IS OAK HILL ON A LEVEL WITH OTHER HIGH SCHOOL TEAMS?

I've written about it more times than I need to, but I don't know what it's going to take for the rating services to understand that a team with the best players from several different states and foreign countries, who is not eligible to play for a state title, is on an even playing court with high school teams who must abide by strict player and boundary rules. 

I have asked all the pollsters to give me specific reasons why they rate Oak Hill and other schools in the same category with regular high schools.  So far I have had no response.  Heck, I might be the one that's all wrong.  I just need someone to tell me why I'm wrong! 

I don't mean to point directly at Oak Hill Academy, but they are in fact the team that has won more high school basketball championships than any other team.  All anyone has to do is look at the National Champions and the top rated teams year by year to understand my point.  If my memory serves me correctly, this year's Oak Hill team had top players from seven different states and a 6'll" young man from overseas.  In truth, that's almost like having an AAU team during the regular season.

The USA Today poll is the most recognized simply because their paper is read by more people than any other in the country.  I'd like to say that I thought their basketball poll was the best, but I cannot say that.  For the sake of argument however and because they are the most recognized poll in the country, I'll use the USA Today rankings for the past fifteen years as a basis for my argument. 

In the USA Today poll from 1990 through this year, Oak Hill has won four National Championships, including the last two years, finished second twice, third four times and fifth once.  One other year the champion was St. John's Prospect Hall.  Before 1990, teams from Flint Hill Academy were dominant.  Both of those schools were in the same category as Oak Hill. 

Most, if not all of the years they were not in the top five, they finished somewhere in the top ten or fifteen.  That in itself is a phenominal statement.  If any other high school that is governed by state and national regulations had matched that record, you can bet they would be accused of cheating and all sorts of ugly things and would probably have investigators in their school trying to find out what's going on.

This year's Oak Hill team lost two games to traditional schools, but it's easy to understand how they were able to climb back to the top.  Unlike most teams, when Oak Hill falls in the ratings, they don't fall very far.  All the polls recognized Oak Hill with a high rating.  Mentioning the traditional schools, many love to play Oak Hill because they draw crowds and add to the gate receipts.  I can understand that.  Most of the top tournaments would also love to have them as a participant, unless there are schools involved who are restricted from playing the Warriors.

Oak Hill is always the dominate team, but they do not cheat and with their reputation, they don't have to recruit.  They are a legitimate learning institution who happens to always have top players knocking down their doors to get in.  All of us might be amazed at the players Oak Hill has to turn away every year.  Next season they should have an even better team than this year.  With what they have coming back, plus the new players that will be coming in, they'll be back on top in the rankings.  Guaranteed!!  

Without pounding on the subject anymore than I feel I must, I ask you, how fair is that to the thousands of high schools in the country who must abide by strict state regulations including boundary and player restrictions?  I have said this over and over again, I love seeing Oak Hill play. Why wouldn't anyone who loves basketball?  They have skilled, top rated players at every position and they are taught to play as a team.  They have great talent, they're smooth and they are entertaining to watch.

Oak Hill's leader Steve Smith is a quality person and an outstanding coach.  He knows how I feel about the ratings.  I really like the guy as most others do and this article is not meant to be personal or intended to criticize him, his staff or his players.  They wouldn't deserve that! 

There is a place in this country for schools like Oak Hill who help youngsters to better their grades or to get qualified for their college future, regardless if they play basketball or not.  I am also aware that many public schools are not up to par, but that again is not the point.  Oak Hill is not in the same category as the school down the street as they and obviously the other pollsters would have you to beleive. 

Maybe the other pollsters think I'm nuts or something.  They're good people who work hard to do a good job and I consider all of them my basketball friends.  I just don't agree with them and I'm sure at times they don't agree with me.  Again, all I would really like to have is their reasoning in regard to the Oak Hill type teams.  It appears however, that is not going to happen. 

Am I going to worry about it? No!  Am I going to keep making noises about it? Yes!  Will it do any good? Looking at it realistically, probably not!  If the people in charge of the polls are not going to live in the real world in regard to this subject, then there is absolutely no way that I alone can ever make anything happen or see any changes made.  End of story!!