It has been called the greatest league in the country, one that regularly churns out Division I players. But it has become evident that, much like my 2001 Ford Taurus, the CHSAA boys basketball league desperately needs a tuneup.

The CHSAA realigned prior to this season with St. Agnes and Monsignor Scanlan moving up to the ;A’ division. That left four teams — Cathedral Prep, Blessed Sacrament, Sacred Heart and Salesian — to compete for the ‘B’ title. Sixteen teams will vie for the ‘A’ title, and nine (not including Staten Island, which is its own headache) will contend for the ‘AA’ championship.

But the reality is, the actual list of contenders is much smaller. Iona Prep returns four starters from a team that went 26-2 a year ago and is the clear-cut favorite to repeat as ‘A’ champ. Bishop Ford played in the Class A intersectional final for two consecutive years and was expected to be there again this March before highly touted junior forward Kamari Murphy bolted for Lincoln.

Why did he leave? More exposure, a higher level of competition.

Could Iona Prep, Bishop Ford and Mount St. Michael survive in the mighty Class AA? The Gaels would be in the upper tier this year and, as the lone Westchester team in that league, would no doubt attract the type of talent necessary to survive.

Bishop Ford would be just fine, too. The Falcons probably would still have Murphy, who has received interest from a bevy of Division I schools, on their roster. And Mount, with its strong academic tradition, surely would continue to attract quality student-athletes.

The difference between the upper echelon of the ‘A’ and the lower half of the ‘AA’ is negligible. In fact, Class A has fared quite well early in the season against the supposedly superior ‘AA,’ going 3-2 in non-league games.

Adding Iona Prep, Ford and Mount would strengthen the ‘AA,’ increasing the number of teams in the CHSAA’s highest level to 12. Perhaps then the lesser teams — St. Francis Prep and Archbishop Molloy — would have a chance to win some league games.

But is that the answer? Adding more teams to the ‘AA?’ The top-tier teams in the ‘A’ argue they cannot compete, on and off the court, with Rice, Christ the King and Bishop Loughlin on an annual basis.

That’s why the ‘AA’ whittled down in the ’90s, why teams like LaSalle, Bishop Ford, St. John’s Prep, McClancy and Cardinal Hayes moved down after Power Memorial and Tolentine shuttered doors.

The same argument could be made for St. Francis Prep and Archbishop Molloy, though. The Terriers haven’t won a league game in two years and their best prospect this year is splitting with Molloy, which hasn’t been able to attract enough top-notch talent since the school went co-ed in 2000 to be considered a powerhouse.

The Stanners last won the Class AA title in 1987 when a player by the name of Kenny Anderson roamed the hallways in Briarwood.

Holy Cross and Xaverian? Solid programs, no doubt, but championships have been hard to come by for both. St. Raymond’s has been ravaged by transfers, eight in the past two years, and All Hallows, which has struggled the past few seasons before a semifinals berth last year, hasn’t won the intersectional title since 1985.

There’s a reason Christ the King has made four straight appearances in the Class AA title game and Rice has claimed seven crowns in the past 16 years.

If St. Francis Prep and Molloy dropped to the ‘A,’ six teams would remain in the ‘AA’ – Christ the King, Rice, St. Raymond’s, All Hallows, Xaverian and Holy Cross – creating a super league of sorts, the second possible scenario.

That would also strengthen the ‘A; league, especially when St. Agnes, Scanlan, Regis, Fordham Prep, Nazareth and St. Edmund Prep move down, creating an actual citywide ‘B’ league rather than a four-team division.

Would either of these scenarios strengthen the CHSAA, create more balance and competitive schedule throughout its three leagues? Definitely. Would the schools’ principals and athletic directors sign off? Doubtful. Although it would certainly be better than the status quo.

The CHSAA could again be the best league in the country, but there needs to be tweaks. The cracks need to be sealed. The oil needs to be changed.

dbutler@nypost.com