Top 25 national high school boys basketball rankings: Cooper Flagg leading Montverde's historic season (2/19/2024)

Flagg and the Eagles are 28-0 after dominating No. 4 Long Island Lutheran on Saturday

Author:
Zach Shugan
Publish date:
Feb 19, 2024 5:15 PM EST

Cooper Flagg and talent-rich No. 1 Montverde Academy cleared another hurdle on its quest for an undefeated high school basketball season.

The Eagles raced past No. 4 Long Island Lutheran (New York) on Saturday to strengthen its grip on the top spot in Monday's SBLive/Sports Illustrated Power 25 national high school basketball rankings.

Stony Point (Texas) rose three spots to No. 22 heading into the start of the Texas high school postseason (the UIL 6A bi-district round) and Eastvale Roosevelt jumped three spots to No. 20 ahead of a matchup with No. 15 Harvard Westlake.

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 | FEB. 5 | FEB. 12

SBLIVE/SI POWER 25 NATIONAL BOYS BASKETBALL RANKINGS

February 19, 2024

1. Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) (28-0)

Previous rank: 1; Up next: Feb. 29 vs. Veritas Academy (CA)

Montverde’s historic season rolled on with a dominant win in New York over No. 4 Long Island Lutheran, along with a 37-point win against Legacy Early College (South Carolina). The Eagles have two games remaining in their regular season slate.

2. Columbus (Miami, Fla.) (23-4)

Previous rank: 2; Up next: Feb. 20 vs. Western (FL)

Columbus won 92-28 against Boca Raton in the first round of the FHSAA Class 7A playoffs. The Explorers will take on Western in the second round, as they look to move one step closer to a three-peat.

3. St. Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.) (27-2)

Previous rank: 3; Up next: Feb. 24 vs. TBD

Paul VI took down DeMatha (Maryland) and Bishop McNamara (Maryland), finishing 15-0 in WCAC play this season. The Panthers earned the No. 1 seed for the upcoming WCAC tournament.

4. Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.) (17-4)

Previous rank: 4; Up next: Feb. 21 at Poly Prep (NY)

LuHi was outmatched by No. 1 Montverde Academy for the second time this year, but the Crusaders took care of business against No. 17 Brewster Academy, winning 70-61. With the second most (8) wins over teams currently in the top 25, LuHi remains in the top four.

5. Dynamic Prep (Irving, Tex.) (20-1)

Previous rank: 5; Up next: Feb. 19 vs. Grind Prep (OK)

Dynamic Prep raced past PSAT Houston (Texas), 107-58, extending its win streak to 13 games. Four-star junior Jermaine O’Neal Jr. posted 23 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and two blocks in the victory.

6. Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) (26-5)

Previous rank: 7; Up next: Feb. 23 vs. Trinity Prep (NV)

Prolific Prep was off last week heading into this weekend’s games at home against Trinity Prep (Nevada), Bella Vista (Arizona) and Accelerated Prep (Colorado). The Crew are ranked sixth in the country, but they’ve shown they might be the biggest threat to No. 1 Montverde's perfect season.

7. Link Academy (Branson, Mo.) (21-6)

Previous rank: 8; Up next: Feb. 23 vs. Grind Prep (OK)

Link Academy went 2-0 in Wichita at the Air Capital Hoopfest, defeating EYBL Scholastic opponents Sunrise Christian (Kansas) and Veritas Academy (California). The Lions are set to take on Grind Prep (Oklahoma) this week for senior night.

8. Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) (14-4)

Previous rank: 6; Up next: Feb. 22 vs. Salt Lake Academy (UT)

Wasatch was upset by Sunrise Christian (Kansas) at the Air Capital Hoopfest in Wichita, but it bounced back with a win against Veritas Academy (California). Early-season wins over No. 2 Columbus and No. 9 AZ Compass Prep, among others, help keep the Tigers from dropping far this week.

9. AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ari.) (21-5)

Previous rank: 9; Up next: Feb. 22 vs. Ascending Life (AZ)

AZ Compass downed PHH Premiere (Arizona), 90-42, winning their fifth game in a row. The Dragons wrap up their homestand against Ascending Life (Arizona) this week before a trip to South Carolina next week for EYBL Scholastic league play.

10. Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) (24-3)

Previous rank: 10; Up next: Feb. 26 vs. TBD

Dylan Harper and Don Bosco locked down Ramapo, 57-33, in the Bergen County Jamboree championship game. The Ironmen, who earned a first-round bye for the NJSIAA North Jersey Non-Public A playoffs, have won 14 games in a row since falling to No. 24 Archbishop Stepinac at the Hoophall Classic.

11. La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) (19-4)

Previous rank: 11; Up next: Feb. 19 vs. Elite Prep (IN)

The Lakers dispatched Chicago Prep (Illinois) and Western Reserve Academy (Ohio), improving to 10-1 in their last 11 games. They defeated No. 9 AZ Compass Prep and No. 17 Brewster Academy during that span, with the one loss coming to No. 1 Montverde.

