YO-YO: No. 1 Prolific Prep (FL) back on top of Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ basketball rankings; No. 5 Montverde Academy (FL) zooms up 13 spots

BENSALEM, Pa. – When it comes to the Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys basketball rankings, the yo-yo effect. The top spot in the Elite 25 was up for grabs on Saturday because previous No. 1 Spire Academy (Geneva, Ohio) absorbed a loss at an event in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Spire, coached by future Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Kevin Boyle, lost convincingly to his previous school, No. 5 Montverde (Fla.) Academy. But the new No. 1 was still up-in-air because previous No. 2 Prolific Prep (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) had a rugged road game at IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) on its Senior Night.

Thanks to a last-second shot, the Prolific Prep Crew won by two points after IMG’s late rally was snuffed out.

Tah-da that means No. 1 Prolific (24-3) ascends the Elite 25 rankings and assumes the lofty position it maintained when the preseason rankings were released in October. No. 6 Link Academy (Branson, Mo.) took over No. 1 briefly after the Christmas holiday tournament schedule only to see Spire get the nod with a win over the Lions in January.

With the month of February in full swing and several states launching postseason brackets, Prolific can expect several teams from the Nike EYBL Scholastic to join in the chase. Prolific plays mostly on the Grind Session circuit but should get an invitation when the 10-team CHIPOTLE Nationals bracket is released in March for the four-day event (April 1-4) at Southeastern Hamilton High School in Fishers, Indiana.

More on that in March when prognosticating the bracket is more realistic. However, do expect Prolific and at least a handful of EYBL Scholastic team composing the elite field that will vie for the national championship.

There are no additions to the Elite 25 rankings this week. Three teams remained in the same position with 17 teams dropping and five moving up with the biggest leap of 13 slots by No. 5 Montverde (Fla.) Academy. No. 15 Wasatch Academy (Mount Pleasant, Utah) surged 10 after two key wins.

On to the events of the week.

Over the weekend, the California Interscholastic Federation-Southern Section released its potent Open Division pools, four of them with three teams, to determine a champion.

The games will be played on Wednesday, Friday and Tuesday (Feb. 17). The top two from each pool advance to the quarterfinals on Friday, Feb. 20. The semifinals are Tuesday, Feb. 24 and the final is Saturday, Feb. 28 at the Toyota Center in Ontario (6 p.m. PT). All games tip off at 7 p.m. PT unless denoted.

Teams listed first are the top seeds for their pool.

Pool A: No. 3 Sierra Canyon School, Corona del Mar (Newport Beach) and Crespi (Encino).

Pool B: Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita), Harvard-Westlake (Studio City) and Damien (La Verne).

Pool C: Redondo Union (Redondo Beach), Corona Centennial and Etiwanda.

Pool D: Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks), St. John Bosco (Bellflower) and La Mirada.

In Geneva, Ohio, the Grind Session Cleveland runs for three days, starting Friday at the campus of Spire Academy. As usual, the circuit deliver big-time games with big-time players in a world class facility. Check it out.

Elsewhere in the Midwest, the Heartland Hoops Classic will be conducted on Saturday in Grand Island, Nebraska. It’s held in the Heartland Events Center with Nebraska teams from different classifications matching up just before the postseason brackets are released. Get general admission tickets here.

The lineup:

8:30 a.m.: Wallace vs. Grand Island Lutheran

10:10 a.m.: St. Mary’s vs. Howells-Dodge

11:50 a.m.: Archbishop Bergan vs. Doniphan-Trumbull

1:30 p.m.: Adams Central vs. Alma

3:10 p.m.: Elkhorn North vs. Grand Island Central Catholic

4:50 p.m.: Ogallala vs. Ashland-Greenwood

6:30 p.m.: Lincoln North Star vs. Omaha Westside

8:10 p.m.: Norris vs. Scottsbluff.

