RAMBLE ON! No. 11 Loyola Academy (IL) rises up in Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ basketball rankings; MLK Weekend events reshuffles 22 teams

BENSALEM, Pa. – Now that the Dr. Martin Luther King Weekend has concluded, the national girls’ basketball scene can exhale.

There was a greater national presence this year at the Spalding Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Massachusetts with four teams from the Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ rankings playing on the ESPN family of networks, including a big-time matchup between No. 2 Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.) and No. 7 Etiwanda (Calif.) Monday morning on ESPN2. That’s progress.

No. 6 Morris Catholic (Denville, N.J.), No. 9 Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.) and regionally ranked Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) also made TV appearances over the five days from Springfield College’s iconic Blake Arena.

With all the events from coast to coast, the Elite 25 rankings did not have any additions. Although there are a handful of teams teetering on the brink. A.K.A. the dreaded drop zone. The coming weeks will be the deciders especially with regular seasons in states such as Florida, Indiana and Alabama nearing the finish line. However, a majority of the nation has at least five weeks left before entering postseason tournaments.

This week the Top-3 teams in the Elite 25 remained the same, five dropped and 17 saw some advancement. The biggest mover was No. 11 Loyola Academy (Wilmette, Ill.) up eight. No. 24 Clark (San Antonio) dropped 12 slots, No. 25 Cardinal O’Hara (Springfield, Pa.) and No. 20 DME Academy (Daytona Beach, Fla.) both went down 11 and No. 9 Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.) dipped five.

No more passes next time. Losses are not an option.

If you look at the Top-6 teams from the Elite 25, the MLK Weekend demonstrated their dominance and lofty ranking against top-notch foes. We’ve addressed the teams such as Archbishop Mitty, LuHi, Montverde Academy, Westtown School, Sierra Canyon School and Morris Catholic, but there’s a quickly rising squad from Illinois.

Introducing No. 11 Loyola Academy, with a perfect 22-0 record.

The Ramblers, No. 1 in the Associated Press Illinois Class 4A rankings, are the class of the Girls Catholic Athletic Conference League Red Division with a 6-0 mark heading into Thursday’s showdown with Mother McAuley (Chicago) with first place on the line. After that coach Jeremy Schoenecker takes his team downstate to Richwoods (Peoria) Friday and then to the Quad City Shootout Saturday and a date with Geneseo inside historic Wharton Field House in Moline.

Loyola is experienced, having reached the sectional final with a 28-7 record a year ago, and added an all-state transfer, 5-7 G Aubrey Galvan (from Deerfield)—one of the Midwest’s top recruits. She and Cornell-bound G Paige Engels both surpassed 1,000 career points this season. Senior Kelsey Langston and sophomore Clare Weasler see significant minutes in one of the most demanding schedules in Chicagoland.

In Louisville, Ky., the Raatz Fence/O’Shea’s Classic is back at Mercy High School this weekend. There are two games scheduled for Friday and seven more on Saturday, starting at 9 a.m. Two of the feature games are George Rogers Clark (Winchester, Ky.) vs. Pickerington (Ohio) Central at 2 p.m., followed by No. 8 Incarnate Word Academy (Bel Nor, Mo.) vs. Sacred Heart Academy (Louisville) at 3:30 in a meeting of reigning state champions.

No. 14 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) hosts the Ascender Classic on Friday and Saturday. It’s a good mix of in-state schools, top girls’ teams and IMG’s teams.

In Philadelphia, the Maggie Lucas Classic is set for all-day Sunday at Jefferson University’s Gallagher Center. All the schools are from the Philadelphia or the suburbs except where denoted. Games will be played simultaneously on side-by-side courts.

There are at least four games of note but the feature attraction is No. 3 Westtown School taking on Archbishop Wood, a powerhouse program from the Philadelphia Catholic League, at 6 p.m.

