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Final National Prep Basketball Poll released

2009-04-06T10:40:00.003-05:00

As debuts go, it doesn't get much better than this.

In its first season using only high school-eligible players, Henderson, Nevada-based basketball academy Findlay Prep captured the 22nd annual National Prep Poll title.

The Pilots defeated Oak Hill (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), 74-66, in Sunday's championship of the ESPN RISE National High School Invitational, ending the Warriors' bid for a record-setting seventh Prep Poll title.

Findlay finished the season with a perfect 33-0 record, including 3-0 against Top 10 competition and with victories against teams from 13 different states and Canada.

Looking back at the National Interscholastic Basketball Tournament

2009-04-02T07:27:00.003-05:00

This weekend's ESPN RISE National High School Invitational features an eight-team bracket of private and prep school basketball powers from across the nation -- including a potential matchup between No. 1 Oak Hill (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) and No. 2 Findlay (Henderson, Nev.), which would determine the 2008-09 National Prep Poll champion.

But as PrepNation.com reader Greg Perry pointed out to me via email this week, the NHSI is neither the first nor certainly not the biggest postseason national high school hoops tourney ever staged.

Perry directed me to this history of the National Interscholastic Basketball Tournament posted at the NBA.com's Hoopedia section.

Legendary University of Chicago football coach Amos Alonzo Stagg organized the NIBT, which started in 1917, took a two-year break during WWI, then picked up steam as a true national championship tournament during the 1920s.

In 1923, the NIBT featured 40 teams from 24 states. The 1927 field including 43 teams, 33 of which had been crowed state champions that season.

In all, 11 high schools from eight different states won NIBT championships between 1917-1930

There were no national high school basketball rankings published in the 1920s, so the NIBT's on-court champion got a trophy (see photo of 1927 trophy) and recognition as the top high school team in the land.

By the end of the 1920s, national and regional high school federations were increasingly becoming weary of corrupting influences on prep sports and discouraged its member schools from participating in the event.

The NIBT met its ultimate demise after the 1930 titlist was crowned.

Similar concerns about potential corruption are expressed by the National Federation of State High School Associations today and are likely to keep prominent public and private schools that compete for regular state championships out of this newly formed NHSI tournament.

Thanks again to Greg Perry and the NBA's Hoopedia for today's history lesson.

Week 19 National Prep Basketball Poll released

2009-03-30T10:14:00.005-05:00

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Top-ranked Oak Hill (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) can lock up its record-setting seventh National Prep Poll title this weekend at the ESPN RISE National High School Invitational in North Bethesda, Md.

The inaugural event is the closest high school basketball has come to deciding a national champion via a post-season tournament in nearly 80 years. The eight-team bracket features five teams ranked in this week's National Prep Poll, including four in the Top 15.

No. 1 Oak Hill is the top seed, with No. 2 Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) taking the second seed on the opposite side of the bracket. This sets up a potential championship game matchup between undefeated No. 1 vs. No. 2 teams Sunday afternoon on ESPN to decide a true high school national championship on the court.

ESPN RISE NHSI Bracket

Week 18 National Prep Basketball Poll released

2009-03-23T11:04:00.003-05:00

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Third-ranked Los Angeles Westchester virtually clinched its fourth national Top 5 finish since 2002 by winning its fourth state championship this decade.

Uncommitted senior guard Dominique O'Connor, who was named LA City Section player of the year, scored 16 points in the Comets' 49-31 blowout of regionally ranked McClymonds (Oakland) in Saturday's Division I final at Arco Arena.

The Comets finished the season with 35 wins, including 22 of their last 23 games.

Only one other public high school -- Indianapolis Lawrence North -- has finished in the Top 5 more than once since 2002. Led by future NBA Top 5 picks Greg Oden and Mike Conley Jr., the Wildcats accomplished the feat in 2004-06.

