No. 2 Bishop McNamara (MD) wins Nike TOC Cannizzaro Bracket title and moves up Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ rankings; six newcomers slide in

BENSALEM, Pa. – Whenever the December calendar creeps closer to Christmas, the girls’ basketball universe shifts to the Nike Tournament of Champions in Mesa, Ariz.

With several Blue Star Media Elite 25 teams competing for the coveted Vincent Cannizzro or Clare Droesch Bracket chips, it’s a brutal schedule of top games over five days.

Well, No. 2 Bishop McNamara of Forestville, Maryland won the Cannizzaro Bracket on Monday night, beating No. 3 Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.), 61-58, in the final. The Lady Mustangs last won the elite bracket in 2003 when Mike Bozeman was the head coach. The win gave the Lady Mustangs a healthy bump of eight positions in the Elite 25.

No. 4 Westtown School (West Chester, Pa.) went 4-0 and took the Droesch Bracket.

Yet, No. 1 Ontario (Calif.) Christian remains in the top spot after winning two games in Nassau, Bahamas. The Knights are off until Jan. 2 when head north to the Bay Area.

This week, four remained the same; seven teams ascended the rankings, including a plus-8 for No. 2 Bishop McNamara; and eight dropped, with No. 24 Sacred Heart Academy (Louisville, Ky.) dipping 20 positions. At this juncture of the season, crazy movement is the norm and there are six newcomers, with two from Maryland.

Joining the Elite 25 rankings are: No. 10 Bullis School (Potomac, Md.); No. 13 Westlake (Austin, Texas); No. 15 Bradley Central (Cleveland, Tenn.); No. 18 Johnston (Iowa); No. 20 Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.) and No. 22 St. Frances Academy (Baltimore).

Westlake, Johnston and Hopkins are the top-ranked teams in the largest classifications in their respective states.

The post-Christmas frenzy of tournaments and events will continue to help reshape the Elite 25 rankings. Check back for the updates next week.

Well, that’s it for another week. The Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ basketball rankings return Wednesday, Dec. 31.

If you celebrate Christmas, a very Merry Christmas! If you celebrated Hanukkah, we hope your eight days went well. If you recognize Kwanzaa, then have a Happy Kwanzaa filled with family and community!

Happy holidays to all.

Bye for now.

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

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Girls’ Basketball Rankings, Dec. 23, 2025

1. Ontario (Calif.) Christian (14-0)

Previous rank: 1.

Low-down: The Knights won twice in the Bahamas last weekend, knocking off Riverdale Ridge (Thornton, Colo.), 77-47, and then-No. 14 Incarnate Word Academy (Bel Nor, Mo.), 81-43. Up next is Carondelet (Concord, Calif.), a Northern California power, on Jan. 2 at the Sabrina Ionescu Showcase and a second game at the event the following day in Concord.

2. Bishop McNamara, Forestville, Md. (7-2)

Previous: 10.

Low-down: The Lady Mustangs captured the prestigious Nike Tournament of Champions Vincent Cannizzaro Bracket, defeating No. 3 Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.), 61-58, in the final. They last won the TOC’s top bracket in 2003. Junior Dottie Eatmon scored 19 points and Qandace Samuels had 14.

3. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (7-1)

Previous: 3.

Low-down: Finished second in the Nike TOC Vincent Cannizzaro Bracket, dropping the final to No. 2 Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.), 61-58. Kentucky-bound Savannah Swords topped the Lady Crusaders with 14 points and Emily McDonald added 13.

4. Westtown School, West Chester, Pa. (8-2)

Previous: 4.

Low-down: Went 3-1 in the Nike TOC Clare Droesch Bracket.

5. Archbishop Mitty, San Jose, Calif. (9-1)

Previous: 2.

Low-down: Went 3-1 in Nike TOC Vincent Cannizzaro Bracket, placing third-place with a 58-46 win over No. 10 Bullis School (Potomac, Md.). Sophomore forward Maliya Hunter scored 29 points.

6. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (9-1)

Previous: 5.

Low-down: The Trailblazers won two games at the Bahamas Hoop Fest. Up next is four scheduled games at an event Shadow Hills High School in Indio, Calif. in recruiting news, Jerzy Robinson, a top-5 senior, announced she will sign with South Carolina.

7. Montverde (Fla.) Academy (9-2)

Previous: 6.

Low-down: The Eagles carried a seven-game winning streak into the title game of the Cherokee National Invitational in North Carolina on Tuesday.

8. IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. (10-2)

Previous: 8.

Low-down: The Ascenders split two games in Nassau, Bahamas and go again on Jan. 2.

9. Etiwanda, Calif. (9-2)

Previous: 12.

Low-down: Won its first three games at the Tarkanian Prep Classic in Las Vegas, including Clayton Valley Charter (Concord), 64-32. The Eagles finished up the event against Nevada powerhouse Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) on Tuesday.

10. Bullis School, Potomac, Md. (7-3)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: Went 2-2 for fourth place in the Nike TOC Vincent Cannizzaro Bracket in Mesa Ariz. In a 58-46 loss to No. 5 Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.) in the third-place consolation game, senior Adora Nwude, a Fordham recruit, scored 11 points.

