Editor's note: The ESPN RISE FAB 50 boys' basketball rankings are compiled by Christopher Lawlor, Ronnie Flores, Ryan Canner-O'Mealy and Doug Huff. They will be released each Tuesday throughout the season. Check out the regional rankings here.
Now that the holiday tournaments have settled, the ESPN RISE FAB 50 boys' basketball rankings have a familiar look at the top -- but six schools on last week's list weren't as lucky.
The top 6 schools remain the same but a familiar face, No. 25 Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.), enters the rankings after winning the Bojangles Shootout National Division last week in North Carolina.
No. 4 St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.) continues to cement itself as national power with an aggressive schedule. The Celtics will receive a talent spike later this month when 6-foot-3 junior Kyrie Irving becomes eligible after sitting out 30 days as per New Jersey's transfer policy.
Duncanville (Texas), the preseason No. 1, dropped out of the rankings following another disappointing tournament performance. The Panthers have two national games left and are among the favorites to win Texas' Class 5A state tournament but need to work out chemistry issues.
The national event schedule begins to wind down with next window of elite games on the Martin Luther King weekend later this month. Some states are only a month away from the postseason.
Three-point play
Game ball: Sean Johnson of No. 25 Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.) has raised his game to new heights, earning the player of the week honors. Johnson totaled 74 points in three games as the Royals won the Bojangles Shootout National Division in North Carolina. Johnson, who averages 27 points and five rebounds per game, missed the first-round game of the tournament, but totaled 42 points in the last two games to earn all-tournament honors.
He also came up big Sunday in a 62-45 win over league rivals St. Raymond (Bronx), netting 32 points. Johnson, a 6-3 unsigned senior guard, has drawn attention from several MAAC schools and had an inquiry from Virginia Tech. Johnson and his CTK teammates continue their tough schedule Saturday at No. 12 Rice (Manhattan). The game tips at 3:30 p.m. ET in the famed Gauchos Gym in the Bronx.
Game of the week: What a way to jump-start the New Year in suburban Philadelphia. No. 22 Penn Wood (Lansdowne, Pa.) travels Thursday to defending Class AAAA champion Chester in a Delaware Valley Conference showdown. Recently, the Patriots won a tournament in Williamsport (Pa.) and now look to extract a painful thorn. Last season, Chester defeated Penn Wood four times en route to the 4A title, including a 68-60 win in the state quarterfinals. Chester entered the week 6-1 under first-year coach Larry Yarbray.
Look-in: Here's a snapshot of what transpired last week with FAB 50 programs from the Midwest Region.
No. 19 Detroit Country Day (Beverly Hills, Mich.) added one holiday win last week with an 83-74 victory over Kalamazoo Central in the Motor City Roundball Classic. Jordan Dumars, the son of the Pistons general manager Joe Dumars, scored 30 points, making eight 3-pointers. Â… No. 20 Lawrence North (Indianapolis) hiked its win streak to seven games with wins over nationally ranked No. 8 South Atlanta (Atlanta) and Garfield (Seattle). North defeated previously-unbeaten South Atlanta, 58-44 in the finals of the T-Mobile Invitational in Muncie, Ind., as Alanzo Bass scored 15 points.
No. 24 Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.) picked up four wins last week. The Royals return to action this weekend against cross-town rival Minnetonka on Friday and regionally-ranked Sibley on Saturday.
Junior Keith Appling of No. 36 Pershing (Detroit), who missed the first five games with an injury, made an impression in his first start scoring 21 points in a win over Toledo (Ohio) Scott. Â… No. 42 North Lawndale (Chicago) won the Chicago Public League Holiday Classic Tournament with a 57-52 win over Foreman (Chicago). Junior Jermaine Winfield led the way with 24 points and 16 rebounds. -- contributed by Doug Huff
Records through Jan. 4.
Dropped out: Previous No. 17 Pinewood Prep (Summerville, S.C.); No. 37 Cedar Hill (Texas); No. 40 Duncanville (Texas); No. 45 De La Salle (Chicago); No. 46 Bishop O'Connell (Arlington, Va.); No. 50 Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.).