BENSALEM, Pa. – Are you ready for some girls basketball?

The Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ basketball preseason rankings launch with 25 teams listed alphabetically. Again our mandate is find the best teams, fueled by great players starting with a preseason Terrific Ten, meaning we’ve identified the 10 best teams in the land and the Next 15 follows. That will inevitably change. When all the national matchups have been played by late December, we’ll see how these teams fared and get a sensible working order based on strength of schedule and quality wins. Always expect a few teams to surprise and land in the Elite 25 and some will tumble out. It’s imply the nature of the Elite 25.

With so many events, shootouts and tournaments between now and the New Year, the Elite 25 rankings will have a different shape and number affixed to the team when we return post Christmas.

Check back regularly at www.bluestarmedia.org for staff updates from showcase events and key games all season. We will keep you in the loop with anything breaking in the girls’ hoop world.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy time with your families and buckle up because we are headed for one great season, culminating in New York in April. We hope to see you at a game, tournament or weekend event soon. – Christopher Lawlor

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Girls Basketball preseason rankings, Nov. 17, 2016

(Records and statistics are from the 2015-16 season; teams are listed alphabetically)

The Terrific Ten

Archbishop Mitty, San Jose, Calif. (23-4)

Low-down: With five starters back, the Monarchs figure to be in the mix for the Elite 25 National Championship but first they must navigate treacherous schedule. The lineup includes 5-6 Heleyna Hill (San Jose State), 6-0 Maddy Holland (St. Mary’s), 6-1 sophomore Haley Jones and a pair of UC Irvine signees 5-10 Dani Guglielmo and 6-2 Tahlia Garza. A trip to the prestigious Nike Tournament of Champions (Dec. 19-22) in Arizona will be a huge determining factor, so will tournaments in Hawaii (Iolani Classic) and East Palo Alto, Calif. (Coaches vs. Cancer)

Centennial, Las Vegas (31-1)

Low-down: Arizona-bound 6-foot G Samantha Thomas headlines four returning starters for the two-time Division I state champions. The Bulldogs also feature 6-0 F Jayden Eggleston (Iona), 5-6 PG Pam Wilmore (New Mexico State) and 5-8 junior G Justice Ethridge—all of whom are capable of putting up double-digit scoring numbers.

Clear Springs, League City, Texas (30-7)

Low-down: The triumvirate of 5-10 F Tasharian Robinson (UTSA), 5-5 junior G Dymond Gladney and 6-foot swing Sierra Cheatham (Tulane) will point the Chargers to the UIL Class 6A Final Four.

Collins Hill, Suwanee, Ga. (25-4)

Low-down: At 6-3, junior Jada Rice posted a double-double in the Class AAAAAA second-round loss and has help with 6-3 sophomore Javyn Nicholson. Sophomore PG Bria Harmon (Purdue verbal) runs the show and 6-0 F is off to Gardner-Webb. Coach Brian Harmon’s team is in a newly created, loaded Class AAAAAAA bracket and winning a title would be quite an accomplishment, considering last year’s unexpected exit.

Miami (Fla.) Country Day (24-6)

Low-down: After winning three straight state championships, the Spartans are on course for the fourth. Five-eight Channise Lewis (Illinois signee) and 5-9 Kelsey Marshall (Miami) are back but so is sophomore G Maria Alvarez. Up front, juniors Asha Taylor and Aaysia Berry and senior Dashaun Jackson provide the muscle.

 Neumann-Goretti, Philadelphia (29-1)

Low-down: Coach Andrea Peterson has guided the South Philadelphia school to a 30-1 record and two state championship in two seasons. The success will continue with an up-tempo feel, starring 5-9 Chyna Nixon (Mississippi recruit) and 5-6 Ashley Jones (West Virginia), who averaged over 23 points and scored 1,000 points in three previous seasons at Cheltenham (Wyncote, Pa.). Juniors F Dejiah Parmley and 5-6 Jabria Ingram and 5-9 wing Minika Glenn round out the rotation. The Saints might have the toughest opening to a season with ranked McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.), Good Counsel (Olney, Md.), Archbishop Molloy (Briarwood, N.Y.) and The Mary Lewis Academy (Jamaica, N.Y.). Once again the Philadelphia Catholic will include the Saints and rivals Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.) and Cardinal O’Hara (Springfield, Pa.).

