High school girls basketball rankings: Montverde Academy finishes No. 1, crowned MaxPreps National Champion

By Aaron Williams Apr 11, 2023, 11:00am

Eagles grab second straight GEICO Nationals title, finish 26-1 with wins over seven state champions.

Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) hovered around the top of the MaxPreps Top 25 high school girls basketball rankings all season long thanks to a roster packed with major college prospects and a series of wins over national contenders. The Eagles capped things with their second straight GEICO Nationals title to finish 26-1.

Montverde Academy is the 2022-23 MaxPreps National Champions after finishing No. 1 in the final MaxPreps Top 25.

The Eagles grabbed wins over nine teams ranked in the MaxPreps Top 25 during the season, including victories over seven state champions and two state finalists. The lone loss was to DCSAA champion No. 5 Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.), which captured the State Champions Invitational title over the weekend and finished No. 1 nationally a year ago.

Montverde Academy's opponents went 587-189 this season, a 75 percent winning clip.



The Eagles were powered by MaxPreps All-American Mjracle Sheppard, a Mississippi State commit. She averaged a team-high 11.1 points per night but shared the rock with a cadre of capable ballers.

South Carolina commit Sahnya Jah, averaged 10.6 per night and was the catalyst of a GEICO Nationals final comeback where the Eagles erased a 14-point halftime lead. Illinois Cori Allen also played a huge part in Montverde grabbing its second straight GEICO title. Georgia Tech, Baylor and Kentucky also will have 2023 Montverde graduates on their roster next season.

The 60-54 GEICO Nationals final victory over No. 2 Long Island Lutheran cemented their perch atop high school girls basketball.
(Graphic: Ryan Escobar)
(Graphic: Ryan Escobar)
Past MaxPreps National Champions
2011 — Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
2012 — St. Mary's (Phoenix)
2013 — Riverdale (Murfreesboro, Tenn.)
2014 — Blackman (Murfreesboro, Tenn.)
2015 — Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia)
2016 — Duncanville (Texas)
2017 — Riverdale
2018 — Central Valley (Spokane Valley, Wash.)
2019 — New Hope Academy (Landover Hills, Md.)
2020 — La Jolla Country Day (La Jolla, Calif.)
2021 — Westlake (Atlanta)
2022 — Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.)

1. Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)
Record:
26-1 | Last week: 1
GEICO National champions.

2. Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.)
Record:
22-3 | Last week: 2
Class AA state champions.

Record: 32-3 | Last week: 3
CIF Open Division state champions.

4. Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.)
Record:
31-1 | Last week: 4

5. Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.)
Record:
30-3 | Last week: 7
State Champions Invitational champions. DCSAA champions.

6. Incarnate Word Academy (St. Louis)
Record:
32-0 | Last week: 6
Class 6 state champions.



7. Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.)
Record:
28-3 | Last week: 8
CIF Open Division runner-up.

8. Morris Catholic (Denville, N.J.)
Record:
28-4 | Last week: 5
Non-Public B champions.

9. St. John-Vianney (Holmdel, N.J.)
Record:
32-1 | Last week: 9
Non-Public A runner-up.

10. Hoover (Ala.)
Record:
35-1 | Last week: 10
Class 7A state champions.

11. The Webb School (Bell Buckle, Tenn.)
Record:
32-4 | Last week: 11
Division II Class A state champions.

12. La Jolla Country Day (La Jolla, Calif.)
Record:
29-4 | Last week: 12

13. Hazel Green (Ala.)
Record:
36-1 | Last week: 13
Class 6A state champions.



14. Paul VI (Haddonfield, N.J.)
Record:
21-3 | Last week: 14

15. Sacred Heart (Louisville, Ky.)
Record:
36-3 | Last week: 15
Kentucky state champions.

16. Lone Peak (Highland, Utah)
Record:
244 | Last week: 16
Class 6A state champions.

17. Desert Vista (Phoenix)
Record:
28-4 | Last week: 18
Open Division state champions.

18. Centennial (Las Vegas)
Record:
25-2 | Last week: 20
Class 5A state champions.

19. Conway (Ark.)
Record:
27-5 | Last week: 19
Class 6A state champions.

20. Dr. Phillips (Orlando, Fla.)
Record:
30-2 | Last week: 17
Class 7A state champions. 

21. Clovis West (Fresno, Calif.)
Record:
30-2 | Last week: 21

22. Edmond North (Edmond, Okla.)
Record:
27-0 | Last week: 22
Class 6A state champions.



23. Princeton (Cincinnati)
Record:
26-2 | Last week: 23
Division I state champions.

24. Clark (San Antonio, Texas)
Record:
34-3 | Last week: 24
Class 6A state champions.

25. McDonogh (Owings Mills, Md.)
Record:
23-3 | Last week: 25

Next five: Clackamas (Ore.), 24-5; Pleasant Valley (Iowa), 27-0; Bedford North Lawrence (Bedford, Ind.), 27-3; Bradley Central (Cleveland, Tenn.), 34-1; Notre Dame Academy (Green Bay, Wis.), 29-1