Week 17 National Prep Basketball Poll released

2009-03-16T10:36:00.002-05:00

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- This week's National Prep Poll includes the pride of two college towns that finished the season with unblemished records, state championships, and a final ranking in the Top 25.

No. 18 Fayetteville wrapped up the Arkansas 7A championship over the weekend with a 40-34 win over Rogers. The Bulldogs (30-0) are the first team in the Natural State's largest classification to finish unbeaten since Little Rock Fair accomplished the feat in 2000.

Led by highly recruited junior wing Harrison Barnes, No. 25 Ames capped a 26-0 season with a 55-45 defeat of Linn-Mar (Marion) in the Iowa Class 4-A championship. Barnes had 24 points, including six dunks which electrified the estimated 12,000 fans in attendance at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

Week 16 National Prep Basketball Poll released

2009-03-09T08:16:00.002-05:00

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Mouth of Wilson, Virginia's Oak Hill Academy -- the most dominant high school basketball program of the last quarter-century -- has returned to the top spot in the National Prep Poll weekly basketball rankings.

The Warriors, winners of eight games versus current or former Top 25 teams this season, ascended to the No. 1 position after defeating No. 5 Montrose Christian (Rockville, Md.) last Friday for the second time this season, 69-63, in a game televised by ESPN2.

Oak Hill is scheduled to close the season the first week of April at the star-studded, ESPN-televised National High School Invitational in Washington, D.C. If the Warriors can conquer the eight-team event that includes three other Top 10 teams, they will clinch their seventh National Prep Poll title since 1993.

In the 22-year history of World Feature Syndicate's National Prep Poll, no football or basketball team has finished the season ranked No. 1 more than six times.

Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), which held the No. 1 ranking in the Prep Poll since December 1, dropped eight spots to No. 9 after losing in the CIF-SS Division I-AA championship to then-regionally ranked King (Riverside), 71-56. King, now ranked No. 7, joins Mater Dei and No. 3 Westchester (Los Angeles) in the jam-packed Division I Southern California regional playoffs beginning this week.

Week 15 National Prep Basketball Poll released

2009-03-02T12:55:00.002-06:00

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- With its 21st consecutive league championship already in the books, the next course of action for top-ranked Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) is earning its 21st CIF section title in 27 seasons under coach Gary McKnight.

It would be the next in a season filled with lofty goals already achieved by the Monarchs, who defeated regionally ranked Etiwanda, 70-60, on Saturday to reach Saturday's Division I-AA championship game against regionally ranked King (Riverside).

Mater Dei likely will finish the season ranked No. 1 for the first time in the National Prep Poll if can close out an undefeated season that would be capped off by its eighth state championship since 1987.

Week 14 National Prep Basketball Poll released

2009-02-23T10:21:00.004-06:00

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A sure sign of the calm before the storm that is postseason tournament season, the Top 25 teams in the National Prep Poll remained completely unchanged for the first time this season.

More than half the teams in this week's rankings held the same position as the prior week. The only major shift in the poll was Detroit Country Day (Beverly Hills, Mich.) dropping from No. 5 to No. 13 after losing, 73-67, at No. 12 Bloomington (Ind.) South on Saturday.

While postseason action is just beginning in most states, No. 10 LeFlore (Mobile, Ala.) could be crowed state champion by the end of the week. The Rattlers advanced to the 5A state semifinals last Friday with a 70-65 defeat of Eufaula. Senior DeMarcus Cousins, the nation's top-rated big man, led the way with 35 points and 13 rebounds.

Week 13 National Prep Basketball Poll released

2009-02-16T09:54:00.002-06:00

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Upstart Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) elevated one spot in this week's National Prep Poll basketball rankings, released Monday morning.

The move from No. 4 to No. 3 in the poll followed a week when Pilots welcomed 6-foot-9 transfer Tristan Thompson. The highly talented Texas-bound junior arrived on Findlay's campus just days after being dismissed by No. 12 St. Benedict's (Newark, N.J.) following a dispute with his coach.