Paul VI, Fairfax, Va. (33-1)

Low-down: The Panthers might very well be the nation’s top-ranked team and will play a schedule that demands an A-game each night. In a decade, Scott Allen has built a program from scratch and set a school record for wins (33) last year and has won the Virginia Independent Schools titles 10 straight years and has crafted a near flawless 64-2 mark against Washington Catholic Athletic Conference teams. Three underclassmen—sophomores 6-3 F Amira Collins (15.2 ppg) and 5-10 Ashley Owusu (13.1 ppg) and 5-11 junior Kate Klimkiewicz (11.3 ppg)—and joined by key transfers 5-10 PG Honesty Grayson-Scott from Blair Academy (Blairstown, N.J.) and 6-4 C Mikayla Vaughn (from the Philadelphia area), who signed with Notre Dame.

Poly, Long Beach, Calif. (27-6)

Low-down: The Jackrabbits advanced to the CIF-Southern California Region Open Division final but are aiming higher this term. They’ll depend on 5-11 PG Danae Miller (Cal-Santa Barbara), 5-11 wing Jasmine Jones (Loyola Marymount) and 6-3 F Ayanna Clark (13.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg), who signed with Southern California.

Ribault, Jacksonville, Fla. (30-1)

Low-down: The Lady Trojans take a 14-game win into the season winning a Class 5A state championship and 11th overall. Ribault is goes up-tempo with the athletic duo of Rennia Davis and Day’Neshia Banks (Mississippi). Davis (20.3 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 3.2 spg), is a wonderful 6-1 combo guard who can attack the rim. At 5-10, Banks (18.4 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 3.8 spg), is quick on the perimeter and in transition and brings a defensive prowess. Five-eight Laquanza Glover will have an expanded role for a team looking for a second straight DICK’s Nationals title.

St. Francis, Alpharetta, Ga. (31-2)

Low-down: The Lady Knights annexed second consecutive Class A Private state championship and lost in the DICK’S Nationals semifinals and are rooted in an experienced returning starting five. At 6-1, Stanford-recruit Maya Dodson (13.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg) is an elite player. Point guard Taja Cummings (Georgia Tech) is the quarterback, and 6-1 junior Jala Jordan (14 ppg, 7 rpg) is the top scorer. Nichel Tampa (9.0 ppg, Western Kentucky) is a combo-guard rounds out the three-guard alignment. Kasiyahna Kushkituah, a 6-3 post , is headed to Tennessee.

The Next 15

Butler, Louisville, Ky. (31-6)

Low-down: The Bears won Kentucky’s single-class state title (Sweet 16) for the second time in three seasons and return 5-10 Jaelynn Penn (Indiana), 5-8 Tasia Jeffries (Saint Louis), 5-8 Teri Goodley (East Kentucky) and 5-9 Janna Lewis (Tennessee State).

Detroit Country Day School, Beverly Hills, Mich. (24-2)

Low-down: Experience abounds for the Yellowjackets, return all but one player. The main cogs are 6-3 Tylar Bennett (Clemson) and 5-10 G Destiny Pitts (Minnesota, 17.0 ppg), who is a pure scorer. Junior G Kaela Webb was also an all-state selection. Coach Frank Orlando is one of the nation’s best, having won 19 straight regional titles and last won the states (Class B) in 2015—the 11th in program history to go along with more than 700 career victories (entering his 36th season). Orlando’s team will play the toughest schedule that Michigan’s restrictive rules allow.

