Finally, a little movement — but more to come soon.
Mater Dei knocked off Oaks Christian to remain undefeated and maintain its No. 1 ranking.
Photo by David Hood
The early rounds of most state playoffs generally aren't a huge challenge for members of the Xcellent 25 — but you never know. After all, two teams dropped out this week, allowing New Hope Christian Academy of North Carolina and Mead of Washington to move in.
There are also plenty of other candidates on the bubble, just waiting for inevitable postseason upsets to occur, though of course those teams aren't immune to the playoff shocker either.
So all in all, it's safe to say that this version of the Xcellent 25 is likely to look a lot different than the one a month from now.
MaxPreps Xcellent 25 Girls Basketball Rankings Presented by the Army National Guard
1. (Last week 1) Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 25-0Oaks Christian was supposed to be a challenge: Mater Dei 74, Oaks Christian 46. The regular season concludes this week, and then the long and difficult California playoffs begin.
2. (2) Riverdale (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) 23-0In a postseason tuneup — not to mention a bitter crosstown rivalry — the Warriors host No. 21 Blackman Friday night. And the two will likely meet again in the Tennessee playoffs.
3. (3) Duncanville (Texas) 35-0DeSoto, even on the road, was no match for Duncanville. The playoffs start next week, but the Panthers should draw at least a couple easy games.
4. (4) Windward (Los Angeles) 24-0California has added an Open Division to its playoff structure, which means Windward will undoubtedly be in the same bracket with No. 1 Mater Dei in the Southern California Regionals.
5. (5) Marion County (Lebanon, Ky.) 27-0The Knights have 21-5 North Hardin on the road Friday, 19-1 Henderson County on Saturday and then always tough Mercy, at Mercy, Tuesday. Marion County will be ready for postseason.{PAGEBREAK}
Chloe Johnson and St. Mary's of Phoenix have gone on a run after their only loss.
File photo by Mark Jones
East Orange Campus only lost to Shabazz by 13 the first time around, and that was at Shabazz. Thursday's rematch is at East Orange.
7. (8) St. Mary's (Phoenix) 23-1Westview now has won 30 straight games and, if seeding holds, will play St. Mary's Saturday. But Westview hasn't played anywhere near the schedule the Knights have.
8. (9) Pflugerville (Texas) 33-0Pflugerville was upset in the first round of the regionals last year, the only loss against 72 wins in the past two seasons. It's a safe bet the Panthers will be focused on every playoff game this time around.
9. (10) Centerville (Ohio) 20-1The regular season closes out Saturday, and then Centerville will try to prove it really does belong in the top ten. In Ohio, the Elks are only tied for No. 2, despite giving two elite teams their only losses of the season.
10. (11) North Gwinnett (Suwanee, Ga.) 22-1Collins Hill was once a national power — in fact, a national champion — but that was when Maya Moore was playing there. Now, Collins Hill should be an easy way for North Gwinnett to finish off the regular season.{PAGEBREAK}
No. 12 Science Hill appears to have an easy road to postseason play.
File photo by John Pratt
As with so many Xcellent 25 teams, Fairmont will coast through its last games, with the focus clearly on the state playoffs.
12. (13) Science Hill (Johnson City, Tenn.) 24-3The next challenge for Science Hill will be Feb. 15 when postseason play begins. Until then, the Hilltoppers can name the score.
13. (14) Our Lady of Good Counsel (Olney, Md.) 20-3As if it weren't enough to play No. 15 Paul VI Friday, the Falcons will travel to New York to take on small but talented Nazareth on Sunday. That kind of scheduling, plus the 10-point head-to-head win, keeps Good Counsel ahead of St. John's.
14. (15) St. John's (Washington, D.C.) 20-2The Cadets came from 10 down in the third quarter against now-No. 15 Paul VI to force overtime, and then
Lindsay Allen tipped an in-bounds pass to herself and drove to the basket for the game-winning layup with 20 seconds left. St. John's withstood a last-second shot for the 70-69 win.
15. (6) Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) 25-1After losing at home in overtime to St. John's, Paul VI now must hit the road to take on No. 13 Our Lady of Good Counsel Friday. And there's another one with No. 14 St. John's still to come.{PAGEBREAK}
K.C. Waters and No. 19 Bishop O'Dowd will face No. 20 St. Mary's in a showdown on Saturday.
File photo by James Conrad
The Mounties are riding a 26-game winning streak heading into the Alabama playoffs, which begin Monday.
17. (17) Regis Jesuit (Aurora, Colo.) 17-1The premier Colorado girls basketball rivalry is renewed Wednesday when 14-3 Highlands Ranch comes to Regis Jesuit. There's no love lost between the two teams, so expect it to be intense ...
18. (18) Columbus North (Columbus, Ind.) 23-0Columbus North gets a first-round bye, and will likely then face East Central Friday — a team the Bulldogs beat by 22 earlier this season.
19. (19) Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland, Calif.) 19-3Northern California supremacy, postseason seeding and plenty of pride will be on the line Saturday night when No. 20 St. Mary's of Stockton comes to Oakland to play O'Dowd.
20. (20) St. Mary's (Stockton, Calif.) 23-1Ironically, St. Mary's may actually have an advantage by traveling to No. 19 Bishop O'Dowd Saturday: The Dragons' claustrophobic court is perfectly suited for the St. Mary's press.{PAGEBREAK}
Jordan Reynolds and No. 23 Central Catholic hope to stay sharp for the impending playoffs.
File photo by Larry Lawson
The Blaze knocked off formerly ranked Oakland 45-37, and then get another shot at No. 2 Riverdale Friday before heading into postseason.
22. (22) Central Catholic (Portland, Ore.) 18-3There's little left on the regular season schedule to keep Central Catholic sharp — but elite talent should get the Rams through the first rounds of postseason.
23. (24) Incarnate Word Academy (St. Louis) 21-0To keep from getting bored, Incarnate Word slipped in a game against preseason ranked Rock Bridge of Missouri — and handled the tough Bruins, 56-39.
24. (NR) New Hope Christian Academy (Thomasville, N.C.) 24-1New Hope has lost only to No. 2 Riverdale, and the win over Norcross looks better now that Norcross knocked off No. 10 North Gwinnett. Coming up is the Warriors' President's Day Jamfest in D.C., against a loaded field of top teams.
25. (NR) Mead (Spokane, Wash.) 18-1The Panthers lost only to University, by one, back in December — but avenged that loss in late January. And Mead also gave Gonzaga Prep its only loss, though the rematch Thursday could make Mead's stay in the Xcellent 25 very brief.
Dropped out: No. 23 Riverdale Baptist, No. 25 Oakland
