By Mitch Stephens
MaxPreps.com
At long last a shake up, one of California earthquake proportions.
After little movement and no more than two losses in any week throughout the season among the Xcellent 25, six fell to defeat this week, dropping five out of the elite rankings overall.
The five teams that entered are: Westlake (Atlanta), Germantown Academy (Fort Washington, Pa.), Cy-Fair (Cypress, Texas), Highlands Ranch (Colo.) and Regis Jesuit (Aurora, Colo.).
The biggest shakeup predictably came out of the talent-rich Houston area, where six teams have been in and out of the Xcellent 25.
In the game of the week featuring the top two 2009 recruits in the country, Brittney Griner and Kelsey Bone, Griner led Dulles to a 76-59 5A Regional semifinal victory on Friday. Nimitz went on to claim the regional final the following day to move into its first-ever state championship semifinal.
More big news out of Texas came when previous No. 25 College Park (The Woodlands) was defeated in the 5A Region II finals by defending state champion Cy-Fair 71-54 as junior Chiney Ogwumike went off for 37 points, 24 rebounds and eight blocks.
Brittney Griner will skip All-Star Game.
Jim Redman
After such a huge weekend, the biggest shocker out of the Lone Star State came late this afternoon when Griner announced she will not participate in the McDonald’s All-American game. Griner was not only supposed to lead the West squad but she was expected to participate in the boys slam dunk contest.
All eyes will be in Indiana this weekend where the biggest game of the year will take place when No. 2 Ben Davis and No. 3 Washington will battle for the state and possible national crown. Both are undefeated.
About the Rankings: MaxPreps already provides the most comprehensive high school sports ratings with the MaxPreps National Rankings presented by the National Guard, a computer model developed by Ned Freeman. Now, it’s time to get the human element involved.
Each Monday, Mitch Stephens will run down the top 25 girls basketball teams in the country – weighing record, quality wins and losses and other factors to determine the best of the best.
MaxPreps Xcellent 25
1. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 29-0 (2-0 last week) – The Monarchs are making a mockery of the once proud Southern Section II-A playoffs following wins over Laguna Hills (77-39) and Villa Park (74-24), teams with combined records of 45-13. Villa Park entered No. 29 in the state. Mater Dei is averaging 50-point victory margin in three games. Don’t count on a nail-biter in Friday’s Section final against state No. 41 Beverly Hills.
2. Ben Davis (Indianapolis, Ind.) 29-0 (1-0) – Alex Bentley had 23 points as the Giants had little trouble with 23-1 and state No. 7 Mooresville 59-27. On Saturday they’ll attempt to become the first-ever 30-0 4A state title team in Indiana history when it faces No. 3 Washington in the national game of the year.
3. Washington (South Bend, Ind.) 26-0 (1-0) – After falling behind 13-10, Washington coach Maurice Scott extended his zone and it propelled a 25-6 run en route to a decisive 77-45 semifinal 4A state playoff win over Pendleton Heights. Scott’s stepdaughter and National Player of the Year leader Skylar Diggins had 15 of her game-high 38 in the quarter and finished 17 of 22 from the field. How will Diggins respond against arguably the nation’s best defense?
4. Whitney Young (Chicago, Ill.) 31-1 (2-0) – The Dolphins got all they could handle with a 50-46 win over Bogan in the Mother McAuley 4A section semifinals then won the title with a 50-41 win over Fenwick. Sophomore Chanise Jenkins had 18 points and four steals in the semifinal win and 13 points in the championship win. It plays Marian Catholic in the St. Xavier Supersectional tonight.
5. Brea Olinda (Brea, Calif.) 28-2 (2-0) – Two more why-bother Southern Section II-AA victories, 82-43 over Valencia and 79-43 past Thousand Oaks. Justine Hartman had 23, Kendall Rodriguez 17 and Kelsey Harris 14 against Thousand Oaks. The Wildcats have won 24 straight.
