HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – The latest Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ basketball rankings are based on games, with a heavy dose of holiday tournaments, prior to Christmas.
The Nike Tournament of Champions Joe Smith Bracket impacted the Elite 25. Annually it is the top prep basketball tournament in the nation regardless of gender. Prior to New Year’s Day, tournaments in Delaware, Tennessee, Georgia, Oregon, California, Washington, D.C. and Florida will help reshape the Elite 25.
Word to the wise: Schedule aggressively. Don’t feat big-time completion but embrace it.
Expect more change as the Elite 25 heads into the New Year. The next rankings are out on January 5, 2017. Check back regularly at www.bluestarmedia.org for plenty of updates from around the country.
Until then have a safe and Happy New Year. Hope to see you at a game soon. – Christopher Lawlor
Blue Star Media Elite 25 High School Girls Basketball rankings, Dec. 26, 2016
1. Paul VI, Fairfax, Va. (7-0)
Previous: 1.
Low-down: The Panthers are simply the best and have clocked a pair of nationally ranked teams. They take their show to the Florida Gulf Coast for the holidays.
2. Clovis West, Fresno, Calif. (11-1)
Previous: 2.
Low-down: The Golden Eagles are just that … golden … after capturing the Nike Tournament of Champions Joe Smith Bracket, beating Miami (Fla.) Country Day, 67-45, in the final. Sophomore Maddie Campbell, the daughter of the coach, pumped in 23 points, including six 3-pointers, to earned Most Valuable Player honors.
3. Miami (Fla.) Country Day (13-1)
Previous: 3.
Low-down: The Spartans finished second in the Nike TOC Joe Smith Bracket and already have beaten Elite 25 team Ribault (Jacksonville, Fla.).
4. Grandview, Aurora, Colo. (7-1)
Previous: Not ranked.
Low-down: The Wolves turned heads at the Nike TOC, going 3-1 in the ultra competitive Joe Smith Bracket in Arizona. They took third place, defeating California powerhouse St. Mary’s (Stockton), 70-58, in that game. Next up is Arapahoe (Centennial, Colo.) on Jan. 6.
5. Monacan, North Chesterfield, Va. (8-0)
Previous: 5.
Low-down: There is a reason why Megan Walker is the nation’s top-rated player. She earned MVP honors leading her team to the Cresmon Bank Holiday Invitational in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
6. Timberview, Mansfield, Texas (11-1)
Previous: 6.
Low-down: The Lady Wolves are 3-0 in district and back at it Shadow Creek (Pearland, Texas) on Dec. 28 in the Mansfield Spring Creek Barbeque Invitational Tournament.
7. Duncanville, Texas (18-1)
Previous: 7.
Low-down: After a season-opening loss to nationally ranked Timberview (Mansfield), the Pantherettes are heading into the Sandra Meadows Classic on their home court.
8. Centennial, Las Vegas (9-2)
Previous: 8.
Low-down: The Lady Bulldogs went 3-1 at the Nike TOC Joe Smith Bracket, beating one Elite 25 team. They also gave top-ranked Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) a game but lost 66-59 on the road.
9. Archbishop Mitty, San Jose, Calif. (6-2)
Previous: 9.
Low-down: After winning the Nike Iolani Classic in Hawaii earlier this month, the grid of the road hit the Monarchs hard in Arizona. That’s where they split four games in the Nike TOC Joe Smith Bracket to finish in 10th place.
10. Collins Hill, Suwanee, Ga. (12-0)
Previous: 10.
Low-down: Everyone in Tennessee is drooling for the dream matchup with Elite 25 team Riverdale (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) in the State Farm Classic.
11. Homestead, Fort Wayne, Ind. (11-0)
Previous: 11.
Low-down: Indiana’s top-ranked Class 4A team plays in the Summit Conference Tournament this week for three days in Fort Wayne.
12. Riverdale, Murfreesboro, Tenn. (7-0)
Previous: 12.
Low-down: This week there are three games in the State Farm Classic at home. The first district showdown is on Jan. 3 against Oakland (Murfreesboro).
13. Ribault, Jacksonville, Fla. (11-1)
Previous: 13.
Low-down: The Lady Trojans will get a challenge this week at the Title IX Classic in Washington, D.C.
14. Clear Springs, League City, Texas (16-1)
Previous: 14.
Low-down: The Chargers will be in Duncanville for the Sandra Meadows Classic this week. More challenging games abound.
