NE Ohio Boys Basketball Top 25 High School Teams (LIST)

Garfield Heights and St. Edwards claim first and second spots on the latest list of the top 25 boys high school basketball teams in Northeast Ohio via Cleveland.com. 

Check the list out below:

1, Garfield Heights (13-3, 3)

Comment: Garfield Heights is coming off a 57-48 loss Sunday to La Lumiere School of LaPort, Ind. So why is the preseason No. 1 back in the top spot? La Lumiere is nationally ranked (23rd by MaxPreps) and the latest in a loaded schedule for the Bulldogs. They still are not at full strength without injured Youngstown State recruit Braun Hartfield.

2, St. Edward (10-4, 4)

Comment: The Eagles can make a claim for the top spot after Friday’s double overtime win at previous No. 1, St. Ignatius. They have won three straight since a 20-point loss in Erie to Pennsylvania power Neumann-Goretti. Unlike Garfield Heights’ preseason start at No. 1, St. Edward has climbed from the No. 13 spot in two months.

3, St. Ignatius (10-3, 1)

Comment: The Wildcats quickly bounced back from their St. Edward loss with Saturday’s 58-30 win at Berea-Midpark. Can’t fault their losses much. They’ve come by two points, three in overtime and another to last year’s Division I state champion Huber Heights Wayne.

4, St. Vincent-St. Mary (11-3, 2)

Comment: The Fighting Irish have a full week to digest Saturday’s Division II showdown and loss to New Concord John Glenn, which dropped STVM in that No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup according to The Associated Press state poll.

5, Archbishop Hoban (13-1, 5)

Comment: The Knights have made a steady climb, but the loaded scheduled of the teams above them is why they are not breaking into the top four this week. That could change in a hurry. Hoban gets its second game against North Coast League foe Walsh Jesuit, followed by a Feb. 2 meeting with STVM.

6, Lorain (11-2, 6)

Comment: Daviere Andrews’ 30-point game against Medina showed what this team can do at full strength. It fended off Cleveland Heights on the road Saturday for a third straight win since that two-game skid.

7, Bedford (11-4, 8)

Comment: The Bearcats have won seven of their last eight, a stretch that includes wins against Lorain and Beachwood. The decisive Beachwood win on a neutral floor has vaulted Bedford in this week’s rankings after Beachwood’s second loss came Saturday to East Tech.

8, Beachwood (13-2, 7)

Comment: Praise has rung for this team all season. Despite Saturday’s loss, Beachwood still holds something no other Northeast Ohio squad can boast – a win against St. Edward. Also, Bison guard Maishe Dailey announced Saturday he will attend Rutgers after receiving 22 Division I college scholarship offers.

9, Benedictine (12-2, 13)

Comment: The young Bengals’ impressive start, led by talented senior point guard Justin Layne, gets its biggest test Tuesday with Archbishop Hoban coming to town.

10, Medina (12-4, 9)

Comment: A last-second win at Solon eased the pain for Medina, which lost earlier last week at Lorain. After all, the road win vs. the Comets counts toward the Greater Cleveland Conference standings.

11, Central Catholic (9-4, 10)

Comment: The Ironmen have played a brutal schedule for a Division II school. The 63-50 loss last week at Garfield Heights is an example, and the slate doesn’t let up this week with St. Ignatius.

12, Brunswick (13-3, 12)

Comment: The Blue Devils are in the middle of the GCC race and travel to Elyria this week to face an improved Pioneers squad. Coach Joe Mackey is coming off his300th victory Sunday at the Dunk 4 Diabetes.

13, East Tech (13-3, 14)

Comment: Brett Moore’s Scarabs have won seven straight since a hard loss to Walsh Jesuit in late December. Their 71-68 home win Saturday vs. Beachwood is the most impressive of this streak, and it included a 33-point effort from junior guard Markell Johnson.

14, Brecksville (12-1, 16)

Comment: The Bees continue to control the Suburban League National Division, which they lead by two games entering this week. After close calls vs. Hudson and Cuyahoga Falls, how did they close the latest vs. Falls? With 10-of-11 shooting from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter, of course.

15, Copley (14-0, 17)

Comment: Revere, which stops by Copley on Tuesday, is three games behind the Indians in the Suburban League American Division. That’s as close as anyone is to them.

16, Walsh Jesuit (9-5, 11)

Comment: The Warriors’ tough schedule has produced topsy-turvy results with close losses to Brunswick, Benedictine and St. Ignatius in the last two weeks.

17, Elyria (9-4, 18)

Comment: The Pioneers shuffled their lineup last week, inserting junior point guard Dezman Brown and sophomore post Justin Koepp to team with Blake Furcron and Antonio Blanton.

18, Villa Angela-St. Joseph (10-4, 15)

Comment: A big second half Saturday lifted VASJ from a 30-30 halftime stalemate with Division VI challenger Cornerstone Christian. Sophomore guard Jerry Higgins’ 19 points led a triple threat with senior Sherman Dean III and freshman Alonzo Gaffney.

19, Olmsted Falls (10-4, NR)

Comment: The Southwestern Conference’s parity has shown the last few weeks. Olmsted Falls has emerged atop the league with a 5-1 start to 2016.

20, Bay (11-2, 22)

Comment: Is there a hotter team on the West Side? Jared Shetzer’s Rockets have reeled off 10 straight wins.

21, Midview (11-5, 20)

Comment: The Middies had a nine-game win streak snapped Friday at the hands of Avon. The Eagles dealt them a 45-44 home loss.

22, Elyria Catholic (10-4, 25)

Comment: Sophomore Dorian Crutcher scored 22 points in his first varsity start Tuesday to help beat Columbia. Lorain County natives might remember the name. His father, Nate Crutcher, led defunct Elyria West to a memorable final season before it closed in 1996.

23, North Olmsted (11-4, 21)

Comment: Avon also could make a case to be here after it beat the North Olmsted earlier last week, handing it a second straight defeat.

24, Warrensville Heights (7-7, 24)

Comment: A win last week against Lutheran East keeps them in the Top 25.

25, Maple Heights (8-5, NR)

Comment: Friday could be a Top 25 elimination game, but the Mustangs just got there. They land in the final spot as a young squad making strides for first-year coach Eric Schmidt. Remember sophomore guard Alfonse Hale. The point guard scored 15 Friday in a four-point home loss to No. 7 Bedford.