11. DME Academy, Daytona Beach, Fla. (12-0)

Previous: 18.

Low-down: DME carries a perfect mark into the New Year.

12. Spire Academy Geneva, Ohio (7-0)

Previous: 19.

Low-down: Coach Mike Dooley’s team has national wins over schools from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Virginia. Up next is Anthony Wayne (Whitehouse, Ohio) on Jan. 12.

13. Westlake, Austin, Texas (20-0)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: The Chaps enter the Elite 25 as Texas’ top-ranked team in Class 6A.

14. St. James Performance Academy, Springfield, Va. (7-3)

Previous: 9.

Low-down: The Strivers won two games last weekend in Nassau, Bahamas. They won’t play again until Jan. 3.

15. Bradley Central, Cleveland, Tenn. (10-0)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: The three-time Tennessee Class 4A champions have opened with a perfect record in 10 games.

16. St. John’s College, Washington, D.C. (6-2)

Previous: 11.

Low-down: The Cadets opened Washington Catholic Athletic Conference play with a 55-51 overtime victory over Elizabeth Seton (Bladensburg, Md.). Up next is three games in the Junior Orange Bowl Girls Classic in Miami.

17. Monsignor Scanlan, Bronx, N.Y. (10-2)

Previous: 21.

Low-down: Went 3-1 in the Nike TOC Vincent Cannizzaro Bracket in Mesa, Ariz.

18. Johnston, Iowa (9-0)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: The two-time Class 5A state champions have a national best 61-game winning streak and are again Iowa’s top team and won’t until Jan. 2 against Valley (West Des Moines).

19. Belleville, Mich. (3-0)

Previous: 25.

Low-down: Michigan’s defending Division I state champions have opened the season with three straight wins and aren’t scheduled to play again until Jan. 3 against Mumford (Detroit).

20. Hopkins, Minnetonka, Minn. (7-1)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: The Royals are Minnesota’s top-ranked Class 4A team. They play Davies (Fargo, N.D.) on Friday and Lakeville North (Minn.) on Saturday in St. Joseph, Minn.

21. Christ the King, Middle Village, N.Y. (4-1)

Previous: 20.

Low-down: Opened league play, beating St. Francis Prep (Fresh Meadows), 76-38. Josie Pinnock scored 23 points.

22. St. Frances Academy, Baltimore (8-2)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: The Panthers enter the Elite 25 after sweeping two New York schools at the Brick City Classic. Up next is the John Wall Holiday Invitational Wonderland Bracket for three games in Raleigh, N.C.

23. Providence Academy, Plymouth, Minn. (5-1)

Previous: 24.

Low-down: Kentucky-bound G Maddyn Greenway is averaging 34.2 points. The Lions travel to Wisconsin for a pair of games next week.

24. Sacred Heart Academy, Louisville, Ky. (7-2)

Previous: 14.

Low-down: The Valkyries split two games at the Kreul Classic in Coral Springs, Fla.

25. Incarnate Word Academy, Bel Nor, Mo. (4-2)

Previous: 17.

Low-down: The Red Devils dropped a pair of games in the Bahamas to Elite 25 teams No. 1 Ontario (Calif.) Christian and No. 9 Etiwanda (Calif.) and return home for a Christmas Tournament at Visitation (Frontenac, Mo.).

Dropped: No. 7 Legion Prep Academy (Dallas); No. 13 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.); No. 15 River Ridge (Woodstock, Ga.); No. 16 Homestead (Fort Wayne, Ind.); No. 22 Lawrence Central (Indianapolis) and No. 23 Lancaster (Texas).

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Princess Anne, Virginia Beach, Va. (7-0)
2. Red Bank (N.J.) Catholic (4-0)
3. St. John Vianney, Holmdel, N.J. (2-0)
4. Rutgers Prep, Somerset, N.J. (3-0)
5. Norwin, North Huntington, Pa. (6-0)

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

Midwest

1. Warsaw, Ind. (13-1)
2. Minnetonka, Minn. (8-0)
3. Arrowhead, Hartland, Wis. (8-0)
4. Benet Academy, Lisle, Ill. (9-1)
5. Pike, Indianapolis (11-1)

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

Southland

1. Summer Creek, Houston (15-2)
2. Hoover, Ala. (13-1)
3. Winter Haven, Fla. (12-2)
4. San Antonio (Texas) Wagner (19-0)
5. North Paulding, Dallas, Ga. (11-1)

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

Far West

1. Tualatin, Ore. (4-0)
2. Clovis West, Fresno, Calif. (13-0)
3. St. Mary’s, Stockton, Calif. (9-0)
4. Democracy Prep, Agassi Campus, Las Vegas (5-2)
5. Pleasant Grove, Utah (11-0)

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

About: The Blue Star Media Elite 25 High School Girls Basketball Rankings are released weekly from mid-November until the conclusion of the high school season. 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, social media and prep sports writers. The final rankings will be released in April of the 2025-26 season. Follow him on X at @clawlor.