Philadelphia school cracks the Blue Star Media Go-To 25 girls’ basketball rankings

BENSALEM, Pa. – More shakeup in the Blue Star Media Go-To 25 girls’ basketball rankings. Only one school joined but only the Top 5 stayed intact but after that, well, it was a chaos.

Normally this time of the year the Go-To 25 teams are settling into their local schedules but the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend is a national holiday giving schools a last green light to crisscross the nation for high-level games.

This weekend that trend continues in New York and Louisville, Ky., where the Raatz Fence/O’Shea’s Basketball Challenge will be played. Of course, Blue Star Media’s Mark Lewis will be on hand. We also have the Mecca Challenge under wraps. That three-day event tips Friday through Sunday at the Ravens Gym in The Bronx—a long WNBA three-pointer from Yankee Stadium. At least four Go-To 25 teams will be competing.

Last weekend, we had a chance to check out junior Katie Lou Samuelson of No. 3 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), so did several college coaches such as Geno Auriemma and Muffett McGraw. She’s a special talent at 6-foot-3, lean and virtually stoppable. Samuelson is the top talent from the Class of 2015 and so far above the rest. Whether it’s inside, outside, in transition, or defending with a long wingspan, she’s worth the price of admission. No doubt she’s ticketed for big things with USA Basketball, college and the WNBA.

It’s time to welcome No. 19 Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia) to the Go-To 25 rankings. The Saints entered the week with a sparkling 15-0 record, having won twice in New York over the holiday weekend. Coach Letty Santarelli features a young club, including a trio of Nigerian transfers. The South Philadelphia school should compete for the Class AA state title along with No. 24 Seton-LaSalle (Pittsburgh) in March.  

Check back periodically at www.bluestarmedia.org for staff updates from these showcase events. Hard to believe but next week the Florida postseason tips off. Regardless, get out to your local gym to soak up a game.

We hope to see you at a game soon. – Christopher Lawlor

Blue Star Media Girls’ Basketball Rankings, January 21, 2014

1. Duncanville, Texas (24-0)

Previous rank: 1.

Low-down: The Pantherettes defeated district rivals Mansfield Timberview, 75-53, as Ariel Atkins flipped in 20 points and Tiara Davenport added 15. The regular season countdown is five games.

2. Incarnate Word Academy, Bel-Nor, Mo. (14-0)

Previous: 2.

Low-down: Nakiah Bell dropped in 17 points, including a trio of three-pointers, and Napheesa Collier had 16 points and 9 rebounds in a 64-28 win over Nerinx Hall (Webster Groves). Saturday’s tilt with No. 5 Blackman (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) will impact the Go-To 25 rankings.

3. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (16-1)

Previous: 3.

Low-down: Junior WF Katie Lou Samuelson had 34 points in an 86-37 wipeout of Archbishop Williams (Braintree, Mass.) at the Spalding Hoophall  Classic in Springfield, Mass. Samuelson played in front of coaches from Notre Dame, Connecticut, Duke and Kentucky.

4. Poly, Long Beach, Calif. (13-1)

Previous: 4.

Low-down: The Moore League provides little competition. That’s why games with Windward (Los Angeles) Saturday and Lynwood next month will give the Jackrabbits a serious run before the sectional playoffs.

5. Blackman, Murfreesboro, Tenn. (18-1)

Previous: 5.

Low-down: The Blaze have a tough week with crosstown rivals Oakland Friday and a national throw-down with No. 2 Incarnate Word (Bel-Nor, Mo.) in Louisville, Ky., Saturday at the Raatz Fence/O’Shea’s Classic.

6. Miami Senior High, Miami, Fla. (21-1)

Previous: 7.

Low-down: The Stingarees are Florida’s top-ranked Class 8A team heading into next week’s district playoffs.

7. Myers Park, Charlotte, N.C. (14-1)

Previous: 8.

Low-down: The Mustangs were idle but get back after it Tuesday against East Mecklenburg (Charlotte).

8. Fairmont, Kettering, Ohio (16-1)

Previous: 9.

Low-down: Won twice at the Classic in the Country Challenge in Berlin, Ohio. The most impressive was a 63-26 thrashing of Notre Dame Academy (Toledo) . Wednesday is another conference test with Centreville.

9. Windward School, Los Angeles (15-2)

Previous: 14.

Low-down: Recorded a quality win over No. xx St. Mary’s (Stockton), 89-74. There’s another showdown on Saturday against No. x Poly (Long Beach).

10. Homewood (Ill.)-Flossmoor (13-2)

Previous: 10.

Low-down: Defeated Sandburg (Orland Park), 70-39.

11. Whitney Young, Chicago (15-2)

Previous: 11.

