The National Prep Basketball Poll is compiled by national high school sports experts Jamie DeMoney and Jeremy Plowman and a panel of sportswriters. The preseason national Top 25 and regional Top 10's follow with last season's won-loss records:
#1. Jersey City, N.J., St. Anthony (30-0), coach Bob Hurley has 826 wins
#2. Mouth of Wilson, Va., Oak Hill (38-0), defending National Prep Poll champ
#3. Indianapolis, Lawrence North (29-2) led by nation's top junior, 7-1 Greg Oden
#4. Los Angeles, Westchester (20-5)-x, features 6-10 Louisville commit Amir Johnson
#5. Snellville, Ga., South Gwinnett (31-2), reigning AAAAA state champ
#6. Flossmoor, Ill., Homewood-Flossmoor (31-3) Kansas recruit Julian Wright can play all 5 positions
#7. Milwaukee, Vincent (23-3), got key transfer in 6-8 Elliott Johnson
#8. Rockville, Md., Montrose Christian (25-4), all international backcourt
#9. West Orange, N.J., Seton Hall Prep (26-3), F Brandon Costner headed to N.C. State
#10. Dallas, South Oak Cliff (22-8), 6-9 Darrell Arthur rated top junior in Texas
#11. Jacksonville, Fla., Raines (30-2), defending 4A state champ
#12. Memphis, Tenn., White Station (39-2), three straight AAA state titles
#13. Mount Vernon, N.Y. (27-3), Chicago Bulls rookie Ben Gordon an alum
#14. New Orleans, Brother Martin (30-8), defending 5A champ returns all 5 starters
#15. Hyattsville, Md., DeMatha (19-11), eight potential Division I players on roster
#16. Bronx, N.Y., St Raymond's (23-8), must replace four Division I players
#17. Los Angeles, Fairfax (27-5), looks to 6-7 Duke commit Jamal Boykin
#18. Oklahoma City, Putnam City (24-4), gets dynamic play from guard C.J. Henry
#19. Poplar Bluff, Mo. (25-6), features 6-9 North Carolina recruit Tyler Hansbrough
#20. Glendale, Ariz., Deer Valley (25-5), four Division I prospects in lineup
#21. Fort Washington, Pa., Germantown Academy (24-8), G Ryan Ayers is Notre Dame-bound
#22. Cincinnati, North College Hill (21-1), guard O.J. Mayo is nation's top soph
#23. Las Vegas, Bishop Gorman (21-7), three state titles since 1997
#24. Seattle, O'Dea (24-5), defending 3-A state titlist
#25. Marion, Iowa, Linn-Mar (24-3), led by standout junior G Jason Bohannon
x-Includes four forfeit losses and one forfeit win
NORTHEAST
#1. Jersey City, N.J., St. Anthony, 30-0
#2. West Orange, N.J., Seton Hall Prep, 26-3
#3. Mount Vernon, N.Y., 27-3
#4. Bronx, N.Y., St. Raymond's, 23-8
#5. Fort Washington, Pa., Germantown Academy, 24-8
#6. Chester, Pa., 27-7
#7. Merion, Pa., Episcopal, 22-6
#8. Middle Village, N.Y., Christ the King, 17-7
#9. Elizabeth, N.J., St. Patrick's, 15-11
#10. Waterbury, Conn., Crosby, 26-1
EAST COAST
#1. Mouth of Wilson, Va., Oak Hill, 38-0
#2. Rockville, Md., Montrose Christian, 25-4
#3. Hyattsville, Md., DeMatha, 19-9
#4. Greensboro, N.C., Dudley, 26-8
#5. Baltimore, Mt. St. Joseph, 29-6
#6. Hopkins, S.C., Lower Richland, 26-3
#7. Washington, St. Johns, 19-9
#8. Winston-Salem, N.C., Reynolds, 25-4
#9. Washington, Gonzaga, 19-8
#10. Newport News, Va., Woodside, 29-3
SOUTHEAST
#1. Snellville, Ga., South Gwinnett, 31-2
#2. Jacksonville, Fla., Raines, 30-2
#3. Memphis, Tenn., White Station, 39-2
#4. New Orleans, Brother Martin, 30-8
#5. Louisville, Ky., Pleasure Ridge Park, 26-7
#6. Dunwoody, Ga., 29-1
#7. Memphis, Tenn., Fairley, 29-8
#8. Montverde, Fla., Montverde Academy, 23-2
#9. Jackson, Miss., Lanier, 30-5
#10. Brentwood, Tenn., Brentwood Academy, 27-7
MIDWEST
