Holiday tournaments have significantly influenced the Top 25 high school basketball rankings for the second week in a row, with Roosevelt (Eastvale, Calif.) rising to the No. 1 spot after securing championships at both the Tarkanian Classic and the Classic at Damien.
Other notable tournament victors include No. 2 Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) at the Les Schwab Invitational, along with No. 6 John Marshall (Richmond, Va.), No. 10 Christ School (Arden, N.C.), and No. 19 Reidsville (N.C.) who triumphed in various John Wall Holiday Invitational brackets.
Additionally, No. 11 Brennan (San Antonio, Texas) and No. 13 Allen (Texas) achieved success in prominent Texas tournaments. No. 20 Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, Va.) took home the title at the Beach Ball Classic, while No. 23 DePaul College Prep (Chicago, Ill.) was victorious at the Pontiac Holiday Invitational and No. 25 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) secured a win at the Kingdom of the Sun.
No. 9 Calvary Christian Academy (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) is also on track to complete its journey to the Classic at Tennessee High School championship against Central (Phenix City, Ala.) tonight in the final matchup.
This week, Hoophall West is in the spotlight where No. 2 Gonzaga, No. 4 Perry (Gilbert, Ariz.), No. 16 Harvard-Westlake (Studio City, Calif.), and No. 22 Duncanville (Texas) will compete for the tournament title in Arizona.
Top 25 high school basketball rankings
1. Roosevelt (Eastvale, Calif.)
Record: 15-1 | Last week: 4
Victorious in consecutive major tournaments, the Mustangs ascended to the top ranking. They triumphed in the Tarkanian Classic Platinum Division and followed that with a win at the Classic at Damien, defeating Layton Christian Academy (Layton, Utah) 86-65 in the semifinals, and edging out No. 5 St. John Bosco 56-55 in an overtime nail-biter for the championship. Five-star senior Brayden Burries garnered MVP accolades after scoring a game-high 24 points in the title encounter.
2. Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.)
Record: 10-1 | Last week: 2
Clinched the Les Schwab Invitational title with wins against Lakeridge (Lake Oswego, Ore.), Owyhee (Meridian, Idaho), Central Catholic (Portland, Ore.), and La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) 64-44 in the championship. This week, the Eagles are set to face Sunnyslope (Phoenix, Ariz.) in the first round of Hoophall West.
3. Columbus (Miami, Fla.)
Record: 13-3 | Last week: 1
The Explorers claimed the City of Palms Classic title prior to Christmas but stumbled against Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.) and Link Academy (Branson, Mo.) following a victory over Bullis (Potomac, Md.).
4. Perry (Gilbert, Ariz.)
Record: 11-0 | Last week: 5
Returning to action for the first time since December 20, they will face No. 16 Harvard-Westlake in the initial round of Hoophall West.
5. St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.)
Record: 14-1 | Last week: 3
Despite suffering a narrow defeat to No. 1 Roosevelt in the championship at Damien, the Braves have only dropped two positions while still waiting for their star player, top-ranked junior Brandon McCoy Jr., to return.
6. John Marshall (Richmond, Va.)
Record: 10-0 | Last week: 8
Four-star junior Latrell Allmond was named MVP at the John Wall Holiday Invitational, averaging 16.0 points and 12.3 rebounds per game.
7. Grayson (Loganville, Ga.)
Record: 11-1 | Last week: 6
The Rams, after going 3-1 at the City of Palms Classic, are set to encounter Archer (Lawrenceville, Ga.) on Friday and McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) on Saturday.
8. Hoover (Ala.)
Record: 19-0 | Last week: 7
They captured the Big Orange Classic title with victories over Shelbyville Central (Shelbyville, Tenn.), Williamson (Mobile, Ala.), and defeated Jackson Prep (Jackson, Miss.) 80-42 in the championship affair.
9. Calvary Christian Academy (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
Record: 10-0 | Last week: 19
The Eagles made a significant impression at the Classic at Tennessee High School, advancing to the championship game where they will meet Central (Phenix City, Ala.) tonight after victories against Webb (Knoxville, Tenn.), St. Michael’s (Austin, Texas), and then-No. 9 St. Joseph (Santa Maria, Calif.) 83-55 in the semifinals.
10. Christ School (Arden, N.C.)
Record: 12-0 | Last week: 11
Four-star North Carolina State recruit Zymicah Wilkins claimed MVP honors at the John Wall Holiday Invitational, averaging 20 points and 14 rebounds per game.
