by Alex Schwartz

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages, it is time. I have gone through the teams ranked 11-100 in my National Preseason High School Top 100 as well as some other notable programs. To check out the schools that have already made the list view the previous four parts of the rankings (76-100 and other notables, 51-75, 31-50, and 11-30). Now I will be releasing my top 10, the best of the best high school basketball teams in America. These teams, from all over the country, features some of the elite players in the country from all four classes.

Once again, it is important to keep in mind that prep schools are not considered for these rankings, and thus elite squads such as Notre Dame Prep (MA), Hotchkiss School (CT), NIA Prep (NJ), St. Thomas More (CT), and Winchendon (MA) are not eligible to make the list. Now, without further ado, take a look at the nation's cream of the crop when it comes to high school basketball teams for the 2009-2010 season, the top 10 teams in America:

1. St. Patrick's (NJ)
Led by the best player in the nation regardless of class, 6'7 small forward Michael Gilchrist '11 (pictured), the Celtics will begin the season ranked as the #1 team in the nation and as the heavy favorite to repeat as the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions winner. It by no means all about Gilchrist, a highly skilled do-it-all wing with a high motor and  a winning attitude, though. Kyrie Irving '10 is one of the elite players in America and the 6'2 future Duke Blue Devil gives you everything you want in a point guard. In addition to being a great distributer and defender, Irving can score from anywhere on the floor, whether it is off the bounce or from beyond the arc. Gilchrist and Irving form the best duo on any team in the country, which is what gives Kevin Boyle's squad the edge for the top spot.

The Celtics have a lot of talent on the roster in addition to the elite pair on the perimeter. Western Kentucky-commit Derrick Gordon '11 is a big-time scorer and a great athlete on the wing. UMBC-signee Chase Plummer '10 is a hard-working combo forward who will have to play as an undersized post player for the Garden State's finest. The final starter is Kevin Boyle, Jr. '10, a small combo guard whose range extends well beyond the three-point line. The Celtics boast arguably the best sixth man in the country in 6'7 wing Julian Washburn '10, a transfer from #69 Duncanville (TX) who is the son of former NBA player Chris Washburn who is being recruited at the high-major level. Also coming off the bench are 6'6 wing and Wagner-signee Josh Daniell '10, 6'1 point guard Jarrel Lane '11, and one of the best freshman in the country, the team's tallest player, Austin Colbert '13. Kevin Boyle will also have guards Rich Dobin '10, Kevin Seabrook '10, and Dennis Green '12 as well as big man Chris Washburn '12 and wing Jason Boswell '13 as insurance if need be.

The fact that the Celtics have a rich tradition, a winning mentality, and arguably the best coach in the country, should not at all be overlooked. This team knocked off some elite AAU programs over the summer despite not having Gilchrist and Gordon, and has a chance to be the best team in St. Patrick's history. Although the Celtics enter the season as the #1 team in the nation, it will not be an easy title to maintain. The shoes of Dexter Strickland '09 (North Carolina), Paris Bennett '09 (George Mason), and Dean Kowalski '09 (Columbia) will be tough to fill, and there are a handful of elite teams that will be breathing down the Celtics' neck all season, and they have matchups with the teams ranked #2, #3, and #4.

2. Findlay Prep (NV)
The Pilots have taken the country by storm over the past two seasons, posting a 65-1 record during Head Coach Michael Peck's two years at the helm. As a prep school in 07-08, Findlay Prep went 32-1, losing by two to Hargrave Military Academy (VA) in the Prep National Championships title game. Last year, led by Avery Bradley '09 (Texas), the squad went 33-0 and was the unanimous #1 ranked team in the country, defeating previously undefeated Oak Hill Academy (VA) in the title tilt of the inaugural National High School Invitational. Yes, Bradley, DJ Richardson '09 (Illinois), Victor Rudd '09 (Arizona State), Carlos Lopez '09 (UNLV), and Isaiah Grayson '09 (Virginia Commonwealth) are gone, but the Pilots lost a lot after the previous year and came back even better. This year's squad will be led by an elite inside/outside tandem of Texas-signee Tristan Thompson '10, a 6'9 power forward, and 6'3 point guard Cory Joseph '10 (pictured), two of the best seniors in America. Thompson is a bouncy athlete with great size, while Joseph is a sturdy scorer and floor general.

