BENSALEM, Pa. – Last Sunday was Groundhog Day. It also marked the first day of the penultimate month of the high school basketball season. And unlike the comedic 1990s movie that bears its name, things won’t be repeated this week in the Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ rankings.

FYI: Punxsutawney Phil, that little critter, did not see his shadow on Sunday—ergo an early spring.

This week is a page from a casino card dealer handbook: Reshuffling the deck. After careful scrutiny, we decided to rework the Elite 25 rankings to reflect the season status with the regular season winding down nationally.

There were 22 teams from the Elite 25 that shifted positions. No. 6 Hamilton Heights Christian Academy rose six spots, No. 8 La Lumiere School was up five and No. 13 Curie and No. 18 Rancho Christian hopped up four. No. 23 Duncanville dropped seven slots due to a dearth of national-type games. Others dipped after losses.

All in all, the purge is underway and Elite 25 will sort things out with schedules and marquee matchups dictating the coming weeks.

No. 25 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) re-enters the Elite 25 rankings after an impressive run and unbeaten 10-0 start in the Class 4A Southwest Region. Last weekend, coach Grant Rice’s club recorded a key win over a California school to vault the Gaels into the national picture.

Strength of schedule is paramount and those who don’t schedule, especially with a strong team, need to rethink. Obviously certain states prohibit travel but seeking regional games at least shows an effort.

With the regular season complete for No. 1 Montverde Academy, the next event is the GEICO High School Nationals from April 2-4 in New York.

The eight-team bracket won’t be released until March but here’s a look at what the field could look like.

Definitely in: Montverde Academy, Oak Hill Academy, Wasatch Academy, IMG Academy, La Lumiere School and Sunrise Christian 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.) are frontrunners this week. Yet the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference champion such as Elite 25 schools DeMatha (Md.), Paul VI (Va.) and Gonzaga (D.C.) could nab an invite. Prolific Prep (Calif.) and St. Frances Academy (Md.) are on the cusp too.

The WCAC allowed St. John’s College (D.C.) to play in the girls’ tournament last year and the 2019-20 boys’ champion could get that same courtesy in April.

The six powerhouse independent programs are near locks with state champions from Georgia or South Carolina a safe bet. The WCAC champion needs approval from league officials and would be an appetizing addition to GEICO Nationals.

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.

The Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ rankings will return Feb. 11

Be sure to get out and see a game in your area. Hope to see you at game soon. – Christopher Lawlor

Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ basketball rankings, Feb. 4, 2020

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

Previous rank: 1.

Low-down: Won Saint James Invitational Tournament, hammering then-No. 12 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), 67-46, in the final. The Eagles averaged nearly 97 points in three games at the Hagerstown, Maryland event. Oklahoma State-bound Cade Cunningham, a McDonald’s All American, pumped in 19 points in the final. Dariq Whitehead totaled 46 points for the tournament. Coach Kevin Boyle’s team is off until April 2 when the GEICO Nationals tips off in New York and they will be the top seed and heavy favorite to win it all for the first time since 2018.

2. DeMatha, Hyattsville, Md. (19-2)

Previous: 4.

Low-down: Last week Naismith Hall of Fame coach and DeMatha icon Morgan Wootten was laid to rest. The Stags honored their legend topping No. 10 Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.), 62-60, a key Washington Catholic Athletic Conference game. They followed that up beating Bishop Ireton (Alexandria, Va.), 96-67, to remain unbeaten in league play. Three league games this week but none more important than Friday’s rivalry matchup with Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.).

3. Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson, Va. (31-2)

Previous: 2.

Low-down: In a shock loss, the Warriors bowed to West Oaks Academy (Orlando, Fla.), 86-61. Coach Steve Smith’s teams had not dropped a true home contest since the 1996-97 season or spanning more than 360 games. However, they bounced back to beat Bull City Prep Academy (Durham, N.C.), 96-56, as LSU-bound Cameron Thomas had 34 points and 7 rebounds and KK Robinson added 14 points and 8 assists. This weekend the Warriors face No. 21 St. Frances Academy (Baltimore) Saturday at the East Coast Bump at the UMBC Event Center in Catonsville, Md.

4. Grayson, Loganville, Ga. (24-1)

Previous: 5.

Low-down: The Rams are Region 8-AAAAAAA regular season champions after sweeping two opponents to cap the season. Next are the regional and state tournaments. The Georgia Class AAAAAAA tournament tips off Feb. 11.

5. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (22-3)

Previous: 6.

Low-down: The Trailblazers used a 27-7 spurt in the opening quarter to crush Brentwood School (Los Angeles), 86-58, improving to 5-0 in the Gold Coast League. BJ Boston scored 29 points and Terren Frank added 17. The show shifts back to the East Coast this weekend for two games at the Metro Classic in Toms, River, N.J., with Gill St. Bernard (Gladstone, N.J.) Friday and No. 22 Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.) Saturday.

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

Previous: 11.

Low-down: The Hawks swept two games at the Dr. Pepper 10 Classic in Chattanooga, stopping East (Memphis), 76-64, and McCallie School (Chattanooga), 67-62. The Hawks are next scheduled to play in Bristol, Virginia on Feb. 11 against Beckley (W.Va.) Prep at the Virginia High Showcase.

7. Corona (Calif.) Centennial (24-2)

Previous: 7.

Low-down: The win streak reached 20 games after edging Salesian College Prep (Richmond), 59-51, at the Nike Extravaganza in Santa Ana, Calif. The regular season concludes with two league games this week.

8. La Lumiere School, La Porte, Ind. (17-3)

Previous: 13.

Low-down: For the second straight year, the Lakers won the Bob Kirk Invitational Tournament, toppling St. Benedict’s (Newark, N.J.), 57-48, in overtime in the final. Jaden Ivey (16 points), the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, drilled three free throws in the final seconds to send game into overtime. Teammate Wendell Green scored 22 points, canning five 3-pointers to spark the Lakers. Green was the Most Outstanding Player and joined Jeremy Sochran on the all-tournament team.

9. Dorman, Roebuck, S.C. (21-1)

Previous: 9.

Low-down: It was an emotional win last Friday for the Cavaliers, who beat Spartanburg, 63-37, the second game of the City Rivalry series. The victory moved South Carolina’s top-ranked team to 11-0 in Region II-5A.

10. Paul VI, Fairfax, Va. (17-5)

Previous: 14.

Low-down: It was an up-and-down week for the Panthers, who started with a disappointing 62-60 loss to No. 2 DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.). They rebounded to defeat St. John’s College (Washington, D.C.), 61-57, and The Heights School (Potomac, Md.), 98-47. The WCAC regular season is down to six games, including three this week.

11. Wasatch Academy, Mount Pleasant, Utah (25-2)

Previous: 3.

Low-down: Went 2-1 at the Bob Kirk Invitational in Maryland, losing to St. Benedict’s (Newark, N.J.), 61-60, in overtime in the semifinals on a 3-pointer from halfcourt, but beat Bishop Walsh (Cumberland, Md.), 60-55, in the consolation game. Mike Saunders and Ricky Isaacs, Jr. were named all-tournament. The Tigers have four games scheduled in the regular season and should get an invitational to GEICO Nationals.

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

Previous: 10.

Low-down: Gonzaga-bound Jalen Suggs poured in a game-high 28 points and Chet Holmgren added 18 and the Redwings defeated La Crosse (Wis.) Central, 73-64. at the Wisconsin vs. Minnesota Border Battle in La Crosse. It was a second quality win for the Minnesotans, who are top-ranked in Class 3A. The remaining eight games are all against in-state competition.

13.  Curie, Chicago (20-1)

Previous: 17.

Low-down: Ramean Hinton, a Southeast Missouri State commit, scored 27 points, including his team’s first 15 of the game, and hauled down 6 rebounds as the Condors knocked off Missouri powerhouse Vashon (St. Louis), 78-72. Next is Harlan Tuesday in the Chicago Public League Tournament first round. The second round is Thursday.

14. Sunrise Christian Academy, Bel Aire, Kan. (16-3)

Previous: 8.

Low-down: Split two games at the Dr. Pepper 10 Classic in Chattanooga, Tenn. The Buffaloes beat McCallie School (Chattanooga), 62-56, but were upended by East (Memphis), 58-55.

15. IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. (16-5)

Previous: 12.

Low-down: Went 2-1 at the Saint James Invitational, falling to top-ranked Montverde (Fla.) Academy, 67-46, in the final. Matthew Murrell threw in a team-high 16 points in the title game.

16. Prolific Prep, Napa, Calif. (22-3)

Previous: 15.