The lineup:

 Court 1
10:30 a.m.: Great Valley (Malvern) vs Mount Saint Joseph (Flourtown)
12 p.m.: Lansdale (Pa.) Catholic vs Academy Notre Dame de Namur (Villanova)
1:30 p.m.: Perkiomen Valley (Collegeville) vs Archbishop Carroll (Radnor)
3 p.m.: Haverford vs Abington
4:30 p.m.: No. 25 Cardinal O’Hara (Springfield) vs Life Center (Burlington, N.J.)
6 p.m.: No. 3 Westtown School (West Chester) vs Archbishop Wood (Warrington)

Court 2
10:30 a.m.: West Catholic (Philadelphia) vs Upper Dublin (Fort Washington)
12 p.m.: Audenried (Philadelphia) vs Sanford (Hockessin, Del.)
1:30 p.m.: Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia) vs Episcopal Academy (Newtown Square)
3 p.m.: Friends Central (Philadelphia) vs Ursuline Academy (Wilmington, Del.)
4:30 p.m.: Penn Charter (Philadelphia) vs Neshaminy (Langhorne)
6 p.m.: Germantown Academy (Fort Washington) vs Council Rock South (Holland)
7:30 p.m.: Pennsbury (Fairless Hills) vs Conwell-Egan (Fairless Hills)

Elsewhere, USA Basketball announced last week the USA men’s and women’s rosters and coaching staffs for the 2024 Nike Hoop Summit. The 25^th Nike Hoop Summit is scheduled for April 13, at Moda Center in Portland, Oregon.

The 2024 USA Men’s Nike Hoop Summit roster features several players from the Blue Star Media Elite 25 rankings.

Here are the rosters for both teams. The international rosters will be released at a future date.

The Nike Hoop Summit will air live on FS1 with the women’s game tipping at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT and followed by the men’s game at approximately 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Additionally, the McDonald’s All American Games voting is done and the boys’ and girls’ rosters will be revealed on Jan. 23. The game is slated for Houston’s Toyota Center. We’ll have the coverage as soon as it is made available.

The Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ rankings will return on Jan. 24.

Be sure to follow us on X at @clawlor. Have a great week.

Hope to see you at a game soon. – Christopher Lawlor

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Girls’ Basketball Rankings, Jan. 17, 2024

1. Archbishop Mitty, San Jose, Calif. (14-0)

Previous rank: 1.

The Low-down: The Monarchs defeated Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland), 66-18, at the MLK Classic in Oakland, after racing to a 22-3 after one quarter. In West Catholic Athletic League play, the Monarchs defeated St. Francis (Mountain View), 83-27, and Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep (San Francisco), 75-42. Last week, UConn-bound G Morgan Cheli surpassed 1,000 points for her career.

2. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (12-1)

Previous: 2.

The Low-down: The Crusaders defeated Rutgers Prep (Somerset, N.J.), 77-55, at the Rose Classic Super Jam in Brooklyn. Elsewhere, G Kaleigh Heckel posted a triple-double with 24 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists and C Kate Kowal had 32 points and 10 boards to beat No. 7 Etiwanda (Calif.), 82-62. Up next is New Jersey powerhouse St. John Vianney (Holmdel) on Saturday.

3. Montverde (Fla.) Academy (17-1)

Previous: 3.

The Low-down: At the St. James Classic in Springfield, Va., the Eagles ripped off three impressive wins.

4. Westtown School, West Chester, Pa. (12-2)

Previous: 5.

The Low-down: The Moose defeated Deleone Catholic (McSherrystown, Pa.), 67-30, and McDonogh School (Owings Mills, Md.), 74-58. In Friends League play, coach Fran Burbidge’s team beat Shipley School (Bryn Mawr, Pa.), 95-48.

5. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (19-1)

Previous: 6.

The Low-down: Defeated Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks), 121-35, and Alemany (Mission Hills), 90-33, in Mission League play. Also beat Francis Parker (San Diego), 91-36, as super sophomore Jerzy Robinson poured in a game-high 34 points and was credited with 9 rebounds and 4 assists and Louisville-signee MacKenly Randolph had a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds; and Birmingham (Lake Balboa), 87-47.

