For the second week in a row, there’s a new leader in the high school basketball rankings. Columbus (Miami, Fla.) has reclaimed the top spot after a thrilling triple-overtime victory against No. 2 Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.).
Former No. 1 Brennan (San Antonio, Texas) suffered significant defeats against No. 12 St. John’s (Washington, D.C.) and No. 17 DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.), dropping from the top spot to No. 20.
DeMatha joins Fishers and Calvary Christian Academy (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) as new entries in this week’s rankings.
Calvary Christian Academy’s inclusion has sparked discussion. All eight players on the team’s roster are also competing in Overtime Elite this season with a club affiliate known as Fear of God Athletics, coached by Cilk McSweeney. Fear of God Athletics includes two regular players who are not on the Calvary Christian Academy roster.
According to the CCA coaching staff, the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) has approved their participation in Overtime Elite while concurrently playing high school basketball, provided they don’t wear jerseys featuring Calvary Christian Academy branding.
Balancing their time between Overtime Elite and high school, the coaching staff believes the FHSAA supports their participation in postseason tournaments. Eligibility for the rankings is heavily reliant on participation in postseason play under a recognized governing body, allowing Calvary Christian Academy to maintain its ranking despite the unique arrangement with a professional league.
Calvary Christian Academy has a total of 20 games set for both their high school schedule and Overtime Elite. The Eagles remain undefeated in their high school competitions, while Overtime Elite results will not count towards their rankings.
Top 25 High School Basketball Rankings
1. Columbus (Miami, Fla.)
Record: 5-1 | Last week: 3
After briefly losing their top ranking, the Explorers have regained their status as the premier team in high school basketball, edging out Gonzaga in an 85-79 triple-overtime showdown. Five-star Duke signee Cameron Boozer had a standout performance, contributing 31 points along with 13 rebounds, including two clutch game-tying 3-pointers as regulation and the second overtime were winding down.
2. Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.)
Record: 1-1 | Last week: 2
The Eagles managed to split their games against top-five opponents, taking down former No. 4 Oak Ridge 62-51 before narrowly losing to No. 1 Columbus 85-79 in an exhilarating triple-overtime battle. The victory over Oak Ridge featured a strong performance from four-star Virginia Tech signee Christian Gurdak, who posted 20 points and 15 rebounds.
3. St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.)
Record: 6-0 | Last week: 5
Four-star Harvard signee Elzie Harrington erupted for a career-high 41 points, leading the Braves to an 85-77 win over St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy (Downey). St. John Bosco will host the Bosco Winter Classic this week and will also take part in The Classic at Damien after Christmas.
4. Grayson (Loganville, Ga.)
Record: 7-0 | Last week: 6
Secured an important victory against previous No. 21 Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) with a 77-68 win, solidifying their position as a strong contender in Georgia. Four-star Georgia signee Jacob Wilkins delivered an impressive performance with 23 points, 11 rebounds, and six blocks, while five-star junior Caleb Holt added 15 points, five assists, and five rebounds.
5. Perry (Gilbert, Ariz.)
Record: 6-0 | Last week: 7
Defeated Central Catholic (Portland, Ore.) 59-49, led by a solid showing from five-star senior Koa Peat, who recorded 17 points, 16 rebounds, and four assists, supported by Bruce Branch III with 18 points, seven rebounds, and five assists.
6. Roosevelt (Eastvale, Calif.)
Record: 5-1 | Last week: 8
Bounced back from a loss to No. 21 Brennan with a strong 70-56 win over Poly (Riverside). The Mustangs are set for a couple of in-state games before heading to the Tarkanian Classic before Christmas and The Classic at Damien afterward.
7. Harvard-Westlake (Studio City, Calif.)
Record: 7-0 | Last week: 10
Achieved their first victory against an out-of-state opponent this season, defeating Owyhee (Meridian, Idaho) 74-51 at the Take Flight Challenge, spearheaded by five-star Duke signee Nikolas Khamenia’s 21 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists.
8. Oak Ridge (Orlando, Fla.)
Record: 5-1 | Last week: 4
Despite suffering their first loss against No. 2 Gonzaga, the Pioneers showed resilience by overcoming a 14-point deficit to claim an 85-80 victory over Evans (Orlando) the next night, with contributions from LSU signee Jalen Reece, Ohio pledge CeZanne Mosley, and Providence signee Jamier Jones, who accounted for a combined 62 points.
9. Hoover (Ala.)
Record: 10-0 | Last week: 11
The Buccaneers have consistently outscored opponents by an average margin of 25.3 points per game.
10. Great Crossing (Georgetown, Ky.)
Record: 3-0 | Last week: 13
Top 30 Kentucky signee Malachi Moreno is off to a tremendous start, averaging 24.7 points, 16.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.7 blocks per game. Great Crossing has a highly anticipated in-state showdown with St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.) on Sunday, followed by a trip to the City of Palms Classic next week.
11. John Marshall (Richmond, Va.)
Record: 2-0 | Last week: 15
Opened the season strong with two double-digit victories, defeating Davidson Day (Davidson, N.C.) 71-58, thanks to 29 points from three-star Richmond commit Aiden Argabright, and later taking down Hampton (Va.) 70-51, led by 27 points from four-star junior Latrell Allmond.