Thompson and Joseph, both originally from Canada, will have a great deal of help from a deep team that is filled with high-major talent. Godwin Okonji '10, provides even more size in the low post and is one of the four seniors on the roster, along with Marko Petrovic '10, a sharpshooter who is the nephew of the late Drazen Petrovic, an NBA Hall of Famer. Petrovic will not be a starter though, as the Pilots have two big-time juniors on the roster who will at the 2 and the 3 in Jabari Brown '11 and Nick Johnson '11. Brown comes from a state title team at Salesian (CA), so he is a proven winner, while Johnson is a tremendous athletic specimen. Also on the roster are one of the top sophomores and one of the top freshmen in America. Winston Sheppard '12 is a gifted basketball player and has a great size on the wing, while Nigel Williams-Goss '13 has a chance to be a special player and will back up Joseph. Deekeba Battee Aston '12 is another talented player who will provide depth for the squad in the post.

Once concern about Findlay Prep is that almost all of these players are new to the squad, with most of them recently transferring in. The Pilots have dealt with this before though, and did not lose last year in a similar situation, so Coach Peck knows how to handle the boatland of new talent. Speaking of talent, Findlay Prep may well have the most talent from top to bottom on any squad in the country. If the players can mesh, and they likely will do so, the Pilots will be extremely dangerous. The biggest competition for St. Patrick's the top spot, the two teams will square off on January 18th, 2010 in what will be a game that will likely decide the national champion.

3. Oak Hill Academy (VA)
The Warriors have done what they do, which is not rebuild after losing a ton of talent, but rather reload with more big-time ballers. Keith "Tiny" Gallon '09 (Oklahoma), Glenn Bryant '09 (Arkansas), Lamont "MoMo" Jones '09 (Arizona), Austin Alecxih '09 (UNC-Asheville), and Chasen Campbell '09 have moved on, but Head Coach Smith brought in a plethora of elite players to the decade's most dominant program. Roscoe Smith '10, a 6'8 wing, is one of the top seniors in America and the athletic wing is the headline transfer, but Dayton-signee Juwan Staten '10 might be the most important. A true point guard, Staten will run the offense for the team that finished last year at #2 in the land. Martins Abele '10 adds major size in the paint to the program, as the 7-footer will have a size advantage nearly every time he steps on the court. The other addition is Keith Hornsby '11, a knockdown shooter.

This squad will be able to go eight deep without losing all that much, and of those players, Hornsby is the only one who is not a senior, so the group clearly has a lot of experience. Two of the squad's three best players are returnees from last year's bunch. Doron Lamb '10 (pictured), a 6'4 guard who can really score the ball, is the top player on the roster and the native New Yorker should have a great senior season. Syracuse-signee Baye Moussa Keita '10, a 6'10 center, is a top-notch defensive player, a quality rebounder, and his offensive arsenal is coming along rapidly. Keita and Abele will for a huge interior duo that will be tough for any team to match. The other player who is expected to get playing time is Marco Porcher-Jiminez '10, another player who is back from last yea's team. He will provide quality depth on the wing.

OHA has a well-rounded roster, with talent at the guard, forward, and post positions. Much like #2 Findlay Prep, the transfers will have to work well together, but Steve Smith has been running the elite program this way for years and it usually works. Although the Warriors begin the season a notch below the top two teams in the nation, it is this group from the Old Dominion State that has the best chance to keep St. Patrick's and Findlay Prep from the national crown.

4. St. Benedict's (NJ)
It is all about the depth of the roster for Danny Hurley's Newark program. The only team in the country that can match the depth of #2 Findlay Prep, the Gray Bees are flat-out loaded. Although from a pure talent standpoint, the roster might not be quite as good, there is still some top-notch players in the mix, led by 6'1 point guard and Texas-commit Myck Kabongo '11 (pictured), a native of Canada. Kabongo is a speedy scorer at the 1, and he is the standout player for a group that lost a fair amount of talent from last season. Tristan Thompson transferred to #2 Findlay Prep in the middle of the season after being dismissed from the team, Tamir Jackson '09 (Rice) and Lamar Patterson '09 (Pitt) graduated, while Tavon Sledge '11 transferred to #46 Half Hollow Hills West (NY). The school did bring in two talented transfers for this year though, in the form of Wil Martinez '11 from Puerto Rico and Arizona-commit Sidiki Johnson '11 from the Big Apple. Johnson is the team's second best player and is a 6'7 combo forward who is great in the post, rebounds, and can step away from the hoop a bit too.

