MaxPreps Top 25 national high school boys basketball rankings

Jason Hickman
Updated

Photo by Jim Redman

Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) knocked off preseason No. 1 Montverde Academy (Fla.) on Tuesday night in the City of Palms Classic championship game.

MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Basketball Rankings presented by the Army National Guard

1. (No. 2 last week) Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), 21-0
This is familiar territory for legendary head coach Steve Smith. Senior point guard Terrence Phillips took home MVP honors as the Warriors beat No. 8 Bishop O'Dowd for the Iolani Classic crown in Hawaii. Oak Hill Academy doesn't take the floor again until Jan. 7.

2. (16) Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.), 9-0
The Wildcats were a virtual mainstay in the national rankings during a stretch in head coach Douglas Lipscomb's 20-plus years with the program. That status waned a bit in recent years but Wheeler is back in a big way after beating then-No. 1 Montverde Academy in the City of Palms Classic championship game Tuesday night. There won't be much time to celebrate that epic victory, however. Both teams are headed for the Les Schwab Invitational in Oregon after Christmas.

3. (3) Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.), 12-0
The Pilots will face Lincoln (Sioux Falls, S.D.), No. 10 Our Savior New American and Riverside Academy (Reserve, La.) during a key six-game stretch sandwiched around the New Year.

4. (6) Huntington St. Joseph Prep (Huntington, W.Va.), 14-0
First-year head coach Arkell Bruce is off to a hot start. The Fighting Irish are done for 2014, but January will be a doozy with games against No. 10 Our Savior New American, No. 17 Oldsmar Christian, Callaway (Jackson, Miss.), Quality Education Academy (Winston-Salem, N.C.) and Whitney Young (Chicago).

5. (1) Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.), 10-1
The Eagles may have an opportunity to put the Wheeler loss behind them quickly in head-to-head fashion. The teams are lined up on opposite sides of the bracket at the Les Schwab Invitational starting later this week.
Photo by Jim Redman

Harry Giles showed up big for Wesleyan Christian Academy at the City of Palms Classic.

6. (7) Stevenson (Lincolnshire, Ill.), 9-0
The Patriots got a scare Tuesday night at the Proviso West Holiday Tournament, escaping with a 60-51 victory over Maine South. Stevenson meets Kenwood of Chicago on Dec. 26 as the event continues after Christmas.

7. (14) Wesleyan Christian Academy (High Point, N.C.), 13-1
Harry Giles and the Trojans proved they were ready for prime time at the City of Palms Classic. Wesleyan Christian lost a semifinal nail-biter to eventual champ Wheeler and took home third place with a win over No. 19 Trinity on the final day of the event.

8. (8) Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland, Calif.), 5-2
O'Dowd's two losses have come against No. 1 Oak Hill Academy and No. 5 Montverde Academy. The Dragons could get another crack at Oak Hill next month at the Bass Pro Shops Tournament of Champions in Missouri.

9. (9) Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.), 3-0
The Lions are roaring early but the competition will stiffen next week with a pair of games at Slam Dunk to the Beach in Delaware.

10. (21) Our Savior New American (Centereach, N.Y.), 10-2
OSNA beat No. 14 Cape Henry Collegiate and preseason Top 10 team Arlington Country Day (Jacksonville, Fla.) to win the Chick-fil-A Classic in South Carolina. Star senior forward/center Cheick Diallo earned MVP honors.
Photo by Wayne Litmer

Head coach Babe Kwasniak's Villa Angela-St. Joseph squad is averaging nearly 95 points per game in its last five outings.

11. (11) Plano West (Texas), 11-1
West tuned up for the rugged Whataburger Tournament with a 76-50 win over Lewisville on Tuesday night. Texas A&M-bound big man Tyler Davis is averaging 22.0 points, 12.9 rebounds and 3.7 blocked shots per game this season.

12. (15) Atascocita (Humble, Texas), 15-0
Though Atascocita lacks glossy out-of-state wins, beating state powers North Crowley (Fort Worth), Lancaster and DeSoto during a two-day span in November at the McDonald's Invitational is still among the most impressive stretches for any team in the Top 25.

13. (17) Muskegon (Mich.), 3-0
The Big Reds survived their first big test with a 65-63 win over state No. 2 Arthur Hill (Saginaw) at the Best of the Best Classic. Mr. Triple-Double Deyonta Davis tallied 16 points, 16 rebounds and 10 blocked shots in the victory.

