Super 25 boys basketball rankings

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BASKETBALL RANKINGS National Super 25 Regional rankings

Analysis by Christopher Lawlor, USA TODAY

Movement: No. 10 Kingwood (Texas) leaps 13 spots after a productive first month, which bagged two in-season tournament titles. No. 17 Norcross (Ga.) and No. 18 DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) slip out of the top five after dropping games. No. 19 Columbia (Decatur, Ga.) is the highest-ranked newcomer of three teams. Expect more shake-ups after the holiday tournaments. The boys rankings return Jan. 9.

Player of the week: Guard Nolan Smith of No. 1 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) had 25 points, six rebounds and four assists in a 65-57 win against then-No. 2 Norcross (Ga.). He also scored a season-high 40 points vs. Progressive Christian (Camp Springs, Md.). In 12 games, he averaged 23.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists and shoots 65.7% from the floor.

Game of the week: Saturday, No. 20 Towson (Md.) Catholic plays No. 25 Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia) at Syracuse University's Manley Fieldhouse in the feature game of the Hoophall Classic. Future Syracuse players 6-2 Antonio "Scoop" Jardine and 6-9 Rick Jackson of Neumann and 6-8 Donte Green of Towson Catholic are on display.

Must-see event: Saturday-Sunday, The Hoop Group New Jersey Tip-off Classic at Seton Hall University in South Orange. Ten games during two days, with New Jersey powers No. 6 St. Anthony (Jersey City), No. 3 St. Benedict's (Newark) and No. 2 St. Patrick (Elizabeth) headlining.

Double trouble: No. 11 LeFlore (Mobile, Ala.) is averaging 86 points with five players in double figures. Chris Blake (27 ppg), Nick Williams (16), Derrick Young (12), Zach Winston (12) and Joshua Wesley (15) fuel the offense. Wesley, 5-10, scored a season-high 32 points in 12 minutes off the bench, hitting eight three-pointers, in a 107-48 win vs. Montgomery (Semmes).

Free throws: Guard Gabriel Charlie is averaging 30 points for No. 9 Arlington Country Day (Jacksonville), fueled by 16-for-25 on three-pointers (64%). Against Our Savior New American (Centereach, N.Y.), he nailed nine of 13 three-pointers in a 101-40 victory. Charlie, 6-3, is considering Kansas State, Kentucky and Georgia Tech. ACD's busy 17-day stretch starting Wednesday contains 12 games in three national tournaments. ... 6-8 forward Kyle Singler of South Medford (Medford, Ore.), No. 9 in the West Region, showed why he's one of the nation's top players in an 80-60 victory vs. Mountain View (Bend). The Duke-bound Singler made 11 of 18 shots and 10 of 11 free throws and had seven rebounds and seven assists. ... Ryan Pearson, a junior reserve forward, scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, lifting No. 15 Christ the King (Queens, N.Y.) past then-No. 18 Lincoln (Brooklyn) 73-66 in the Big Apple Basketball Challenge. Pearson was named game MVP. ... Lawrence North (Indianapolis), last year's No. 1 team in the Super 25, won its Indiana-record 50th consecutive game, beating Anderson (Ind.) 55-44.

1. Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson, Va. (12-0)

Previous ranking: 1. Result: Stretched win streak to 12, beating Withrow (Cincinnati) 72-44. Also beat then-No. 2 Norcross (Ga.) 65-57.

2. St. Patrick, Elizabeth, N.J. (0-0)

Previous: 4. Result: Opens Friday vs. Living Faith Christian (Cherry Hill).

3. St. Benedict's Prep, Newark, N.J. (3-0)

Previous: 6. Result: Won Bishop Ireton Tournament in Alexandria, Va., beating host school 75-42 in final.

4. Huntington, W.Va. (0-0)

Previous: 5. Result: Opens Tuesday vs. Nitro at Memorial Fieldhouse in Huntington.

5. Simeon, Chicago (2-0)

Previous: 7. Result: Beat Champaign Central 79-49, Thornton (Harvey) 68-44.

6. St. Anthony,J ersey City (0-0)

Previous: 8. Result: Opens Friday vs. Create Charter (Jersey City).

7. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (6-0)

Previous: 9. Result: Won Gahr Tournament, beating Gahr (Cerritos) 105-61 in final. Also beat Long Beach Jordan 87-59.

8. Artesia, Lakewood, Calif. (4-0)

Previous: 10. Result: Won Pacific Shores Tournament, beating Mayfair (Lakewood) 74-57 in final. Averaging 76 points in four wins.

9. Arlington Country Day, Jacksonville (3-0)

Previous: 11. Result: Averaging 100 points in three victories with high of 104.

10. Kingwood, Texas (16-0)

Previous: 23. Result: Won two tournaments, McDonald's Texas Invitational and Lone Star Invitational.

11. LeFlore, Mobile, Ala. (9-0)

Previous: 15. Result: Beat Theodore 79-48 for ninth consecutive win. Also won two games to capture MGM Invitational in Semmes, Ala.

12. Westchester, Los Angeles (4-0)

Previous: 17. Result: Won Westchester Tip-Off Tournament, beating Taft (Woodland Hills) 60-55 in final.

13. Archbishop Mitty, San Jose, Calif. (3-0)

Previous: 19. Result: Opened season beating Galena (Reno) 76-60, Palmas (Salinas) 64-42, Milpitas 71-41.

14. Montrose Christian, Rockville, Md. (4-0)

Previous: 20. Result: Stingy defense allows 42.5 points.

15. Christ the King, Queens, N.Y. (2-0)

Previous: 21. Result: Beat St. Mary's (Manhasset) 86-57 and then-No. 18 Lincoln (Brooklyn) 73-66 in Big Apple Challenge.

16. Raleigh-Egypt, Memphis (5-0)

Previous: 22. Result: Beat White Station (Memphis) 76-70 in overtime for fifth consecutive win.

17. Norcross, Ga. (4-1)

Previous: 2. Result: Lost to No. 1 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 65-57 but rebounded to beat Peachtree Ridge (Suwanee) 79-58.

18. DeMatha, Hyattsville, Md. (1-1)

Previous: 3. Result: Lost to Decatur (Ill.) Christian 65-63 in overtime in The Shootout in St. Louis and beat Archbishop Carroll (Washington, D.C.) 68-61.

19. Columbia, Decatur, Ga. (5-0)

Previous: Not ranked. Result: Beat then-No. 12 Wheeler (Marietta) 69-53. Defense leads way, allowing 46.6 points.

20. Towson (Md.) Catholic (4-1)

Previous: 13. Result: Beat National Christian (Fort Washington) 74-55 for fourth win in row. Lost to Wilkinson County (Irwin, Ga.) 69-61.

21. North Central, Indianapolis (4-0)

Previous: Not ranked. Result: Average margin of victory almost 16 points, with quality victory against Dunbar (Dayton, Ohio) 70-65 in Circle City Classic.

22. Bishop O'Connell, Arlington, Va. (4-0)

Previous: Not ranked. Result: Won Washington Examiner Tip-off Classic, beating then-No. 16 Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia) 58-54.

23. Mount Vernon, N.Y. (0-0)

Previous: 24. Result: Opens Saturday vs. Manhattan Center.

24. Schenley, Pittsburgh (3-0)

Previous: 25. Result: Won third in row, beating Aliquippa 68-65.

25. Neumann-Goretti, Philadelphia (4-1)

Previous: 16. Result: Lost to Bishop O'Connell (Arlington, Va.) 58-54 in Washington Examiner Tip-off Classic final.

Dropped out: No. 12 Wheeler, Marietta, Ga. (2-1) lost to Columbia (Decatur) 69-53; No. 14 Fairfax, Los Angeles (2-2) lost to Mayfair (Lakewood) 67-64 and Redondo Union (Redondo Beach) 55-52 in Pacific Shores Tournament; No. 18 Lincoln, Brooklyn, N.Y. (2-1) lost to then-No. 21 Christ the King (Queens) 73-66.

Records through Dec. 10.

About the rankings: USA TODAY's Super 25 basketball rankings are compiled by Christopher Lawlor, who consults with a national network of high school sportswriters, analysts and coaches. Among the criteria considered are a school's strength of schedule, the quality of competition in its state or league and the quality of its players. Next boys ranking is Jan. 9, 2007.