MaxPreps 2012-13 Preseason Top 25 high school girls basketball rankings presented by the Army National Guard

One side says transfers are the bane of high school sports and players should sit out at least a season before becoming eligible.

The other side says that families should be able to send their kids to school wherever they feel is best, and that since no entity really polices transfers and punishes cheaters, they should become as much a part of the high school scene as texting at lunch.

A look at this year's Xcellent 25 offers evidence for both sides. No. 1 Bishop O'Dowd has no transfers, though as a private school it draws players from a large metropolitan area, and neither does No. 2 Whitney Young.

No. 6 Riverdale Baptist, however, made up for the loss for four starters by importing almost an entirely new roster, and No. 7 Riverdale also added some key additions through transfers.



This activity has not gone unnoticed at higher levels and, in Florida, the legislature stepped in to make transferring during the summer even easier than before, with no restrictions on the justification for the transfer or limitations on recruiting. In California, the transfer rules were loosened for 2012-13, and the largest grouping of schools in the state called for the elimination of any penalty for switching schools for athletic purposes.

In the end, though, it doesn't really matter. Once the games begin, the players who are present play and the scoreboard decides. This year, the most important scoreboards will be at the Naples Holiday Shootout in Florida (No. 2 Whitney Young, No. 3 Science Hill, No. 10 Dreher, No. 12 McDonogh and No. 17 Hathaway Brown) and at the Nike TOC in Arizona (No. 1 Bishop O'Dowd, No. 4 St. Mary's (Phoenix), No. 13 Central Catholic, No. 14 Rock Bridge and No. 23 Mater Dei) — and as always, teams that play in those kind of events get a boost in the preseason rankings. After all, winning one of those tournaments requires beating some of the best teams in the country, and that's the best path to a No. 1 ranking at season's end.

View last season's Final Xcellent 25 Girls Basketball Rankings

MaxPreps Preseason Xcellent 25 Girls Basketball Rankings Presented by the Army National Guard 1. Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland, Calif.) 30-3 Last season
Let's make it simple: The Dragons have a 6-4 post who's signed with Virginia Tech — and she doesn't start. That would be Breanna Brown, and she plays behind K.C. Waters (Cal) and Oderah Chidom (Duke). Point guard Ariell Bostick is off to San Diego State next year, and two sophomore guards are Big Six-level talents as well. And O'Dowd, a defending state champion, will be in the top bracket at the Nike TOC in Phoenix.

2. Whitney Young (Chicago) 34-0
Usually even an elite team that returns only two starters is going to drop out of the top ten, but Dolphins' coach Corry Irvin hasn't hiccupped before when the graduation reaper has struck, and she does have do-everything Linnae Harper to lean on. People describe Harper as a 5-7 power forward, but basically she's just a basketball player — and one of the best in the country. With seven other returners, lots of Division I talent and the usual monster schedule, Whitney Young is once again a force to be reckoned with.

3. Science Hill (Johnson City, Tenn.) 38-1
One probably wouldn't expect a school with "science" in its name to be a basketball powerhouse, but with all five starters — and every rotation player — back from a team that lost only to No. 7 Riverdale, the Hilltoppers may have found a new formula. But solving the top ten equation might be harder this year, as the trip to the Naples Holiday Shootout in Florida promises matchups with several other 99th-percentile types, and will be a challenging experiment in a lab far from home.

4. St. Mary's (Phoenix) 30-0
The Knights won the national title without leaving the state of Arizona last year, and some say that even though they won the Nike TOC, the road wasn't that tough. This year they're not leaving Arizona either, but they're still in the Nike TOC, and they still have the heart of that No. 1 team. Two players did graduate, but four Big Six recruits return, plus two more D-1 talents, and this senior-laden team is unlikely to drop off very much. But it's always easier to sleep in your own bed.