6. Mount Notre Dame (Cincinnati, Ohio) 22-1 (3-0) – Gives up 25, 30 and 31 points in three postseason wins last week and now gets Glen Este in the Section championship game on Saturday. Strong video piece on MND’s quest for a fourth straight Division I state championship.
7. Riverdale Baptist (Upper Marlboro, Md.) 21-2 (0-0) – The Crusaders play in the NACA National Tournament in Dayton, Tenn., Wednesday and Saturday.
8. Poly (Long Beach, Calif.) 27-2 (2-0) – After a month of wipeouts, the Jackrabbits had a pair of competitive games in the Southern Section I-AA playoffs, beating Santiago 60-46 and Troy 46-34. Troy came in 28-1 and ranked eighth in the state and 56th nationally. Brittany Williams had 11 and McDonald’s All-American Monique Oliver 10 for the Jackrabbits, who have won 28 consecutive playoff games.
9. Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco) 24-1 (1-0) – After a rugged West Catholic Athletic League season, the Irish can rest up in the Central Coast Section playoffs as shown in a 71-27 first-round win over Soquel on Saturday. On the horizon is a likely finals date with either St. Ignatius or Valley Christian.
10. St. Mary’s (Stockton, Calif.) 25-3 (2-0) – The Rams open Sac Joaquin Section III playoff action with ridiculously non-competitive wins over Livingston (99-15) and Sonora (95-39). Against Sonora, St. Mary’s made 20 3-pointers and forced 39 turnovers including 21 of Sonora’s first 24 possessions.
11. Bolingbrook (Ill.) 22-4 (2-0) – Morgan Tuck, a 14-year-old freshman, had 21 points and eight rebounds, and sophomore guard Ariel Massengale also had 21 points in a 53-42 win over Hinsdale Central in the 4A Sectional title win. A 10-0 run early in the fourth quarter vaulted the Raiders into their fifth straight supersectional and tonight they face Edwardsville.
12. Cajon (San Bernardino, Calif.) 29-2 (2-0) – The Cowboys prepared for the West Region’s top game this week against No. 9 Long Beach Poly with a very impressive 70-45 Southern Section I-AA victory over Lynwood before disposing of Perris 66-32 in the semifinals. Cal-bound point guard Layshia Clarendon continued to show her omission off the McDonald’s All-American team was a mistake, scoring 37 points with seven assists and eight rebounds against Lynwood before 19-9-7 against Perris. Darshae Burnside had a pair of double-doubles, 15 points and 18 rebounds and 17-16.
13. Westbury Christian (Houston) 43-1 (2-0) – Won TAPPS 4A state title with ease, defeating Bishop Gorman (73-46) and Liberty Christian (72-44). Yet another tall body from Texas, Waltia Rolle, a 6-6 senior, came within one block of two straight triple doubles. She had 21 points, 10 blocks and 11 rebounds against Gorman and 10 points, nine blocks and 12 rebounds versus Liberty Christian. Amber Orrange had 18 points in the regional title win.
14. Heritage Christian (Indianapolis, Ind.) 25-1 (1-0) – The Eagles had no problem cruising into the state 2A finals with a 90-69 win over Austin as Butler signee Claire Freeman had 24 points, Emily Anderson made 3 of 4 3-pointers and added 18 and Connecticut-bound Kelly Farris contributed 16 points and 10 rebounds. Heritage Christian now tries to become just the second team in Indiana history to win four straight state titles when it plays Oak Hill in the 2A championship Saturday.
15. Nimitz (Houston) 36-1 (3-0) – The Cougars proved they are much more than Brittney Griner by winning the Region III-5A title with a 45-26 win over Bellaire a day after topping then No. 19 Dulles in the much-anticipated semifinal game. Nimitz now will play in its first Class 5A state tournament. .
