SEASON’S GREETINGS: Duncanville (TX) new No. 1 in Blue Star Media boys’ hoop rankings; No. 2 Montverde (FL) Academy wins City of Palms Classic title

BENSALEM, Pa. – As expected, the Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ basketball rankings have a refresh look with several teams shuffling positions and new faces involved.

Six teams debut in the Elite 25 rankings after a busy pre-Christmas event calendar. The half dozen squads are from Texas, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Missouri, Virginia and Illinois. One is from  the powerhouse Washington Catholic Athletic Conference, bringing the total of two in the Elite 25 from one of the nation’s premier leagues. A third from the District of Columbia is on the cusp of entry.

Joining the Elite 25 are No. 12 Link Academy (Branson, Mo.), No. 13 Glenbard West (Glen Ellyn, Ill.), No. 14 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), No. 18 St. Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.), No. 22 Reading (Pa.) and No. 23 Richardson (Texas).

No. 1 Duncanville (Texas) takes over the lofty spot in the Elite 25 rankings after an impressive start but there plenty of minefields ahead for the Panthers.

So, that’s it for the Christmas tournament wrap-up.

The Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ rankings will return on Jan. 4, 2022. This will update everything through the month of December.

It is our sincere wishes that you have a Happy New Year and hope your Christmas was full of joy. Please stay safe.

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

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Boys’ Basketball Rankings, Dec. 28, 2021

1. Duncanville, Texas (12-0)

Previous rank: 6.

The Low-down: In a thriller, the reigning Texas Class 6A champions zoomed to the top spot in the Elite 25 rankings after beating then-No. 1 Montverde (Fla.) Academy, 67-66. This week they compete at the Whataburger Basketball Tournament in the loaded Orange Division bracket.

2. Montverde (Fla.) Academy (9-2)

Previous: 1.

The Low-down: Won its third City of Palms Classic championship since 2016 and Dillon Mitchell was named the Most Valuable Player of the event and had 16 points on 8-of-11 shooting and cleared nine rebounds in a 60-55 win over then-No. 3 Oak Hill Academy in the final.

3. Sunrise Christian Academy, Bel Aire, Kan. (9-1)

Previous: 2.

The Low-down: The Buffaloes are 3-1 in NIBC play and are off until the New Year.

4. IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. (9-2)

Previous: 4.

The Low-down: The Ascenders finished in third place at the City of Palms Classic and are 3-1 in NIBC play.

5. AZ Compass Prep, Chandler, Ariz. (15-1)

Previous: 5.

The Low-down: The lone loss of the season was to Richardson (Texas), 61-38. The Dragons will participate in the Chick-fil-A Classic this week in South Carolina.

6. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (13-1)

Previous: 7.

The Low-down: The Trail Blazers left Hawaii with the Iolani Classic championship, beating No. 19 St. Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.), 52-49, in the final. The team’s lone loss was to No. 1 Duncanville (Texas), 80-73.

7. Camden, N.J. (1-0)

Previous: 8.

The Low-down: New Jersey’s top-ranked team had two games prior to Christmas postponed. When the Panthers did play, they stopped then-No. 14 Roselle Catholic, 67-64, using a 22-13 fourth-quarter spurt to win it. Junior All-American guard D.J. Wagner had 25 points and 8 rebounds.

8. Corona (Calif.) Centennial (8-1)

Previous: 13.

The Low-down: The post-Christmas schedule has the Huskies playing locally at The Classic at Damien in La Verne.

9. La Lumiere School, La Porte, Ind. (9-1)

Previous: 18.

The Low-down: It’s been a positive start for the Lakers, who have a 3-1 record in the NIBC. The action picks up again in early January after a holiday respite.

10. DeMatha, Hyattsville, Md. (6-1)

Previous: 10.

The Low-down: The Stags won’t play again until January 4 against Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, Va.) in a Washington Catholic Athletic Conference showdown.

11. Cardinal Hayes, Bronx, N.Y. (6-0)

Previous: 23.

The Low-down: the Cardinals are off to a flying start and have beaten two powerhouse in-state opponents in No. 19 Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.), 56-55, and Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains), 70-67. Coach Joe Lods brings his team to CHSAA Class AA rivals Christ the King (Middle Village) on Wednesday in a city showdown.

12. Link Academy, Branson, Mo. (16-0)

Previous: Not ranked.

The Low-down: The Lions are new to the national scene and the Elite 25 rankings. They have  chance to make a huge splash this week at the Les Schwab Invitational in Oregon.

13. Glenbard West, Glen Ellyn, Ill. (10-0)

Previous: Not ranked.

The Low-down: Chicagoland’s top-ranked team is rolling and will play locally this week at the Josh Tosh Holiday Classic in Elmhurst

14. Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas (10-0)

Previous: Not ranked.

