RELOAD: Memphis school’s forfeits shake Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ basketball rankings; Oak Hill Academy again on top

BENSALEM, Pa. – A scandalous week rocked the Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ basketball rankings.

Just when then-No. 2 Hamilton (Memphis, Tenn.) appeared to climb into the No. 1 slot, it all came crumbling down. The season collapsed like a house of cards. Here’s the quick of it from the banks of the Mississippi:

The Wildcats were forced to forfeit 15 victories—they would have been 17-0 this in the edition of the Elite 25—after it was discovered that senior F Tarrance Baker was ineligible, according the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association. The Wildcats can redeem themselves because there is no ban on postseason play. That means the Class AAA state championship is still in the offing.

It also means that Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) is returned to No. 1. The Warriors received a forfeit, boosting their record to 31-0. No. 12 Parkview (Little Rock, Ark.) also is credited with a win, restoring their ledger to unbeaten.

There’s an adage that most teachers and coaches use: A winner never cheats and a cheater never wins. So, we bid an adios to Hamilton and will revisit things once the Tennessee state tournament tips off in March.

When one door closes, another opens for undefeated No. 18 St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio) and No. 22 Bishop Montgomery (Torrance, Calif.). SVSM is the alma mater of LeBron James while Bishop Montgomery is playing solid ball in competitive southern California.

No. 25 Villa Angela-St. Joseph (Cleveland) drops 16 spots after two losses. The Vikings hang on by a thread and still have a challenging schedule. No. 7 Greensboro (N.C.) Day School leaps 15 spots after pulling off a gutty win over ranked Wesley Christian Academy (High Point, N.C.). Also making waves in the Mid-Atlantic is No. 8 Cape Henry Collegiate (Virginia Beach, Va.), who in a double-overtime loss to No. 1 OHA earned street cred. The same goes for No. 9 Garfield (Seattle), who is Washington’s top-ranked Class 3A team.

The next Elite 25 rankings will appear on Feb. 3. In the meantime, please support your local high school teams. There are plenty of great stories and players out there. Be sure to alert us if you have a story idea or special player in your community that deserves attention. Hope to see you at a game soon. – Christopher Lawlor

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Boys Basketball Rankings, January 27, 2015

1. Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson, Va. (32-0)*

Previous rank: 3.

Low down: Needed two overtimes to subdue then-No. 7 Cape Henry Collegiate (Virginia Beach, Va.), 81-76, at the Leas’ Winter Classic in Roanoke, Va. Florida State-bound G Dwayne Bacon struck for 32 points. The Warriors were awarded a forfeit win from a loss to ranked Hamilton (Memphis) from earlier this month.

2. Montverde (Fla.) Academy (22-1)

Previous: 5.

Low down: Overwhelmed Tampa Prep, 77-42, at the National Hoop Fest in Tampa. LSU-bound F Ben Simmons had 31 points and 17 rebounds in only three quarters. The Eagles host the Montverde Academy Invitational Tournament starting Thursday with a quarterfinal matchup against Orlando (Fla.) Christian Prep. The final is Saturday.

3. Findlay Prep, Henderson, Nev. (18-1)

Previous: 1.

Low down: The Pilots narrowly escaped, beating Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), 50-49, before a packed house at the South Point Arena in Las Vegas. Allonzo Trier tossed in a game-high 26 points and Horace Spencer blocked a shot at the buzzer to preserve the win. However, Findlay saw its perfect season ruined last Monday in a 76-68 overtime loss to Wayne (Huber Heights, Ohio) at the Flyin’ to the Hoop Classic in Kettering, Ohio.

4. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (14-1)

Previous: 6.

Low down: Defeated Brentwood School, 77-35, and Campbell Hall (North Hollywood), 80-77. The Trailblazers have won 13 straight and have two league games before a showdown with No. 6 Fairfax (Los Angeles) on Saturday.

5. DeMatha, Hyattsville, Md. (18-1)

Previous: 8.

Low down: Defeated powerhouse Pebblebrook (Mableton, Ga.), 61-54, at the Hilton Invitational in Norcross, Ga. The Stags are 9-0 in the ultra-competitive Washington Catholic Athletic Conference after beating St. John’s College (Washington), 67-58.

