BENSALEM, Pa. – Call it March Sadness.
The COVID-19 or coronavirus slam-dunked a nation and for the most part froze the Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ rankings.
March 12, 2020 will long be remembered as the day American sports stood still. And for all purposes it ended the high school girls’ basketball season. Last weekend California, Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina, New York, New Jersey and Minnesota cancelled their state championship games just as teams were ready to take the court. That must have been an empty feeling after working a year to reach the final and then to have it yanked away.
Yet there are a few states such as Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia and Kentucky that are holding out hope as they suspended the playoffs. Could the tournaments resume in April? Yes. But will they? Unlikely but there’s always hope.
But when the NBA, MLB, NHL and MLS put their seasons on hold and March Madness was cancelled, it might be hard to continue the proceedings. Heck, an official from the Center for Disease Controls and Prevention advises Americans to stay put for eight weeks and keep gatherings at 10 people. State basketball tournaments need more than that to pull it off.
So, the Elite 25 rankings are on hold and will return if any states decide or get the clearance to play.
All told at least nine teams from the Elite 25 girls’ rankings had their postseason altered—cancelled or postponed.
However, there was the joy of victory in Nashville, Tennessee last weekend. No. 7 Ensworth School (Nashville) completed a wire-to-wire finish in the Elite 25 after annexing the Tennessee Division II-AA state title and recording a perfect 29-0 mark. Dontavia Waggoner did not disappoint in the final as the North Carolina State-bound forward was named the Most Valuable Player.
Kudos to the Lady Tigers for a third state title in the last four years!
There was no movement in the Elite 25 rankings.
As for senior all-star games, both McDonald’s and Jordan Brand Classic scheduled for later this month have been cancelled.
The GEICO High School Nationals are on hold and were moved to Roebuck, South Carolina last week. If played, the 12thannual event will be contested at Dorman High School sometime in April. Hopefully the tournaments will be spared but not at the expense of the public.
My final GEICO Nationals ballot (in no particular order): Bishop McNamara, Westlake, Lake Highlands Prep and Hamilton Heights Christian Academy—all championship teams ranked in the Elite 25.
The Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ rankings will return at a later date. We are indefinitely suspended but will notify you through social mediums and at www.bluestarmedia.org. Check back regularly, we’ll get the information out as soon as possible.
Stay safe, stay indoors, binge watch a TV show and wash your hands multiple times per day especially if you go out. – Christopher Lawlor
Blue Star Media Elite 25 Girls’ Basketball Rankings, March 18, 2020
1. Mount Notre Dame, Cincinnati (28-0)
Previous rank: 1.
Low-down: Won Ohio Division I, Region 4 championship, but as for a state championship? Well, that is on hold and likely over. The OHSAA decided last Thursday to postpone winter tournaments.
2. Hamilton Heights Christian Academy, Chattanooga, Tenn. (25-1)*
Previous: 2.
Low-down: Idle. Won National Association of Christian Athletes Division 1 tournament championship for the third time in four years. Next stop is GEICO Nationals if they are played.
3. La Jolla (Calif.) Country Day (32-1)
Previous: 3.
Low-down: The Torreys captured the Southern California Open Division championship, beating No. 11 Windward (Los Angeles), 59-48. Oregon-bound guard Te-Hina Paopao pumped in 30 points in her final game. That’s because the CIF Open Division state final was canceled. Paopao was also selected for the McDonald’s All American Game but that too was shelved. Season complete.
4. Southeast Raleigh, Raleigh, N.C (27-1)
Previous: 4.
Low-down: The Lady Bulldogs and the remainder of the state are in a holding pattern after the Class 4A final with Vance (Charlotte) was postponed indefinitely over health concerns. No word if the game would be played in April.
5. Duncanville, Texas (41-3)*
Previous: 5.
Low-down: Won UIL Class 6A state championship. Season complete.
6. Hopkins, Minnetonka, Minn. (30-0)
Previous: 6.
Low-down: The Royals were denied a second straight Class 4A state championship when the MSHL cancelled the tournament the day before the title game with Farmington. In her final performance at the prep level, national player of the year Paige Bueckers produced 15 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists and 6 steals in a 66-40 romp over Stillwater in the 4A semifinals. In quarterfinals, they rocked Cambridge-Isanti, 85-55. Season complete.
7. Ensworth School, Nashville, Tenn. (29-0)*
Previous: 7.
Low-down: Won the Division II-AA state championship, topping rivals Brentwood Academy, 73-53. North Carolina State-bound Dontavia Waggoner was spot-on with 31 points, 10 of 19 shot and 11 of 13 free throws. The Lady Tigers held a 24-3 edge on point off turnovers. Waggoner was the Most Valuable Player and teammates Kaiya Wynn and Jaloni Cambridge joined her on the all-tournament team. Season complete.
8. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (22-1)
Previous: 8.
Low-down: The Lady Crusaders were supposed to play in the New York State Federation Class AA semifinals but the tournament was cancelled. Season complete.
