For the nation's elite high school basketball teams, the last two weeks of December serve as a proving ground for preseason hype and (mythical) national championship hopes.
Yates High School of Houston, Texas, was among the teams that embraced the opportunity this season, capturing both the Iolani Classic in Hawaii and the T-Mobile Invitational in Alabama. The Lions beat teams from six states and averaged 92.8 points per game in the process.
Yates' Brandon Peters dunks against Butler.
Photo by Jim Redman
Senior guard Joseph Young spurred the most impressive victory, a 108-77 dismantling of two-time defending Alabama state champion Huntsville Butler in the final of the T-Mobile Invitational in Birmingham. Young scored 43 points – including 29 in the first half – as Yates exploded for 71 points in the second and third quarters of that contest.
Midwest monsters Whitney Young of Chicago, Ill., and Detroit Country Day of Beverly Hills, Mich., also survived strong holiday challenges.
Whitney Young bested 15 of Chicagoland's best at the tradition-rich Proviso West Holiday Classic, climbing to No. 10 in this week's MaxPreps Xcellent 25 presented by the Army National Guard.
Behind the play of emerging National Player of the Year candidate Ray McCallum Jr., Detroit Country Day got past defending Wisconsin state champion Madison Memorial, 61-48, and followed by blowing out Lew Wallace of Gary, Ind., 75-59, at the Motor City Roundball Classic. The unbeaten Yellowjackets move to No. 11.
Read on to find out how the rest of the best fared.
Xcellent 25 National High School Boys Basketball Rankings
1. (No. 1 last week) St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.), 4-0
The Celtics crushed three opponents by an average of 33 points per game en route to the National Division title at the MaxPreps Holiday Classic in San Diego. Newark Memorial (Newark, Calif.) was the victim in the final (Dec. 30) as junior star Michael Gilchrist scored 26 points and added 16 rebounds to spark a 66-43 victory. Duke-bound senior guard Kyrie Irving added 22 in the championship game and was named the National Division’s Most Valuable Player. A showdown with No. 7 Findlay Prep is just two weeks away.
St. Patrick celebrates the MaxPreps Holiday Classic tournament title in San Diego, Calif.
<center>Photo by Todd Shurtleff</center>
2. (3) Yates (Houston, Texas), 14-0
The Lions’ recent exploits are detailed above and Oak Hill Academy’s loss in the finals of the Les Schwab Invitational cleared the way for head coach Greg Wise’s squad to grab the No. 2 spot. And it appears there won't be a slip-up against an in-state opponent after all the out-of-state excitement over the holidays. Yates pounded Houston’s Austin High School 139-51 Saturday night.
3. (4) Northland (Columbus, Ohio), 3-0
The Vikings have not played since the last release of the Xcellent 25 (Dec. 24). The next big test for Northland comes Jan. 16 against Oak Hill Academy.
4. (5) Bloomington South (Bloomington, Ind.), 9-0
The Panthers survived a pair of tough tests after Christmas…barely. Bloomington South needed a big comeback, overtime and 28 points from Matt Carlino to get past Carmel, 71-68, on Dec. 30. Three days later in their only game against an opponent outside of Indiana this season, Dee Davis scored 24 and Carlino added 19 to lead an 86-77 win over Lexington Catholic (Lexington, Ky.). Head coach J.R. Holmes’ squad has won 35-straight games.
5. (6) DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.), 12-0
The Stags won four games in four nights – including a 20-point shellacking of Jefferson (Brooklyn, N.Y.) in the final – to capture the Gatorade International Championship title in Puerto Rico. DeMatha posted three victories over teams from the island commonwealth to reach the championship game. Washington Catholic Athletic Conference play begins Tuesday against Our Lady of Good Counsel.
Myles Mack, Paterson Catholic
File photo by Jim Redman
The Cougars haven’t received much rest since winning the power-packed City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers, Fla., on Dec. 23. After a nightmarish travel situation on New Year’s Day that pushed tip-off past 10 p.m., Myles Mack scored 21 points to lead Paterson Catholic to a 70-67 overtime win over Huntington Prep (Huntington, W.Va.) at the Cancer Research Classic in Wheeling, W.Va. Head coach Damon Wright’s squad survived another close one two days later against Jersey City St. Peter’s Prep, trailing in the second half before pulling away for a 75-55 win. Fuquan Edwin led the way against St. Peter’s Prep with 25 points.