6. Morris Catholic, Denville, N.J. (12-0)

Previous: 7.

The Low-down: Defeated Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), 64-48, at the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass. Junior G Mia Pauldo contributed 30 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 assists and her twin sister, Mya, added 17 points. Also edged powerhouse Bethany (Okla.), 67-63, at the St. James MLK Classic in Virginia. The Pauldos teamed for 45 points and nine 3-pointers in Virginia.

7. Etiwanda, Calif. (16-3)

Previous: 8.

The Low-down: At the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass., the Eagles split two games. Before leaving for the East Coast, the Eagles won two games in the Baseline League.

8. Incarnate Word Academy, Bel Nor, Mo. (13-0)

Previous: 10.

The Low-down: The Red Knights stopped Mater Dei (Breese, Ill.), 61-39, and Lutheran St. Charles (St. Peters, Mo.), 74-52, stretching the win streak to 113 games.

9. Sidwell Friends, Washington, D.C. (9-2)

Previous: 4.

The Low-down: In league play, the Quakers beat Holy Child (Potomac, Md.), 63-24, and

Flint Hill (Oakton, Va.), 70-20. They lost to No. 7 Etiwanda (Calif.), 71-56, but stopped Sacred Heart Academy (Louisville, Ky.), 53-48.

10. Mansfield Timberview, Arlington, Texas (28-1)

Previous: 11.

The Low-down: Texas’ top-ranked Class 5A team moved to 10-0 with two more wins in District 8-5A play.

11. Loyola Academy, Wilmette, Ill. (22-0)

Previous: 19.

The Low-down: In league play, the Ramblers defeated Trinity (River Forest), 70-37, and Fenwick (Oak Park), 55-21. Also beat Batavia, 59-49, and Lake Central (St. John, Ind.), 51-39, at Coach Kipp’s Hoopfest. Junior G Aubrey Galvan poured in a career-high 32 points against Batavia, one of the state’s top Class 4A teams. The schedule takes the Ramblers to Peoria and Moline this weekend.

 12. Grayson, Loganville, Ga. (17-0)

Previous: 14.

The Low-down: Georgia’s top-ranked Class 7A team toppled No. 14 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), 73-56, and Norcross (Ga.), 59-37. Up next is South Gwinnett (Snellville) Friday and McEachern (Powder Springs) Saturday.

13. Purcell Marian, Cincinnati (16-1)

Previous: 15.

The Low-down: In Grove City, Ohio, the Cavaliers defeated Example Academy (Frankfort, Ill.), 74-24, and Fort Erie (Ont.) International Academy, 68-41, at the MLK Showdown. In the latter game, Dee Alexander pumped in 22 points. Also stopped Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy (Cincinnati), 80-25, as Alexander scored 33 points and Ky’Aira Miller added 15.

14. IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. (17-2)

Previous: 13.

The Low-down: The Ascenders went 1-1 in two games against Georgia competition. They beat St. Francis (Alpharetta, Ga.), 62-45.

15. Duncanville, Texas (22-3)

Previous: 17.

The Low-down: Defeated Mansfield, 74-33, and Skyline (Dallas), 84-41. The Pantherettes had a District 11-6A showdown Tuesday with No. 21 DeSoto.

16. Hebron Christian Academy, Dacula, Ga. (15-2)

Previous: 18.

The Low-down: Defeated Georgia schools Oconee County (Watkinsville), 67-29, Hart County (Hartwell), 70-32, and Stockbridge, 82-36.

17. Bradley Central, Cleveland, Tenn. (16-1)

Previous: 20.

The Low-down: Defeated Howard Tech (Chattanooga), 92-20, and Walker Valley (Cleveland, Tenn.), 72-17.

18. Bolingbrook, Ill. (18-2)

Previous: 21.

The Low-down: Defeated Maine South (Park Ridge), 64-47, at Coach Kipp’s Hoopfest in Lisle, Ill, capping a 3-0 week. Sophomore G Trinity Jones, one of the nation’s top players from the Class of 2026, surpassed 1,000 career points.

