BENSALEM, Pa. – Two of the nation’s toughest, prestigious boys’ postseason tournaments are ready to roll and two more are on hold for at least another week.

First, the CIF-Southern Section Open Division was revealed Sunday afternoon. The tournament features eight powerhouse programs from the Los Angeles area split into two four-team pools. Each team plays three days and the winner of each pool plays for the overall title on Feb. 28. Even if a team loses during pool play, they can qualify for the various Southern California Regional tournament with that winner facing the Nor Cal winner for an overall state crown.

This year’s tournament features Sierra Canyon School, Corona Centennial, Rancho Christian, Etiwanda, St. Anthony, Harvard-Westlake, Mater Dei and St. John Bosco. Sierra and Corona Centennial are top seeds in Pools A and B, respectively.

The Philadelphia Catholic League’s 10-team tournament is considered one of the best. What makes this event so special is the semifinals (on Feb. 19) and final (Feb. 24) are contested at the famed University of Pennsylvania Palestra. Wow! That’s aces. Archbishop Wood claimed the top seed and gets a bye to the quarterfinals on Friday. Bishop McDevitt is second seeded, Neumann-Goretti slipped two spots in the final week to third and Bonner & Prendergast is fourth. Preseason favorite Roman Catholic is fifth.

If you have not attended a game at The Palestra, you must. It is the Cathedral of Basketball.

The Washington Catholic Athletic Conference and New York Catholic High School Athletic Association (or the New York Catholic League) are playing out the regular-season string and will start competition later this month. New York has two layers of tournaments before crowning a champion that will compete at the New York Federation Class AA tournament in March against three other state winners from the PSAL, Independent and Public School. The feds will be played for the first time in New York City at Fordham University’s venerable Rose Hill Gymnasium in the Bronx.

There are several state sanctioned tournaments to keep an eye on especially those in Texas, Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Indiana, Kentucky and Washington.

No. 12 Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.) jumps 10 spots in the Elite 25 after an impressive victory over No. 13 Sierra Canyon. Bravo, coach John Buck and the boys. There was movement with 10 teams rising and seven were static. By the way, Sierra dipped seven places after the loss in New Jersey.

Since there are no additions to the Elite 25 boys’ rankings, we’ll update the GEICO High School Nationals.

Definitely in: Montverde Academy, Wasatch Academy, La Lumiere School and Oak Hill Academy.

Under consideration: Since states such as South Carolina, Maryland, Georgia, Nevada, Washington, Florida, Arizona and Utah are in play, at least two state champions will get the invitation. That means Grayson (Ga.), Dorman (S.C.), Bishop Gorman (Nev.) and Eastside Catholic (Wash.) remain frontrunners. We’re still waiting on the WCAC to make a decision if their champion would go and DeMatha is the chosen one through mid-February.

Prolific Prep (Calif.) and St. Frances Academy (Md.) are pushing hard. St. Frances scored an emphatic win over Oak Hill last weekend but have the MIAA A Conference playoffs and the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament left to navigate. Prolific toils on the Grind Session circuit with a pair of McDonald’s All Americans that could persuade GEICO officials from Paragon Marketing, who present and run the annual hoops bonanza.

We’re feeling four or five independent schools will get bids and up to four National Federation sanctioned winners will round out the field. However, there’s plenty of high-profile games to be played.

My early ballot (no particular order) has Montverde, Grayson, Dorman, Wasatch Academy, Oak Hill Academy, La Lumiere, DeMatha (if permitted to attend) and IMG. St. Frances and Prolific are on the bubble. Montverde is the clear top seed.

The GEICO Nationals are a fluid situation and a strong finish is imperative.

We’ll 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 tipping on April 2.

The Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ rankings will return Feb. 18.

Hope to see you at game soon. – Christopher Lawlor

Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ basketball rankings, Feb. 11, 2020

1. Montverde (Fla.) Academy (25-0)

Previous rank: 1.

Low-down: Idle. The Eagles posted a perfect regular season 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. (23-2)

Previous: 2.

