No. 17 St. Paul VI (VA), No. 9 Corona Centennial (CA) annex major championship titles; No. 23 Bishop Gorman (NV) shock loss sees big drop in Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ rankings

BENSALEM, Pa. – When it’s all said and done, the Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ basketball rankings will morph the way state tournaments in California, Florida and Texas play out. However, you cannot ignore the almighty GEICO High School Nationals Academy Division.

It was reported here first the GEICO Nationals would split into an Academy and Public State Champions brackets starting later this month. The Academy Bracket will run March 31 to April 2 in Fort Myers, Florida at Florida SouthWestern State College’s Suncoast Credit Union Arena, along with the girls’ four-team academy tournament.

As we move into March, the GEICO Academy Bracket is about a month out and we’re expecting the eight teams to be (all are Elite 25 teams): Sunrise Christian Academy (Kan.), Link Academy (Mo.), IMG Academy (Fla.), Montverde (Fla.) Academy, La Lumiere School (Ind.), AZ Compass Prep (Ariz.), Oak Hill Academy (Va.), St. Benedict’s Prep (N.J.) and Prolific Prep (Calif.). That might be adjusted by one or two teams depending on what happens this month, but the top-6 listed are locks. Last weekend, No. 21 St. Benedict’s won the New Jersey Prep A state championship.

The brackets will be revealed on March 16.

The newly-formed Public State Champions event is nebulous today but that will clear up starting this weekend when the Florida and Washington state championships conclude. Last weekend, No. 23 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) was denied a 10^th straight Nevada state championship in the Class 5A final. The Gaels were unbeaten but were upended, ruining an undefeated regular season and surefire invitation.

Garfield (Seattle) goes for the Washington Class 3A title, needing three wins this week and would be a great complement to Florida champions (if they win out) such as No. 11 Calvary Christian Academy (Fort Lauderdale) and Dr. Phillips (Orlando). Georgia’s leading player is Pebblebrook (Mableton) if it annexes the Class 7A title on March 12. State champions from South Carolina, North Carolina, Maryland, District of Columbia, Arizona and Utah will be scrutinized in the four-team bracket which tips on April 7 in Florida.

Since there are no additions to the Elite 25 rankings, this week’s overview sees 13 teams slide up one slot and two dropping, including No. 23 Bishop Gorman down 13 and No. 25 Cardinal Hayes (Bronx, N.Y.) down two. Gorman stays for now and Hayes remains alive despite a loss in the New York Archdiocesan Class AA playoffs. The Cardinals have a chance at redemption with the City AA Intersectional playoffs playing out over the next two weeks. No. 19 Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.) will have something to say about it as will St. Francis Prep (Fresh Meadows).

Here’s another tournament worth noting: The 60^th annual Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament from March 10-12 in Cumberland, Maryland.

Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame coach Morgan Wootten (previously of DeMatha in Hyattsville, Md.) called it “the most prestigious high school tournament in the country.” The tournament began in 1961 raising monies and awareness for disabled children.

This weekend the eight-team event was selected, including one school from New York (for the first time since 1977). The invitees from the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference are No. 17 St. Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.), DeMatha, Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) and Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.).

PVI won the WCAC championship for the first time since 2014 in thrilling fashion on Monday, edging McNamara, 43-42. Freshman Jaquan Womack’s basket with less than 1 second to go rallied the Panthers, who were down one point. The Panthers won’t have time to rest because they will participate in the Virginia Independent Schools tournament this week. Congratulations to both teams for an entertaining contest. A rematch at the ACIT is possible.

Baltimore schools Mount St. Joseph and St. Frances (both from the MIAA A Conference and Baltimore Catholic League) are in as is Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.). Bishop Walsh (Cumberland, Md.) is the host school for the tournament that will be played at Frostburg State University’s Bobcat Arena. Walsh will be prepared after spending the last two seasons in the National Interscholastic Basketball Conference.

The ACIT was cancelled the last two years because of the pandemic. We’ll have the pairings next week and if you plan on making the trek to western Maryland, the tickets only will be made available at the door.

There’s a strong chance St. Frances and Mount St. Joseph could meet this weekend for the Baltimore Catholic League title before heading off for the ACIT.

As for impact, the California Interscholastic Federation Open Division tournament commences this week, culminating at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on March 12. The Southern Region features Elite 25 teams No. 9 Corona Centennial, No. 13 Harvard-Westlake (Studio City) and No. 14 Sierra Canyon School (Chatsworth) while the Northern Region has Campolindo (Moraga) as the top seed. Centennial won for the 27^th straight time in capturing the CIF-Southern Section Open Division championship.

The winner is a worthy team to finish with the top-10 of the Elite 25’s final rankings when released in April. The CIF boys’ brackets are here.

In Texas, the most talked about meeting may could this week in the University Interscholastic League Class 6A, Region II tournament, where No. 24 Westfield (Houston) and No. 8 Duncanville are on a collision course. The survivor of Region II will qualify for the 6A state tournament next week in San Antonio. No. 5 Richardson is a heavy favorite to win Region I.

