No. 8 Centennial (NV) goes for 8th straight state title; No. 7 Etiwanda (CA) makes jump in Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls rankings with showdown looming

BENSALEM, Pa. – The trend this time of year is normally chaos. With the postseason gaining momentum as the calendar deepens into February, the Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ basketball rankings are static for a third consecutive week.

Teams dropping out of the rankings and season’s ending is bound to happen with all the moving parts ongoing coast to coast. February normally sets up March when championships are decided and bid to the GEICO Nationals, both tournaments, are handed out.

Since there are no additions to the Elite 25, let’s look at the current order.

No. 24 South Bend (Ind.) Washington plummeted 18 spots after losing in the Class 4A Semi-states semifinal and are done. Notably, teams from Nevada, Indiana and Florida will conduct state championships this weekend. The Philadelphia Catholic League, Washington Catholic Athletic Conference and the Independent School League (D.C. area) will hold tournaments this weekend with ramifications pending.

Nineteen teams from the Elite 25 are playing or will be later this week in the playoffs, two are done, 10 remained in the same position as the previous week and 12 have moved up.

No. 7 Etiwanda (Calif.) hopped up four slots after advancing to the California Interscholastic Federation-Southern Section Open Division final. The Eagles went 3-0 in pool play and face No. 1 Sierra Canyon School (Chatsworth) Saturday in the Open Division final. Clearly, it’s the showdown of the weekend but may not be the last between them this season. Both will play in the Southern Region Open Division playoffs that begin March 1.

In Nevada, No. 8 Centennial (Las Vegas) shoots for an eighth consecutive state crown on Friday. The Lady Bulldogs are playing semifinals and final in Las Vegas and are heavy favorites. What’s so remarkable is coach Karen Weitz is the head coach of both the boys and girls’ program at Centennial. Although the boys are out of the playoffs, the girls are going strong and likely will be invited to a reputable national tournament that tips in late March.

Elsewhere, the GEICO High School Nationals will be seeded in the coming weeks. Montverde (Fla.) Academy is defending champions and shoo-in. Expect a team from the WCAC to be included. McDonogh School (Md.) is another championship caliber team. Independent schools such as Example Academy (Ill.) and Westtown School (Pa.) could round the field that will play March 31 and April 1 in Fort Myers, Fla.

As for the State Champions Invitational, state winners from Florida, Georgia, Nevada, Mississippi, New Jersey, Utah, Washington, Arizona, Hawaii and District of Columbia will make up the six-team bracket. The site of the boys and girls event is pending.

The updates will be handed down soon. We’ll get it out there when the information becomes available.

Last week, another landmark for girls’ high school basketball when the inaugural roster for the

USA women’s team of the Nike Hoop Summit was announced by USA Basketball. For the previous 23 years, only a men’s international game was held.

The event features the top American high school athletes facing off against World Teams of top international players 19-and-younger. The games are slated for April 8, at Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. Tickets can be purchased here.

The women’s roster: Nunu Agara, Kamorea “K.K.” Arnold, Madison Booker, Zoe Brooks, Breya Cunningham, Aalyah Del Rosario, Jadyn Donovan, Hannah Hidalgo, Ashlynn Shade, Juju Watkins, Jada Williams, Mikaylah Williams and Sahara Williams.

Brooks (North Carolinas State signee) and Shade (UConn) will make their USA Basketball competitive debuts.

Leading the USA women’s team will be head coach Sue Phillips of Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.), CA) with support from assistants Carlesa Dixon Summer Creek (Houston) and Special Jennings Montverde (Fla.) Academy.

Phillips has served USA Basketball by leading four junior national teams to gold medals (2022 U17 World Cup, 2021 FIBA U16 Americas Championship, 2014 U17 World Cup, 2013 FIBA U16 Americas Championship).

The USA Nike Hoop Summit Teams were selected by the USA Basketball Men’s and Women’s Developmental National Team Committees, respectively.

The World Team rosters will be announced at a later date.

Congratulations, ladies!

Last week, Brooks, a McDonald’s All-American from No. 3 St. John Vianney (Holmdel, N.J.) did not play in her team’s Shore Conference Tournament final against archrival Red Bank (N.J.) Catholic on Sunday.

According to reports, she was on crutches and wearing a walking boot for a lower leg injury. Coach Dawn Karpell said her star guard is week to week but the Lady Lancers will need her for the playoffs. Vianney is expected to play No. 22 Paul VI (Haddonfield, N.J.) in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Non-Public A South final. Paul VI is blessed with Notre Dame-bound point guard Hannah Hidalgo and could be a headache.

However, Brooks’ replacement, freshman Madison Kocis, was instrumental in winning the Shore Conference title. Kocis dropped 19 points, sinking three 3-pointers, as the Lady Lancers rallied in the second half. Kocis is the next big-time player from a big-time program.

We’ll monitor the situation in the Garden State.

That’s it for another week.

The Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ rankings will return March 1. You better get out to a game soon because the season will be concluding. For most teams the playoffs are a one-and-done proposition. March is a maddening month on the hardwood.