Along with Kabongo and Johnson as key players will be Temple-signee Aaron Brown '10, Mike Poole '10, JP Kambola '10, Gilvydas Biruta '10, and Blaise Mbargorba '11 all but the last of whom are not only skilled, but are experienced seniors. Brown is a 6'5 wing who can really score the basketball and has a high IQ on the court. Poole, a 6'5 wing, is a big-time athlete and another gifted socrer. Kambola, 6'10, and Biruta, 6'8, are big men who are still developing, but both of them will should have a big impact in the paint. Mbargorba is 7'1, runs the floor well, and works hard, but he still has a long way to go. Johnson, Kambola, Biruta, and Mbargorba give the Gray Bees four players at 6'7 or taller. Andris Misters '11 and Marcello Kambola '12 will provide depth for the team.

The Gray Bees were demolished by in-state rival #1 St. Patrick's last year, but with a distinct size advantage, they match up well with the school from Elizabeth. Danny Hurley's bunch would love to be a roadblock in the Celtics' quest for a national championship, and a second ever win over St. Pat's would make this team tops in the state. There was a lot of turmoil in the St. Benedict's program last year, and that will need to be behind the players and coaches for the Gray Bees to stay in the top five. While there is definitely a gap between #3 Oak Hill Academy and St. Benedict's, this is a team that could certainly surprise some people.

#5 Northland (OH)
This is the elite public school team in America, and it is led by the best big man in the country, 6'8 power forward Jared Sullinger '10 (pictured), who has signed with Ohio State. Sullinger, a thick post player, is an overpowering presence in the paint and he is a bona fide winner. Northland won the state championship last season, and Sullinger was a key reason why. The future Buckeye will dominate every big man he faces this year and has a shot at being the national player of the year. Although he is certainly an elite talent, basketball is not a one on one sport, and Sullinger has a lot of help on the roster, which includes three other future high-major Division I players, all of whom can really ball.

Sullinger's main help will be from his AAU teammate JD Weatherspoon '10, a 6'6 small forward who will also stay in Columbus and play for Thad Matta next season. Weatherspoon has great size on the perimeter, is a gifted athlete, and has great chemistry with Sullinger, as the duo play together year round. The lone seniors from the team's big four, Sullinger and Weatherspoon will also be counted upon to lead the team as it jumps from a quest for state supremacy to a quest for national supremacy. Penn State-commit Trey Burke '11 is the lone stud guard on the roster, so he could end up being the key to the team's success in many ways. Burke will have to run the offense effectively and it will be his job to get the ball to Sullinger as often as possible. Jalen Robinson '12, a 6'7 big man, will be important too, as he will make it difficult for opponents to double-team—or in some cases, triple-team—Sullinger, as he is a great talent in his own right in the paint. If Robinson is left alone, he will wreak havoc down low.

This team does not have the depth of many of the other elite teams in the country, and much like the drop off between #2 and #3 and then #3 and #4, Northland is a bit behind #4 St. Benedict's, but that does not mean the squad cannot defeat some of those more highly-touted groups. Sullinger, Weatherspoon, Burke, and Robinson form a big-time combination that will be hard to stop and they may well be motivated to represent the Midwest and public schools all over, as programs of both type have a tendency to be overlooked on a national level.

#6 United Faith Christian Academy (NC)
A defending state champion after knocking off Word of God Academy (NC) on a buzzer beater, this team is led by a pair of class of 2010 high-major signees and two of the nation's elite sophomores. Ian Miller '10 (pictured), who is headed to Florida State in the fall, is the most well-known player on the roster, and for god reason. The 6'0 combo guard is a prolific scorer and a quality athlete who can also distribute the rock. Miller, who hit that shot to beat WOG, might be the headliner of the team, but he has three post players who will provide a lot of help. Missouri-bound Kadeem Green '10 is a 6'8 power forward who is one of a trio of quality 6'8+ ballers on the roster. The other two are the aforementioned sophomores, in 6'8 Hanner Perea '12 and 7'0 Peter Jurkin '12. Both of them are considered to be amongst the top players in America in their class, especially amongst bigs. Jurkin has great size, something you cannot teach, and he has skill to go along with it, while Perea is gifted in his own right.

Although the four key players include a guard and three post players, there are a couple of wings who should be overlooked. Tevin Friday '10 adds experience to the table, while Allerik Freeman '13 brings nice size and a wealth of talent. That duo gives UFCA, who will be pushed for the top spot in the Tar Heel State by #16 Christ School, an attack that includes talent at all spots. Friday and Freeman will need to be at their best though, as they are not quite at the same level as the other quartet. Nonetheless, even when they may be a bit off, Miller, Green, Jurkin, and Perea are talented enough to carry the squad on most occasions. The interior trio will be almost impossible to handle for almost all teams, so that is an advantage the group boasts.

While this team does not get as much national recognition as the five ranked above it, United Faith Christian Academy has a lot of talent on the roster, and that will lead to a lot of wins. The team lost just one key member of last year's squad in Blake Smith '09, who is now playing at Radford. Even though Miller is the team's top baller right now, this team may well be carried by its plethora of top-notch big men.

