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National Prep Poll

April 5, 2009

National Prep Basketball Poll - Final
By Jamie DeMoney and Jeremy Plowman

Once again, the National Prep Poll is the FIRST "human" poll released each week and during the preseason.

Have something to say about the final National Prep Poll of the season? Leave your comments and interact with poll editor Jamie DeMoney and other readers by clicking here.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- As debuts go, it doesn't get much better than this.

In its first season using only high school-eligible players, Henderson, Nevada-based basketball academy Findlay Prep captured the 22nd annual National Prep Poll title.

The Pilots defeated Oak Hill (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), 74-66, in Sunday's championship of the ESPN RISE National High School Invitational, ending the Warriors' bid for a record-setting seventh Prep Poll title.

Findlay finished the season with a perfect 33-0 record, including 3-0 against Top 10 competition and with victories against teams from 13 different states and Canada.

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The National Prep Basketball Poll is compiled by national high school sports experts Jamie DeMoney and Jeremy Plowman with input from sportswriters, analysts, and coaches. The national Top 25 and regional Top 10's follow with final won-loss records:

#	School	Record	Note	LW
1.	Henderson, Nev., Findlay	33-0	beat No. 2 Oak Hill to win National High School Invitational in North Bethesda, Md.	2
2.	Mouth of Wilson, Va., Oak Hill	40-1	seventh top 3 finish this decade	1
3.	Los Angeles, Calif., Westchester	35-2	fifth Division I crown in 12 years	3
4.	Minnetonka, Minn., Hopkins	31-0	fourth state championship since '02	4
5.	Elizabeth, N.J., St. Patrick	30-3	third state T of C title in four years	6
6.	Bloomington, Ind., South	26-0	first state title for 39-year coaching vet J.R. Holmes	7
7.	Marietta, Ga., Wheeler	25-7	fourth 5A title since 2000	8
8.	New York, N.Y., Rice	25-3	first state Federation crown since '02	9
9.	Rockville, Md., Montrose Christian	25-3	all losses to No. 1 Findlay and No. 2 Oak Hill	5
10.	Los Angeles, Calif., Fairfax	27-5	1-point loser to No. 3 Westchester in regional semifinals	10
11.	Riverside, Calif., King	30-3	CIF-SS Division I-AA champ	12
12.	Santa Ana, Calif., Mater Dei	31-2	3-2 against current Top 25	13
13.	Newark, N.J., St. Benedict's	24-3	all losses to Top 15 teams	11
14.	Seattle, Wash., Franklin	28-1	third 3A title since '03	14
15.	Columbus, Ohio, Northland	27-1	first Division I state title	15
16.	Detroit, Mich., Pershing	26-1	Class A state champ	16
17.	Fayetteville, Ark.	30-0	7A state champion	17
18.	Washington, D.C., Gonzaga	29-5	Alhambra Catholic Invitational winner	18
19.	Hyattsville, Md., DeMatha	31-4	WCAC and D.C. city champ	19
20.	Houston, Texas, Yates	34-1	4A state champion	20
21.	Madison, Wis., Memorial	26-1	second state title in six years	21
22.	Arden, N.C., Christ	36-2	third straight 3A independent title	22
23.	Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Pine Crest	28-4	repeat 3A champ	23
24.	Ames, Iowa	26-0	4A state champion	24
25.	Covington, Ky., Holmes	36-2	all-class state titlist	25

Northeast Region
1. Elizabeth, N.J., St. Patrick (30-3) (1)
2. New York, N.Y., Rice (25-3) (2)
3. Newark, N.J., St. Benedict's (24-3) (3)
4. Middle Village, N.Y., Christ the King (25-4) (4)
5. Radnor, Pa., Archbishop Carroll (29-3) (5)
6. Newburgh, N.Y., Free Academy (21-5) (6)
7. Paterson, N.J., Catholic (26-5) (7)
8. Philadelphia, Pa., Neumann-Goretti (26-3) (8)
9. Newark, N.J., Science Park (30-2) (9)
10. Brooklyn, N.Y., Lincoln (22-11) (10)

