GET READY! No. 2 Montverde Academy (FL), No. 3 Long Island Lutheran (NY), No. 22 Westtown (PA) rep Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ rankings this weekend at GEICO Nationals

BENSALEM, Pa. – Call it the quiet before the storm. And the next two weekends should help reshape the Blue Media Elite 25 girls’ basketball rankings.

First, the Elite 25 has no movement or newcomers. That will surely change with a pair of premier national tournaments in Florida and District of Columbia.

With No. 3 Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.) rolling to the New York State Federation Class AA championship that ups the Elite 25 tote board 16 teams having won 17 state or major conference tournament titles. Last weekend, Alaska and Pennsylvania finished up but it wasn’t enough to crack the Elite 25

All the best to the state champions from coast to coast.

Top of the World

A shoutout to Anchorage (Alaska) Christian, No. 5 in the Far West Region, which cruised to the Alaska Class 4A state championship, crushing Wasilla, 57-38. It was the school’s first 4A title since moving up from 3A. Last year, ASC won captured that crown.

Alaska’s Gatorade player of the Year, 5-7 point guard Sayvia Sellers (Washington signee), led winners with 32 points. ASC finished 25-2.

The 4A all-tournament: Mylee Anderson, Wasilla; Morgan Maldonado, Anchorage Christian; Skylar Tuckwood, Juneau-Douglas; Tonya Karpow, West (Anchorage); Chloe Auble, Anchorage Christian; Hallie Clark, Colony; Sayvia Sellers, Anchorage Christian; Cailynn Baxter, Thunder Mountain (Juneau); Layla Hays, Wasilla and Nyamach Mathot, Anchorage Christian.

GEICO Nationals

The GEICO High School Nationals will be played this weekend in Fort Myers, Fla. Three of the four teams are in the current Elite 25 rankings. The tournament tips Friday on ESPNU and the final is Saturday at 10 a.m. on ESPN2. Matt Schick and Maylana Martin Douglas are on the call for the three girls’ games live from Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers, Fla.

The semifinal pairings are (All times Eastern):

10:30 a.m.: McDonogh School (Owings Mills, Md.) vs. No. 3 Long Island Lutheran

12:30 p.m.: No. 22 Westtown School (West Chester, Pa.) vs. No. 2 Montverde (Fla.) Academy.

Defending champions Montverde Academy will take on a field composed of first-time participants. We’ll be in southwest Florida for the boys’ and girls’ games.

That’s a wrap for another week.

The Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ rankings will return for the penultimate time on April 5.

In the meantime, stay safe.

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

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Girls’ Basketball Rankings, March 29, 2023

1. Incarnate Word Academy, Bel Nor, Mo. (32-0)*

Previous: 1.

Low-down: Won a sixth straight state championship  by annexing the Class 6 title. Season complete.

2. Montverde (Fla.) Academy (24-1)

Previous: 2.

Low-down: Idle. Next up is the GEICO High School Nationals semifinals on Friday in Fort Myers, Fla.

3. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (22-2)*

Previous: 3.

Low-down: Won New York State Federation Class AA championship, crushing St. Mary’s (Manhasset), 99-58, in the final. Syla Swords put up 27 points and 8 rebounds and Kate Koval added a double-double with 21 points and 10 boards. In the semifinals, the Lady Crusaders defeated South Shore (Brooklyn), 65-60. Kaleigh Heckel had 20 points and 5 assists.

The Lady Crusaders aren’t done and will conclude their season at the GEICO Nationals Friday with a semifinal matchup with McDonogh School (Owings Mills, Md.) in Fort Myers, Fla. The title game is Saturday on ESPN2.

4. Etiwanda, Calif. (32-3)*

Previous: 4.

Low-down: Won CIF Open Division state championship. Season complete.

5. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (31-1)

Previous: 5.

Low-down: Season complete.

6. Centennial, Las Vegas (24-1)*

Previous: 6.

Low-down: Won Class 5A state championship. It was the program’s eighth straight Nevada state title and 14th overall. The Lady Bulldogs will play in the State Champions Invitational starting on April in Washington, D.C. Regular season complete.

7. Sidwell Friends, Washington, D.C. (28-3)*

Previous: 7.

