Findlay Prep takes over top spot in USA Today hoops rankings

By Rob Miech

Tuesday, March 10, 2009 | 12:09 a.m.

As expected, Findlay College Prep became the No. 1 prep basketball team in the nation this morning when USA Today listed the Pilots atop its Super 25 rankings.

Findlay (30-0) had been second most of the season.

Cliff Findlay, the Las Vegas-area automobile magnate and former UNLV center who started the prep program in honor of his parents three years ago, sent coach Mike Peck a text message on his cell phone this morning.

“USA Today looks good,” Findlay typed. “You guys do a great job.”

Peck is 62-1 as the Pilots’ boss.

“Look at the teams that have been consistently in that poll over the years, the history and tradition they’ve had,” he said. “Then you look at us. We’re still in that start-up phase. We’re just babies, and we’re already able to break through that. That’s pretty amazing, when you think about it and step back.”

Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei had been first, but the Monarchs (30-1) lost to Riverside (Calif.) King in a CIF-Southern Section title game Saturday. That dropped Mater Dei to sixth in Tuesday's poll.

King beat Reseda (Calif.) Cleveland on Monday in the first round of a regional state playoff game to improve to 28-2. USA Today ranked King fifth.

Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill (38-0) is second, Bloomington (Ind.) South (22-0) is third and Elizabeth (N.J.) St. Patrick (25-3) is fourth.

The Pilots finished 30-0 for their second consecutive regular season. A year ago, they won their first two games in the National Prep Championship, in the Bronx, N.Y., before losing the title game to Hargrave Military Academy by two points.

Findlay plays in the National High School Invitational, in North Bethesda, Md., from April 3-5.

USA Today writer Jim Haley, who assembles the poll, called Peck on Sunday to inform him that Findlay would be moving up to “that spot.”

“We’re OK with it,” Peck said. “You can use it either way, as motivation either way. If they didn’t bump us up, you could say they don’t think we’re good enough ... or they had help with Mater Dei losing.

“Now it’s, what does it take to stay at the top of the hill? How are you going to accomplish that? Well, you have to win three in Maryland.”

Findlay took last week off and started preparing for the national tournament this week.

Peck said his eight players had a crisp practice Monday at the Henderson International School, with which Findlay is affiliated, and he expected the same today.

“Our guys are pretty pumped up,” Peck said.