7. (8) Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.), 18-1
The Pilots have won six in a row since losing to No. 3 Northland on Dec. 17, including a pair of rare home games Saturday and Sunday against St. Andrew’s of Rhode Island (109-68) and National College Prep of California (91-70), respectively. Findlay Prep heads to West Virginia this weekend to face aforementioned Huntington Prep and Mountain State Academy of Beckley.
8. (9) Melrose (Memphis, Tenn.), 16-0
The Golden Wildcats captured the Arby’s Classic title in Bristol on New Year’s Eve, beating teams from Georgia and New York along the way. Junior wing Adonis Thomas pulled Melrose through in the final against Greater Atlanta Christian of Norcross, Ga., piling up 11 points, 16 rebounds, six assists and four steals. Junior guard Chris Jones was the hero in a semifinal win over McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) with 32 points and five assists.
9. (10) Ames (Iowa), 5-0
The Little Cyclones have not played since the last release of the Xcellent 25 (Dec. 24). Ames plays West Des Moines Valley on Tuesday night.
10. (16) Whitney Young (Chicago, Ill.), 9-0
Winning the Proviso West Holiday Tournament is a big deal in Chicagoland, and the Dolphins got it done with a 79-64 win over Chicago Foreman in the final. Junior forward Sam Thompson continues to play big for Whitney Young, notching 26 points and 11 rebounds in the Dec. 30 championship game.
11. (17) Detroit Country Day (Beverly Hills, Mich.), 7-0
McCallum Jr. led the Yellowjackets with 19 points against Madison Memorial and posted 27 points in the win over Gary Lew Wallace. The undecided senior guard averaged 26.6 points per game in three showcase opportunities against out-of-state challengers over the holiday break. Amir Williams, a 6-10, 220-pound junior, appears to be coming into his own under the tutelage Kurt Keener.
12. (12) St. Benedict's Prep (Newark, N.J.), 8-1
The Gray Bees posted three easy victories in post-Christmas action, beating Connecticut’s Leadership Prep (105-52), Egg Harbor Atlantic Christian (84-52) and Baltimore’s St. Frances (69-48) for the second time this season. The St. Frances game was part of the Cancer Research Classic in West Virginia. Aaron Brown led the way in that contest with 17 points. Star junior guard Myck Kabongo added 12 points and 12 assists.
13. (13) Milton (Alpharetta, Ga.), 10-1
The Eagles have not played since beating No. 15 Westchester in the fifth-place game of the City of Palms Classic on Dec. 23, but return to the court Tuesday night in Region 6-AAAAA action against Marietta Walton.
14. (15) Christ School (Arden, N.C.), 14-1
A Tuesday game against Spartanburg Day (Spartanburg, S.C.) marks the Greenies first test since winning the Chic-fil-A Classic on Dec. 22.
Jordin Mayes, Westchester
File photo by Jim Redman
California’s defending Division I state champions put two losses at the City of Palms Classic behind them in a big way by beating No. 16 Oak Hill Academy in the final of the Les Schwab Invitational in Hillsboro, Ore. Senior guard Jordin Mayes scored 16 points to lead Westchester against Oak Hill, which had won 19-straight games at the same event with four tournament titles (1997, 2001, 2004, 2006). A semifinal victory over Portland Jesuit – Oregon’s defending 6A state champion – also bolstered the Comets’ resume.
16. (2) Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), 18-1
After three impressive wins against solid Oregon squads, the Warriors were dropped in the final of the Les Schwab Invitational by No. 15 Westchester, 52-47. Senior guard Doron Lamb led Oak Hill by averaging 21 points per game at the event. Head coach Steve Smith’s squad doesn’t return to action until facing No. 3 Northland on Jan. 16.
