THE TIMES’ RANKINGS

The Southland’s top 25 boys’ basketball teams and last week’s ranking in parentheses:

1. Westchester (11-1, CS-Div. I)

Comets’ toughest task Tuesday may be fitting all their fans into Fairfax’s tiny gym. (1)

2. Fremont (13-1, CS-Div. I)

Lions enter Coliseum League play as predators but could end up as prey if they stumble against Crenshaw and Dorsey. (2)

3. Santa Margarita (16-1, SS-Div. II-A)

Eagles haven’t beaten Mater Dei since Serra League opened for business two years ago; they’ll get another chance Friday. (3)

4. Fairfax (15-2, CS-Div. I)

Lions need mental toughness to knock off Westchester. (4)

5. Inglewood (11-2, SS-Div. II-AA)

Not wanting to play Bay League rival Redondo Union twice in two weeks, Sentinels instead play--and beat--Santa Monica. (5)

6. Eisenhower (13-2, SS-Div. I-AA)

Eagles land safely after stretch in which they played 14 of 15 games outside of San Bernardino County. (6)

7. Compton Centennial (13-0, SS-Div. III-A)

Apaches should be a tsunami in the Ocean League. (7)

8. Long Beach Poly (11-2), SS-Div. I-AA)

Jackrabbits frozen mid-hop like an agent in “The Matrix.” (8)

9. Mater Dei (13-4, SS-Div. II-AA)

Monarchs may still be the best team in Orange County even in a down year. (9)

10. Corona Centennial (11-2, SS-Div. II-AA)

Huskies use off week to lick wounds from Mater Dei defeat. (10)

11. Glendora (13-1, SS-Div. I-A)

Tartans edge Claremont by a point thanks to defense that changes faces faster than Chevy Chase in “Fletch.” (11)

12. Muir (15-0, SS-Div. III-A)

Mustangs trying to make it a Sweet 16(-0). (12)

13. Crenshaw (11-4, CS-Div. I)

Cougars have gone 9-1 since opening the season 2-3 in the wake of guard Andre Morgan’s shooting death. (14)

14. King (13-3, SS-Div. II-A)

Marvin Lea has another high-scoring output against Murrieta Valley. (15)

15. El Segundo (13-2, SS-Div. IV-AA)

Dashawn Strong proves tough on the boards with 15 rebounds in victory over Torrance. (17)

16. Capistrano Valley (13-4, SS-Div. I-AA)

Cougars possess the talent to run the table in the South Coast League--but do they have the consistency? (18)

17. Verbum Dei (11-3, SS-Div. IV-A)

The score is right for Eagles in 17-point victory over Price. (19)

18. Lakewood (11-1, SS-Div. I-AA)

If only it was always this easy: Lancers move up two spots in rankings without lacing up shoes. (20)

19. St. John Bosco (16-2, SS-Div. II-AA)

Braves finally have an entry in Serra League race. (21)

20. Loyola (11-3, SS-Div. I-A)

Omar Wilkes’ “smooth” label crumples a bit after three-of-15 shooting performance against Harvard-Westlake. (16)

21. Villa Park (14-2, SS-Div. II-AA)

Spartans were a force--until facing top-tier competition. (13)

22. Harvard-Westlake (13-3, SS-Div. IV-AA)

A Mission League title is possible for Wolverines after victory against Loyola. (NR)

23. Serra (16-2, SS-Div. IV-A)

Cavaliers are cavalier to teams trying to knock them out of rankings. (23)

24. Thousand Oaks (12-3, SS-Div. I-A)

Ben Olson throws three touchdown passes as he goes for 21 points against Westlake. (24)

25. Covina (13-1, SS-Div. III-A)

The Colts, idle last week, sneak into top 25 like a 15-year-old into an R-rated movie. (NR)