Preseason National Prep Basketball Poll released

^National Prep Basketball Poll – Preseason=

^By Jamie DeMoney & Jeremy Plowman=

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     The National Prep Basketball Poll is compiled by Jamie DeMoney of XOS Digital and high school basketball expert Dr. Jeremy Plowman with input from sportswriters, experts, and coaches. The national Top 25 and regional Top 10's follow with last season’s won-loss records:

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#1. Chicago, Simeon (33-1), owns three straight 4A titles  

#2. Montverde, Fla., Montverde Academy (23-4), led by Florida-bound PG Kasey Hill

#3. Henderson, Nev., Findlay (32-1), PG Nigel Williams-Goss a Washington commit

#4. Mouth of Wilson, Va., Oak Hill (44-0), record seven-time Prep Poll titlist

#5. Newark, N.J., St. Benedict’s (34-3), PG Tyler Ennis headed to Syracuse 

#6. Richmond, Texas, Travis, (36-4), led by Kentucky-bound twins Aaron and Andrew Harrison

#7. Huntington, W.Va., Huntington Prep, (30-2), F Andrew Wiggins consensus top player in Class of 2013

#8. Santa Ana, Calif., Mater Dei (34-2), aiming for 10^th state championship

#9. Plano, Texas, Prestonwood Christian (28-3), features blue chip F Julius Randle

#10. Long Beach, Calif., Poly, (29-3), F Roschon Prince headed to USC

#11. Highland, Utah, Lone Peak (22-3), fantastic backcourt with BYU recruits Nick Emery and T.J. Haws

#12. Chester, Pa. (32-0), 58 straight wins and three returning starters

#13. Mount Washington, Ky., Bullitt East (27-5), Kentucky recruit Derek Willis one of four returning starters

#14. Memphis, Tenn., Southwind, (28-4), Missouri commit Jonathan Williams back at PF

#15. San Jose, Calif., Mitty, (31-3), F Aaron Gordon state Mr. Basketball as a junior

#16. Washington, Gonzaga, (27-7), led by Villanova-bound F Kris Jenkins

#17. Seattle, Rainier Beach, (27-3), Chicago Bulls G Nate Robinson an alum

#18. Omaha, Neb., Central (30-0), six Class A titles in last seven years

#19. Oklahoma City, Putnam City (21-7), seeks fourth state title in seven seasons

#20. Brooklyn, Jefferson (25-7), four returning starters and two top transfers

#21. Rockville, Md., Montrose Christian (21-3), coach Stu Vetter’s career record is 859-108

