THE GOLDEN STATE: California’s Open Division Southern Region bracket is appetizing; No. 24 St. Raymond (NY) enters Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ rankings

BENSALEM, Pa. – Two of the biggest events of the season have reached crossroads this week, one that is the nation’s most powerful high school league and the other the best postseason tournament of them all.

Let’s start with the California Interscholastic Federation. The Open Division has only 12 teams with six in the Southern and Northern Regions.

The first round games are Wednesday, the semifinals are Saturday and the final on March 5. The final is March 9 at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.

In the Southern Region, No. 8 Harvard-Westlake (Studio City), who won the CIF-Southern Section Open Division title last weekend, gets a bye to the semifinals and faces Carlsbad or Ss. Pius XI and Matthias Academy (Downey). No. 10 Roosevelt (Eastvale), the runners-up to HW, also sits out the first round and faces No. 14 Sierra Canyon School (Chatsworth) or St. Joseph (Santa Maria).

In Northern Region (or NorCal), tops-seeded Salesian College Prep (Richmond) and No. 2 Archbishop Riordan (San Francisco) received the byes.

The Division 1 bracket, especially the Southern Region is loaded. Two Elite 25 teams and two others that appeared for lengthy stays are included. The 15-team bracket tips Tuesday with the first round; the second round Thursday; semifinals Saturday; final May 5. The CIF final is March 8 in Sacramento.

Notables first-round pairings are No. 25 St. John Bosco (Bellflower) getting a bye to the second round and will meet Windward (Los Angeles) or La Jolla Country Day. No. 18 Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) gets Torrey Pines (San Diego) in the first round; Corona Centennial plays Mission Hills (San Marcos); Mater Dei (Santa Ana) gets St. Anthony (Long Beach) and JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano) faces Rolling Hills Prep (San Pedro).

That’s a meat-grinder of a bracket and should produce the state champion.

Although the CIF tournament is a two-week odyssey, the Nike EYBL Scholastic reaches the penultimate weekend tipping Thursday for three days in Greenville, South Carolina. The season long national circuit started in November and crisscrossed the nation until the ending on the weekend of March 7-9 in North Augusta, S.C.

This weekend’s event is the Pete Hollis Invitational has 10 games, three on Thursday and Friday and four on Saturday, with five teams from the Elite 25 in the house at Legacy Early College.

The schedule (all times are Eastern):

Thursday

4 p.m.: Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.) vs. Canyon International Academy (Phoenix)

6 p.m.: IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) vs. Orangeville Academy (Ontario)

8 p.m.: Veritas Academy (Calif.) vs. Montverde (Fla.) Academy

Friday

2 p.m.: La Lumiere School (La Porte, Ind.) vs. Veritas Academy

4 p.m.: Brewster Academy vs. Wasatch Academy (Mount Pleasant, Utah)

6 p.m.: AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.) vs. Legacy Early College

Saturday

12 p.m.: La Lumiere School vs. IMG Academy

2 p.m.: Montverde Academy vs. Orangeville Academy

4 p.m.: Wasatch Academy vs. Legacy Early College

6 p.m.: AZ Compass Prep vs. Canyon International Academy

All games will be streamed live on ESPN Plus. No. 1 Montverde Academy enters the penultimate EYBL Scholastic weekend with a 10-0 mark; Wasatch is 6-2; La Lumiere is 6-4; Brewster and IMG are both 5-5; AZ Compass is 4-4; Veritas is 4-6; Legacy Early College is 2-8 and Orangeville is 1-7.

When the High School Nationals (formerly GEICO Nationals) bracket is released next month, you figure at least five EYBL Scholastic teams are in with Montverde and Long Island Lutheran shoo-ins while three more jockey to get in. La Lumiere, IMG, Wasatch, defending champions Link Academy, Brewster and AZ Compass need strong finishes. The final three slots could come down to No. 2 Columbus (Miami), No. 6 Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) and perhaps a team from Georgia or elsewhere. This story will unfold over the next two weekends.

As the month of February is ending, No. 24 St. Raymond (Bronx, N.Y.) is the lone newcomer in the Elite 25. The Ravens improved to 22-5 and knocked off No. 9 Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains), 57-51, in the New York Archdiocesan AA final. The Ravens are the No. 1 seed for the upcoming Intersectional AA tournament that gets underway this week but won’t see action until Sunday’s quarterfinals. Stepinac is the third-seeded and opens play on the same day at Fordham University’s iconic Rose Hill Gymnasium in the Bronx.

No. 12 Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) zooms up seven slots after an impressive run and played No. 3 St. Paul VI Catholic (Chantilly, Va.) Monday night in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Tournament championship game. Both teams will compete in state tournaments once the WCAC is in the books.

