High School Basketball Rankings New Year’s Edition
High School Basketball Rankings New Years Edition
A lot of high schools believe they have the best basketball program and there have been many teams that feel they are the best. Although they’re a lot of great high school basketball teams out there, they all can’t be ranked No. 1. With the high school basketball season midway through, I’m proud to announce my top 25 high school basketball power rankings New Years edition.
I know some are probably wondering how I ranked these high? Although record is one of the primary factors in ranking any team, I also ranked these teams based on competition. In my opinion, some schools that are in Texas, California, or Illinois have tougher competition then anywhere else in the country.
Even though this is what I believe, I still give credit any team that went undefeated and ranked them accordingly. I also took into account rankings across popular sports websites and blogs. After thoroughly going through each individual website and blog, I believe I have a solid top 25 list.
I have to give some credit to MaxPreps, ESPN, Twitter, and RantSports. It was a rough and extended process to come up with these teams, but I believe these teams are definitely well deserved.
Although I believe some of the best high school basketball is played in Texas, California, and Illinois, I’ve also included schools from New Jersey, Oklahoma, Arkansas, West Virginia, Kansas, Florida, Virginia, and Utah. I’m proud to say though that their are a couple of Illinois schools that have made my top list and one of them is in my top 5.
I know some of you might not like my rankings, but lets agree to disagree. Rant your comments or tweet me at @ericdomingo3.
25) Omaha Central (Omaha, NE)
Omaha Central starts off our new years ranking at No. 25. Although Nebraska is not a state known for high school basketball, Omaha Central has definitely changed that. This team is 9-2 overall, 7-0 in their conference and is undefeated at home. They are ranked the No. 1 in Nebraska and rank in the top 25 across a lot of expert rankings. Their next game is at Omaha North, where it should be an interesting game between the No. 1 and No. 9 ranked teams in Nebraska.
24) Centennial (Corona, CA)
Centennial high school is next on our list at No. 24. California has always been a state known to have great basketball talent. Centennial definitely has a bunch of talented kids and their 15-1 overall record proves that. Their undefeated at home (5-0) and away (2-0) and their only loss came to a tough Etiwanda (Etiwanda, California) squad that played amazing defense and held Centennial to 49 points. Under coach Josh Giles this team definitely deserves a spot among the best teams in high school basketball.
23) Southwind (Memphis, TN)
Southwind definitely needs to be in the top 25 at No. 23. The purple and black has had an amazing season at 11-3 overall and 2-0 in their conference. They’re undefeated at home and had some crazy blowout wins. Their best win this season came in a win against City University School of Liberal Arts (Memphis, TN) where they won 82-36. Under coach Paul Edwards this team is a tough matchup for any team in Tennessee and in the nation.
22) St. Benedict’s Prep (Newark, N.J.)
St. Benedict’s Prep rolls in at my No. 22 spot. Although this team hasn’t played that many games it’s hard to be undefeated anywhere. The Gray Bees are 3-0 overall and 1-0 at home. They’re ranked No. 1 in New Jersey and ranked in the top 25 across many expert rankings. They’ve been crushing opponents, winning with an average margin of 47 points. There most impressive win came against Haverford school (Haverford, PA) where they beat them 71-24. Under coach Mark Taylor this team is dangerous and scary to face.
21) Pike (Indianapolis, IN)
Pike drops in at my No. 21 spot. Like St. Benedict’s Prep this team is also undefeated. They’re 8-0 overall and 2-0 in their conference. They’re also 3-0 a home and 4-0 on the road. They haven’t been crushing opponents, but they have faced some serious competition. Their closest game came against town rival Ben Davis, winning 64-63
20) Fort Bend Travis (Richmond, TX)
For Bend Travis is well deserved at the No. 20 spot. The red and white have had a great season at 15-3 overall. They’re undefeated in their conference, but have lost a couple games at home and on the road. They’re most disappointing loss came to Fort Bend Bush where they only scored 49 points. They’re a grind it out team and have really proved themselves among the top ranked schools in Texas and in the nation. Under coach Craig Brownson the Tigers are definitely a force to be reckoned with.