The Philadelphia Catholic League opens with first round games on Wednesday and continues later this week on Friday with the quarterfinals.

The first round matchups: La Salle College High (Wyndmoor, Pa.) at Archbishop Ryan (Philadelphia) and West Catholic (Philadelphia) at St. Joseph’s Prep (Philadelphia).

Quarterfinals on Friday feature the lowest remaining at top-seeded Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.); Highest remaining seed at Bonner & Prendergast (Drexel Hill, Pa.); Father Judge (Philadelphia) at Roman Catholic (Philadelphia) and Archbishop Carroll (Radnor, Pa.) at Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia).

The semifinals are Wednesday, Feb. 18 at the Palestra on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, starting at 6 p.m. ET. The finals (boys and girls) are Sunday, Feb. 22 back at the Palestra.

Get tickets for the semifinals and final now because the games will sellout the 9,000-seat venue.

Finally, the Mission League Tournament in Southern California was cut short last week by a tragedy when a Sierra Canyon School student died in a car accident in Malibu on Wednesday, Feb. 7.

Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) and No. 3 Sierra Canyon School (Chatsworth) were to have played for the title but out of respect for the fallen student, it was mutually cancelled by both schools.

Prayers go out to the family and Sierra Canyon schoolmates of the fallen student.

Golden Arch Madness

If you missed it last week, here’s a wrap-up of the McDonald’s All American Game boys rosters.

The 50^th annual game will be held at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona or in close proximity to Phoenix on March 31. Several of the selectees play for teams from the Blue Star Media Elite 25 rankings. Buy tickets here.

The top boys players are Tyran Stokes of Rainier Beach (Seattle) and Cameron Williams of St. Mary’s (Phoenix). Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.) teammates Jasiah Jervis, Adonis Ratliff and twin Darius Ratliff are on the East squad.

East roster: Latrell Allmond, Darius Bivins, Brue Branch III, Toni Bryant, Jasiah Jervis, Taylon Kinney, Adonis Ratliff, Darius Ratliff, Jaxon Richardson, Deron Shipley Jr., Jordan Smith Jr., and Anthony Thompson.

West roster: Maximo Adams, JaShawn Andrews, Christian Collins, Quinn Costello, Jason Crowe Jr., Arafan Diané, Caleb Gaskins, Austin Goosby, Caleb Holt, Brandon McCoy, Tyran Stokes, and Cameron Williams.

That’ll do it for the first week of February. The Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ basketball rankings return on Tuesday, Feb. 17.

Bye for now. Be the good and stay warm if you live in the Arctic blasted regions of the East and Midwest. Hopefully, spring is on the way because pitchers and catchers will report to Major League Baseball spring training camps in Arizona and Florida in the coming days.

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

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Boys’ Basketball Rankings, Feb. 10, 2026

1. Prolific Prep, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (24-3)

Previous rank: 2.

Lowdown: Survived a late rally to hold off IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), 58-56, on the road. The Crew moves back into the No. 1 slot in the Elite 25. Caleb Holt, a McDonald’s All-American Game selectee, scored a game-high 22 points. Coach Ryan Bernardi’s squad plays at the Grind Session Los Angeles this weekend.

2. Spire Academy, Geneva, Ohio (22-2)

Previous: 1.

Lowdown: At the Dr. Pepper Classic in Chattanooga, Tenn., Spire was upended by then-No. 18 Montverde (Fla.) Academy, 66-52, but stopped St. James Performance Academy (Springfield, Va.), 65-45. Aiden Derkack tossed 16 points in the win.

3. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (22-1)

Previous: 4.

Lowdown: The Mission League Tournament final against Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) was cancelled due to the death of a Sierra Canyon student on Wednesday, Feb. 4. In the semifinals, the Trailblazers beat Loyola (Los Angeles), 103-74. Brandon McCoy tossed in 30 points and Maxi Adams added 23. Up next is the CIF-Southern Section Open Division…

4. AZ Compass Prep, Chandler, Ariz. (17-1)

Previous: 5.