Thompson will join a Findlay roster already busting at the seams with great players, including fellow Texas recruit Avery Bradley, a senior guard averaging 19 points per game, and uncommitted 6-7 senior wing Victor Rudd, who averages 16 points and eight rebounds.

Findlay still has a realistic shot at finishing the season ranked No. 1 in its first season being eligible for the poll. The Pilots have a chance to rack up several more impressive victories to close the season, beginning Friday when they travel to Dallas to take on preseason No. 1-ranked Duncanville, and the last week of the season at the National High School Invitational tournament in April, where at least three other Top 25 teams -- including No. 2 Oak Hill (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) -- are expected to compete.

Week 12 National Prep Basketball Poll released

2009-02-09T11:14:00.001-06:00

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- To the surprise of no one, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) is No. 1 in the National Prep Poll weekly basketball rankings for the 11th consecutive week.

The Monarchs took another giant step toward securing their first Prep Poll basketball title over the weekend, defeating No. 9 St. Benedict's (Newark N.J.), 73-61, in a game televised nationally by ESPNU.

It was Mater Dei's second win this season over a Top 10 team; the other was in December against another New Jersey parochial power: No. 8 St. Patrick (Elizabeth).

Meanwhile, No. 2 Oak Hill breezed through its second consecutive week of lopsided victories against unranked teams. The schedule cranks up again in earnest this Saturday when the Warriors take on No. 8 St. Patrick at the Primetime Shootout in Trenton (N.J.).

Week 11 National Prep Basketball Poll released

2009-02-02T10:50:00.002-06:00

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Led by top-ranked Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), the top five teams in the National Prep Basketball Poll remained completely unchanged for the fifth consecutive week.

The Monarchs, who have been No. 1 since Dec. 1, will play the rest of the season short-handed. Stanford-bound 6-foot-8 senior forward Andy Brown, who was one of five Division I-committed players in Mater Dei's starting line-up, suffered a torn ACL last week and is out for the year. That will make this Saturday's matchup with No. 3 St. Benedict's (Newark, N.J.) even more difficult for the Monarchs -- and it could open the door for the Grey Bees or another top five team to move into the No. 1 ranking.

No. 2 Oak Hill (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) picked up its 30th win of the season last week. The Warriors already own six wins over current or former Top 25 teams, and are scheduled to play in the high-profile National High School Invitational in April against a field that might include three fellow top 10 teams.

No. 4 Montrose Christian (Rockville, Md.) has only one loss on its resume this season, a 74-62 double-overtime decision to Oak Hill in the final of December's Iolani Classic. The Mustangs do not play a difficult schedule the rest of the season, but are scheduled to face Oak Hill again March 6 and possibly once more at the NHSI the next month.

No. 5 Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) suits up every bit as much talent as the four teams ranked ahead of it, and could add to its total of two wins against current or former Top 25 teams when it faces preseason No. 1 Duncanville (Texas) in Dallas later this month.

Week 10 National Prep Basketball Poll released

2009-01-26T11:58:00.001-06:00

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- For the ninth straight week, there was no change at the top of the National Prep Poll weekly basketball rankings.

At the approximate midway point of the season, the top seven teams in the Week 10 poll remained the same, headed by top-ranked Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.). The Monarchs are now 20-0, including four wins against current or previously ranked teams.

Three teams jumped into the Top 25 this week, including the re-entry of defending Prep Poll champion St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.). The Friars are looking to make a strong run down the stretch now that forward Devon Collier and two other talented junior transfers have gained eligibility.

Nationally ranked for the first time this season are No. 21 Jamesville-DeWitt (DeWitt, N.Y.) and No. 24 Atlantic Shores Christian (Chesapeake, Va.). Led by Syracuse-bound G Brandon Triche, Jamesville-DeWitt has won 35 straight games. Atlantic Shores Christian features a star-studded backcourt with Oklahoma-bound senior Steven Pledger and junior Duke commit Andre Dawkins.

