Top 25 national high school boys basketball rankings: Cooper Flagg, Montverde continue reign (2/5/2024)

Long Island Lutheran (New York) moves back into top five after beating two top-20 teams

Author:
Zach Shugan
Publish date:
Feb 5, 2024 3:40 PM EST

As the 2023-24 high school boys basketball season moves into February, there’s no question Montverde Academy (Florida) is the best team in the country.

The better question at this point — Could Cooper Flagg and the star-studded Eagles go down as one of the best teams ever?

Montverde stays No. 1 in the SBLive/Sports Illustrated Power 25 national rankings after improving to 24-0 this season with two more wins over ranked opponents. The Eagles have racked up an astounding 15 wins over top 25 teams, including 10 wins against teams in the top 12.

Elsewhere in the Power 25, Long Island Lutheran (New York) re-entered the top four following an impressive weekend on the road.

Southern California's Harvard-Westlake and Eastvale Roosevelt both returned to the rankings after winning league titles and earning the top two seeds in the CIF-Southern Section Open Division playoffs.

Find the complete breakdown of the latest SBLive/SI Power 25 rankings update below:

PREVIOUS RANKINGS: PRESEASON | DEC. 12 | DEC. 26 | JAN. 4 | JAN. 16 | JAN. 22 | JAN. 29

SBLIVE/SI POWER 25 NATIONAL BOYS BASKETBALL RANKINGS

February 5, 2024

Montverde senior and MAIT tournament MVP Cooper Flagg scores two of his 17 points during the championship game Saturday against Prolific Prep.
Photo by Bill Kemp, SBLive Sports

1. Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) (24-0)

Asa Newell soars for a dunk in Montverde Academy's win against Imani Christian (Pennsylvania) on Jan. 25, 2024.
Photo by Robson Lopes, SBLive Sports

Previous rank: 1; Up next: Feb. 9 vs. Whitehaven (TN)

Montverde’s reign continued with wins over No. 12 La Lumiere and No. 25 St. Rose at the Metro Classic in New Jersey. Cooper Flagg went off for 28 points, seven rebounds, five assists, four blocks and three steals in the Eagles’ 84-55 win over St. Rose. Can these Eagles run the table?

2. Columbus (Miami, Fla.) (20-4)

Columbus five-star junior Cameron Boozer drives the lane during a win over Harvard-Westlake (California) in the Les Schwab Invitational championship game on Dec. 30, 2023.
Photo by Naji Saker, SBLive Sports

Previous rank: 2; Up next: Feb. 8 vs. TBD in District Semifinals

Columbus capped off its regular season with an 84-45 win against Florida Christian. The Explorers earned the top seed for the upcoming FHSAA Class 7A District 16 tournament.

3. St. Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.) (22-2)

St. Paul VI senior Isaiah Abraham, a UConn signee, throws down a slam during the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions dunk contest on Jan. 13, 2024.

Previous rank: 3; Up next: Feb. 6 vs. St. Mary’s Ryken (MD)

The Panthers went 4-0 last week, beating St. John’s (DC) and Maryland schools The Heights, St. Frances and Bishop McNamara all by double digits. Rhode Island commit Ben Hammond earned MVP honors in a 73-57 win against St. Frances at the Very Melo Classic.

4. Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.) (14-3)

Long Island Lutheran junior Nigel James passes the ball in a win against Link Academy (Missouri) at the City of Palms Classic on Dec. 22, 2023.
Photo by Amanda Inscore/The News-Press USA Today Network-Florida/USA TODAY NETWORK

Previous rank: 6; Up next: Feb. 8 vs. Veritas Academy (CA)

LuHi added a pair of top 20 wins to its resume, taking down No. 8 Link Academy at the Metro Classic and No. 18 Gonzaga at the Very Melo Classic. The Crusaders now have six wins over teams currently in the top 25, the second most in the country.