Finally, Andy Johnson is on the move for a second straight year. Johnson, one of the nation’s top coaches, has been hired at Mountain View High in Mesa, Arizona. Johnson spent the last year at Silverado (Las Vegas), where he guided his squad to the Nevada state quarterfinals and a 17-9 record.

Johnson made a national splash when serving as an assistant and eventually the head coach at Findlay Prep (Las Vegas) from 2009-16. He guided the Pilots to a 57-7 mark in two years at the helm. Prior to his stop at Silverado, Johnson headed The Village School (Houston), leading the program to three appearances in the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools state tournament. Also served as assistant coach for one season at Southern Utah University (2016-17).

In a release, Mountain View athletic director said in part:

“We are excited to welcome Andy Johnson into the Toro family. He knows the rich legacy and tradition of Toro basketball, and we can’t wait to weave his chapter into the Campus of Champions.”

That’s it for the fourth week in February. Thankfully, we’re building momentum for March Madness and all the pageantry.

The Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ rankings will return on March 8.

Stay safe and make sure your vaccines are up to date.

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

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Boys’ Basketball Rankings, March 1, 2022

1. Sunrise Christian Academy, Bel Aire, Kan. (25-1)

Previous rank: 1.

The Low-down: Defeated Shaun Dumas Academy (New Orleans, La.), 99-40, on Senior Night. The Buffaloes will be the top seed at the GEICO Nationals starting on March 31 in Florida.

2. Link Academy, Branson, Mo. (29-1)

Previous: 2.

The Low-down: The Lions have four games left in the regular season before heading to the GEICO Nationals in Florida at the end of the month.

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

Previous: 3.

The Low-down: Idle. Up next is a trip to the GEICO Nationals.

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 (32-1)

Previous: 5.

The Low-down: Cason Wallace, a McDonald’s All American, snapped a 61-all tie with a layup with 3.4 second left to win it over Allen, 65-61, in the Class 6A, Region II Area playoff game. The Alabama recruit had 18 points. He also contributed 28 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists when the Eagles stopped Grand Prairie, 97, 63, in the bi-district playoff round. Up next is McKinney in the 6A Region I quarterfinals on Tuesday.

6. La Lumiere School, La Porte, Ind. (20-4)

Previous: 6.

The Low-down: The Lakers closed out the regular season with a 53-point win and await their official invitation to the GEICO Nationals on March 31 in Fort Myers, Fla.

7. AZ Compass Prep, Chandler, Ariz. (23-3)

Previous: 7.

The Low-down: Defeated Taylor Made Prep (Avondale), 116-38.

8. Duncanville, Texas (30-1)

Previous: 8.

The Low-down: The Panthers eliminated Rockwall Heath, 52-43, in the Class 6A Region II Area playoff round. Junior forward Ron Holland netted a game-high 19 points. They now face DeSoto in the Region II quarterfinals on Tuesday.

9. Corona (Calif.) Centennial (30-1)

Previous: 9.

The Low-down: For the second straight year, the Huskies won the CIF-Southern Section Open Division championship, beating then-No. 14 Harvard-Westlake (Studio City), 68-48. Junior guard Jared McCain flipped in 20 points. The sectional champions earned a first-round bye to the CIF-Southern Region semifinals on Saturday when they host Mater Dei (Santa Ana) or Bishop Montgomery (Torrance). The regional final is March 8 and the state final is March 12 in Sacramento.

10. Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson, Va. (31-7)

Previous: 11.

The Low-down: Defeated St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio), 83-65, and Vertical Academy (Charlotte, N.C.), 93-74.

11. Calvary Christian Academy, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (22-2)

Previous: 12.

The Low-down: The Eagles captured the Class 4A, Region 4 championship, defeating Mater Lakes Academy (Miami), 69-59, in the final. Up next is the Class 4A state semifinals against Lake Highland Prep (Orlando) on Thursday in Lakeland.

12. Camden, N.J. (24-2)

Previous: 13.

The Low-down: The Panthers closed out the regular season with three lopsided wins. The postseason tipped off on Monday with Oakcrest (Mays Landing) in the Group 2 South Jersey first round.

13. Harvard-Westlake, Studio City, Calif. (24-3)

Previous: 14.

The Low-down: Lost to No. 9 Corona Centennial, 68-48, in the CIF-Southern Section Open Division final. In spite of the setback, the Wolverines play St. Joseph (Santa Maria) in the CIF-Southern Region Open Division first round on Wednesday.

14. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (24-4)

Previous: 15.

The Low-down: Idle. The Blazers face St. Augustine (San Diego) in the CIF-Southern Region Open Division first round on Wednesday. The regional semifinals are Saturday.

15. Glenbard West, Glen Ellyn, Ill. (32-1)

Previous: 16.

The Low-down: The Class 4A Glenbard West Regional title, stopping York (Elmhurst), 62-26, in the final. Bobby Durkin pumped in a game-high 16 points. The next assignment is Naperville North in the Bartlett Sectional semifinals on Tuesday.

16. Roselle (N.J.) Catholic (23-2)

Previous: 17.