Week 9 National Prep Basketball Poll released

2009-01-19T10:23:00.000-06:00

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- For the seventh consecutive week, the top three teams in the National Prep Basketball Poll remained the same.

All three squads participated in the HoopHall Classic in Springfield, Mass., over the holiday weekend, including Monday's ESPNU-televised matchup between top-ranked Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) and regionally ranked Whitney Young (Chicago).

No. 2 Oak Hill (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) won its HoopHall matchup on Saturday, defeating regionally ranked South Atlanta (Atlanta), 63-58.

In another Monday afternoon ESPNU telecast, No. 3 St. Benedict's (Newark, N.J.) was scheduled to meet regionally ranked Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.).

Week 8 National Prep Basketball Poll released

2009-01-12T10:50:00.001-06:00

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The first full week of the new year brought with it few changes to the national rankings picture.

In the Week 8 National Prep Poll, the Top 10 teams remained unchanged. However, No. 10 St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.) dropped six spots in the rankings after losing, 59-57, to Burlington Life Center. The Celtics were playing without North Carolina-bound point guard Dexter Strickland, who is out indefinitely with a knee injury.

No. 19 South Atlanta (Atlanta) is the only team that entered the Top 25 this week, although it has been ranked for most of the season. The Hornets previously dropped down after losing by 14 to regionally ranked Lawrence North (Indianapolis) December 30 at the T-Mobile Invitational in Muncie, Ind.

After a quiet post-holiday tournament week, the national rankings could be due for another shakeup. At least 23 nationally and regionally ranked teams are scheduled to participate in high-profile Martin Luther King Jr. holiday tournaments and events during the upcoming week.

Week 7 National Prep Basketball Poll released

2009-01-05T15:36:00.001-06:00

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- With over half its regular season complete, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) remained in firm command of the No. 1 ranking when the Week 7 National Prep Basketball Poll was released Monday.

The Monarchs have won three tournament championships this season, including the prestigious City of Palms Classic last month in Fort Myers, Fla. Three of Mater Dei's 14 victories were against teams that have been nationally or regionally ranked this season.

Matchups with national powers Whitney Young (Chicago) and No. 3 St. Benedict's (Newark, N.J.), followed by the CIF section, regional, and state playoffs, are left standing between the Monarchs and their first National Prep Poll title and the first for a California team since 2000.

Week 6 National Prep Basketball Poll released

2008-12-29T10:05:00.010-06:00

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Southern California powerhouse Mater Dei (Santa Ana) stated loud and clear its case for the No. 1 ranking in the National Prep Poll last week by winning the City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers, Fla.

The Monarchs, whose entire starting five are committed to Division I colleges, knocked off three current or formerly ranked teams in the tournament, including No. 4 St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.), 52-45 in the championship game.

Meanwhile, six-time Prep Poll champion Oak Hill (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) moved up one spot in the rankings to No. 2 after it won the Iolani Classic in Honolulu for the fifth time in the 25-year history of the event. The Warriors beat a pair of Top 15 teams, including No. 5 Montrose Christian, 74-62 (2OT), in the championship game.

ESPN RISE announces new high school basketball tournament

2008-12-23T14:12:00.007-06:00

ESPN RISE, in conjunction with Paragon Marketing Group, has developed a new post-season boys and girls high school basketball tournament called the “National High School Invitational” (NHSI). ESPN RISE’s NHSI will feature an eight boys team tournament and a four girls team tournament; games will be televised live on the ESPN family of networks: ESPN (1 game), ESPN2 (4 games) and ESPNU (6 games). The event will take place April 3-5, 2009 at the Hanley Center at Georgetown Prep High School, Bethesda, Md.

ESPN RISE’s NHSI will invite eight boys and four girls teams from eligible four-year high schools, independent and public, that have their respective governing body’s permission to participate in the inaugural tournament. Teams will be chosen based upon their end-of-season ranking in the ESPN RISE FAB 50 and via a selection committee. Teams with post-graduate students or re-classified 5th year seniors will not be eligible for consideration for the NHSI.

