National Prep Basketball Poll – Week 4

Led by Arlington Country Day and Palm Beach Lakes, the state of Florida has put its best foot forward among the best boys basketball teams in the nation.

The National Prep Basketball Poll is compiled by national high school sports experts Jamie DeMoney and Jeremy Plowman and a panel of sportswriters. The national Top 25 and regional Top 10's follow with won-loss records:

#1. Jersey City, N.J., St. Anthony (1-0), standout G Sean McCurdy out with broken foot

#2. Rockville, Md., Montrose Christian (6-0), could meet No. 4 Oak Hill in upcoming tournament

#3. Jacksonville, Fla., Arlington Country Day (6-0), wins over teams from four states

#4. Mouth of Wilson, Va., Oak Hill (9-1), five-time Prep Poll champion

#5. Milwaukee, Vincent (4-0), New York Nets G Rodney Buford an alum

#6. Country Club Hills, Ill., Hillcrest (9-0), gave No. 8 Homewood-Flossmoor its only loss

#7. West Orange, N.J., Seton Hall Prep (2-0), starting guards are committed to Yale and Harvard

#8. Flossmoor, Ill., Homewood-Flossmoor (9-1), led by Kansas recruit F Julian Wright

#9. Indianapolis, Lawrence North (6-1), suffered first loss since February

#10. Mount Vernon, N.Y. (3-0), led by super soph G Michael Coburn

#11. Hyattsville, Md., DeMatha (6-0), has produced 14 NBA players

#12. New Orleans, Brother Martin (15-0), leads field at upcoming Beach Ball Classic in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

#13. Oklahoma City, Putnam City (8-0), paced by standout guard C.J. Henry

#14. Seattle, Seattle Prep (6-0), has beaten three regionally ranked teams

#15. Los Angeles, Fairfax (5-0), prep home of former VP candidate Jack Kemp

#16. Los Angeles, Westchester (3-1), seven CIF titles since 1991

#17. West Palm Beach, Fla., Palm Beach Lakes (7-0), beat then-No. 4 South Gwinnett

#18. Snellville, Ga., South Gwinnett (4-1), first loss since Dec. 2003

#19. Cincinnati, North College Hill (6-0), boats two of nation's Top 25 sophs

#20. Poplar Bluff, Mo. (6-2), defending Class 5 state champ

#21. Harvey, Ill., Thornton (10-0), upended state-ranked Glenbrook North

#22. Humble, Texas, Kingwood (18-0), propelled by Arizona-bound PG Nic Wise

#23. Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., Etiwanda (8-0), got win over regionally ranked Chester, Pa.

#24. Manhasset, N.Y., St. Mary's (2-0), led by North Carolina bound G Danny Green

#25. Marion, Iowa, Linn-Mar (5-0), G Jason Bohannon among nation's top juniors

NORTHEAST
#1. Jersey City, N.J., St. Anthony, 1-0
#2. West Orange, N.J., Seton Hall Prep, 2-0
#3. Mount Vernon, N.Y., 3-0
#4. Manhasset, N.Y., St. Mary's, 2-0
#5. Chester, Pa., 3-1
#6. Elizabeth, N.J., St. Patrick's, 1-0
#7. Niagara Falls, N.Y., 5-0
#8. Merion, Pa., Episcopal, 4-0
#9. Paterson, N.J., Catholic, 2-0
#10. Brooklyn, N.Y., Xaverian, 2-0

EAST COAST
#1. Rockville, Md., Montrose Christian, 6-0
#2. Mouth of Wilson, Va., Oak Hill, 9-1
#3. Hyattsville, Md., DeMatha, 6-0
#4. Greensboro, N.C., Dudley, 7-0
#5. Upper Marlboro, Md., Riverdale Baptist, 11-0
#6. Arlington, Va., O'Connell, 5-0
#7. Severn, Md., Spalding. 9-1
#8. Baltimore, Mount St. Joseph, 7-1
#9. Dumfries, Va., Potomac, 4-0
#10. Hopkins, S.C., Lower Richland, 5-1

