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For the second straight year, Montverde Academy (Fla.) was involved in a epic NHSI title game that featured a double-digit lead and crazy late-game heroics. The Eagles were on the losing end in 2011. But Kasey Hill made sure they wouldn't walk away empty-handed this time around.

Hill spurred a furious late-game comeback, culminating with a drive-and-kick dish to Jalyn Patterson for the game-winning shot with less than a second to play.

Montverde, which was ranked No. 2 in our preseason poll, never dipped below its initial ranking and held the top spot for five weeks before being upset at the buzzer in consecutive games in mid-January.

St. Benedict's, the NHSI runner-up, takes over No. 2 in the poll thanks in large part to the play of Syracuse-bound PG Tyler Ennis and a win over then No. 1 Findlay Prep. Findlay put its perfect season on the line at NHSI, but came up short in the semifinals. The Pilots overall body of work was impressive, though, and they were one of two teams to beat Montverde, earning them the third spot. Lone Peak was in the mix for the top overall spot but winds up at No. 4 -- tops among public school squads.

Four-time Illinois state champ Simeon rounds out the top 5, while fellow Chicago club Whitney Young went 8-3 against ranked teams to grab a top-10 spot despite not winning a state title. Back in the final poll after an extended hiatus is four-time Nebraska champ Omaha Central.

Did we get the final rankings right? Tweet us using #ESPN25hoops and let us know which teams we missed on.

Note: This poll is compiled weekly by the RecruitingNation staff. Every high school team is eligible to be ranked as long as its roster does not include any fifth-year seniors.

Check out the rankings here.

CHICAGO -- Jabari Parker threw down a baseline dunk. He dished out a few assists. He grabbed a few rebounds. He made a few steals and blocked a few shots.

On the court Wednesday, Parker was being Parker as he displayed his all-around game and showed why he’s been considered one of the premier high school players in the country for much of his career.

But when Parker and most people think back of his McDonald’s All American Game experience, what they’ll remember isn’t Parker’s West team winning 110-99 or anything he did during the actual game. It’ll be the memory of his introduction before the game at the United Center.

With the lights out and the spotlight on and after every other player already on the floor, Parker was announced as being from Simeon Career Academy and Chicago. The welcoming decibels were well beyond those of anyone before him.

It was the perfect reception for the hometown Duke commit Parker, a four-time state champion and two-time Mr. Basketball who is No. 2 in the ESPN 100 ranking index.

“It was like homecoming,” Parker explained after the game. “It’s just a homecoming day for me, see everybody out there. You know we can celebrate. I know I represent all the high school players, so that’s all I wanted to do. Be there and represent the city of Chicago on the way.”

Whitney Young High School junior center and fellow Chicagoan Jahlil Okafor, the nation’s No. 1 junior, was just as moved by the fans’ love for Parker.

“Seeing the crowd embrace him as they did, he deserves it more than anybody,” Okafor said. “Seeing everybody cheer that loud, I was really happy and just put like chills down my body. It’s something I can work hard for and maybe I can experience that next year.”

It was nearly the same feeling for Ronnie Fields, a former McDonald’s All American from Chicago, who was attending his first McDonald’s game in nearly 20 years.

“I was so happy,” said Fields, who was a McDonald’s All American in 1996. “I was waiting for him to come out.”

“To see the city continue to breed these guys out, it just made me proud,” he said. “You go down the list. We got Jabari. We got Derrick Rose. We got Okafor coming. That goes back to Isiah Thomas. The list goes on and on.”

Parker was thought to be playing his final game in Chicago for the foreseeable future, but he hinted at another game, possibly meaning a Duke game in Chicago next season. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski did bring Jon Scheyer back to play before his hometown Chicago crowd, and that also could be the case for Parker, who is expected to spend just one season in college before bolting for the NBA.

Whether or not Parker will be back in Chicago next year, he left a bit of everything on the floor Wednesday. He had 10 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals, two blocks; didn’t allow anything easy to No. 1-ranked Andrew Wiggins (uncommitted; from Canada by way Huntington Prep in West Virginia); and came out on the victorious side, just as he did throughout his career.
All in all, Parker realized his hometown experience was unique at this game.