“The National High School Invitational is the first ESPN RISE-created event under the new brand; it is wholly representative of the elite high school sports strategy set forth from the beginning,” said James Brown, senior vice president, ESPN RISE. “It is a chance for high school sports fans to watch some of the best teams in the ESPN RISE FAB 50 and recruits in the ESPNU 100 play on a national level.”

The following governing bodies have granted their member schools permission to participate in the NHSI to date: Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (boys teams), the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland (girls teams) and the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association (boys and girls teams).

“In collaboration with ESPN RISE, we created the NHSI to provide boys and girls teams a platform to culminate their season by playing in a high profile event against other top teams from around the nation,” said Rashid Ghazi, partner, Paragon Marketing Group. “We have been pleased with the response from schools wanting to participate and expect the event to grow exponentially in size and stature over the next few years”

The following ESPN RISE FAB 50 ranked boys teams have confirmed that they will participate in the inaugural NHSI if selected to play: #3 Oak Hill Academy (VA), #4 St. Benedict’s Prep (NJ), #5 Findlay Prep (NV) and #9 Montrose Christian (MD). Our Savior New American (NY), Mountain State Academy (WV) and Veritas Christian (NC) are among the other teams that have also agreed to participate if invited.

The NHSI is an extension of the company’s tradition of televising high school basketball games. By the end of the 2008/2009 season, ESPN Inc. will have broadcast a total of 56 regular season games on its networks since 2002; 15 during the 2008-09 season. The televised games have featured 66 different high schools, representing 20 states from across the nation.

The 2009 National High School Invitational Television Schedule is:

Fri., April 3
Boys Quarterfinals Game 1
2 p.m.
ESPNU

Fri., April 3
Boys Quarterfinals Game 2
4 p.m.
ESPNU

Fri., April 3
Boys Quarterfinals Game 3
6 p.m.
ESPNU

Fri., April 3
Boys Quarterfinals Game 4
8 p.m.
ESPNU

Sat., April 4
Boys Semifinals Game 1
11 a.m.
ESPN2

Sat., April 4
Boys Semifinals Game 2
1 p.m.
ESPN2

Sat., April 4
Girls Semifinals Game 1
4:30 p.m.
ESPNU

Sat., April 4
Girls Semifinals Game 2
6:30 p.m.
ESPNU

Sun., April 5
Girls Championship
2:30 p.m.
ESPN2

Sun., April 5
Boys Championship
4:30 p.m.
ESPN

Week 5 National Prep Basketball Poll released

2008-12-22T11:35:00.002-06:00

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- By the end of Tuesday, we could see two matchups between teams in the top five of this week's National Prep Poll.

One top-five showdown is already set, with No. 3 Oak Hill (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) battling fellow mid-Atlantic power No. 5 Montrose Christian in Monday's final of the Iolani Classic in Honolulu.

If No. 1 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) and No. 4 St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.) both win on Monday, the City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers, Fla., also will host a top-five battle in its championship game. The top-ranked Monarchs first must beat No. 13 Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.), which advanced with a 101-84 win against No. 15 Lincoln (Brooklyn, N.Y.) The Celtics will have their hands full in the other semifinal with No. 17 Winter Park (Fla.), which already has beaten two Top 25 teams in the tournament.

Final National Prep Football Poll released

2008-12-22T08:51:00.001-06:00

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Repeat 5A state champion St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) gave the football-rich state of Florida its second National Prep Poll champion in three seasons.

The Raiders, who took over the No. 1 spot in the National Prep Poll rankings in September, capped a perfect 15-0 season with a resounding 56-7 defeat of then-unbeaten and 16th-ranked Lakeland. It was a fitting end to a dominant season that saw Aquinas hold opponents to an average of 7 points per game while scoring 47.

