All of MaxPreps.com’s preseason Xcellent 25 teams remain undefeated, but that won’t last through the weekend.
Led by No. 1 Findlay Prep’s 7-0 mark, the power programs have combined for a 43-0 record. But that run of success is about to end as the aforementioned top-ranked Pilots face No. 17 Christ School Friday night at the Marshall County Hoopfest in Kentucky.
The first regular season edition of the Xcellent 25 will be released Dec. 7 and continue to run each Monday throughout the season.
Here is a quick glance at our preseason Xcellent 25 and each team’s record. Eight of the selections haven’t taken the court yet.
1. Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.), 7-0
2. St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.), Opens season Thursday vs. Paramus Catholic
3. Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), 3-0
4. Yates (Houston, Texas), 3-0
5. Northland (Columbus, Ohio), Opens season Dec. 15 vs. Brookhaven
6. Bloomington South (Bloomington, Ind.), 1-0
7. Westchester (Los Angeles, Calif.), 2-0
8. DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.), 1-0
9. Montrose Christian (Rockville, Md.), Opens season Saturday vs. Washington-Lee
10. Milton (Alpharetta, Ga.), 3-0
11. Melrose (Memphis, Tenn.), 6-0
12. Taft (Woodland Hills, Calif.), 1-0
13. White Station (Memphis, Tenn.), 3-0
14. Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.), 4-0
15. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), 1-0
16. St. Benedict’s Prep (Newark, N.J.), Opens season Dec. 12 vs. Upper Room Christian
17. Christ School (Arden, N.C.), 5-0
18. Ames (Iowa), 1-0
19. Penn Wood (Lansdowne, Pa.), 0-0
20. Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.), 1-0
21. Pine Crest (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), 2-0
22. Holmes (Covington, Ky.), Opens season Wednesday night vs. Beechwood
23. Paterson Catholic (Paterson, N.J.), Opens season Saturday vs. Life Center Academy
24. Madison Memorial (Madison, Wis.), Opens season Saturday vs. Madison West
25. Scott County (Georgetown, Ky.), Opens season Saturday vs. Franklin-Simpson
Cory Joseph, Findlay Prep
File photo by Keith Owens
No. 1 Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) vs. No. 17 Christ School (Arden, N.C.)
Findlay Prep and Christ School have a common opponent already in Quality Education Academy (Winson-Salem, N.C.). Findlay Prep scratched out a 69-63 win over Quality Education Nov. 28. Christ School pounded its fellow Tar Heel State program 95-79 Nov. 10.
This is a dangerous game for the defending national champion Pilots. The Greenies are talented and hungry for a win that would catapult their program into the same realm as Findlay and Oak Hill Academy.
Both schools will follow Friday night’s showdown against dangerous opponents in Kentucky on Saturday night. Findlay Prep faces Our Savior New American from New York and Christ School takes on Grace Prep Academy of Arlington, Texas.
Raising eyebrows
^ In an early-season Indiana showdown pitting the state’s top two Class 4-A squads, national No. 6 Bloomington South (Bloomington, Ind.) topped New Albany 69-61. Junior guard Dee Davis led the way for South with 22 points.
^ After plugging away on the junior varsity team at Taft (Woodland Hills, Calif.) last season, Bryce Jones finally made his debut with the No. 12 Toreadors on Tuesday night and did so in impressive fashion. Taft hammered Carson 84-37 behind Jones’ 25 points and eight rebounds. Jones is the No. 31 player in MaxPreps.com’s 2010 Top 100.
^ Could Cory Joseph emerge as a national player of the year candidate at Findlay Prep in the way that Avery Bradley did a year ago? Joseph’s stat line is strong seven games into the season – 22.0 points, 6.1 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 4.0 steals per game.
^ Benjamin (North Palm Beach, Fla.) took slowing down No. 21 Pine Crest (Fort Lauderdale) and Brandon Knight to the extreme Tuesday night. The Buccaneers held the ball for nearly six minutes to begin the game and ended up paying for it with a sound beating. Behind Knight’s 25 points, the Panthers brushed off the stall for a 59-12 win. Pine Crest is allowing 20.5 points per game in its 2-0 start.
^ West Coast freshmen Isaac Hamilton and D.J. Fenner have already made a big splash. Hamilton, the younger brother of University of Texas freshman Jordan Hamilton, drilled six 3-pointers in one quarter and finished with 27 points to help Crenshaw (Los Angeles, Calif.) drop Birmingham. Fenner, a 6-5 guard at Seattle Prep (Seattle, Wash.), scored a team-high 20 points in his varsity debut with the Panthers – a 75-67 win over Stanwood.
^ Current University of Washington freshman Abdul Gaddy will be missed at Bellarmine Prep (Tacoma, Wash.), but younger brother Donald will try and help fill the void. Donald, a 6-0 junior guard, scored 18 points in Bellarmine Prep’s 63-62 loss to Curtis of University Place Tuesday night.
^ Staying in Washington, defending 4A state champion Federal Way opened its title defense with a 110-85 thrashing of Tacoma Lincoln Tuesday night. The Eagles have won 18 games in a row and have a chance to make an Xcellent 25 statement later this month against a pair of California teams.
Events update
MaxPreps continues to rundown tournaments and events of interest for the 2009-10 season;
Dec. 12-13 Big Apple Basketball Challenge
Baruch College – New York City
Key games
Boys & Girls (Brooklyn, N.Y.) vs. Xaverian (Brooklyn, N.Y.) – Dec. 12
Wings Academy (Bronx, N.Y.) vs. St. Raymond (Bronx, N.Y.) – Dec. 12
All Hallows (Bronx, N.Y.) vs. Lincoln (Brooklyn, N.Y.) – Dec. 13
Bishop Loughlin (Brooklyn, N.Y.) vs. Jefferson (Brooklyn, N.Y.) – Dec. 13
Dec. 16-19 Bishop Gorman Holiday Classic
Bishop Gorman High School – Las Vegas, Nev.
Gold Bracket participants
Nevada: Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), Bishop Manogue (Reno), Foothill (Henderson)
Out-of-state: Australia touring team, Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.), Cathedral Prep (Erie, Pa.), Christian Life Academy (Humble, Texas), Clovis East (Clovis, Calif.), Hoover (San Diego, Calif.), La Verne Lutheran (La Verne, Calif.), Richwood (Monroe, La.), ThunderRidge (Highlands Ranch, Colo.), Timpview (Provo, Utah)
Dec. 18-19 West Coast Christmas Championships
Concordia College – Portland, Ore.
Key games
Federal Way (Wash.) vs. Long Beach Poly (Long Beach, Calif.) – Dec. 18
Jefferson (Portland, Ore.) vs. Castlemont (Oakland, Calif.) – Dec. 18
Federal Way (Wash.) vs. Castlemont (Oakland, Calif.) – Dec. 19
Jefferson (Portland, Ore.) vs. Long Beach Poly (Long Beach, Calif.) – Dec. 19
Jan. 29-30 SNY Invitational
The WRAC Long Island University-Brooklyn
Participants
Boys & Girls (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Benjamin Cardozo (Queens, N.Y.), Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.), Rice (New York, N.Y.)