Elsewhere, Hawaii capped its season over the weekend when Saint Louis School (Honolulu) won the Division I title over archrivals Punahou School (Honolulu), 48-39. The Crusaders built an early lead and held on with Pupualii Sepulona scored 11 points. In Division II, Kohala defeated Seabury Hall (Makawao), 49-45, in overtime. Kohala rallied in the fourth to force overtime and scored all four points for the title. Layden Kauka bucketed 24 points with four 3-pointers. Both champions were the top seeds.

 Congratulations to all the champions, including regionally ranked Bishop Gorman (Nevada) which bagged its 23rd Nevada state title, the first since 2020, and 14th for coach Grant Rice. The Gaels edged Coronado (Henderson), 63-60, in the Class 5A final in Las Vegas.

 We’ll more state champions over the next five weeks.

The Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ rankings will return March 5. Thank you for your readership.

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

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Boys’ Basketball Rankings, Feb. 27, 2024

1. Montverde (Fla.) Academy (28-0)

Previous rank: 1.

The Low-down: Idle. The Eagles close out the regular season this weekend with two games at the EYBL Scholastic Pete Hollis Showcase in Grenville, S.C.

2. Columbus, Miami (25-4)

Previous: 2.

The Low-down: Won the Class 7A, Region 4 championship, defeating Miami Senior, 73-41, in the final and Western (Davie), 76-41, in the semifinals. The Explorers won’t play again until they meet Evans (Orlando) on March 8 in the 7A state finals.

3. St. Paul VI Catholic, Chantilly, Va. (29-2)

Previous: 3.

The Low-down: In the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Tournament, the Panthers defeated Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, Va.), 65-44, in the semifinals and Archbishop Carroll (Washington, D.C.), 69-41, in the quarterfinals. Additionally, Glenn Farello was named WCAC Coach of the Year and Darren Harris was the Player of the Year. Ben Hammond landed on the First Team All-WCAC. The Panthers faced No. 12 Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) Monday in the final.

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

Previous: 4.

The Low-down: Defeated Albany Academy, 83-43, and South Shore (Brooklyn), 75-41.

5. La Lumiere School, La Porte, Ind. (22-4)

Previous: 5.

The Low-down: The Lakers took care of business with three lopsided victories. The regular season concludes this weekend in Greenville, S.C.

6. Prolific Prep, Napa, Calif. (29-5)

Previous: 6.

The Low-down: At the Crush in the Valley II in Napa, Calif., the Crew swept three games last weekend. Player of the Game sophomore Tyran Stokes had 23 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists and junior A.J. Dybantsa netted 19 points when the Crew stopped Accelerated Prep (Lakewood, Colo.), 95-66. Also defeated Bella Vista College Prep (Phoenix), 68-47, as Aiden Sherrell in a performance of 15 points, 11 rebounds and 4 blocked shots. Stokes had 19 points, 14 rebounds and 6 assists in an 87-50 victory over Trinity Prep (Las Vegas).

7. Plano (Texas) East (36-0)

Previous: 7.

The Low-down: Defeated Highland Park (Dallas), 74-45, in the Class 6A Area playoffs

8. Harvard-Westlake, Studio City, Calif. (30-3)

Previous: 8.

The Low-down: Won the CIF-Southern Section Open Division championship, defeating No. 10 Roosevelt (Eastvale), 54-47, in the final. Up next is the Southern Region Open Division semifinals on Saturday.

9. Archbishop Stepinac, White Plains, N.Y. (22-4)

Previous: 9.

The Low-down: The Crusaders plays in the New York AA Intersectional quarterfinals on March 3 against Christ the King (Middle Village) or St. Peter’s (Staten Island). In the New York Archdiocesan AA final, they lost to No. 24 St. Raymond (Bronx), 57-51, and defeated Monsignor Scanlan (Bronx), 85-63. Kentucky signee Boogie Fland had 24 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals and Braylan Ritvo doubled up at 23 points and 12 rebounds in the latter result.

10. Roosevelt, Eastvale, Calif. (32-3)

Previous: 10.

The Low-down: Lost to No. 8 Harvard-Westlake (Studio City), 54-47, in the CIF-Southern Section Open Division final. The Mustangs have first-round bye in the Southern Region Open Division playoffs and play Saturday in the semifinals.

11. IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. (17-8)

Previous: 11.

The Low-down: Idle.

12. Gonzaga, Washington, D.C. (27-4)

Previous: 19.

The Low-down: In the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Tournament, the Purple Eagles topped bitter rivals DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.), 53-50, in the semifinals and Bishop Ireton (Alexandria, Va.), 70-53, in the quarterfinals. The championship was Monday versus No. 3 St. Paul VI Catholic (Chantilly, Va.) in Washington. The highly competitive District of Columbia State playoffs start later this week. The final is Sunday in George Washington University’s Smith Center.

13. Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson, Va. (22-4)

Previous: 12.