9. Cypress Creek, Houston (41-1)
Previous: 9.
Low-down: Lost in Class 6A state championship. Season complete.
10. Archbishop Mitty, San Jose, Calif. (26-3)
Previous: 10.
Low-down: Won the program’s 13th Northern California region championship, defeating St. Joseph Notre Dame (Alameda), 69-53, in the Open Division final. Ashley Hiraki’s 18 points paced the winners. The Monarchs should have played No. 3 La Jolla Country Day in the CIF Open Division final last week but the CIF ruled last week to cancel the state tournaments. Season complete.
11. Windward School, Los Angeles (27-6)
Previous: 11.
Low-down: Advanced to the CIF Southern California Region final, falling to No. 3 La Jolla Country Day, 59-48. Season complete.
12. Edison Public School Academy, Detroit (23-0)
Previous: 12.
Low-down: Defeated Divine Child (Dearborn), 67-42, in the Regional 14 semifinals but regional final against Flat Rock was cancelled and so was the rest of the season by health concern, according to the MHSAA. Clemson-bound Gabby Elliott bagged two important awards: Michigan’s Miss Basketball Award and the Gatorade state player of the year. Season complete.
13. Westlake, Atlanta (30-2)*
Previous: 13.
Low-down: Won a third straight Georgia Class AAAAAAA state championship. The Lions have an invite for GEICO Nations if they are played.
14. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (30-3)
Previous: 14.
Low-down: Season complete.
15. Bishop McNamara, Forestville, Md. (27-5)*
Previous: 15.
Low-down: The Washington Catholic Athletic Association champions are eyeing the GEICO Nationals. Regular season is complete.
16. Paul VI, Fairfax, Va. (32-4)*
Previous: 13.
Low-down: Won the Virginia Independent Schools Division 1 championship. It was the 14th consecutive state title for the Panthers. Season complete.
17. Trenton Catholic Academy, Hamilton, N.J. (28-1)
Previous: 17.
Low-down: Won the Non-Public B South Section championship, defeating Rutgers Prep (Somerset), 53-48, in the final. Aaylah Del Rosario had a monster game of 19 points and 28 rebounds and freshman Zoe Brooks added 13 points. However, the Lady Mikes’ season ended one win short of a state title when the NJSIAA decided to cancel the state tournament finals and the State Tournament of Champions. Season complete.
18. Lake Highlands Prep, Orlando, Fla. (29-2)*
Previous: 18.
Low-down: Won Class 4A state championship. Regular season is complete.
19. St. Frances Academy, Baltimore (25-3)*
Previous: 19.
Low-down: Won its fifth consecutive IAAM A Conference championship. Season complete.
20. St. Joseph Central Catholic, Huntington, W.Va. (23-1)
Previous: 20.
Low-down: The WVSSAC Class A tournament was suspended. The top-seeded Irish were slated to face St. Marys in the quarterfinals.
21. Riverdale Baptist School, Upper Marlboro, Md. (27-4)
Previous: 21.
Low-down: Season complete.
22. DeSoto, Texas (32-3)
Previous: 22.
Low-down: Advanced to the Class 6A, Region I quarterfinals, where it lost in the waning seconds to No. 5 Duncanville. Season complete.
23. Centennial, Las Vegas (24-6)*
Previous: 23.
Low-down: Won Nevada Class 4A state championship. Season complete.
24. Lawrence North, Indianapolis (26-4)*
Previous: 24.
Low-down: Won Indiana Class 4A state championship. Season complete.
25. Northwestern, Kokomo, Ind. (29-1)
Previous: 25.
Low-down: Advanced to the Class 4A state championship game. Senior Madison Layden, a Purdue signee, was named Indiana’s Gatorade Player of the Year. Season complete.
Dropped: None.
High-Fives by Region
East
- St. John Vianney, Holmdel, N.J. (28-1)
- New Hope Academy, Landover Hills, Md. (23-8)
- Chartiers Valley, Bridgeville, Pa. (27-0)
- Poly, Baltimore (22-1)
- Princess Anne, Virginia Beach, Va. (26-1)*^
Geography: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia.
Midwest
- Newark, Ohio (28-2)
- Simeon, Chicago (34-3)*
- Aquinas, La Crosse, Wis. (25-1)
- Fremd, Palatine, Ill. (30-7)*
- Morton, Ill. (37-1)
Geography: Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Southland
- Hazel Green, Ala. (35-2)*
- Blanche Ely, Pompano Beach, Fla. (29-6)*
- Cardinal Newman, Columbia, S.C (23-1)*
- Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School, Atlanta (26-5)*
- Collins Hill, Suwanee, Ga. (31-1)
Geography: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
Far West
- Poly, Long Beach, Calif. (26-7)
- Etiwanda, Calif. (26-6)
- Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (25-7)
- Iolani School, Honolulu (25-2)*
- Valley Vista, Surprise, Ariz. (28-3)*
Geography: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
* Won a state, national or recognized conference/league postseason tournament championship
*^ Declared state co-champions
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 Senior Writer 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.
