Video: High school basketball Top 25Find out where things stand heading into the biggest weekend of the season.See the video above for a complete breakdown of this week's Xcellent 25 High School Basketball Rankings presented by the Army National Guard.
Here's a look at developments that shaped this week's Top 25:
Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) made its case for the top spot over the weekend at the Cancer Research Classic in West Virginia, dominating
La Lumiere (LaPorte, Ind.) 77-55 and
Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.) 89-45. Senior Duke commit
R.J. Barrett led the way for the Eagles, averaging 30.5 points, 9 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game.
Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) also had a strong showing at the event, improving to 18-2. The Pilots took down
First Love Christian Academy (Washington, Pa.) 90-75 and
IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) 93-79.
Bol Bol, a 7-foot-1 senior, went for 34 points, eight rebounds and seven blocked shots against First Love.
The Washington Catholic Athletic Conference is showing its strength once again, currently boasting three ranked teams. After a third-place finish at the Beach Ball Classic in South Carolina, No. 6
DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) took home a huge win over
McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) 73-63. Undefeated
Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) also won a big game in West Virginia, taking down
Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 67-62.
Former No. 1 strugglesMemphis East (Tenn.) is going through a mid-season slump as the ultra-talented group has lost three consecutive contests dating back to Dec. 23.
Over the weekend, the Mustangs (10-3) returned to the court for the first time since the City of Palms Classic title game, losing in back-to-back games at the ARS National Hoopfest to
Olive Branch (Miss.) 73-70 and
Simeon (Chicago) 79-73.
Despite those three consecutive losses, Memphis East remains in the rankings because of quality wins earlier in the season over Findlay Prep, Simeon,
Oak Ridge (Orlando, Fla.), and
Prolific Prep Academy (Napa, Calif.).
Big weekend aheadThe Bass Pro Shops Tournament of Champions in Springfield, Mo., is the most well-attended high school basketball tournament in the country. Beginning Thursday, the event will have another loaded field showcasing
Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), La Lumiere,
Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah),
Brentwood Academy (Brentwood, Tenn.),
Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.),
Webster Groves (Mo.),
Ozark (Mo.) and
Glendale (Springfield, Mo.).
Another Springfield 1,300 miles away in Massachusetts is home to the Spalding Hoophall Classic. The main event there could be the return of senior phenom
Zion Williamson of
Spartanburg Day (Spartanburg, S.C.), who has been sidelined with an injury. The Griffins take on LaMelo Ball-less
Chino Hills (Calif.) at the event Saturday.
The Hoophall Classic will showcase 13 of the Top 25 teams in the country. Top matchups include Montverde Academy vs. Simeon on Saturday and City of Palms champ
University (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) against Oak Hill Academy on Monday.
In Ohio, the Flyin to the Hoop Classic begins Friday with a showdown between Findlay Prep and
Huntington St. Joseph Prep (Huntington, W.Va.).
Garfield Heights, Ohio's only ranked team, faces Prolific Prep on Sunday while McEachern will scrap with
Trotwood-Madison (Trotwood, Ohio) and
Pickerington Central (Pickerington, Ohio).
Jordan Divens has covered high school basketball and compiled national rankings at HSHoopsElite.com since 2013. Follow him on Twitter @HSHoopsElite.
R.J. Barrett, Montverde Academy
File photo by Randy Kemp
