High school basketball rankings: Paul VI finishes No. 1, crowned MaxPreps National Champion

Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.) established itself as the best team in high school basketball for the second time in three years with big out-of-state victories and a fourth state championship in the past five years. The Panthers are the 2025-26 MaxPreps National Champions after finishing No. 1 in the final MaxPreps Top 25.

Under head coach Glenn Farello, Paul VI (33-3) built a strong resume with wins over No. 2 Calvary Christian Academy (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), No. 4 Principia (St. Louis, Mo.), No. 6 Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.) twice, No. 7 Bartlett (Tenn.), No. 17 Logan-Rogersville (Rogersville, Mo.) and No. 23 St. Mary's (Phoenix, Ariz.) in addition to academy powerhouses Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.) and Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.).

Paul VI outscored opponents by an average margin of 16.3 points per contest this season while averaging 73.3 points per game. The Panthers went 14-1 against opponents who ended the season ranked in the top 100 including a 7-1 record against teams in the MaxPreps Top 25. Jordan Smith (26.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 3.2 steals per game) was the catalyst for this season's top-ranked team. The Arkansas signee is the most decorated player in program history, leading Paul VI to a record of 126-16 with four top 10 national finishes during his four-year career.

Paul VI also got major contributions from Florida Gulf Coast signee Lawrence Brown (first team All-WCAC), top 100 junior Brian Mitchell Jr. (second team All-WCAC), sophomore Ryan Bahr (All-WCAC honorable mention) and junior center Matthew Mena (All-WCAC honorable mention).

2009 — Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.)
2010 — Yates (Houston, Texas)
2011 — St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.)
2012 — St. Anthony
2013 — Lone Peak (Highland, Utah)
2014 — Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
2015 — Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)
2016 — Chino Hills (Chino Hills, Calif.)
2017 — Nathan Hale (Seattle, Wash.)
2018 — Montverde Academy
2019 — IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)
2020 — Montverde Academy
2021 — Montverde Academy
2022 — Duncanville (Texas)
2023 — John Marshall (Richmond, Va.)
2024 — Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.)

2025 — Columbus (Miami, Fla.)

1. Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.)

Record: 33-3

Record: 24-1

3. Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.)

Record: 30-1

4. Principia (St. Louis, Mo.)

Record: 29-2

Record: 28-2

Record: 26-5

Record: 35-4

Record: 30-0

Record: 36-2

10. Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.)

Record: 27-6

11. North Crowley (Fort Worth, Texas)

Record: 35-3

12. Rainier Beach (Seattle, Wash.)

Record: 29-1

13. Heritage (Frisco, Texas)

Record: 34-2

14. Little Elm (Texas)

Record: 37-2

15. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)

Record: 28-4

Record: 26-6

17. Logan-Rogersville (Rogersville, Mo.)

Record: 29-3

18. Mt. Vernon (Fortville, Ind.)

Record: 28-3

19. Millennium (Goodyear, Ariz.)

Record: 24-4

20. Richland (Wash.)

Record: 28-0

21. Alexander (Douglasville, Ga.)

Record: 30-2

Record: 37-2

23. St. Mary's (Phoenix, Ariz.)

Record: 23-7

24. Southern School of Energy and Sustainability (Durham, N.C.)

Record: 28-3

25. Harvard-Westlake (Studio City, Calif.)

Record: 27-7

26. St. Joseph (Santa Maria, Calif.)

Record: 31-3

27. Marist (Chicago, Ill.)

Record: 33-5

28. Benet Academy (Lisle, Ill.)

Record: 36-2

29. St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.)

Record: 36-7

30. Seven Lakes (Katy, Texas)

Record: 35-1

31. Millwood (Oklahoma City, Okla.)

Record: 27-2

Record: 27-3

33. Princeton (Cincinnati, Ohio)

Record: 25-3

34. Lakota West (West Chester, Ohio)

Record: 24-2

35. St. John's (D.C.)

Record: 27-8

36. Salesian College Preparatory (Richmond, Calif.)

Record: 29-4

37. Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.)

Record: 28-6

38. Fishers (Ind.)

Record: 24-1

Record: 25-3

40. Redondo Union (Redondo Beach, Calif.)

Record: 27-5

41. Briarcrest Christian (Eads, Tenn.)

Record: 31-3

42. Webb (Knoxville, Tenn.)

Record: 30-3

43. Bishop O'Connell (Arlington, Va.)

Record: 23-10

44. DePaul College Prep (Chicago, Ill.)

Record: 33-4

45. East St. Louis (Ill.)

Record: 33-4

46. Brennan (San Antonio, Texas)

Record: 33-4

47. Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.)

Record: 22-8

48. Layton Christian Academy (Layton, Utah)

Record: 21-6

49. George Rogers Clark (Winchester, Ky.)

Record: 33-4

Record: 25-2

51. Archbishop Riordan (San Francisco, Calif.)

Record: 28-2

52. Olympus (Salt Lake City, Utah)

Record: 25-2

53. Timpview (Provo, Utah)

Record: 21-3

54. Forsyth Country Day (Lewisville, N.C.)

Record: 29-3

Record: 28-5

56. Petersburg (Va.)

Record: 22-4

57. Pike (Indianapolis, Ind.)

Record: 23-5

Record: 31-2

59. Providence School (Jacksonville, Fla.)

Record: 29-3

60. Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.)

Record: 28-3

61. Huss (Gastonia, N.C.)

Record: 26-2

62. East Lansing (Mich.)

Record: 27-2

63. Atascocita (Humble, Texas)

Record: 30-7

64. Gainesville (Ga.)

Record: 30-1

65. Damien (La Verne, Calif.)

Record: 32-7

66. The Villages Charter (The Villages, Fla.)

Record: 24-8

Record: 27-7

68. St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.)

Record: 24-10

 

70. Bryant (Ark.)

Record: 30-4

72. Westfield (Chantilly, Va.)

Record: 30-1

73. McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.)

Record: 25-5

Record: 36-4

76. Saint Ignatius College Prep (Chicago, Ill.)

Record: 31-5

77. Curie (Chicago, Ill.)

Record: 29-2

78. Totino-Grace (Fridley, Minn.)

Record: 27-2

79. Basha (Chandler, Ariz.)

Record: 20-8

80. Concord Academy (Concord, N.C.)

Record: 29-3

81. Westlake (Saratoga Springs, Utah)

Record: 24-3

82. Coronado (Henderson, Nev.)

Record: 17-8

83. Warren Township (Gurnee, Ill.)

Record: 30-4

84. Plainfield (Ind.)

Record: 22-4

85. Madison-Ridgeland Academy (Madison, Miss.)

Record: 37-2

Record: 35-6

87. Woodward Academy (College Park, Ga.)

Record: 25-7

88. Beaumont United (Beaumont, Texas)

Record: 36-4

89. Westwood (Blythewood, S.C.)

Record: 25-3

90. West Brook (Beaumont, Texas)

Record: 34-4

91. Grayson (Loganville, Ga.)

Record: 26-3

92. North Augusta (North Augusta, S.C.)

Record: 27-3

93. Cross Creek (Augusta, Ga.)

Record: 27-5

94. Mooresville (N.C.)

Record: 27-3

95. Oxford (Ala.)

Record: 30-4

96. Newcastle (Okla.)

Record: 27-2

97. Kankakee (Ill.)

Record: 29-2

98. Vashon (St. Louis, Mo.)

Record: 22-4

100. Central Dauphin (Harrisburg, Pa.)

Record: 30-3