Have something to say about the Week 18 National Prep Poll? Leave your comments and interact with poll editor Jamie DeMoney and other readers by clicking here.

URBANDALE, Iowa -- A week ago, winning the Prep Poll title seemed an unlikely proposition for two-time Texas 4A champion Yates (Houston). But a stunning 26-point loss by Northland (Columbus, Ohio) over the weekend opened up the top spot, and the Lions pounced on the No. 1 ranking in the Week 18 poll released Monday morning.

All five teams that were ranked ahead of Yates in the preseason have lost at least once, while the Lions made minced meat of nearly every opponent. Aside from a one-point victory against No. 3 Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia) in the championship game of the Iolani Classic, Yates beat every other foe by at least seven. The Lions' average score was 116-66 and they set a national record late in the year with at least 100 points in 15 straight games.

Yates' schedule was far from the most difficult in the nation and the Lions did not win the state championship in Texas' largest classification. However, they did defeat four teams that will likely finish the year in the national or regional rankings.

Defending Prep Poll champion Findlay (Henderson, Nev.) remained No. 2 in this week's poll. The Pilots, who are 4-2 against current Top 25 teams, have not played since February 27. They return to action April 2 to defending their title at the ESPN RISE National High School Invitational in Baltimore.

The National Prep Basketball Poll is compiled by 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 won-loss records:

Northeast Region
1. Philadelphia, Pa., Neumann-Goretti (28-1) (1)
2. Newark, N.J., St. Benedict's (20-1) (2)
3. Elizabeth, N.J., St. Patrick (24-3) (3)
4. Trenton, N.J., Catholic (27-3) (5)
5. Paterson, N.J., Catholic (28-1) (9)
6. Lansdowne, Pa., Penn Wood (26-3) (6)
7. Middle Village, N.Y., Christ the King (24-5) (7)
8. Jersey City, N.J., St. Anthony (27-3) (8)
9. Plymouth Meeting, Pa., Plymouth-Whitemarsh (28-2) (10)
10. DeWitt, N.Y., Jamesville-DeWitt (25-0) --

East Coast Region
1. Mouth of Wilson, Va., Oak Hill (29-3) (2)
2. Arden, N.C., Christ (37-1) (3)
3. Hyattsville, Md., DeMatha (32-4) (1)
4. Washington, D.C., Gonzaga (28-7) (4)
5. Silver Spring, Md., Springbrook (25-1) (5)
6. Washington, D.C., Ballou (30-5) (6)
7. Mooresville, N.C., Lake Norman (25-3) (7)
8. Portsmouth, Va., Norcom (25-4) (8)
9. Gaffney, S.C. (27-2) (9)
10. Baltimore, Md., Mount St. Joseph (32-5) --

Southeast Region
1. Winter Park, Fla. (28-5) (1)
2. Memphis, Tenn., Melrose (37-4) (2)
3. Montverde, Fla., Montverde Academy (21-4) (3)
4. Jacksonville, Fla., Providence (31-1) (4)
5. Alpharetta, Ga., Milton (29-4) (5)
6. Alexandria, La., Peabody (41-0) (6)
7. Tallahassee, Fla., Rickards (27-0) (7)
8. Decatur, Ga., Columbia (28-5) (8)
9. Starkville, Miss. (31-2) (9)
10. Memphis, Tenn., White Station (28-9) (10)

Midwest Region
1. Gahanna, Ohio, Lincoln (26-0) --
2. Columbus, Ohio, Northland (23-1) (1)
3. Indianapolis, Ind., North Central (24-3) (6)
4. Beverly Hills, Mich., Detroit Country Day (23-2) (2)
5. Kalamazoo, Mich., Central (24-1) --
6. Country Club Hills, Ill., Hillcrest (31-3) --
7. Dayton, Ohio, Dunbar (23-3) --
8. Pikeville, Ky., Shelby Valley (32-4) --
9. Chicago, Ill., Simeon (25-9) --
10. Hartland, Wis., Arrowhead (25-3) --

