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SoCalHoops High School News

Westchester Takes Top Spot In Preseason
National Prep Hoops Poll--(Nov. 19, 2001)

Late last night, our friends Jamie DeMoney and Jeremy Plowman sent us a copy of their preseason National Prep Basketball Poll, and not surprisingly, like the rest of the national high school polls that are about to come out soon (e.g., USA Today, etc), Westchester is going to be the consensus No. 1 pick in the country.  Where's Dominguez?  Don't ask.  Westchester is the new king on the West Coast and apparently everywhere else in the country.  Here's the new preseason National Prep Preseason Poll

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

The National Prep Basketball Poll is compiled by national high school sports experts Jamie DeMoney and Jeremy Plowman and a panel of sportswriters. The national Top 25 and regional Top 10's follow with last season's won-loss
records:

1. Los Angeles, Westchester (28-2), returns six Division I prospects from last season
2. Mouth of Wilson, Va., Oak Hill (33-0), defending National Prep Poll champ
3. Akron, Ohio, St. Vincent-St. Mary (26-1), led by nation's top junior, LeBron James
4. Jersey City, N.J., St. Anthony (27-3), defending state Tournament of Champions titlist
5. St. Louis, Vashon (28-1), two-time defending 4A state champ
6. Fort Washington, Pa., Germantown Academy (27-3), led by trio of major Division I recruits
7. The Colony, Texas (31-2), two guards have committed to Big Ten schools
8. Midwest City, Okla. (26-2), seeks fourth state title in five years
9. Lakeland, Fla., Kathleen (27-6), defending 4A state champ
10. Hopkins, Minn. (26-3), returns three top-100 juniors
11. Santa Ana, Calif., Mater Dei (33-2), defending Division I state champ
12. Louisville, Ky., Male (32-4), led by two-sport star Michael Bush
13. Manhattan, N.Y., Rice (13-11), features 7-foot-2 junior Shagari Allen
14. Chicago, Farragut (19-8), handed No. 5 Vashon its only loss last year
15. Maywood, Ill., Proviso East (25-4), seeks fifth state title in school history
16. Bloomington, Ind., North (19-3), relies on North Carolina recruit Sean May
17. Cedar Hill, Texas (33-3), G Daniel Horton top returning scorer in Dallas Metroplex
18. Minneapolis, Henry (28-2), two-time defending 3A state champ
19. Dallas, Lincoln (29-3), Chris Bosh and Bryan Hopkins are top-25 prospects
20. Winston-Salem, N.C., Reynolds (29-3), vying for third straight 4A state title
21. Seattle, Rainier Beach (23-4), led by junior twins Lodrick and Rodrick Stewart
22. Memphis, Tenn., Booker T. Washington (34-2), state tourney MVP soph Andre Allen returns
23. Columbus, Ohio, Brookhaven (26-1), three MAC recruits in starting lineup
24. Elizabeth, N.J., St. Patrick's (21-7), led by standout junior PG Michael Nardi
25. Pontiac, Mich., Northern (23-4), defending Class A state champ

Northeast
#1. Jersey City, N.J., St. Anthony, 27-3
#2. Fort Washington, Pa., Germantown Academy, 27-3
#3. Manhattan, N.Y., Rice, 13-11
#4. Elizabeth, N.J., St. Patrick's, 21-7
#5. Medford, N.J., Shawnee, 25-3
#6. Bronx, N.Y., St. Raymond, 22-10
#7. Amityville, N.Y., 27-1
#8. Philadelphia, Simon Gratz, 24-3
#9. Bronx, N.Y., All Hallows, 22-4
#10. Camden, N.J., Catholic, 26-4

East Coast

#1. Mouth of Wilson, Va., Oak Hill, 33-0
#2. Winston-Salem, N.C., Reynolds, 29-3
#3. Hyattsville, Md., DeMatha, 29-6
#4. Raleigh, N.C., Broughton, 19-4
#5. Rockville, Md., Montrose Christian, 21-4
#6. Latta, S.C., 28-2
#7. Greenbelt, Md., Eleanor Roosevelt, 23-4
#8. Hockessin, Del., Sanford, 21-2
#9. Virginia Beach, Va., Salem, 29-1
#10. Kinston, N.C., 26-3

South

1. Lakeland, Fla., Kathleen, 27-6
2. Louisville, Ky., Male, 32-4
3. Memphis, Tenn., Booker T. Washington, 34-2
4. Prichard, Ala., Blount, 27-8
5. Lilburn, Ga., Berkmar, 29-4
6. Jacksonville, Fla., Arlington Country Day, 28-6
7. Oxford, Miss., 33-7
8. Memphis, Tenn., East, 19-11
9. Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Dillard, 26-7
10. New Orleans, Jesuit, 30-7

