A season-defining week of high school basketball awaits as GEICO Nationals takes center stage this week. The 10-team, national field begins Wednesday featuring the top four teams in the MaxPreps Top 25 along with No. 7 Milton, No. 10 Wasatch Academy, No. 12 Prolific Prep, No. 15 Pace Academy and a pair of unranked event mainstays.
Top-ranked Montverde Academy has won an event-best four GEICO Nationals titles and are slight favorites over three teams the Eagles have already knocked off this season — No. 2 AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.), No. 3 Sunrise Christian (Bel Aire, Kan.) and No. 4 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.). Sunrise Christian is the only team to hand the Eagles a loss this season, but trails the season series 2-1.
The four-day national championship event culminates April 3 at Suncoast Arena on the campus of Florida SouthWestern State College in Fort Myers, Fla. All games will be shown on the ESPN family of networks.
Looking at last week's results, No. 25 Reading (Pa.) stunned previous No. 9 Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.) 58-57 in a gritty 6A state championship game. The Red Knights battled back from an early 13-2 deficit to capture their first state title since 2017.
No. 9 Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis) survived a scare over the weekend, erasing a 15-point, first-half deficit to beat Totino-Grace 73-60 in the Class 3A Section 4 title game. The Red Hawks take on Byron in Wednesday's state quarterfinals.
The Reading Red Knights react to winning the Pennsylvania 6A title game over Archbishop Wood.
Photo by Paul Burdick
Record: 21-1 | Last week: 1
Eagles get Pace Academy-Oak Hill Academy winner to start GEICO Nationals.
Record: 27-1
| Last week: 2
Dragons face Wasatch Academy without without Top 50 senior
DaRon Holmes, ruled ineligible for GEICO.
Record: 19-3 | Last week: 3
Prolific Prep-La Lumiere winner is first-round GEICO opponent.
Record: 20-2 | Last week: 4
Defending GEICO champions meets Milton on Thursday.
Record: 9-0 | Last week: 5
Regular season complete.
Record: 29-1
| Last week: 6
Regular season complete.
Record: 28-2 | Last week: 7
Eagles draw defending champion IMG Academy in first trip to GEICO Nationals.
Record: 13-0 | Last week: 8
Regular season complete.
Record: 17-1 | Last week: 10
Top-ranked senior
Chet Holmgren went off for 24 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists to help the Red Hawks advance in postseason play.
Record: 18-6
| Last week: 11
Tigers are looking for breakout at GEICO Nationals behind senior
Nolan Hickman.
Record: 3-0
| Last week: 12
The Crusaders knocked off Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains) twice last week, defeating them 47-46 on Tuesday before a 66-39 blowout victory the following night. Scheduling issues have remained an issue all season for the talented group from the Big Apple.
Record: 30-3
| Last week: 13
The Crew draw La Lumiere in a Wednesday play-in game at GEICO Nationals.
Record: 27-2 | Last week: 14
Regular season complete.
Record: 20-3 | Last week: 15
Regular season complete.
Record: 28-1 | Last week: 16
The Georgia AA champs earn first GEICO invite and face perennial powerhouse Oak Hill Academy in play-in game.
Record: 27-0 | Last week: 17
Regular season complete.
17. Combine Academy (Lincolnton, N.C.)
Record: 28-3 | Last week: 18
Regular season complete.
Record: 21-3
| Last week: 19
Regular season complete.
Record: 26-2 | Last week: 20
Regular season complete.
Record: 12-0
| Last week: 23
Northwestern pledge
Julian Roper pumped in 21 points to help the Eaglets capture the District 6 title over Mott (Waterford) 76-60. The Eaglets advance to Tuesday's Regional semifinals against Clarkston.
Record: 30-2 | Last week: 21
Regular season complete.
Record: 25-3 | Last week: 22
Regular season complete.
Record: 26-2 | Last week: 24
Regular season complete.
Record: 7-4 | Last week: 25
Regular season complete.
Record: 26-2 | Last week: NR
Senior West Chester pledge
Moro Osomanu led the way with 21 points and 13 rebounds in the Red Knights' upset victory over previously-ranked Archbishop Wood.