6. Fairfax, Los Angeles (19-0)

Previous: 10.

Low down: It was a light week for the Lions after defeating University (Los Angeles), 90-40. Monday’s game with archrivals Westchester (Los Angeles) is the first of four in an action packed stretch.

7. Greensboro (N.C.) Day (26-0)

Previous: 22.

Low down: The Bengals won twice, including a 56-48 triumph over then-No. 12 Wesleyan Christian Academy (High Point). Peter Agba had a team-high 18 points. Coach Freddy Johnson’s team isn’t out of the clear as a Feb. 3 rematch looms before the postseason.

8. Cape Henry Collegiate, Virginia Beach, Va. (17-2)

Previous: 7.

Low down: The Dolphins suffered a heartbreaking 81=76 double-overtime loss to then-No. 3 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) in Roanoke, Va. Cape Henry had chances to win it at the end of regulation and the first overtime but had a shot rim out and another blocked. Malcolm Weather scored a team-high 18 points.

9. Garfield, Seattle (17-0)

Previous: 23.

Low down: It was a special week for the Bulldogs, who won three times but two were against top-three teams from the state of Washington. First, they beat defending Class 3A champions Rainier Beach (Seattle), 84-67, as 6-6 Alphonso Anderson poured n 35 points and cleared 19 rebounds. Jaylen Nowell flipped in 28 points during 68-54 win over Eastside Catholic (Sammamish). Only four games left in the regular season, including a rematch with Rainier Beach on Feb. 3.

10. Bishop O’Dowd, Oakland, Calif. (13-3)

Previous: 14.

Low down: All-American C Ivan Rabb had 24 points, 11 rebounds and blocked five shots in a 79-70 victory over then-No. 4 Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) at the Hoophall Classic. The Dragons then returned home to beat Piedmont , 110-77, and Castro Valley, 82-60. On the horizon, the Dragons play No. 1 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) on Feb. 7 at the Nike Extravaganza in Santa Ana, Calif.

11. Wheeler, Marietta, Ga. (18-2)

Previous: 4.

Low down: Lost to then-No. 14 Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland, Calif.), 79-70, at the Hoophall Classic. Jalen Brown, the nation’s top uncommitted senior and a surefire McDonald’s All-American, recorded a double-double with 31 points and 12 boards.

12. Parkview, Little Rock, Ark. (13-0)*

Previous: 15.

Low down: Defense was the key in two victories, allowing only a combined 75 points. Friday is a rivalry game against crosstown Hall (Little Rock). Parkview was awarded a forfeit win from Hamilton (Memphis, Tenn.) giving them an unbeaten record with an asterisk.

13. Stevenson, Lincolnshire, Ill. (17-2)

Previous: 11.

Low down: The Patriots rebounded after a lopsided loss to then-No. 1 Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) with a pair of easy wins. Now it’s a mini break until Feb. 3 before the regular season winds down.

14. Wesleyan Christian School, High Point, N.C. (23-4)

Previous: 12.

Low down: Lost to then-No. 22 Greensboro (N.C.) Country Day, 56-48, as super junior C Harry Giles III tossed in 12 of his team-high 21 points after the break. Brandon Childress scored all 10 points in the opening half. The rematch is Feb. 3. All four losses have been to Elite 25 teams.

15. Roman Catholic, Philadelphia (16-1)

Previous: 13.

Low down:  Rider-bound Gemil Holbrook scored 15 points and Nazeer Bostick had 19 to help defeat Scranton (Pa.) Prep, 76-66, at the Hoop Group Showcase in Allentown, Pa. This Friday is a Philadelphia Catholic League showdown around the corner at St. Joseph’s Prep (Philadelphia).

16. St. Anthony, Jersey City, N.J. (12-1)

Previous: 16.

Low down: Stopped Camden, 50-46, rallying in the fourth quarter. Also nipped Constitution (Philadelphia), 57-56, at the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass.; and hammered Newark Central, 90-33.

17. Corona del Sol, Tempe, Ariz. (19-1)

Previous: 17.

Low down: Only six regular season games remain for the Aztecs, who are unbeaten against Arizona competition.

