STAG PARTY: Maryland school re-enters Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ basketball rankings; Top-5 intact

BENSALEM, Pa. – The days are getting longer and the scholastic basketball season shorter. The month of March is stellar for the select few and cruel for the majority.

The latest Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ rankings welcome two new champions to the fold: No. 6 Plano (Texas) West and No. 24 DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.).

Plano West captured the Class 6A state championship while DeMatha, which re-enters the Elite 25 for good, after pulling off the double last week. The Wolves annexed the program’s first-ever championship thanks to a buzzer-beating shot by D.J., a McDonald’s All American.

First, the Stags won the Maryland Private Schools title. Then it was a trip to the hinterlands of western Maryland where they bagged the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament hardware. This is a tribute to DeMatha coach Mike Jones’s team who lost last month in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference final. To rebound against the high caliber competition in a short period of time really says volumes about the quality and depth of DeMatha.

Yes, the cream rises again.

Last weekend’s championship duo brings the state, national or conference title holders to nine. This week Elite 25 and High-Five Regional teams from Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Illinois and Connecticut will seek state championship crowns. Five schools in the Elite 25 do not compete for state championships.

There are others eyeing the biggest prize—the Dick’s Sporting Good High School National Tournament. The annual event will be staged April 2 to 4 in New York, with the grand climax, the championship game on the hallowed hardware at Madison Square Garden. The ESPN family of networks will televise all seven games.

So far, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), Montverde (Fla.) Academy, Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) and Huntington (W.Va.) Prep—all independent schools—are in and shockingly La Lumiere School (La Porte, Ind.) is not.

That leaves four more tickets. Ely (Pompano Beach, Fla.) and Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) are in. Georgia’s state association allowed its Class AAAAAA state champion, Wheeler, to participate. That’s great news. The final two bids will go to Wings Academy (Bronx, N.Y.), the PSAL Class AA champion, and either Cardinal Gibbons (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) or Greensboro (N.C.) Country Day. Callaway (Jackson, Miss.) is still pushing hard for its state to allow them to go but it won’t happen. The tournament will be revealed on Tuesday.

Speaking of Tuesday, a Happy St. Patrick’s Day. All always a festive day but a day when too much partying can get in the way. Go slow. Watch it!

The next Elite 25 rankings will appear on March 24. In the meantime, please support your local high school teams. There are plenty of great stories and players out there. Drop us an email if there is a story idea or special player locally. We are listening. Hope to see you at a game soon. – Christopher Lawlor

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Boys Basketball Rankings, March 17, 2015

1. Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson, Va. (45-0)**

Previous rank: 1.

Low down: The Warriors established a single-season record with their 45^th victory during a 118-66 throttling of Southwest Christian Academy (Little Rock, Ark). Dwayne Bacon, a Florida State recruit and who was recently named to the Jordan Brand Classic next month in Brooklyn, N.Y., flipped in 40 points on Senior Night. The previous record for wins was 44 in 2012. Next up is the Dick’s Sporting Good High School National Classic in New York, April 2 to 4, where coach Steve Smith chases the elusive national tournament title. Regular season is complete.

2. Montverde (Fla.) Academy (28-1)

Previous: 2.

Low down: Idle. Next up is the Dick’s High School National Tournament, an event the Eagles are the two time defending champions. Regular is season complete.

3. Findlay Prep, Henderson, Nev. (28-2)

Previous: 3.

Low down: The Pilots are off until the Dick’s Sporting Good High School National Tournament tipping on April 2 in New York. Regular season is complete.

4. Wheeler, Marietta, Ga. (30-2)*

Previous: 4.

Low down: Won Class AAAAAA state championship. It was the Wildcats’ sixth state title but first since 2009. The Wildcats will participate at the Dick’s Nationals from April 2-4 in New York. Regular season is complete.

5. Bishop Montgomery, Torrance, Calif. (31-1)

Previous: 5.