Stay safe.

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

 Blue Star Media Elite 25 Girls’ Basketball Rankings, Feb. 22, 2023

1. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (29-0)

Previous rank: 1.

Low-down: Won CIF-Southern Section Open Division Pool A, defeating Sage Hill (Newport Beach), 89-45, in the third and final game. Also beat Ontario Christian, 80-18, as McDonald’s All-American and USC-bound Juju Watkins threw in 32 points. The Trailblazers play No. 7 Etiwanda in the final Saturday at the Honda Center in Anaheim.

2. Incarnate Word Academy, Bel Nor, Mo. (25-0)

Previous: 2.

Low-down: The Red Knights defeated Nerinx Hall (Webster Groves), 76-21, and Ursuline (St. Louis), 74-41. The regular season closed with John Burroughs (St. Louis) Tuesday.

3. St. John Vianney, Holmdel, N.J. (28-0)

Previous: 3.

Low-down: Won the Shore Conference Tournament for the third consecutive , beating archrivals Red Bank Catholic, 58-52, in the final. Freshman Madison Kocis scored 19 points and Bucknell-bound Ashley Sofilkanich had 17. In the semifinals, the Lady Lancers defeated St. Rose (Belmar), 83-40. Leading by four points after one period, it was a 28-3 second quarter run that bumped the lead to 46-17. Zoe Brooks threw in a game-high 26 points and Holy Cross-bound Janie Bachmann put up 14 points and 14 rebounds.

4. Sidwell Friends, Washington, D.C. (23-2)

Previous: 4.

Low-down: The Quakers won for the 14th consecutive time after a 65-40 victory over Connelly School of the Holy Child (Potomac, Md.). The regular season ended with rival Georgetown Visitation (Washington) Tuesday. Up next is the Independent School League Tournament running Friday through Sunday.

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

Previous: 5.

Low-down: Idle. Next up is the GEICO High School Nationals on March 31 in Fort Myers, Fla.

6. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (18-2)

Previous: 7.

Low-down: Kayleigh Heckel doubled up with 21 points and 10 assists and the Lady Crusaders defeated East New York Family Academy (Brooklyn), 82-40. In a 78-41 victory over Montclair (N.J.) Immaculate, Savvy Swords contributed 20 points and 4 assists and Heckel had 17 points and 8 assists. Up next is Grand Street Campus (Brooklyn) Wednesday.

7. Etiwanda, Calif. (29-2)

Previous: 11.

Low-down: Defeated No. 9 Mater Dei (Santa Ana), 71-58, and Windward (Los Angeles), 70-52, to win CIF-Southern Section Open Division Pool B. The Eagles face No. 1 Sierra Canyon School (Chatsworth) in the Open Division final Saturday in Anaheim.

8. Centennial, Las Vegas (22-1)

Previous: 8.

Low-down: Won the Nevada Class 5A Southern League title, beating Coronado (Las Vegas), 64-27, in the final. Sophomore forward Ayla Williams scored 12 points and senior forward Charlece Ohiaeri added 9. Also defeated Faith Lutheran (Las Vegas), 85-23, in the semifinals. The Lady Bulldogs’ quest for an eighth straight state title continues Friday with Reno in the 5A semifinals. The winner gets Bishop Manogue (Reno) or Coronado in the final Saturday at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

9. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (28-3)

Previous: 9.

Low-down: Lost to then-No. 11 Etiwanda, 71-58, but beat Corona Santiago, 94-38, as Addie Deal scored 21 points in CIF-Southern Section Open Division Pool B play. The Monarchs will next play in the CIF-Southern California Region Open Division playoffs that start next week.

10. La Jolla (Calif.) Country Day (28-3)

Previous: 10.

Low-down: Defeated Scripps Ranch, 81-32, in the CIF-San Diego Sectional Open Division quarterfinals. The Torreys host Mission Hills (San Diego) in the semifinals Wednesday and the final is Saturday.

11. Hoover, Ala. (32-1)

Previous: 12.

Low-down: Defeated James Clemens (Madison), 50-20, in the Class 7A Northwest Regional semifinals. The regional final is Tuesday versus Bob Jones (Madison).

12. Hazel Green, Ala. (32-1)

Previous: 13.

Low-down: In the Class 6A Northwest Regional semifinals, the Lady Trojans defeated Mortimer Jordan (Morris), 61-47. The regional final is Wednesday versus Clay-Chalkville.

13. Nazareth Academy, La Grange Park, Ill. (30-1)

Previous: 14.

Low-down: Won Class 3A regional title, beating St. Laurence (Burbank), 73-27. In the semifinals, the Roadrunners claimed a forfeit victory over Comer (Chicago). Up next is De La Salle (Chicago) in the Chicago Sectional semifinal Tuesday. The final is Thursday.

14. Clovis West, Fresno, Calif. (28-1)

Previous: 15.

