Eight players from Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ rankings named McDonald’s All-Americans; No. 5 Montverde Academy (FL) ascends six spots after big weekend

BENSALEM, Pa. – There is plenty of movement in the Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ basketball rankings. With less than a week left in the month of January two teams in particular made significant advances.

No. 4 Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.) moved up three spots after winning the GEICO High School Girls Invitational on its home court last weekend. No. 5 Montverde (Fla.) Academy vaults six after defeating Elite 25 teams Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.) and No. 24 Morris Catholic (Denville, N.J.). Only four teams were static this week with 19 on the move. No. 11 Long Island Lutheran and No. 19 La Jolla (Calif.) Country Day dipped seven spots apiece after loses.

Morris Catholic and No. 25 Johnston (Iowa) remain in the Elite 25 despite losing but that trend needs to stop.

No. 21 Edmond (Okla.) North and No. 23 The Webb School (Bell Buckle, Tenn.) join the Elite 25. Edmond North is Oklahoma’s top-ranked Class 6A team and Webb had an impressive showing at the GEICO Invitational.

As we’ve said previously, Indiana and Florida will conclude regular seasons this week.

We also have the 24 girls that were named 2023 McDonald’s All-American listed in alphabetical order:

K.K. Arnold, Germantown (Wis.); Sofia Bell, Jesuit (Portland, Ore.); Madison Booker, Germantown (Miss.); Zoe Brooks, St. John Vianney (Holmdel, N.J.); Addy Brown, Derby (Kan.); Essence Cody, Valdosta (Ga.); Breya Cunningham and Jada Williams, La Jolla (Calif.) Country Day; Aalyah Del Rosario, The Webb School (Bell Buckle, Tenn.); Jadyn Donovan, Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.); Milaysia Fulwiley, Keenan (Columbia, S.C.); Hannah Hidalgo, Paul VI (Haddonfield, N.J.); Kymora Johnson, St. Anne’s-Belfield (Charlottesville, Va.); Tessa Johnson, Saint Michael Albertville (Minn.); Amanda Muse, Heritage (Menifee, Calif.); Riley Nelson, Bullis School (Potomac, Md.); Courtney Ogden, Westminster School (Atlanta); Laila Reynolds, Shabach Christian Academy (Landover, Md.); Emma Risch, Palm Bay (Melbourne, Fla.); Taliah Scott, St. Johns Country Day (Fla.); Ashlynn Shade, La Lumiere School (La Porte, Ind.); Juju Watkins, Sierra Canyon School (Chatsworth, Calif.); Mikaylah Williams, Parkway (Bossier City, La.) and Sahara Williams, Waterloo (Iowa) West.

The nation’s elite 24 boys and 24 girls will be revealed on Tuesday afternoon in the NBA Today on ESPN.

This year the games are scheduled for Houston on March 28, with the girls game at 6:30 p.m. and the boys game at 9 p.m. The girls game will air on ESPN2 and the boys on ESPN.

Congratulations to all the selections; it’s quite an accomplishment.

The Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ rankings will return on Feb. 1.

Holy smokes, it’ll be February and that means the postseason.

Stay safe.

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

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Girls’ Basketball Rankings, Jan. 25, 2023

1. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (21-0)

Previous rank: 1.

Low-down: The Trailblazers won twice in the Mission League the nation’s top-ranked player Juju Watkins sitting out with an ankle injury. Junior forward MacKenly Randolph pumped in 31 points with 11 rebounds and 4 assists and junior guard Izela Arenas added 19 points in a 69-56 win over Harvard-Westlake (Studio City). Randolph’s first of two double-doubles last week featured 24 point and 14 boards in a 70-44 triumph over Marlborough (Los Angeles). Four games remain in the regular season.

2. Incarnate Word Academy, Bel Nor, Mo. (15-0)

Previous: 2.

Low-down: The Red Knights won twice at the Raatz Fence/O’Shea’s Classic in Louisville, Ky., and stretched the win streak to 83 games. Illinois State-recruit Brook Coffey provided 14 points on four-pointers, 7 assists and 6 rebounds in a 60-48 win over No. 20 Sacred Heart Academy (Louisville), 60-48. Annie Potts had 19 points and 9 rebounds in a 77-65 triumph at Mercy (Louisville). Nine games are left in the regular season.

3. St. John Vianney, Holmdel, N.J. (18-0)

Previous: 3.

