BENSALEM, Pa. – There’s a new No. 1 and they are two wins from the Blue Star Media National Championship. It won’t easy for the newly ascended top-ranked Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.).
CK is atop the Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ basketball rankings after a shocker last weekend on the West Coast. No. 4 Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Ca.) lost to No. 6 Pinewood No. 6 Pinewood School (Los Altos Hills), 78-67, in three overtimes in the CIF-Northern California Region Open Division final. That sets up a matchup with No. 20 Windward (Los Angeles) for the CIF Open Division title Saturday in Sacramento.
By the way, Pinewood and Windward were added to the Elite 25 rankings.
However CK is not out of the woods yet. The Royals must navigate a difficult New York State Federation AA semifinal matchup against PSAL champion South Shore (Brooklyn) on Friday in Glens Falls. The winner gets No. 12 Baldwin or Long Island Lutheran (Brookville) in the final.
If CK were to lose, several teams would be in line for the Blue Star Media National Championship or the final No. 1 ranking. That means the GEICO Nationals would factor in mightily.
The GEICO Nationals field was selected and the four-team tournament features two outstanding semifinal matchups on March 30 at Christ the King High School’s Father John Savage Gymnasium in Middle Village, N.Y.; No. 3 Hamilton Heights Christian (Chattanooga Tenn.)-No. 13 Winter Haven (Fla.) at 11 a.m. ET; that’s followed by No. 9 Westlake (Atlanta)-Central Valley (Veradale, Wash.) at 1 p.m. Both games are ESPNU. The final is March 31 at 10 a.m. on ESPN2.
Check back regularly at www.bluestarmedia.org for staff updates from regional events and the state tournaments. We are the leaders in the girls’ basketball world. The Elite 25 girls’ basketball rankings will return on March 21. After that we’ll take a break as tournaments in California and New York are played along with the GEICO Nationals. The Elite 25 final rankings are out April 3.
Our staff is headed to the McDonald’s All American Game in Atlanta and the GEICO Nationals.
We hope to see you at a game soon. – Christopher Lawlor
Blue Star Media Elite 25 Girls’ Basketball rankings, March 21, 2018
1. Christ the King, Middle Village, N.Y. (28-0)*
Previous rank: 2.
Low-down: Idle. Next up is the New York State Federation AA semifinals against PSAL champion South Shore (Brooklyn) on Friday in Glens Falls.
2. Riverdale, Murfreesboro, Tenn. (36-1)*
Previous: 3.
Low-down: Won third straight Class AAA state championship. Season complete.
3. Hamilton Heights Christian, Chattanooga, Tenn. (24-2)*
Previous: 4.
Low-down: Idle. The Lady Hawks have been invited to play in the GEICO Nationals for a second straight year.
4. Archbishop Mitty, San Jose, Calif. (29-1)
Previous: 1.
Low-down: Upset by Pinewood School (Los Altos Hills), 78-67, in three overtimes in the CIF-Northern California Region Open Division final. Junior Haley Jones had 17 points and 10 rebounds.. The Monarchs beat Salesian College Prep (Richmond),75-50, in the semifinals. Season complete.
5. St. John’s College, Washington, D.C. (32-2)* *
Previous: 5.
Low-down: Season complete.
6. Pinewood School, Los Altos Hills, Calif. (27-2)
Previous: Not ranked.
Low-down: For the second time in less than a week, the Panthers upended two of the nation’s top-10 teams beating then-No. 1 Archbishop Mitty, 78-67, in three overtimes in the CIF-Northern California Open Division final. Brianna Claros produced 20 points and 5 assists. In the semifinals, the Panthers beat then-No. 6 St. Mary’s (Stockton), 59-56. Hannah Jump scored 19 points and Claros added 11 points and 7 assists. Next up is the CIF Open Division final against No. 20 Windward (Los Angeles) Saturday at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.
7. Centennial, Las Vegas (29-3)*
Previous: 8.
Low-down: Season complete.
8. Princess Anne, Virginia Beach, Va. (26-1)*
Previous: 8.
Low-down: Won a record fifth consecutive Class 5 championship. Season complete.
9. Westlake, Atlanta (30-1)*
Previous: 11.
Low-down: Idle. Next up is the GEICO Nationals in New York.
10. St. Mary’s, Stockton, Calif. (27-3)
Previous: 6.
Low-down: Upset by Pinewood School (Los Altos Hills), 59-56, in the CIF-Northern California Region Open Division semifinals. Season complete.
11. Paul VI, Fairfax, Va. (30-4)*
Previous: 10.
Low-down: Season complete.
12. Baldwin, N.Y. (24-1)*
Previous: 11.
Low-down: Won second straight NYSPHSAA Class AA championship, defeating Ossining, 87-60. Aziah Hudson, an Old Dominion signee, was named Most Valuable Player. The Bruins also beat Bishop Kearney (Rochester), 65-49, in the semifinals. Hudson popped in a game-high 30 points and Georgia-bound Donnetta Jones provided 11 points, 6 boards and 5 dimes. Next up is the NEW State Federation AA semifinals vs. Long Island Lutheran (Brookville) on Saturday in Glens Falls.
