RESHUFFLE: Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ basketball rankings feature new look with Nike EYBL Scholastic events moving the needle

BENSALEM, Pa. – When the Nike EYBL Scholastic was created three years ago, it was destined to be a game changer in the boys’ high school basketball space.

Well, yes, it has reshaped the national landscape and impacted the Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ rankings. Competing at the highest levels each week, the EYBL Scholastic delivers with 20 teams spread nationwide. Teams are expected to play two games per weekend at the specific events and usually it’s against the best of the Elite 25.

Last weekend, the EYBL Scholastic opened shop in Springfield, Virginia and Los Angeles. Seven teams from the Elite 25 were in action at both sites and winning at least games over three days is why the top programs are asked to compete in the nation’s top interscholastic league.

Fast forward to the penultimate weekend (Friday through Sunday), the EYBL Scholastic will have games in Ohio, Utah, North Carolina and Iowa and then wrap up the regular season over the final weekend of February.

This weekend the EYBL Scholastic stops in Arden, North Carolina at Christ School. The top games here will be Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.C.) vs. Christ School, Friday, 7 p.m. ET; Montverde (Fla.) Academy vs. St. James Performance Academy (Springfield, Va.), 12 p.m., and La Lumiere School (La Porte, Ind.) vs. Brewster Academy, 2 p.m., both on Saturday; Christ School vs. Montverde Academy, Sunday, 2 p.m.

In Geneva, Ohio, the Spire Academy hosts Long Island Lutheran, 12 p.m., Sunday. In Urbandale, Iowa, Wasatch Academy (Mount Pleasant, Utah) plays AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.) at The Hawk Nest, 2 p.m. CT, Saturday. Finally, Utah Prep (Hurricane, Utah) entertains Link Academy (Branson, Mo.), 1 p.m. MT, Sunday to cap three days of games.

Elsewhere, the I-95 corridor between Washington, D.C. and New York roll out power conference tournaments.

The Washington Catholic Athletic Association Tournament gets underway, running Saturday through Monday at two venues in Washington. The quarterfinals are Saturday at Gallaudet University with four games and No. 7 St. Paul VI Catholic (Chantilly, Va.) as the No. 1 seed. The semifinals (boys and girls) are Sunday and the finals (6 p.m. girls, 8 p.m. ET boys) are Monday at American University’s Bender Arena. Tickets are here for the semifinals and finals.

In Baltimore, the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference Tournament tips with quarterfinals on Tuesday and semifinals on Thursday at the higher seeds. The final is Sun day at CEI Arena (om the UMBC campus in nearby Catonsville, Md.), starting 5 p.m. Expect Baltimore schools St. Frances Academy, Mount St. Joseph and Mount Carmel and John Carroll (Bel Air, Md.) to be in the mix for the title.

One of the great postseason conference tournaments heads to the semifinals on Wednesday at the famed Palestra on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania. The Philadelphia Catholic League semifinal doubleheader features the top four seeds: Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.) vs, Father Judge (Philadelphia), 6 p.m. and Bonner & Prendergast (Drexel Hill, Pa.) vs. Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia), 8 p.m.).

The final is the nightcap of a girls-boys championship games doubleheader back at The Palestra on Sunday at 12 and 2:30 p.m. Get tickets here and these games always sell out with more than 9,000 basketball enthusiasts packing the gym.

In New York City, the Catholic High School Athletic Association has two tournaments cap this weekend before the leagues play off for the overall city championship. The New York Archdiocese AA semifinals are Tuesday with No. 8 Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.) plays Monsignor Scanlan (Bronx, N.Y.), 7:30 p.m. Cardinal Hayes (Bronx) meets St. Raymond (Bronx), 5:30 p.m. The semifinals and Saturday’s final are housed at Mount St. Michael (Bronx).

Additionally, the Brooklyn-Queens Diocesan AA playoffs are played this week with Nazareth Regional (Brooklyn), Christ the King (Middle Village) and St. Francis Prep (Fresh Meadows) the top teams. The semifinals are Wednesday and the final is Friday at St. Francis Prep.

Admission for both tournaments are $10 for adults and $5 for students.