14. (13) Cape Henry Collegiate (Virginia Beach, Va.), 7-1
No. 10 Our Savior New American got the Dolphins in the Chick-fil-A Classic semifinals, but they bounced back to beat defending South Carolina state champ Wando (Mt. Pleasant) in the third-place game. Cape Henry meets No. 7 Wesleyan Christian Academy on Jan. 3 at the Chance Harman Classic.

15. (22) Villa Angela-St. Joseph (Cleveland), 6-0
Carlton Bragg scored 24 points Tuesday night as the Vikings dominated Richmond Heights 90-49. An important measuring stick game against Arlington Country Day at the Cancer Research Classic is slated for Jan. 2.
Photo by Jim Redman

D'Angelo West and Trinity made a run to the semifinals at the City of Palms Classic.

16. (23) Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.), 6-0
The Royals bid adieu to 6-foot-10 center Adonis de la Rosa (now at St. John's) and prep school transfer Travis Atson, but have seemingly taken a big step forward from last season. CTK has won all six games by double digits.

17. (NR) Oldsmar Christian (Fla.), 18-1
After cruising to the title at the Great Florida Shootout, Oldsmar Christian emphatically returns to the Top 25. The Eagles ripped Osceola (Kissimmee) 65-32 in the Shootout final behind 27 points from Justin James.

18. (4) La Lumiere (LaPorte, Ind.), 10-1
Potter's House Christian (Jacksonville, Fla.) stunned the Lakers 57-54 in the City of Palms Signature Series final. La Lumiere's matchup Jan. 2 at the Cancer Research Classic against Archbishop Carroll (Radnor, Pa.) becomes a must-win.

19. (NR) Trinity (Louisville, Ky.), 6-2
The Shamrocks won their first six games of the season in impressive fashion before falling to No. 5 Montverde Academy and No. 7 Wesleyan Christian Academy on the final two days of the City of Palms Classic. Trinity reached the semifinals of the prestigious event with wins over No. 21 Sierra Canyon and Oak Ridge (Orlando, Fla.).

20. (NR) St. Francis (Alpharetta, Ga.), 10-2
There will be plenty of debate about how things stack up in Georgia behind Wheeler, but going 3-1 at the City of Palms Classic is worthy of Top 25 respect. The Knights took No. 5 Montverde Academy to the wire in the quarterfinals and handled Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) 77-60 for fifth place.
Photo by Jim Redman

Sophomore phenom Cody Riley helped Sierra Canyon overcome the loss of a key contributor to win three games at the City of Palms Classic.

21. (5) Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.), 4-1
The Trailblazers shook off a first round loss at City of Palms by winning three in a row in Fort Myers and coming home with the consolation title. Not a bad out-of-state debut for head coach Tyrone Nichols and his young Sierra Canyon squad --- especially without the services of 6-foot-8 sophomore forward Ira Lee, who is expected to rejoin the team from injury in January. The MaxPreps Holiday Classic in Palm Springs, Calif., is up next.

22. (24) Greensboro Day (Greensboro, N.C.), 16-0
Over their last seven outings, the Bengals are winning by an average margin of 28.7 points per game.

23. (25) Hamilton (Memphis, Tenn.), 8-0
The Lawson brothers-led Wildcats will get a crack at No. 1 Oak Hill Academy in early January.

24. (NR) Rainier Beach (Seattle), 5-0
After a storybook 2013-14 season powered by a strong senior class, it was natural to think the Vikings would be in re-tooling mode this winter. But transfers Ivy Smith and Keith Smith (no relation) have teamed with holdover De'Jounte Murray to give the storied Seattle program plenty of firepower once again. Rainier Beach will join No. 2 Wheeler and No. 5 Montverde Academy at the Les Schwab Invitational in Oregon.

25. (NR) Southport (Indianapolis), 6-0
The Cardinals are led by the trio by senior point guard Malik Bennett (17.3 points, 3.5 assists per game), 6-10 junior center Joey Brunk (15.8 points, 7.2 rebounds) and promising sophomore guard Paul Scruggs (13.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists.

Dropped out: No. 10 Simeon (Chicago), No. 12 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), No. 18 Sagemont (Weston, Fla.), No. 19 St. Benedict's Prep (Newark, N.J.), No. 20 Centennial (Corona, Calif.)