Highest-scoring team in the country is also the best.
Findlay Prep's (Henderson, Nev.) 59-46 win over
Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) on Saturday at the ESPN RISE National High School Invitational in Baltimore, Md., marked the end of the 2009-10 high school basketball season.
The Pilots successfully defended their title at the event, but unlike a year ago did not finish with the No. 1 ranking in MaxPreps.com’s Xcellent 25 Boys Basketball Rankings presented by the National Guard.
Findlay Prep gave way to Lone Star State superpower Yates (Houston, Texas), which went 34-0 en route to a Texas Class 4A state title and consensus mythical national championship.
The Pilots (preseason No. 1) and Lions (preseason No. 4) are two of 14 schools that appeared in the preseason Xcellent 25 rankings and today’s final rundown of the nation’s elite.
Xcellent 25 National High School Boys Basketball Rankings
1. (1 last week) Yates (Houston, Texas), 34-0
National champions; Texas Class 4A state champions.
2. (2) St. Benedict's Prep (Newark, N.J.), 20-1
3. (3) Ames (Ames, Iowa), 27-0
Iowa Class 4A state champions.
4. (5) Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.), 30-1
Pennsylvania Class AAA state champions.
5. (6) Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.), 32-2
ESPN RISE National High School Invitational champions.
6. (7) Providence (Jacksonville, Fla.), 31-1
Florida Class 2A state champions.
7. (8) Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.), 30-2
Nevada Class 4A state champions.
8. (9) Westchester (Los Angeles, Calif.), 32-3
Los Angeles City Section Division I champions; California (CIF) Division I state champions.
9. (13) Plymouth Whitemarsh (Plymouth Meeting, Pa.), 30-2
Pennsylvania Class AAAA state champions.
10. (12) Melrose (Memphis, Tenn.), 37-4
Tennessee Class AAA state champions.
11. (11) Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.), 24-5
National High School Invitational finalist.
12. (14) Winter Park (Winter Park, Fla.), 29-6
Florida Class 6A state champions; National High School Invitational participant.
13. (4) Christ (Arden, N.C.), 37-2
North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association 3A champions; National High School Invitational participant.
14. (15) Milton (Alpharetta, Ga.), 29-4
Georgia Class AAAAA state champions.
15. (16) Peabody (Alexandria, La.), 41-0
Louisiana Class 4A state champions.
16. (17) Northland (Columbus, Ohio), 23-1
17. (18) Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), 32-2
Southern Section Division I-AA champions.
18. (19) St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.), 23-3
19. (20) DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.), 32-4
Washington Catholic Athletic Conference champions; Abe Pollin City Title.
20. (21) Kalamazoo Central (Kalamazoo, Mich.), 27-1
Michigan Class A state champions.
21. (22) Detroit Country Day (Beverly Hills, Mich.), 26-2
Michigan Class B state champions.
22. (23) Jesuit (Portland, Ore.), 26-2
Oregon Class 6A state champions.
23. (24) North Central (Indianapolis, Ind.), 25-3
Indiana Class 4A state champions.
24. (25) Trenton Catholic Academy (Trenton, N.J.), 28-3
New Jersey Tournament of Champions winner; Non-Public South Group B champions.
25. (NR) Paterson Catholic (Paterson, N.J.), 28-1