5. Dynamic Prep (Irving, Tex.) (17-1)

Previous rank: 7; Up next: Feb. 6 vs. iSchool of Lewisville (TX)

Dynamic Prep raced past R.W. Goines STEM (Texas) for the second time this year. Already with a win over No. 7 Prolific Prep and its only loss coming to No. 8 Link Academy by two points, Dynamic Prep continues to climb the rankings.

6. Wasatch Academy (Wasatch, Utah) (12-3)

Previous rank: 8; Up next: Feb. 15 vs. Veritas Academy (CA)

The Tigers didn’t play last week, but their four top-20 wins this season are enough to boost them two spots in the national rankings after a couple teams ahead of them lost games last week.

7. Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) (24-5)

Prolific Prep junior AJ Dybantsa rises up for a jumper in a win against Riviera Prep (Florida) at the MAIT on Jan. 25, 2024.
Photo by Robson Lopes, SBLive Sports

Previous rank: 4; Up next: Feb. 10 vs. Accelerated Prep (CO)

Prolific Prep fell in a high-scoring thriller against No. 17 IMG Academy in Puerto Rico. The Crew bounced back with their second win over DME Academy (Florida) this season.

8. Link Academy (Branson, Mo.) (19-6)

Link Academy five-star junior Jasper Johnson takes a shot in the Lions' win over The Burlington School (North Carolina) at the Quincy Shootout on Jan. 20, 2024.
Photo by Nate Latsch, SBLive Sports

Previous rank: 5; Up next: Feb. 15 vs. Sunrise Christian (KS)

Link Academy went 0-2 at the Metro Classic, falling to No. 4 Long Island Lutheran for the second time and losing to No. 16 Brewster Academy. With two wins over teams in the top five and four wins against top 20 teams, the Lions don’t drop too far despite the rough week.

9. AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ari.) (19-5)

AZ Compass Prep senior Vyctorius Miller dribbles the ball during the 2023 GEICO Nationals championship game on Apr. 1, 2023.
Photo by Matt Christopher, SBLive Sports

Previous rank: 9; Up next: Feb. 7 vs. PHH Prep (AZ)

AZ Compass didn’t play last week, but they’re set to host PHH Prep (Arizona) on Wednesday. The Dragons have won three games in a row, including a win over No. 4 Long Island Lutheran.

10. Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) (18-3)

Don Bosco Prep senior Dylan Harper throws down a dunk during a win over McEachern (Georgia) at the City of Palms Classic on Dec. 19, 2023.
Photo by Jonah Hinebaugh/Naples Daily News/USA Today Network-Florida

Previous rank: 10; Up next: Feb. 6 at Bergen Catholic (NJ)

Don Bosco extended its winning streak to eight games, as the Ironmen beat in-state opponents St. Joseph and St. Mary by nearly 40 points each.

11. Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) (18-3)

Previous rank: 11; Up next: Feb. 9 vs. Veritas Academy (CA)

The Warriors picked up a 98-66 win on the road against Cox Mill (North Carolina). They’ve won four in a row since losing back-to-back games against No. 1 Montverde and No. 16 Brewster Academy.

12. La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) (15-4)

Previous rank: 12; Up next: Feb. 6 vs. Chicago Prep (IL)

La Lumiere became one of the many ranked teams No. 1 Montverde has defeated this season, but the Lakers responded with a double-overtime win against No. 16 Brewster Academy, their second victory against a top 25 team in the past three weeks.

13. Myers Park (Charlotte, N.C.) (18-2)

Previous rank: 13; Up next: Feb. 6 at Ardrey Kell (NC)

Myers Park dominated Palisades (North Carolina), 66-30, its third win a row by 30-plus points. This week, the Mustangs play Ardrey Kell and Olympic, two conference opponents they defeated earlier this year.

14. Plano East (Plano, Tex.) (30-0)

Previous rank: 14; Up next: Feb. 6 vs. Plano West (TX)

Plano East kept its perfect season alive with district wins against Plano and Coppell. The Panthers have three regular season games remaining before they start their playoff run.