Low-down: The Stags recorded four wins in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference, including a 60-50 decision over rival Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.). Three games remain against Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.) Friday, No. 14 Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) Sunday and Good Counsel (Olney, Md.) next Monday.

3. Grayson, Loganville, Ga. (25-1)

Previous: 4.

Low-down: Played Shiloh Monday in the Region 8-AAAAAAA final. The Rams beat Newton (Covington), 82-58, in the semifinals.

4. Hamilton Heights Christian, Chattanooga, Tenn. (22-2)

Previous: 6.

Low-down: Idle.

5. Corona (Calif.) Centennial (26-2)

Previous: 7.

Low-down: Paris Dawson closed out the regular season by scoring 22 points in a 78-58 win over Roosevelt (Eastvale). The Huskies play in the CIF-Southern Section Open Division round-robin of Pool B against Mater Dei (Santa Ana) Friday. They also have pool games slate for Feb. 18 and 21.

6. La Lumiere School, La Porte, Ind. (18-3)

Previous: 8.

Low-down: Crushed Lake Forest (Ill.) Academy, 71-54, the lone game last week. The schedule resumes with Roosevelt (Gary) Tuesday.

7. Dorman, Roebuck, S.C. (22-1)

Previous: 9.

Low-down: Defeated Hillcrest (Simpsonville), 77-32, but had a game with Boiling Springs postponed until Wednesday.

8. Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson, Va. (32-3)

Previous: 3.

Low-down: The Warriors were upended by Poly (Baltimore), 80-61, at the East Coast Bump in Catonsville, Md. Six home games remain in the regular season. If the Warriors register 38 wins, they are a go for the GEICO Nationals.

9. Wasatch Academy, Mount Pleasant, Utah (27-2)

Previous: 11.

Low-down: The Tigers were on the prowl last week, exploding two lopsided in-state victories over Layton Christian Academy, 130-49, and American Heritage (American Fork), 117-60.

10. Minnehaha Academy, Minneapolis, Minn. (17-2)

Previous: 12.

Low-down: Stretched the win streak to 14 straight games, defeating St. Paul Central, 64-29, and St. Peter, 95-66. The Redwings close out the regular season with five home games, including Hibbing on Saturday. Gonzaga-bound Jalen Suggs totaled 34 points in the two wins.

11. Curie, Chicago (22-1)

Previous: 13.

Low-down: The biggest news from the Windy City was the doings off the court as coach Mike Oliver was removed from his position following an allegation of a physical altercation with a student. Oliver, 542-133 in 27 years, maintains his innocence. Meanwhile, the Condors advanced to the Chicago Public League quarterfinals, defeating Marshall, 86-55, in the second round and Harlan, 83-59, the first round. Next up is Orr Tuesday in the quarterfinals. The semifinals are Friday and the final on Sunday.

12. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (19-3)

Previous: 22.

Low-down: It was a huge win for the Crusaders in defeating then-No. 6 Sierra Canyon School (Chatsworth, Calif.), 84-74. Ohio State-bound Zed Key finished with 25 points and Andre Curbelo added 23 and surpassed 1,000 career points. Next is No. 22 The Patrick School (Hillside, N.J.) Thursday.

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

Previous: 5.

Low-down: The Trailblazer wrapped up the Gold Coast League championship and split two games in New Jersey at the Metro Classic in Toms River. The CIF-Southern Section playoffs start this week with round-robin Pool A play beginning with St. John Bosco (Bellflower) Friday. Pool play continues with games on Feb. 18 and 21. The final is Feb. 28.

14. Paul VI, Fairfax, Va. (19-6)

Previous: 10.

Low-down: The regular season comes to a close but the Panthers must endure road contests with Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) Tuesday and DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) Sunday before the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference playoffs start on Feb. 22.

15. Sunrise Christian Academy, Bel Aire, Kan. (18-3)

Previous: 14.

Low-down: Defeated Next Level Prep (Bel Aire, Kan.), 74-40. The Buffaloes face Bishop Walsh (Cumberland, Md.) Saturday at the Heartland Hoops Classic in Grand Island, Neb.