16. Archbishop Carroll (Radnor, Pa) 26-1 (3-0) – After monumental victory over then No. 4 Cardinal O’Hara, the Patriots didn’t let up, getting a 35-22 win over Wood in the Philadelphia Catholic League finals before beating Prep Charter for the city championship.
17. Cardinal O’Hara (Springfield, Pa.) 23-2 (1-0) – After 12 day layoff from its upset loss to Carroll, the Lions became the first Catholic League girls team to claim the District 12 Class 4A title with a 48-35 win over public league champ Central. Vanderbilt-bound Stephanie Holzer had a huge game with 19 points, 16 rebounds and seven blocks. O’Hara now plays Council Rock North in the PIAA 4A Tournament.
18. Westlake (Atlanta) 26-1 (2-0) – Opened the state 5A playoffs with a resounding 67-37 win over Jenkins, the Lions’ 22nd consecutive win. Tamika Willis and Simone Johnson form a fearsome and potent low block.
19. Kentwood (Covington, Wash.) 24-1 (1-1) – After absolutely breezing through 24 straight games, no one saw this coming, a 52-50 West Central 4A district title-game loss to Auburn Riverside (20-6), which went on a 16-8 run in the third quarter to key the victory. Jessie Genger had 18 for Kentwood, but no one else in double figures. Kentwood standout guard Lindsey Moore sat out the game with a sore groin. Moore is expected back for the state tournament against Kamiak that begins Wednesday.
20. Germantown Academy (Fort Washington, Pa.) 32-0 (0-0) – Have almost doubled opponents score all season (2,072 to 1,099) thanks to stifling defense and the play of Maggie Lucas, Jesse Carey and Jessica Erb.
21. Cy-Fair (Cypress, Texas.) 32-3 (2-0) – Defending state champions showed great resilience after losing point guard Cassie Peoples to a broken leg in a 46-45 quarterfinal win over Westfield on Tuesday.
22. Highlands Ranch (Colo.) 22-2 – The Falcons have it rolling after their 15th straight victory, 80-36 over Lakewood. Senior post Jenessa Burke (18.1) and point guard Meagan Fulps (15.5) lead the Falcons, who haven’t lost an in-state game since Feb. 2007.
23. Regis Jesuit (Aurora, Colo.) 20-4 – Regis, the last Colorado team to beat Highlands Ranch, is the top seed in the Alice Barron Region. The Raiders, 25-3 a year ago, are extremely balanced but led by forward T’Keyah Shealy (13.7 points per game) and UCLA-bound point guard Mariah Williams (11.9 points, 6.5 assists per game).
24. Fargo South (Fargo, N.D.) 19-0 (2-0) – Two more lopsided wins for the Bruins: 76-39 over Grand Forks Central and 66-43 over Shanley. Meghan Roehrich combined for 37 points and 17 rebounds in the two victories. Siri Burck added 28 points and 14 assists.
25. Dulles (Sugar Land, Texas) 36-3 (1-1) – Lost its monumental showdown with Nimitz but still enjoyed banner season led by Bone (19.0 points per game) and Jasmin Henderson (12.8). The Vikings also got big contributions all year from Amber Arceneaux-Francis, Hershira Boone-Rodgers, Trayvia Hart and Sylvana Okde, who averaged a combined 30.1 points per game.
On the Bubble: Detroit Community (Detroit, Mich.) 18-0; East Lansing (Mich.) 21-0; Detroit Country Day (Mich.) 19-1; Fayetteville (Ark) 29-0; Foothill (Santa Ana, Calif.) 28-1; Jones (Madison, Ala.) 33-3; Lakota West (West Chester, Ohio).21-2; Murry Bergtraum (New York, N.Y.) 20-1; Neptune (N.J.) 26-0; St. Michael Academy (New York, N.Y.) 20-3
Past Weeks: Jan. 5, Jan. 12, Jan. 20, Jan. 26, Feb. 2, Feb. 10, Feb. 17, Feb. 23.
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