BENSALEM, Pa. – The month of November can mean only one thing: the Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ basketball preseason rankings.

Topping the rankings is Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.), which nosed out Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), the legendary program with the ingredients to capture a national championship.

The Elite 25 rankings will steep for the next six weeks. Makes no sense to come back with a new set of rankings until the holiday tournaments play out. It should be a crazy first two months to the season. I’ll be at the City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers, Fla., to witness another uber-good field, including several ranked teams and players.  Enjoy your Thanksgiving and spending time with your family; we hope to see you at a game soon. – Christopher Lawlor

Preseason Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ rankings, Nov, 12, 2015

1. Findlay Prep, Henderson, Nev. (29-3)

Low-down: History is on the side of the Pilots. Chew on these factoids: 252-17 record in the last years (115-1 at home); averaging nearly 89 points in that stretch; 10 McDonald’s All Americans; and three National Championships. With 46 players off to Division I school, add PG Skylar Mays (LSU). Markus Howard, 6-8 junior PF P.J. Washington, 6-8 junior O’Shae Brissett, 6-4 Carlos Johnson (UNLV), 6-9 Tristan Clark (Baylor) and junior G Devon Cooper have been added to coach Andy Johnson’s rotation. The schedule features four games against nationally ranked opponents but the ultimate prize is bagging the Dick’s Sporting Good High School National Tournament championship. A big-time season awaits so does the Big Apple in April.

2. Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson, Va. (46-2)

Low-down: It’s hard not to favor the Warriors for the top spot but unfortunately the nation’s top-rated player, Duke-bound and future NBA lottery pick 6-11 Harry Giles, is out for the year with a knee injury. Don’t shed tears for coach Steve Smith’s crew because five others inked national letters-of-intent—6-7 Braxton Key (Alabama), 6-7 bruiser Joe Hampton (Penn State), 6-11 Rodney Miller (Miami, Fla.), 6-9 Khadim Sy (Virginia Tech) and 6-7 wing Mario Kegler (Mississippi State). The junior backcourt of TyShon Alexander (Creighton), PG Matt Coleman and Lindell Wigginton. The Warriors have been denied the a Dick’s National’s title the last two years but growth and chemistry comes with playing at nine national events. So this might be the season. Sometime in December or January Smith will notch his 1,000^th victory.

3. Montverde (Fla.) Academy (31-1)

Low-down: The defending Elite 25 National Champions have won three-straight Dick’s Nationals and a fourth is within grasp provided the pieces fit properly. Up front, 6-9 Micah Potter (Ohio State), 6-10 Bruno Fernando and two 6-9 sophomores E.J. Montgomery and Silvio De Souza provide length and muscle and 6-3 Howard Washington (Butler) the perimeter points. If coach Kevin Boyle’s young guard and sophomore group matures, the Eagles will fly into Madison Square Garden for a third year in line for the Dick’s Nationals title.

4. DeMatha, Hyattsville, Md. (33-4)

Low-down: After winning the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament, Maryland Private Schools Tournament and Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championships—the treble of the DMV—the Stags are ready for an encore.  At 6-7, D.J. Harvey has NBA bloodlines, while 6-4 Markelle Fultz (Washington), 6-3 Nate Darling (UAB) and 6-2 Reggie Gardner are seasoned for the another frenetic pace.

5. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (26-4)

Low-down: The Trailblazers won the CIF Division V state title but that won’t do this years, with the Open Division bracket dangling in the breeze. Six-foot Remy Martin 6-7 Ira Lee and 6-7 Cody Riley, all juniors, are back along with 6-2 Terrance McBride. This team is capable of back-to-back Open Division titles, starting in March. Another challenging schedule will make sure of it.

6. La Lumiere School, La Porte, Ind. (24-3)

Low-down: The Lakers reload with 6-11 junior beast Jeremiah Tilmon, 6-7 Brian Bowen and Texas-bound postman James Banks. Coach Shane Heirman’s second year should conclude with a trip to New York City for the Dick’s Nationals in April.

7. Huntington (W.Va.) Prep (33-2)

Low-down: The Irish are built around Miles Bridges (15.7 ppg), a Michigan State signee. G Curtis Jones (Indiana), 6-8 Micah Thomas and Onuralp Bitim, a wing from Turkey, will keep them relevant.