East Coast Region
1. Mouth of Wilson, Va., Oak Hill (40-1) (1)
2. Rockville, Md., Montrose Christian (25-3) (2)
3. Washington, D.C., Gonzaga (29-5) (3)
4. Hyattsville, Md., DeMatha (31-4) (4)
5. Arden, N.C., Christ (36-2) (5)
6. Suffolk, Va., King's Fork (31-1) (6)
7. Winston-Salem, N.C., Mount Tabor (31-1) (7)
8. Baltimore, Md., Lake Clifton (28-0) (8)
9. Baltimore, Md., St. Frances (34-5) (9)
10. Petersburg, Va. (30-1) (10)

Southeast Region
1. Marietta, Ga., Wheeler (25-7) (1)
2. Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Pine Crest (28-4) (2)
3. Atlanta, Ga., South Atlanta (29-3) (3)
4. Memphis, Tenn., White Station (30-7) (4)
5. Miami, Fla., Coral Reef (27-4) (5)
6. Huntsville, Ala., Butler (34-3) (6)
7. Mobile, Ala., LeFlore (29-3) --
8. Jackson, Miss., Callaway (33-6) --
9. Gainesville, Fla. (29-3) (8)
10. Monroe, La., Ouachita Parish (38-4) (10)

Midwest Region
1. Bloomington, Ind., South (26-0) (1)
2. Columbus, Ohio, Northland (27-1) (2)
3. Detroit, Mich., Pershing (26-1) (3)
4. Madison, Wis., Memorial (26-1) (4)
5. Covington, Ky., Holmes (36-2) (5)
6. Chicago, Ill., Young (26-9) (6)
7. Chicago, Ill., North Lawndale (30-5) (7)
8. Cincinnati, Ohio, Princeton (25-2) (8)
9. Fort Wayne, Ind., Snider (25-2) (9)
10. Flint, Mich., Powers (26-2) (10)

Midlands Region
1. Minnetonka, Minn., Hopkins (31-0) (1)
2. Ames, Iowa (26-0) (2)
3. St. Louis, Mo., Chaminade (27-4) (3)
4. Sioux City, Iowa, Heelan (25-2) (4)
5. Aurora, Colo., Regis (26-2) (5)
6. Topeka, Kan., Highland Park (24-1) (6)
7. Osseo, Minn. (29-3) (7)
8. Omaha, Neb., Creighton Prep (22-5) (8)
9. Salt Lake City, Utah, West (20-4) (9)
10. Wichita, Kan., Heights (24-1) (10)

Southwest Region
1. Henderson, Nev., Findlay (33-0) (1)
2. Fayetteville, Ark. (30-0) (2)
3. Houston, Texas, Yates (34-1) (3)
4. Oklahoma City, Okla., Putnam City (25-4) (4)
5. DeSoto, Texas (38-8) (5)
6. Houston, Texas, Strake Jesuit (37-1) (6)
7. Cedar Hill, Texas (35-4) (7)
8. Phoenix, Ariz., St. Mary's (22-4) (8)
9. Duncanville, Texas (27-10) (9)
10. San Antonio, Texas, Wagner (32-8) (10)

West Coast Region
1. Los Angeles, Calif., Westchester (35-2) (1)
2. Los Angeles, Calif., Fairfax (27-5) (2)
3. Riverside, Calif., King (30-3) (3)
4. Santa Ana, Calif., Mater Dei (31-2) (4)
5. Seattle, Wash., Franklin (28-1) (5)
6. Woodland Hills, Calif., Taft (27-5) (6)
7. Etiwanda, Calif. (25-5) (7)
8. Federal Way, Wash. (28-2) (8)
9. Oakland, Calif., McClymonds (29-2) (9)
10. Portland, Ore., Jesuit (25-3) (10)