Lowdown: Defeated Layton (Utah) Christian, 63-42, as junior DeMarcus Henry flipped in 16 points and Quincy Wadley scored 19 points as the Dragons defeated ABC Prep (Albuquerque, N.M.), 64-33, at the AZ Compass Prep Hoops Classic.

5. Montverde (Fla.) Academy (16-5)

Previous: 18.

Lowdown: In one of the nation’s biggest upsets, the Eagles stopped then-No. 1 Spire Academy (Geneva, Ohio), 66-52. Dhani Miller delivered a double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds Oneal Delancy scored 19 points. Also beat Boyd-Buchanan (Chattanooga, Tenn.), 84-55, at the Dr. Pepper Classic in Chattanooga, Tenn. Miller and Sebastian Ndour scored 15 point apiece.

6. Link Academy, Branson, Mo. (20-2)

Previous: 6.

Lowdown: Defeated South Central Prep (Tulsa, Okla.), 84-48, and Life Prep (Park City, Kan.), 75-40.

7. St. Paul VI Catholic, Chantilly, Va. (22-2)

Previous: 7.

Lowdown: Defeated Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.), 78-58, and DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.), 67-50. Jordan Smith Jr. scored 20 points. Five games are left in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference regular season before the vaunted playoffs.

8. Brewster Academy, Wolfeboro, N.H. (24-3)

Previous: 3.

Lowdown: Lost to then-No. 25 Wasatch Academy (Mount Pleasant, Utah), 62-51 but bounced back to defeat host Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.), 66-63, at the Bob McKillop LuHi Invitational in Brookville, N.Y.

9. Dynamic Prep School, Irving, Texas (16-1)

Previous: 8.

Lowdown: Idle. Auston Goolsby was selected for the McDonald’s All American Game.

10. Archbishop Stepinac, White Plains, N.Y. (19-4)

Previous: 10.

Lowdown: Michigan State-bound Jasiah Jervis produced 17 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds when the Crusaders beat Mount St. Michael (Bronx), 78-62. Also beat Iona Prep (New Rochelle), 76-49, as USC-bound Adonis Ratliff doubled up with 17 points and 13 rebounds as did Darius Ratliff with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Defeated rival St. Raymond (Bronx), 65-53, as Hassan Koureissi had 16 points, 7 assists and 3 rebounds while cracking the 1,000-point barrier for his career. Darius Ratliff manufactured 19 points, 15 boards and 3 blocks. The Crusaders travel to another rival, Christ the King (Middle Village), on Tuesday afternoon in the regular season finale.

11. Seven Lakes, Katy, Texas (31-0)

Previous: 9.

Lowdown: Defeated Mayde Creek (Katy), 89-58, and Tompkins (Katy), 86-49, in District 19-6A.

12. CIA Bella Vista Prep, Phoenix (15-3)

Previous: 11.

Lowdown: Defeated Layton (Utah) Christian, 73-36, and ABC Prep (Albuquerque, N.M.), 88-53, at the AZ Compass Prep Classic in Chandler, Ariz.

13. Sunnyslope, Phoenix (22-1)

Previous: 12.

Lowdown: Defeated Corona del Sol (Tempe), 88-32, and Brophy College Prep (Phoenix), 67-54.

14. Calvary Christian Academy, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (19-1)

Previous: 13.

Lowdown: Won the FHSAA Class 3A, District 12 title, defeating St. Andrew’s (Boca Raton), 80-66, in the championship game. The Eagles also beat Coral Springs (Fla.) Charter, 69-20, in the semifinals. Up next is the Region 4 first round.

15. Wasatch Academy, Mount Pleasant, Utah (18-4)

Previous: 25.

Lowdown: Manu Manciel tossed in 20 points when the Tigers topped Christ School (Arden, N.C.), 58-43. Also beat Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.), 64-52, at the Bob McKillop LuHi Invitational in New York.