8. Advanced Prep International, Dallas (No Record)

Low-down: Here’s a school that did not exist last spring, but Poof! Add a handful of high-major recruits and a nationally ranked program is created. It starts with two-guard Terrance Ferguson (Alabama) and includes juniors, PG Trevon Duval and 6-10 junior Billy Preston, who has his pick of schools and a surefire McDonald’s All-American in 2017. Ray Forsett who coached shuttered Prime Prep (remember Emmanuel Mudiay) is the head coach. The Bulldogs are members of the Texas Christian Athletic League.

9. High Point (N.C.) Christian (19-14)

Low-down: Once 6-8, 230-pound Edryce “Bam” Adebayo (32 ppg, 21 rpg), 6-5 Jalen Seegars and 6-3 junior Michael Hueitt transferred in, the Cougars landed on the national radar screen. Earlier this week, Adebayo committed to Kentucky (Surprise!). That troika along with seniors 5-11 Ty Graves (Boston College), 6-4 Ben Robertson (Bucknell) and 6-7 Amidou Bamba (Coastal Carolina) are reasons to believe in a North Carolina Independent Schools 3A title and beyond.

10. Atascocita, Humble, Texas (35-2)

Low-down: The 6-2 Carsen Edwards (Purdue) is a do-everything combo guard who leads a group of six returning seniors, who fell short of the Class 6A state semifinals by five points. FIU-bound Greg Shead runs the point. The Eagles are in position to reach the 6A Final Four this time.

11. Roselle (N.J.) Catholic (28-4)

Low-down: The State Tournament of Champions are a marked team but have the star-power to navigate the treacherous waters of Union County and Non-Public B with juniors 6-9 F Andre Rafus and 5-11 Leondre Washington on board. At 6-8, Nazreon Reid is an elite sophomore with several high-majors already having offered and New Jersey’s next great budding prospect.

12. Chino Hills, Calif. (15-17)*

Low-down: That gloomy record from last year included nine forfeitures from a team that reached the CIF Division I final. The brotherly triumvirate of 6-6 senior Lonzo Ball, 6-5 junior Li’Angelo Ball and 5-9 freshman LaMelo Ball—all of who are committed or signed with UCLA, pace the Huskies.

13. Garfield, Seattle (27-2)

Low-down: The power trio of seniors 6-6 Alphonso Anderson and Jayshaun Agosto and 6-4 junior wing Jaylen Nowell becomes the best in the Pacific Northwest. But what about the nation? The Bulldogs need to bag a second straight Class 3A crown before getting into the Dick’s Nationals conversation. Rainier Beach (Seattle) might have something to say about that one.

14. Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas (27-6)

Low-down: The Gaels captured their fourth straight Division I state championship and 17^th overall but this year the emphasis is on 6-11 C Zach Collins (Gonzaga) and talented junior Charles O’Bannon Jr. (his dad played in the NBA and at UCLA). Christian Popoola Jr., a 6-3 junior transfer from Utah, will orchestrate the offense.

15. St. Benedict’s, Newark, N.J. (31-6)

Low-down: The Gray Bees had a “down season” last year, but will rebound with George Washington-bound 6-9 Arnaldo Toro, a much improved PF as the feature player. The schedule features dates with Roselle Catholic, La Lumiere School, The Patrick School and Findlay Prep putting them in position for a return to the Dick’s Nationals in April. Coach Mark Taylor has won 30 games in three of his four seasons and three State Prep championships, including last season.

16. St. Anthony, Jersey City, N.J. (28-2)

Low-down: The Friars are sending four players—transfer from Marist (Bayonne) 6-1 Asante Gist (Eastern Kentucky), 6-8 Kaleb Bishop (Fairleigh Dickinson), 6-3 Jagan Mosely (Georgetown) and 6-0 Shyquan Gibbs (NJIT) to the Division I ranks and Jaleel Lord (Merrimack) also signed. This is a dangerous team that will peak when the New Jersey Non-Public B brackets are released in March.