The Low-down: The Gaels are back in the Elite 25 rankings after capturing the Tarkanian Classic Platinum Division championship in Las Vegas. This week coach Grant Rice takes his team to the Torrey Pines Holiday Classic in San Diego, Calif.

15. Beaumont (Texas) United (13-1)

Previous: 11.

The Low-down: The Timberwolves have won 13 straight after a shock opening night setback. This week it’s road trip to the King Cotton Classic in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.

16. Roselle (N.J.) Catholic (2-1)

Previous: 14.

The Low-down: A three-point loss to No. 7 Camden (N.J.) isn’t enough to knock out the Lions from the Elite 25. North Carolina-bound G Simeon Wilcher is averaging 18.0 points and 7.7 rebounds in three games. Next challenge is Bergen Catholic (Oradell) on Jan. 2.

17. Calvary Christian Academy, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (7-1)

Previous: 17.

The Low-down: The reigning Florida Class 3A championship went 3-1 at the City of Palms Classic, good for fifth place.

18. St. Paul VI, Chantilly, Va. (7-1)

Previous: Not ranked.

The Low-down: The Panthers went 3-1 at the Iolani Classic in Honolulu and were runners-up at the prestigious tournament.

19. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (4-1)

Previous: 15.

The Low-down: After four straight wins to open the campaign, the Crusaders dropped a 56-55 decision to No. 10 Cardinal Hayes (Bronx). This week they are off to Bristol, Tenn., for the Arby’s Classic.

20. Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson, Va. (13-6)

Previous: 3.

The Low-down: Went 3-1 at the City of Palms Classic in Florida, finishing runners-up.

21. Dr. Phillips, Orlando, Fla. (7-2)

Previous: 20.

The Low-down: It was a 2-2 finish at the City of Palms Classic for the defending Florida Class 7A champions.

22. Reading, Pa. (5-0)

Previous: Not ranked.

The Low-down: The Red Knights have won 11 straight dating back to last season, including one this term against No. 21 Imhotep Prep Charter (Philadelphia). This week they host a holiday tournament.

23. Richardson, Texas (13-1)

Previous: Not ranked.

The Low-down: The Eagles, No. 2 in the UIL Class 6A rankings, won’t see action again until January. The signature win is a 23-point hammering of No. 5 AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.) in November.

24. Imhotep Prep Charter, Philadelphia (6-1)

Previous: 16.

The Low-down: One of Pennsylvania’s top teams recorded a clutch 64-58 victory over Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia) at the Play-by-Play Classic in Wilmington, Del. Juniors Rahmir Barno and Justin Edwards flipped in 16 points apiece and sophomore Ahmed Nowell added 13.

25. North Little Rock, Ark. (8-3)

Previous: 19.

The Low-down: The Charging Wildcats split four games at the City of Palms Classic before Christmas. Now they play this week at the King Cotton Classic King Division with a chance to face No. 14 Beaumont (Texas) United in the final provided both win their opening two assignments.

Dropped out: No. 9 Wasatch Academy (Mount Pleasant, Utah); No. 12 Milton (Alpharetta, Ga.); No. 21 Orlando (Fla.) Christian Prep; No. 22 Whitney Young (Chicago); No. 24 Roman Catholic (Philadelphia) and No. 25 Legacy Early College (Greenville, S.C.).

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Gonzaga, Washington, D.C. (6-0)
2. Archbishop Stepinac, White Plains, N.Y. (4-1)
3. Neumann-Goretti, Philadelphia (3-1)
4. St. Frances Academy, Baltimore (13-1)
5. Bergen Catholic, Oradell, N.J. (2-0)

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

Midwest

1. Simeon, Chicago (6-1)
2. Zionsville, Ind. (8-0)
3. Centerville, Ohio (5-0)
4. Grand Rapids (Mich.) Catholic Central (1-0)
5. Pewaukee, Wis. (4-0)

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

Southland

1. McKinney, Texas (17-1)
2. Newton, Covington, Ga. (9-0)
3. Greensboro (N.C.) Country Day (15-2)
4. Combine Academy, Lincolnton, N.C. (10-2)
5. Pebblebrook, Mableton, Ga. (10-2)

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

Far West

1. Damien, La Verne, Calif. (14-0)
2. Harvard-Westlake Lake, Studio City, Calif. (13-1)
3. Rolling Hills Prep, San Pedro, Calif. (10-0)
4. Campolindo, Moraga, Calif. (6-0)
5. Wasatch Academy, Mount Pleasant, Utah (7-4)

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. 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 at the conclusion in April. Follow him on Twitter at @clawlor.