16. Prolific Prep, Napa, Calif. (24-3)

Previous: 15.

Low-down: Won twice in Arizona last weekend.

17. Etiwanda, Calif. (26-2)

Previous: 17.

Low-down: The Eagles completed a perfect 10-0 mark in winning the Baseline League title and play St. Anthony (Long Beach) Friday in Pool A of the CIF-Southern Section Open Division. The also face St. John Bosco (Bellflower) on Feb. 18 and No. 13 Sierra Canyon School (Chatsworth) on Feb. 21.

18. Rancho Christian, Temecula, Calif. (21-5)

Previous: 18.

Low-down: Beat Ribet Academy (Los Angeles), 75-56, at the So Cal Finale at in Norwalk. The Eagles like several Elite 25 team will participate in the CIF-Southern Section Pool B play for three games starting with Harvard-Westlake (Studio City) Friday. They also play pool games on Feb. 18 and 21. The pool winners meet on Feb. 28 for the championship.

19. St. Frances Academy, Baltimore (31-3)

Previous: 21.

Low-down: Defeated then-No. 3 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), 80-61, at the East Coast Bump in Catonsville, Md. That’s a quality win that will go far when the GEICO Nationals are drawn up. The Panthers conclude the regular season Friday with rivals Mount St. Joseph (Baltimore).

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

Previous: 15.

Low-down: Upset by Poly (Baltimore), 62-60, on a last-second basket at the East Coast Bump in Catonsville, Md. Tennessee-bound Jaden Springer tossed in 18 points in the loss.

21. Camden, N.J. (18-1)

Previous: 19.

Low-down: DJ Wagner netted 19 points and Jerome Brewer added 12 as the Panthers stopped Gill St. Bernard (Gladstone), 67-63, at the Metro Classic in Toms River. Another busy week sees the Panthers playing three times, including Wildwood Catholic (North Wildwood) Sunday.

22. The Patrick School, Hillside, N.J. (16-5)

Previous: 20.

Low-down: Junior Jonathan Kuminga came back from injury, scoring 19 points in a 55-48 quality win over Wildwood Catholic (North Wildwood) at the Metro Classic in Toms River. The Celtics also topped Huntington (W.Va.) Prep, 69-45. Finally, Adama Sanogo scored 16 points in an 80-62 triumph at New Brunswick. The Union County Tournament tips off next week.

23. Duncanville, Texas (24-2)

Previous: 23.

Low-down: The win streak reached 19 straight games with three remaining in the regular season.

24. Scotlandville, Baton Rouge, La. (27-3)

Previous: 24.

Low-down: Four games remain in the regular season.

25. Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas (22-3)

Previous: 25.

Low-down: The Gaels open the postseason Thursday in the Class 4A Desert Region quarterfinals against Basic (Las Vegas) or Desert Oasis (Las Vegas). The semifinals are Feb. 18 and the final on Feb. 20.

Dropped: None.

High-Fives by Region

East

1. St. Benedict’s, Newark, N.J. (24-4)
2. Archbishop Wood, Warminster, Pa. (18-4)
3. Polytechnic Institute, Baltimore (19-2)
4. Cardozo, Bayside, N.Y. (24-0)
5. Neumann-Goretti, Philadelphia (18-4)

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

Midwest

1. Eden Prairie, Minn. (21-0)
2. Moeller, Cincinnati (20-1)
3. Bloomington (Ind.) South (19-0)
4. River Rouge, Mich. (15-1)
5. Vashon, St. Louis (14-5)

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

Southland

1. Lancaster, Texas (26-2)
2. Westlake, Austin, Texas (29-1)
3. West Oaks Academy, Orlando, Fla. (22-5)
4. North Mecklenburg, Huntersville, N.C. (20-1)
5. St. Augustine, New Orleans (26-1)

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

Far West

1. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (22-6)
2. St. Anthony, Long Beach, Calif. (26-2)
3. Sheldon, Sacramento, Calif. (21-4)
4. Eastside Catholic, Sammamish, Wash. (18-2)
5. O’Dea, Seattle (16-3)

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

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.