SOUTHEAST
#1. Jacksonville, Fla., Arlington Country Day, 6-0
#2. New Orleans, Brother Martin, 15-0
#3. West Palm Beach, Fla., Palm Beach Lakes, 7-0
#4. Snellville, Ga., South Gwinnett, 4-1
#5. Memphis, Tenn., White Station, 7-1
#6. Georgetown, Ky., Scott County, 6-0
#7. Memphis, Tenn., Raleigh-Egypt, 8-0
#8. Jackson, Miss., Lanier, 10-2
#9. Dunwoody, Ga., 6-1
#10. Mobile, Ala., LeFlore, 15-0

MIDWEST
#1. Milwaukee, Vincent, 4-0
#2. Country Club Hills, Ill., Hillcrest, 9-0
#3. Flossmoor, Ill., Homewood-Flossmoor, 9-1
#4. Indianapolis, Lawrence North, 6-1
#5. Cincinnati, North College Hill, 6-0
#6. Harvey, Ill., Thornton, 10-0
#7. Milwaukee, Rufus King, 3-0
#8. Detroit, King, 3-0
#9. Indianapolis, Arlington, 6-0
#10. Madison, Wis., Memorial, 6-0

MIDLANDS
#1. Poplar Bluff, Mo., 6-2
#2. Marion, Iowa, Linn-Mar, 5-0
#3. Bellevue, Neb., West, 6-0
#4. Braham, Minn., 6-0
#5. Minneapolis, Henry, 4-0
#6. St. Louis, Vashon, 9-0
#7. Webster Groves, Mo., 6-1
#8. Provo, Utah, Timpview, 5-0
#9. St. Charles, Mo., Howell Central, 9-0
#10. Littleton, Colo., Heritage, 8-1

SOUTHWEST
#1. Oklahoma City, Putnam City, 8-0
#2. Humble, Texas, Kingwood, 18-0
#3. Beaumont, Texas, Ozen, 13-0
#4. Dallas, Carter, 14-1
#5. Dallas, Lincoln, 8-2
#6. Cedar Hill, Texas, 12-1
#7. Houston, Bellaire, 14-2
#8. Dallas, Seagoville, 12-0
#9. Las Vegas, Bishop Gorman, 8-1
#10. Mesa, Ariz., 10-0

WEST COAST
#1. Seattle, Seattle Prep, 6-0
#2. Los Angeles, Fairfax, 5-0
#3. Los Angeles, Westchester, 3-1
#4. Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., Etiwanda, 8-0
#5. Santa Ana, Calif., Mater Dei, 7-1
#6. Portland, Ore., Jesuit, 4-0
#7. Portland, Ore., Jefferson, 3-0
#8. Compton, Calif., Dominguez, 4-1
#9. Seattle, O'Dea, 6-2
#10. Concord, Calif., De La Salle, 4-0

FEATS OF THE WEEK: A three-week stretch of key holiday events got underway with high-profile matchups in Florida, Illinois, and California. At the City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers, Fla., former Top 10 teams No. 18 Snellville, Ga., South Gwinnett and Jacksonville, Fla., Raines were upset in the first round. South Gwinnett fell to No. 17 West Palm Beach, Fla., Palm Beach Lakes, 82-73. Raines was defeated by regionally ranked Niagara Falls, N.Y., 82-73, and then by regionally ranked Santa Ana, Calif., Mater Dei, 79-70. Three Top 25 teams remain in the winners bracket as play resumed on Monday.

The top four teams in the Chicago metro area matched up at the Hillcrest Shootout in Country Club Hills. Host No. 6 Hillcrest got 22 points and nine assists from Jerel McNeal to beat No. 8 Homewood-Flossmoor, 68-62.

Harvey, Ill., Thornton entered the national poll at No. 21 after handing then-regionally ranked Northbrook, Glenbrook North its first loss, 59-47.

At the Los Angeles City Classic, Rancho Cucamonga, Etiwanda moved up to No. 23 after defeating regionally ranked Chester, Pa., 58-56.

Copyright 2004 World Features Syndicate, Inc.