Low-down: Idle. The Crew boasts Nimari Burnett and Jalen Green, a pair of McDonald’s All Americans.

17. Etiwanda, Calif. (24-2)

Previous: 19.

Low-down: The Eagles jumped to a 19-8 lead after one quarter and humbled Westchester (Los Angeles), 63-33, at the Nike Extravaganza. The Eagles wrap up the regular season this week with Damien (La Verne) Tuesday and Chino Hills Friday.

18. Rancho Christian, Temecula, Calif. (20-5)

Previous: 22.

Low-down: Just when the Eagles needed to win to remain in the Elite 25, they edged then-No. 23 Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.), 58-55, at the Nike Extravaganza in Santa Ana, Calif. Trailing 31-30 at halftime, a 13-6 third-quarter spurt was the difference. The regular season concludes Saturday with Ribet Academy (Los Angeles) in the So Cal Finale at Cerritos College in Norwalk.

19. Camden, N.J. (15-1)

Previous: 20.

Low-down: Defeated Washington Township (Sewell), 71-44, and Holy Cross Prep (Delran), 83-42. Freshman sensation DJ Wagner totaled 41 points in two games. A busy week ahead has the Panthers playing three times, including Gill St. Bernard (Gladstone) Saturday at the Metro Classic in Toms River.

20. The Patrick School, Hillside, N.J. (13-5)

Previous: 21.

Low-down: Junior forward Adama Sanogo found his rhythm in two games, posting a pair of double-doubles. He had 17 points and 23 rebounds in a 43-40 victory over rivals Roselle Catholic, 43-40. He then put up 17 points and 16 rebounds in a 76-41 defeat of East Side (Newark). The Celtics could see Roselle Catholic again in the Union County and Non-Public B tournaments. This weekend they have two games at the Metro Classic in Toms River.

21. St. Frances Academy, Baltimore (27-3)

Previous: 18.

Low-down: Beat John Carroll (Bel Air, Md.), 93-70. The Panthers sit atop the MIAA A Conference with a 13-1 mark and a rematch with Mount St. Joseph looms large on Feb. 14 in the regular season finale.

22. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (17-3)

Previous: 24.

Low-down: Kasper Klaczek had a stat line of 15 points, 12 boards, 4 dimes and 4 blocks in a 74-49 victory over Green Tech (Albany). The Crusaders play Holy Cross (Flushing) Tuesday.

23. Duncanville, Texas (22-2)

Previous: 16.

Low-down: Beat district opponents Berkner (Richardson), 89-52, and Skyline (Dallas), 86-45. Five games are left in the regular season.

24. Scotlandville, Baton Rouge, La. (25-3)

Previous: 25.

Low-down: The Hornets play two games this week leading up to season finale on Feb. 21 against Denham Springs.

25. Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas (21-3)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: The Gaels return to the Elite 25 after a fine run of play. That includes last weekend’s 74-70 quality win over Harvard-Westlake (Studio City, Calif.) at the Nike Extravaganza in Santa Ana, Calif. The Gaels trailed by 12 points at halftime but used a 28-7 explosive third-quarter run to seize control (58-49). The regular season concludes this week against Las Vegas schools Clark Thursday and Desert Oasis Friday.

Dropped: No. 23 Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.).

High-Fives by Region

East

1. St. Benedict’s, Newark, N.J. (22-4)
2. Neumann-Goretti, Philadelphia (16-3)
3. Archbishop Wood, Warminster, Pa. (14-4)
4. Gonzaga, Washington, D.C. (17-7)
5. St. Raymond, Bronx, N.Y. (15-3)

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. (18-0)
2. Moeller, Cincinnati (18-1)
3. Bloomington (Ind.) South (18-0)
4. River Rouge, Mich. (13-1)
5. Collinsville, Ill. (23-1)

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

Southland

1. Lancaster, Texas (25-2)
2. Norcross, Ga. (23-2)
3. Westlake, Austin, Texas (27-1)
4. West Oaks Academy, Orlando, Fla. (19-5)
5. North Mecklenburg, Huntersville, N.C. (19-1)

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

Far West

1. St. John Bosco, Bellflower, Calif. (21-5)
2. Eastside Catholic, Sammamish, Wash. (16-2)
3. O’Dea, Seattle (14-3)
4. St. Anthony, Long Beach, Calif. (25-2)
5. Davis, Kaysville, Utah (16-1)

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.