No. 1 Lake Highland Prep, No. 2 Westlake, No. 9 Paul VI and No. 11 Fremont looking for national championship.
GEICO Nationals gets underway in Fort Myers, Fla., next week with what may be the most significant field in the 12-year history of the event. All four teams headed to the Sunshine State are ranked in this week's MaxPreps Top 25 high school girls basketball rankings, including No. 1 Lake Highland Prep (Orlando, Fla.) and No. 2 Westlake (Atlanta).
ESPNU will air both semifinal contests Friday, beginning with Lake Highland Prep meeting No. 9 Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.) at 10:30 a.m. EST and followed by Westlake (who earned the top seed) taking on unbeaten Utah state champion No. 11 Fremont (Plain City) at 12:30 p.m. EST.
The combined record of the four teams in the field is 75-0 and it's likely winner take all in terms of the final No. 1 ranking and national championship.
Saturday's championship game is slated for 10 a.m. EST on ESPN2.
No. 4 Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.), No. 5 Edison Academy (Detroit) and No. 20 Chaska (Minn.) are the only other ranked teams with seasons still in progress.
NOTE: Coaches and team personnel are encouraged to update
schedules and results on MaxPreps – especially those in the mix for
MaxPreps Top 25 consideration. For assistance or questions, please reach
out to support@maxpreps.com
Valor Christian moves into the MaxPreps Top 25 after winning the Colorado 5A title.
Photo by Steve Abeyta
Record: 19-0 |
Last week: 1
The Highlanders' last game was Feb. 27 and the last game closer than 10 points was Dec. 22, 2020, so getting ready for the opening game at GEICO Nationals isn't going to be an easy task.
2. Westlake (Atlanta)
Record: 20-0 |
Last week: 2
A planned game against No. 1 Lake Highland Prep would have been one of the highlights of the year — but it was canceled for COVID reasons. There is a chance that game will finally be played, but only if Westlake beats Fremont and Lake Highland Prep beats Paul VI at GEICO Nationals.
3. Mount Notre Dame (Cincinnati)
Record: 28-0 |
Last week: 3
Season complete.
4. Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.)
Record: 13-0 |
Last week: 4
Off since March 12, the Royals jump into the Section 6 title game Thursday against Wayzata. Hopkins has beaten Wayzata by 50 and 27 in the previous two meetings.
5. Edison Academy (Detroit)
Record: 11-0 |
Last week: 5
The Pioneers move to the finals of the Division 2 District 59 playoffs later this week, most likely against twice-beaten Detroit University Prep. Then it's on to the regionals with the state finals scheduled for April 9.
6. Incarnate Word Academy (St. Louis)
Record: 29-0 |
Last week: 6
Beat Staley 77-40 in the Class 6 semifinals and Webster Groves 58-37 in the final. That's the 11th state championship for IWA and the 10th for coach Dan Rolfes. Almost everyone's back next year.
7. Norman (Okla.)
Record: 19-0 |
Last week: 8
Season complete.
8. St. John-Vianney (Holmdel, N.J.)
Record: 14-0 |
Last week: 9
Season complete.
9. Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.)
Record: 10-0 |
Last week: 10
The Panther players, coaches and fans thought the season was over after a 68-66 rivalry win over St. John's on Feb. 9 — but GEICO Nationals stepped in, and PVI got a reprieve.
10. DeSoto (Texas)
Record: 28-2 |
Last week: 11
Season complete.
11. Fremont (Plain City, Utah)
Record: 26-0 |
Last week: 15
In 2018, an unheralded team from out west arrived at GEICO Nationals and was expected to be cannon fodder for the eastern powerhouses in attendance. Instead, Central Valley (Spokane Valley, Wash.) stunned its higher-ranked opponents, beat vaunted Hamilton Heights Christian Academy (Chattanooga, Tenn.) in the title game, and finished No. 1 in the nation. Fremont is hoping that same script plays out in 2021.
12. Newark (Ohio)
Record: 28-2 |
Last week: 12
Season complete.
13. Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch, Colo.)
Record: 17-0 |
Last week: NR
Colorado's Class 5A champion beat Regis Jesuit by 25 in the title game. The Eagles won all five state tournament games by 20 points or more.
14. Princess Anne (Virginia Beach, Va.)
Record: 10-0 |
Last week: 14
Season complete.
15. Cypress Creek (Houston)
Record: 32-1 |
Last week: 7
Season complete.
16. New Hope Academy (Landover Hills, Md.)
Record: 13-3 |
Last week: 16
Season complete.
17. Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)
Record: 21-2 |
Last week: 17
Season complete.
18. Rutgers Prep (Somerset, N.J.)
Record: 13-0 |
Last week: 18
Season complete.
19. American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.)
Record: 25-2 |
Last week: 19
Season complete.
20. Chaska (Minn.)
Record: 14-0 |
Last week: 20
The Hawks draw Minnetonka in the AAAA Section 2 finals Thursday. The first meeting between the two went to overtime before Chaska pulled it out, so don't expect the usual early-round blowout by the nationally-ranked team. In fact, if Chaska is at all looking ahead to a shot at No. 4 Hopkins, an upset is not only possible, but likely.
21. Hazel Green (Ala.)
Record: 36-1 |
Last week: 21
Season complete.
22. Pius X (Lincoln, Neb.)
Record: 25-0 | Last week: 23
Season complete.
23. Crown Point (Ind.)
Record: 25-1 |
Last week: 24
Season complete.
24. Zebulon B. Vance (Charlotte, N.C.)
Record: 12-0 |
Last week: 25
Season complete.
25. Shawnee Mission Northwest (Shawnee Mission, Kan.)
Record: 23-0 |
Last week: NR
Season complete.
Dropped out: No. 11
Grandview (Aurora, Colo.)
