No. 7 Harvard-Westlake (CA) moves up Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ basketball rankings with success at Nike Tournament of Champions Hoophall West in Arizona

DANIA BEACH, Fla. – For the third consecutive week, the Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ basketball rankings hit the spin cycle and the byproduct is another top-ranked team albeit a former No. 1.

A week after ducking out of the top spot in the Elite 25, Columbus (Miami) returns. It was a hectic week in the Top-10 with eight teams shifting positions to give the rankings a new order at the top. The event that had the most influence was the inaugural Nike Tournament of Champions Hoophall West Classic in Arizona.

The top pool of teams played in an eight-team traditional bracket while others played one, two or three games against some of the nation’s top teams. Once the December holiday schedule calmed down on Jan. 1, the Elite 25 elevated Link Academy (Branson, Mo.) to the top. The Lions lost twice at the Hoophall West and dropped. No. 5 Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) dipped three slots and might have overtaken the Lions but lost in the semifinals of the traditional bracket. Tough break for the Purple Eagles. No. 3 Roosevelt (Eastvale, Calif.) and No. 4 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) advanced two spots after winning three times in Arizona.

No. 7 Harvard-Westlake (Studio City, Calif.) won the traditional bracket in Arizona and helped themselves with a plus-eight jump in the Elite 25. No. 8 Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) fell three spots after a 2-1 mark in the three stand-alone games.

Once the dust settled in the desert, six teams moved up; 12 remained the same and seven dropped in the Elite 25 rankings. There were no newcomers this week and there are at least four teams from the regional rankings ready to slide in the Elite 25 once the openings occur.

This weekend three are three events that will impact the Elite 25.

The Nike EYBL Scholastic series resume Thursday through Saturday at the La Porte (Ind.) Invitational. Six teams from the Elite 25 are on the powerful docket.

In Paducah, Ky., there is a Grind Session Mustang Madness Paducah at McCracken High School with several top programs and players in the house from Thursday through Sunday. Here are the tickets.

The Iverson Classic Blackout Signature Series stops over at Weequahic High School in Newark, N.J. on Friday and Saturday with 13 games scheduled. The top game is Friday at 7:30 p.m. when No. 6 Utah Prep (Hurricane, Utah) plays No. 11 Dynamic Prep (Irving, Texas). Both teams play on Saturday. No. 13 The Patrick School (Hackettstown, N.J.) meets Camden (N.J.) Saturday at 7 p.m.

Finally, there’s the seven-game Trinity Mission League Showcase at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 10. The Trinity and Mission leagues are the top two leagues (with private and parochial schools) in southern California. Three teams from the Elite 25 will be competing.

The schedule will play out at the new home of the Los Angeles Clippers:

11 a.m.: Servite (Anaheim) vs. Orange Lutheran
12:30 p.m.: Loyola (Los Angeles) vs. Chaminade (West Hills)
2 p.m.: Alemany (Mission Hills) vs. Crespi (Encino)
3:30 p.m.: JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano) vs. Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita)
5 p.m.: No. 7 Harvard-Westlake (Studio City) vs. St. Francis (La Canada)
6:30 p.m.: Mater Dei (Santa Ana) vs. No. 4 St. John Bosco (Bellflower)
8:30 p.m.: No. 11 Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) vs. Sierra Canyon School (Chatsworth)

Tickets can be purchased here through Ticketmaster.

This is simply a prelude to one of the season’s most influential weekends on the hoop calendar with key events in Massachusetts, Missouri, Virginia and Ohio. More on it next time.

Okay, that’s it for another week as we enter a new calendar year. The Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ basketball rankings return on Tuesday, Jan. 14 and we’ll examine what’s on the national slate  for the Dr. Martin Luther King Weekend.

Bye for now.

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

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Boys’ Basketball Rankings, Jan. 7, 2025

1. Columbus, Miami (13-2)

Previous rank: 3.

The Lowdown: Idle. The Explorers back on top by default with a tough schedule ahead.

2. Montverde (Fla.) Academy (8-2)

Previous: 4.

The Lowdown: Idle. The Eagles played on Monday, Jan. 6.

3. Roosevelt, Eastvale, Calif. (18-1)

Previous: 5.

The Lowdown: Went 3-0 at the Nike Tournament of Champions Hoophall Classic West in Arizona. In a 56-36 victory over Layton (Utah) Christian, point guard Myles Walker had 17 points, 4 assists and 4 steals.

4. St. John Bosco, Bellflower, Calif. (17-1)

Previous: 6.

The Lowdown: Went 3-0 at the Nike Tournament of Champions Hoophall Classic West in Arizona. The Braves defeated Coronado (Las Vegas), 62-61, in the third game of the event. USC-bound Elzie Harrington broke a 61-all tie with 8.7 seconds left to win. Harrington was tabbed game Most Valuable Player after bucketing 29 points. Junior standout Brandon McCoy was absent last weekend.

5. Gonzaga, Washington, D.C. (12-2)

Previous: 2.

The Lowdown: The Purple Eagles won the third-place consolation game at the Nike Tournament of Champions Hoophall Classic West, defeating Chaminade (St. Louis), 66-45, and went 2-1 at the Arizona event. Xavier-bound Nykolas Lewis had 21 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists.

6. Utah Prep Academy, Hurricane, Utah (14-4)

Previous: 7.

