Six teams tumble from rankings as Paul VI, Clovis West remain in top two spots.
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After the usual holiday carnage, some ugly little facts did a number on our beautiful rankings. Six teams tumbled out the Xcellent 25, most of them falling while playing in the post-Christmas tournaments – and many of their replacements took advantage of those same kind of events.
But now that teams move into league play, upsets are less likely, at least until the spate of Martin Luther King Jr. Day events. Several teams in the Xcellent 25 will put their reputations on the line at one-day shootouts, but many are content to simply settle into local competition and get ready for the state championships.
Speaking of state championships, Texas fans may have to wait until the conclusion of that state's playoffs to return a team to the Xcellent 25. It's unusual for Texas not to have a representative, but the several very good teams have taken turns beating each other, which makes it hard to justify one being in the rankings.
By season's end, though, expect a Texas team or two to return, and it's possible that some of the other casualties this past week could rise again. For now, though, the Xcellent 25 has a brand-new look, one that might not change that much until mid-February.
(Note: We urge all teams, not just those in the Xcellent 25, to make sure their rosters and schedules are up-to-date on MaxPreps. This allows parents, fans, media and college coaches easy access to what they need to know. Problems? Contact coachsupport@maxpreps.com.)
MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Girls Basketball Rankings presented by the Army National Guard
1. (1) Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.), 11-0Destin turned out to be a less-than-satisfying destination for the No. 1 team in the nation, though Male of Kentucky made a late run before falling 73-65 in the Destin Holiday Classic final. The much-tougher Washington Catholic Athletic Conference competition awaits, however.
2. (2) Clovis West (Fresno, Calif.), 12-1Clovis West faces a tough two weeks' worth of games, starting with Vanden on Wednesday, and including a game against rival Clovis North. If Clovis West survives this stretch, and then rolls to the California Open Division title, the case for a No. 1 ranking will be very strong.
Clovis West remains at No. 2 in the Xcellent 25 rankings.
Photo by Darin Sicurello
3. (4) Miami Country Day (Miami), 16-1Miami Country Day barely survived the Naples Holiday Shootout final against Pickerington Central, winning just 56-55 – but in the end, the scoreboard doesn't lie. Now, MCD moves into local Florida play, and conceivably won't be challenged until season's end.
4. (5) Riverdale (Murfreesboro, Tenn.), 11-0Riverdale may well be one of the most talented teams in the country, but not making it to the Nike TOC before Christmas cut the heart out of its schedule. Rumor has it that Riverdale is hoping to line up a couple of games against teams that are either ranked or on the fringes of the Xcellent 25, and that would go a long way toward making Riverdale a legitimate national champion candidate.
5. (6) Monacan (Richmond, Va.), 9-0Monacan will face always tough Cosby on Thursday, but the big game left on the schedule is against Forest Trail, which just knocked off previous No. 3 Hamilton Heights. (Forest Trail, however, cannot be ranked because the school reclassifies transfers into a lower grade – for example, a student who would be a junior at another high school will be reclassified a sophomore at Forest Trail, and thus gain an extra year of eligibility.)
6. (7) Grandview (Aurora, Colo.), 7-1The suspense is pretty much over for Grandview until postseason, as the surprise of the Nike TOC will beat up on its league rivals until the state playoffs begin. And even then, only Highlands Ranch appears to be a serious threat
7. (8) Norcross (Ga.), 15-1One challenge No. 4 Riverdale will certainly face is Norcross on Jan. 14. Georgia's best has played a tough schedule and lost only to No. 5 Monacan (by one) and could jump into the top five on the strength of an upset win at the Krossover Classic.
8. (9) Montini (Lombard, Ill.), 16-0Geneva and Benet came into Montini's post-Christmas tournament with one loss between them – they each departed, however, with one more defeat, courtesy of host Montini. The next challenge will most likely come at the Chicagoland Classic over Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend, though Montini's opponent has yet to be determined.
9. (13) St. John's (Washington, D.C.), 10-1Our Lady of Good Counsel is a traditional basketball power, and this year has wins over Rock Creek Christian and National Christian Academy (which was ranked No. 10 last week). But St. John's led 36-6 at the half en route to a 62-34 win and deservedly jumped into the top ten.
10. (14) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.), 10-2Mitty's win over NorCal power Bishop O'Dowd was impressive, but the reason the Monarchs jumped back into the top 10 was losses by teams previously ranked above them. Mitty now moves into league play, which will be more of a challenge than for most teams, as the West Catholic Athletic League has a number of opponents that could make things difficult for the No. 10 team in the nation.