The Low-down: Defeated Central Carolina Prep (Burlington, N.C.), 94-52.

 14. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (26-3)

Previous: 13.

The Low-down: Idle. The Trailblazers open the CIF-Southern Region Open Division playoffs on Wednesday.

 15. Dynamic Prep, Irving, Texas (23-1)

Previous: 14.

The Low-down: Idle.

16. Grayson, Loganville, Ga. (27-2)

Previous: 15.

The Low-down: The Rams opened the Class AAAAAAA state tournament, beating Carrollton, 57-44, in the second round and Colquitt County (Norman Park), 88-44, in first round.

17. Oak Ridge, Orlando, Fla. (26-3)

Previous: 16.

The Low-down: Won Class 7A, Region 2 title, beating Olympia (Orlando), 76-41, in the final and Lake Worth, 85-50, in the semifinals. The Pioneers are off until March 8 when they face Winter Haven in the 7A state semifinals.

18. Notre Dame, Sherman Oaks, Calif. (29-3)

Previous: 17.

Low-down: Won the CIF-Southern Section Division 1 championship, defeating Windward (Los Angeles), 69-65, in the final. Houston-bound Mercy Miller led the Knights with 22 points, Angelino Mark added 16 and Caleb Ogbu had 14. Up next is the CIF Division 1 title defense, starting with the Southern Region first round against Torrey Pines (San Diego) Tuesday.

19. Link Academy, Branson, Mo. (20-6)

Previous: 20.

The Low-down: Defeated Grind Prep (Oklahoma City), 75-51.

20. Brewster Academy, Wolfeboro, N.H. (25-7)

Previous: 20.

The Low-down: The Bobcats close out the regular season this weekend with two games at the Pete Hollis Showcase Greenville, S.C.

21. Curie, Chicago (29-2)

Previous: 21.

The Low-down: Won the Class 4A regional, beating Lyons (La Grange), 55-46, in the finals and Juarez (Chicago), 96-28, in the semifinals. Huge game Tuesday with Whitney Young (Chicago) in the 4A Riverside Sectional semifinals. The final is Friday and the UIC Super-Sectional in Chicago is Monday.

22. McEachern, Powder Springs, Ga. (24-5)

Previous: 23.

The Low-down:

In the Class AAAAAAA state tournament, the Indians defeated Newton (Covington), 67-64, in the second round and Westlake (Atlanta), 105-72, in the first round. Up next is Norcross Wednesday in the quarterfinals. Rutgers-bound F Ace Bailey scored 33 points and cleared 14 rebounds in the second-round game.

23. Wasatch Academy, Mount Pleasant, Utah (16-4)

Previous: 24.

The Low-down: The Tigers have two  games this weekend at the Nike EYBL Scholastic Pete Hollis Showcase in South Carolina.

24. St. Raymond, Bronx, N.Y. (22-5)

Previous: Not ranked.

The Low-down: The Ravens enter the Elite 25 after annexing the New York AA Archdiocesan championship and will be the top seed in the Intersectional AA Tournament. They won’t play until the quarterfinals on Sunday on the campus of Fordham University in the Bronx.

25. St. John Bosco, Bellflower, Calif. (24-7)

Previous: 25.

The Low-down: Idle. The Knights earned a first-round bye in the Southern Region Division 1 playoffs and won’t play until Thursday in the second round. The semifinals are Saturday.

Dropped: No. 22 Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.).

High-Fives by Region

East

1. St. Rose, Belmar, N.J. (25-2)
2. Roman Catholic, Philadelphia (20-3)
3. Don Bosco Prep, Ramsey, N.J. (24-3)
4. Mount St. Joseph, Baltimore (35-4)*
5. Jackson-Reed, Washington, D.C. (32-2)*

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

Midwest

1. Wisconsin Lutheran, Milwaukee (24-0)
2. Homewood (Ill.)-Flossmoor (28-4)
3. St. Mary’s Prep, Orchard, Lake, Mich. (20-1)
4. Fishers, Ind. (22-1)
5. DePaul Prep, Chicago (30-2)

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

Southland

1. Stony Point, Round Rock Texas (34-1)
2. Myers Park, Charlotte, N.C. (24-2)
3. Great Crossing, Georgetown, Ky. (29-1)
4. North Crowley, Fort Worth, Texas (32-3)
5. Huntsville, Ala. (32-2)

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

Far West

1. Salesian College Prep, Richmond, Calif. (29-1)
2. Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas (24-5)*
3. Windward, Los Angeles (28-4)
4. JSerra Catholic, San Juan Capistrano, Calif. (25-6)
5. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (26-5)

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

Records through Sunday’s games.

* Won state, national or conference postseason tournament championship

About: The Blue Star Media Elite 25 Boys High School Basketball Rankings are released weekly from December 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 at the conclusion of the season. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @clawlor.