15. Seton Catholic Prep, Chandler, Ariz. (13-2)
Previous: 15.
Low-down: A 2-2 showing at the Nike TOC Joe Smith Bracket included two victories over Elite 25 schools. The Lady Sentinels are unbeaten against Arizona schools.
16. St. Mary’s Stockton, Calif. (7-2)
Previous: 16.
Low-down: The Lady Rams split four games at the Nike TOC Joe Smith Bracket.
17. Poly, Long Beach, Calif. (4-3)
Previous: 17.
Low-down: The record is deceiving but the Lady Jackrabbits are better than it indicates. They should cruise to 11th consecutive Moore League title and will learn from two losses to Elite 25 teams Miami Country Day and Seton Catholic Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.) in the Nike TOC Joe Smith Bracket.
18. Butler, Louisville, Ky. (9-1)
Previous: 18.
Low-down: The Bears captured their ninth straight after an early upset setback, beating rival Manual (Louisville), 62-50, in the title game of the Traditional Bank Holiday Classic in Lexington. Indiana-bound Jaelynn Penn dropped in 18 points in the final to earn the MVP.
19. Detroit Country Day School, Beverly Hills, Mich. (5-0)
Previous: 19.
Low-down: Michigan’s top-ranked team already has beaten Wayne Memorial and Midland Dow. Coach Frank Orlando’s club has showdowns this week with Eastmoor Academy (Columbus, Ohio) and King (Detroit) in the Motor City Classic in Detroit.
20. Canyon, Texas (11-0)
Previous: 20.
Low-down: The Lady Eagles are 3-0 in district play before heading the Metroplex for the Mansfield Spring Creek Barbeque Invitational Tournament, an event that handed them the only loss last season.
21. St. Francis, Alpharetta, Ga. (8-3)
Previous: 21.
Low-down: The Knights had a so-so showing at the Nike TOC in Arizona before Christmas but stay in the Elite 25 for playing the challenging schedule.
22. Neumann-Goretti, Philadelphia (5-2)
Previous: 22.
Low-down: A bit of a shaky start but the Saints are better than the record is posting. The test starts this week with three games at the Boo Williams/Ronald Curry Christmas Tournament Gold Bracket in Hampton, Va. This is a homecoming for Mississippi-bound G Chyna Nixon, who has roots in the area. Coach Andrea Peterson’s team is currently Pennsylvania’s Class AAA top-ranked club.
23. National Christian Academy, Fort Washington, Md. (5-1)
Previous: 23.
Low-down: The Eagles stay local for the holidays, playing the Title IX Classic in Washington, D.C.
24. Wenonah, Birmingham, Ala. (10-1)
Previous: 24.
Low-down: The Dragons captured a huge in-state battle against previously undefeated Homewood (Birmingham), 74-70. Sophomore C Thaniya Cooper provided a double-double with 10 points and 10 boards.
25. St. John’s College, Washington, D.C. (9-1)
Previous: Not ranked.
Low-down: The Cadets have an impressive December victory resume, including a 3-1 run in Nike TOC Joe Smith Bracket.
Dropped: Liberty, Frisco, Texas and McEachern, Powder Springs, Ga.
High-Fives by Region
East
- Riverdale Baptist School, Upper Marlboro, Md. (9-4)
- South Shore, Brooklyn, N.Y. (8-2)
- Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (3-1)
- Manasquan, N.J. (3-0)
- St. Frances Academy, Baltimore (8-0)
Geography: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia.
Midwest
- Montini Catholic, Lombard, Ill. (11-0)
- Homewood-Flossmoor, Ill. (7-1)
- Hopkins, Minnetonka, Minn. (9-0)
- Mason, Ohio (9-0)
- Africentric Early College, Columbus, Ohio (7-0)
Geography: Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Southland
- Hamilton Heights Christian Academy, Chattanooga, Tenn. (8-0)
- Norcross, Ga. (13-1)
- Millbrook, Raleigh, N.C. (11-1)
- Starkville, Miss. (11-0)
- North Little Rock, Ark (9-1)
Geography: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
Far West
- Mesquite, Gilbert, Ariz. (15-1)
- Central Valley, Spokane Valley, Wash. (7-0)
- Bishop O’Dowd, Oakland, Calif. (6-1)
- Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (8-0)
- Southridge, Beaverton, Ore. (6-0)
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.
