High School

Top 10 Washington D.C. Boys High School Basketball Rankings - Feb. 16, 2026

Gonzaga Prep rises up to No. 3 and Dunbar returns to the DC Top 10 at No. 7.

Gary Adornato, Derek Toney

Dunbar has fought its way back into the D.C. Top 10 rankings, at No. 7 this week after improving to 19-4.
Dunbar has fought its way back into the D.C. Top 10 rankings, at No. 7 this week after improving to 19-4. / Dunbar DC Athletics

The postseason is underway in the District of Columbia as Saint John’s College again has the No, 1 spot in this week’s High School on SI D.C. boys basketball Top 10.

The Cadets who’ll complete Washington Catholic Athletic Conference play Monday against Bishop Ireton (Va.) have qualified for the postseason tournament that begins Saturday with quarterfinal matches at Gallaudet University. The semifinals are Sunday at American University, which will host the title game Monday Feb. 23.

No. 2 Sidwell Friends School is the top-seed for the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament. The Quakers will play Saint James School (Md.) or Maret School in the semifinals Thursday. The championship is Saturday on the home court of the highest seed team.

Gonzaga College, Archbishop Carroll and Friendship Technology Prep complete the Top 5. Gonzaga and Carroll will also compete in the WCAC tourney. 

The D.C. public semifinals are Thursday. No. 6 Jackson-Reed hosts No. 8 Calvin Coolidge in a semifinal while No. 7 Paul Laurence Dunbar travels to No. 9 Theodore Roosevelt.in the other semifinal. The winners play Saturday at Coolidge for the DCIAA crown. 

Here’s this week’s High School on SI District of Columbia boys basketball Top 10:

1. SAINT JOHN’S COLLEGE 

Previous rank: No. 1

Record: 20-7

The Cadets defeated Saint Mary’s Ryken (Md.) and Bishop McNamara (Md.) after a 70-64 loss to nationally-ranked and Virginia No. 1 Saint Paul VI Catholic.

2. SIDWELL FRIENDS SCHOOL

Previous rank: No. 2

Record: 18-6

The Quakers lost to Potomac School (Va.) after victories over Flint Hill School (Va.) and Maret School.

3. GONZAGA COLLEGE 

Previous rank: No. 4

Record: 17-11

The Eagles lost to Our Lady of Good Counsel (Md.) after a 71-69 win over then-No. 3 Archbishop Carroll.

4. ARCHBISHOP CARROLL

Previous rank: No. 3

Record: 20-11

The Lions defeated Bishop Ireton (Va.) after losses to then-No. 4 Gonzaga College and Bishop Denis J. O’Connell (Va.)

5. FRIENDSHIP TECHNOLOGY PREP 

Previous rank: No. 5

Record: 16-10

The Titans defeated Paul Public Charter International and Friendship Collegiate Academy.

6. JACKSON-REED 

Previous rank: No. 6

Record: 19-8

The Tigers defeated Ron Brown, 82-44, in the District of Columbia Interscholastic Athletic Association (DCIAA) quarterfinals.

7. PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR

Previous rank: Not ranked

Record: 19-4

The Crimson Tide defeated Bard in the DCIAA quarterfinals after a 75-70 victory over then-No. 7 Calvin Coolidge.

8. CALVIN COOLIDGE 

Previous rank: No. 7

Record: 20-5

The Colts defeated McKinley Tech after a loss to Paul Laurence Dunbar.

9. THEODORE ROOSEVELT 

Previous rank: No. 8

Record: 27-4

The Rough Riders defeated Benjamin Banneker, 83-62, in the DCIAA quarterfinals after a loss to No. 6 Jackson-Reed. 

10. KIPP D.C. LEGACY COLLEGE PREP

Previous rank: No. 9

Record: 22-2 

The Bulldogs defeated SEED School, Washington Leadership Academy and KIPP College Prep. 

Published
Gary Adornato
GARY ADORNATO

Gary Adornato is the Senior VP of Content for High School On SI and SBLive Sports. He began covering high school sports with the Baltimore Sun in 1982, while still a mass communications major at Towson University. In 2003 became one of the first journalists to cover high school sports online while operating MIAASports.com, the official website of the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association. Later, Adornato pioneered market-wide coverage of high school sports with DigitalSports.com, introducing video highlights and player interviews while assembling an award-winning editorial staff. In 2010, he launched VarsitySportsNetwork.com which became the premier source of high school media coverage in the state of Maryland. In 2022, he sold VSN to The Baltimore Banner and joined SBLive Sports as the company's East Coast Managing Editor.

Derek Toney
DEREK TONEY

Derek Toney is an award winning sports journalist with nearly four decades of content creation, editing and management experience in the DMV area. He has served as a reporter with the Baltimore Sun, Capital Journal, PG Gazette, Digital Sports and the Baltimore Banner, among others. He also spent 12 years as a Senior Content Editor with Varsity Sports Network. He has been writing for High School on SI since 2023

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