By Jason Hickman
MaxPreps.com
Lawrence North Earns MaxPreps No. 1 Ranking
Indiana's Lawrence North High routed Muncie Central, 80-56, Saturday at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis to cap a 29-0 season and secure the top spot in MaxPreps' final National Boys Basketball Rankings.
The Wildcats, led by seven-foot center Greg Oden and point guard Mike Conley, swept aside opponents this season by an average of 22 points per game. The Indianapolis powerhouse held teams under 50 points in 17 of its 29 games and played in just two contests, both against league rival Pike, that were decided by less than 10 points.
Oden and Conley were the catalysts for a three-year run by Lawrence North that included three 4A state titles and a record of 103-7.
Oak Hill Academy, Va., finished in the No. 2 spot after compiling a 41-1 record against the nation's toughest schedule. The Warriors faced teams from 16 different states remained unbeaten until a two-point loss to Montrose Christian, Md., in early March.
Rounding out the top five were No. 3 McKinley, Ohio, No. 4 Artesia, Calif., and No. 5 DeMatha, D.C.
Track Time
Boys and girls basketball may have garnered much of the attention nationally last weekend, but in the state of Texas, it was a monster couple of days for track & field.
Three meet records were shattered at the prestigious Jesuit-Sheaner Relays in Dallas, an event that began in 1964. Midlothian's Nick Frawley went 16 feet, 8 inches, in the pole vault, breaking a seven-year old meet record by one inch. In the girls' 1600 meter, Loren Hodges of Paradise also established a new mark, racing to a record time of 4:58.09, while Duncanville's 800 meter relay team did the same with a time of 1:26.17.
Also of note from the event was Ardmore, Okla., sophomore Geoffrey Tabor, who won the discus competition with a throw of 183 feet, 4 inches. Tabor's personal best is 199-3 and he should challenge Kevin Bookout's national sophomore record of 201-2 at some point in 2006. Bookout is now a standout on the University of Oklahoma basketball team.
In Houston, the main event was the Texas Southern Relays, where another sophomore was among the premier performers. Erica Alexander of Clear Brook High posted times of 23.90 in the 200 meter and 55.26 in the 400 meter. Alexander won the 200 and finished second to Brandi Cross (state-best 54.06) in the 400. The Houston speedster owns the state's second-best mark in the 200, and third-best in the 400.
Basketball All-Americans
MaxPreps will release its 2006 basketball All-American teams this week, beginning with the boys Wednesday, March 29, and the girls Friday, March 31.
MaxPreps will honor 50 boys and girls from around the nation, including a National Player of the Year and National Coach of the Year. The teams will feature first, second, and third team selections, as well as 35 honorable mention picks.
Oden and Ohio's O.J. Mayo are among the student-athletes expected to highlight the boys' team, while California's Jacki Gemelos and Georgia's Maya Moore are candidates for National Player of the Year on the girls' side.
Selection of student-athletes and coaches was based on extensive national research, including conversations with coaches, local, regional, and state recognition, all-star game selections, and in participating states, information provided by coaches to MaxPreps.
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