Elsewhere, the state of California had three teams in the final national Top 10 including No. 2 Corona Centennial, which avenged last year's state championship loss to regionally ranked Concord De La Salle. The Huskies defeated the Spartans, 21-16, in the Division I final.

Sacramento Grant moved from the regional rankings to No. 6 in the final national poll after beating No. 10 Long Beach Poly, 25-20, in the Open Division championship game.

Rounding out the final top five were Georgia 5A champion Camden County (Kingsland), Texas 5A/I titlist Allen, and 10-time Ohio state champion St. Ignatius (Cleveland).

St. Thomas Aquinas: A most deserving Prep Poll champion

2008-12-19T23:05:00.006-06:00

Let no one ever accuse George Smith of being a politician.

Back in late July, I spoke on the telephone with the St. Thomas Aquinas head coach informing him that his was one of three teams under consideration for the No. 1 ranking in the preseason National Prep Poll.

Paraphrasing here, he said, “Jamie, we’re way too young to be ranked that high. At least at the start of the season … I’d rank us around No. 15.”

I divided his number by three and made the Raiders No. 5 in the preseason poll.

Now, St. Thomas Aquinas is No. 1 with not only a bullet but an arsenal of heat-guided missiles after capturing its second straight Florida 5A state championship Friday night. The Raiders opened a commanding 35-0 halftime lead and clobbered previously unbeaten No. 16 Lakeland by a final tally of 56-7.

Aquinas completely dominated a previously unbeaten and nationally ranked team. The Raiders pushed around the Dreadnaughts, and they ran around the Dreadnaughts. They very well might have won the game by 70 points had the running clock rule not kicked in during the third quarter.

Lakeland, the only other Florida team to end the year ranked No. 1 in the National Prep Poll (2006), was going for its fourth state championship in five seasons.

Each of the Dreadnaughts’ previous three state championship game victories decade were against St. Thomas Aquinas, in 2004, 2005, and 2006.

Although none of the four teams that started this season ranked ahead of St. Thomas Aquinas had yet to lose, the Raiders moved to No.1 in the National Prep Poll on September 22.

When the final Prep Poll of the season is released Sunday evening, St. Thomas Aquinas will remain No. 1 for the 13th consecutive week after stating perhaps the most convincing case for a mythical national championship ever seen in the 10 years I’ve been compiling the Prep Poll.

Usually, I go into the last weekend of the season feeling a little bit nervous the team we have ranked No. 1 – if they are still playing – will get knocked off in a state championship game and a new No. 1 team will need to be determined.

After all, nationally No. 1-ranked teams must play with the eyes of their own state – and an entire nation -- upon them. It's an enormous bulls-eye on their back.

But Aquinas took that bulls-eye and fashioned it into a Superman’s cape.

The Raiders beat opponents by an average score of 47-7 after taking over the National Prep Poll’s No. 1 ranking.

Folks in South Florida will surely debate who would win a mythical matchup between this year’s St. Thomas Aquinas team and last year’s Miami Northwestern squad, which finished No. 1 in the ESPN and USA Today polls and was No. 2 in the National Prep Poll.

To me, there is no debate.

There’s no question, last year’s Northwestern team was loaded with top college prospects. Ten seniors signed with Division I colleges, including eight who inked with the hometown Miami Hurricanes.

But anyone who watched this year’s Aquinas team saw there’s no shortage of Division I talent on the Raiders’ roster. At least six seniors are expected to sign with BCS-level programs and a half dozen juniors are expected to be equally recruitable.

College prospects aside, in my opinion, this St. Thomas Aquinas team was simply more impressive on the field than Northwestern – or probably any other I’ve seen in the last 10 years. They were extremely balanced and explosive on offense, they were hard-nosed and physical on defense, and they were led by one of the best coaches in prep football history.

Overall, the Raiders’ body of work was unbelievably impressive.