Low down: Christian Oshita poured in 19 points and the sluggish Knights put away St. Augustine (San Diego), 73-61, in the Southern California Region Open Division

6. Plano West, Plano, Texas (33-2)*

Previous: 6.

Low down: D.J. Hogg delivered the first-ever Class 6A state championship, nailing a buzzer-beating jumper to rally the Wolves past Clear Lake (Houston), 56-54, in the final before 10,781 at the Alamodome in San Antonio. The Texas A&M-bound Hogg closed out his career with 22 points (four 3-pointers) and 5 rebounds as the Wolves trailed by six points, 40-34, after three quarters. Tyler Davis added 14 points and 6 rebounds. Season complete.

7. St. Vincent-St. Mary, Akron, Ohio (25-0)

Previous: 8.

Low down: Javon Graves and Johnnie Robinson bucketed 17 points apiece as the Irish ripped crosstown rivals Buchtel (Akron), 72-51, in the Division II Canton District final. In the semifinals, they stopped Marlington, 85-46. Coach Dru Joyce’s team plays Poland Seminary in the Region 5 semifinals on Thursday in Canton. The winner faces Central Catholic (Cleveland) or Chagrin Falls in the final on Saturday.

8. Ely, Pompano Beach, Fla. (29-0)*

Previous: 8.

Low down: Won Class 7A state championship but the Dick’s National will be calling with an invitation to New York in April. Regular season is complete.

9. Corona del Sol, Tempe, Ariz. (33-1)*

Previous: 11.

Low down: Won fourth straight Division I state championship. Season complete.

10. Fairfax, Los Angeles (31-2)

Previous: 15.

Low down: Defeated Orange Lutheran, 75-53, in the CIF-Southern California Region Open Division first round. The Lions play Etiwanda in the semifinals on Tuesday.

11. Roman Catholic, Philadelphia (27-2)*

Previous: 16.

Low down: Talk about the March mantra “survive and advance” holding true. Down to their last hope, Tony Carr dropped in a free throw with 3.1 seconds left to break a tie during a thrilling 58-57 win over Pennsbury (Fairless Hills) in the Class AAAA quarterfinals. The Cahillites also thumped Cedar Crest (Lebanon), 53-35, in the second round. Manny Taylor flipped in 11 points. The semifinals feature a matchup with McCaskey (Lancaster) on Tuesday. The winner gets Allderdice (Pittsburgh) or King (Philadelphia) for the title at the GIANT Center in Hershey.

12. La Lumiere School, La Porte, Ind. (23-2)

Previous: 13.

Low down: The Lakers do not compete for a state championship. Season complete.

13. Huntington (W.Va.) Prep (31-2)

Previous: 14.

Low down: Next up are the Dick’s Nationals from April 2 to 4 in New York.

14. Bishop O’Dowd, Oakland, Calif. (25-4)

Previous: 15.

Low down: The Dragons moved within three wins of a state championship, beating St. Francis (Mountain View), 76-55, in the Northern California Region Open Division first round. Next up is Folsom in the semifinals on Tuesday in Oakland. The winner gets Modesto Christian or Serra (San Mateo) in the region final.

15. Muskegon, Mich. (21-1)

Previous: 16.

Low down: Daryl Kirkland tossed in 14 points as to defeat Grand Haven, 72-48, in the Class A sectional final. Also beat Mona Shores (Muskegon), 88-44, in the semifinals. Deyonta Davis (27 points) and Joeviair Kennedy (22) teamed for 49 points. The Big Reds play unbeaten West Ottawa (Holland) in the regional semifinals on Monday.

16. Greensboro (N.C.) Day (33-2)*

Previous: 19.

Low down: Won the NCISAA 3A state championship. A Dick’s National invite might soon be on the way. Season complete.

17. Providence School, Jacksonville, Fla. (31-1)*

Previous: 18.

Low down: Won Class 3A state championship. Season complete.