“I know I’ve been spoiled a little bit more being in Chicago and playing at the United Center,” Parker said. “This was a great experience.”

In an all-star showcase, which team wins the game is often secondary. But which players win their individual matchups -- now that's another story. So to get you prepped for the McDonald's All American Game (Wednesday, 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU and WatchESPN), we've ranked the top five matchups to watch during the contest.

With bragging rights and sometimes rankings on the line, you can bet these high-level one-on-one battles will be intense and will provide must-see TV. Here's what you need to know.

Read the entire story.

Two ranked teams took home championship trophies, while two others came up short in their title pursuit as the remaining state champs were crowned across the nation this past weekend.

No. 8 Mater Dei captured the program's 10th title Saturday, beating San Jose Archbishop Mitty 50-45 behind a huge individual game from junior Stanley Johnson. Over in Indiana, Carmel beat Cathedral for the second time this year to grab its second straight Class 4A crown.

Then-No. 17 Pershing wasn't so fortunate in the Michigan playoffs, falling to Romulus and having its perfect season snapped. Romulus took Pershing's place in the rankings after winning the Class A tournament. Chester was upset by Lower Merion but remains in the top 25 based on total body of work.

Now that state champs around the country have been crowned, the last remaining games will come at the National High School Invitational April 4-6. Top-ranked Findlay Prep goes in as the favorites, but the Pilots will be severely tested by a loaded field that includes five top-10 squads.

Our final rankings will be revealed on April 9.

Tweet us your top five teams using #ESPN25hoops.

Note: This poll is compiled weekly by the RecruitingNation staff. Every high school team is eligible to be ranked as long as its roster does not include any fifth-year seniors.

Check out the rankings here.

Simeon senior forward Jabari Parker was announced as the first two-time Illinois Mr. Basketball winner on Monday.

Parker, a Duke recruit, won the award, which is voted on by statewide media and schools, with 315 points and 43 first-place votes, the Chicago Tribune announced on Monday. Parker was the first non-senior to win the award last season.

“It means a lot,” Parker said on Monday. “I worked extremely hard to get back (from my foot injury) and help my team the best I could. I don’t care about the individual awards, but it’s a reflection on my team. Having somebody from Simeon win it again means a lot.”

(Read full post)

CHICAGO -- Simeon Career Academy senior forward and Duke recruit Jabari Parker was named the Morgan Wootten Male Player of the Year during a news conference Monday at the Ronald McDonald House.

Read the entire story.

St. Anthony and Lake Oswego's lengthy tenure in the rankings came to an end after playoff losses, while Iowa City West and Germantown completed back-to-back undefeated seasons on the hardwood to move into the top 15. Also, Chicago Whitney Young falls to No. 10.

Check out the rankings here.

Now that No. 2 senior prospect Jabari Parker is back to full health, has his college decision behind him and is chasing a fourth consecutive state title, Paul Biancardi re-examines what makes Parker such a unique and talented player as his high school career winds to a close and why he’ll be able to make an immediate impact at Duke next year.

Read the entire story here.

Whitney Young is back on top of Chicago hoops after capturing the Public School tourney crown. The title moved the Dolphins past city rival Simeon and on the edge of cracking the top 5. Plus, preseason top-10 squads Chester and Oak Hill Academy are creeping back into the top 20.

See the rankings here.

Watch Simeon take on Morgan Park in a Public League semifinal at 5 p.m. CT Wednesday at Chicago State followed by Orr vs. Whitney Young at 7 p.m. Click here to watch the games live.

There’s no arguing the quality of this year’s Jordan Brand Classic rosters, which were announced on Tuesday. The game is stocked with 22 players, and that means some of the fat has been trimmed off the event.

Read the entire story here.

Morgan Park High School senior guard Billy Garrett Jr., a DePaul recruit, will have his No. 5 jersey retired by the school prior to Thursday's Chicago Public League playoff game against Lane Tech.

Garrett Jr., a 6-foot-4 point guard, owns the school-record for career points with 2,063. He's averaging 22.5 points, six rebounds and six assists for the Mustangs this season.