17. Roman Catholic, Philadelphia (29-2)

Low-down: The biggest wars will be with Philadelphia Catholic League rival Neumann-Goretti but the reigning PIAA Class AAAA champions but a trio of Penn State recruits—6-4 Tony Carr, 6-4 Nazeer Bostick and 6-7 Lamar Stevens make this team coached by Chris McNesby special.

18. Patrick School, Elizabeth, N.J. (18-6)

Low-down: For the first time in five years, the Celtics are a national-caliber team. That’s because 6-0 Bryce Aiken (Harvard), 6-8 Cyril Langevine (Rhode Island) and 6-11 junior Nick Richards are the main parts. At 7-feet, Buay Koka is a shot-blocking machine and headed to New Mexico State.

19. Ss. John Neumann-Maria Goretti, Philadelphia (29-2)

Low-down: A third straight Class AAA state title is within grasp with four returning starters that include 5-11 junior Quade Green, 6-9 junior Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree and 6-3 Zane Martin (Towson recruit).

20. Paul VI, Fairfax, Va. (20-15)

Low-down: The Panthers play in the nation’s top league—Washington Catholic Athletic Conference—and 6-7 V.J. King (Louisville) and 6-9 Corey Manigault (Pittsburgh) are a testament to the strength and quality needed to compete at a high level against the likes of DeMatha, St. John’s College, Gonzaga and Bishop O’Connell.

21. Oldsmar (Fla.) Christian (32-6)

Low-down: This team is loaded with 6-7 F Troy Baxter (South Florida), 6-9 PF Dontay Bassett (Florida) and 6-4 PG Eric Hester (Florida). The Chick-fil-A Classic in South Carolina before Christmas will tell if the Eagles are truly among the elite teams.

22. Simeon, Chicago (27-3)

Low-down: At 64, Zack Norvell (Gonzaga) is Illinois’ leading candidate for Mr. Basketball and the Wolverines are stock piled with an abundance of talent and rigid scheduling.

23. Chaminade, St. Louis (26-4)

Low-down: When you boast the frontline with Duke-bound, one-and-done F Jayson Tatum (26.5 ppg, 11.6 rpg) and Tyler Cook (Iowa recruit) and 6-1 Mike Lewis (Duquesne) handling the ball, good times will continue for the Red Devils. Tatum is Blue Star Media’s top-rated player in the Class of 2016.

24. Wheeler, Marietta, Ga. (30-3)

Low-down: The defending Class AAAAAA champions are well coached (Doug Lipscomb) and the recipient of 6-9 transfer Romello White (Georgia Tech) and s bevy of guards Makahi Eastmond, Darius Perry and Cam Jordan.

25. 22 Feet Academy Twenty Academy, Greenville, S.C. (18-15)

Low-down: Coach Ryan Schmidt has assembled quite a cast of players in the South Carolina upstate. The basketball academy that originated in France but relocated to South Carolina in 2013. Big man Sedee Keita (South Carolina) and 6-4 Eli Wright (Mississippi State) are off to SEC programs.

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Sacred Heart, Waterbury, Conn. (28-0)

2. Gonzaga, Washington, D.C. (25-12)

3. Christ the King, Middle Village, N.Y. (26-5)

4. St. John’s College, Washington, D.C. (27-9)

5. Thomas Jefferson, Brooklyn, N.Y. (26-4)

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

Midwest

1. Apple Valley, Minn. (30-2)

2. Morgan Park, Chicago (23-7)

3. Westerville (Ohio) South (27-2)

4. Southport, Indianapolis (23-3)

5. Althoff Catholic, Belleville, Ill. (29-4)

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

Southland

1. Bentonville, Ark. (23-6)

2. Miller Grove, Lithonia, Ga. (27-4)

3. Jonesboro, Ga. (32-1)

4. Hamilton Heights Christian Academy, Chattanooga, Tenn. (28-5)

5. Johnson, Huntsville (31-4)

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

Far West

1. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (29-5)

2. Rainier Beach, Seattle (25-3)

3. Bishop Montgomery, Torrance, Calif. (31-2)

4. Centennial, Corona, Calif. (25-6)

5. West Linn, Ore. (24-5)

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

* includes forfeited losses

 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 early 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, administrators and prep sports writers. Follow him on Twitter at @clawlor.