12. St. John’s (Washington, D.C.)
Record: 4-1 | Last week: 14
After a significant win against then-No. 1 Brennan, the Cadets faced a setback against Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) with a 70-58 loss just two days later. Junior guard Devin Toatley led the charge in the win against Brennan with 17 points, six assists, and six rebounds.
13. Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.)
Record: 2-1 | Last week: 12
Faced an upset loss to Highland (Warrenton, Va.) with a score of 41-33, but bounced back to secure a 49-43 victory over the previous No. 18 ranked team.
14. Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.)
Record: 2-1 | Last week: 9
After securing a noteworthy win over National Top 10 No. 2 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) with a score of 67-63, the Panthers fell five spots in the rankings following their defeat to Sidwell Friends. Five-star junior Jordan Smith showcased his talent by contributing 19 points, five rebounds, five assists, and four steals in the game against IMG Academy.
15. St. Joseph (Santa Maria, Calif.)
Record: 5-0 | Last week: 16
The Knights claimed their first out-of-state victory this season by defeating Kimball (Dallas) 57-44, fueled by an impressive 32-point performance from five-star Baylor signee Tounde Yessoufou. St. Joseph is set to face a couple of opponents from the Golden State before heading to the City of Palms Classic to face Edgewater (Orlando, Fla.) in the opening round of the four-team Sunshine Series.
16. Christ School (Arden, N.C.)
Record: 8-0 | Last week: 17
The team took a trip to South Carolina, where they earned victories against two out-of-state contenders. Christ School dominated Cardinal Newman (Columbia, S.C.) 74-45, led by Madden Collins, an American commit, who scored 22 points and recorded seven rebounds, and followed up by defeating Wilson (Florence, S.C.) 74-56, with Collins adding 21 points and five assists.
17. DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.)
Record: 3-1 | Last week: NR
Bouncing back from their season-opening loss to No. 13 Sidwell Friends, DeMatha came strong with a decisive 77-61 victory over former No. 1 Brennan, thanks to 22 points alongside three rebounds and three assists from junior guard Ace Meeks. They added another win against Highland (Warrenton, Va.) with a close score of 53-50, led by senior guard Kade Sebastian’s 15 points.
18. Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Record: 1-0 | Last week: 18
Lafayette-bound standout Shareef Jackson had a stellar start to his senior season, recording 19 points and 10 rebounds in a 46-28 victory against Sanford (Hockessin, Del.). The Cahillites are gearing up for the Gonzaga DC Classic this weekend, where they will face Coolidge (Washington, D.C.) in their first matchup on Friday.
19. Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.)
Record: 6-0 | Last week: 19
Notre Dame earned their sixth straight win by double digits to kick off the season, defeating Village Christian (Sun Valley, Calif.) 75-65. Junior Zachary White led the scoring with 18 points and chipped in nine rebounds, while three-star Rutgers signee Angelino Mark contributed 15 points, six steals, and five rebounds.
20. Brennan (San Antonio, Texas)
Record: 11-2 | Last week: 1
After occupying the top spot in high school basketball rankings for a week, the Bears faced a tough stretch with two significant losses during the National High School Hoops Festival.
21. Allen (Texas)
Record: 11-1 | Last week: 20
The team notched a solid 74-60 victory against McKinney (Texas), highlighted by senior guard Khalil Walker’s team-high 16 points, complemented by senior forward Antoine Shannon, who recorded 14 points and 11 rebounds. A highly anticipated matchup with fellow one-loss team Plano West (Plano) is on the horizon for Friday.
22. Huntsville (Ala.)
Record: 12-0 | Last week: 23
Huntsville continued their undefeated streak with two wins over Georgia opponents over the weekend. They beat Woodward Academy (College Park, Ga.) 65-58, buoyed by 21 points and six assists from Lipscomb University signee J.D. Gossett, followed by a 66-56 victory against Norcross (Ga.), where four-star Auburn signee Simon Walker had a standout performance with 20 points, six rebounds, and five assists.
23. Calvary Christian Academy (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
Record: 3-0 | Last week: NR
The Eagles made a strong statement early in the season with a 75-45 victory over Ridge View (Columbia, S.C.) and are preparing to face top 100 program Sagemont (Weston, Fla.) tonight.
24. Fishers (Ind.)
Record: 4-0 | Last week: NR
Senior guards Justin Kirby and Millen McCartney, along with sophomore Jason Gardner, played crucial roles in dominating wins over Noblesville and Mt. Vernon (Fortville).
25. Reidsville (N.C.)
Record: 1-0 | Last week: 25
Under-the-radar junior guard Dionte Neal showcased his skills by recording a triple-double, featuring 17 points, 11 assists, and 10 steals during the Rams’ season-opening victory against Glenn (Kernersville, N.C.).
NEXT FIVE:
- Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.)
- Riviera Prep (Miami, Fla.)
- St. Anne’s-Belfield (Charlottesville, Va.)
- Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia, Pa.)
- Vashon (St. Louis, Mo.)
