The high school basketball season has officially begun in all 50 states, and the top 25 rankings are starting to solidify.
This week saw a couple of upsets in the top 10, with former No. 7 Harvard-Westlake (Studio City, Calif.) falling to Timpview (Provo, Utah) 61-49 and previous No. 10 Great Crossing (Georgetown, Ky.) succumbing to St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.) 72-58. Additionally, former No. 13 Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.) and No. 18 Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.) exited the rankings after losses over the weekend.
Three new teams have made their way into this week’s rankings as we gear up for an action-packed schedule in high school basketball; No. 21 Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.), No. 23 Riviera Prep (Miami, Fla.), and No. 25 Father Judge (Philadelphia, Pa.) are now part of the conversation.
This week, holiday tournaments take center stage in high school hoops. Events like the City of Palms Classic, ‘Iolani Classic, and Tarkanian Classic are stacked with top 25 teams.
The City of Palms Traditional Bracket showcases top contenders such as No. 1 Columbus (Miami, Fla.), No. 4 Grayson (Loganville, Ga.), and No. 7 Oak Ridge (Orlando, Fla.), along with four other teams ranked in the National Top 10. The ‘Iolani Classic will feature No. 11 Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.) and No. 21 Wheeler, among three other National Top 10 teams.
Meanwhile, the Tarkanian Classic is headlined by No. 6 Roosevelt (Eastvale, Calif.), No. 15 Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.), and No. 23 Riviera Prep (Miami, Fla.).
With holiday tournaments influencing the rankings in the coming weeks, anticipate significant changes in the high school basketball landscape before the New Year.
Top 25 Basketball Rankings
1. Columbus (Miami, Fla.)
Record: 8-1 | Last week: 1
Secured its fifth victory against an out-of-state opponent this season with an impressive 83-54 win over Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.). The Explorers enter the City of Palms Classic as slight favorites but face a challenging path ahead with a first-round clash against Great Crossing (Georgetown, Ky.) likely leading to a matchup against No. 4 Grayson in the second round.
2. Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.)
Record: 5-1 | Last week: 2
Took home the Gonzaga DC Classic with victories over St. Ignatius (Cleveland, Ohio) 77-54, Archbishop Spalding (Severn, Md.) 68-53, and Chaminade (St. Louis, Mo.) 74-46. Four-star North Carolina signee Derek Dixon led his team with 16 points, alongside four rebounds and four assists in the championship game.
3. St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.)
Record: 10-0 | Last week: 3
Won the Braves Winter Classic, defeating La Mirada (Calif.) 66-47 in the semifinals, and clinching the championship game against Damien (La Verne, Calif.) with a score of 46-37. Five-star junior Christian Collins was named tournament MVP following a standout performance that included 21 points and 13 rebounds in the semifinals.
4. Grayson (Loganville, Ga.)
Record: 8-0 | Last week: 4
Defeated Grovetown 70-53 with standout performances led by four-star Georgia signee Jacob Wilkins, who contributed 18 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks. The Rams are set to face Central Catholic (Portland, Ore.) in the first round of the City of Palms Classic tomorrow.
5. Perry (Gilbert, Ariz.)
Record: 9-0 | Last week: 5
Secured a victory against fellow Open Division state title contender Sunnyslope (Phoenix) 61-52, highlighted by 18 points from Missouri-Kansas City commit DeAndre Harrison, alongside 16 from senior guard Dominic Avalos and 13 points from top senior Koa Peat. The Pumas are gearing up to face Corner Canyon (Draper, Utah) on Friday before heading to Hoophall West in January.
6. Roosevelt (Eastvale, Calif.)
Record: 7-1 | Last week: 6
Five-star senior Brayden Burries delivered an outstanding performance, setting a new career-high with 56 points, along with 16 rebounds, eight assists, and five steals in a spectacular 111-92 defeat of Inglewood (Calif.). The Mustangs are set to take on St. Augustine (San Diego, Calif.) in their first game at the Tarkanian Classic on Wednesday.
7. Oak Ridge (Orlando, Fla.)
Record: 5-1 | Last week: 8
After a 12-day break, the Pioneers are back in action on Thursday against Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.) in their first-round game at the City of Palms Classic.
8. Hoover (Ala.)
Record: 13-0 | Last week: 9
Added a notable out-of-state win over Jackson Academy (Jackson, Miss.) 63-51 at the Tangle on the Trail, led by 23 points and seven rebounds from four-star Tennessee signee DeWayne Brown. The Buccaneers have a challenging week ahead as they face two more out-of-state opponents: Greenforest (Decatur, Ga.) on Friday and Bartlett (Tenn.) on Saturday.
9. John Marshall (Richmond, Va.)
Record: 4-0 | Last week: 11
Scored over 100 points for the first time this season, crushing Westfield (Chantilly, Va.) with a score of 100-64. The Justices are set to battle three in-state opponents before heading to the John Wall Holiday Invitational, where they’ll take on Clayton (N.C.) in the first round the day after Christmas.
10. St. John’s (Washington, D.C.)
Record: 6-1 | Last week: 12
Responded strongly from a previous loss to Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) with two solid wins over WCAC rivals, defeating St. Mary’s Ryken (Leonardtown, Md.) 75-51 followed by an 80-58 triumph over Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.). Junior forward Zyion Chase topped the scoring with a game-high 22 points against Bishop McNamara.
11. Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.)
Record: 4-1 | Last week: 14
Bounced back from a loss to Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.) with commanding wins over St. John Paul (Dumfries, Va.) 84-39 and St. Mary’s Ryken 63-47. The Panthers are on their way to the ‘Iolani Classic for a first-round matchup with University Laboratory School (Honolulu, Hawaii) tomorrow.
