Every year MaxPreps decide its high school boys basketball national champion at the end the season based on the body of work over the course of the year.
Some years, a true champion rises above the rest. Some years, there's no clear No. 1.
It appeared the upcoming GEICO Nationals would determine this year's national championship on the court, top-ranked McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) dropped out after the initial field was released.
While this year it will be more difficult to determine a national champion without the top-ranked Indians, we dreamed up an easier way to determine a national champion.
Inspired by the commencement of the NCAA Tournament, we present our own field of 68.
Putting together a 68-team high school field
• Using the MaxPreps Top 25 and MaxPreps
Computer Rankings, the highest-ranked champion from all 50 states earns
an automatic bid. The District of Columbia State Athletic
Association champ
also earns an invite, bringing the total to 51 automatic bids.
• Using the aforementioned set of rankings as a guide, 17 additional
teams earn an at-large invite.
• Unlike the NCAA Tournament, participants are clustered geographically and seeded within respective regions. (Hence our South Region features 11 of the top 30 teams in this week's national rankings.)
Automatic bids
Alabama: Mountain Brook (Birmingham), Class 7A champion
Alaska: Dimond (Anchorage),
Projected Class 4A championArizona: Shadow Mountain (Phoenix), Class 4A champion
Arkansas: Marion, Class 6A champion
California: Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth), Open Division champion
Colorado: Lewis-Palmer (Monument), Class 4A champion
Connecticut: East Catholic (Manchester), Class I champion
Delaware: Sanford (Hockessin), DIAA champion
District of Columbia: Sidwell Friends, DCSAA Champion
Florida: University (Fort Lauderdale), Class 5A champion
Georgia: McEachern (Powder Springs), Class AAAAAAA champion
North Carolina: South Central (Winterville), Class 4A champion
North Dakota: Thompson, Class B champion
Ohio: Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati),
Projected Division 1 championOklahoma: Washington (Tulsa), Class 6A champion
Oregon: Jesuit (Portland), Class 6A champion
Pennsylvania: Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia),
Projected Class 4A championRhode Island: North Kingstown, RIIL champion
South Carolina: Dorman (Roebuck), Class 5A champion
South Dakota: Tea, Class A champion
Tennessee: Bearden (Knoxville), Division I AAA champion
Texas: Duncanville, Class 6A champion
Utah: American Fork, Class 6A champion
Vermont: St. Johnsbury Academy (St. Johnsbury), Division 1 champion
Virginia: St. Stephen's & St. Agnes (Alexandria), VISAA Division 1 champion
Washington: Gonzaga Prep (Spokane), Class 4A champion
West Virginia: Chapmanville Regional (Chapmanville), Class AA champion
Wisconsin: Nicolet (Glendale), Division 2 champion
Wyoming: Kelly Walsh (Casper), Class 4A champion
At-large bids (listed alphabetically):
