Compiled By Dave Krider
MaxPreps.com
About the Rankings: MaxPreps already provides the most comprehensive high school sports ratings with the MaxPreps National Rankings presented by the National Guard, a computer model developed by Ned Freeman. Now, it’s time to get the human element involved.
Each Monday (in this case, Tuesday following all of the big games played on the MLK holiday), senior writer Dave Krider will run down the top 25 boys basketball teams in the country – weighing record, quality wins and losses and other factors to determine the best of the best.
MaxPreps Xcellent 25
1. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 18-0. Last week: 1. The Monarchs won three times, including an 86-61 victory over Whitney Young (Chicago, Ill.) in Springfield, Mass. Six-foot-ten senior twins Travis and David Wear dominated with 24 and 18 points, respectively, as the Monarchs pulled away in the second half and shot 58 percent from the field. Junior guard Gary Franklin added 18 points.
2. Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 22-0. Last week: 2. The Warriors went 3-0 with a pair of particularly impressive wins. They defeated then No. 10 South Atlanta (Atlanta, Ga.), 65-58, in Springfield, Mass., as 6-9, 320-pound senior Keith “Tiny” Gallon drilled a shocking 6-of-9 3-point attempts to finish with 22 points and 13 rebounds. They then handed Christ School (Arden, N.C.) its first loss, 75-58, behind senior guard Lamont Jones’ 34 points. Gallon set the pace with 14 rebounds and six assists.
3. St. Benedict’s (Newark, N.J.) 17-0. Last week: 3. The Gray Bees posted four wins, including a hard-earned 77-67 triumph over Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) in Springfield, Mass. Standout junior forward Tristan Thompson amassed 20 points and 13 rebounds, while Lamar Patterson, a 6-5, 220-pound senior, added 19 points and 13 rebounds. Senior guard Tamir Jackson scored 17 points. Big games: Saturday vs. Lincoln (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Sunday vs. Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.).
4. Montrose Christian (Rockville, Md.) 13-1. Last week: 4. The Mustangs handed Trotwood-Madison (Ohio) its first loss in 13 games, 52-49, before a standing-room crowd of 4,000 in Kettering, Ohio. Six-foot-eight senior Isaiah Armwood had 16 points and 10 rebounds, while 6-10 senior Mouphtaou Yarou added 13 points and a game-high 15 rebounds. They also defeated Centerville, Ohio, 63-53.
5. Boyd Anderson (Lauderdale Lakes, Fla.) 19-0. Last week: 5. The balanced Cobras struck for three victories, which included a 66-60 decision against then No. 16 Winter Park. Senior guards Curtis Floyd and Martavious Irving led the way with 18 and 16 points, respectively. Junior forward Travis Elliott grabbed 10 rebounds, with senior point guard Tyrone Davis dishing out seven assists.
6. Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) 20-0. Last week: 6. The Pilots picked up four victories, three of them in Kettering, Ohio. Senior guard Avery Bradley scored 23 points in the closest game, a 66-62 win against Wayne, Ohio. Bradley had 22 points and five steals during a 60-50 triumph over another Ohio school, Garfield Heights.
7. St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.) 10-2. Last week: 7. The Celtics outlasted Christian Brothers Academy, 60-59, in double overtime on Paris Bennett’s basket off an in-bounds play. Sophomores Derrick Gordon and Michael Gilchrist led the way with 20 and 15 points, respectively.
8. Strake Jesuit (Houston, Texas) 23-0. Last week: 8. The Crusaders won a pair of close games, 76-74 over Alief Taylor and 50-44 over Alief Hastings. Tim Frazier scored 27 points and Joey Brooks 22 against Taylor, while Brooks tallied 21 against Hastings.