#1. Indianapolis, Lawrence North, 29-2
#2. Flossmoor, Ill., Homewood-Flossmoor, 31-3
#3. Milwaukee, Vincent, 23-3
#4. Cincinnati, North College Hill, 21-1
#5. Country Club Hills, Ill., Hillcrest, 25-4
#6. Milwaukee, Rufus King, 23-3
#7. Harvey, Ill., Thornton, 22-9
#8. Detroit, Murray-Wright, 15-3
#9. Northbrook, Ill., Glenbrook North, 25-4
#10. Madison, Wis., Memorial, 25-1
MIDLANDS
#1. Poplar Bluff, Mo., 25-6
#2. Marion, Iowa, Linn-Mar, 24-3
#3. Richfield, Minn., 21-5
#4. St. Louis, Vashon, 31-0
#5. Webster Groves, Mo., 24-5
#6. Minneapolis, Henry, 21-8
#7. Highlands Ranch, Colo., ThunderRidge, 22-2
#8. Braham, Minn., 31-2
#9. Denver, East, 24-0
#10. Provo, Utah, Timpview, 17-6
SOUTHWEST
#1. Dallas, South Oak Cliff, 22-8
#2. Oklahoma City, Putnam City, 24-4
#3. Glendale, Ariz., Deer Valley, 25-5
#4. Las Vegas, Bishop Gorman, 21-7
#5. Dallas, Lincoln, 32-6
#6. DeSoto, Texas, 24-6
#7. Oklahoma City, Southeast, 26-1
#8. Beaumont, Texas, Ozen, 27-7
#9. Dallas, Carter, 25-11
#10. Cedar Hill, Texas, 35-2
WEST COAST
#1. Los Angeles, Westchester, 20-5-x
#2. Los Angeles, Fairfax, 27-5
#3. Seattle, O'Dea, 24-5
#4. Compton, Calif., Dominguez, 31-5-xx
#5. Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., Etiwanda, 31-3
#6. Santa Ana, Calif., Mater Dei, 24-5
#7. Seattle, Rainier Beach, 26-3
#8. Portland, Ore., Jesuit, 27-3
#9. Seattle, Seattle Prep, 19-6
10. Concord, Calif., De La Salle, 30-3
x- Includes four forfeit losses and one forfeit win
xx-Includes one forfeit loss
FEATS OF THE WEEK: Jersey City, N.J., St. Anthony will start the season ranked No. 1 in the National Prep Poll for the third time since 1988. Each year, the Friars also went on to finish the season No. 1. Coach Bob Hurley has 826 wins (91 losses) and two Prep Poll titles in his 33 years at the school. He welcomes back three starters from a 2003-04 team that went 30-0 and won the state Tournament of Champions a record ninth time. Six-foot-one, Arkansas-bound shooting guard Sean McCurdy and 5-8, third-year starting point guard Derrick Mercer form a quick backcourt that smothers opponents with relentless defense. Ahmad Nivins, a 6-9 senior who is headed to Saint Joseph's, will patrol the inside along with blue-collar senior Barney Anderson (6-5), last year's Tournament of Champions MVP. St. Anthony will face a tough in-state and a national schedule that will include meetings with No. 15 Hyattsville, Md., DeMatha, No. 16 Bronx, N.Y., St. Raymond's and regionally ranked Dallas, Lincol.
Here are the previous preseason No. 1 teams with their final records and rankings for that season: 1987--Bronx, N.Y., Tolentine (30-1) 1st; 1988--Jersey City, N.J., St. Anthony (32-0) 1st; 1989--Chicago, King (30-0) 1st; 1990--Philadelphia, Simon Gratz (27-1) 1st; 1991--Baltimore, Dunbar (29-0) 1st; 1992--Mouth of Wilson, Va., Oak Hill (30-0) 1st; 1993--Los Angeles, Crenshaw (29-2) 2nd; 1994--Frederick, Md., St. John's at Prospect Hall (22-1) 2nd; 1995--Jersey City, N.J. St. Anthony (31-0) 1st; 1996--Miami, Senior (36-1) 2nd; 1997--Frederick, Md., St. John's at Prospect Hall (25-0) 1st; 1998--Hyattsville, Md., DeMatha (28-4) 8th; 1999--Mouth of Wilson, Va., Oak Hill (30-2) 2nd; 2000--Mouth of Wilson, Va., Oak Hill (33-0) 1st; 2001--Los Angeles, Westchester (32-2) 5th; 2002--Santa Ana, Calif. Mater Dei (25-2) 2nd; 2003--Orlando, Fla., Edgewater (30-2) 4th.
Copyright 2004 World Features Syndicate, Inc.
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