Bishop Gorman went 111-17 with three state titles during Shabazz Muhammad's career.
Photo by David Hood
MaxPreps.com's Xcellent 25 presented by the Army National Guard has its first state champion.
No. 8
Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) crushed Hug of Reno 96-51 on Friday night to capture the Nevada Class 4A state title. The Gaels, who led 59-25 at halftime, finished the season 28-4 and 111-17 in the
Shabazz Muhammad era.
Muhammad, a 6-foot-6 senior wing ranked No. 1 in the MaxPreps Class of 2013 Top 100, poured in 36 points against Hug – including 30 in the first half – in his final high school game to help the Gaels win their third state title in four seasons.
Under head coach Grant Rice, Bishop Gorman has helped bring national attention to Las Vegas high school basketball with its recent run of success. Gael seniors
Rosco Allen (Stanford),
Ben Carter (Oregon) and
Demetris Morant (UNLV) have already selected their collegiate destinations with Muhammad expected to do the same in the coming weeks. A fifth standout senior – 6-foot-7, 285-pound
Ronnie Stanley – is headed to Notre Dame to play football.
Four other ranked teams will have the opportunity to become a state champ like Bishop Gorman next weekend, but one is certain to come up short of that goal. No. 13
Grace Prep (Arlington) and No. 22
Westbury Christian (Houston) could be paired off against one another in the TAPPS (Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools) 4A title game.
No. 10
Prestonwood Christian (Plano) is two wins away from the TAPPS 5A title and No. 16
Blanche Ely (Pompano Beach) is the fourth title hopeful in Florida's 7A classification.
Click here for a look at for a look at playoff brackets across the country. Read on for a complete look at this week's rankings.
Xcellent 25 High School Basketball Rankings presented by the Army National Guard1. (No. 1 last week) St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.) (26-0)The postseason gets underway this week for the Friars, now winners of 59 games in a row.
2. (2) Marcus (Flower Mound, Texas) (33-2)The Marauders dismantled perennial power Duncanville on Friday in the area round of the Class 5A state tournament, leading 22-2 after the first quarter and advancing to the regional quarterfinals with a 67-35 victory.
3. (3) Milton (Ga.) (24-4)The Eagles have a tough test ahead Wednesday in the second round of the Class AAAAA state tournament, drawing a Shiloh (Snellville) squad that features Georgia Tech-bound power forward Robert Carter and 6-11 sophomore Trayvon Reed.
4. (4) Simeon (Chicago) (26-1)The Wolverines open Class 4A state tournament play Tuesday against the winner of Monday's matchup between Oak Lawn and Argo (Summit).
5. (5) Chester (Pa.) (25-0)The Clippers take on Wissahickon on Tuesday in the semifinals of the PIAA District 1 AAAA tournament, winning their first three games in the bracket by 38, 28 and 50 points, respectively.