"Billy has been with me four years strong," said Morgan Park coach Nick Irvin, who had his number at Carver High School in Chicago in 1997. "I just want to show my appreciation and say a job well done and I'm proud of you.
"He's meant a lot to this program. He was the one who helped jumpstart this program along with (now Louisville guard) Wayne Blackshear. He's helped our program tremendously. Without him, my career wouldn't be as good."

(Read full post)

For the second straight week, an in-state battle between top-15 squads served as the marquee matchup in high school hoops.

Following last week's battle of the Chi, St. Benedict's Prep and St. Anthony squared off in a clash of New Jersey Titans Friday night. Prep was able to wrestle away a 47-38 victory, which gave the Gray Bees state bragging rights and snapped the nation's longest active winning streak.

The win, combined with Whitney Young's upset loss to Orr, propels St. Benedict's into the top five for the first time this winter. With back-to-back losses, WY falls to No. 8 behind a pair of red-hot teams in Huntington Prep (six straight wins) and Simeon (10 in a row). La Lumiere gains a spot to move to No. 9 and Long Beach Poly returns to the top 10 on the strength of a five-game winning streak.

WCAC leader Gonzaga reaches its highest point of the season at No. 14 while preseason top-10 team Oak Hill Academy falls to its lowest spot at No. 15. As we get closer to the end of the season, our voters are placing more of an emphasis on strength of schedule rather than overall record, leading to teams like Iowa City and Midwest City experiencing slight drops despite their unblemished records.

Tweet us your top five teams using #ESPN25hoops.

Note: This poll is compiled weekly by the RecruitingNation staff. Every high school team is eligible to be ranked as long as its roster does not include any fifth-year seniors.

Click here for the rankings.

CHICAGO -- Chicago Simeon Career Academy forward Jabari Parker, the nation's No. 2 senior and a Duke recruit, has accomplished what few before him have in their high school careers. The latest came during Simeon's final home game of the season on Jan. 25 when the school retired Parker's No. 22 jersey and guard Kendrick Nunn's No. 20 while both players are still active.

Parker and Nunn, who is ranked No. 59 in the nation and is an Illinois recruit, have played for Simeon's varsity team all four years and have led the Wolverines to three consecutive state championships and one Chicago Public League title. They also won gold medals while playing together for Team USA in 2011 and 2012.

Parker and Nunn each were given their Simeon jersey in a glass case prior to their final home game. They joined Derrick Rose, Bobby Simmons and Ben Wilson as the lone players to have their number retired at Simeon.

"We thought about it last year and their legacies -- the possibility of having a fourth state title, both playing for USA, Jabari being national player of the year, maybe being player of the year again, Kendrick committing to Illinois," Simeon coach Robert Smith said on Friday. "Derrick brought Simeon back up, and they kept it up. It's solely on their backs.

"It was something where we thought about bringing them back after they've gone to college, but I just thought it was fitting for the careers. They've left that mark to do it right away."

It's the latest honor for Parker. As a junior, he was named the ESPNChicago.com Player of the Year, Illinois' Mr. Basketball and the national Gatorade Player of the Year. He was also the 2011 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year.

"He's shocked; he's happy they honored him," Parker's father Sonny Parker said on Friday. "He's been through a whole lot being the first freshman to start on varsity. He's had a really good career the last three years. It was a great moment for him to be recognized as one of the great players that came from Simeon and played there."

Nunn has been Parker's wingman the past three seasons and emerged as the team's leader and go-to man when Parker was injured earlier this season.

"In our eyes, we think he's a top Top-15 kid in the country, especially when he's playing well," Smith said of Nunn. "He knew Jabari was banged up, and Kendrick was banged up too, but he decided to go out there and play through it until Jabari came back. He hasn't made any excuses and just played."

Simeon is 18-2 this season and ranked No. 9 in the ESPN 25 Power Rankings. The Wolverines are undefeated against in-state opponents this season.

Dave Telep’s Friday recruiting notebook includes an introduction to one of the nation’s most impressive freshmen, a look at Indiana’s big recruiting weekend, why John Calipari’s words resonated with the nation’s No. 2 junior, Illinois putting in work on the recruiting trail and more.

Read the entire story here.