SUPER EIGHT: Virginia school maintains hold on Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ basketball rankings; eight additions highlight the holiday giving season

BENSALEM, Pa. – The latest Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ basketball rankings are out. It should come as no surprise there are eight additions are a busy month of December, where teams crisscross the nation for high-end events. There are at least five more weekends left for national shootout events before teams start the postseason in February.

The next rankings will appear on Jan. 6, 2015. Until then have a Happy New Year! Please support your local high school teams. Hope to see you at a game soon. – Christopher Lawlor

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Boys Basketball Rankings, December 28, 2014

1. Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson, Va. (21-0)

Previous rank: 1.

Low down: Won Iolani Classic in Honolulu. The Warriors are off until January 7 when the Australian Junior National Team visits.

with trips to Hawaii, Missouri, California, Kentucky, Tennessee and Massachusetts highlighting their treks.

2. Wheeler, Marietta, Ga. (11-0)

Previous: 11.

Low down: Won City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers, Fla., beating then-No. 2 Montverde (Fla.) Academy, 72-65. Jaylen Brown was unstoppable in the final scoring 25 points and clearing 12 rebounds to earn MVP honors.

3. Findlay Prep, Henderson, Nev. (12-0)

Previous: 3.

Low down: After running the table at the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas, the Pilots are off for South Dakota.

4. Huntington (W.Va.) Prep (14-0)

Previous: 6.

Low down: Coach Arkell Bruce’s team is rolling after several high-profile events. Now it’s a showdown on Jan. 4 against Whitney Young (Chicago) at the Cancer Research Classic in Wheeling, W.Va.

5. Roselle (N.J.) Catholic (5-0)

Previous: 10.

Low down: The Lions have a showdown with No. 21 St. Anthony (Jersey City) on Jan. 2. They also recorded two wins at the revived Slam Dunk to the Beach Classic in Lewes, Del.

6. Montverde (Fla.) Academy (12-1)

Previous: 2.

Low down: Finished second at the City of Palms Classic. LSU-bound F Ben Simmons had 28 point and 11 rebounds in a 72-65 loss to then-Mo. 10 Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) in the championship game. Coach Kevin Boyle’s squad isn’t done by a long shot.

7. Bishop O’Dowd, Oakland, Calif. (5-2)

Previous: 14.

Low down: The Dragons lost in the Iolani Classic final to top-ranked Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.). Other loss was at No. 6 Montverde (Fla.) Academy.

8. Stevenson, Lincolnshire, Ill. (11-0)

Previous: 23.

Low down: Won the prestigious Proviso West Holiday Tournament in suburban Chicago over the Christmas holidays. Villanova-bound Jalen Brunson tallied 27 points and dropped six dimes in the final, a 69-60 win over St. Joseph (Westchester).

9. Plano West, Plano, Texas (11-1)

Previous: 8.

Low down: The Wolves fell to then-No. 2 Montverde (Fla.) Academy, 68-51.

10. Our Savior New American, Centereach, N.Y. (10-2)

Previous: 5.

Low down: Won the Chick-fil-a Classic National Division championship. PF Cheick Diallo, one of the nation’s top uncommitted seniors, was named MVP. Pittsburgh-commit Damon Wilson was selected to the all-tournament team. The Pioneers are in Arizona this weekend.

11. Wesleyan Christian School, High Point, N.C. (14-1)

Previous: 17.

Low down: Finished third at the City of Palms Classic.

12. DeMatha, Hyattsville, Md. (10-0)

Previous: 21.

Low down: The Stags continue to roll. They play No. 17 Sierra Canyon School (Chatsworth, Calif.) on Jan. 2 at the Hoophall Classic West in Phoenix, Ariz.

13. La Lumiere School, La Porte, Ind. (10-1)

Previous: 4.

Low down: The Lakers fell at the City of Palms Classic before Christmas.