FEATS OF THE WEEK: Henderson, Nev., Findlay finished its first season playing with only high school-eligible players ranked No. 1 in the National Prep Poll. The mythical national championship was decided on the court in the championship game of the ESPN RISE National High School Invitational in North Bethesda, Md. The Pilots, then ranked No. 2, defeated then-No. 1 Mouth of Wilson, Va., Oak Hill, 74-66, in the final of the eight-team tournament that featured five nationally and regionally ranked teams. Senior guard Avery Bradley (Texas) led Findlay with 20 points and eight rebounds after scoring 27 in a 60-43 semifinals blowout of No. 9 Rockville, Md., Montrose Christian. Senior forward Keith Gallon (Oklahoma) had 18 points and 15 rebounds for Oak Hill, which was bidding for a school-record 41 wins and national-record seventh Prep Poll title. Led by second-year coach Michael Peck, Findlay is a basketball academy affiliated with Henderson International School in suburban Las Vegas. Only eight students, hailing from three different states and three foreign countries, are enrolled. All eight are basketball players and major Division I recruits. The Pilots (33-0) went 3-0 against top 10 teams and defeated teams from 13 states and Canada. In addition to Bradley (Texas), Findlay's two other seniors -- D.J. Richardson (Illinois) and Carlos Lopez (UNLV) -- have signed with Division I programs. Its top junior, 6-9 forward Tristan Thompson, is committed to play at Texas.

Previous National Prep Poll champions with records and coaches
1988--Bronx, N.Y., Tolentine (30-1), John Sarandrea
1989--Jersey City, N.J., St. Anthony (32-0), Bob Hurley
1990--Chicago, King (32-0), Landon Cox
1991--Philadelphia, Simon Gratz (27-1), Bill Ellerbee
1992--Baltimore, Dunbar (29-0), Pete Pompey
1993--Mouth of Wilson, Va., Oak Hill (30-0), Steve Smith
1994--Mouth of Wilson, Va., Oak Hill (30-1), Steve Smith
1995--New Orleans, St. Augustine (37-1), Bernard Griffith
1996--Jersey City, N.J., St. Anthony (31-0), Bob Hurley
1997--Peoria, Ill., Manual (31-1), Wayne McClain
1998--Frederick, Md., St. John's at Prospect Hall (25-0), Stu Vetter
1999--Mouth of Wilson, Va., Oak Hill (31-0), Steve Smith
2000--Compton, Calif., Dominguez (35-2), Russell Otis
2001--Mouth of Wilson, Va., Oak Hill (32-1), Steve Smith
2002--Dallas, Lincoln (40-0), Leonard Bishop
2003--Akron, Ohio, St. Vincent-St. Mary (25-1), Dru Joyce II
2004--Mouth of Wilson, Va., Oak Hill (38-0), Steve Smith
2005--Niagara Falls, N.Y. (28-1), Dan Bazzani
2006--Indianapolis, Lawrence North (29-0), Jack Keefer
2007--Mouth of Wilson, Va., Oak Hill (40-1), Steve Smith
2008--Jersey, City, N.J., St. Anthony (32-0), Bob Hurley
2009--Henderson, Nev., Findlay (33-0), Michael Peck.

Have something to say about the final National Prep Basketball Poll of the season? Leave your comments and interact with poll editor Jamie DeMoney and other readers by clicking here.

*****

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 of ESPN RISE compiled the rankings from 1987 until 1999. Jamie DeMoney has compiled the poll since the start of the 1999 basketball season. 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. The National Prep Poll is the first high school football and boys basketball poll to released in the preseason and during each week of the regular season. Criteria considered for 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.

Jamie DeMoney has covered high school sports and recruiting for more than 15 years. He has compiled the National Prep Poll for World Features Syndicate and the Associated Press since 1999 and has also compiled high school football and basketball rankings for Sporting News and RISE. DeMoney was managing editor of American Football Monthly and assistant national editor of All-Stater Sports/Highwired Sports. DeMoney is a graduate of the University of Iowa School of Journalism, and a member of the Football Writers Association of America and the United States Basketball Writers Association.