In Hawaii, we have the first two boys’ state champions of the 2025-26 season. The Kahuku Red Raiders (25-4) won the Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division I title, defeating top-seeded Punahou School (Honolulu), 40-38, in Honolulu. Kahuku trailed 32-23 after three quarters but closed with a 17-6 run. Kashus Daley topped all scorers with 26 points, sinking 14 of 16 free throws.

Daley was named the Most Outstanding Player. The all-tournament team  Mystique Akina-Watson, Kahuku; Ethan Chung and Tanoa Scanlan, Punahou; Maddox Pung, Kailua; and Keanu Meacham, Saint Louis.

Kohala defeated Seabury Hall (Makawoa), 49-35, in the Division II final in Honolulu. Kohala’s Layden Kauka was the MOP after tossing in 28 points in the title game.

There were no additions to the Elite 25 and nine teams remained in the same position, including the top-seven. Seven dropped with one going down six slots and nine more ascended with three teams moving up three.

That’s it for the second week of February. The Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ basketball rankings return on Tuesday, Feb. 24.

Don’t forget February 18 is Ash Wednesday, signifying the beginning of Lent in the Christian faith. It runs until Easter Sunday on April 5. Ashes will be distributed at church services on Wednesday. Keep the faith.

Bye for now but just think the NCAA March Madness is less than a month out with conference tournaments in two weeks.

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

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Boys’ Basketball Rankings, Feb. 17, 2026

1. Prolific Prep, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (26-3)

Previous rank: 1.

Lowdown: Went 2-0 at the Grind Session Los Angeles, beating DME Academy (Daytona Beach, Fl.), 86-62, as Bruce Branch III doubled up with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Also stopped Mount Zion Prep (Lanham, Md.), 92-46, with Caleb Holt contributing 20 points and 6 rebounds.

2. Spire Academy, Geneva, Ohio (24-2)

Previous: 2.

Lowdown: Defeated Tennessee Collegiate Academy (Millington, Tenn.), 62-52, and Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.). 70-53, at the Nike EYBL Scholastic in Springfield, Va.

3. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (23-1)

Previous: 3.

Lowdown: Defeated Crespi (Encino), 71-54, in CIF-Southern Section Open Division Pool A play. Brandon McCoy scored 30 points and Maxi Adams had 23.

4. AZ Compass Prep, Chandler, Ariz. (19-1)

Previous: 4.

Lowdown: Defeated Faith Family (Dallas), 64-63, and Veritas Academy (Ontario, Calif.), 74-64.

5. Montverde (Fla.) Academy (18-5)

Previous: 5.

Lowdown: Defeated then-No. skjg Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.), 76-71, and then-No. La Lumiere School (La Porte, Ind.), 68-62, at the Nike EYBL Scholastic St. James Performance Academy in Springfield, Va.

6. Link Academy, Branson, Mo. (21-2)

Previous: 6.

Lowdown: Defeated then-No sjgh CIA Bella Vista Prep (Phoenix), 68-62, and Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.), 71-48, at the Nike EYBL Scholastic in Los Angeles

7. St. Paul VI Catholic, Chantilly, Va. (27-2)

Previous: 7.

Lowdown: Defeated St. John’s College (Washington, D.C.), 70-64, as Arkansas-bound Jordan Smith Jr., pumped in 18 of his 24 points after halftime and snared 7 rebounds and had 5 assists. Also stopped St. Mary Ryken (Leonardtown, Md.), 82-45, and Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, Va.), 82-65.  The Washington Catholic Athletic Conference quarterfinals are Saturday in Washington.

8. Archbishop Stepinac, White Plains, N.Y. (20-4)

Previous: 10.

Lowdown: Closed out regular season with a resounding 64-38 victory over Christ the King (Middle Village). Josh Rivera had 25 points, 6 rebounds and drained seven 3-pointers. Up next is the New York Archdiocesan Tournament semifinals on Tuesday.

9. Seven Lakes, Katy, Texas (33-0)

Previous: 11.

Lowdown: Defeated Morton Ranch (Katy), 79-62, and Cinco Ranch (Katy), 65-55. The Spartans went 16-0 in District 6A-19.

10. Dynamic Prep School, Irving, Texas (16-1)

Previous: 9.

Lowdown: Idle.

11. Calvary Christian Academy, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (20-1)

Previous: 14.

Lowdown: Defeated Bishop Verot (Fort Myers), 78-22, in Class 3A, Region 3 quarterfinals.