15. Ridge View (Columbia, S.C.) (21-1)

Previous rank: 19; Up next: Feb. 6 vs. Richland Northeast (SC)

Ridge View avenged their only loss of the season with a 64-52 win against Westwood (South Carolina). The Blazers also defeated region foe Irmo for the second time this year.

16. Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.) (18-6)

Previous rank: 17; Up next: Feb. 7 vs. CATS Academy (MA)

It was nearly a banner week for Brewster Academy. The Bobcats fell just short in a double-overtime loss to No. 12 La Lumiere, but they took down No. 8 Link Academy for their second win against a top 10 team.

17. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) (14-7)

Previous rank: 20; Up next: Feb. 8 vs. Veritas Academy (CA)

IMG Academy had one of the best weeks of any team in the country, as the Ascenders went to Puerto Rico and took down No. 7 Prolific Prep and a Dream City Christian (Arizona) squad right outside the top 25.

18. Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) (20-4)

Previous rank: 16; Up next: Feb. 6 vs. Bishop O’Connell (VA)

Gonzaga didn’t pull off the upset against No. 4 Long Island Lutheran at the Very Melo Classic, but the Eagles did beat fellow WCAC teams DeMatha (Maryland) and Bishop Ireton (Virginia) on the road.

19. The Patrick School (Hillside, N.J.) (21-2)

Previous rank: 15; Up next: TBD

The Patrick School took care of business against College Achieve (New Jersey) and George School (Pennsylvania), but it was upset by five-star junior Will Riley and The Phelps School (Pennsylvania).

20. Harvard-Westlake (Studio City, Calif.) (26-3)

Previous rank: Unranked; Up next: Feb. 9 vs. Corona Centennial (CA)

The Wolverines worked their way back into the top 25 after winning the Mission League tournament, taking down Alemany, former No. 25 Notre Dame and Crespi in the process. The Wolverines earned the No. 1 seed for the CIF-Southern Section Open Division playoffs.

21. Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) (21-2)

Previous rank: 21; Up next: Feb. 6 vs. South Gwinnett (GA)

Grayson won region games over Archer and Parkview to remain undefeated against in-state competition. The Rams will wrap up their regular season this week against South Gwinnett and Newton, who took them to overtime in the first matchup of the season.

22. Jackson-Reed (Washington, D.C.) (27-2)

Previous rank: 22; Up next: Feb. 7 at Anacostia (DC)

Jackson-Reed edged out Grace Brethren Christian (Maryland), 59-56, after racking up three league wins against Cardozo, Ron Brown and Coolidge. The TIgers, who reached the DCSAA Class 2A championship last year, have one game left before starting another playoff run.

23. Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.) (14-3)

Previous rank: 23; Up next: Feb. 6 vs. Monsignor Scanlan (NY)

Boogie Fland and Stepinac had a 4-0 week, picking up wins against in-state opponents Mt. St. Michael, Christ the King, Eagle Academy and Bishop Loughlin. The Crusaders have won 12 games in a row since falling to No. 25 St. Rose in late December.

24. Eastvale Roosevelt (Eastvale, Calif.) (27-2)

Previous rank: Unranked; Up next: Feb. 9 vs. JSerra (CA)

The Mustangs are back in the top 25 after winning a Big VII league title for the first time since 2017 and earning the No. 2 seed in the loaded CIF-Southern Section Open Division playoffs. Five-star junior Brayden Burries posted 31 points and seven rebounds in the championship win over Corona Centennial.

25. St. Rose (Belmar, N.J.) (21-2)

Previous rank: 24; Up next: Feb. 8 vs. TBD (Shore Conference Tournament)

St. Rose lost by 29 points to No. 1 Montverde Academy, but it took down in-state opponents St. John Vianney and Union Catholic earlier in the week. The Purple Roses earned the top seed and a first-round bye for the upcoming Shore Conference tournament.