HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – Consider this the pre-Christmas holiday tournament edition of the Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ basketball rankings.

After a crazy first month, six teams join the Elite 25 rankings. This week our staff will be front and center at the Nike Tournament of Champions in Arizona, where the girls’ basketball planet will assemble for the nation’s premier tournament.

The winner of the elite bracket stands a good chance to become the top-ranked team when the Elite 25 rankings are revealed again on January 2, 2019.

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

With the holiday season upon us please arrive to your destinations safely. Travel this time of the year can be a nuisance so have patience. I’m off to Florida for three tournaments and look forward to eyeballing some of the top teams in the nation.

Remember on December 24, the final Blue Star Media Elite 25 high school football rankings will be released. After that it’s wall-to-wall high school basketball until April.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all! We hope to see you at a game soon. – Christopher Lawlor

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Girls’ Basketball, Rankings, December 19, 2018

1. St. John’s College, Washington, D.C. (8-0)

Previous rank: 4.

Low-down: If the Lady Cadets want to be the nation’s top-ranked team they must win this week’s Nike Tournament of Champions Clare Droesch Bracket in Phoenix, Ariz.

2. Bishop McNamara, Forestville, Md. (6-0)

Previous: 12.

Low-down: The Lady Mustangs have not been ranked this high since the early 2000s when Mike Bozeman was the coach. Last weekend, the Lady Mustangs whipped No. 11 New Hope Academy (Landover Hills), 77-61, and made it look easy. The next challenge is this week at the highly competitive Cresmon Bank Holiday Invitational in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

3. Centennial, Las Vegas (3-0)

Previous: 9.

Low-down: The Lady Bulldogs blew out two Las Vegas teams and one from California before heading to Arizona for play in the Nike TOC Clare Droesch bracket this week.

4. Africentric Early College, Columbus, Ohio (4-0)

Previous: 11.

Low-down: Ohio’s top-ranked Division III squad claimed a huge 65-60 win over Michigan powerhouse No. 17 Edison (Detroit) last week. No more real challenges until January.

5. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (8-0)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: The Trailblazers are California’s top team and have played like it with eight lopsided victories. Coach Alicia Komaki takes her team to the Tarkanian Classic this week in Las Vegas.

6. Pinewood School, Los Altos Hills, Calif. (6-0)

Previous: 23.

Low-down: Won the Iolani Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii, beating No. 16 Incarnate Word Academy (Bel Nor, Mo.), 63-49, in the title game. Stanford-bound Hannah Jump was named Most Valuable Player after scoring a game-high 37 points, bucketing 11 of 13 3-pointers, in the final. Klara Astrom was the Most Outstanding Player and teammate Courtni Thompson made the all-tournament team. 

7. Riverdale Baptist School, Upper Marlboro, Md. (7-0)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: Coach Mike Bozeman isn’t fooling around by scheduling two high-impact tournaments, starting this week with the Nike TOC in Arizona and next week the Lady Crusaders play in the John Wall Christmas Tournament in North Carolina.

8. Christ the King, Middle Village, N.Y. (2-2)

Previous: 1.

Low-down: After an 0-2 start, the Royals rebounded to win two league games. This week they participate in the loaded Nike TOC Clare Droesch Bracket. Coincidentally Droesch, who passed away earlier this year, was an All-American for CTK in 2001 and later starred at Boston College before returning to her alma mater as an assistant to head coach Bob Mackey at the time of her death. 

9. Windward School, Los Angeles (10-1)

Previous: 2.

Low-down: Coach Vanessa Nygaard’s team carries a seven-game win streak into the Nike Tournament of Champions this week in Arizona.

10. Mansfield (Texas) Timberview (17-1)

Previous:  3.

Low-down: The Lady Wolves have two games this week and then host the Mansfield Spring Creek BBQ Tournament, starting on Dec. 27. This tournament usually has a strong field.

11. New Hope Academy, Landover Hills, Md. (11-1)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: Lost to No. 2 Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.), 

This week the Lady Tigers travel to Arizona for the Nike TOC and after Christmas it’s the Boo Williams Christmas Tournament in Hampton, Va.

12. Hamilton Heights Christian, Chattanooga, Tenn. (8-1)

Previous: 5. 

Low-down: The Lady Hawks lost to No. 2 Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.) on Dec. 1 but have rebounded for five straight wins. After Christmas coach Keisha Hunt takes her squad to Georgia for challenging games.

13. Archbishop Mitty, San Jose, Calif. (3-0)

Previous: 7.

Low-down: Next up is the Nike TOC in Arizona where the Monarchs open with Oregon powerhouse Southridge (Beaverton) on Wednesday. Next week they head to the San Diego Surf and Slam.

