HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – Eight better be enough as the Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ basketball rankings received jolt over the past month. Since launching the preseason rankings before Thanksgiving, the Elite 25 have marinated and now there’s a healthy shakeup.
Eight additions highlight the mid-December rankings as the holiday tournament and event schedule is going full throttle. High-profile tournaments and events in Florida, California, Arizona, Illinois, Texas, Delaware, District of Columbia South Carolina and Georgia will add to the fresh Elite 25 rankings when we come back on Jan. 3, 2018.
Meanwhile, I’m in Florida for three events and will release the final Elite 25 football rankings on Dec. 26.
Check back regularly at www.bluestarmedia.org for staff updates from Nike Tournament of Champions and other holiday events. We will keep you abreast of anything breaking in the girls’ basketball world.
We hope to see you at a game soon. Have a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year! – Christopher Lawlor
Blue Star Media Elite 25 Girls’ Basketball rankings, Dec. 20, 2017
1. Riverdale, Murfreesboro, Tenn. (10-0)
Previous: 1.
Low-down: The Lady Warriors take a 52-game win streak into the Nike Tournament of Champions this week in Arizona.
2. St. John’s College, Washington, D.C. (5-0)
Previous: 2.
Low-down: The Cadets average margin of victory is more than 26 points in five starts.
3. St. Mary’s, Stockton, Calif. (6-0)
Previous: 3.
Low-down: The Rams, like many of the nation’s elite, is playing this week in the Nike TOC Joe Smith Bracket in Arizona.
4. Duncanville, Texas (19-1)
Previous: 4.
Low-down: The Pantherettes are Texas’ top-ranked Class 6A squad and host the Sandra Meadows Memorial Tournament after Christmas.
5. Archbishop Mitty, San Jose, Calif. (5-0)
Previous: 5.
Low-down: Coach Sue Phillips’ team has taken care of five northern California opponents but will need to step up their game this week at the Nike TOC.
6. Hamilton Heights Christian, Chattanooga, Tenn. (10-1)
Previous: 6.
Low-down: The Lady Hawks play No. 11 North Central (Indianapolis) on Friday.
7. Christ the King, Middle Village, N.Y. (4-0)
Previous: Not ranked
Low-down: The Royals took down area rivals Long Island Lutheran (Brookville), 47-45, a team they see in the State Federation Class AA tournament in March. They play this week at the prestigious Cresmon Bank Invitational in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
8. Winter Haven, Fla. (9-0)
Previous: Not ranked
Low-down: Coach Johnnie Lawson’s team recorded three impressive victories at She’s Got Game Classic, including two over nationally ranked squads. Next up is the Florida Prospects Christmas Invitational on Dec. 28 in Orlando.
9. Canyon, Texas (12-0)
Previous: Not ranked
Low-down: The Eagles defeated Amarillo, 47-38. The return to the Mansfield Spring Creek Barbecue Invitational after Christmas for a big-time tournament.
10. Centennial, Las Vegas (5-0)
Previous: Not ranked
Low-down: After winning the Iolani Classic in Honolulu, the Lady Bulldogs are off to the Nike TOC this week in Arizona and the Las Vegas Holiday Classic starting on Dec. 27 for three more games.
11. North Central, Indianapolis (13-0)
Previous: Not ranked
Low-down: The Panthers are Indiana’s clear cut No. 1 team after beating then-No. xxxx Carmel, 66-58.
12. Paul VI, Fairfax, Va. (6-1)
Previous: 12.
Low-down: The Panthers lost on opening day to No. 7 Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.), 46-45, but have won six straight.
13. Riverdale Baptist School, Upper Marlboro, Md. (5-1)
Previous: 13.
Low-down: Coach Mike Bozeman takes his team to the Nike TOC this week in Arizona.
14. Franklin, Somerset, N.J. (0-0)
Previous: 14.
Low-down: New Jersey’s State Tournament of Champions winner opened the season on Tuesday against powerhouse Rutgers Prep (Somerset) and will play instate powers St. John Vianney (Holmdel) and Rumson-Fair Haven after Christmas.
15. Hopkins, Minnetonka, Minn. (7-0)
Previous: 15.
Low-down: The early season game of the year in Minnesota is Dec. 29 against regionally ranked Eastview (Apple Valley) at the Holiday Hoops Classic. Super sophomore Paige Bueckers is averaging 25.3 points per game.
16. Mercer County, Harrodsburg, Ky. (5-1)
Previous: 16.