5. Our Lady of Good Counsel (Olney, Md.) 30-5
Last year, the DMV (District of Columbia-Maryland-Virginia) was the unquestioned focal point of high school girls' basketball talent. This year there's been a bit of a dropoff, but with No. 6 Riverdale Baptist, No. 12 McDonogh and Good Counsel firmly in the Xcellent 25, it's still the place to go to see the best at this level. The Falcons are led by senior point guard Lindsey Spann and senior post Amanda Fioravanti, but they have a lot more in the cupboard to deal with a challenging schedule.{PAGEBREAK} 6. Riverdale Baptist (Upper Marlboro, Md.) 29-2
The Crusaders were this close to a national championship last year, losing to St. Mary's of Phoenix in Phoenix, and for most schools, that would be a high point followed by steady decline. But despite returning only one starter and losing coach Diane Richardson to the college ranks, Riverdale Baptist brought in a slew of transfers to go with Auteaonna Gilmore and look ready to challenge St. Mary's in the Nike TOC again.

7. Riverdale (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) 34-3
The coaches change but the talent pipeline stays full, so the fact that Cory Barrett is now in change shouldn't slow the Warriors' momentum. The only question is a lack of size, as 6-1 junior Brandy Alley, a transfer from Mt. Juliet, is the only player taller than 6-0. Two other transfers and a bunch of returners, though, should render that relative lack of size less important than the depth and ability of the rest of the roster.

8. Norcross (Ga.) 26-6
When your roster begins with Diamond DeShields, the consensus top player in the country, and Shayla Cooper, an elite talent as well, then you throw in a trio of 6-2 posts who will all play Division I somewhere, you've got a powerhouse in the making. Toss in a trip to Oregon to play in a top-shelf tournament, and you have yourself a top-ten ranking.

9. Long Beach Poly (Long Beach, Calif.) 31-4
The Jackrabbits run — and run and run and run, as depth is never an issue at one of the finest overall high school athletic programs in the country. Carl Buggs lost his usual two or three players to D-1 colleges, but he still has senior wing Keyla Morgan and a host of quick, athletic and skilled players who will keep the train rolling. Oh, and he says this year's edition will shoot much better, and adds four freshmen who will help right now.

10. Dreher (Columbia, S.C.) 26-1
The Blue Devils lost just once last year, but didn't venture out of the state of South Carolina, and thus didn't dent the rankings. This season, though, coach Teresa Jones is taking her four returning starters (only one of whom is a senior) to the Naples Holiday Shootout and the Crescent Invitational. With 6-3 junior Makayla Johnson and 6-2 freshman Jhileiya Dunlap up front, Dreher will be a tough matchup no matter where it goes.{PAGEBREAK} 11. Duncanville (Texas) 40-1
Texas teams, in general, don't feel they need to travel to prove themselves. They feel Texas basketball is challenge enough — and though that may be true, we still reward teams that go out of state and measure themselves against elite national and regional competition. Are the Pantherettes good? No question, as three returning starters, two more rotation players and trio of talented newcomers should keep them at a very high level. How high is that level? At the top of Texas, or thereabouts, but where that fits on the national scale is hard to determine.

12. McDonogh (Owings Mills, Md.) 28-2
Usually teams on this list are stocked with seniors who've signed with big-time programs — the Eagles can't really make such claims, as their top three stars are all sophomores. Given their youth, that 28-2 record against veteran, talented teams in the DMV is mighty impressive, and there's no reason to expect anything less than a big jump this year. The proof, though, will come at the Naples Holiday Shootout.



13. Central Catholic (Portland, Ore.) 26-2
The Rams are one of three very strong teams from Oregon, and are led by Stanford signee Kailee Johnson and Tennessee-bound Jordan Reynolds. Central Catholic is ranked higher because they're going to the Nike TOC, and the others aren't, which simply means that the Rams have a chance to beat some top teams — and if they do, they'll move up. Of course, that guarantees nothing when they return to Oregon.

14. Rock Bridge (Columbia, Mo.) 26-3
The Bruins pushed their way onto the national map with a great season, and with four returning starters and a trip to the Nike TOC in December, they're ready to make a statement. Six-one sophomore guard Sophie Cunningham leads a young team that is big up and down the lineup, but will also be tested by the quickness they'll run into in Arizona.

