MaxPreps Top 25 high school girls basketball rankings

Postseason has been kind to the Xcellent 25 — so far, at least. Only previous No. 16 Shades Valley was upset in the playoffs last week, but the setbacks should mount as we move into March.

California's experimental Open Division — which lifts the elite teams out of their enrollment-determined divisions after sectional play is over and puts them all in the same bracket — guarantees some carnage, while states like Washington and Illinois are going to sort out a confusing jumble at the top with what should be some fascinating head-to-head encounters.

View the girls basketball state playoff brackets

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



1. (Last week 1) Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 28-0
Etiwanda, the winner over Long Beach Poly, is up next and then either Santiago of Corona or Troy. Of course, the Monarchs already beat Troy 61-25, so it's not hard to figure out who the favorite is.

2. (2) Riverdale (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) 30-0
How many times does Riverdale have to beat Blackman, which is just on the outside of the Xcellent 25? The Warriors handled the Blaze in the first three meetings, but have another one Wednesday — and could even play Blackman again.

3. (3) Duncanville (Texas) 40-0
The Panthers are two games from the state title — first up is Clear Springs, which is 38-2. But Clear Springs lost first to Bellaire, which Duncanville beat by 24; and then to Plano West, in quintuple overtime, which Duncanville beat twice.

4. (4) Windward (Los Angeles) 29-0
Windward has only Serra left between it and a berth in the Southern California Open Division playoffs, which will match the Wildcats against the best teams in the region, regardless of enrollment. Of course, Windward already beat Serra by 15.

5. (5) Marion County (Lebanon, Ky.) 32-0
Marion County beat Washington County 70-19 earlier this year — and now they play Washington County for the Regional championship. That's not a hard one to predict ...{PAGEBREAK} 6. (6) Pflugerville (Texas) 38-0
Steele avenged two of its five losses to get a shot at Pflugerville, but the Panthers have only lost one game in two years — and are hungry for a shot at No. 3 Duncanville.

7. (7) St. Mary's (Phoenix) 29-1
Pinnacle was the last obstacle for St. Mary's, and proved to be a worthy opponent — and only a 12-point victory. Still, that's yet another state title for the Knights and coach Curtis Ekmark.

8. (8) Centerville (Ohio) 24-1
McAuley is just 15-10, but that's the opponent in the Sectional finals Saturday. No. 10 Fairmont, though, is just a few games away.

9. (9) North Gwinnett (Suwanee, Ga.) 25-1
North Gwinnett handled 26-5 Alpharetta, and next up is most likely 27-3 North Cobb. If North Gwinnett and new No. 25 Norcross both win Saturday, they will play for the fourth time March 9 — for the state title.



10. (10) Fairmont (Kettering, Ohio) 22-1
No. 8 Centerville nearly doubled up Ursuline Academy, 60-31, back in January. Comparative scores often don't reveal much, but still it will be interesting to see how Fairmont does against Ursuline Academy Saturday.{PAGEBREAK} 11. (11) Science Hill (Johnson City, Tenn.) 31-3
Tennessee, Science Hill's opponent in the Region 1 finals, has a very nice 24-5 record — but three of those losses were to the Hilltoppers, by an average margin of 28.7 points.

12. (12) Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland, Calif.) 24-3
Bishop O'Dowd, with its three BCS post players, all taller than 6-2, will most likely face once-beaten Miramonte this weekend before getting bumped into California's new Open Division.

13. (13) St. John's (Washington, D.C.) 30-1
The Cadets came storming back in the fourth quarter to slip past Our Lady of Good Counsel, 67-66, behind Lindsay Allen's 28 points (and 16 of 16 from the free-throw line). But the two teams could easily meet again in the Bishop Walsh Invitational.

14. (14) New Hope Christian Academy (Thomasville, N.C.) 28-1
The National Association of Christian Athletes championships in Tennessee will give New Hope a chance to solidify this ranking — or give Riverdale Baptist, which is also in the event, a chance to re-enter the Xcellent 25.

15. (15) Incarnate Word Academy (St. Louis) 26-0
Miller Career is 21-5, which might promise some competition for the Red Knights — but for the fact that they already beat Miller Career 69-25 back on Jan. 7.{PAGEBREAK} 16. (18) Twinsburg (Ohio) 24-0
The Tigers will face either 17-7 Walsh Jesuit or 19-5 Hudson Saturday, assuming of course they get by 14-7 Aurora Thursday. In short, Twinsburg is moving on.

17. (17) Mead (Spokane, Wash.) 22-1
Skyline, at 20-5, is next, but fans in Washington are hoping Mead and 25-1 Mt. Rainier meet in the state semis — and Mt. Rainier's only loss is to No. 23 Oregon City. By two.



18. (20) St. Mary's (Stockton, Calif.) 27-2
Armijo's not a bad team (23-6 overall, 10-0 in a decent league), but if the Indians come within 25 of St. Mary's, count it as a moral victory.

19. (19) Bedford North Lawrence (Bedford, Ind.) 27-0
Fort Wayne South is all that stands between Bedford North Lawrence and a state title — not to mention a spot in the Xcellent 25. The two met before, on Jan. 26, and Bedford North Lawrence won 63-39. Draw your own conclusions.

20. (21) Central Catholic (Portland, Ore.) 21-3
It's been a while since Central Catholic has played a tough game, and 6-19 Thurston tonight doesn't qualify, even if it is the postseason. The winner of Roseburg and Canby will be more of a challenge, but it will be shock if Central Catholic doesn't advance.{PAGEBREAK} 21. (22) Archbishop Spalding (Severn, Md.) 27-1
The Cavaliers will get a shot at the D.C. teams in the Bishop Walsh Invitational — but they'll do so after a nearly three-week layoff.

22. (23) Marian Catholic (Chicago Heights, Ill.) 29-1
Whitney Young has been the best team in Illinois in recent years, and that's who Marian Catholic faces Friday night. And despite Whitney Young's national schedule, Marian Catholic has played just as tough a schedule, if not tougher.

23. (25) Oregon City (Ore.) 21-1
Like Central Catholic, the Pioneers shouldn't struggle at all in the first two games of postseason — and they'd like nothing better than another shot at Central Catholic on March 8.

24. (NR) Dr. Phillips (Orlando, Fla.) 29-3
Two of the Panthers' losses are to No. 7 St. Mary's of Phoenix and No. 23 Oregon City — and they just won the Florida state championship.



25. (NR) Norcross (Ga.) 20-5
Led by the player many consider the best prep in the country, Diamond DeShields, Norcross has played an elite schedule, and four of those losses are to teams in the Xcellent 25.

Dropped out: No. 16 Shades Valley, No. 24 Paul VI