12. Wasatch Academy, Mount Pleasant, Utah (23-4)

Previous: 15.

Lowdown: Went 2-0 at the Nike EYBL Scholastic in Los Angeles.

13. Brewster Academy, Wolfeboro, N.H. (26-4)

Previous: 8.

Lowdown: Lost to No. 5 Montverde (Fla.) Academy, 76-71, but rebounded to beat St. James Academy (Springfield, Va.), 69-59, at the St. James Performance Academy Nike EYBL Scholastic.

14. CIA Bella Vista Prep, Phoenix (16-4)

Previous: 12.

Lowdown: Split two games last week.

15. Rainier Beach, Seattle (22-1)

Previous: 17.

Lowdown: Defeated O’Dea (Seattle), 62-49. Up next is Class 3A, District 2 quarterfinals vs. Garfield (Seattle).

16. Principia School, St. Louis (22-2)

Previous: 18.

Lowdown: Defeated Kirkwood, 85-29, Rolla, 86-50, and Westminster (Town & Country), 67-53.

17. Wisconsin Lutheran, Milwaukee (21-0)

Previous: 19.

Lowdown: Defeated Pewaukee, 69-53, and Greendale, 90-47.

18. La Lumiere School, La Porte, Ind. (18-4)

Previous: 16.

Lowdown: Defeated Christ School (Arden, N.C.), 83-74, and lost to No. 5 Montverde (Fla.) Academy, 68-62, at the Nike EYBL Scholastic at St. James Performance Academy in Virginia.

19. Sunnyslope, Phoenix (23-2)

Previous: 13.

Lowdown: Lost to then-No. 23 Millennium (Goodyear), 77-71, in overtime but beat Desert Vista (Phoenix), 72-27. Tips off the Arizona Open Division playoffs Wednesday as the top seed and faces Centennial (Peoria) in the first round.

20. Millennium, Goodyear, Ariz. (21-3)

Previous: 23.

Lowdown: Defeated No. 19 Sunnyslope (Phoenix), 77-71, and Brophy College Prep (Phoenix), 80-57. The Tigers host Canyon View (Waddell) in the first round of the Arizona Open Division playoffs on Wednesday.

21. Southeastern Prep Academy, Orlando, Fla. (36-8)

Previous: 20.

Lowdown: Went 2-0 Grind Session in Los Angeles.

22. Fishers, Ind. (21-0)

Previous: 21.

Lowdown: Defeated Penn (Mishawaka), 74-54, and Center Grove (Greenwood), 50-44

23. Benet Academy, Lisle, Ill. (28-1)

Previous: 22.

Lowdown: Defeated Wheaton (Ill.) Academy, 65-40, and Nazareth Academy (La Grange Park), 70-35.

24. Webb School, Knoxville, Tenn. (28-2)

Previous: 24.

Lowdown: Defeated McCallie School (Chattanooga), 71-40, and Alcoa, 78-53.

25. Bartlett, Tenn. (24-4)

Previous: 25.

Lowdown: Went 3-0 last week.

Dropped: None.

High-Fives by Region

East

1. St. Frances Academy, Baltimore (31-6)
2. Bergen Catholic, Oradell, N.J. (22-3)
3. Archbishop Wood, Warminster, Pa. (17-6)
4. Ss. Neumann-Goretti, Philadelphia (18-4)
5. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (10-10)

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

Midwest

1. DePaul Prep, Chicago (24-3)
2. Lakota West, West Chester, Ohio (19-1)
3. Curie, Chicago (24-1)
4. East St. Louis, Ill. (25-3)
5. Kankakee, Ill. (24-1)

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

Southland

1. Columbus, Miami (22-6)
2. Greensboro (N.C.) Day (33-2)
3. Wheeler, Marietta, Ga. (21-5)
4. Oak Cliff Faith Family, Dallas (24-8)
5. IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. (19-8)

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

Far West

1. Santa Margarita, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. (27-3)
2. Redondo Union, Redondo Beach, Calif. (26-3)
3. Notre Dame, Sherman Oaks, Calif. (21-6)
4. St. Joseph, Santa Maria, Calif. (27-2)
5. La Mirada, Calif. (23-7)

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 High School Boys Basketball Rankings are released weekly from October 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 of the 2025-26 season. Follow him on X at @clawlor.