Midlands Region
1. Ames, Iowa (27-0) (1)
2. Roeland Park, Kan., Miege (25-0) (2)
3. Aurora, Colo., Regis (27-1) (3)
4. St. Paul, Minn., Johnson (29-0) (4)
5. Minnetonka, Minn., Hopkins (27-2) (5)
6. Wichita, Kan., Heights (22-2) (6)
7. Omaha, Neb., Central (23-4) (7)
8. Sandy, Utah, Alta (21-4) (9)
9. Kearney, Mo. (27-3) (10)
10. Post Falls, Idaho (22-4) --

Southwest Region
1. Houston, Texas, Yates (34-0) (2)
2. Henderson, Nev., Findlay (29-2) (1)
3. Las Vegas, Nev., Bishop Gorman (30-2) (3)
4. Richmond, Texas, Bush (35-4) (4)
5. Lancaster, Texas (36-3) (5)
6. Bellaire, Texas (35-2) (6)
7. Phoenix, Ariz., North (27-3) (7)
8. Oklahoma City, Okla., Putnam City (25-4) (8)
9. Little Rock, Ark., Hall (28-3) (9)
10. Roswell, N.M. (27-2) (10)

West Coast Region
1. Los Angeles, Calif., Westchester (31-3) (2)
2. Santa Ana, Calif., Mater Dei (32-2) (1)
3. Portland, Ore., Jesuit (26-2) (3)
4. Woodland Hills, Calif., Taft (26-6) (4)
5. Gardena, Calif., Serra (33-2) (5)
6. Portland, Ore., Jefferson (26-2) (6)
7. Newark, Calif., Memorial (30-4) --
8. Los Angeles, Calif., Price (32-3) (8)
9. Oakland, Calif., O'Dowd (30-3) (9)
10. Covington, Wash., Kentwood (20-10) (10)

Dropped out: No. 18 Dix Hills, N.Y., Half Hollow Hill West. East Coast: No. 10 Towson, Md., Calvert Hall. Midwest: No. 3 Detroit, Pershing; No. 4 Waukegan, Ill.; No. 5 Louisville, Ky., Ballard; No. 7 Champaign, Ill., Centennial; No. 8 Georgetown, Ky., Scott County; No. 9 Cincinnati, La Salle; No. 10 Milwaukee, Hamilton. Midlands: No. 8 New Hope, Minn., Cooper. West Coast: No. 7 Concord, Calif., De La Salle.

FEATS OF THE WEEK: For the 10th time in 11 years, the champion of Tennessee's largest classification resides in the 901 area code. No. 11 Memphis, Melrose beat regionally ranked Memphis, White Station, 75-70, in the 3A title game at Murphy Center in Murfreesboro. Junior Chris Jones (Tennessee) scored 35 and was named tournament MVP. Senior Joe Jackson (Memphis) had 22 points for White Station, which lost four out of five times to Melrose this season . . . It wasn't quite on par with the movie "Hoosiers," but regionally ranked Pikeville, Shelby Valley scored one for the little guy when it beat Louisville, Ballard, 73-61, in Kentucky's all-class state championship before 15,048 at Rupp Arena in Lexington. Tournament MVP Elisha Justice (Louisville) scored 17 for Shelby Valley, which has less than one-third the number of enrolled students as Ballard . . . Regionally ranked Washington, Gonzaga slipped past league rival No. 15 Hyattsville, Md., DeMatha, 68-67, to win its third consecutive Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament in Frostburg, Md. Tourney MVP Cedrick Lindsay (Richmond) scored 12 points, including two free throws with less than a second left . . . Senior Brandon Spearman (Dayton) had 13 points and four assists to lead regionally ranked Chicago, Simeon past defending champion Chicago, Young, 51-36, for the Illinois 4A title at Carver Arena in Peoria.

Copyright 2010 World Features Syndicate, Inc...endit

This is Jamie DeMoney's 10th year compiling the World Features Syndicate/Associated Press National Prep Poll. He has covered high school sports and recruiting for more than 15 years and compiled the National Prep Poll since 1999. DeMoney has also compiled high school football and basketball rankings for Sporting News, School Sports, 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.

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.

Have something to say about the Week 18 National Prep Poll? Leave your comments and interact with poll editor Jamie DeMoney and other readers by clicking here.

Follow us Twitter.
Become a fan on Facebook.