12. St. Joseph (Santa Maria, Calif.)
Record: 7-0 | Last week: 15
Achieved victories over Oakland Tech (Oakland, Calif.) 90-65 and Fremont (Oakland, Calif.) 80-51, driven by strong performances from five-star Baylor signee Tounde Yessoufou. The Knights are set to clash with Edgewater (Orlando, Fla.) on Thursday in the first round of the four-team Sunshine Series at the City of Palms Classic.
13. Christ School (Arden, N.C.)
Record: 10-0 | Last week: 16
Achieved a win against Davidson Day (Davidson, N.C.) 83-63, with standout contributions of 22 points from American University commit Madden Collins and 17 points from junior guard Dacen Petty. The Greenies are taking a break until after Christmas, when they will face Knightdale (N.C.) in the opening round of the four-team T.J. Warren bracket at the John Wall Holiday Invitational.
14. DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.)
Record: 6-1 | Last week: 17
DeMatha kicked off its WCAC schedule with a solid 75-60 win against Archbishop Carroll (Washington, D.C.) and continued its strong performance by defeating out-of-state rivals Howard (Wilmington, Del.) 77-31 and Eagle Academy (Bronx, N.Y.) 68-46. Junior guard Ace Meeks has been a driving force for the team, averaging 15.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game through seven contests.
15. Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.)
Record: 9-0 | Last week: 19
The Knights saw the return of top-ranked junior Tyran Stokes over the weekend, who scored 20 points as they secured victories over Fairfax (Los Angeles, Calif.) 82-55 and El Camino Real (Woodland Hills, Calif.) 89-35. Notre Dame is set to take on a top 100 opponent, Basha (Chandler, Ariz.), in the first round of the Tarkanian Classic on Wednesday.
16. Brennan (San Antonio, Texas)
Record: 12-2 | Last week: 20
Following back-to-back losses to No. 10 St. John’s and No. 14 DeMatha, the Bears rebounded nicely with a 72-43 win over O’Connor (Helotes, Texas). Five-star Houston signee Kingston Flemings led the charge with 16 points, seven assists, five rebounds, and four steals.
17. Allen (Texas)
Record: 13-1 | Last week: 21
Allen handed Plano West its second loss of the season, winning 80-59 thanks to contributions from five players scoring in double figures. Junior guard Nehemiah Lawrence and three-star North Texas signee Deandre Thomas each recorded a team-high of 17 points. The Eagles are gearing up for an upcoming game against Prosper (Texas) on Friday before hosting the In-N-Out Invitational after Christmas.
18. Huntsville (Ala.)
Record: 14-0 | Last week: 22
The team improved to 5-0 against out-of-state adversaries by edging out Maryville (Tenn.) 56-51 with 21 points and five rebounds from UNC Asheville commit Brayden Rivers. They also narrowly defeated St. Anne’s-Belfield (Charlottesville, Va.) 49-48 with an impressive performance by Lipscomb University commit J.D. Gossett, who tallied 22 points, seven rebounds, and five assists.
19. Calvary Christian Academy (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
Record: 5-0 | Last week: 23
Calvary Christian achieved a significant in-state victory against Sagemont (Weston, Fla.) with a score of 80-66, highlighted by junior Sam Hallas’s team-high 22 points. Four-star junior Collin Paul contributed 20 points, six rebounds, and four assists, while top 30 Cincinnati pledge Shon Abaev added 19 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists.
20. Fishers (Ind.)
Record: 5-0 | Last week: 24
Fishers continues to show why they are the team to beat in Indiana, overcoming Crispus Attucks (Indianapolis) with a solid 70-55 victory, thanks in part to a game-high 18 points from Jason Gardner.
21. Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.)
Record: 7-2 | Last week: NR
Recovering from a loss to No. 4 Grayson, the Wildcats edged past previously unbeaten Walton (Marietta, Ga.) with a narrow 55-52 victory. They will compete against Leilehua (Wahiawa, Hawaii) in the opening round of the ‘Iolani Classic tonight.
22. Harvard-Westlake (Studio City, Calif.)
Record: 9-1 | Last week: 7
A 22-game winning streak stretching back to last season came to an end with a 61-49 loss to Timpview (Provo, Utah) at the Utah Holiday Hoopfest. The Wolverines have three games scheduled this week, with a notable matchup against JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) on Saturday.
23. Riviera Prep (Miami, Fla.)
Record: 6-0 | Last week: NR
Making its first entry into the national rankings this season, this youthful squad has enjoyed an impressive start. This week, the Bulldogs will face a test against St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy (Downey, Calif.) in the opening round of the Tarkanian Classic.
24. Reidsville (N.C.)
Record: 3-0 | Last week: 25
Reidsville extended its winning streak to an impressive 32 games dating back to last season after a 95-75 victory over T.W. Andrews (High Point, N.C.) and a dominant 78-28 win against North Forsyth (Winston-Salem, N.C.). The Rams have a couple of games scheduled this week before heading to the John Wall Holiday Invitational, where they will face Farmville Central (Farmville, N.C.) on December 26.
25. Father Judge (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Record: 2-0 | Last week: NR
Father Judge opened the season with a resounding victory against Reading (Pa.) and followed it up with an impressive 53-51 win over Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia, Pa.), driven by a game-high 22 points from Merrimack College commit Kevair Kennedy.
Next 5:
- St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.)
- Archbishop Riordan (San Francisco, Calif.)
- Lake Norman (Mooresville, N.C.)
- Blake (Tampa, Fla.)
- Volcano Vista (Albuquerque, N.M.)