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

Previous: 14.

Lowdown: At the Dr. Pepper Classic in Chattanooga, Tenn., the Lakers defeated Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), 81-75, with Jonthan Sanderson pumping in 20 points. Also beat McCallie School (Chattanooga, Tenn.), 80-40, as Devin Cleveland finished with 20 points, making 4 of 7 3-pointers.

17. Rainier Beach, Seattle (21-1)

Previous: 15.

Lowdown: Defeated West Seattle (Seattle), 117-38, Eastside Catholic (Sammamish), 94-67, and Roosevelt (Seattle), 103-67 to end the regular season on a 16-game win streak and 15-0 record in the 3A Metro.

18. Principia School, St. Louis (19-2)

Previous: 16.

Lowdown: Defeated Lutheran North (St. Louis),75-43, and Whitfield (St. Louis), 95-58. In the latter win, Wake Forest-bound G Quentin Coleman scored 24 points on 9 of 10 shooting and snared 8 rebounds.

19. Wisconsin Lutheran, Milwaukee (19-0)

Previous: 17.

Lowdown: Defeated Homestead (Mequon), 95-68, and Waukesha South, 74-53. Five games remain in the regular season.

20. Southeastern Prep Academy, Orlando, Fla. (33-8)

Previous: 19.

Lowdown: At the DC Grind Session in Lanham, Md., the Eagles beat Winston-Salem (N.C.) Pre, 96-51, and Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, Va.), 80-57.

21. Fishers, Ind. (19-0)

Previous: 20.

Lowdown: Defeated Westfield, 74-72, in overtime. The Tigers sit atop the Hoosiers Crossroads Conference with a 6-0 record.

22. Benet Academy, Lisle, Ill. (26-1)

Previous: 21.

Lowdown: Defeated Notre Dame (Niles), 59-36. Three games to go in the regular season.

Class 4A state champions and could be headed Downstate.

23. Millennium, Goodyear, Ariz. (19-3)

Previous: 22.

Lowdown: Idle. Plays No. 13 Sunnyslope (Phoenix) on Tuesday.

24. Webb School, Knoxville, Tenn. (26-2)

Previous: 23.

Lowdown: Defeated Baylor School (Chattanooga), 63-41, and Knoxville Catholic, 71-55.

25. Bartlett, Tenn. (21-4)

Previous: 24.

Lowdown: Defeated Bolingbrook (Ill.), 72-42, at the Bank of O’Fallon Shootout in Illinois.

Dropped: None.

High-Fives by Region

East

1. St. Frances Academy, Baltimore (30-5)
2. Bergen Catholic, Oradell, N.J. (20-3)
3. Archbishop Wood, Warminster, Pa. (16-6)
4. Ss. Neumann-Goretti, Philadelphia (17-4)
5. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (8-10)

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

Midwest

1. DePaul Prep, Chicago (22-3)
2. Sunrise Christian School, Bel Aire, Kan. (12-7)
3. Curie, Chicago (22-1)
4. Kankakee, Ill. (22-1)
5. East Lansing, Mich. (17-1)

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

Southland

1. Columbus, Miami (21-6)
2. Greensboro (N.C.) Day (30-2)
3. Wheeler, Marietta, Ga. (20-5)
4. Oak Cliff Faith Family, Dallas (23-7)
5. IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. (18-8)

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

Far West

1. Santa Margarita, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. (26-3)
2. Redondo Union, Redondo Beach, Calif. (25-3)
3. Notre Dame, Sherman Oaks, Calif. (20-6)
4. St. John Bosco, Bellflower, Calif. (20-7)
5. St. Joseph, Santa Maria, Calif. (27-2)

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

Records through Sunday

About: The Blue Star Media Elite 25 High School Boys Basketball Rankings are released weekly from October 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 in April of the 2025-26 season. Follow him on X at @clawlor.