19) Loyola (Los Angeles, CA)
Loyola is a team that needs to be ranked at No. 19. They’re 11-2 overall and undefeated in their conference. They are ranked No. 4 in California and haven’t lost at home. Their best game came against Cleveland (Reseda, CA) where they held them to 39 points. They were locked in defensively and completely frustrated the Cavaliers. Under coach Jamal Adams this team is hard to beat.
18) South Grand Prairie (Grand Prairie, TX)
South Grand Prairie drops in at the No. 18 spot. The Warriors have had an outstanding season at 16-2 overall. They’re 5-1 at home and 6-1 on the road. They’re ranked No. 3 in Texas and in the top 25 across many expert rankings. Their best game this season came against Jersey Village (Houston, TX) where they held them to 36 points. They’re a great defense team that has held numerous teams under 50 points. Under coach Brandon Bennett this team is tough and hard to plan against.
17) Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, PA)
Neumann-Goretti is well deserved at No. 17. They are having a great season at 7-1 overall. They’re undefeated in their conference and at home. They’re ranked No. 2 in Pennsylvania and among the top schools across expert rankings. They have been crushing teams with their most impressive win coming against Conwell-Egan Catholic (Fairless Hills, PA) 90-39. The Saints definitely have the talent to do this to most teams on a nightly bases. Under coach Carl Arrigale they are a really scary team to face.
16) Prime Prep (Dallas, TX)
Prime Prep is arguably the best team in Texas and definitely one of the best teams in the nation at No. 16. They have had an amazing season at 10-0 overall and haven’t lost at home or on the road. They’re ranked No. 2 team in Texas and ranked among the top 25 across many expert rankings. Their most impressive win came against Crowley (Crowley, TX) winning 77-36. They were amazing on both sides of the floor, completely frustrating the Crowley players. They willingness to share the ball and play great defense makes them hard to beat.
15) North (Wichita, KS)
North is a team that definitely needs to ranked among the top schools at No. 15. They have had an outstanding season at 6-0 overall. They haven’t lost at home or on the road and they’re ranked the No. 1 team in Kansas. They have been dominating their competition, with their best win coming against their town rivals South, winning 69-22. They completely shut them down, not allowing them to score or get in any offensive sets. They definitely have the ability to do this to any team in the nation and under coach Gary Squires they may never lose.
14) Lake Oswego (OR)
Lake Oswego drops in at No. 14. They have definitely put Oregon on the map with there dominance in their conference. They are 13-0 overall and haven’t lost at home or on the road. They are ranked the No. 1 school in Oregon and rank among the top schools across many expert rankings. Their most impressive win came against state rivals Westview (Portland, OR), where they won 70-29. They completely dominate the game on both ends and frustrate all teams they face. Under coach Mark Shoff they are force to be reckoned with.
13) Chester (PA)
Chester rolls in at No. 13. They’re having a great season at 6-2 overall. Although they have lost a couple games, it came to great competition. Their loss to Lone Peak (Highland, UT) came to the best team in Utah. Don’t let those couple of losses fool you, this team is scary to play. They’ve dominated teams like Abington (Abington, PA) winning 74-38. They’re a tough matchup for any team and under coach Larry Yarbray Sr. this team can go really far.
12) Huntington Prep (Huntington, WV)
Huntington Prep is well deserved at No. 12. This team is having an incredible season at 14-0. They haven’t loss at home or on the road and that’s why they’re ranked No. 1 in West Virginia. They are also ranked among the top schools across expert boards because of their excellent defense and their precise offense. Their most impressive win came against Phase One at SVHS, where they won 105-50. They crushed them on both sides of the floor, where Phase One couldn’t do anything. Under coach Rob Fulford this team is one of the scariest teams in the nation.
11) Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, VA)
Oak Hill Academy rolls in at our No. 11 spot. This team is having a great season at 15-2. They’re ranked No. 1 in Virginia, ranked among the top schools in the nation across many expert rankings and they’re undefeated at home. They’ve been giving team fits, shutting most teams down with their outstanding defense. Their best game came against Curie (Chicago, IL), where they beat them 72-39. The Warriors are a scary team to play and definitely a nightmare for any coach to plan against.
