Rebel Yell: No. 24 Seton-LaSalle (PA) wins state final showdown; Blue Star Media Go-To 25 girls’ basketball rankings

BENSALEM, Pa. – Two weekends remain in the 2013-14 season and things are unsettled at the top of the Blue Star Media Go-To 125 girls’ basketball rankings.

True, the top two teams in the rankings—No. 1 Blackman (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) and No. 2 Incarnate Word Academy (Bel-Nor, Mo.)—finished their campaigns with one loss—to each other—and pocketed state championships in commanding fashion.

There’s a wild card out there and it’s awfully intriguing. That’s because No. 3 Poly (Long Beach, Calif.) plays for the California Open Division championship Saturday. If the Jackrabbits win—and it won’t be easy versus Salesian (Richmond)—perhaps they could vault into the picture. Poly beat then-No. 3 Windward School (Los Angeles) in the regional semifinals. No question it was a quality win late in the season. Even with a win, it would be difficult to leap the Rabbits over the top-two.

Those are decisions for another day.

No. 24 Seton-LaSalle (Pittsburgh) re-enters the Blue Star Media Go-To 25 rankings after clipping then-No. 9 Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia) in the Class AA final. Neumann had an off day and never recovered. The Saints are still worthy of a national ranking after peeling 29 straight wins.

These final two weeks will be jammed with hoops galore. First, we’re headed to the McDonald’s All-American Games in Chicago (on April 2). Publisher Mike Flynn, columnist Mark Lewis and I will be on hand to provide updates. We’ll be on Twitter and other social mediums. Next, I’ll be in New York for the Dick’s Sporting Goods High School National Tournament from April 3 to 5. Two semifinal games on April 4 at Christ the King High School in Middle Village, Queens, N.Y. The final is April 5 at Madison Square Garden (10 a.m., ESPN2).

The semifinal matchups are: No. 15 Riverdale Baptist (Upper Marlboro, Md.) vs. Edgewater (Orlando, Fla.), 10:30 a.m.; No. 5 Miami (Fla.) High vs. Fremont (Plain City, Utah), 12:30 p.m. Both games are on ESPNU.

The rankings return on April 8 when the final Go-To 25 rankings will be released. We will crown a National Champion and who wears the crown is anyone’s guess. There are no guarantees.

Check back periodically at www.bluestarmedia.org for staff updates from showcase events all spring and summer. We hope to see you at a game soon. – Christopher Lawlor

Blue Star Media Go-To 25 Girls’ Basketball Rankings, March 25, 2014

1. Blackman, Murfreesboro, Tenn. (35-1)*

Previous rank: 1.

Low-down: Won Class AAA state championship. Season complete.

2. Incarnate Word Academy, Bel-Nor, Mo. (31-1)*

Previous: 2.

Low-down: Junior Napheesa Collier scored 61 points in two games, including 33 in the Class 4 final during a 60-43 win over Dexter. It was the Red Knights’ sixth overall state title and third in the last four years. Season complete.

3. Poly, Long Beach, Calif. (26-3)

Previous: 10.

Low-down: Lahjahna Drummer collected 16 points and 8 rebounds in a 56-46 win over Etiwanda in the CIF Southern California Regional Open Division final. The Jackrabbits closed on a 9-0 run, advancing to Saturday’s CIF Open Division final against Salesian (Richmond) in Sacramento. In the semifinals, the Jackrabbits eliminated then-No. 4 Mater Dei (Santa Ana), 64-46. Poly led early by 15 and 42-33 at the half.

4. Manvel, Texas (37-2)*

Previous: 5.

Low-down: Won Class 5A state championship. Season complete.

5. Miami High, Miami, Fla. (31-1)*

Previous: 6.

Low-down: Won Class 8A state championship. Regular season complete but the Stings are headed to New York City in April for the Dick’s Sporting Goods High School National Tournament.

6. Myers Park, Charlotte, N.C. (30-1)*

Previous: 8.

Low-down: Won Class 4A state championship. Four starters return for the Mecklenburg County school, which looks to win back-to-back titles. Season complete.

7. Duncanville, Texas (35-1)

Previous: 7.

Low-down: Finished runner-up in Class 5A. Coach Cathy Self-Morgan was named the Naismith High School Coach of the Year. Season complete.

8. Windward School, Los Angeles (25-3)

Previous: 3

Low-down: Lost to Etiwanda, 49-48, in the CIF Southern California Regional Open Division semifinals. Season complete.

9. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (26-3)

Previous: 4.

Low-down: It was a disappointing end to a disappointing season for the Monarchs during a 64-46 loss to No. 10 Poly (Long Beach) in the CIF Southern California Region semifinals. Junior All-American Katie Lou Samuelson had 17 points but made only 4 of 11 shots. Season complete.

10. Regis Jesuit, Aurora, Colo. (26-2)*

Previous: 11.