Low-down: The Titans lost opening night to top-ranked Riverdale (Murfreesboro, Tenn.), 77-60, but rebounded to win five straight before tripping to the Naples (Fla.) Holiday Shootout after Christmas.
17. Salesian, Richmond, Calif. (2-0)
Previous: Not ranked
Low-down: The Pride will play four high-level games at the Nike TOC John Anderson Division this week in Arizona and back home the following week for the West Coast Jamboree.
18. Edison Public School Academy, Detroit (3-0)
Previous: Not ranked
Low-down: The Pioneers have blown out three opponents, most recently Bishop Noll (Hammond, Ind.), 76-27. They face Martin Luther King (Detroit) on Dec. 27 in the Detroit Public Schools Showdown and then are off to Indiana for two tournament games in Hammond.
19. Mesquite, Gilbert, Ariz. (11-0)
Previous: Not ranked
Low-down: Arizona’s top-ranked Conference 5A squad hosted the prestigious Nike TOC Joe Smith Division first-round game against North Little Rock (Ark.) on Tuesday. The final is Friday.
20. Princess Anne, Virginia Beach, Va. (7-1)
Previous: 20.
Low-down: The Cavaliers are the main local draw at Boo Williams Christmas Tournament next week.
21. Collins Hill, Suwanee, Ga. (8-1)
Previous:
Low-down: Following Christmas coach Brian Harmon’s team heads to State Farm Class In Murfreesboro (Tenn.) for three games, including a showdown with No. 1 Riverdale.
22. Incarnate Word Academy, Bel-Nor, Mo. (5-1)
Previous: 22.
Low-down: The Red Knights went 1-1 at the She’s Got Game Classic in the Washington, D.C. area last weekend and will next play in the Visitation Christmas Tournament.
23. Montini Catholic, Lombard, Ill. (13-1)
Previous: 23.
Low-down: The Lady Broncos host the Montini Christmas Tournament featuring the top teams from the Chicagoland starting in Dec. 27 but must get past rivals Mother McAuley (Chicago) on Thursday.
24. Maryknoll, Honolulu (13-1)
Previous: 24.
Low-down: Hawaii’s top-ranked top went 2-1 in the Iolani Classic earlier this month and close out their schedule with mostly instate competition.
25. Baldwin, N.Y. (0-1)
Previous: 25.
Low-down: The Bruins opened the season losing to No. 2 St. John’s College (Washington, D.C.), 63-41, but have a chance at redemption on Tuesday against Port Washington. Long Island’s top team features at least five Division I players, most notably Georgia-bound, 5-11 wing Donnetta Johnson.
Dropped out: Mallard Creek, Charlotte, N.C.; Cypress Ranch, Cypress, Texas; Derby, Kan.; Miami (Fla.) Country Day; New Hope Academy, Landover Hills, Md.; Mount Notre Dame, Cincinnati; Carmel, Ind.; and McEachern, Powder Springs, Ga.
High-Fives by Region
East
- Bishop McNamara, Forestville, Md. (5-0)
- North Allegheny, Wexford, Pa. (4-0)
- St. Frances Academy, Baltimore (4-2)
- Rutgers Prep, Somerset, N.J. (1-0)
- Manasquan, N.J. (1-0)
Geography: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia.
Midlands
- Edwardsville, Ill. (9-0)
- Canton (Ohio) McKinley (6-0)
- Appleton (Wis.) North (5-0)
- Eastview, Apple Valley, Minn. (6-0)
- Carmel, Ind. (13-1)
Geography: Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
South
- North Little Rock, Ar. (6-0)
- Southeast, Raleigh, N.C. (10-0)
- Hoover, Ala. (12-0)
- Scared Heart Academy, Louisville, Ky. (5-1)
- Cibolo (Texas) Steele (19-3)
Geography: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
Far West
- Windward School, Los Angeles (6-1)
- Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (4-0)
- Southridge, Beaverton. Ore. (4-1)
- Central Valley, Spokane, Wash. (4-0)
- Clackamas, Ore. (3-0)
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 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 and prep sports writers. The final rankings will be released in April. Follow him on Twitter at #clawlor.
Senior Writer and national analyst for Blue Media and compiles the Blue Star Elite 25 national boys and girls high school basketball and football rankings during the season. Lawlor, an award-winning writer, is a voting committee member and advisor for several national high school events, including the McDonald’s All-American Games. He previously wrote for USA TODAY and ESPN.com, where he was the national preps writer, while compiling the national rankings in four sports.