Low-down: Won second consecutive District of Columbia State Athletic Association AA championship and will be the top seed in the State Champions Invitational, starting on April 7 in Washington. Regular season complete.

8. Hoover, Ala. (35-1)*

Previous: 8.

Low-down: Won a third straight Class 7A state championship. Season complete.

9. Hazel Green, Ala. (36-1)*

Previous: 9.

Low-down: Won a state-record sixth consecutive Class 6A state championship. Season complete.

10. Nazareth Academy, La Grange Park, Ill. (35-1)*

Previous: 10.

Low-down: Won Class 3A state championship. Season complete.

11. Archbishop Mitty, San Jose, Calif. (28-3)

Previous: 11.

Low-down: Advanced to CIF Open Division state final. Season complete.

12. Sacred Heart Academy, Louisville, Ky. (36-3)*

Previous: 12.

Low-down: Won third consecutive Mingua Beef Jerky Sweet 16 championship. Season complete.

13. Edmond (Okla.) North (29-0)*

Previous: 13.

Low-down: Won second straight Class 6A state championship. Season complete.

14. La Jolla (Calif.) Country Day (30-4)

Previous: 14.

Low-down: Season complete.

15. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (29-4)

Previous: 15.

Low-down: Season complete.

16. Duncanville, Texas (26-5)

Previous: 16.

Low-down: Season complete.

17. St. John Vianney, Holmdel, N.J. (31-1)

Previous: 17.

Low-down: Season complete.

18. Clovis West, Fresno, Calif. (30-2)

Previous: 18.

Low-down: Season complete.

19. Lone Peak, Highland, Utah (23-3)*

Previous: 19.

Low-down: Won second straight Class 6A state championship. The Knights will next play in the State Champions Invitational from April 6-8 in Washington, D.C. Additionally, BYU-bound Kailey Woolston was named Utah’s Ms. Basketball. Regular season complete.

20. Morris Catholic, Denville, N.J. (27-3)*

Previous: 20.

Low-down: Won the Non-Public B state championship. The Lady Crusaders will play in the State Champions Invitational from April 6-8 in Washington. D.C. Regular season complete.

21. The Webb School, Bell Buckle, Tenn. (32-4)*

Previous: 21.

Low-down: Won Division II-A state championship. Season complete.

22. Westtown School, West Chester, Pa. (22-4)**

Previous: 22.

Low-down: Idle. The Moose are headed to the GEICO Nationals this weekend in Florida.

23. Dr. Phillips, Orlando, Fla. (30-1)*

Previous: 23.

Low-down: Won FHSAA Class 7A state championship. Up next is the State Champions Invitational from April 6-8 in Washington, D.C. Regular season complete.

24. Bedford (Ind.) North Lawrence (27-3)*

Previous: 24.

Low-down: Won Class 4A state championship. Season complete.

25. South Bend (Ind.) Washington (27-1)

Previous: 25.

Low-down: Season complete.

Dropped: None.

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Lansdale (Pa.) Catholic (28-2)**
2. McDonogh School, Owings Mills, Md. (23-2)*
3. St. John’s College, Washington, D.C. (26-7)*
4. Georgetown Visitation, Washington, D.C. (24-6)*
5. Archbishop Wood, Warminster, Pa. (25-5)*

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

Midwest

1. St. Michael (Minn.)-Albertville (29-3)*
2. Example Academy, Frankfort, Ill. (21-2)*
3. Pleasant Valley, Riverdale, Iowa (26-0)*
4. Purcell Marian, Cincinnati (27-2)*
5. Kettle Moraine, Wales, Wis. (28-1)*

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

Southland

1. Clark, San Antonio (34-3)*
2. Bradley Central, Cleveland, Tenn. (35-1)*
3. Brookwood, Snellville, Ga. (31-1)*
4. Germantown, Madison, Miss. (29-2)*
5. Conway, Ark. (28-5)*

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

Far West

1. Desert Vista, Phoenix (28-3)*
2. Clackamas, Ore. (26-4)*
3. Garfield, Seattle (23-1)*
4. Oakland (Calif.) Tech (30-5)*
5. Anchorage (Alaska) Christian (25-2)*

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

* Won state, national or major conference postseason tournament title(s)

[Editor’s note: Each asterisk represents a separate postseason title]

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.