9. LeFlore (Mobile, Ala.) 20-2. Last week: 12. The Rattlers made some noise – and showed great balance - with a pair of victories over highly-regarded teams in showcase games. They defeated then No. 10 South Atlanta, 78-66, in Birmingham, Ala., with a 20-0 spurt in the second half. DeMarcus Cousins, a 6-10, 270-pound senior, raised his stock nationally with 21 points, 11 rebounds and an impressive eight assists. Underrated senior guard Darryl Woods was high with 23 points. Woods and Cousins each scored 17 points and Cousins hauled down 20 rebounds during a 67-54 victory over then No. 24 Lincoln (Brooklyn, N.Y.). Big game: Friday vs. Duncanville (Texas).
10. Westchester (Los Angeles, Calif.) 17-1. Last week: 17. The underclass-dominated Comets are streaking following a huge 78-73 victory over arch rival Fairfax, then ranked No. 11. Senior point guard Dominique O’Connor was high with 22 points, while juniors Jordin Mayes (17 points) and Dwayne Polee (four blocked shots) filled strong supporting roles. Mayes had 24 points, with Polee contributing 11 points, 12 rebounds and six blocks during a 69-52 victory over Los Angeles University. O’Connor was high with 11 assists.
11. Northland (Columbus, Ohio) 9-0. Last week: 14. The Vikings defeated San Diego High, 56-39, in Kettering, Ohio, as two of the nation’s premier junior big-men went head-to-head in a ballyhooed matchup. Six-foot-nine Jared Sullinger scored 23 points – 21 in the second half – and had three dunks. For the losers, 6-11 Jeremy Tyler had 22 points, including seven dunks.
12. De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) 14-1. Last week: 20. The defensive-minded Spartans proved supreme in northern California by throttling defending Division I state champion Oakland McClymonds, 43-38, to sever a 49-game winning streak. They drilled 17-of-21 free throws and held McClymonds’ 6-5 senior star, Damon Powell, scoreless. Point guard Brandon Smith led the way with nine points and a heady floor game. Sophomore Joe Stein was right behind with eight points. Big game: Wednesday vs. once-beaten Danville Monte Vista.
13. Detroit Country Day (Beverly Hills, Mich.) 10-0. Last week: 13. TheYellowjackets stung a couple of Ohio teams, beating Canton GlenOak, 72-64, and Youngstown Poland Seminary, 82-53. Junior guard Ray McCallum scored 25 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter, against GlenOak. DaShonte Riley had 10 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks.
14. Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.) 11-0. Last week: 15. The Royals rolled past Richfield, 89-44, as senior forward Royce White scored 14 points to pace five players in double figures. Ray Cowels was next with 13 points.
15. DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) 14-1. Last week: 18. The Stags defeated a pair of talented teams during a 3-0 week. They whipped area rival Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.), 68-54, despite missing three starters (rule violation). Six-foot-nine junior Chris Frank stepped up with 10 points, while standout freshman guard James Robinson also scored 10 points as retired Hall of Fame coach Morgan Wootten looked on approvingly. Then they defeated Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.), 88-71, behind junior guard Josh Selby, who scored 28 points on 12-of-15 shooting in just 22 minutes. Naji Hibbert added 17 points as the Stags shot 57 percent from the field. Big game: Wednesday vs. 15-2 Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.).
16. Franklin (Seattle, Wash.) 11-0. Last week: 21. Senior point guard Peyton Siva had 22 points, five steals and four assists during a 71-44 out of Seattle Cleveland. The Quakers defeated talented Seattle Garfield, 75-60, before an estimated crowd of 7,000 despite Siva’s foul problems. Chris Holmes and Freddy Wilson stepped up with 18 and 16 points, respectively. Big game: Friday vs. once-beaten Seattle Rainier Beach.
17. Lawrence North (Indianapolis, Ind.) 12-2. Last week: 9. The Wildcats were upset by eventual champion Indianapolis North Central, 74-67, in the semifinals of the annual Marion County Tournament. They were outrebounded for the first time this season, 39-28. Justin Martin was high scorer with 22 points, followed by Stephan Van Treese with 17 and Dominique Ferguson with 16. Van Treese had 13 rebounds during a 53-39 victory over Franklin Central. Big game: Friday vs. North Central.