The Low-down: Won the Union County Tournament, edging Elizabeth, 63-58, in the final. The Lions earned a first round bye in the Non-Public B North tournament as the top seed. They will face Timothy Christian (Piscataway) or Wardlaw-Hartridge (Edison) in the quarterfinals on Friday.

17. St. Paul VI, Chantilly, Va. (26-4)*

Previous: 18.

The Low-down: Freshman Jaquan Womack powered in basket from close range with less than 1 second left, giving coach Glenn Farello’s squad a thrilling 43-42 win over Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.) for the  Washington Catholic Athletic Conference crown. Michigan-bound point guard Dug McDaniel scored 12 points to help the Panthers secure their first WCAC chip since 2014. Elsewhere, Ben Hammond paced the Panthers with 20 points to subdue Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.), 62-55, in the semifinals. They also stopped Archbishop Carroll (Washington, D.C.), 59-41, in the quarterfinals as Darren Harris-Smith scored 15 points. The Panthers will play the Virginia Independent Schools state tournament this week and then the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament the following week in Cumberland, Md.

18. Centerville, Ohio (25-0)

Previous: 19.

The Low-down: The Elks advanced to the Division I district final, beating Tecumseh, 72-15, in the semifinals and Belmont (Dayton), 81-33, in the quarterfinals. They’ll play again this weekend against Lakota West (West Chester) for the district title.

19. Archbishop Stepinac, White Plains, N.Y. (24-3)

Previous: 20.

The Low-down: Defeated No. 25 Cardinal Hayes (Bronx), 51-40, in the New York Archdiocesan AA final. Sophomore guard Boogie Fland had 15 points and 6 rebounds. Isaiah Alexander scored 18 points and cleared 7 rebounds during a 72-50 blowout of Iona Prep (New Rochelle) in the semifinals. The Crusaders won’t play again until the New York Class AA intersectional quarterfinals on Sunday.

20. North Little Rock, Ark. (25-3)

Previous: 21.

The Low-down: Defeated Little Rock Central, 79-51, and Cabot, 87-52. The Class 6A second round is Friday.

21. St. Benedict’s, Newark, N.J. (24-1)*

Previous: 22.

The Low-down: Won the New Jersey Prep A state tournament, defeating Blair Academy (Blairstown), 78-60, and Lawrenceville Prep, 97-55, in the semifinals. Coach Mark Johnson claimed his 300^th victory as the Grays Bees stretched the win streak to 16 games and lifted the hardware. In the final, junior point guard Ty-Laur Johnson surpassed the 1,000-point barrier, scoring 25 points and added 5 assists and 5 rebounds. Ladji Kalilou Dembele posted a double-double with 18 points and 15 rebounds and Jahlijah Grant added 12 points and snared 5 boards.

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

Previous: 24.

The Low-down: Claimed two wins last weekend at the Gary Rhodes Classic.

23. Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas (30-1)

Previous: 10.

The Low-down: Lost in the NIAA Class 5A final to Liberty (Henderson), 63-62, in overtime. In the semifinals, the Gaels crushed Spanish Springs (Sparks), 83-49, as Nevada-bound Darrion Williams p[aced the offense with 19 points. The Gaels remain in the Elite 25 but that stay might come to an end shortly. Season complete.

24. Westfield, Houston (30-1)

Previous: 25.

The Low-down: The Mustangs started off the postseason winning twice. They beat Klein Collins, 77-51, in the Class 6A Region II Area playoff game and Conroe, 77-50, in the bi-district round. The stakes get bigger on Tuesday in the Region II quarterfinals against Cypress Falls (Houston).

25. Cardinal Hayes, Bronx, N.Y. (23-3)

Previous: 23.

The Low-down: Lost to No. 19 Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains), 51-40, in the New York Archdiocese Class AA final. The Cardinals beat Monsignor Scanlan (Bronx), 71-42, in the semifinals. Up next is a date in the Class AA intersectional quarterfinals on Sunday.

Dropped out: None.

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (18-5)
2. Imhotep Prep Charter, Philadelphia (23-4)
3. Sidwell Friends, Washington, D.C. (26-1)
4. St. Francis Prep, Fresh Meadows, N.Y. (21-3)
5. Mount St. Joseph, Baltimore (28-5)*

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. (31-2)
2. Whitney Young, Chicago (22-9)
3. Chesterton, Ind. (23-0)
4. Simeon, Chicago (23-5)
5. Grand Rapids (Mich.) Catholic Central (19-1)

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

Southland

1. Pebblebrook, Mableton, Ga. (27-2)
2. Beaumont (Texas) United (31-3)
3. Dr. Phillips, Orlando, Fla. (25-5)
4. George Rogers Clark, Winchester, Ky. (30-1)
5. Carmel Christian, Matthews, N.C. (26-3)*

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

Far West

1. Garfield, Seattle (22-0)
2. Campolindo, Moraga, Calif. (27-1)
3. Liberty, Henderson, Nev. (22-4)*
4. Clovis West, Fresno, Calif. (30-1)
5. Tualatin, Ore. (21-2)

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

Records through Sunday’s games

 * 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. 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.