Category: Top 20 Boys Basketball

Baltimore Catholic League champ St. Frances headlines strong field; 4A state champ Perry Hall finishes No. 8

After a rare losing season (16-18) in 2016-17, St. Frances Academy rebounded in a huge way this winter, dominating the MIAA A Conference and Baltimore Catholic League. The Panthers are No. 1 in the final VSN Boys' Basketball Top 20 of the 2017-18 campaign.

The East Chase Street school won its first Baltimore Catholic League Tournament championship since 2009, finished with 36 victories (36-7 overall), most by an area squad since Mount St. Joseph (38-1) in 2006. The Panthers finished seventh at the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament last weekend at Frostburg State University.

MIAA A Conference champ John Carroll School, Mount St. Joseph, Poly and Boys' Latin School, which made a surprise run to the MIAA A final, rounds out the Top 5. Poly won its second straight Class 3A state title last weekend at the University of Maryland.

Class 1A state champ Dunbar, 3A runner-up Milford Mill Academy, Perry Hall, St. Vincent Pallotti and Gerstell Academy completes the Top 10. Perry Hall claimed its second consecutive 4A state championship last weekend with a stirring come-from-behind decision at the Xfinity Center, capping a Baltimore title sweep.

The Gators, Poly, St. Frances and John Carroll each spent time at No. 1 this season. Gerstell, which won its first MIAA B title, was not ranked in the VSN preseason Top 20, along with City College, Dundalk, C. Milton Wright, Oakland Mills and Century.

Pictured above: After winning 36 games and a record eighth Baltimore Catholic League Tournament championship, St. Frances Academy is No. 1 in the final VSN Boys' Basketball Top 20.

Here is the final VSN Boys' Basketball Top 20 for the 2017-18 season:

VSN BOYS BASKETBALL TOP 20 - FINAL POLL

1. SAINT FRANCES ACADEMY (36-7)

Last week's rank: #1

Preseason rank: #5

Last week: The Panthers defeated Bishop Walsh, 92-71, for seventh-place at the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament at Frostburg State University after losses to No. 3 Mount St. Joseph (71-58; consolation) and northern Virginia's Bishop O'Connell (82-73; quarterfinal).

BALTIMORE CATHOLIC LEAGUE CHAMPION & MIAA A CONFERENCE SEMIFINALIST

2. JOHN CARROLL SCHOOL (30-8)

Last week's rank: #2

Preseason rank: #4

MIAA A CONFERENCE CHAMPION & BALTIMORE CATHOLIC LEAGUE SEMIFINALIST

3. MOUNT SAINT JOSEPH (31-8)

Last week's rank: #3

Preseason rank: #2

Last week: The Gaels lost St. Maria Goretti, 58-46, for sixth-place at the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament at Frostburg State, after defeating No. 1 St. Frances Academy (71-58) in the consolation bracket and lost to Gonzaga College (DC), 74-67, in the quarterfinals.

BALTIMORE CATHOLIC LEAGUE FINALIST & MIAA A CONFERENCE SEMIFINALIST

4. POLY (22-6)

Last week's rank: #5

Preseason rank: #3

Last week: The Engineers won their second straight Class 3A state championship with a 49-47 victory over No. 7 Milford Mill Academy at the University of Maryland, following a 63-46 win over Worcester County's Stephen Decatur in the semifinals.

CLASS 3A STATE CHAMPION & BALTIMORE CITY DIVISION I CHAMPION

5. BOYS' LATIN SCHOOL (25-7)

Last week's rank: #4

Preseason rank: #13

MIAA A CONFERENCE FINALIST

6. DUNBAR (26-3)

Last week's rank: #6

Preseason rank: #8

Last week: The Poets won the Class 1A state title, defeating Prince George's County's Fairmont Heights, 59-48, in the final at the University of Maryland after a 69-43 win over Washington County's Clear Spring in the semifinals.

CLASS 1A STATE CHAMPION & BALTIMORE CITY DIVISION I FINALIST

7. MILFORD MILL ACADEMY (21-4)

Last week's rank: #7

Preseason rank: #17

Last week: The Millers lost to then-No. 5 Poly, 49-47, in the Class 3A state final at the University of Maryland after a 68-59 victory over Thomas Johnson in the semifinals.

CLASS 3A STATE FINALIST

8. PERRY HALL (22-6)

Last week's rank: #12

Preseason rank: #1

Last week: The Gators won their second straight Class 4A state title, defeating Prince George's County's Bladensburg, 56-52 in the final at the University of Maryland after an 85-62 victory over Montgomery County's Gaithersburg in the semifinals.

CLASS 4A STATE CHAMPIONS

9. SAINT VINCENT PALLOTTI (23-11)

Last week's rank: #9

Preseason rank: Not ranked

MIAA A CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALIST

10. GERSTELL ACADEMY (20-10)

Last week's rank: #10

Preseason rank: Not ranked

MIAA B CONFERENCE CHAMPION

11. LAKE CLIFTON (22-5)

Last week's rank: #14

Preseason rank: #10

Last week: The Lakers won the Class 2A state championship, defeating Caroline County's North Caroline, 63-55, in the final at the University of Maryland, following a 68-61 victory over Frederick County's Oakdale in the semifinals.

CLASS 2A STATE CHAMPIONS