12. Myers Park (Charlotte, N.C.) (22-2)

Previous rank: 12; Up next: Feb. 22 vs. TBD

Myers Park wrapped up its regular season by defeating Berry and South Mecklenburg by nearly 40 points each. The Mustangs, now on an 18-game win streak, will play the winner of Berry vs. Palisades in the conference tournament semifinals.

13. Plano East (Plano, Tex.) (33-0)

Previous rank: 13; Up next: Feb. 19 vs. Rock Hill (TX)

Plano East completed a perfect regular season with a 95-29 district win over Flower Mound. The Panthers will take on Rock Hill in the bi-district round of the UIL Class 6A Region 1 and 2 playoffs.

14. Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) (25-4)

Previous rank: 14; Up next: WCAC playoffs

Gonzaga finished its regular season with wins against St. John’s (Washington, D.C.) and Takoma Academy (Maryland) The Eagles earned the No. 2 seed in the WCAC playoffs after going 12-2 in conference play.

15. Harvard-Westlake (Studio City, Calif.) (29-3)

Previous rank: 17; Up next: Feb. 23 vs. No. 20 Eastvale Roosevelt (CA)

Harvard-Westlake got past formerly-ranked teams Sierra Canyon and Notre Dame in the CIF-Southern Section Open Division playoffs. The Wolverines will take on No. 20 Eastvale Roosevelt in the championship game this week.

16. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) (16-8)

Previous rank: 15; Up next: Feb. 29 vs. No. 11 La Lumiere (IN)

One of the hottest teams in the country, IMG Academy was off last week. The Ascenders have a big game coming up against No. 11 La Lumiere next week in South Carolina.

17. Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.) (22-7)

Previous rank: 16; Up next: Feb. 19 vs. Tilton School (NH)

Brewster went 1-1 in New York at the Bob McKillop Invitational, beating Legacy Early College (South Carolina) but falling to No. 4 Long Island Lutheran.

18. Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) (19-4)

Previous rank: 18; Up next: Feb. 19 vs. Reynoldsburg (OH)

Oak Hill did not play last week, but the Warriors will be back in action this week against Reynoldsburg (Ohio) and Central Carolina Prep (North Carolina) as they prepare for showdowns with No. 7 Link Academy and No. 9 AZ Compass Prep in the first week of March.

19. Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) (23-2)

Previous rank: 20: Up next: Feb. 20 vs. Colquitt County (GA)

Grayson defeated rival Newton in the region championship, earning a No. 1 seed for the GHSA Class 7A playoffs. The Rams will host Colquitt County in the opening round of the 32-team tournament.

20. Eastvale Roosevelt (Eastvale, Calif.) (28-2)

Previous rank: 23; Up next: Feb. 23 vs. No. 15 Harvard-Westlake (CA)

After beating St. Pius X in pool play of the CIF-Southern Section Open Division playoffs, Eastvale Roosevelt beat Mater Dei in overtime. Brayden Burries and the Mustangs will go up against No. 15 Harvard-Westlake in the championship game this week.

21. Jackson-Reed (Washington, D.C.) (32-2)

Previous rank: 21; Up next: DCSAA Class 2A playoffs

Jackson-Reed defeated Cardozo in the DCIAA championship game this past weekend. Up next for the Tigers is the DCSAA Class 2A playoffs, featuring teams like No. 14 Gonzaga and bubble squad Sidwell Friends.

22. Stony Point (Round Rock, Tex.) (32-1)

Previous rank: 25; Up next: Feb. 19 vs. Bowie (TX)

Stony Point finished the regular season with a 91-58 victory against Manor (Texas). The Tigers open the UIL Class 6A playoffs this week against Bowie, as they look to bring home their first state title in program history.

23. The Patrick School (Hillside, N.J.) (21-3)

Previous rank: 19; Up next: TBD

The Patrick School dropped its second game in a row, losing to five-star North Carolina commit Ian Jackson and Our Saviour Lutheran (New York). Since starting 13-0, The Patrick School has lost three of its last 11 games.

24. Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.) (21-3)

Previous rank: 22; Up next: Feb. 20 vs. Monsignor Scanlan (NY)

Archbishop Stepinac took down St. Francis (New York), 73-63, in its final game of the regular season. After losing three games in a row to top 25 teams in December, the Crusaders closed the regular season on a 15-game win streak.

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

Previous rank: 24; Up next: Feb. 26 vs. TBD

St. Rose beat Christian Brothers and Manasquan last week to take home the Shore Conference tournament title for the first time in program history. The Purple Roses now turn their attention to the NJSIAA South Jersey Non-Public B playoffs, as they earned the top seed and a first-round bye for the tournament.