Northwestern, rightfully so, got a lot of credit for beating Texas power Southlake Carroll by eight points on the road in its third game of last season. It was a very good Southlake Carroll team the Bulls beat, but it was a Southlake Carroll team that bowed out in the third round of Texas state playoffs.

St. Thomas Aquinas started this season with a road trip to Cincinnati where it defeated Ohio Division I runner-up Elder, 35-24. Keep in mind, it was Aquinas’ first game of the season and the game was played after the Raiders practiced in pads for only two weeks whereas Elder already had played one regular season game and two full-contact scrimmages.

The bottom line is this: Each and every team to finish a season as the National Prep Poll’s mythical national champion has been very deserving of the achievement.

But when history looks back at Prep Poll champions of this decade, no team should be thought more worthy of the distinction than this year’s St. Thomas Aquinas team.

State championship scores for National Prep Poll titlists this decade
2000: No. 1 De La Salle 49, San Leandro 13 (CIF-NCS 4A championship)
2001: No. 1 De La Salle 48, San Leandro 13 (CIF-NCS 4A championship)
2002: No. 1De La Salle 42, San Leandro 14 (CIF-NCS 4A championship)
2003: No. 1 De La Salle 39, Pittsburg 0 (CIF-NCS 4A championship)
2004: No. 1 Southlake Carroll 27, Smithson Valley 24 (Texas 5A/II championship)
2005: No. 1 Southlake Carroll 34, No. 10 Katy 20 (Texas 5A/II championship)
2006: No. 1 Lakeland 45, St. Thomas Aquinas 42 (Florida 5A championship)
2007: No. 2 St. Xavier 27, MW No. 5 Mentor 0 (Ohio Division I championship)
2008: No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas 56, No. 16 Lakeland 7 (Florida 5A championship)

Week 4 National Prep Basketball Poll released

2008-12-15T11:49:00.001-06:00

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A very big segment of the national rankings puzzle for this season could be solved when the City of Palms Classic tips off this weekend in Fort Myers, Fla.

Top-ranked Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) will compete against a field that includes preseason No. 1 and currently No. 6-ranked Duncanville (Texas), plus No. 4 St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.) and three other current Top 25 teams. There are another four teams in the field that began the season in the national or regional rankings.

Check out CityofPalmsClassic.com for brackets and more information. You can catch the championship and 3rd place games of the tournament December 23 on ESPNU.

Week 18 National Prep Football Poll released

2008-12-15T10:05:00.001-06:00

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Four of the top five teams in the Week 18 National Prep Poll will be vying for state championships as the prep football season wraps up this weekend.

St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) -- ranked No. 1 for the 12th consecutive week in the Prep Poll -- can put an exclamation point on its first mythical national championship with a win over No. 16 Lakeland in the 5A championship game Friday night. The Raiders already own a win over Ohio Division I runner-up Cincinnati Elder this season and have beaten their Florida opponents by a whopping average score of 46-7.

Should St. Thomas Aquinas slip up against Lakeland (which has beaten the Raiders twice in state championship games since 2005), No. 2 Long Beach (Calif.) Poly would likely become the top team in the final Prep Poll. Last week, the Jackrabbits beat regionally ranked Tesoro (Rancho Santa Margarita) for their second straight CIF-SS Pac-5 championship. On Saturday, Poly will play regionally ranked Grant (Sacramento) in the CIF Open Division state championship game. It was a mild surprise that CIF commissioners selected the Pacers -- who have victories over state champions in two different states on their resume -- instead of regionally ranked De La Salle (Concord) to play Poly in the state's top championship game.

If both Aquinas and Poly go down to defeat this weekend, No. 3 Hightower (Missouri City, Texas) could find its way to the final No. 1 ranking, despite beginning the season unranked. The Hurricanes knocked off then-No. 11 Houston North Shore and then-regionally ranked Pearland (both were unbeaten at the time) during its run toward this week's Class 5A/I championship. On Saturday, Hightower will play No. 10 Allen, the team that knocked preseason No. 1-ranked Euless Trinity out of the playoffs two weeks ago.