19. Lawrence Central, Indianapolis (20-1)

Previous: 22.

The Low-down: Defeated Lawrence North (Indianapolis), 54-51. Three games are left in the regular season.

20. DME Academy, Daytona Beach, Fla. (14-2)

Previous: 9.

The Low-down: Upended by Lake Highlands Prep (Orlando), 61-60, but bounced back with a 72-39 win over Dream City Christian (Glendale, Ariz.). Olivia Schmitt scored 14 points and Tahj Bloom 10 in the win. In a loss to LHP, DME was hit with a technical foul after the buzzer when students prematurely rushed the court in celebration. Apparently, officials wanted to add time on the clock but had no choice but access the technical. LHP hit both technical free throws to erase the one-point deficit.

21. DeSoto, Texas (15-5)

Previous: 23.

The Low-down: Defeated Cedar Hill, 74-53, and Mansfield Lake Ridge, 68-29. The Panthers hosted district rival and No. 15 Duncanville Tuesday.

22. Hazel Green, Ala. (21-4)

Previous: 24.

The Low-down: The Lady Trojans went 3-0 last week, including a 66-38 win over Immaculate Conception (Montclair, N.J.) at the St. James MLK Invitational in Springfield, Va. Alabama-bound F Leah Brooks was the game’s Most Valuable Player after putting up 21 points, 14 rebounds, 3 steal and 3 blocks. Two weeks remain in the regular season.

23. Bishop McNamara, Forestville, Md. (13-3)

Previous: 25.

The Low-down: In the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference, the Mustangs beat Bishop Ireton (Alexandria, Va.), 64-56, and Good Counsel (Olney, Md.), 75-71. Also beat Sacred Heart Academy (Louisville, Ky.), 66-60, at the St. James MLK Classic in Springfield, Va. The Mustangs were scheduled to play St. John’s College (Washington, D.C.) Tuesday in a league showdown.

24. Clark, San Antonio (22-2)

Previous: 12.

The Low-down: Lost to San Antonio Brandeis, 65-59, in double overtime.

25. Cardinal O’Hara, Springfield, Pa. (11-1)

Previous: 16.

The Low-down: Lost to league rival Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.), 45-32. Last week’s game with Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia) was rescheduled to Saturday. The Lions remain in the Elite 25 for now.

Dropped: None.

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Thomas Dale, Chester, Va. (12-0)
2. Oakland Catholic, Pittsburgh (16-0)
3. St. John’s College, Washington, D.C. (11-3)
4. Rutgers Prep, Somerset, N.J. (10-3)
5. Conestoga, Berwyn, Pa. (13-0)

Geography: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia.

Midwest

1. Hamilton Southeastern, Fishers, Ind. (17-1)
2. Johnston, Iowa (13-0)
3. Minnetonka, Minn. (13-0)
4. West Bloomfield, Mich. (7-0)
5. Pickerington (Ohio) Central (13-2)

Geography: Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Southland

1. Lake Highlands Prep, Orlando, Fla. (13-4)
2. Grace Christian, Sanford, N.C (18-0)
3. Fort Bend Austin, Sugar Land, Texas (25-1)
4. Wesleyan, Norcross, Ga. (13-2)
5. Putnam City West, Oklahoma City (11-0)

Geography: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.

Far West

1. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (15-6)
2. Sage Hill School, Newport Beach, Calif. (15-2)
3. Ontario (Calif.) Christian (16-3)
4. Clackamas, Ore. (6-2)
5. Xavier College Prep, Phoenix (16-3)

Geography: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

Records through Monday’s games.

About: The Blue Star Media Elite 25 Girls High School Basketball Rankings are released weekly from December until the conclusion of the high school season in April. Criteria considered are the quality of the team and its players, strength of schedule, tradition, and quality of the team’s league, conference, region or district. The rankings are compiled by Blue Star Media’s Christopher Lawlor, who consults with a national network of coaches, talent evaluators and prep sports writers. The final rankings will be released at the conclusion of the season. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @clawlor.