14. Sunrise Christian Academy, Bel Air, Kan. (9-1)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low down: The Buffaloes recorded a quality win over powerhouse Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.). A rugged national schedule is on tap for the rest of the way.

15. Muskegon, Mich. (3-0)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low down: The win streak hit 31 games for the defending Class A state champions. Michigan State-bound C Deyonta Davis posted a triple-double (12 points, 15 rebounds, 11 blocks) during an easy 59-19 win over Eastern (Lansing) at the Meijer Muskegon Area Hall of Fame Classic.

16. Redondo Union, Redondo Beach, Calif. (10-2)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low down: The Sea Hawks recorded three stellar wins at the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas.

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

Previous: 12.

Low down: The burgeoning Trailblazers had a respectable showing at the City of Palms Classic, losing once. Coach Ty Nichols’ team is loaded for the foreseeable future and plays a formidable nationally themed schedule.

18. Cape Henry Collegiate, Virginia Beach, Va. (5-1)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low down: The Virginians took third at the Chick-fil-a Classic, losing to No. 10 Our Savior New American (Centereach, N.Y.) by a deuce.

19. Roman Catholic, Philadelphia (7-0)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low down: Won the Gonzaga D.C. Classic in early December and are playing at the Morabito STOP DWI Classic in Binghamton, N.Y. this week.

20. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (10-2)

Previous: 18.

Low down: Coach Gary McKnight recently bagged his 1,000^th career victory.

Monarchs.

21. St. Anthony, Jersey City, N.J. (4-0)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low down: The Friars hammered two teams last weekend at the Shooting Touch Shootout in Medford, Mass.

22. Hamilton, Memphis (9-0)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low down: The Wildcats have a big matchup with No. 1 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) on Jan. 10 at Penny Hardaway’s Hoop Fest.

23. Corona (Calif.) Centennial (8-2)

Previous: 20.

Low down: The Huskies have a chance to redeem themselves after two losses at an event in San Diego.

24. Trinity, Louisville, Ky. (8-2)

Previous: 22.

Low down: The Shamrocks lost twice at the City of Palms Classic, winding up in fourth place. That’s no shame at the nation’s premier holiday event.

25. Corona del Sol, Tempe, Ariz. (6-0)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low down: The Aztecs have dominated in-state competition but a matchup with No. 17 Sierra Canyon School (Chatsworth, Calif.) at the Hoophall West in nearby Phoenix is the litmus test.

Dropped out: No. 7 Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas; No. 9 Arlington Country Day, Jacksonville, Fla.; No. 13 Paul VI, Fairfax, Va.; No. 15 Simeon, Chicago; No. 16 St. Francis, Alpharetta, Ga.; No. 20.Archbishop Carroll, Radnor, Pa.; No. 24.Chaminade, St. Louis; and No. 25 St. Rita, Chicago.

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (7-0)

2. Christ the King, Middle Village, N.Y. (7-1)

3. St. Benedict’s, Newark, N.J. (9-1)

4. John Carroll School, Bel Air, Md. (12-1)

5. Paul VI, Fairfax, Va. (4-4)

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

Midlands

1. Villa Angela-St. Joseph, Cleveland (6-0)

2. St. Joseph, Westchester, Ill. (11-2)

3. Southport, Indianapolis (8-0)

4. Champlin Park, Champlin, Minn. (11-0)

5. St. Vincent-St. Mary, Akron, Ohio (5-0)

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

South

1. Providence Christian, Jacksonville, Fla. (15-0)

2. Atascocita, Humble, Texas (15-0)

3. Greensboro (N.C.) Day (18-0)

4. Putnam City West, Oklahoma City (7-1)

5. St. Francis, Alpharetta, Ga. (10-3)

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

Far West

1. Rainier Beach, Seattle (6-1)

2. Bishop Montgomery, Torrance, Calif. (12-1)

3. Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas (10-3)

4. Fairfax, Los Angeles (8-0)

5. Desert Vista, Phoenix (11-0)

Geography: 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 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.