This past weekend was full of action-packed games in the High School Season. The weekend featured a little bit of everything: a surprise championship Run at Bass-Pro by Paul VI, several high-level NIBC clashes, and some great matchups from teams from all over the continent at Spalding Hoophall.

Our team at The Circuit has followed these developments closely and have been doing some high-level research into this exciting season. We are excited to share this research we have compiled in the High School Circuit Score.

The goal of The Circuit Score is to determine which team, based on results, is the most likely to win on any given night. The Score is a power ranking with extra focus put on the context of each game. For example, a team is rewarded in TCS for playing well at established events (such as Hoophall and Bass Pro), winning by a large margin, and overall performance against quality opponents in the top 75 of TCS.

The extent of these bonuses are measured on a sliding scale. Each opponent that any individual team plays is cross referenced off of their rankings in TCS and the appropriate calculation is performed. Similarly, each event that any teams play in is run through TCS and graded based off of the quality of the opponents at the events. A true away win can also net a squad an additional bonus. All of this calculation is done by our team at The Circuit to add high-level analysis to the 1800+ contests that we have studied.

Volume 1 of The Circuit Score is to the right:

*Please note that a team has to have 10 games played to be included in the calculation.

Montverde had a stranglehold on the top spot of TCS for much of the season, as they boasted a high-level tournament win at teh City of Palms and was dominant in NIBC play against other Top 25 opponents. However, head coach Luke Barnwell and Sunrise Christian have quietly been moving up the standings. They made a national statement with their double digit win over Montverde, showing they belong in any conversation for teams that could win Geico Nationals. TCS heavily weighs head-to-head matchups, and this victory elevated Sunrise Christian into one of the top dogs of TCS while bringing Montverde back to the pack a little bit. Similarly, IMG Academy boasts a strong head-to-head record against Montverde winning both of their matchup against the Eagles and find themselves at #4 on TCS.

There is a heavy NIBC presence in the top 25, as the conference brings an SEC Football-like strength of schedule in its conference play. Top to bottom, this conference has some of the best teams in the country, and even a team in Wasatch - who come into today tied for last in NIBC conference play - played TCS#2 Sunrise Christian to a one point game this past weekend. Even a team like TCS#8 Oak Hill Academy has shown they can play with the top dogs of the conference, defeating IMG Academy in the semifinals of the City of Palms Classic. As predicted coming into the season, several NIBC teams have a realistic case for the top team in high school hoops.

Outside of the NIBC, two teams have jumped out with impressive starts. Link Academy has made a statement that they belong in the national conversation. They have ripped off 24 straight wins to start their season. Boasting 5-star talents in Julian Phillips and Jordan Walsh, Link can compete with any team in the country.

AZ Compass is another team that  is proving to be an emerging powerhouse in the west coast. They vaunt impressive size and athleticism as their average height stands at an impressive 6’6. They are one of the deepest teams in the country and are a team that has a shot at getting some hardware at Geico this spring.

Several public schools make their way into TCS Top 25, featuring the Duncanville Panthers rounding out the top 10, overall. The Panthers have three wins over the Top 25 including a one-point victory over TCS #1 Montverde. Duncanville’s lone loss comes at the hand of fellow Texas and TCS ranked public school in Richardson, who have shown that they have the talent to play with the top teams in the country as well. 

Richardson has one of the most impressive victories on the year: a 61-38 drubbing of TCS #3 AZ Compass. Gonzaga College won their first 10 games of the season including an impressive double-digit victory over rival DeMatha, but fell to TCS #8 Oak Hill Academy at Hoophall.

This year in high school basketball closely mirrors the college basketball landscape, as it is a wide-open field for the championship. While Montverde comes into the first rankings with the early lead in the clubhouse, there is still an exciting couple of months ahead of us and a lot of games left to be played. The Circuit will follow each result closely and keep you updated on who is making moves down the stretch.