#22. Richmond, Calif., Salesian (34-2), G Jabari Bird a California commit

#23. Indianapolis, Cathedral (20-4), F Collin Hartman an Indiana recruit

#24. Iowa City, Iowa, West, (26-0), three guards committed to Division I schools

#25. Orlando, Fla., Lake Highland Prep, (28-4), all five starters are back

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^Northeast=

#1. Newark, N.J., St. Benedict’s, 34-3  

#2. Chester, Pa., 32-0

#3. Brooklyn, Jefferson, 25-7

#4. Gladstone, N.J., Gill St. Bernard’s, 27-4

#5. Philadelphia, Neumann-Goretti, 28-3

#6. Metuchen, N.J., St. Joseph, 29-2  

#7. Jersey City, N.J., St. Anthony, 32-0

#8. Middle Village, N.Y., Christ the King, 19-8

#9. Jersey City, N.J., Hudson Catholic, 25-3

#10. Charlestown, Mass., 20-5

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^East Coast=

#1. Mouth of Wilson, Va., Oak Hill, 44-0

#2. Huntington, W.Va., Huntington Prep, 30-2

#3. Washington, Gonzaga, 27-7

#4. Rockville, Md., Montrose Christian, 21-3

#5. Fairfax, Va., Paul VI, 35-3

#6. Charlotte, N.C., West Charlotte, 27-6

#7. Hyattsville, Md., DeMatha, 30-5

#8. Arden, N.C., Christ School, 32-5

#9. Baltimore, Mount St. Joseph, 28-8

#10. Columbia, S.C., Irmo, 24-4

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^Southeast=

#1. Montverde, Fla., Montverde Academy, 23-4

#2. Memphis, Tenn., Southwind, 28-4  

#3. Orlando, Fla., Lake Highland Prep, 28-4

#4. Norcross, Ga., 16-13

#5. Jackson, Miss., Callaway, 24-6

#6. Tifton, Ga., Tift County, 20-8

#7. Orlando, Fla., Orlando Christian Prep, 28-4

#8. Birmingham, Ala., Wenowah, 31-7

#9. Marietta, Ga., Wheeler, 17-11

#10. Montgomery, Ala., Carver, 29-3

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^Midwest=

#1. Chicago, Simeon, 33-1

#2. Mount Washington, Ky., Bullitt East, 27-5

#3. Indianapolis, Cathedral, 20-4

#4. Lansing, Mich., Sexton, 27-1 

#5. Detroit, Pershing, 22-3

#6. Toledo, Ohio, Whitmer, 24-3

#7. Louisville, Ky., Ballard, 24-9

#8. Germantown, Wis., 28-0

#9. Chicago, Young, 16-10

#10. Indianapolis, Arsenal Tech, 16-5

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^Midlands=

#1. Highland, Utah, Lone Peak, 22-3

#2. Omaha, Neb., Central, 30-0

#3. Iowa City, Iowa, West, 26-0

#4. Osseo, Minn., 29-2

#5. Denver, East, 20-5

#6. Overland Park, Kan., Blue Valley Northwest, 23-2

#7. Nixa, Mo., 30-2

#8. Minneapolis, De La Salle, 26-6

#9. Wichita, Kan., North, 15-8

#10. Aurora, Colo., Regis, 20-4

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^Southwest=

#1. Henderson, Nev., Findlay, 32-1

#2. Richmond, Texas, Travis, 36-4

#3. Plano, Texas, Prestonwood Christian, 28-3

#4. Oklahoma City, Putnam City, 21-7

#5. Mesa, Ariz., Dobson, 18-12

#6. Houston, Yates, 33-6

#7. Phoenix, Pinnacle, 30-4

#8. DeSoto, Texas, 33-6

#9. Little Rock, Ark., Hall, 27-3

#10. Las Vegas, Bishop Gorman, 28-4

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^West Coast=

#1. Santa Ana, Calif., Mater Dei, 34-2

#2. Long Beach, Calif., Poly, 29-3

#3. San Jose, Calif., Mitty, 31-3

#4. Seattle, Rainier Beach, 27-3

#5. Richmond, Calif., Salesian, 34-2

#6. Lake Oswego, Ore., 22-6

#7. Bellflower, Calif., St. John’s Bosco, 25-8

#8. Sacramento, Calif., Sheldon, 29-6

#9. Bothell, Wash., 17-12

#10. Mission Hills, Calif., Alemany, 33-4

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     FEATS OF THE WEEK: For the first time in more than two decades, the preseason No. 1 team in the National Prep Poll is from the vaunted Chicago Public League. Led by 6-foot-8 superstar forward Jabari Parker, top-ranked Chicago, Simeon has four senior starters who are expected to play for top college programs next year. Parker (uncommitted) was named Gatorade National Player of the Year as only a junior after averaging 20 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three blocks last season. Another returning forward is 6-5 Dayton recruit Kendall Pollard. A pair of Illinois-committed guards form the Wolverines’ backcourt in Kendrick Nunn (6-3) and Jaylon Tate (6-2). Simeon –- winner of the last three Illinois Class 4A championships -– aims to go wire-to-wire as the nation’s No. 1 team, matching the feat of Chicago, King in 1989-90. But to do so, coach Robert Smith’s team must fare well against a challenging in-state schedule and a very tough national slate that has games against four preseason Top 15 teams: No. 2 Montverde, Fla., Montverde Academy; No. 4 Mouth of Wilson, Va., Oak Hill; No. 9 Plano, Texas, Prestonwood Christian; and No. 14 Memphis, Tenn., Southwind. Smith is 230-37 with a record five state titles in only eight seasons at Simeon. ... 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; 2004--Jersey City, N.J., St. Anthony (21-6) not ranked; 2005--Indianapolis, Lawrence North (29-0) 1st; 2006--Mouth of Wilson, Va., Oak Hill (40-1) 1st; 2007--Mouth of Wilson, Va., Oak Hill (34-4) 14th; 2008--Duncanville, Texas (27-10) regionally ranked; 2009--Henderson, Nev., Findlay (32-2) 3rd; 2010--Alpharetta, Ga., Milton (29-3) 16th; and 2011--Flower Mound, Texas, Marcus (39-2) 5th.

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Copyright 2012 World Features Syndicate, Inc...endit

NOTE: This is the 26th consecutive season for World Features Syndicate's National Prep Poll. It is the 13th straight year the National Prep Poll has been  compiled by Jamie DeMoney.

About the National Prep Poll: Compiled weekly weekly since 1987 and distributed by World Features Syndicate and the Associated Press, the National Prep Poll is the nation's second oldest weekly high school sports rankings. Doug Huff compiled the rankings from 1987 until 1999. Jamie DeMoney has compiled the poll since the start of the 1999 basketball season to the present.

The National Prep Poll is the only high school poll distributed to newspapers and Web sites around the United States by the Associated Press national wire service.

Among the criteria used in the weekly compilation of the National Prep Poll rankings are strength of schedule, the ability to accomplish the ultimate goal on a team's schedule (i.e. winning a championship), impact players and performers, a team's coaching and recent tradition.

About PrepNation.com: PrepNation.com was originally launched August 1, 2001 by Jamie DeMoney for the purpose of creating a permanent online home for the National Prep Poll football and boys basketball rankings.