#7 Montverde Academy (FL)
Despite opening the season as the #7 team in the country, Montverde Academy will be pressed by #14 Providence School, #27 Pine Crest, #32 Sagemont School, and #33 Winter Park for the top spot in the state of Florida, which is loaded with superb players and teams. What makes this bunch special is that it is led by a pair of big-time wings and a duo of talented big men, all four of whom are seniors. In addition, two of the team's next three players are in the class of 2010, meaning that the squad has a lot of experience and leadership in the fold, both of which are vital to success at any level in any sport. Jamail Jones '10, a 6'6 wing who has signed with Marquette, and 6'5 small forward James Bell '10 (pictured), a Villanova-signee, are easily the team's top two players, and although they have similar position, their games greatly vary. Jones is an elite shooter who can really fill it up from three-point land, while Bell is a amazing athlete with a solid all-around game. They will be counted upon to lead this team.

Boston College-signee Papa Damba Ndao '10, a 6'8 power forward, and Harvard-bound 7'1 center Ugo Okam '10 are the main men in the post for the Sunshine State program. Although both of them are still developing, Ndao and Okam have size that will be extremely important, not to mention their skills on the block. Okam, though not quite as highly-touted as the future BC Eagle, may end up as the more important player due to his phenomenal height. The 7-footer will not face many players of his stature, so he will be counted upon to clean up on the glass. Along with Jones and Bell on the wing is under the radar 6'6 Hakur Palsson '10, a skilled player in his own right who will ease the burden on that duo. The other senior who makes up the half dozen 2010 ballers is Kaleb Clyburn, who is not particularly well-known, but can really play. Although undersized, Clyburn can really score the ball, but he likely will be more of a distributor on a team with this many scoring threats. The lone non-senior that will have an impact in the main rotation is Michael Avery '12, a wing who was committed to Kentucky at one point and is a top-notch athlete.

With four players on the wing along with a pair of nice big men and a skilled guard, Montverde Academy is a force to be reckoned with.
The team did lose four key players from last season though, in Ruslan Pateev '09 (Arizona State), Ron Chubb '09 (Auburn), Nick Diatta '09 (Towson), and Cincinnati-bound Justin Jackson '10 (transfer to #66 Arlington Country Day School in FL). There is definitely talent in place to replace those players though. Kaleb Clyburn will need to lead the team from the guard spot and facilitate the offense effectively, and if he does, this is a team that has a chance to make a lot of noise.

#8 Bellaire (TX)
There are many, many big-time squads in Texas, but Bellaire is the best of them all, though #17 Yates, #29 Cedar Hill, #30 Grace Prep, #35 Lincoln, and #37 DeSoto will all push for that label. Last year the preseason #1 team in America came from the Lone Star State in Duncanville (ranked #69 here), a team that vastly underachieved en route to loing double-digit games and falling short of a state title. Bellaire does not look to be a group that will do that though. Of its top seven players, six of them are seniors, while Duncanville featured just three of its top six as seniors. Interestingly enough, the best player on this team just might be its big-time junior, Texas-bound Sheldon McClellan '11 (pictured), a guard with a lot of talent. He will have a half dozen seniors to look up to.

Bellaire returns all of its key players from last season, so this year should be even better. There are a pair of skilled 6'7 power forwards that the squad will be able to rely on for buckets in the paint as well as rebounds. Tobi Oyedi '10, a future Texas A&M Aggie, is the bigger name of the two. A skilled 4 man who cleans up on the glass, he will team with Western Kentucky-signee Kene Anyigbo '10, a big bodied and rugged post player. That duo, along with McClellan and Texas Tech-bound Jamel Outler '10, a talented guard, are the four players who will carry the team. In addition, Joe Okafor '10, who is headed to Oklahoma State for football, provides even more size on the interior, so post play should not be an issue. Jonathan Evans '10 and Sebastian Douglas '10 are not high-major prospects, but they have talent and provide depth at the guard spot.

With four players headed to four different Big XII schools, including three bound for in-state basketball programs in the conference, it will be interesting to see if any rivalry develops, though it is highly unlikely. In fact, if it does, it may even turn out to be a good thing as it will provide motivation. Regardless of where the players are headed, Bellaire has a lot of talent in the program and may give #5 Northland a run for the top public school in the country.