Low-down: Opened the CIF-Central Section Division I playoffs, defeating Caruthers, 72-42, in the quarterfinals. The Golden Eagles played Buchanan (Clovis) Tuesday in the semifinals.

15. Archbishop Mitty, San Jose, Calif. (24-2)

Previous: 16.

Low-down: In CIF-Central Coast Open Division Pool A play, the Monarchs defeated Crystal Springs Uplands School (Hillsborough), 93-30, and Branham, 78-24. Play resumes with Los Gatos Wednesday. The Open Division final will be contested against the Pool B winner Friday at Santa Clara University’s Leavey Center.

16. Duncanville, Texas (26-5)

Previous: 17.

Low-down: Season complete.

17. Sacred Heart Academy, Louisville, Ky. (28-3)

Previous: 18.

Low-down: Defeated Bullitt East (Mount Washington), 80-36, in the final regular season game. In the KHSAA 27th District semifinals, the Valkyries defeated Highlands Latin (Louisville), 75-6. The final is Wednesday.

18. Edmond (Okla.) North (23-0)

Previous: 19.

Low-down: The Lady Huskies completed a perfect regular season, beating Edmond Memorial, 60-23, and Edmond Santa Fe, 68-27. Up next is Capitol Hill (Oklahoma City) Thursday in the Class 6A West regional semifinals. The final is Saturday afternoon.

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

Previous: 20.

Low-down: The Knights closed out the regular season, defeating Corner Canyon (Draper), 64-36, and Westlake (Saratoga Springs), 55-46. They went unbeaten against in-state competition and is the top seed in the Class 6A state tournament. The Knights will host a second round game on Thursday.

20. The Webb School, Bell Buckle, Tenn. (29-4)

Previous: 21.

Low-down: Won Division II-A Middle Regional title, beating Middle Tennessee Christian (Murfreesboro), 62-34, and Providence Christian (Murfreesboro), 57-28, in semifinals. Last week, Angelica Velez was named a Division II-A Miss Basketball finalist.

21. Paul VI, Haddonfield, N.J. (19-2)

Previous: 22.

Low-down: The Eagles earned a bye to the Non-Public B South quarterfinals and will play Notre Dame (Lawrenceville) or Mount St. Mary (Watching) Friday. The semifinals are Monday.

22. Morris Catholic, Denville, N.J. (23-3)

Previous: 23.

Low-down: Won Morris County Tournament championship, defeating Montville, 62-51, in the final. The Crusaders rallied from an eight-point deficit at the break. Sophomore guard Mia Pauldo had 26 points and 6 assists while surpassing 1,000 career points. Sophomore Daniella Matus was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player and recently received an offer from Seton Hall. Also beat Hanover Park (East Hanover), 70-20, as Pauldo scored 20 points and Alexis Rosenfield posted 10 points and 11 rebounds. Earlier this week, Pauldo was named county player of the year. The Crusaders tip off the Non-Public B North playoffs with Wardlaw-Hartridge (Edison) Friday.

23. Hopkins, Minnetonka, Minn. (21-2)

Previous: 24.

Low-down: Defeated St. Louis Park, 75-27, and Minnetonka, 80-52. The Lady Royals finish the regular season this week at home with St. Michael-Albertville Tuesday and Buffalo Friday. Stanford-bound NuNu Agara was named to the inaugural Nike Hoops Summit girls game on April 8 in Portland, Oregon.

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

Previous: 6.

Low-down: Lost to Lake Central (St. John), 62-57, in Class 4A Semi-state semifinals. The Panthers remain in the Elite 25 but the stay may end soon. Season complete.

25. Johnston, Iowa (20-1)

Previous: 25.

Low-down: Defeated Lincoln (Des Moines), 73-27, in the Class 5A, Region 2 semifinals and played Sioux City East Tuesday in the Region 2 final.

Dropped: None.

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Bishop McNamara, Forestville, Md. (20-5)
2. McDonogh School, Owings Mills, Md. (23-2)*
3. Westtown School, West Chester, Pa. (20-4)*
4. Georgetown Visitation, Washington, D.C. (20-4)
5. St. John’s College, Washington, D.C. (22-6)

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

Midwest

1. Example Academy, Frankfort, Ill. (21-2)*
2. Chaska, Minn. (23-1)
3. Fremd, Palatine, Ill. (30-2)
4. Grand Rapids (Mich.) West Catholic (18-0)
5. Fishers, Ind. (26-2)

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

Southland

1. Dr. Phillips, Orlando, Fla. (28-1)
2. Brookwood, Snellville, Ga. (26-1)
3. Conway, Ark. (24-5)
4. Bearden, Knoxville, Tenn. (31-0)
5. Clark, San Antonio (29-3)

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

Far West

1. Desert Vista, Phoenix (26-3)
2. Piedmont, Calif. (25-0)
3. South Medford, Medford, Ore. (21-2)
4. Woodinville, Wash. (24-1)
5. Iolani School, Honolulu (20-5)*

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

Records through Monday’s games

* Won state, national or conference postseason tournament

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.