18. St. Vincent-St. Mary, Akron, Ohio (13-0)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low down: The Irish are a national power again—remember the LeBron James era (2000-03)? Last week, they beat Thurgood  Marshall (Dayton), 82-65. Akron-bound Josh Williams and Henry Baddey each scored 28 points. Also, stopped Balboa (San Diego), 65-40, at the Flyin’ to the Hoop. In the game, senior wing Baddey popped in 19 points.

19. La Lumiere School, La Porte, Ind. (15-2)

Previous: 21.

Low down: Drilled St. Louis (Mo.) Christian Academy, 72-55. Jalen Coleman-Lands, an Illinois commit, scored 17 points in Champaign, Ill., his future college home.

20. Plano West, Plano, Texas (20-2)

Previous: 18.

Low down: Texas A&M-bound duo Tyler Davis (19 points) and D.J. Hogg (15) combined for 34 points in a 68-43 district win over Plano. The Wolves are perfect in 10 district games with six remaining.

21. Huntington (W.Va.) Prep (19-2)

Previous: 19.

Low down: Defeated Oldsmar (Fla.) Christian, 58-46, at the National Hoops Fest in Tampa. C Thomas Bryant topped all scorers with 17 points and Miles Bridges had 16.

22. Bishop Montgomery, Torrance, Calif. (20-1)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low down: The Knights only loss is by a point to Marin Catholic (Kentfield, Calif.) at the Mission Prep Christmas Classic, but rebounded to win the La Salle Christmas Classic in nearby Pasadena. Also beat previously ranked Redondo Union (Redondo Beach) and play Loyola (Los Angeles) at the Fairfax State Preview on Saturday.

23. Muskegon, Mich. (9-1)

Previous: 20.

Low down: Michigan State-bound post Deyonta Davis had a monster game, 29 points, 19 rebounds and six blocks, in a 69-26 win over Reeths-Puffer (Muskegon). The weak in-state schedule hurt the Big Reds, but on Feb. 7 they face traditional power Whitney Young (Chicago). Don’t be surprised when Davis is named to the McDonald’s All-American Game during the announcement on Wednesday.

24. John Carroll School, Bel Air, Md. (22-1)

Previous: 24.

Low down: Edged C.M. Wright (Bel Air), 46-44. The Patriots will attempt to avenge their lone loss on Wednesday hosting McDonogh (Owings Mills).

25. Villa Angela-St. Joseph, Cleveland (10-2)

Previous: 9.

Low down: Fell to MacDuffie School (Granby, Mass.), 89-75, but beat Cleveland Central Catholic, 81-65. The Vikings have lost two of their last three games. Also fell to then-No. 3 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), 76-72, at the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass. Carlton Bragg (Kansas recruit) scored a team-high 23 points, Derek Pardon (Northwestern) had 17 and Brian Parker Jr. (Marist) 14, as the trio totaled 54 of the team’s 72 points.

Dropped out: No. 2 Hamilton, Memphis, Tenn.; and No. 25 Linden, N.J.

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Neumann-Goretti, Philadelphia (17-1)

2. Jefferson, Brooklyn, N.Y. (20-2)

3. Roselle (N.J.) Catholic (13-2)

4. Cardozo, Bayside, N.Y. (19-1)

5. Sacred Heart, Waterbury, Conn. (11-0)

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

Midlands

1. Wayne, Huber Heights, Ohio (12-2)

2. St. Rita, Chicago (15-2)

3. Champlin Park, Champlin, Minn. (18-0)

4. Dominican, Whitefish Bay, Wis. (11-1)

5. Simeon, Chicago (18-2)

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

South

1. Providence School, Jacksonville, Fla. (24-1)

2. Jonesboro, Ga. (20-1)

3. Callaway, Jackson, Miss. (19-3)

4. Atascocita, Humble, Texas (24-1)

5. Ballard, Louisville, Ky. (19-2)

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

Far West

1. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (17-3)

2. Desert Vista, Phoenix (19-1)

3. Redondo Union, Redondo Beach, Calif. (16-4)

4. Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas (16-6)

5. Regis Jesuit, Aurora, Colo. (15-0)

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

* Record adjusted each a with forfeit win

 About: The Blue Star Media Elite 25 High School Boys’ Basketball Rankings are released weekly from December 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 April 6, 2015. Follow him on Twitter: @clawlor.