11. (16) Centennial (Las Vegas), 15-2Centennial simply doesn't let up. After traveling to Washington, D.C., and Phoenix, it will head to the San Francisco Bay Area during the Martin Luther King Day Jr. weekend to take on No. 2 Clovis West and new No. 18 St. Mary's. In between, they'll hammer some local opposition as a warm-up.
12. (15) Manasquan (N.J.), 7-0They start late in New Jersey, but the season extends into late March, so Manasquan will have plenty of games when all is said and done. This week, one of those games is against new No. 17 Long Island Lutheran, which will be the first real test for Manasquan this year.
13. (22) Mason (Ohio), 9-0 Thanks to an early season win over Forest Trail, Mason takes a big jump in the rankings – which also might have something to do with the level of talent on the roster. Still, that talent will be tested again when one of Indiana's best, Homestead, shows up on the schedule Jan. 14.
14. (3) Hamilton Heights Christian Academy (Chattanooga, Tenn.), 14-1After giving up 21 points in the fourth quarter to lose 46-42 to Forest Trail, a school that reclassifies transfers, Hamilton Heights now takes on Brentwood Academy, which has only lost twice this season – once to Missouri power Incarnate Word and another to New York's best-known team, Christ the King.
15. (20) White Station (Memphis, Tenn.), 12-2The two losses are to Hamilton Heights in Norcross, and since both teams are ranked above them, the losses are, in a way, expected. Wins over Murrah and new No. 24 Olive Branch jump White Station into the top 15.
16. (NR) Hazel Green (Ala.), 21-0Hazel Green has clearly established itself as the best in Alabama, but wins over solid Georgia teams Southwest DeKalb and Columbus also helped earn this ranking. But like many teams in this situation, an in-state loss would very likely end the stay in the Xcellent 25.
17. (NR) Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.), 6-1Winning the Junior Orange Bowl tournament in Florida over a field that contained previously ranked Homewood-Flossmoor gave Long Island Lutheran a boost into the national rankings. But No. 12 Manasquan could puncture the balloon when the two teams meet Sunday.
18. (NR) St. Mary's (Stockton, Calif.), 11-2For most of last season, St. Mary's was No. 1 in the nation – until a postseason upset knocked them out of the top spot. But despite this year's two losses – to No. 2 Clovis West and No. 6 Grandview – a strong schedule that so far has included most of the top teams in Northern California puts St. Mary's back in the Xcellent 25.
19. (NR) St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.), 11-0Roland Park has already knocked one team out of the Xcellent 25 (Ossining early in the year) and will have a chance to do the same against St. Frances on Wednesday. Then again, St. Frances is ranked for good reason, as no losses against a tough schedule is a pretty strong statement.
20. (21) Seton Catholic (Chandler, Ariz.), 13-2There's not much left that can go wrong for Seton Catholic, but by the same token there's not much left that can go right. The expected romp through Arizona will prove very little, while a loss would most certainly drop Seton Catholic out of the national rankings.
21. (23) Central Valley (Spokane Valley, Wash.), 10-0Kentlake and Moses Lake had just one loss between them before playing Central Valley, but they were no match for Washington's best. Central Valley dumped them both, and now returns to league play, where a serious challenge seems unlikely.
22. (25) Detroit Country Day (Beverly Hills, Mich.), 8-0Unbeaten King fell by nine to Detroit Country Day last week, and a strong Hamady team is on the schedule for next week. Still, any loss by Detroit Country Day before postseason would be considered a stunning upset.
23. (NR) North Central (Indianapolis, Ind.), 16-0North Central, considered by most to be Indiana's best, will find out just how accurate that opinion might be on Saturday. Ben Davis, with a 15-2 record, will be the opponent -- at Ben Davis.
24. (NR) Olive Branch (Miss.), 18-1The only loss is to No. 15 White Station, and there's a win over new No. 25 North Little Rock. Olive Branch did travel to Tennessee for the Turkey Jamm, but unfortunately was not matched against any opponents at its level. Still, Olive Branch gets credit for trying, while other teams with glittering records have been satisfied just to stay home.
25. (NR) North Little Rock (Ark.), 13-1North Little Rock handled most of Missouri's best at the Pink and White Tournament last week, and also has a win over Murrah of Mississippi. The loss to Olive Branch was only by three, and the overall strength of schedule helped earn North Little Rock the last available spot in the Xcellent 25.
Dropped out: No. 10 National Christian Academy, No. 11 St. Rose, No. 12 Duncanville, No. 17 Homewood-Flossmoor, No. 18 Mansfield Timberview, No. 19 Millbrook.
