Mater Dei of Santa Ana wins a historic fourth major division title in a row in California to clinch a top three spot in next week’s final Student Sports FAB 50 National Rankings. Arsenal Tech of Indianapolis wins a state crown as the Hoosier State and California are the last two states to crown its champions. The only games left involve the eight teams competing at the Dick’s Sporting Goods National High School Tournament in New York, which begins a day after the McDonald’s All-American Game April 2 (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).
By Ronnie Flores & Mark Tennis
Contributing: Doug Huff
Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) had a lot riding on Saturday night’s CIF Open Division state title game against Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland, Calif.) at Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, Calif. The Monarchs were trying to tie a CIF state record by winning a fourth straight state title, become the first to do it in California’s highest classification and finish with the best single-season undefeated record in state history.
For Mr. Basketball USA candidate Stanley Johnson, who was attempting to become just the second player overall and first in the CIF’s top division to be a key contributor on four straight state title-winning teams, there was a lot riding on the outcome from a team and individual standpoint. He simply refused to let Mater Dei lose, scoring a game-high 25 points with eight assists to lead Mater Dei to a 71-61 victory.
“Trusting and building relationships with my teammates starts in the summer,” Johnson said. “Our season starts in the summer. Instead of playing 35 games with my teammates, I’m playing like 60. The more you can play with your team, the better you can play as a team.”
Johnson finished his prep career with four CIF state titles and Mater Dei tied the consecutive state titles record set in 2003 by Price of Los Angeles, which won all of those in Division V. This was Mater Dei’s first unbeaten team to win a state title and its 35-0 mark is the best ever in California. Mater Dei coach Gary McKnight won his 11th CIF state crown, three more than any other boys coach in state history.
Mater Dei, ranked No. 3 in the FAB 50, will finish No. 1 in at least one credible national poll. The nation’s consensus No. 1 team and No. 1 team in the final FAB 50 probably will be decided at the Dick’s Sporting Goods National High School Tournament in New York if either No. 1 Montverde Academy or No. 2 Rainier Beach win the eight-team tournament. Mater Dei could not be invited to that event due to CIF guidelines, but McKnight said on Saturday night if his team could play, it would. If neither of those teams win it, then the Monarchs would be the consensus No. 1.
In California’s Division I state title game on Friday night, Monte Vista (Danville, Calif.) made 8-of-9 3-pointers in the first half and outscored previous No. 43 Centennial (Corona, Calif.) 16-6 in the third period en route to its 66-55 victory. With its win, the Mustangs moved up nine spots in this week’s FAB 50 and recorded one of the best seasons by a Northern California team in recent memory.
Senior Trevor John made 6-of-9 3-pointers and finished with a game-high 23 points for Monte Vista, which lost its only game in overtime to a San Ramon Valley (Danville, Calif.) team it later beat twice. Senior guard Grant Jackson was the team’s other double-digit scorer with 12 points.
For more on the California state championships, please visit CalHiSports.com.
Hoosier Hysteria
Indiana has a love affair with its high school hoops unlike any other state in the country and Arsenal Tech of Indianapolis will finish as its highest ranked team after winning the Class 4A state title on Saturday night. Arsenal Tech recorded a 63-59 victory over Lake Central (St. John, Ind.) as Kentucky recruit and McDonald’s All-American Trey Lyles had 16 points and 12 rebounds. It is the school’s first-ever state title. Arsenal Tech, which opened in 1915, is the first Indianapolis public school to win a state crown since Broad Ripple in 1980.
In Indiana’s Class 3A, Greensburg (28-1) won its second straight crown by topping Bowman Academy (Gary, Ind.) 89-76. In Class 2A, Xavier-bound Trevon Bluiett poured in 38 points to lead Park Tudor of Indianapolis past Westview (Topeka, Ind.), 89-57.
Updated Student Sports FAB 50
Boys Basketball National Team Rankings
(14th poll of the 2013-14 regular season; Through games played on Sunday, March 30; Previous ranking in parentheses; *Indicates season complete; **Indicates forfeit wins, forfeit losses not included; ***Indicates season complete plus forfeits not included)
[contentblock id=fab-50-2013-14]
| No. | Prev. | High School | City | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Montverde Academy | (Montverde, Fla.) | 24-1** |