Low-down: It was a busy week for the Lady Lancers who won five games. North Carolina State-bound and McDonald’s All All-American Zoe Brooks scored 27 points and the Lady Lancers defeated Saddle River Day, 76-45. In Shore Conference, the Lady Lancers defeated Matawan, 70-13, Long Branch, 75-31, and Freehold Borough, 90-27.

4. Sidwell Friends, Washington, D.C. (14-2)

Previous: 7.

Low-down: Won the GEICO High School Girls Invitational on their home court, defeating The Webb School (Bell Buckle, Tenn.), 52-50. Duke-bound Jadyn Donovan’s layup with :00.6 left won it. Khia topped the Quakers with 12 points. In the semifinals, the Quakers bounced then-No. 18 Conway (Ark.), 66-56. Donovan, who netted her 1,000th career point in the first quarter, finished with 16.

5. Montverde (Fla.) Academy (19-1)

Previous: 11.

Low-down: The Lady Eagles are rounding into form and look like a shoo-in for the GEICO Nationals in April after two wins against Elite 25 teams. In the Big Hoops Shootout, the Lady Eagles took down then-No. 11 Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.), 67-60, and No. 24 Morris Catholic (Denville, N.J.), 54-43. Only four games remain in the regular season.

6. Hopkins, Minnetonka, Minn. (14-0)

Previous: 5.

Low-down: The Royals took control of the Lake Conference race, knocking off rivals Wayzata (Plymouth), 57-50, and Minnetonka, 86-60. Liv McGill scored a game-high 17 points versus Wayzata and Macaya Copeland had 16 against Minnetonka.

7. Etiwanda, Calif. (22-1)

Previous: 6.

Low-down: After a shock loss over the MLK Weekend, the Eagles rebounded with league wins over Los Osos (Rancho Cucamonga), 64-27, and St. Lucy’s (Glendora), 87-13. They also topped San Joaquin Memorial (Fresno), 63-44.

8. Hazel Green, Ala. (25-0)

Previous: 8.

Low-down: The Lady Trojans defeated Sparkman (Harvest), 55-28, Buckhorn, 85-39, and Mae Jemison (Huntsville), 65-36.

9. Clovis West, Fresno, Calif. (22-0)

Previous: 10.

Low-down: Defeated Clovis East (Clovis), 7-35, Buchanan (Clovis), 70-42, and Marin Catholic (Kentfield), 56-38. The Golden Eagles peeled off four weeks last week and have two games this week.

10. South Bend (Ind.) Washington (21-0)

Previous: 9.

Low-down: Defeated Fort Wayne Northrop, 70-42, and Jimtown (Elkhart), 63-33. The regular season concludes this week with Crown Point Tuesday and at La Lumiere School (La Porte), Saturday afternoon. When the Class 4A sectionals open next month, the Panthers meet Mishawaka in the first round.

11. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (13-2)

Previous: 4.

Low-down: Upended by then-No. 11 Montverde (Fla.) Academy, 57-50, but beat West Catholic (Philadelphia), 99-22.

12. Centennial, Las Vegas (13-1)

Previous: 13.

Low-down: The Lady Bulldogs defeated Green Valley (Henderson), 70-6, Desert Oasis (Las Vegas), 72-25, and Liberty (Henderson), 72-56. In the latter game, junior guard Danane Powell scored 14 points, and senior forward Charlece Ohiarei added 13. That’s six wins in eight days with six games left in the regular season.

13. Hoover, Ala. (25-1)

Previous: 14.

Low-down: Defeated Thompson (Alabaster), 73-42.

14. Archbishop Mitty, San Jose, Calif. (16-2)

Previous: 15.

Low-down: Defeated Valley Christian (San Jose), 85-36, and Valley Vista (Phoenix, Ariz.), 74-41.

15. Duncanville, Texas (18-4)

Previous: 17.

Low-down: The Pantherettes have won 15 straight and sit atop District 11-6A with two wins improving to 9-0. The district title is nearly in the bag.

16. Nazareth Academy, La Grange Park, Ill. (21-1)

Previous: 19.

Low-down: Defeated Marist (Chicago), 51-32, and Deerfield, 65-53.

17. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (21-2)

Previous: 20.