17. (18) Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.), 7-1
The Saints followed their impressive showing at the Iolani Classic in Hawaii by beating Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.), 73-65, at the Cancer Research Classic in West Virginia. Senior guards Tony Chennault and Tyreek Duran have paced Neumann-Goretti through the early portion of the season, but it was 6-6 senior post Daniel Stewart who came up big against Christ the King with 24 points.
18. (20) Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), 11-1
Head coach Gary McKnight’s Monarchs overwhelmed the field at the Orange Holiday Classic in Anaheim, including a 68-43 win over Santa Ana Foothill in the championship game Dec. 30. UCLA-bound Tyler Lamb led the way against Foothill with 20 points, while future Arizona State Sun Devil Keala King added 13 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. A Jan. 18 matchup with No. 5 DeMatha looms large.
Mater Dei celebrates a tournament victory at the Orange Holiday Classic.
<center>Photo by David Hood</center>
19. (21) Federal Way (Wash.), 7-0
The Eagles have been off since Dec. 19, but get revenge-minded Kentwood and 6-9 UCLA-bound senior Josh Smith on Saturday. Federal Way trounced Kentwood by 22 points on its home floor Dec. 8.
20. (22) Montrose Christian (Rockville, Md.), 7-1
Montrose Christian bounced back from a semifinal loss at the Iolani Classic by beating up on St. Stephen’s-St. Agnes (Alexandria, Va.), 79-50, behind 22 points from Duke signee Josh Hairston on Saturday.
Patric Young, Providence
File photo by Jim Redman
The Stallions continued to get it done with defense, holding four opponents to an average of 44 points per game en route to the Kingdom of the Sun tournament title in Ocala. Florida signee and MVP Patric Young posted 17 points and 10 rebounds in a 48-41 win over Clermont East Ridge in the championship game.
22. (NR) Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.), 10-1
Led by MVP Johnathan Loyd, a 5-9 senior guard, the Gaels navigated through a solid field at the Beach Ball Classic in Myrtle Beach, S.C., to earn their second tournament title in December. In winning its own tournament prior to Christmas and the Beach Ball Classic, Bishop Gorman knocked off teams from seven states in a span of 14 days, including battle-tested Columbia of Decatur, Ga., in the Myrtle Beach final.
23. (NR) Bellaire (Texas), 19-1
A pair of victories at the John Lucas Holiday Xplosion in Houston finally put the Cardinals over the top for Xcellent 25 inclusion. Texas A&M-bound forward Tobi Oyedeji scored 29 points to lead Bellaire past Joe Jackson and White Station (Memphis, Tenn.), 72-68, on Dec. 28. Oyedeji and senior guard Jamel Outler combined for 24 points as the 5A power beat Plano Prestonwood Christian the following day, 49-35. Bellaire also brought in the New Year with a 93-56 win over Houston Madison.
24. (NR) Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.), 10-1
Thanks to a 67-55 win over Rice (New York, N.Y.) at the Cancer Research Classic on Saturday, the Eagles return to the Xcellent 25 after dropping out last week. Cedrick Lindsay led all scorers with 17 points and Gonzaga used a 19-2 run in the third quarter to get past Rice in West Virginia.
25. (NR) Plymouth Whitemarsh (Plymouth Meeting, Pa.), 7-0
C.J. Aiken, a 6-10 senior forward headed to St. Joseph’s, led the Colonials to a pair of attention-grabbing wins at the Jameer Nelson/Pete Nelson Scholastic Play-by-Play Classic after Christmas. First, Aiken dropped in 19 points as Plymouth Whitemarsh battered perennial powerhouse Chester, 65-46. He followed with 21 against a talented Bryn Athyn Academy of the New Church squad in a 57-46 victory. With St. Raymond (Bronx, N.Y.) and No. 12 St. Benedict’s Prep on the schedule later in the season, the Colonials’ strength will be tested.
Dropped out: No. 11 Winter Park (Fla.), No. 14 Taft (Woodland Hills, Calif.), No. 23 Northeast (Oakland Park, Fla.), No. 24 Lincoln (Dallas, Texas)