| 2 | 2 | Rainier Beach | (Seattle) | 29-0 |
| 3 | 3 | Mater Dei | (Santa Ana, Calif.) | 34-0 |
| 4 | 4 | Northside Christian Academy | (Charlotte, N.C.) | 28-1 |
| 5 | 5 | Whitney Young | (Chicago) | 27-6** |
| 6 | 6 | Oak Hill Academy | (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) | 39-3 |
| 7 | 7 | Sagemont | (Weston, Fla.) | 33-0 |
| 8 | 8 | Arsenal Tech | (Indianapolis, Ind.) | 27-2* |
| 9 | 9 | Muskegon | (Muskegon, Mich.) | 28-0* |
| 10 | 10 | Greater Atlanta Christian | (Norcross, Ga.) | 32-0* |
| 11 | 11 | La Lumiere | (La Porte, Ind.) | 23-2 |
| 12 | 12 | Paul VI | (Fairfax, Va.) | 31-6* |
| 13 | 14 | Bishop Gorman | (Las Vegas) | 28-4*** |
| 14 | 15 | Findlay Prep | (Henderson, Nev.) | 30-4 |
| 15 | 16 | Providence | (Jacksonville, Fla.) | 28-5*** |
| 16 | 17 | Stevenson | (Lincolnshire, Ill.) | 32-2* |
| 17 | 18 | Corona del Sol | (Tempe, Ariz.) | 33-1* |
| 18 | 19 | City College | (Baltimore, Md.) | 27-0* |
| 19 | 20 | North Shore | (Galena, Texas) | 35-3* |
| 20 | 21 | St. Joseph | (Metuchen, N.J.) | 30-2* |
| 21 | 22 | Callaway | (Jackson, Miss.) | 31-1* |
| 22 | 23 | Orlando Christian Prep | (Orlando, Fla.) | 30-1* |
| 23 | 24 | Jefferson | (Portland, Ore.) | 26-1* |
| 24 | 25 | East Side | (Newark, N.J.) | 30-2* |
| 25 | 26 | Neumann-Goretti | (Philadelphia) | 27-4* |
| 26 | 27 | Curie | (Chicago) | 24-2*** |
| 27 | 28 | Judson | (Converse, Texas) | 37-2* |
| 28 | 29 | Arlington Country Day | (Jacksonvilla, Fla.) | 30-5*** |
| 29 | 31 | Etiwanda | (Etiwanda, Calif.) | 27-5* |
| 30 | 30 | Blue Valley Northwest | (Overland Park, Kan.) | 24-2* |
| 31 | 32 | New Castle | (New Castle, Pa.) | 31-0* |
| 32 | 36 | West Linn | (West Linn, Ore.) | 24-4* |
| 33 | 34 | Sunrise Christian Academy | (Bel Aire, Kan.) | 14-5* |
| 34 | 35 | Prime Prep Academy | (Ft. Worth, Texas) | 21-6* |
| 35 | 40 | Garfield | (Seattle) | 27-1* |
| 36 | 13 | Bishop O'Dowd | (Oakland, Calif.) | 28-5* |
| 37 | 37 | Blackman | (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) | 28-6* |
| 38 | 38 | White Station | (Memphis, Tenn.) | 30-3* |
| 39 | 39 | De Soto | (De Soto, Texas) | 31-4* |
| 40 | 33 | Lone Peak | (Highland, Utah) | 23-3* |
| 41 | 50 | Monte Vista | (Danville, Calif.) | 32-1* |
| 42 | 41 | Lakeville North | (Lakeville, Minn.) | 27-5* |
| 43 | 42 | Apple Valley | (Apple Valley, Minn.) | 27-2* |
| 44 | 44 | Tift County | (Tifton, Ga.) | 29-3* |
| 45 | 45 | Christ the King | (Middle Village, N.Y.) | 25-6* |
| 46 | 46 | McComb | (McComb, Miss.) | 32-1* |
| 47 | 47 | Denver East | (Denver, Colo.) | 24-4* |
| 48 | 48 | Chino Hills | (Chino Hills, Calif.) | 29-6* |
| 49 | 49 | Germantown | (Germantown, Wis.) | 26-2* |
| 50 | NR | Union | (Tulsa, Okla.) | 27-2* |
(*Indicates season complete; **Indicates forfeit wins, forfeit losses not included; ***Indicates season complete plus forfeits not included)
Dropped Out: Previous No. 43 Centennial (Corona, Calif.).
Bubble Teams: Allentown Central Catholic (Allentown, Pa.) 29-1*; Benet Academy (Lisle, Ill.) 25-8*; Bowman Academy (Gary, Ind.) 22-4; Cape Henry Collegiate (Virginia Beach, Va.) 26-1*; Capital Christian (Sacramento, Calif.) 28-4*; Cardinal Hayes (Bronx, N.Y.) 26-2*; Cardozo (Bayside, N.Y.) 30-3*; Christian Brothers (St. Louis, Mo.) 24-7*; Covington Catholic (Park Hills, Ky.) 32-2*; DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) 29-6*; De La Salle (Minneapolis, Minn.) 26-3*; Greensboro Day (Greensboro, N.C.) 29-5*; Hamilton (Memphis, Tenn.) 22-7*; J.W. North (Riverside, Calif.) 26-2***; Jonesboro (Jonesboro, Ark.) 30-3*; La Salle College (Wyndmoor, Pa.) 23-7*; Lincoln (Brooklyn, N.Y.) 26-4*; Linden (Linden, N.J.) 27-5*; Moeller (Cincinnati, Ohio) 24-2*; Morgan Park (Chicago, Ill.) 24-6*; Natchidoches Central (Natchidoches, La.) 29-2*; North Little Rock (North Little Rock, Ark.) 26-2*; O’Connell (Arlington, Va.) 20-12*; Parkview (Little Rock, Ark.) 29-2*; Potomac (Dumfries, Va.) 28-1*; Redondo Union (Redondo Beach, Calif.) 25-6*; Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) 21-10*; Scott County (Georgetown, Ky.) 35-4*; Simeon (Chicago, Ill.) 21-7***; St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) 26-2*; Trotwood-Madison (Trotwood, Ohio) 25-3*; Upper Arlington (Upper Arlington, Ohio) 27-2*; Wando (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) 25-4*; Wesleyan Christian Academy (High Point, N.C.) 24-9*; Westchester (Los Angeles, Calif.) 30-7*; Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) 29-6*; Wise (Upper Marlboro, Md.) 24-2*.
Ronnie Flores is the Publisher and Editor of GrassrootsHoops.net. He can be reached at ronlocc1977@yahoo.com. Don’t forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores
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