No. 21 DeMatha Catholic dominates Whitney Young at Hoophall Classic

DeMatha Catholic (Md.) showed exactly why its among the nation’s top teams on Sunday, dominating Chicago’s Whitney Young en route to a 63-40 win at the Hoophall Classic.

The Stags jumped out an 11-7 lead after a slow first quarter for both teams, which included just seven made baskets between the two. A strong second quarter — buoyed by 8 of 13 shooting and 4 3-pointers — gave DeMatha a 25-15 lead heading into halftime.

After the break, the Stags blew things open in the third quarter, outscoring Whitney Young 20-12 in that frame to extend the lead to 18 heading into the fourth. They led by as many as 24 in the fourth quarter and were on top for more than 26 of the game’s 32 minutes.

2026 guard Ashton Meeks led the way for DeMatha with a game-high 20 points, four rebounds and two assists. He was joined in double-figures for Maryland’s No. 1 team by 2027 PG Jamal McKnight Jr. (16) and Charles Thomas III (11).

But it was their defense that was arguably the most impressive performance of the day. DeMatha held Whitney Young, a perennial Chicago power, to just 41 percent shooting and a 0-for-11 day from behind the arc. DeMatha allowed the Dolphines just three assists compared to 11 turnovers and outrebounded them 38-19 — including a 15-1 edge on the offensive glass.

The Stags came into the week as the No. 21 team nationally in the On3 Composite High School Basketball Rankings and have a chance to move up even further with the victory.

Remaining Hoophall Classic Schedule

The boys basketball schedule for the final twp days of the event can be found below:

Sunday, Jan. 19: Brewster Academy (N.H.) vs. Oak Hill Academy (Va.) – 1 p.m. ET
Sunday, Jan. 19: Long Island Lutheran (N.Y.) vs. Arizona Compass Prep (Ariz.) – 3:15 p.m. ET
Sunday, Jan. 19: Montverde Academy (Fla.) vs. Utah Prep (Utah) – 7 p.m. ET
Sunday, Jan. 19: Highland (Va.) vs. Prolific Prep (Calif.) – 8:45 p.m. ET

Monday, Jan. 20: Gonzaga (D.C.) vs. Roosevelt (Calif.) – 11 a.m. ET
Monday, Jan. 20: Columbus (Fla.) vs. Perry (Ariz.) – 1 p.m. ET
Monday, Jan. 20: Montverde Academy (Fla.) vs. Arizona Compass Prep (Ariz.) – 3 p.m. ET
Monday, Jan. 20: Long Island Lutheran (N.Y.) vs. La Lumiere (Ind.) – 5 p.m. ET

More on the event from the Hoophall Classic website:

“The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s Hoophall Classic annually features the top high school players and teams from around the country. The event is held over the Martin Luther King Day Weekend at Springfield College’s Blake Arena and has hosted NBA Champions and All-Stars, many NBA First Round Draft Picks, College All-Americans and McDonald’s All-Americans.”