SBLive Michigan high school boys basketball Power 25 (Feb. 13)

Three teams fall out of the rankings and three new ones enter

Michigan’s top high school girls basketball players: Meet the state’s best guards (pt. 1)

Michigan’s top high school girls basketball players: Meet the state’s best guards (pt. 2)

Vote now: Who is the best wing or post in Michigan girls high school basketball?

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1. Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice (16-1)

Last week’s ranking: 1

Next game: Feb. 14 vs. Macomb Dakota

Ranking rationale: Brother Rice keeps to top spot for another week after defeating Detroit U-D Jesuit at home. Surviving a huge test on the road against Orchard Lake St. Mary’s certainly doesn’t hurt.

Photo by Mariusz Nowak

2. Detroit Cass Tech (18-0)

Last week’s ranking: 2

Next game: Feb. 14 vs. TBD

Ranking rationale: Cass Tech is locked in here are No. 2 for at least another week. It is very likely going to win its conference tournament, so maybe then it can take that top spot from Brother Rice.

3. North Farmington (15-1)

Last week’s ranking: 3

Next game: Feb. 14 at Oak Park

Ranking rationale: North Farmington continues its winning ways. Its next three game will be tough, so we’ll see what happens.

Photo by Craig Hedges

4. Muskegon (15-1)

Last week’s ranking: 5

Next game: Feb. 14 at Grand Rapids Union

Ranking rationale: Muskegon bounced back from its first loss of the season with two wins last week over the Zeeland schools. It’s still far and away the best team on the west side of the state.

5. Grand Blanc (15-2)

Last week’s ranking: 6

Next game: Feb. 14 at Bay City Western

Ranking rationale: Grand Blanc rides a 12-game winning streak into the top five. It might be the hottest team in the state at the moment.

Photo by Katy Kildee

6. Detroit U-D Jesuit (15-3)

Last week’s ranking: 4

Next game: Feb. 13 at Warren Fitzgerald

Ranking rationale: U-D Jesuit dropped its third game of the season, causing it to fall out of the top five for the first team in a while. It has one more game before the Catholic League tournament, which should be a doozy.

7. Detroit Loyola (17-1)

Last week’s ranking: 7

Next game: Feb. 18 vs. TBD

Ranking rationale: Loyola is stuck here at No. 7 once again this week. It’ll prepare for the aforementioned Catholic League tournament this week.

8. Ann Arbor Huron (16-1)

Last week’s ranking: 8

Next game: Feb. 14 vs. Monroe

Ranking rationale: Huron won three road games last week, including one over archrival Ann Arbor Skyline. It stays put this week.

9. Flint Beecher (13-3)

Last week’s ranking: 9

Next game: Feb. 14 vs. Burton Bendle

Ranking rationale: Beecher stays at No. 9 this week.

10. Port Huron Northern (16-2)

Last week’s ranking: 11

Next game: Feb. 16 vs. Utica Eisenhower

Ranking rationale: Port Huron Northern dropped its second game of the season to a resurgent Ferndale team. Despite that, it moves into the top 10.

11. Okemos (13-2)

Last week’s ranking: 10

Next game: Feb. 13 at Lansing Waverly

Ranking rationale: Grand Ledge got the best of Okemos again, this time in a double overtime thriller where it just ran out of gas. It’ll only fall one spot this week, but it must be frustrating having just two losses on the season, both against the same team.

12. Grand Rapids Catholic Central (12-5)

Last week’s ranking: 13

Next game: Feb. 14 at Wayland

Ranking rationale: Catholic Central moves up a spot after a close win on the road over Forest Hills Eastern.

13. Benton Harbor (13-4)

Last week’s ranking: 14

Next game: Feb. 14 vs. Kalamazoo Central

Ranking rationale: Benton Harbor lost to Warren Lincoln last week, but still moves up a spot in the rankings.

14. Onsted (13-4)

Last week’s ranking: 15

Ranking rationale: Onsted also lost last week, but still manages to move up in the Power 25. A lot of teams faltered last week, as you’ll find out as we move along.

15. Warren Michigan Collegiate (14-2)

Last week’s ranking: 19

Next game: Feb. 14 vs. Mount Clemens

Ranking rationale: Michigan Collegiate becomes the first beneficiary of others teams losing, moving up four spots this week.

16. Taylor Trillium Academy (14-0)

Last week’s ranking: 18

Next game: Feb. 14 at Taylor Prep

Ranking rationale: Trillium moves up two spots as it stays unbeaten for another week.

17. Hamtramck (12-7)

Last week’s ranking: 17

Next game: Feb. 17 vs. River Rouge

Ranking rationale: Hamtramck continues to be a tough team to rank. It lost a tough one to Kalamazoo Central last week. The talent on the team in undeniable, though. I’m keeping it where it's at once again.

18. Grand Rapids Northview (13-4)

Last week’s ranking: 12

Next game: Feb. 14 vs. Greenville

Ranking rationale: Northview was in a freefall for a bit, losing three in a row before finally getting back on track against Forest Hills Central. It falls six spots this week after nearly being a top five team just two weeks ago.

19. Warren De La Salle Collegiate (10-7)

Last week’s ranking: 20

Next game: Feb. 14 at Clinton Township Chippewa Valley

Ranking rationale: De La Salle has one more game to cap off a slightly disappointing regular season before beginning the Catholic League tournament. If it is going to make a move, now’s the time.

20. Romulus Summit Academy North (15-1)

Last week’s ranking: 21

Next game: Feb. 14 vs. Pontiac Academy for Excellence

Ranking rationale: Summit Academy begins its conference tournament this week. The first couple rounds should be easy for it, but things could get a bit hairy the deeper it gets.

21. Grand Rapids Christian (12-4)

Last week’s ranking: 23

Next game: Feb. 14 at Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central

Ranking rationale: Grand Rapids Christian moves up two spots in the midst of a four-game road trip.

22. Warren Lincoln (15-3)

Last week’s ranking: unranked

Next game: Feb. 14 at Orchard Lake St. Mary’s

Ranking rationale: The first of three new teams in the Power 25 this week, Warren Lincoln went to Benton Harbor and beat it by double digits. It will start conference tournament play later this week.

23. Grandville Calvin Christian (15-1)

Last week’s ranking: 24

Next game: Feb. 14 vs. Comstock Park

Ranking rationale: Calvin Christian won two tough conference games this week to move up a spot.

24. Kalamazoo Central (16-2)

Last week’s ranking: unranked

Next game: Feb. 14 at Benton Harbor

Ranking rationale: K-zoo Central has been on the verge of entering the Power 25 for a while, and now it’s finally here. It has gotten some big wins in recent weeks and could score another one this week against Benton Harbor.

25. Ferndale (9-6)

Last week’s ranking: unranked

Next game: Feb. 14 at Clarkston

Ranking rationale: Ferndale is back in the Power 25 after being a top 15 team to start the year. Its only loss since Jan. 7 was to North Farmington. It has wins over Oak Park and Port Huron Northern in that time frame. It looks like it has finally gotten its act together.