Canyon, Texas (35-1)

Low-down: The lady Eagles are the class of west Texas and Joe Lombard is one of the best coaches in the nation. A fourth straight Class 5A title will be challenging but with Angel Hayden, a four-year starter back handling the ball along with Lexi Hernandez and C McKenzie Taylor, the task is attainable.

Clovis West, Fresno, Calif. (30-4)

Low-down: The same scrappy bunch that advanced to the CIF-Southern Region Open Division final is back for more and a year wiser. The Golden Eagles are paced by 5-4 PG Danae Marquez and 6-1 Megan Anderson—both are off to San Jose State. Rounding out the five Division I signees are 6-0 transfer Tess Amundsen (Boise State), 6-0 F Bre-Yanna Sanders (Arizona State) and 5-9 Sara Bates (Cal-Santa Barbara). Sophomore G Madison Campbell is a heady player and the daughter of coach Craig Campbell.

Duncanville, Texas (39-0)

Low-down: The Pantherettes are reigning Blue Star Media Elite 25 National Champions after winning Class 6A state championship. It was the program’s third title in four years and ninth overall plus a fifth undefeated season with the last in 2013. Cathy Self-Morgan leans on the backcourt trio of junior Zarielle Green, 5-6 Nina Alvarez and Aniya Thomas. Six-foot W Starr Jacobs, 5-6 PG Tae Davis and 5-9 G Aakilah Caldwell will be serious contributors. Circle Dec. 6 because that’s the date the champions play ranked Frisco Liberty.

Homestead, Fort Wayne, Ind. (26-3)

Low-down: Karissa McLaughlin is a candidate for Indiana’s Miss Basketball. The 5-7 combo-guard averaged 24.9 points and 5.4 rebounds as the Spartans advanced to the Class 4A Semistate and a sophomore she guided her team to the state final. Now it’s time to claim the big prize with 5-11 rugged C/F Jazmyne Geist (Northern Kentucky) and shooting ace Madisen Parker (Bowling Green) sharing the floor.

Liberty, Frisco, Texas (33-7)

Low-down: Coach Ross Reedy’s club returns all five starters for a team that fell one win short of annexing the Class 5A title. This year they’ll have company and competition in three-time champion Elite 25 teams Canyon and Timberview (Mansfield). Combo-guard Rebecca Lescay is the primary scorer and 6-foot Katelyn Burtch controls the boards. Northwestern-bound lead G Jordan Hamilton is reliable at both ends of the floor.

McEachern, Powder Springs, Ga. (25-7)

Low-down: The Indians have won three straight state titles and four in the last five years. At 5-8, Quannecia Morrison is combo-guard who can takeover a game and will be doing the same at Georgia. She’s paired with 5-11, Texas Tech-bound Lyndsey Whilby, who will deliver a dagger from three and attack the rim. Junior PG Chanel Wilson orchestrates the attack and will work in backcourt mates as the strenuous national schedule kicks in for coach Phyliss Arthur, who has four state titles to her credit. The Indians carry a 19-game win streak into the term.

Monacan, North Chesterfield, Va. (29-1)

Low-down: At 6-1, Connecticut-bound Megan Walker (25 ppg), an impact and is a four-year as starter with 1,389 points, 502 rebounds, 186 steals, 112 assists and 79 blocked shots. The nation’s top-rated player aims for a third consecutive Class 5A title along the with talented backcourt of 5-8 Jaiden Morris (George Mason signee) and 5-5 Alex Parson (Richmond).

National Christian Academy, Fort Washington, Md. (31-0)

Low-down: The Lady Eagles feature height, with only three players listed shorter than 5-10, and one of the nation’s most challenging schedules—mostly in the loaded Mid-Atlantic. Three players signed with Division I schools, including 6-1 Maya Calder (Appalachian State), 5-6 Mykea Gray (Miami, 18.1 ppg) and 6-4 C Jaala Henry (Pittsburgh).