Low-down: Jenessa Cotton’s 22-point, 15-rebound effort helped polish off St. Mary’s (Stockton), 76-61, at the Sabrina Ionescu Showcase in Concord, Calif. In Trinity League action, the Monarchs beat Rosary Academy (Fullerton), 71-50, as Addie Deal scored 25 points, surpassing 1,000 career points.

18. Paul VI, Haddonfield, N.J. (14-1)

Previous: 23.

Low-down: Senior guard Hannah Hidalgo had a ridiculous double-double and the Eagles secured an overtime win. The Notre Dame recruit and McDonald’s All American hopeful blistered the nets for career-high 48 points and cleared 11 rebounds and added 8 steals and 5 assists in a 72-69 win over Westtown School (West Chester, Pa.). The Eagles also defeated Moorestown, 61-24. The McDonald’s All-American averages 31.4 points after 15 games and needs 85 points to reach 2,000 for her career.

19. La Jolla (Calif.) Country Day (19-3)

Previous: 12.

Low-down: In Washington, D.C., the Torreys lost to The Webb School (Bell Buckle, Tenn.), 61-41, in the semifinals of GEICO High School Girls Invitational. Arizona-commit Breya Cunningham had 15 points, 14 rebounds and 2 blocks. In the consolation game, they decked then-No. 18 Conway (Ark.), 73-67. Cunningham scored 36 and snared 17 boards and Jada Williams had 17 points. Cunningham and Williams are both headed to Arizona in the fall and were named McDonald’s All Americans.

20. Sacred Heart Academy, Louisville, Ky. (17-3)

Previous: 16.

Low-down: Lost to No. 2 Incarnate Word Academy (Bel Nor, Mo.), 60-48, at the Raatz Fence/O’Shea’s Classic in Louisville. ZaKiyah Johnson (16 points), Regan Bender (14) and Triniti Ralston (13) combined for 43 points against one of the nation’s best teams. This week the Valkyries play in the Republic Bank Louisville Invitational Tournament with the title game on Saturday

21. Edmond (Okla.) North (16-0)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: Oklahoma’s top-ranked Class 6A team enters the Elite 25

22. Lone Peak, Highland, Utah (12-3)

Previous: 24.

Low-down: Defeated Skyridge (Lehi), 67-36, and American Fork, 68-31.

23. The Webb School, Bell Buckle, Tenn. (18-4)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: The Feet nearly pulled it off but fell short, 52-50, to homestanding No. 4 Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.) in the title game of the GEICO High School Girls Invitational. Bree Robinson scored 13. In the semifinals, they defeated then-No. 11 La Jolla (Calif.) Country Day, 61-41, as Rhema Collins (13 points, 10 rebounds) and Aalyah Del Rosario (11, 11) put up double-double efforts. Center Aalyah Del Rosario was named a McDonald’s All American.

24. Morris Catholic, Denville, N.J. (14-3)

Previous: 25.

Low-down: Lost to No. 6 Montverde (Fla.) Academy, 54-43.

25. Johnston, Iowa (16-1)

Previous: 21.

Low-down: The Dragons dropped their first game of the season in a 62-48 pasting at the hands of Dowling Catholic (West Des Moines). Defeated Urbandale, 74-29.

Dropped: No. 18 Conway (Ark.) and No. 22 DeSoto (Texas).

High-Fives by Region

East

1. St. Paul VI, Chantilly, Va. (15-4)
2. Bishop McNamara, Forestville, Md. (12-5)
3. Shabach Christian Academy, Landover, Md. (17-5)
4. St. Frances Academy, Baltimore (16-2)
5. McDonogh School, Owings Mills, Md. (15-2)

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

Midwest

1. Example Academy, Frankfort, Ill. (14-2)
2. Fremd, Palatine, Ill. (21-2)
3. Purcell Marian, Cincinnati (16-2)
4. Noblesville, Ind. (20-3)
5. Grand Rapids (Mich.) West Catholic (12-0)

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

Southland

1. Dr. Phillips, Orlando, Fla. (21-1)
2. Clark, San Antonio (22-3)
3. Coffee County, Manchester, Tenn. (24-1)
4. Hancock, Kiln, Miss. (24-1)
5. Conway, Ark. (17-5)

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

Far West

1. Desert Vista, Phoenix (17-3)
2. Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep, San Francisco (15-2)
3. Valor Christian, Highlands Ranch, Colo. (13-1)
4. Woodinville, Wash. (17-1)
5. Camas, Wash. (14-2)

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 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. Follow him on Twitter at @clawlor.