Power ranking the Dick’s Nationals contenders

Video: Dick's Sporting Goods High School Nationals contenders
Defending champions Montverde Academy, Oak Hill Academy look like locks for NYC.

Who's headed to New York City?

Dick's Sporting Goods High School Nationals is scheduled for March 31-April 2 in the Big Apple and it's time to get serious about projecting the field.

By our estimate, three of the eight spots are already locked up, two schools are a couple wins away from achieving the same status and a handful of others will have to slug it out in the coming weeks to earn an invite.



National Federation of State High School Associations-affiliated organizations typically do not permit members to participate in the event – Florida, Georgia, New York, Utah and Washington being exceptions. This list is limited to independent programs and the aforementioned states or other governing bodies with a precedent of playing in the event. DICK'S NATIONALS POWER RANKINGS

1. Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), 34-1
MaxPreps ranking: 2
Media composite ranking: 2
Top 25 wins: No. 6 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.), No. 13 DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.), No. 14 Providence Day (Charlotte, N.C.), No. 21 Chaminade (St. Louis, Mo.)
Loss: 22ft Academy (Greenville, S.C.)
Path to NYC: The Warriors still have 10 games to play but it would take a total collapse to keep them out of the eight team field.

2. Montverde Academy (Fla.), 25-1
MaxPreps ranking: 3
Media composite ranking: 3
Top 25 wins: No. 6 Sierra Canyon, No. 12 St. John's (Washington, D.C.), No. 13 DeMatha, No. 15 Seton Hall Prep (West Orange, N.J.)
Loss: No. 1 Chino Hills (Calif.)
Path to NYC: The regular season is in the books for the Eagles, who have already suggested via Twitter that they will be part of the field.

3. Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.), 24-1
MaxPreps ranking: 10
Media composite ranking: 7
Top 25 wins: No. 11 St. Benedict's Prep (Newark, N.J.)
Loss: Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.)
Path to NYC: Four games remain for the Pilots. They will be heavy favorites in all four and even a loss at this point probably wouldn't keep them out of the field.

4. St. Benedict's Prep (Newark, N.J.), 25-1
MaxPreps ranking: 11
Media composite ranking: 11
Top 25 wins: No. 17 La Lumiere (LaPorte, Ind.)
Loss: No. 10 Findlay Prep
Path to NYC: Even with some stiff tests ahead, head coach Mark Taylor's Gray Bees are in good shape. The Saint James Invitational in early March includes several potential pitfalls but St. Benedict's is another team that could probably lose a game and still earn a bid.

5. La Lumiere (LaPorte, Ind.), 23-3
MaxPreps ranking: 17
Media composite ranking: 14
Top 25 wins: None
Losses: No. 6 Sierra Canyon, No. 11 St. Benedict's Prep, Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah)
Path to NYC: Expect to see the Lakers in the Big Apple if they can finish the regular season with three wins.



6. Providence Day (Charlotte, N.C.), 27-3
MaxPreps ranking: 14
Media composite ranking: 19
Top 25 wins: No. 24 Greensboro Day (Greensboro, N.C.)
Losses: No. 2 Oak Hill Academy, No. 20 Greenforest (Decatur, Ga.)
Path to NYC: Here's where things begin to get murky. Providence Day will begin NCISAA Class 3A state tournament this week. Fellow Dick's Nationals hopefuls Greensboro Day and High Point Christian Academy (High Point, N.C.) are vying for the same state title and would have a NYC-worthy resume by emerging as the champ.

7. Garfield (Seattle, Wash.), 21-2
MaxPreps ranking: 25
Media composite ranking: 22
Top 25 wins: None
Losses: No. 13 DeMatha, Rainier Beach (Seattle, Wash.)
Path to NYC: The Bulldogs must win Washington's Class 3A state title and then cross their fingers.

8. Greenforest (Decatur, Ga.), 26-2
MaxPreps ranking: 20
Media composite ranking: 24
Top 25 wins: No. 14 Providence Day
Losses: Hammond (Columbia, S.C.), South Atlanta (Atlanta, Ga.)
Path to NYC: Very similar to Garfield, Greenforest must take care of business at home then hope the committee looks its way.

9. Hamilton Heights Christian Academy (Chattanooga, Tenn.), 23-3
MaxPreps ranking: 23
Media composite ranking: NR
Top 25 wins: None
Losses: No. 2 Oak Hill Academy (twice), Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.)
Path to NYC: A relative newcomer to the national scene, the Hawks probably have to hope for a couple of the teams listed above to lose.

10. Hammond (Columbia, S.C.), 22-2
MaxPreps ranking: NR
Media composite ranking: NR
Top 25 wins: No. 20 Greenforest
Loss: Ben Lippen, Cardinal Newman
Path to NYC: If multiple contenders suffer losses between now and the end of the season, the committee could look Hammond's way. North Carolina-bound point guard Seventh Woods would certainly be an attractive addition to the field.

Longshots: Bingham (South Jordan, Utah), Federal Way (Wash.), Lone Peak (Highland, Utah)