10) North Little Rock (AR)
North Little Rock definitely needs to be in the top 25 rankings. This team is having a great season at 13-1. They’re undefeated at home and is ranked the No. 1 team in Arkansas. Also, across many expert rankings there are ranked in the top 10. Their best game this season came against local team Bryant, where they crushed them 133-66. Under coach Johnny Rice this team definitely has the capability to score100 plus points every night.
9) Midwest City (Midwest City, OK)
Midwest City rolls in at the No. 9 spot. This team has been dominating all season at 8-0. No one has beaten them at home and on the road. They’re ranked the No. 1 team in Oklahoma and ranked No. 9 in the nation. Their best game this season came against local team Mustang high school, where they beat them 101-72. Under coach Dewayne Bradley this team is definitely tough.
8) Bishop Montgomery (Torrance, CA)
Bishop Montgomery is well deserved at the No. 8 spot. This team is having an outstanding season at 15-0. They haven’t lost at home or on the road and teams just can’t figure out how to stop them. They’re ranked among the top teams in California and they’re ranked in the top 10 across many expert rankings. Their best game came against Millikan (Long Beach, CA) where they embarrassed them 110-57. Under coach Douglas Mitchell this team gives opponents nightmares.
7) Long Beach Poly (Long Beach, CA)
Long Beach Poly drops in at the No. 7 spot. This team is having an amazing season at 12-1. They’re undefeated at home and they’re ranked among the tops teams in California and in the nation. Their best game came against Manual Arts (Los Angeles, CA) where they completely shut them down 86-12. Everything was going wrong for Manual Arts and Long Beach Poly took advantage of it. Under coach Sharrief Metoyer this team is a matchup nightmare.
6) Morgan Park (Chicago, IL)
Morgan Park rolls in at the No. 6 spot. The Mustangs have been having a great year at 14-1 overall. They are undefeated at home and they’re the No. 2 ranked school in Illinois. They are also ranked among the top 10 schools in the country. They’ve been dominating schools in Illinois with their best win coming at Southland College Prep. They destroyed Southland 101-10 with great offense and defense. Under coach Nick Irvin the Mustangs are a dangerous team to play.
5) DeSoto (De Soto, TX)
DeSoto is well deserved at the No. 5 spot. The Eagles are having a great season at 15-1 overall. They also are undefeated at home and rank among the top 5 schools nationally across many expert rankings. They are also the best-ranked school in Texas and have dominated teams all over. Their best game came against Dunbar (Fort Worth, TX) where they crushed them 107-68. DeSoto has this capability night in and night out and under coach Chris Dyer they are a tough team to play against.
4) Whitney Young (Chicago, IL)
Whitney Young rolls in at our No. 4 spot. They have been doing well all season at 10-1 overall. They are undefeated at home and also have been doing well on the road. They are the No. 1 ranked team in Illinois and ranked among the top schools across many expert rankings. They have been dominating Illinois schools all season, with their best game coming against Ford Power House, where they dominated them 103-46. Under coach Tyrone Slaughter this team is definitely a tough matchup for anyone.
3) Mater Dei (Santa Ana, CA)
Mater Dei drops in at the No. 3 spot. They’ve been doing well all season at 16-0. They are undefeated at home and is ranked No.1 in California. Their best game came against Glenn (Norwalk, CA) 137-26. They are a matchup nightmare for anyone and under Coach Gary Mcknight they are tough to beat.
2) Lone Peak (Highland, UT)
Lone Peak is well deserved at the No. 2 spot. They have dominated all season at 10-1 overall. They are undefeated at home and are ranked the No. 1 school in Utah. Their best game came against Cottonwood (Salt Lake City, UT) where they beat them 79-37. Under coach Quincy Lewis this team is tough on the offensive and defensive side of the ball.
1) Montverde Academy (Montverde, FL)
Montverde Academy rolls in at our top spot. They have been the best team in the country this season and many previous seasons. They are 15-0 overall and have not had trouble with any team all season. They’ve been beating teams by a huge margin, with no game coming within 10 points. Under coach Kevin Boyle this team definitely is the best team in the nation.