18. Rice (Manhattan, N.Y.) 9-1. Last week: Not ranked. The Raiders defeated Pine Crest (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), 70-53, behind Durand Scott’s 26 points and 11 rebounds. Sophomore Jermaine Sanders added 13 points in 15 minutes. They also defeated Long Island Lutheran, 71-45, as Scott had 10 rebounds and 10 assists. James Stukes and Charles Fenner shared scoring honors with 13 points.
19. Pershing (Detroit, Mich.) 9-0. Last week: Not ranked. The Doughboys routed Detroit Denby, 86-41, as junior guard Keith Appling poured in 32 points. Senior Derrick Nix (6-8, 290) added 12 points and was high with 15 rebounds.
20. Penn Wood (Lansdowne, Pa.) 13-1. Last week: 25. The Patriots had a 3-0 week, which included an 80-67 triumph over talented Concordville Glen Mills. Six-foot-six senior Duane Johnson set the pace with 22 points and 11 rebounds, while sophomore Andy Brown contributed 17 points and 10 rebounds. Junior guard Will Brown scored 18 points in a 72-69 victory over Philadelphia Bartram.
21. Fairfax (Los Angeles, Calif.) 12-3. Last week: 11. The Lions lost to then No. 17 Los Angeles Westchester, 78-73, despite 34 points and nine rebounds by 6-11 senior Renardo Sidney. Sidney also had 39 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks during a 92-36 rout of LACES. Senior Solomon Hill added 12 points and nine assists. Big game: Friday vs. San Diego High and its 6-11 junior, Jeremy Tyler.
22. St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.) 12-2. Last week: 19. The Friars were upset by Plainfield, 51-48, before rebounding with a 58-50 victory over Putnam City (Oklahoma City, Okla.) in Springfield, Mass. Six-foot-seven Devon Collier – one of three tall junior transfers playing their first game – led the way with 19 points and 10 rebounds.
23. South Atlanta (Atlanta, Ga.) 14-3. Last week: 10. The Hornets lost to a pair of nationally-ranked teams during a 1-2 week. They bowed to then No. 12 LeFlore (Mobile, Ala.), 78-66, in Birmingham, Ala., despite 39 points and 17 rebounds by 6-9 senior Derrick Favors. They also lost to No. 2 Oak Hill (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), 65-58, in Springfield, Mass. Favors collected 25 points and 17 rebounds, but the Hornets could not hold a lead which once reached 14 points.
24. Winter Park (Fla.) 13-4. Last week: 16. Sophomore guard Austin Rivers scored 26 points in a 73-53 victory over Orlando Freedom. He had 23 points against No. 5-ranked Boyd Anderson, but the Wildcats suffered a 66-60 loss. Big game: Wednesday vs. No. 25 Orlando Olympia.
25. Olympia (Orlando, Fla.) 14-3. Last week: 22. The Titans reached the title game of the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions in Springfield, Mo., before falling to Word of God (Raleigh, N.C.), 80-77. Sherwood Brown scored 18 points and William Green hauled down 11 rebounds. Dexter Fields scored 25 points in an 87-58 victory over Ozark (Mo.) and 24 in a 79-64 victory over talented McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.). Big games: Wednesday vs. No. 24 Winter Park and Saturday vs. Orlando Christian Prep.
Dropped out: No., 23 North Lawndale College Prep (Chicago, Ill.), 16-4, lost to Chicago Whitney Young, 75-71, in overtime, and Westchester St. Joseph, 66-61; No. 24 Lincoln (Brooklyn, N.Y.), lost to Jamesville-DeWitt (N.Y.), 73-63, and then No. 12 LeFlore (Mobile, Ala.), 67-54.
Past Weeks: Jan. 5 / Jan. 12
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