Low-down: Won Class 5A state championship. Season complete.

11. Shabazz, Newark, N.J. (33-1)*

Previous: 12.

Low-down: The Bulldogs were stellar, winning a second straight New Jersey Tournament of Champions championship, topping Manasquan, 69-55. It was the program’s sixth TOC crown and the second time they have won it in back-to-back years (2003 and 2004 previously). Zaire O’Neil produced 26 points and 11 rebounds and DeAshia had 16 points and 11 rebounds. The Group 1 champions advanced to the final, stopping St. Rose (Belmar), 53-44. Georgia Tech-bound O’Neil flipped in 19 points. Season complete.

12. Rock Bridge, Columbia, Mo. (27-3)*

Previous: 13.

Low-down: Won third consecutive Class 5 state championship, besting Lee’s Summit North, 62-45. Season complete.

13. Whitney Young, Chicago (32-3)* **

Previous: 14.

Low-down: Won second Class 4A state championship in three years. The Dolphins closed on a 14-game wins streak, securing the program’s third state title. Season complete.

14. Bedford North Lawrence, Ind. (27-1)*

Previous: 15.

Low-down: Won second straight Class 4A state championship. The Stars are 55-1 over the last two seasons. Season complete.

15. Riverdale Baptist School, Upper Marlboro, Md. (27-3)*

Previous: 16.

Low-down: The National Association of Christian Athletes Division I champions are in the Dick’s Sporting Good High School National Tournament next week in New York.

16. McEachern, Powder Springs, Ga. (28-2)*

Previous: 17.

Low-down: Won the Class AAAAAA for the second time in three years. Season complete.

17. Princeton, Cincinnati (28-2)*

Previous: 18.

Low-down: Won Division I state championship, for the team’s 16^th straight win. Season complete.

18. Canyon, Texas (34-4)*

Previous: 19.

Low-down: Won Class 4A state championship. Season complete.

19. Eleanor Roosevelt, Greenbelt, Md. (26-0)*

Previous: 24.

Low-down: Won the Class 4A state championship. It was the Raiders’ first title since five straight from 2005 to 2009. Five starters return. Season complete.

20. Shades Valley, Birmingham, Ala. (31-4)*

Previous: 20.

Low-down: Won Class 6A state championship. Season complete.

21. Salmen, Slidell, La. (33-1)*

Previous: 21.

Low-down: Won second straight Class 4A state championship. Season complete.

22. Sparkman, Harvest, Ala. (33-3)

Previous: 22.

Low-down: Lost in Class 6A final. Season complete.

23. Montini Catholic, Lombard, Ill. (34-2)*

Previous: 23.

Low-down: Won fourth Class 3A state championship in five years. Season complete.

24. Seton-LaSalle, Pittsburgh (27-4)*

Previous: 9.

Low-down: Won PIAA Class AA state championship, beating then-No. Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia), 58-50. Pittsburgh-bound Yacine Diop had a monster game with 10 points, 23 rebounds and 6 blocks. Nicolete Newman scored a game-high 17 points. It was the program’s second state title in three years. Season complete.

25. Neumann-Goretti, Philadelphia (29-1)*

Previous: 9.

Low-down: The Philadelphia Catholic League champions dropped PIAA Class AA final, upset by Seton-LaSalle (Pittsburgh), 58-50. Ella Awobajo pumped in 13 points and Ciani Cryor added 12. Season complete.

Dropped: No. 25 New Hope Christian (Thomasville, N.C.).

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (23-2)*

2. Cosby, Midlothian, Va. (26-0)*

3. Princess Anne, Virginia Beach, Va. (28-1)*

4. McDonogh, Owings Mills, Md. (29-2)*

5. Paul VI, Fairfax, Va. (29-5)*

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

Midlands

1. Marian, Bloomfield Hills, Mich. (25-2)*

2. Eastview, Apple Valley, Minn. (31-1)*

3. St. Thomas More, Champaign, Ill. (33-2)*

4. Fairmont, Kettering, Ohio (24-3)

5. Dowling Catholic, West Des Moines, Iowa (23-3)*

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

South

1. Broken Arrow, Okla. (29-0)*

2. Horn Lake, Miss. (29-1)*

3. Butler, Louisville, Ky. (32-3)*

4. New Hope Christian, Thomasville, N.C. (34-1)

5. Tucker, Ga. (29-4)*

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

Far West

1. Salesian, Richmond, Calif. (30-6)

2. Miramonte, Orinda, Calif. (30-2)

3. Etiwanda, Calif. (21-7)

4. Desert Vista, Phoenix (30-2)*

5. Gonzaga Prep, Spokane, Wash. (25-1)*

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

* Won state, national or conference postseason tournament

** Includes forfeit wins or losses

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 April 8, 2014. Follow him on Twitter at #clawlor.