Low-down: The Dolphins cruised to a pair of Chicago Public League victories.

12. Regis Jesuit, Aurora, Colo. (11-2)

Previous: 12.

Low-down: Won three games on an Ohio trip, including two at the Classic in the Country Challenge.

13. Manvel, Texas (26-2)

Previous: 16.

Low-down: Average margin of victory was 52 points in a pair of district wins.

14. New Hope Christian, Thomasville, N.C. (22-0)

Previous: 17.

Low-down: The Phoenix will travel this weekend to the Mecca Challenge in New York.

15. Shabazz, Newark, N.J. (11-1)

Previous: 18.

Low-down: The Lady Bulldogs received a career-high 29 points and 10 boards from Georgia tech-bound Zaire O’Neil in a 64-43 triumph over previously unbeaten Phillipsburg at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Classic n Newark. Coach Vanessa Watson won her 700^th game last week and now faces a difficult stretch of games this week.

16. Riverdale Baptist School, Upper Marlboro, Md. (13-2)

Previous: 19.

Low-down: Swept three games at their own Crusader Classic, most notably a 55-51 win over Eastside (Paterson, N.J.). Next up is Capitol Christian Academy (Landover) Saturday at Ballin for a Cure at Montgomery College Takoma Park Campus.

17. Saint Mary’s College, Albany, Calif. (13-4)

Previous: 6.

Low-down: Lost to Etiwanda (Calif.), 65-49, and to ranked Windward (Los Angeles), 58-55, both at the MLK Classic in Stockton, Calif.

18. St. Mary’s, Stockton, Calif. (12-4)

Previous: 13.

Low-down: The Rams rebounded on Monday after a rare home loss. All four losses are to nationally ranked teams.

19. Neumann-Goretti, Philadelphia (15-0)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: The Saints are won twice last weekend in New York and return to the rugged Philadelphia Catholic League Wednesday for a tussle with Cardinal O’Hara (Springfield).

20. Joliet (Ill.) Catholic (19-0)

Previous: 24.

Low-down: The Angels are 6-0 in league and defeated Nova (Davie, Fla.), 50-43, in the MLK Dream Classic in Chicago. Mega game against No. xx Whitney Young (Chicago) is Saturday.

21. Sparkman, Harvest, Ala. (21-2)

Previous: 22.

Low-down: Alexis Jennings (25 points) and Toni Brewer (10) teamed for 35 points in a 56-41 win over Bob Jones (Madison).

22. Lawrence North, Indianapolis (16-1)

Previous: 20.

Low-down: Averaged 95 points in two lopsided wins. 

23. Bedford North Lawrence, Ind. (15-1)

Previous: 21.

Low-down: Two easy victories for the Stars, with five regular games remaining.

24. Seton-LaSalle, Pittsburgh (12-3)

Previous: 25.

Low-down: A stifling defense surrendered 76 points in three games. Most notably  a 41-24 win over Bishop Canevin (Pittsburgh) in a key WPIAL Section 4-AA showdown.

25. Nazareth Regional, Brooklyn, N.Y. (14-4)

Previous: 15.

Low-down: Split two games at the Rose Classic Super jam in Brooklyn. On the horizon is a Feb. 6 showdown at regionally ranked Christ the King (Middle Village). There’s no margin for error.

Dropped: No. 23 Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.).

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (10-2)

2. Christ the King, Middle Village, N.Y. (11-3)

3. Elizabeth Seton, Bladensburg, Md. (14-3)

4. Rancocas Valley, Mount Holly, N.J. (8-1)

5. Eleanor Roosevelt, Greenbelt, Md. (12-0)

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

Midlands

1. Rock Bridge, Columbia, Mo. (12-2)

2. Marian, Bloomfield Hills, Mich. (11-0)

4. Eastview, Apple Valley, Minn. (14-0)

4. Montini Catholic, Lombard, Ill. (20-1)

5. St. Thomas More, Champaign, Ill. (19-2)

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

South

1. Salmen, Slidell, La. (20-1)

2. Dunbar, Fort Myers, Fla. (22-1)

3. Northside, Fort Smith, Ark. (14-1)

4. Blount, Prichard, Ala. (23-3)

5. Horn Lake, Miss. (17-1)

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

Far West

1. Desert Vista, Phoenix (18-0)

2. Highlands Ranch, Colo. (12-1)

3. Bishop O’Dowd, Oakland, Calif. (13-3)

4. Dobson, Mesa, Ariz. (18-2)

5. South Medford, Medford, Ore. (13-3)

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

Records are through Monday’s games.

About: The Blue Star Media Go-To 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 on April 8. Follow him on Twitter at #clawlor.