SBLive/Sports Illustrated Power 25: St. John's jumps into top 20 of national high school boys basketball rankings (Feb. 20)
With no movement in the top 15 of the SBLive/Sports Illustrated Power 25 national high school boys basketball rankings, the biggest story of the week came out of the nation's capital.
St. John's (D.C.) moved into the top 20 of the SBLive/Sports Illustrated Power 25 following a 3-0 week that included its second win over formerly-ranked Gonzaga (D.C.) in 10 days.
Meanwhile, the postseason is ramping up across the country. Only seven Power 25 teams still have regular season games remaining, and 16 have started the playoffs or are waiting for their matchups to be finalized.
RELATED: High school basketball playoff start dates in every state, 2023 bracket updates
That leaves two teams: Duncanville (Texas) and Camden (New Jersey), both barred from their state tournaments for different reasons. Duncanville entered the season knowing it wouldn't be able to compete in the playoffs, but Camden saw its season come to an unexpected ending last week with an in-game melee that resulted in a firm punishment.
Find the complete breakdown of the 14th update to the SBLive/SI Power 25 below:
The Power 25 is a collaboration between SBLive and Sports Illustrated. Power 25 rankings are compiled by SBLive reporter Zach Shugan based on observations and conversations with an extensive network of coaching and media sources across the country. Reach Zach on Twitter @ZachShugan or email him at zshugan@gmail.com.
Related Power 25 Coverage:
SBLIVE/SI POWER 25 NATIONAL BOYS BASKETBALL RANKINGS
Feb. 20, 2023
1. Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) (23-2)
Last ranking: 1
Up next: TBD
Did not play.
2. Link Academy (Branson, Mo.) (24-1)
Last ranking: 2
Up next: TBD
Coming off their first loss in a showdown with No. 1 Montverde Academy in New Jersey, the Lions returned home and cruised past OKC Prep 79-41 in their final regular season game. Four-star junior Tyler McKinley led the charge with 14 points, nine boards and three assists.
3. Duncanville (Duncanville, Tex.) (28-1)
Last ranking: 3
In its last game of the season, Duncanville charged back to defeat Mansfield Legacy (Tex.) 75-68 after the Panthers trailed entering the fourth quarter. The Panthers will not be competing in postseason play this year due to fallout from a potential rules violation in 2021-22.
4. Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) (29-1)
Last ranking: 4
Up next: Feb. 25 vs. Phoenix Prep (Arizona)
The Crew went 3-0 at Crush in the Valley 2, adding victories over Accelerated Prep (Colorado), Elite Prep (Washington) and SFBA Trinity Prep (Nevada). They'll look to keep stacking wins this week in Las Vegas against Phoenix Prep and Balboa City (Calif.).
5. St. Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.) (26-2)
Last ranking: 5
Up next: TBD
The Panthers were on the verge of moving up in the rankings until they lost 75-68 to Sidwell Friends (D.C.) in their final regular season game. Before that, they crushed Bishop O’Connell (Va.) and DeMatha (Maryland) earlier in the week to finish 15-0 in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference.
6. Corona Centennial (Corona, Calif.) (28-3)
Last ranking: 6
Up next: Feb. 25 vs. St. John Bosco (Calif.)
Corona Centennial handled Notre Dame and Bishop Montgomery to finish 3-0 in pool play of the CIF Southern Section Open Division playoffs. The Huskies will take on St. John Bosco in the championship game Saturday night at the Honda Center in Anaheim.
7. Columbus (Miami, Fla.) (22-4)
Last ranking: 7
Up next: Feb. 21 vs. Doral Academy (Fla.)
Columbus rebounded in a big way from a stunning loss to Palmetto in the district championship game. The Explorers bested Western 66-27 to earn a spot in the regional semifinals this week.
8. Camden (Camden, N.J.) (23-2)
Last ranking: 8
The season finished much earlier than anticipated for Camden after the team cleared its bench in a scuffle with local rival Eastside during the county championship game. The school district wasted little time in its decision to remove both teams from the upcoming state tournament, bringing the high school careers of five-star duo DJ Wagner and Aaron Bradshaw (and several others) to an unfortunate ending.
9. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) (16-7)
Last ranking: 9
Up next: TBD
Did not play.
10. AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ari.) (20-5)
Last ranking: 10
Up next: Feb. 21 vs. AOSS Prep (Calif.)
Four-star recruit Tru Washington (19), Arizona commit Jamari Phillips (17) and Missouri signee Trent Pierce (12) combined for 48 points in a 103-54 win over Eduprize (Ari.). The Dragons host Academy of Sports Science this week before hitting the road next for their final NIBC games of the season.
11. Sunrise Christian (Bel Aire, Kan.) (18-6)
Last ranking: 11
Up next: Feb. 23 vs. TACA (Tex.)
Sunrise hosted and defeated by 42 and 26 points, respectively. This week the Buffaloes host TACA and OKC Prep for what should be a pair of tune-up games before NIBC play next week in South Carolina.
12. Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.) (18-2)
Last ranking: 12
Up next: Mar. 2 vs. Legacy Early College (S.C.)
Four-star junior Godswill Erheriene posted 20 points and eight rebounds, and UConn signee Jayden Ross added 19 points and five rebounds in a 93-56 win over Albany Academy (N.Y.). The Crusaders have this week off before heading to South Carolina next week for NIBC games against No. 10 AZ Compass Prep, No. 11 Sunrise Christian and host Legacy Early College.
13. Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia, Pa.) (22-3)
Last ranking: 13
Up next: Feb. 21 vs. Dobbins (Pa.)
Imhotep held Samuel Fels to 17 points in the quarterfinals of the Philadelphia Public League playoffs a couple days after knocking out Central by a score of 74-32. The Panthers will take on Dobbins in the semifinals.
14. Harvard-Westlake (Studio City, Calif.) (30-2)
Last ranking: 14
Up next: TBD
Harvard-Westlake was tripped up by St. John Bosco in pool play of the CIF Southern Section Open Division playoffs, costing the team a trip to the championship game where it would have taken on No. 6 Corona Centennial. The Wolverines bounced back with an impressive win over No. 20 West Ranch and now have a short break to prepare for a run at a state title.
15. Combine Academy (Lincolnton, N.C.) (29-4)
Last ranking: 15
Up next: TBD
Did not play.
16. John Marshall (Richmond, Va.) (22-0)
Last ranking: 16
Up next: Feb. 21 vs. Prince Edward County (Va.)
John Marshall wrapped up a perfect regular season with a 100-58 win over St. Christopher’s (Va.). As the top seed in the VHSL Class 2 Region A playoffs, the Justices earned a bye in the first round and will host Prince Edward County in the region quarterfinals.
17. West Linn (West Linn, Ore.) (22-1)
Last ranking: 17
Up next: Feb. 21 vs. Tualatin (Ore.)
West Linn extended its win streak to nine games with a pair of 20-plus point wins over Lakeridge and Tigard. The Lions will close out the regular season this week with road games at Tualatin and Oregon City.
18. Perry (Gilbert, Ari.) (28-1)
Last ranking: 19
Up next: Feb. 24 vs. Desert Mountain (Ari.)
Perry knocked off Liberty 79-60 in the AIA Open quarterfinals, as five-star sophomore Koa Peat poured in 32 points and McDonald’s All-American Cody Williams added 16 points. The Pumas will take on Desert Mountain this weekend with a trip to the finals on the line.
19. St. John’s (Washington, D.C.) (26-2)
Last ranking: 21
Up next: TBD
This week’s biggest riser, St. John’s wrapped up its regular season slate with a 3-0 week that included its second win over formerly-ranked Gonzaga (D.C.) in 10 days. The Cadets finished second in the WCAC with a conference record of 13-2.
20. West Ranch (Valencia, Calif.) (29-2)
Last ranking: 18
Up next: TBD
The Wildcats came up short at No. 14 Harvard-Westlake, losing 59-50 in pool play of the CIF Southern Section Open Division playoffs and missing out on a trip to the finals. They’ll have a chance to get back on track and finish the season on a high note with the upcoming state playoffs.
21. Ben Davis (Indianapolis, Ind.) (24-0)
Last ranking: 21
Up next: Feb. 21 vs. Don Bosco Institute (Ind.)
Did not play.
22. Dream City Christian (Glendale, Ari.) (28-4)
Last ranking: 22
Up next: Feb. 23 vs. Ascending Life Academy (Ari.)
Dream City picked up a pair of wins over Bella Vista’s national team and post-graduate squad last week. The Eagles will host Ascending Life Academy this week in their final outing before the Grind Session playoffs.
23. Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) (17-5)
Last ranking: 23
Up next: Feb. 22 vs. Koinonia Academy (N.J.)
Roselle Catholic went back-to-back as Union County tournament champions, defeating Linden 64-55 in the finals behind 17 points from North Carolina signee Simeon Wilcher. The Lions will host Koinonia Academy in the first round of the NJSIAA North Jersey Non-Public B tournament.
24. Beaumont United (Beaumont, Tex.) (30-1)
Last ranking: 24
Up next: Feb. 20 vs. Dobie (Tex.)
The Timberwolves finished the regular season last week with a 35 point victory over Kingwood (Tex.). The Timberwolves enter the UIL 6A Region 3 & 4 tournament on a 29 game win streak.
25. Simeon (Chicago, Illinois) (26-3)
Last ranking: 25
Up next: Feb. 22 vs. Solorio (Illinois)
Did not play.
—
ON THE BUBBLE
Don Bosco (Ramsey, N.J.) (25-2)
Lake Highlands (Dallas, Tex.) (27-3)
Carmel Christian (Matthews, N.C.) (27-3)
Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.) (20-2)
Mount St. Joseph (Baltimore, Md.) (33-3)
Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) (21-6)
Lake City (Coeur d'Alene, Ida.) (22-0)
Red Rock Academy (Las Vegas, Nev.) (16-1)