14. Riverdale, Murfreesboro, Tenn. (6-0)

Previous: 15.

Low-down: The reigning three-time Tennessee Class AAA state champions will play this week at the CresCom Bank Holiday Invitational in South Carolina. The dream matchup would be meeting No. 2 Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.) in the championship game.

15. St. Frances Academy, Baltimore (3-0)

Previous: 16.

Low-down: The Lady Panthers play in the John Wall Holiday Invitational in Raleigh, N.C. after Christmas.

16. Incarnate Word Academy, Bel Nor, Mo. (6-1)

Previous: 13. 

Low-down: Finished runners-up at the Iolani Classic in Honolulu, falling to No. 6Pinewood School (Los Altos Hills, Calif.). Marissa Warren, Rickie Woltman and Kiki Britzman were on the all-tournament team.

17. Edison Public School Academy, Detroit (3-1)

Previous: 17.

Low-down: After dropping a 65-60 decision to No. 4 Africentric Early College (Columbus, Ohio) last weekend, the Pioneers have a appetizing game Saturday afternoon against Detroit Country Day (Beverly Hills, Mich.).

18.  Princess Anne, Virginia Beach, Va. (9-0)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: The Cavaliers don’t play again until Dec. 27 in the Boo Williams Christmas Tournament in Hampton.

19. Beaver Dam, Wis. (7-0)
Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: The small-town team, which won the last two Wisconsin Division 2 state titles, is headed to the Naples (Fla.) Holiday Shootout to play in the loaded American Division starting on Dec. 27 for three games.

20. Collins Hill, Suwanee, Ga. (8-1)

Previous: 18.

Low-down: The Eagles are Georgia’s top-ranked Class AAAAAAA team and have a busy schedule at the War Lodge Invitational this week and after Christmas they play in the Deep South Classic in nearby Snellville.

21. Saddle River (N.J.) Day School (2-0)

Previous: 20.

Low-down: Michigan-bound G Michelle Sidor is averaging 37 points through two lopsided wins. The Rebels are the best team in state and are without Jaida Patrick (Duke signee) and Sydnei Caldwell (Arizona State) for a month, but the early schedule is amiable. 

22. St. John Vianney, Holmdel, N.J. (1-0)

Previous: 25.

Low-down: Crushed Middletown North, 77-22, on opening night, but the schedule picks up after Christmas with Staten Island (N.Y.) Academy and The Patrick School (Elizabeth).

23. Mount Notre Dame, Cincinnati (5-1)

Previous: 21.

Low-down: Coach Scott Rogers’ team is poised again after dropping the season opener to No. 4 Africentric Early College (Columbus) and take a five-game win streak to Bedford (Ind.) North Lawrence.

24. Forest Park, Ga. (11-1)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: The Panthers stunned then-No. 24 Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.), 33-28, at the She Got Classic in Maryland. The real test is after Christmas in the Naples (Fla.) Holiday Shootout.

25. Southeast Raleigh, Raleigh, N.C. (6-2)

Previous: 8.

Low-down: Two losses last week punishes the Lady Bulldogs but they have a chance at redemption this week at the CresCom Bank Holiday Invitational in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Dropped:No. 6 Duncanville (Texas); No. 10 Converse (Texas) Judson; No. 14 Benet Academy (Lisle, Ill.); No. 19 Montverde (Fla.) Academy; No. 22 Millennium (Goodyear, Ariz.); and No. 24 Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y. ).

High-Fives by Region

East

1. National Christian Academy, Fort Washington, Md. (6-2)

2. Paul VI, Fairfax, Va. (6-2)

3. Roland Park Country Day, Baltimore (9-0)

4. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (3-1)

5. Neumann-Goretti, Philadelphia (1-1)

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

Midwest

1. Hopkins, Minnetonka, Minn. (8-0)

2. Maine West, Des Plaines, Ill. (14-0)

3. Homestead, Fort Wayne, Ind. (12-0)

4. Newark, Ohio (7-0)

5. Fremd, Palatine, Ill. (14-0)

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

Southland

1. Fort Bend Hightower, Missouri City, Texas (19-0)

2. Spring Valley, Columbia, S.C. (10-0)

3. Northside, Fort Smith, Ark. (7-0)

4. Wesleyan, Norcross, Ga. (10-0)

5. Northwest Guilford, Greensboro, N.C. (4-1)

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

Far West

1. Regis Jesuit, Aurora, Colo. (6-0)

2. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (11-1)

3. Clovis West, Fresno, Calif. (11-1)

4. Millennium, Goodyear, Ariz. (10-1)

5. Kentridge, Kent, Wash. (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 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.