points and BJ Boston added 19 in a 73-62 win over No. 16 Etiwanda in the CIF-Southern Section Open Division pool play finale. The Trailblazers went 3-0 in Pool A and now meet No. 17 Mater Dei (Santa Ana) Friday for the title at The Pyramid in Long Beach. Also beat St. Anthony (Long Beach), 61-49, in pool play.

12. Paul VI, Fairfax, Va. (24-8)

Previous: 17.

Low-down: Lost to No. 2 DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.), 70-56, in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship game. Jeremy Roach and Trevor Keels each tallied 22 points. The Panthers beat Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.), 74-63, in the semifinals and Archbishop Carroll (Washington, D.C.), 61-46, in the quarterfinals. Next is the Virginia Independent Division I state quarterfinals Wednesday at home. The semifinals are Friday and Saturday the final in Petersburg.

13. Camden, N.J. (23-1)

Previous: 19.

Low-down: Drilled Paul VI (Haddonfield), 76-52, and crosstown rivals Woodrow Wilson, 83-34. The Panthers wrap up the regular season Wednesday at Shawnee (Medford) and the Group 2 South Jersey playoffs start on March 3 with Lower Cape May (Cape May) at home.

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

Previous: 20.

Low-down: It was a glorious end to the regular season in a 93-46 humbling of Denham Springs. The Hornets have seven straight and embark on winning another LHSAA Division I state title.

15. Lancaster, Texas (31-2)

Previous: 23.

Low-down: Defeated Forney, 88-27, for a 12-0 record in District 13-5A. The Tigers jumped to a 27-3 lead through one quarter and were never threatened. Next is the Class 5A bi-district playoff game against Cleburne.

16. Etiwanda, Calif. (28-3)

Previous: 13.

Low-down: Jaylen Clark’s 32 points weren’t enough in a 73-62 loss to No. ghghgh Sierra Canyon School (Chatsworth) in CIF-Southern Section Open Division pool play. The decision snapped a 17-game win streak as the Eagles went 2-1 in Pool B and now await their marching orders for the next layer of Southern California Regional playoffs.

17. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (25-6)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: It’s been another late-season resurgence for the Monarchs, who completed a sparkling 3-0 run in the CIF-Southern Section Open Division pool play and now face No. 11 Sierra Canton School (Chatsworth) for the championship Friday night at The Pyramid in Long Beach. Devin Askew, a Kentucky-bound guard) was lights out last week during two victories. First, he scored 43 points leading his team to a 76-71 win at then-No. 14 Rancho Christian (Temecula).Then last Friday at Harvard-Westlake (Studio City), he added 18 points and 5 dimes in a 65-46 trouncing. Wilhelm Breidenbach netted 14 points and Harrison Hornery had 10.

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

Previous: 16.

Low-down: Idle. Getting an invite from the GEICO Nationals might be a stretch this year.

19. Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas (26-3)

Previous: 25.

Low-down: Won the Class 4A Desert Region championship, topping Durango (Las Vegas), 80-61. Coach Grant Rice captured his 500^th victory and Will McClendon scored a game0-high 19 points, including four 3-pointers. . Also defeated Liberty (Henderson), 61-59, in the semifinals. The Gaels play at the Class 4A state semifinals Thursday in Reno. The final is Friday as Rice’s team seeks a ninth straight state title.

20. Curie, Chicago (25-2)

Previous: 24.

Low-down: Saiveon Williams scored 22 points and Ramean Hinton added 19 as the Condors knocked off Oak Forest, 66-55. There’s one final tune-up Wednesday against Notre Dame (Niles) before the Class 4A playoffs.

21. St. Benedict’s, Newark, N.J. (28-4)*

Previous: 25.

Low-down: Won the State Prep A state championship, beating defending champion Blair Academy (Blairstown), 68-66. Barra Njie contributed 11 points and 11 assists and Toks Bakare flipped in 17 points. In the semifinals, Toks netted 20 points and dished off 7 assists in a 91-70 drubbing of Peddie School (Hightstown). The regular season finishes this week with three games.

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

Previous: 21.

Low-down: Split two games in the CIF-Southern Section Open Division pool play but did beat then-No. 14 Rancho Christian (Temecula), 88-68. The Eagles went 1-2 Pool B and ahead their next postseason assignment.

23. Neumann-Goretti, Philadelphia (21-4)*

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: Won the Philadelphia Catholic League championship, beating Roman Catholic (Philadelphia) for the program’s first title since 2014. Cameron Young scored a game-high 22 points and Hysier Miller added 17.

24. Eden Prairie, Minn. (25-0)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: The Eagles crack the Elite 25 with four seasoned seniors in the starting five who have been on varsity for over three seasons. Coach David Flom’s boys knocked off then-No. 11 Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis), 78-64, in a dual of the state’s top two teams. John Henry fired in a game-high 29 points and point guard Drake Dobbs added 19 as Eden closed the second half on a 30-7 run. The regular season concludes Friday at Minnetonka and then it is the Class 4A playoff as the top seed and clear favorite to secure the hardware.

25. Minnehaha Academy, Minneapolis, Minn. (20-3)

Previous: 11.

Low-down: Lost to previously unranked Eden Prairie, 78-64, but four days later bounced back to beat De La Salle (Minneapolis), 61-53. Chet Holmgren flipped in 13 points in the latter game. Minnesota’s top-ranked Class 3A team finishes the regular slate against Minneapolis North Thursday and Maranatha Christian Academy (Brooklyn Park) Friday.

Dropped: No. 14 Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.) and No. 15 Hamilton Heights Christian Academy (Chattanooga, Tenn.) and No. 19  St. Frances Academy, (Baltimore).

High-Fives by Region

East

1. The Patrick School, Hillside, N.J. (17-7)
2. Mount St. Joseph, Baltimore (27-5)*
3. Gonzaga, Washington, D.C. (22-10)
4. Polytechnic Institute, Baltimore (21-2)
5. St. Raymond, Bronx, 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. Moeller, Cincinnati (22-1)
2. Bloomington (Ind.) South (22-0)
3. River Rouge, Mich. (17-1)
4. Vashon, St. Louis (17-5)
5. St. Edward, Lakewood, Ohio (21-1)

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

Southland

1. Westlake, Austin, Texas (32-1)
2. St. Augustine, New Orleans (29-1)
3. Ashland (Ky.) Blazer (28-0)
4. West Oaks Academy, Orlando, Fla. (25-6)
5. North Mecklenburg, Huntersville, N.C. (26-1)

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. (25-5)
3. Eastside Catholic, Sammamish, Wash. (22-3)
4. Davis, Kaysville, Utah (21-1)
5. Harvard-Westlake, Studio City, Calif. (24-6)

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.