18. Neumann-Goretti, Philadelphia (27-2)

Previous: 19.

Low down: The Saints used a 11-3 run in the final 65 seconds to subdue Bishop McDevitt (Harrisburg), 76-71, Class AAA quarterfinals. In the second round, they rocked Manheim Central, 72-44, as Quade Green flipped in 24 points and Lamarr Kimble added 16. Next up is crosstown rivals Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia) in the semifinals on Tuesday. The winner gets Cathedral Prep (Erie) or Archbishop Carroll (Radnor) in the state final on Friday at the GIANT Center in Hershey.

19.  Simeon, Chicago (28-3)

Previous: 21.

Low down: Iowa-bound Isaiah Moss scored 19 points and cleared 5 rebounds to stop St. Rita (Chicago), 74-70, in the Class 4A final. Nebraska-bound F Ed Morrow led three teammates in double-figures with 22 points during an 85-62 win over Homewood-Flossmoor in the Eisenhower Sectional semifinals. The Wolverines play Normal in the Illinois State SuperSectional. The winner goes to the 4A Final Four.

20. Stevenson, Lincolnshire, Ill. (27-3)

Previous: 22.

Low down: Villanova-bound PG Jalen Brunson had 25 points and 4 assists during a 57-49 win over Lake Forest in the Class 4A Waukegan Sectional final. Brunson was also the hero in the semifinals, netting a game-high 41 points to rally the Patriots past Notre Dame (Niles). The Patriots advance to play Riverside-Brookfield in the Chicago State SuperSectional on Monday.

21. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (27-4)

Previous: 23.

Low down: Defeated Westchester (Los Angeles), 67-44, in the Southern California Regional Open Division first round. The Monarchs play No. 5 Bishop Montgomery (Torrance) in the semifinals on Wednesday. The winner gets No. 10 Fairfax (Los Angeles) or Etiwanda Saturday in the final.

22. Cardinal Gibbons, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (32-1)*

Previous: 20.

Low down: Won Class 5A state championship. Season complete.

23. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (23-4)

Previous: 24.

Low down: Defeated Orangewood Academy (Garden Grove), 76-52, in the Southern Region Division V quarterfinals. The Trailblazers play Viewpoint (Calabasas) in the semifinals on Tuesday. The winner gets Price (Los Angeles) or Army-Navy (San Diego) in the region final on Saturday.

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

Previous: Not ranked.

Low down: The Stags had quite a March run, returning to the Elite 25 by winning the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament and Maryland Private Schools championship. Season complete.

25. Wesleyan Christian School, High Point, N.C. (30-5)

Previous: 25.

Low down: Finished runner-up in the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association 3A tournament. Season complete.

Dropped out: No. 9 St. Anthony, Jersey City, N.J.

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Roselle (N.J.) Catholic (26-4)*

2. Sacred Heart, Waterbury, Conn. (25-0)

3. Christ the King, Middle Village, N.Y. (25-4)*

4. Wings Academy, Bronx, N.Y. (27-2)*

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

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

Midlands

1. Western, Detroit (21-0)

2. Reitz, Evansville, Ind. (28-1)

3. Apple Valley, Minn. (30-2)*

4. East, Wichita, Kan. (24-1)*

5. St. Rita, Chicago (26-4)

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

South

1. Jonesboro, Ga. (32-1)*

2. Callaway, Jackson, Miss. (31-3)*

3. Ballard, Louisville, Ky. (31-2)

4. Lancaster, Texas (34-4)*

5. Johnson, Huntsville, Ala. (32-4)*

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

Far West

1. Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas (27-6)*

2. Etiwanda, Calif. (24-8)

3. West Linn, Ore. (25-4)*

4. Garfield, Seattle (27-2)*

5. Rainier Beach, Seattle (25-3)

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

* Won state, national or conference postseason tournament championship

** Includes forfeit victory

 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. Teams with fifth-year or post-graduate players are not eligible. 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.