11. Brennan (San Antonio, Texas)
Record: 17-2 | Last week: 12
They secured the Championship Basketball Tournament Red Division win with a series of victories over Chisholm Trail (Fort Worth, Texas), Frenship (Wolfforth, Texas), and South Grand Prairie (Grand Prairie, Texas) before triumphing over Ellison (Killeen, Texas) 79-53 in the final. Senior guard Camden Cowgill earned MVP accolades, averaging 18 points, 3.5 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game.
12. Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.)
Record: 13-1 | Last week: 13
Notre Dame is gearing up for Hoophall West this week, facing Layton Christian Academy (Layton, Utah) on Thursday, Coronado (Henderson, Nev.) on Friday, and O’Connor (Phoenix, Ariz.) on Saturday.
13. Allen (Texas)
Record: 18-1 | Last week: 15
Achieved four wins over three days to claim the In-N-Out Invitational, with North Texas signee Deandre Thomas named MVP after averaging 13.7 points and four rebounds per game.
14. Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.)
Record: 10-3 | Last week: 14
The Wildcats are returning to play this Saturday against Greenforest (Decatur, Ga.) following an extended break.
15. Fishers (Ind.)
Record: 9-0 | Last week: 17
They captured two quality victories against in-state rivals, overcoming Warsaw 54-51, led by 17 points and five assists from top 50 sophomore Jason Gardner, and Greenfield-Central (Greenfield) 85-80, powered by Gardner’s 20 points and nine assists.
16. Harvard-Westlake (Studio City, Calif.)
Record: 15-1 | Last week: 18
The Wolverines gained three wins against out-of-state opponents over three days, defeating Bellevue (Wash.) 78-47, American Fork (Utah) 79-50, and Puyallup (Wash.) 79-45. The Wolverines are poised for more action as they move forward. They’ll have a showdown on Thursday in the initial round of Hoophall West against No. 4 Perry.
17. St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.)
Record: 11-1 | Last week: 21
Secured two out-of-state wins over the weekend, taking down St. Rose (Belmar, N.J.) and Archbishop Carroll (Radnor, Pa.). The Panthers are set to face Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.) on Saturday before diving deep into Baltimore Catholic League play.
18. St. Joseph (Santa Maria, Calif.)
Record: 11-1 | Last week: 9
Experienced their first loss of the season during the Classic at Tennessee High School, falling to No. 9 Calvary Christian Academy (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) with a score of 83-55 in the semifinals. Despite this setback, Tounde Yessoufou surpassed 3,000 career points at the event.
19. Reidsville (N.C.)
Record: 8-0 | Last week: 24
Crowned champions of the John Wall Holiday Invitational Day’Ron Sharpe Bracket, junior guard Dionte Neal earned the MVP title with averages of 27.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game.
20. Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, Va.)
Record: 10-3 | Last week: NR
Following a significant win over No. 21 DeMatha, they clinched the Beach Ball Classic Traditional Bracket by defeating Ridge View (Columbia, S.C.) and St. John’s (Washington, D.C.). Junior guard Darius Bivins was named MVP after delivering 18 points, six rebounds, and three assists in the championship match.
21. DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.)
Record: 10-2 | Last week: NR
Achieved two out-of-state victories at the Governors Challenge, taking down Westtown (West Chester, Pa.) and SoCal Academy (Castaic, Calif.) with a score of 52-42.
22. Duncanville (Texas)
Record: 9-4 | Last week: NR
The Panthers made a significant leap in the rankings after traveling to Florida to defeat two elite teams over the weekend. Duncanville triumphed over the previously undefeated Blake (Tampa) 79-65, led by Kayden Edwards, who scored 30 points. They then edged out No. 10 Oak Ridge (Orlando, Fla.) 95-90 in double overtime, thanks to a remarkable 45-point performance from Edwards.
23. DePaul College Prep (Chicago, Ill.)
Record: 14-1 | Last week: NR
Secured the championship at the Pontiac Holiday Tournament, emerging victorious over Joliet West (Joliet), Curie (Chicago), and Benet Academy (Lisle) with a close 59-56 win in the final match.
24. Cretin-Derham Hall (St. Paul, Minn.)
Record: 8-0 | Last week: NR
The addition of four-star Notre Dame signee Tommy Ahneman has significantly elevated this team’s performance, showcasing double-double averages throughout the season.
25. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
Record: 12-1 | Last week: NR
Recognized not just as a football powerhouse, Aquinas has emerged as a formidable contender on the basketball court this season as well, winning the Kingdom of the Sun championship with a notable victory over Gibbs (St. Petersburg, Fla.) with an 80-64 score. Their sole defeat occurred against No. 17 St. Frances Academy in their second game of the season.
NEXT FIVE:
- Owasso (Okla.)
- St. John’s (Washington, D.C.)
- Highland (Warrenton, Va.)
- Volcano Vista (Albuquerque, N.M.)
- JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.)