Riverdale, Murfreesboro, Tenn. (32-4)

Low-down: The Lady Vols nation was ecstatic when all-everything G Anastasia Hayes (20.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 4.7 apg) signed a national letter-of-intent. But winning a second straight Class AAA championship is taking shape with regulars 5-10 junior F Brinae Alexander, 5-10 G Amanda and Alexis Whittington (both Middle Tennessee State recruits), junior swing Allison Mayeaux and sophomore G Aislynn Hayes all back. The Lady Warriors have a strong freshman class to bolster their depth chart.

Seton Catholic Prep, Chandler, Ariz. (32-2)

Low-down: The Lady Sentinels are paced by 6-2 Jenn Wirth (11.8 ppg, 7.5 rpg) Wirth, who has a twin sister LeAnne (11.1 ppg, 7.4 rpg) have signed with Gonzaga. Junior Sarah Barcello (16.0 ppg,) is a scorer and 3-point specialist. Junior Kendall Krick (8.0 ppg) and junior point guard Liz Holter (7.0 ppg, 5.2 apg) form a solid backcourt. Seton, which won a fifth Division II title in seven years and eighth overall—all in the last 21 seasons under coach Karen Self.

St. Mary’s Stockton, Calif. (28-1)

Low-down: The Rams were top-ranked the entire season, cruising and ready to but were bounced in the regional semifinals after capturing a 17th overall (and ninth straight) CIF Sac-Joaquin Section crown. Now they are on the hunt, minus the bull’s-eye, and gearing up with 6-2 F Aquira DeCosta, who some think in the nation’s top junior, and silky smooth, athletic 5-9 Ariel Johnson. Coach Tom Gonsalves won’t back off playing in the Nike TOC and West Coast Jamboree tournament while scheduling a host of national heavyweights.

Timberview, Mansfield, Texas (34-1)

Low-down: It’s a trip to the Class 5A state tournament or bust for the Wolves. At 5-7, PG Chennedy Carter (Texas A&M commit) is a scoring machine with a deft passing touch and a shoo-in McDonald’s All American. She’s joined in the rotation by 6-0 junior F Lauryn Thompson and backcourt mates Trelynn Tyler and Hallee Walls. Standing in the way of a 5A state title will be Canyon.

Wenonah, Birmingham, Ala. (33-1)

Low-down: The Dragons have won three straight Class 5A state crowns (four overall) and live by the motto, “Discipline and defense equals championships.” No surprise that suffocating, pressure defense is the primary reason. The main recruit is 6-0 W Alexus Dye, who will be the go-to scorer. Just before the season longtime coach Emanuel Bell said he had stage four lung cancer but will remain on sidelines. That’s enough motivation for his team to make it fourth straight in 5A.

 High-Fives by Region

East

1. Ossining, N.Y. (28-2)
2. Good Counsel, Olney, Md. (24-7)
3. Cardinal O’Hara, Springfield, Pa. (
4. Manasquan, N.J. (28-7)
5. The Patrick School, Elizabeth, N.J. (20-8)

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

Midwest

1. Montini Catholic, Lombard, Ill. (31-3)
2. Columbus (Ind.) North (27-2)
3. Eastview, Apple Valley, Minn. (29-6)
4. Africentric Early College, Columbus, Ohio (24-5)
5. Carmel, Ind. (23-5)

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

Southland

1. Cibolo (Texas) Steele (36-4)
2. Lake Highland Prep, Orlando, Fla. (29-3)
3. Norcross, Ga. (25-5)
4. Dreher, Columbia, S.C. (27-1)
5. Mount Carmel Academy, New Orleans (29-6)

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

Far West

1. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (27-6)
2. Central Valley, Spokane Valley, Wash. (28-0)
3. Konawaena, Kealakekua, Hawaii (24-1)
4. Brea (Calif.) Olinda (29-4)
5. Mesquite, Gilbert, Ariz. (25-6)

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 late December. Follow him on Twitter at #clawlor.