15. Fairmont (Kettering, Ohio) 24-4
All five starters, led by junior forward Kathryn Westbeld, return from a state champion runner-up, and only a relatively weak schedule holds the Firebirds down. They will meet transfer-rejuvenated Bolingbrook of Illinois, perennial regional powers Regis Jesuit of Colorado and Memphis Central, as well as No. 17 Hathaway Brown, but none of the real heavyweights. But if Kettering Fairmont runs the table, the top ten beckons.{PAGEBREAK} 16. Shabazz (Newark, N.J.) 31-2
Vanessa Watson just keeps turning out winners at Shabazz, and this year's edition will be no different. Led by 6-0 power forward Zaire O'Neal, the Bulldogs will be their usual athletic, feisty selves. New Jersey, though, starts basketball very late, so after just a couple weeks of practice, Shabazz opens its season with No. 5 Good Counsel. That will be a tough start, but look for a strong finish — as usual.

17. Hathaway Brown (Shaker Heights, Ohio) 22-5
All five starters return for the Blazers, who won their fourth straight Division II title last season after playing their typically brutal schedule. Paul Barlow has lined up the heavyweights again, including a trip to the Naples Holiday Shootout, and with three senior starters taller than 6-0, this might be the year Hathaway Brown breaks through on the national scene.

18. Marion County (Lebanon, Ky.) 34-5
The Knights build around Kentucky commits Makayla Epps and Kyvin Goodin-Rogers, and also return two other starters that lost by four to last year's No. 11, DuPont Manual, in the state championship game. Marion County could have started higher in the rankings, but the schedule doesn't appear to be that challenging, so a sparkling won-loss record is almost a given.

19. Nazareth (Brooklyn, N.Y.) 18-4
No team at any level went through what the Kingsmen did last year. Coach Apache Paschall died in December, a grievous blow to a team that was very close to its leader, and then the announcement came that the school itself would close in June. Investors were found, and the school stayed open, but then Hurricane Sandy added to the woes. Still, Bianca Cuevas leads a group of talented athletes who look to be the class of New York City.

20. Hoover (Ala.) 31-3
Another school that just fills holes with more talent, the Buccaneers have seven seniors who played for the state title each of their four seasons, and are led by SEC recruits Marques Webb (Vanderbilt) and Courtney Hunter (Alabama). The schedule is also big-time, with No. 8 Norcross, a trip to D.C. for the Title IX Shootout, and a potential shot at No. 7 Riverdale at the Thanksgiving Turkey Jam. Hoover lost a lot to graduation, but that doesn't mean the Bucs will lose a lot on the court.{PAGEBREAK} 21. Oregon City (Ore.) 25-3
The Pioneers, along with No. 13 Central Catholic and Springfield, are one of three elite teams in a state with a great basketball tradition — and Oregon City is also in the tradition of a very strong team that doesn't rely on stars. Coach Kurt Guelsdorf has a deep, disciplined roster that will dominate inferior opponents and give more talented groups fits.

22. Seton LaSalle (Pittsburgh) 30-0
The Rebels burst onto the national scene last year with a Pennsylvania 2A championship and an undefeated season — and return four starters plus out-of-state transfer Yacine Diop. Seton LaSalle doesn't play the toughest schedule and could easily run the table again, though they will be challenged by the home cooking when they play in the Pickerington tournament in Ohio.

23. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 33-3
The Monarchs lost three Pac-12 players to graduation and only return one starter, but the arrival of transfers Karlie and Katie Lou Samuelson should make up for a lot. Still, there's not a lot of size, plus the annual trip to the Nike TOC, so it's going to be tough for Mater Dei to stay at the level to which it's been accustomed to these past few seasons.



24. Cedar Hill (Texas) 28-7
Seniors Labrittney Jones (Arizona) and Jada Terry (Texas A&M) give the Longhorns one of the toughest paint tandems in the country — but because they won't travel too far it will be hard to gauge just where Cedar Hill fits on the national scene. But one guarantee: The Longhorns will rebound.

25. Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.) 31-1
So Hopkins has it all: Two big-time seniors in Nia Coffey and Mikka Shackelford, a big-time junior in T.T. Starks, plenty of depth and a senior point guard who will run the 100 meters in the Big 10. Well, the Royals have everything but a national-level schedule. They can't really travel, and so will only be tested in state. Don't expect many losses, but until the rules change and Hopkins can travel, or it can entice national-level teams to Minnetonka, don't expect preseason top-ten respect.