Top 25 national high school boys basketball rankings: Bryce James, Sierra Canyon debut (1/29/2024)

Cooper Flagg, top-ranked Montverde beat No. 4 Prolific Prep again to win MAIT

Zach Shugan | Jan 29, 2024

The 2023-24 high school boys basketball season has been chaotic, to say the least, for California's best teams.

Harvard-Westlake, St. John Bosco, Eastvale Roosevelt and Mater Dei have all held the state's No. 1 ranking this season.

Enter Sierra Canyon, the new top dog in California.

The Trailblazers debut at No. 18 in Monday's SBLive/Sports Illustrated Power 25 national rankings update after taking down nationally ranked Harvard-Westlake and Notre Dame in recent weeks.

Sierra Canyon basketball downs Notre Dame with epic 4th quarter rally

Bryce James, the four-star junior and youngest son of LeBron James, plays alongside Arkansas signee Isaiah Elohim and Justin Pippen, the son of NBA legend Scottie Pippen, for a highly-talented Sierra Canyon bunch.

St. Rose (New Jersey) also entered the national rankings this week, with Mater Dei (California) and Bishop O'Connell (Virginia) dropping to the bubble.

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

SBLIVE/SI POWER 25 NATIONAL BOYS BASKETBALL RANKINGS

January 29, 2024

1. Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) (22-0)

Montverde senior and MAIT tournament MVP Cooper Flagg scores two of his 17 points during the championship game Saturday against Prolific Prep. — Cooper Flagg releases a jump shot against No. 4 Prolific Prep in the MAIT championship on Saturday / Photo by Bill Kemp, SBLive Sports

Previous rank: 1; Up next: Feb. 1 vs. No. 12 La Lumiere (IN)

Cooper Flagg and the top-ranked Eagles continue to collect wins over top 25 teams. The Eagles took down No. 4 Prolific Prep for the second time in two weeks to win the MAIT, marking their 13th win of the season against a ranked opponent.

2. Columbus (Miami, Fla.) (19-4)

Columbus guard Cayden Boozer drives through traffic against Harvard-Westlake in the championship of the Les Schwab Invitational in Oregon in December. / Photo by Naji Saker, SBLive Sports

Previous rank: 2; Up next: Feb. 1 vs. Florida Christian (FL)

Cameron Boozer and Columbus went 3-0 last week to win the Greater Miami Athletic Conference tournament, beating Hialeah Gardens, Southridge and Miami. The Explorers wrap up their regular season this week against Florida Christian.

3. St. Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.) (17-2)

St. Paul VI wins Bass Pro Tournament of Champions Virginia basketball January 13 2024 Nate Latsch — Photo by Nate Latsch, SBLive Sports

Previous rank: 3; Up next: Jan. 30 vs. No. St. John’s (DC)

St. Paul VI had an excellent week, taking down No. 16 Gonzaga and former No. 22 Bishop O’Connell in WCAC play. The Panthers won by 15-plus points in both games, helping cement their status as a top three team in the country.

4. Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) (23-4)

Prolific Prep sophomore guard Tyran Strokes drives to the basket while Montverde Academy senior Cooper Flagg (32) defends during the MAIT championship game on Jan. 27, 2024. — Prolific Prep five-star forward Tyran Stokes advances the ball past Cooper Flagg, Montverde in the MAIT championship Saturday / Photo by Bill Kemp, SBLive Sports

Previous rank: 4; Up next: Feb. 3 vs. No. 20 IMG Academy (FL)

The championship game of the MAIT was tied in the final minute, but Prolific Prep fell just short against No. 1 Montverde Academy for the second time in two weeks. To reach the finals, they notched wins over No. 17 Brewster Academy and Riviera Prep, the No. 4 team in Florida.

5. Link Academy (Branson, Mo.) (19-4)

Link Academy center James Brown lets a hook shot go against Burlington School (N.C.) at the Quincy Shootout. — Link Academy center James Brown lets a hook shot go against Burlington School (N.C.) at the Quincy Shootout / Photo by Nate Latsch, SBLive Sports

Previous rank: 5; Up next: Feb. 1 vs. No. 17 Brewster Academy (NH)

Link Academy had a week off, so the Lions should be well rested for a trip to New Jersey this week for the Metro Classic, where they’ll take on No. 6 Long Island Lutheran and No. 17 Brewster Academy.

6. Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.) (12-3)

Previous rank: 6; Up next: Feb. 2 vs. No. 5 Link Academy (MO)

The Crusaders raced past Eagle Academy (New York), 74-58, going into a pair of top 25 matchups this week against No. 5 Link Academy and No. 16 Gonzaga.

7. Dynamic Prep (Irving, Tex.) (15-1)

Previous rank: 7; Up next: Feb. 2 vs. R.W. Goines STEM (TX)

Dynamic Prep took down TACA Storm (Texas), 95-73, capping off a 4-0 month of January. Next up is a rematch with R.W. Goines STEM, who Dynamic Prep beat by 10 points the first time around.

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

Previous rank: 8; Up next: Feb. 2 vs. Desert Valley Prep (NV)

Coming off an open week, Wasatch Academy will take on Desert Valley Prep (Nevada) this week. The last time they took the floor, the Tigers went 2-0 at the Quincy Shootout in Illinois.

9. AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ari.) (16-5)

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

AZ Compass went 2-0 last week, dominating at home against AOSS Prep (California) and SFBA Trinity Prep (Nevada). Five-star junior Jeremiah Fears, who committed to Illinois last week, averaged 13.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in the wins.

10. Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) (16-3)

Previous rank: 10; Up next: Jan. 30 vs. St. Joseph (NJ)

The Ironmen had a rare 4-0 week, picking up wins against in-state opponents Paramus Catholic, DePaul Catholic, Ramapo and Hackensack.

11. Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) (17-3)

Previous rank: 12; Up next: Jan. 29 vs. Shabach Christian (MD)

Oak Hill went 2-0 at the Rock the Ribbon Roundball Shootout, defeating Blue Ridge (Virginia) and Life Prep (Kansas). The Warriors will look to keep stacking wins this week against Shabach Christian (Maryland), Carolina Basketball Academy (North Carolina) and Cox Mill (NC).

12. La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) (14-3)

Previous rank: 13 Up next: Feb. 1 vs. No. 1 Montverde Academy (FL)

La Lumiere cruised to victories against Bosco Institute (Indiana) and Maumee Valley (Ohio). The Lakers are visiting New Jersey this week for games against No. 1 Montverde Academy and No. 17 Brewster Academy at the Metro Classic.

13. Myers Park (Charlotte, N.C.) (15-2)

Previous rank: 15; Up next: Jan. 30 at Palisades (NC)

Myers Park extended its win streak to 13 games last week, defeating conference foes Berry and AC Reynolds by 35-plus points each. The Mustangs will play at Palisades (North Carolina) this week, continuing a stretch of six consecutive road games.

14. Plano East (Plano, Tex.) (28-0)

Previous rank: 17; Up next: Jan. 30 at Plano (TX)

After beating Marcus (Texas) by 30 points on the road, Plano East hosted and defeated one-loss Lewisville, a top 20 team in the Lone Star State. The Panthers will shoot for 30-0 this week with district games at Plano and Coppell.

15. The Patrick School (Hillside, N.J.) (19-1)

Previous rank: 19; Up next: Jan. 31 at College Achieve (NJ)

The Patrick School continues to climb following a 2-0 week with wins against Compass Academy and Broome Street Academy. St. John’s signee Jaiden Glover led the team with 22 points and eight rebounds in the 84-55 win against Compass.

16. Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) (18-3)

Previous rank: 14; Up next: Jan. 30 at DeMatha (MD)

Gonzaga fell to No. 3 St. Paul VI on the road, but it bounced back with resounding wins over Dunbar (DC), The Heights (Maryland) and Archbishop Carroll (DC). The Eagles will take on No. 6 Long Island Lutheran this weekend in Maryland at the Melo Classic.

17. Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.) (17-5)

Previous rank: 11; Up next: Feb. 1 vs. No. 5 Link Academy (MO)

Brewster Academy slides six spots after going 1-2 at the MAIT. The Bobcats beat Calvary Christian, a top five team in Florida, but lost to No. 4 Prolific Prep in the semifinals and a talented Oak Ridge (Florida) team in the third place game.

18. Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) (24-1)

Previous rank: Unranked; Up next: Jan. 31 vs. TBD (Mission League tournament semifinals)

A fixture in last season’s Power 25, Sierra Canyon makes its debut in the 2023-24 national rankings after taking down former No. 18 Notre Dame (California) last week. The previous week, the Trailblazers defeated formerly ranked Harvard-Westlake.

19. Ridge View (Columbia, S.C.) (19-1)

Previous rank: 20; Up next: Jan. 30 at Irmo (SC)

Ridge View keeps building back momentum after suffering its first loss of the season. The Blazers defeated region opponents A.C. Flora and Lugoff-Elgin last week, with games this week at Irmo and Westwood.

20. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) (11-7)

Previous rank: 21; Up next: Jan. 30 vs. Lakeland (FL)

Still hanging around in the top 25 despite having seven losses (all to top 35 teams), IMG Academy continues to look better with time. The Ascenders have a pair of big tests in Puerto Rico this week against No. 4 Prolific Prep and bubble team Dream City Christian (Arizona).

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

Previous rank: 23; Up next: Jan. 30 at Archer (GA)

Purdue signee Gicarri Harris finished with 18 points and 10 assists in an overtime win against rival Newton. The Rams also defeated Brookwood (Georgia) last week for the second time this year, keeping their record unblemished against in-state opponents.

22. Jackson-Reed (Washington, D.C.) (23-2)

Previous rank: 24; Up next: Jan. 29 at Cardozo (DC)

The Tigers extended their win streak to 10 games last week, crushing district opponents Bell and Bard then edging out Alexandria City (Virginia) by two points. They continue DCSAA league play this week against Cardozo, Ron Brown and Coolidge.

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

Previous rank: 25; Up next: Jan. 30 at Mount Saint Michael (NY)

A few days after being named a McDonald’s All-American, Boogie Fland recorded 12 points, 14 rebounds and six assists in a 79-61 win against Cardinal Hayes (New York). The Crusaders have another tough game this week against Christ the King.

24. St. Rose (Belmar, N.J.) (18-1)

Previous rank: Unranked; Up next: Jan. 29 at Neptune (NJ)

St. Rose makes its well-earned debut in the national rankings at No. 24. Led by Villanova signee Matthew Hodge, the Purple Roses defeated No. 23 Archbishop Stepinac earlier this year, and their only loss came to No. 15 The Patrick School.

25. Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) (24-2)

Previous rank: 18; Up next: Jan. 31 vs. TBD (Mission League tournament semifinals)

Notre Dame blew a 17 point lead in the fourth quarter at No. 18 Sierra Canyon and followed it up with a loss to unranked Bishop Gorman (Nevada) the next day, but the Knights accomplished enough during the regular season to stay in the top 25 for now. Mercy Miller and company earned the No. 2 seed for this week’s Mission League tournament featuring Sierra Canyon and bubble team Harvard-Westlake.