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

Video: Lola Mullaney's highlights vs. Wall Township High
See the Manasquan sophomore guard in a 64-30 win.

When basketball coaches Jason and Janna Thompson got married, they vowed never to play against each other -- but Friday, Jason (Olive Branch) and Janna (Horn Lake) will face off the first time.

They had hoped to work together, but those plans didn't pan out, so Jason and his No. 21 Olive Branch will host one of Mississippi's perennial powers, Horn Lake, Friday night.

"We're both very competitive," said Jason Thompson, in his first year at Olive Branch, "and she already warned me that if we win, I'll be sleeping on the couch -- and she said I better fill my pockets because I'll be eating out too."

Both were college players, Jason at Mississippi Valley State and Janna at Delta State, but Jason concedes "she has the better resume. She was a four-year letterman and a standout high school player who was the MVP of the Mississippi high school all-star game -- and she reminds me of that every time we go.



"She was an exceptional player and I was more of a blue-collar guy," said Jason, but on the sidelines, he looks to have the edge this Friday -- at least until he arrives back home.

"I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place," he said, but with a national ranking on the line, a couple of breakfasts at the Waffle House would be a small price to pay for a crucial win.

(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.)


1. (1 last week) Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.), 14-0
Our Lady of Good Counsel is a quality team, but Paul VI rolled Tuesday night, 71-44. The next two games shouldn't be too much of a challenge, but games against Seton and No. 9 St. John's down the road are definitely not gimmes.

2. (2) Clovis West (Fresno, Calif.), 14-1
Clovis West rolled over NorCal stalwart Sacred Heart Cathedral on Saturday, but faces a rematch with No. 11 Centennial on Monday in Stockton. Clovis West won the first matchup by 15 at the Nike TOC, but Centennial could force its way back into the Top 10, or higher, by avenging that defeat.

3. (3) Miami Country Day (Miami), 19-1
Boca Raton, Wednesday's opponent, is a quality Florida team but should only be a threat if Miami Country Day plays poorly. The loss to Clovis West, though, will keep the Spartans from rising too high.



4. (4) Riverdale (Murfreesboro, Tenn.), 13-0
Riverdale still hasn't officially announced any additions to its schedule, and would only play No. 14 Hamilton Heights at home, so Saturday's game against Norcross in Georgia is one of the toughest games left on the schedule -- at least, so far.

5. (5) Monacan (Richmond, Va.), 10-0
Monacan draws two tough opponents this week -- Cosby (historically a giant-killer and with just one loss) and Forest Trail (which knocked off No. 14 Hamilton Heights two weeks ago). Surviving these two will cement this ranking.

6. (6) Grandview (Aurora, Colo.), 9-1
No team in Grandview's league has fewer than four losses or more than seven wins, so the Feb. 7 game against Horizon looks to be the only challenge until the state playoffs begin.

7. (7) Norcross (Ga.), 16-1
Norcross has a chance to make a big leap with an in-county date against No. 4 Riverdale on Saturday at Archer High School -- it's not exactly a home game, but it's not a road trip either. Can familiarity breed an upset?

8. (8) Montini (Lombard, Ill.), 19-0
Marquette Catholic is Monday's opponent, and the Indiana team has lost twice, to teams with a combined record of 31-2. And one of those losses was in overtime.

9. (9) St. John's (Washington, D.C.), 11-1
St. John's draws a very tough -- and tested -- Seton team on Friday, but luckily for St. John's, the game is at home. Then the first dance with No. 1 Paul VI is Jan. 24.



10. (10) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.), 11-2
Mitty continues to play quality opponents, with league opponent Sacred Heart Cathedral up Friday and then one of San Diego's best, 13-1 Mission Hills, on Monday.

11. (11) Centennial (Las Vegas), 16-2
There's not much competition for Centennial in Nevada, so the MLK destination in Northern California, where previous No. 18 St. Mary's of Stockton and present No. 2 Clovis West await.

12. (12) Manasquan (N.J.), 10-0
Manasquan's double-overtime win over now No. 25 Long Island Lutheran was a quality win, but Manasquan needs some more of the same caliber to prove it really belongs this high.

13. (13) Mason (Mason, Ohio), 10-0
Even though Homestead just suffered an upset, one of Indiana's best will be a tough out in the Classic in the Country this weekend. Gilmour Academy is the other opponent and has only lost twice.

14. (14) Hamilton Heights Christian Academy (Chattanooga, Tenn.), 15-1
Providence Day is always one of North Carolina's best, and with only one loss this year -- on the road, in overtime, to a quality team -- Hamilton Heights will face yet another difficult test Sunday.

15. (15) White Station (Memphis, Tenn.), 13-2
Memphis Central, a perennial power, comes to White Station on Saturday with just one loss on its schedule (since avenged, by 20). And since Memphis Central is a league opponent, there will be a rematch on the road.



16. (19) St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.), 14-0
Rogers of Ohio has stumbled twice lately, but St. Frances would be ill-advised to overlook a roster with as much talent as Rogers has. And though New York is closer to Maryland than Ohio, it's still a road trip for St. Frances too.

17. (20) Seton Catholic (Chandler, Ariz.), 15-2
As no one in Seton Catholic's league has a record above .500, there is unlikely to be much drama until postseason -- if then. 18. (23) North Central (Indianapolis), 18-0
North Central jumps five spots thanks in part to a 67-59 win over Ben Davis, but a tough game at Center Grove on Thursday could make the stay a brief one. It's a good year in Indiana ...

19. (22) Detroit Country Day (Beverly Hills, Mich.), 10-0
Hamady is 7-0, but has played a weak schedule and is Michigan's Class C. But still, Wednesday's game could be a test for the 19th best team in the country.

20. (21) Central Valley (Spokane Valley, Wash.), 12-0
It's hard to dig up much concern about Central Valley's league schedule, but they did beat their two upcoming opponents by only 15 each. That's about as close as anyone on Central Valley's non-challenging schedule has come.

21. (24) Olive Branch (Miss.), 20-1
Horn Lake and Southaven will be a challenge for Olive Branch in league play (though Southaven doesn't bring the family drama) and of course, the state playoffs won't be a cakewalk.

22. (25) North Little Rock (Ark.), 14-1
After surviving always tough Conway on Tuesday, North Little Rock gears down a little for the next few games -- but a five-game stretch in late January and early February will be a serious test.



23. (NR) King (Milwaukee), 12-0
Rufus King jumps into the rankings on the strength of wins over Geneva of Illinois and Ursuline of Delaware -- not to mention beating up on the in-state competition as well.

24. (NR) Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.), 14-0
It's too bad the out-of-state wins last week weren't against ordinary South Dakota teams, but Hopkins has plenty of talent and outlasted in-state rival Eastview in overtime to earn this spot.

25. (17) Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.), 7-2
Long Island Lutheran hangs on to its spot in the Xcellent 25 even though the last outing was a loss -- but a double overtime loss to the No. 12 team in the country (Manasquan) doesn't result in too much of a downgrade.

Dropped out: No. 16 Hazel Green, No. 18 St. Mary's (Stockton)