Midwest

1. Akron, Ohio, St. Vincent-St. Mary, 26-1
2. Chicago, Farragut, 19-8
3. Maywood, Ill., Proviso East, 25-4
4. Bloomington, Ind., North, 19-3
5. Columbus, Ohio, Brookhaven, 26-1
6. Pontiac, Mich., Northern, 23-4
7. Milwaukee, Vincent, 25-2
8. Cincinnati, Winton Woods, 21-1
9. Saginaw, Mich., 24-3
10. Chicago, Crane, 25-7

Midlands

1. St. Louis, Vashon, 28-1
2. Hopkins, Minn., 26-3
3. Minneapolis, Henry, 28-2
4. Omaha, Neb., Burke, 15-8
5. Minneapolis, North, 23-5
6. Iowa City, Iowa, City, 20-6
7. Longmont, Colo., 22-1
8. Hutchinson, Kan., 25-0
9. Orem, Utah, Mountain View, 19-5
10. Wichita, Kan., Southeast, 21-4

Southwest

1. The Colony, Texas, 31-2
2. Midwest City, Okla., 26-2
3. Cedar Hill, Texas, 33-3
4. Dallas, Lincoln, 29-3
5. Oklahoma City, Putnam City, 26-2
6. Phoenix, Mountain Pointe, 20-8
7. Beaumont, Texas, Ozen, 36-0
8. Houston, Westbury Christian, 34-6
9. Little Rock, Ark., Central, 26-5
10. Reno, Nev., 24-7

West Coast
1. Los Angeles, Westchester, 28-2
2. Santa Ana, Calif., Mater Dei, 33-2
3. Seattle, Rainier Beach, 23-4
4. Modesto, Calif., Christian, 34-4
5. Portland, Ore., Jefferson, 26-3
6. Long Beach, Calif., Poly, 23-6
7. Eugene, Ore., Churchill, 25-3
8. Inglewood, Calif., 28-7
9. Los Angeles, Fairfax, 21-6
10. Oakland, Calif., Technical, 22-4

FEATS OF THE WEEK: Los Angeles, Westchester begins the season ranked No. 1 for the first time with a returning cast of talented players and arguably the toughest schedule in the nation. The Ed Azzam-coached Comets' starting lineup includes three players who signed or committed early, including 6-foot-4 Hassan Adams (Arizona), 6-6 Brandon Bowman (Georgetown) and 6-3 Ashanti Cook (New Mexico). They'll play with fellow returning starters Brandon Heath (6-2) and Keith Everage (6-5) along with talented junior Trevor Ariza (6-8) and super frosh Marcus Johnson (6-5). Westchester's schedule includes a trip to Fort Myers, Fla., the week before Christmas to defend its City of Palms Classic title and a potential matchup with defending Prep Poll champ Mouth of Wilson, Va., Oak Hill a week later at Houston's Academy National Invitational . . . Here are the previous preseason No. 1 teams with their final record and ranking for that season: 2001-Mouth of Wilson, Va., Oak Hill (33-0) 1st; 2000-Mouth of Wilson, Va., Oak Hill (30-2) 2nd; 1999-Hyattsville, Md., DeMatha (28-4) 8th; 1998-Frederick, Md., St. John's at Prospect Hall (25-0) 1st; 1997-Miami, Fla., Senior (36-1) 2nd; 1996-Jersey   City, N.J. St. Anthony (31-0) 1st; 1995-Frederick, Md., St. John's at   Prospect Hall (22-1) 2nd; 1994-Los Angeles, Crenshaw (29-2) 2nd; 1993-Mouth of Wilson, Va., Oak Hill (30-0) 1st; 1992-Baltimore, Md., Dunbar (29-0) 1st; 1991-Philadelphia, Simon Gratz (27-1) 1st; 1990-Chicago, King (30-0) 1st; 1989-Jersey City, N.J., St. Anthony (32-0) 1st; 1988-Bronx, N.Y., Tolentine (30-1) 1st.   Copyright 2001 World Features Syndicate, Inc

About the National Prep Poll: Compiled weekly since 1987, the National Prep Poll is the nation's second oldest high school sports rankings package and the only national rankings distributed by the Associated Press. The National Prep Poll can be found in newspapers across the United States and also runs each week on the Internet site www.prepnation.com

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