In a holiday high school basketball stretch full of big matchups, shiny showcases and cross-country travel, preseason No. 1 Columbus reasserted itself atop the High School on SI national rankings.
The Explorers, led by Cameron and Cayden Boozer, toppled Montverde on Christmas Eve to win the City of Palms Classic— the largest-scale showcase of the season. Gonzaga College leapt five spots after winning the Les Schwab Invitational.
Lots of basketball was played in the month since the High School on SI national rankings were last updated. Who else rose, fell, dropped and debuted? Scroll down for the latest update.
Check out the National Player of the Year watchlist for 2024-25 along with the preseason SI Six All-American team.
(Senior reporter Tarek Fattal contributed to this report)
TOP 25 NATIONAL BASKETBALL RANKINGS, JAN. 6
Record: 13-3 | TEAM PAGE
Explorers jump back up to No. 1 after taking home the City of Palms Classic championship, beating Montverde in a back-and-forth 59-57 Christmas Eve title bout. With the Boozer twins stymied and stifled at times, Columbus flexed depth with one of the country’s best two-way players in Jaxon Richardson, who averaged 18 points on 73 percent shooting in the tournament.
Record: 8-2 | TEAM PAGE
The Eagles picked up its first losses in December to EYBL Scholastic foe Brewster Academy on Dec. 15 and made a City of Palms run that included a win over previously ranked Oak Ridge and a loss to top-ranked Columbus in the title for the early-season game of the year. Villanova-signed combo guard Dante Allen (16 points per game) leads the team’s four players averaging double-digit scoring.
Record: 11-2 | TEAM PAGE
Strong showing at the City of Palms Classic—wins over Texas power Faith Family (in double-OT) and La Lumiere before a 77-71 semifinal loss to No. 1 Columbus. Arkansas-signed Darius Acuff Jr., nation’s No. 1 point guard, is a big shot-hitter.
ACUFF CLUTCH TRIPLE IN 2OT
City of Palms Classic on the NBA App t.co/8PfRdcmCnh pic.twitter.com/lB5k5tU4zE
— NBA Future Starts Now (@nbafuturenow) December 20, 2024
2023-24 record: 16-3 | TEAM PAGE
The Crew capped an undefeated December with three straight post-Christmas wins at a Grind Session weekend in Hilo, Hawaii. An 11-point win over Columbus and six-point win over Utah Prep in December look better by the day.
Record: 19-2 | TEAM PAGE
You may know about Houston-signed 5-star point guard Kingston Flemings (20 points per game). But have you heard about hot-shooting Camden Cowgill (18.6 points per game), whose doesn’t need many dribbles to get a shot off and whose off-ball movement is reminiscent of Klay Thompson?
Record: 18-1 | TEAM PAGE
Mustangs show no signs of hangover after winning Classic at Damien by going 3-0 at Tournament of Champions, beating Coronado, Sandra Day O’Connor and Layton Christian by an average of 18 points.
Record: 18-1 | TEAM PAGE
Wolverines win Hoophall West with a win over De La Salle (California) after a run that included a strong 66-63 win over Gonzaga College. Duke commit Nik Khamenia named MVP.
Record: 12-2 | TEAM PAGE
After beating the defending Oregon and Idaho state champs, then nationally ranked La Lumiere to win the Les Schwab Invitational in Portland behind a stellar showing from Virginia Tech-bound center Christian Gurdak, the Purple Eagles picked up their second loss of the season, this time to nationally ranked Harvard-Westlake.
Record: 14-4
AJ Dybantsa led an Iolani Classic title run and a It adds four-star BYU-signed seven-foot center Xavion Stanton sharp-shooting 6-foot-7 senior Hamza Zahran, a New Zealand native, from Oak Hill (who Utah Prep beat on Dec. 21) via transfer.
Record: 20-3 | TEAM PAGE
Despite boasting losses to UIL foes Allen and Brennan, as well as an 18-point loss to No. 1 Columbus, Jermaine O’Neal’s squad has won 11 in a row of its whopping 23 games played already. Jaden Toombs, SMU-signed four-star center, is averaging 14.7 points, 10.1 boards and 1.5 blocks per game.
Record: 17-1 | TEAM PAGE
Braves go 3-0 at Hoophall West. Elzie Harrington, new USC commit, scored 29 points in 62-61 win over Coronado. Can St. John Bosco keep it up with Brandon McCoy sidelined?