The Lowdown: BYU-bound forward A.J. Dybantsa had a double-double with 23 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 block and sharpshooter John Southwick, a Utah Valley signee, nailed 7 of 14 3-pointers for 21 points in an 80-63 victory over Faith Family (Dallas) at the Hoophall West in Arizona

7. Harvard-Westlake, Studio City, Calif. (18-1)

Previous: 15.

Lowdown: Won the Nike Tournament of Champions and Hoophall West Classic championship

De La Salle (Concord, Calif.), 58-44. Duke-bound Nikolas Khamenia was the Most Valuable Player, putting up 14 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds in the final.

8. Link Academy, Branson, Mo. (10-4)

Previous: 1.

The Lowdown: The Lions had a dreadful time in Nike Tournament of Champions Hoophall West Classic in Arizona last weekend, losing twice at the Hoophall West. They face No. 9 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) Saturday at the La Porte (Ind.) Invitational.

9. IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. (9-3)

Previous: 9.

The Lowdown: Idle.

10. Dynamic Prep School, Irving, Texas (20-3)

Previous: 10.

The Lowdown: Defeated Memphis schools Overton, 91-33, and White Haven, 77-54, at the Memphis Hoopfest. Up next is No. 6 Utah Prep (Hurricane, Utah) on Friday.

11. Notre Dame, Sherman Oaks, Calif. (15-2)

Previous: 8.

The Lowdown: Went 2-1 against strong competition at the Hoophall West Nike Tournament of Champions in Arizona. Junior Tyran Stokes finished with 34 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals in a 65-62 win over Sandra Day O’Connor (Phoenix) on Saturday, Jan. 4.

12. Brewster Academy, Wolfeboro, N.H. (12-2)

Previous: 11.

The Lowdown: Idle.

13. The Patrick School, Hackettstown, N.J. (11-2)

Previous: 12.

The Lowdown: Defeated St. Rose (Belmar), 75-60. The Celtics pulled away in the second half with a 43-30 showing.

14. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (8-5)

Previous: 13.

The Lowdown: Idle.

15. Prolific Prep, Napa, Calif. (16-3)

Previous: 14.

The Lowdown: Idle.

16. Perry, Gilbert, Ariz. (13-1)

Previous: 16.

The Lowdown: Placed fifth at the Nike Tournament of Champions and Hoophall West Classic with a 2-1 mark.

17. San Antonio (Texas) Brennan (17-2)

Previous: 17.

The Lowdown: Defeated San Antonio Stevens, 99-45, and San Antonio Holmes, 98-40, in district action.

18. Grayson, Loganville, Ga. (13-1)

Previous: 18.

The Lowdown: Defeated Archer (Lawrenceville), 60-59, and McEachern (Powder Springs), 46-38.

19. Wheeler, Marietta, Ga. (11-3)

Previous: 19.

The Lowdown: Defeated Greenforest (Decatur), 67-53, at the New Year’s Classic in Loganville, Ga.

20. Owasso, Okla. (8-3)

Previous: 20.

The Lowdown: Idle.

21. Sunrise Christian Academy, Bel Aire, Kan. (8-2)

Previous: 21.

The Lowdown: Idle. The Buffaloes are back at it Thursday and Friday at the EYBL Scholastic La Porte Invitational in Indiana.

22. Fishers, Ind. (12-0)

Previous: 22.

The Lowdown: Won the Fishers Tournament, defeating Wayne (Fort Wayne), 62-56, in the final.

23. St. Paul VI Catholic, Chantilly, Va. (8-3)

Previous: 23.

The Lowdown: Defeated Georgetown Prep (North Bethesda, Md.), 61-46, at Behan Strong Classic in Washington, D.C.

24. Hoover, Ala. (19-0)

Previous: 24.

The Lowdown: Defeated Hewitt-Trussville, 73-37.

25. DePaul Prep, Chicago (15-1)

Previous: 25.

The Lowdown: Defeated Warren (Gurnee, Ill.), 53-45. Junior Rykan Woo flipped in 24 points

 Dropped out: None.

High-Fives by Region

East

1. John Marshall, Richmond, Va. (11-0)
2. St. Frances Academy, Baltimore (11-1)
3. Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson, Va. (13-3)
4. Archbishop Stepinac, White Plains, N.Y. (6-3)
5. Hudson Catholic, Jersey City, N.J. (8-1)

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

Midwest

1. La Lumiere School, La Porte, Ind. (12-5)
2. Lawrence North, Indianapolis (8-1)
3. Cretin-Derham Hall, St. Paul, Minn. (9-0)
4. Rich Township, Olympia Fields, Ill. (8-4)
5. Kenwood, Chicago (14-1)

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

Southland

1. Calvary Christian Academy, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (11-0)
2. Reidsville, N.C. (10-0)
3. Allen, Texas (19-1)
4. Huntsville, Ala. (20-1)
5. St. Thomas Aquinas, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (12-1)

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

Far West

1. St. Joseph, Santa Maria, Calif. (13-1)
2. Redondo Union, Redondo Beach, Calif. (15-2)
3. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (14-3)
4. Veritas Academy, Santa Fe Springs, Calif. (7-5)
5. Annie Wright School, Tacoma, Wash. (10-1)

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

Records through Sunday

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.