Top 25 high school basketball rankings

For the first time in five weeks, a new No. 1 sits at the top of MaxPreps.com's Xcellent 25 presented by the Army National Guard.

As expected, St. Anthony (Jersey City) is the king of the mountain after dispatching then-No. 1 St. Patrick (Elizabeth) in New Jersey's Non-Public North B finals last Wednesday. It's not unfamiliar territory for the Friars, who have been crowned mythical national champion by at least one media outlet on three occasions under Hall of Fame head coach Bob Hurley. The program's last title came in 2008.

But don't start fitting St. Anthony for rings just yet as it still must navigate through the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions to lock down a national title. The Friars will meet the winner of Central (Newark) and Eastside (Paterson) Friday at Monmouth University in Long Branch.

Beyond the top spot, two teams that could have taken advantage of a St. Anthony slip-up went down in stunning fashion over the weekend.

Norcross upset then-No. 3 Milton for the Georgia Class AAAAA state title, denying an accomplished senior class led by Dai-Jon Parker (Vanderbilt), Julian Royal (Georgia Tech) and Shannon Scott (Ohio State) back-to-back state championships to end their career.



A freight train all season long, then-No. 6 Long Beach Poly (Long Beach) was taken out by Mater Dei (Santa Ana) in California's Division I regional semifinals. The Monarchs ran away with the game for a 72-55 win after falling behind by 13 points in the first quarter.

Five other nationally-ranked teams captured state titles since last week's release. Marcus (Flower Mound, Texas), Norcom (Portsmouth, Va.), Miller Grove (Lithonia, Ga.), Wichita Heights (Wichita, Kan.) and Linn-Mar (Marion, Iowa) all capped special seasons in championship fashion.

Miller Grove and Wichita Heights are both celebrating dominant three-peat runs. Miller Grove is 89-10 during that span playing in one of the nation's toughest high school basketball states. Heights will head into the 2011-12 season riding a 44-game winning streak.

Read on for this week's complete rankings.

Xcellent 25 High School Basketball Rankings presented by the Army National Guard

1. (No. 2 last week) St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.) (30-0)
Last Wednesday's victory over St. Patrick will go down as one of the special nights in head coach Bob Hurley's career. Facing a halftime deficit, the Friars put on a second-half clinic to blow past the rival Celtics 62-45. The storied Jersey City program could wrap up another national title one week from today.

2. (4) Marcus (Flower Mound, Texas) (39-1)
Season complete. Class 5A state champions.



3. (5) Norcom (Portsmouth, Va.) (30-1)
Season complete. Group AAA state champions.

4. (1) St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.) (27-1)
Season complete.

5. (7) Lincoln (San Diego, Calif.) (31-1)
Wow. While much of the attention in California is being devoted to an intriguing final four in Division I, Lincoln is blowing opponents away in the Division II bracket. The Hornets buzzed Clovis North (Fresno) by 22 points and followed with a 31-point beating of Gahr (Cerritos) in the regional semifinals Saturday. Summit (Fontana) is up next for a trip to the state championship game. Head coach Jason Bryant's juggernaut has won its last nine games by 20 points or more.

6. (9) Montrose Christian (Rockville, Md.) (22-1)
Regular season complete.

7. (10) Dwyer (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) (32-1)
Season complete. Class 5A state champions.

8. (14) Miller Grove (Lithonia, Ga.) (32-1)
Season complete. Class AAAA state champions.



9. (11) Wichita Heights (Wichita, Kan.) (25-0)
Season complete. Class 4A state champions.

10. (13) Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) (27-3)
Regular season complete.

11. (15) Simeon (Chicago, Ill.) (27-2)
The Wolverines are three wins away from the 4A title in Illinois. Farragut (Chicago) – best known as the high school home of Kevin Garnett – will the opponent in the super-sectionals Tuesday.

12. (16) Linn-Mar (Marion, Iowa) (26-0)
Season complete. Class 4A state champions.

13. (21) Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) (30-3)
Veteran Los Angeles Times prep writer Eric Sondheimer suggested this may be Gary McKnight's best coaching job in 29 years at the school after losing all five starters from a year ago, including three who signed with Pac-10 schools. The Monarchs are two wins away from another state title, but they will have to get past No. 23 Centennial (Corona) in the regional final, a team they lost to two weeks ago in the Southern Section Division I-AA semifinals.

14. (19) Munster (Ind.) (25-0)
The Mustangs survived a nerve-wracking weekend, beating Riley (South Bend) and Valparaiso by a combined six points during Indiana's unique Saturday regional doubleheader. Kokomo stands in the way in semi-state play with No. 25 North Central (Indianapolis) and Bloomington South facing off on the opposite side of the bracket. The combined record of those teams is 93-6.



15. (6) Long Beach Poly (Long Beach, Calif.) (31-2)
Season complete. Southern Section Division I-AA champion.

16. (3) Milton (Ga.) (29-3)
Season complete.

17. (17) Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.) (27-1)
After blowing out Minnetonka 87-61 and St. Louis Park 81-44, the Royals will face Wayzata (Plymouth) in the 6AAAA sectional final Tuesday. The winner earns a trip to the Class AAAA state tournament at the Target Center.

18. (12) Lakeview Centennial (Garland, Texas) (37-2)
Season complete. Class 5A runner-up.

19. (20) Arlington Country Day (Jacksonville, Fla.) (21-2)
Regular season complete.

20. (22) Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) (28-3)
Regular season complete.



21. (23) Kimball (Dallas, Texas) (38-3)
Season complete. Class 4A state champions.

22. (25) Chester (Pa.) (27-1)
Maurice Nelson scored 21 points as the Clippers opened the Class AAAA state tournament with a 69-56 win over Dallastown. Bayard Rustin (West Chester) awaits in second-round play Wednesday.

23. (NR) Centennial (Corona, Calif.) (30-4)
The Huskies have been on the radar all year, but played their way into the Xcellent 25 with wins over three of Southern California's traditional powers over the past two weeks – Mater Dei, Westchester (Los Angeles) and Taft (Woodland Hills). Centennial blew past then-No. 18 Taft 94-81 in the regional semifinals behind 27 points from Weber State-bound guard Gelaun Wheelwright.

24. (NR) Eastern (Louisville, Ky.) (30-2)
The Eagles made a major statement last week en route to the 7th Region title and a spot in Kentucky's "Sweet 16" state tournament. Eastern blasted rival Jeffersontown (Louisville) 73-51 in the championship game, getting 17 points from Bradley signee Remy Abell.

25. (NR) North Central (Indianapolis, Ind.) (22-2)
After a tumultuous week that included a one-game suspension for leading scorer D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera after an ugly brawl with rival Lawrence North (Indianapolis), the Panthers persevered to earn a spot in Indiana's 4A final four. Without Smith-Rivera, North Central ended Kentucky signee Marquis Teague's high school career with a 79-73 win over Pike (Indianapolis). Later that night, Smith-Rivera returned with a vengeance against Hamilton Southeastern (Fishers) as the star junior poured in 37 points in an 83-72 win. Bloomington South (Bloomington) is up next for a trip to the state championship game.