Hoophall West Championship
Harvard-Westlake 58, De La Salle 44Amir Jones 17pts; Nik Khamenia 14pts; Isaiah Carroll 10pts pic.twitter.com/92P8MnzaDX
— Tarek Fattal (@Tarek_Fattal) January 5, 2025
Record: 13-1 | TEAM PAGE
The Pumas are off to a sterling start behind 5-star forward Koa Peat, the nation’s No. 8 overall prospect (ESPN). After taking its first loss of the season to Harvard-Westlake (by three points), Perry rebounded with double-digit wins over Sunnyslope (Arizona) and Duncanville (Texas) at HoopHall West.
Record: 13-1 | TEAM PAGE
The Rams went 7-1 since the last rankings update with wins over Oregon power Central Catholic, Oklahoma power Owasso and Georgia mainstay McEachern. Its lone loss of the season came via a 37-point blowout at the hands of No. 1 Columbus at City of Palms.
Record: 10-4 | TEAM PAGE
After beating No. 1 Columbus on Dec. 29, the Lions are amid a two-game skid with losses to Bella Vista Prep and Wasatch Academy. The mid-January Bass Pro Tournament of Champions looms.
Record: 12-2 | TEAM PAGE
Toppled Georgia power Wheeler before losing to Utah Prep in the Iolani Classic on Dec. 21. The Bobcats boast an imposing 6-foot-7 forward tandem of James Madison commit Preston Fowler and four-star junior Sebastian Wilkins.
Record: 8-3 | TEAM PAGE
Took Back-to-back losses to Veritas Prep (in OT) and Wheeler in the Iolani Classic, then rebounded after Christmas with wins over Christ the King (NY) and Georgetown Prep (MD).
Record: 14-2 | TEAM PAGE
Knights go 2-1 at Hoophall West without Lino Mark and NaVorrow Bowman. Tyran Stokes scored 20, 17 and 34 in the three victories. Notre Dame’s second loss came to Layton Christian.
Record: 12-5 | TEAM PAGE
The Lakers, which boast one of the nation’s most talented 1-through-4 lineups, are back to EYBL Scholastic play after a challenging December that featured a three-point loss to IMG in the City of Palms quarters and a double-digit loss to Gonzaga College in the Les Schwab Invitational finals.
Record: 20-0 | TEAM PAGE
The Bucs keep rolling through a thus far unblemished season and haven’t played a close game since mid-December.
Record: 12-0 | TEAM PAGE
Perhaps the most impressive win in the Jason Gardner Jr.-led Indiana Class 4A power’s undefeated start? An 85-80 victory over UConn-bound Braylon Mullins and last year’s 4A state runner-up Greenfield-Central.
Record: 20-1 | TEAM PAGE
The Eagles have beat a lion’s share of Texas powers and took the UIL’s best team — Brennan — to overtime in its lone loss. Antoine Shannon (13.5 points, 5.7 boards, 1.6 steals per game) leads the way for an experienced grouip.
Record: 15-1 | TEAM PAGE
Wins over Prolific Prep and Utah Prep overshadow its lone loss to Boys Latin (Maryland), which came by two points on Dec. 22.
Record: 10-2 | TEAM PAGE
Dealt Texas power Brannan a 15-point loss in early December and is 4-0 since ahead of the start of WCAC play.
Record: 11-3 | TEAM PAGE
Brennan’s lone losses came back-to-back to WCAC powers, the first being a 85-66 drubbing by St. John’s on Dec. 6. WCAC play looms and the conference appears strong as ever.
Record: 11-3 | TEAM PAGE
The Quakers’ Power 25 candidacy is bolstered by early wins over WCAC DeMatha and Paul VI, but they tripped up against Southern School of Energy and Sustainability in a three-point loss on Dec. 27.
DROPPED
Long Island Lutheran (N.Y.) (7-5)
AZ Compass Prep (Ariz.) (2-3)
Oak Ridge (Fla.) (7-5)
Greenfield Central (Ind.) (8-2)
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— Andy Buhler | [email protected] | @Andy Buhler
— Tarek Fattal | [email protected] | @Tarek_Fattal
Top 25 national high school boys basketball rankings (1/6/2024) Top World News Today.
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