MaxPreps Xcellent 25 high school girls basketball rankings

The top three teams in the Xcellent 25 are all undefeated state champions with significant wins against elite teams from out of state - so why does St. Mary's get the call at No. 1?

A simple answer: The Nike TOC.

The most prestigious and competitive tournament in the country, the TOC in Phoenix is where teams that are serious about national rankings need to go. Unfortunately, not all teams can get there. First, they have to be invited, but even if they are, their states have to allow travel, and they have to raise the thousands of dollars necessary to make the trip.

So even though Whitney Young and McEachern have great credentials - and St. Mary's never left the state of Arizona - the nod has to go to the Knights, who survived the four-game gantlet that is the Nike TOC.

MaxPreps Girls Basketball State Champions

Now, as for Whitney Young No. 2 and McEachern No. 3, flip a coin. We like the Dolphins just a tiny bit better because they played a more national schedule, but McEachern had some big out-of-state wins as well.

In the end, though, all three have plenty to be proud of, not to mention a state championship banner to hang in the gym.

MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Girls Basketball Rankings presented by the Army National Guard

1. (1) St. Mary's (Phoenix) (30-0)*
Season complete.

2. (2) Whitney Young (Chicago) (34-0)*
Season complete.

3. (3) McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) (33-0)*
Season complete.

4. (4) Duncanville (Texas) (39-1)*
Season complete.

5. (5) Riverdale Baptist (Upper Marlboro, Md.) (36-2)
The Crusaders are getting ready for the National High School Invitational March 30-31. The toughest opposition in the four-team event will likely be No. 17 Dr. Phillips, but Edgewater and H.D. Woodson are also good teams.

6. (6) Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) (33-3)
The Monarchs took care of Long Beach Poly and now face a solid but small Berkeley team for the California Division I championship Saturday. It will be a major upset if Mater Dei doesn't collect the trophy.

7. (8) Bolingbrook (Ill.) (26-2)*
Season complete.

8. (7) Riverdale (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) (34-3)*
Bolingbrook beat Riverdale head-to-head, and an early season loss to Memphis Central led to this slight adjustment.

9. (9) La Jolla Country Day (Calif.) (32-1)
The Torreys will face a talented Salesian team in the California Division IV championship game Friday, but La Jolla Country Day has much more experience and has played a much tougher schedule.

10. (10) Our Lady of Good Counsel (Olney, Md.) (30-4)*
Season complete.

11. (16) DuPont Manual (Louisville, Ky.) (37-2)*
The Crimsons lost to Mercy by two, but beat the Jaguars by 16. They also lost to Marion County, but beat the Knights twice. Toss in a win over Twinsburg, and Manual jumps to No. 11.

12. (12) Hoover (Ala.) (31-3)*
Season complete.

13. (18) Twinsburg (Ohio) (25-3)*
The Tigers knocked off previous No. 11 Reynoldsburg in the semifinals, and then disposed of Fairmont in the finals to jump to No. 13 in the rankings - but neither win was easy.

14. (13) MacArthur (Irving, Texas) (35-3)*
Season complete.

15. (15) Cicero-North Syracuse (Cicero, N.Y.) (19-3)
The convoluted New York playoffs finish this week, and Cicero-North and No. 18 Nazareth will face off Saturday to see which team really is the best. The winner gets Murry Bergtraum Sunday for the Federation banner.

16. (14) South Medford (Ore.) (30-0)*
It's hard to say how good South Medford really was, as none of the top Oregon teams played anyone significant from out of state.

17. (17) Dr. Phillips (Orlando, Fla.) (29-3)
The Panthers will compete in the National High School Invitational Mach 30 and 31, and will have a chance to move up in the rankings if they can meet and beat No. 5 Riverdale Baptist.

18. (20) Nazareth (Brooklyn, N.Y.) (18-3)
Nazareth isn't the only New York team trying to cope with tragedy: Murry Bergtraum, which will play the winner of Nazareth and Cicero-North Sunday, has dedicated the season to murdered former teammate Tayshauna Murphy.

19. (21) Science Hill (Johnson City, Tenn.) (38-1)*
Season complete.

20. (22) Seton LaSalle (Pittsburgh) (28-0)
The Rebels snapped Villa Maria's three-year string of state championships Tuesday, winning 56-50, and will play York Catholic Saturday for the Pennsylvania AA title.

21. (23) Heights (Wichita, Kan.) (25-0)*
Season complete.

22. (25) Goodrich (Mich.) (28-0)*
Frankie Joubran hit two late free throws among her 16 points and the Martians (love that mascot) pulled away from Central Catholic in the final 2 minutes to win the Michigan Class B title.

23. (24) Edmond Santa Fe (Okla.) (28-0)*
Season complete.

24. (NR) Oakton (Vienna, Va.) (31-0)*
The Cougars jump into the Xcellent 25 as Virginia state champs -- but they separated themselves from other unbeaten state titlists by beating West Springfield soundly, and West Springfield had several quality wins, in and out of state.

25. (11) Reynoldsburg (Ohio) (26-1)*
The one loss to No. 13 Twinsburg can't dim a fine season for Reynoldsburg, which brings back almost all of its roster next year.

Dropped out: (19) Shabazz (32-1).

*Season complete