Week 3 National Prep Basketball Poll released

2008-12-08T11:48:00.001-06:00

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Six-time National Prep Poll champion Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill is beginning to look like -- well, like Oak Hill once again.

By its own very lofty standards, Oak Hill nearly fell off the prep basketball map last season finishing outside the Top 10 in the final national rankings for just the second time in the last 10 years. But the Warriors are now ranked No. 3 in the National Prep Poll after beginning the season with 12 straight wins, including a 69-57 victory against preseason No. 1-ranked Duncanville (Texas) over the weekend at the Marshall County HoopFest in Benton, Ky.

Southern California powerhouse Mater Dei (Santa Ana) is ranked No. 1 in the poll for the second straight week. The Monarchs kicked off the season by winning four games by an average of 50 points at the Loara Taco Company Invitational in Anaheim, Calif.

Week 17 National Prep Football Poll released

2008-12-07T23:33:00.000-06:00

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Six of last week's Top 25 teams -- including four Top 10 squads -- were upset in playoff action over the weekend, but top-ranked St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) remained unscathed.

Aquinas is ranked No. 1 in the National Prep Poll for the 11th consecutive week.

After defeating Ohio Division I runner-up Cincinnati Elder, 35-24, in their season opener, the Raiders have beaten 12 consecutive South Florida foes by 28 points or more.

With a victory this Friday against Largo, Aquinas would qualify for its 12th state championship game in 18 seasons and a possible showdown with No. 17 Lakeland.

Moving up to No. 2 in the Week 17 poll is Long Beach (Calif.) Poly. With a win Saturday against No. 18 Tesoro (Rancho Santa Margarita) in the CIF-SS Pac-5 championship game, the Jackrabbits would likely earn Southern California's bid to the Open Division state championship game to be played on Dec. 20.

Should Poly lose to Tesoro and No. 3 Corona Centennial repeat as Inland Division champion, the Huskies could slip into the Open Division title game.

With No. 10 Allen's upset of then-No. 2 Euless Trinity, undefeated and fourth-ranked Hightower (Missouri City) looks like the team to beat in the tough Texas 5A/I playoff bracket. Two of the Hurricanes' four playoff wins have come against teams that entered the game with unbeaten records.

Rounding out the Top 5 is Camden County (Kingsland), the favorite on paper to win Georgia's 5A state championship this weekend. The Wildcats were 20-point winners at then-regionally ranked Newnan in the state semifinals last Friday.

Week 16 National Prep Football Poll released

2008-12-01T11:04:00.001-06:00

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Another weekend filled with postseason upsets ushered the arrival of five teams into the Week 16 National Prep Football Poll.

The highest riser was Eastern Pennsylvania power North Penn (Lansdale) at No. 11. The Knights took another step closer to winning their first PIAA Class 4A state title since 2003 by blanking rival Neshaminy, 28-0, in the District One championship game.

Also making its season debut in the national poll was No. 16 Phoebus (Hampton, Va.). The Phantoms appear likely headed to their fourth Division 5 championship after destroying then-No. 24 and defending champion Stone Bridge (Ashburn), 38-8, in the state semifinals.

The third debut team in this week's poll is perennial Louisiana power West Monroe at No. 18. The Rebels appear to be closing in on their seventh state championship in 20 seasons after their 37-16 blowout of Ouachita in the 5A quarterfinals.

Rounding out the new entrants in this week's Top 25 are a pair of squads that were nationally ranked earlier this season. No. 22 Center Grove (Greenwood) avenged its only loss of the season by defeating Carmel, 36-33, for the Indiana 5A championship.

No. 23 Glenville (Cleveland) will end the 2008 season without winning a state title, but the Tarblooders were the only team to defeat Ohio Division I champ St. Ignatius, which is ranked No. 8 this week. The Wildcats won the rematch between the teams during the playoffs in a squeaker, 8-7.