MaxPreps Top 25 high school boys basketball rankings

In a wild and unpredictable week of high school basketball, all five teams in the Top 5 in the nation lost in the City of Palms Classic or 'Iolani Classic, meaning there is a new No. 1.

The Peach State reigns supreme this week as the McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.), after a dominant City of Palms Classic championship run, earns the top spot in the MaxPreps Top 25 High School Boys Basketball Rankings presented by the Army National Guard.

The holiday tournaments reshaped this week's Top 25 as 14 of the Top 25 teams in the nation went down and six teams dropped out of the rankings.

Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia) and Mountain Brook (Birmingham, Ala.) saw the biggest jumps this week with strong showings, each picking up a resume-defining victory.

In news outside the Top 25, the nation's longest winning streak came to an end as Discovery (Lawrenceville, Ga.) took down Upson-Lee (Thomaston, Ga.) 75-57 to snap the Knights' 75-game streak.

Joseph Girard III of Glens Falls (N.Y.) also made national headlines at the City of Palms Classic, scoring 59 points and finishing two points shy of the event record of 61 set by Kenny Boynton in 2007. Girard, the nation's leading scorer who's headed to Syracuse next season, is averaging 44 points per game.

Read on for a complete look at this week's Top 25 boys high school basketball rankings.

The Indians won the City of Palms Classic with stifling defense, holding opponents to just 38 points per game. They took down Miami Christian (Miami), Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.), Mountain Brook and Imhotep Charter by an average of 18 points per game en route to the prestigious event title.

2. (6) La Lumiere (LaPorte, Ind.), 12-0
The Lakers took home the 'Iolani Classic despite not being able to play against Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) in the title game due to CIF state regulations. The Lakers took down previous No. 1 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.), Oak Ridge (Orlando, Fla.) and West Linn (Ore.) along the way.

The Eagles picked up their first loss of the year in the 'Iolani Classic semifinals against La Lumiere. They rebounded nicely the following night, beating Sierra Canyon in the final game of the event. The Eagles have rematches with both La Lumiere and Sierra Canyon in January.

The Ascenders suffered their first defeat of the season at City of Palms, losing to Mountain Brook in the quarterfinals. The Sunshine State powerhouse followed that up with two of the most dominant performances of the event, annihilating previous No. 5 University (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) 88-51 and Olive Branch (Miss.) 93-63 for a fifth-place finish.

The Trailblazers fell to Montverde in their final game of the Iolani Classic, but picked up quality wins over Pleasant Grove (Utah) and Westchester (Los Angeles) along the way. They travel to the Les Schwab Invitational where they will be the favorites in a field that includes University and Gonzaga Prep (Spokane, Wash.)

The Stags beat Bishop Irenton 85-45 in their only game last week. They will be heavy favorites to capture their Christmas Tournament beginning with an opening round match-up with Riverdale Baptist (Upper Marlboro, Md.).

The Warriors fell to Philly power Imhotep Charter in the City of Palms semis in their first game against a nationally ranked opponent on the young season. The Warriors have a tough stretch from late January to early February with monster showdowns with IMG Academy and Montverde Academy looming.

After beginning the season just outside the Preseason Top 25, Wasatch Academy has been extremely impressive through the first half of their schedule. The Tigers took home the title of the Emerald Coast 16 last week, taking down Wheeler 85-72 in the championship game.

The Maroons participate in the Centrailia Holiday Tournament this week, opening the event with a first-round game with Cahokia (Ill.). They continue to make their case as one of the top teams in high school basketball with a trip to the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions in January to prove their worth against elite national foes.

The Panthers were second at City of Palms, knocking off University and Oak Hill Academy en route to the championship game. They have an opportunity to avenge their championship game next month at the Cancer Research Classic where they'll take on top-ranked McEachern.

Ranney School has beaten its opponents by over 25 points per game through their first four games against in-state opponents. Ranney travels to North Carolina to participate in the John Wall Holiday Classic with an opportunity to pick up a few quality out-of-state victories.

The Wolves may not have the big-name prospects that other teams in the Top 25 teams possess, however this team has proved themselves on the court. They have taken down four of the top eight teams in Class 6A of the UIL including the 6A favorites Guyer (Denton).

The Gaels won the Tarkanian Classic, picking up a massive win over a top 10 opponent, taking down Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.) 61-39 in the title game. They made a statement with the big wins and climb back into the Top 15 after an impressive week of basketball.

The Spartans knocked off previous-No. 2 IMG Academy 72-67 behind a monster 38-point 12-rebound performance from Player of the Year candidate Trendon Watford. Although the back-to-back state champions lost to the eventual City of Palms Classic champions, they showed they're well-coached and play well together with a lot of heart.

15. (18) Rainier Beach (Seattle), 7-0
Picked up a quality early season victory over previously unbeaten O'Dea (Seattle) 70-67 in a game that they seemed to be in control of for long stretches. The Vikings travel to the Golden State after the new year to face off against Sheldon (Sacramento, Calif.).

Despite a hot start to the season, the Eagles drop seven spots this week because of the way they lost to Bishop Gorman in the title game. This group has a difficult stretch of games ahead starting with a trip to The Classic at Damien after Christmas.

The Cougars picked up key wins over Lanier (Montgomery, Ala.) and Pebblebrook (Mableton, Ga.) en route to a Emerald Coast 16 title. The Cougars travel to the Arby's Classic after Christmas to take on a very talented field that features a handful of potential state champions.

The Buffaloes took the week off last week, but resume play following Christmas at the Chick-fil-A Classic. They play in the National Division Bracket that includes Hillcrest Prep (Phoenix), Memphis East (Memphis, Tenn.) and St. Benedict's Prep (Newark, N.J.).

Just one quality out-of-state win holds back the Cardinals a bit in this week's national ranking. Next week could be a completely different story, as Scott County travels to the Beach Ball Classic where a potential showdown with Cox Mill (Concord, N.C.) looms in their quarterfinal showdown.

A huge win over Greensboro Day (Greensboro, N.C.) 75-61 in the CrownTown Classic bolstered the Chargers resume enough to bump them into the rankings from the Next 5. Wendell Moore and Co. look to make a deep run in the Beach Ball Classic following Christmas.

The Warriors defeated a quality East St. Louis (Ill.) 62-52 over the weekend. They take on Valparaiso on Dec. 29 in a big in-state showdown at the Hall of Fame Classic.

Kentucky commit Khalil Whitney took over down the stretch to guide the Lions to a tightly contested 75-74 win over Our Saviour Lutheran (Bronx, N.Y.) at the Kyrie Irving Invitational. This group will be tested throughout January and early February with an ultra-difficult stretch of games.

Outscoring their opponents by 25.5 points per game, the Crusaders have yet to be truly tested this season. That may change quickly at the Hoodies House Classic as they open with an 8-1 Ardey Kell (Charlotte, N.C.).

An early slip up to Legacy Early Collegiate has kept this talented group out of the Top 25 to this point, but a strong weekend at the National Hoopfest in Dallas put them back on the map. A massive showdown with IMG Academy at the Flyin to the Hoop Invitational is the biggest game left on their schedule.

Despite slipping up this week against Westtown (West Chester, Pa.), the Cahillites stay in the top 25. They benefit greatly from their win over Imhotep Charter after the Panthers' showing at the City of Palms. The Catholic League power will need to avoid another slip up to avoid dropping out.