13. Winter Haven, Fla. (32-1)*
Previous: 12.
Low-down: Idle. The Blue Devils are headed to the GEICO Nationals on March 30 in New York.
14. Plano, Texas (35-6)*
Previous: 13.
Low-down: Won Class 5A state championship. Season complete.
15. Eastview, Apple Valley, Minn. (32-0)*
Previous: 14.
Low-down: For the second time in five years, the Thunder captured the Class AAAA, defeating Hopkins (Minnetonka), 68-63. Trailing by 13 points in the first half, the Thunder rallied behind 20 points from Megan Walstad, a UW-Milwaukee recruit. Also took down Lakeville North, 57-47, in the semifinals and Prior Lake, 78-44, in the first round when Mariah Alipate scored 14 and Walstad finished with 10. Walstad totaled 51 points in three state games. Season complete.
16. Geneva, Ill. (31-3)*
Previous: 18.
Low-down: Season complete.
17. Amarillo, Texas (40-2)*
Previous: 19.
Low-down: Season complete.
18. Mercer County, Harrodsburg, Ky. (36-3)*
Previous: 18.
Low-down: Won second straight Sweet Sixteen State Tournament. The Bears title is doubly better in a single class system or one overall champion. Season complete.
19. Manasquan, N.J. (32-2)* *
Previous: 19.
Low-down: Won State Tournament of Champions, downing defending title holder Franklin, 72-60, in the final. Virginia Tech-bound Dara Mabrey scored 15 of her game-high 30 points in the fourth quarter. Also eliminated Saddle River Day, 80-67, in the TOC semifinals. It was the program’s third TOC title and first since 2015. Season complete.
20. Windward School, Los Angeles (26-3)
Previous: Not ranked.
Low-down: The Cougars defeated Clovis West (Fresno), 61-50, in the CIF-Southern California Region Open Division final and Etiwanda, 75-49, in the semifinals
Next up is the Open Division championship Saturday against No. 6 Pinewood School (Los Altos Hills) in Sacramento.
21. Montini Catholic, Lombard, Ill. (34-3)
Previous: 20.
Low-down: Season complete.
22. Edison Public School Academy, Detroit (24-1)*
Previous: 21.
Low-down: Won second straight Class C state championship, routing Arbor Prep (Ypsilanti), 51-34, in the final. Rickea Jackson posted 16 points and 10 rebounds and Gabrielle Elliott had a game-high 20 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. The victory avenged the Pioneers’ lone loss this season. The also trounced Pewamo-Westphalia, 50-39, in the semifinals and Flint Beecher, 54-17, in the quarterfinals. The Pioneers are loaded and expected to be the favorite again next year. Season complete.
23. Duncanville, Texas (39-2)
Previous: 22.
Low-down: Advanced to the Class 6A, Region I final. Season complete.
24. Northwest Guilford, Greensboro, N.C. (29-2)*
Previous: 23.
Low-down: Won a second consecutive Class 4A championship. Season complete.
25. Derby, Kan. (23-1)*
Previous: 25.
Low-down: Season complete.
Dropped: No. 17. North Allegheny, Wexford, Pa.; and No. 24 Bradley Central, Cleveland, Tenn.
High-Fives by Region
East
- St. Frances Academy, Baltimore (24-4)* *
- Franklin, N.J. (24-8)*
- Riverdale Baptist School, Upper Marlboro, Md. (22-5)*
- St. Rose, Belmar, N.J. (26-4)*
- Mercy, Middletown, Conn. (27-1)*
Geography: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia.
Midlands
- Pickerington (Ohio) Central (28-2)*
- Incarnate Word Academy, Bel-Nor, Mo. (27-5)*
- Richwoods, Peoria, Ill. (35-1)*
- Northwestern, Kokomo, Ind. (29-1)*
- Maine West, Des Plaines, Ill. (32-2)
Geography: Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
South
- Wesleyan School, Peachtree Corners, Ga. (27-4)*
- Holy Innocents’ Episcopal, Atlanta (29-2)
- John Curtis Christian, River Ridge, La. (31-1)*
- Mansfield (Texas) Timberview (40-3)
- Choctaw Central, Philadelphia, Miss. (34-1)*
Geography: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
Far West
- Central Valley, Veradale, Wash. (27-0)*
- Clovis West, Fresno, Calif. (32-4)
- Southridge, Beaverton. Ore. (28-1)*
- Konawaena, Kealakekua, Hawaii (26-2)*
- Grandview, Aurora, Colo. (25-3)*
Geography: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
* Won state, national or conference/league postseason tournament championship
(Note some schools have won multiple tournament titles]
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. Teams with fifth-year or reclassified players won’t be considered. 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 in April. Follow him on Twitter @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.