#9 Taft (CA)
An influx of talent via transfer has vaulted Taft into the top 10 nationally as well as the #1 spot in the state of California, a spot that will be heavily contested by #15 Mater Dei and #19 Westchester. In addition, Taft will compete with #8 Bellaire and #5 Northland, amongst others, for the title of the best public school team in the nation. A lot of the squad's success will rest on the shoulders of three players in USC-bound Bryce Jones '10 (pictured), Texas-commit DeAndre Daniels '11, and Kevin Johnson '11. Both Daniels and Johnson were amongst the transfers that have come to the school. Jones, a skilled wing and a great talent. In addition, the future Trojan is the leader of the pack, though he has some competition from Daniels for the label as the best player. Daniels is one of the best players in the class of 2011, having reclassified—he is still in his fourth year of high school, which is why Taft is eligible—and he is a big small forward at 6'8 with good skill. As for Kevin Johnson, he is another one of the best players in the junior class, and the big man has a high skill level to go along with his height.

Jordan Gathers '10, the nephew of the late Hank Gathers who starred at Loyola Marymount, is another one of Taft's five key players, and he clearly has basketball genes. In addition, he is also a guard who can really play. The other main man for the Golden State squad is Landon Drew '12, an undersized point guard who is the younger brother of North Carolina sophomore starting point guard Larry Drew, so he too comes from a hoops family. Jones, Daniels, Johnson, Gathers, and Drew will not have all that much help from the bench this year, so they will need to put the team on their collective shoulders. As a unit their talent is undeniable, it will just be a matter of whether or not the transfers and returnees can mesh together.

A team filled with talent and basketball blood, Taft has a chance to be special. In fact, this is a squad that can definitely climb up this list if things click, but nothing is a given. One thing that is really good for the team is that its big five will all be able to basically play close to their natural positions, which will help the ballers feel comfortable. The only key players to replace are a pair of guards in Justin Hawkins '09 (UNLV) and Michael Williams '09 (San Francisco). Mater Dei and Westchester got all the publicity from the state last year, but looking at Taft's roster, it seems that this team might be getting most of the attention in 2009-2010.

#10 Montrose Christian (MD)
A traditional national powerhouse, Stu Vetter's team will lose six key players from last year's top 10 team in Mouphtaou Yarou '09 (Villanova), Isaiah Armwood '09 (Villanova), Dadrian Collins '09, Dominic Milburn '09, Micah Fraction '09, and T. Jordan Omogbehin '11 (transfer). Although this means a lot of size (Yarou, Armwood, Collins, Omogbehin) as well as some solid guard play (Milburn, Fraction) is gone, there is a lot of talent on the 2009-2010 roster nonetheless. The addition of Duke-signee Josh Hairston '10 (pictured), a 6'7 power forward, will end up being huge. A skilled and hard-working player, Hairston brings a winner's mentality as well as a lot of skill to the table for Montrose Christian. In fact, he is probably the best player on the team, though the best prospect is Justin Anderson '12, a 6'5 small forward who is one of the best players in his class as well as one of the best athletes in the nation regardless of class. Anderson is certainly a big-time talent, but he relies a lot on his athletic ability and his overall game is still developing, so he should not be relied upon to carry the team, though that likely will not be the case come next. Luckily for Maryland's top team—#11 DeMatha is hot on their heels for that title—Anderson will not need to be the go-to guy.

Along with Hairston is another future ACC player in 6'6 small forward Terrence Ross '10. Orginally from the state of Oregon, Ross is headed to Maryland next year. A skilled player with a solid frame, Ross is one of the better seniors in the country. He and Hairston form a big-time duo and when you add in Anderson it becomes an elite trio. This will not be a team based solely around three players though. Native New Yorker LeBrent Walker '12 joins the fold and he is another sophomore who is well-regarded on a national level and has a lot of talent. Also, Tyler Hubbard '11 and Jordan Roach '11 should be able to fill the void left by Milburn and Fraction and might end up being better. This team is at least six deep, and despite all of the key departures from last year's bunch the ballers currently a part of the program can really play and should pick up a lot of the slack.

Indeed it will be difficult to replace the players who have gone, but Montrose Christian is more than capable of doing so. Anderson will take on a much bigger role this year after having a year of high school ball under belt. Ross, Roach, and Hubbard are all program returnees so they know how things work. Hairston and Walker bring in a lot of skill to the team, with Hairston as a player who gets the best out of those around him. Another player or two may well need to step up so there is more depth, but there is no denying the talent level of the team.

I will have a recap of the National Preseason High School Top 100 coming soon, where I will have an overview of the teams by state and such, as well as the complete listing of the rankings in one post. Stay tuned for that.

Note- photo at the top is of Tristan Thompson; all photos are from http://scouthoops.scout.com/