Neumann-Goretti appears to have a stranglehold on the title. But Dick's Nationals could throw a wrench in that.
Video: CA Girls Open Division Championship 2015
See St. Mary's defeat Mater Dei for California's top state titleThree members of the Xcellent 25 will be playing in the Dick's Sporting Goods High School Nationals this weekend in New York and the way it plays out will determine the final rankings, which will come out next week.
What makes it even more interesting is that the three teams -- Dillard, Miami Country Day and Gonzaga Prep -- occupy the 11th through 13th slots, so they should be pretty evenly matched. That said, Gonzaga Prep is a bit of a mystery because it only played one out-of-state team, South Salem, and won a close game. Then again, South Salem took the Oregon 6A championship and finished 27-2, so if Gonzaga Prep wins the Dick's tournament, maybe South Salem bumps someone out of the Xcellent 25.
So there will be plenty of subplots in the middle and the bottom of the Xcellent 25, but the top 10 have all completed their seasons, with St. Mary's of Stockton proving to be the best in California by knocking off Mater Dei in the Open Division final.
See playoff brackets from around the nationMaxPreps Xcellent 25 Girls Basketball Rankings presented by the Army National Guard
1. (1) Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia), 30-0Season complete.
2. (2) Blackman (Murfreesboro, Tenn.), 32-2Season complete.
3. (3) St. Mary's (Stockton, Calif.), 34-1St. Mary's outlasted previous No. 7 Mater Dei down the stretch to the win the California Open Division title, and staked a serious claim for the preseason No. 1 spot next year. Only one senior graduates.
4. (4) Cypress Woods (Cypress, Texas), 35-1Season complete.
5. (5) Columbus North (Ind.), 28-1Season complete.
6. (6) Myers Park (Charlotte, N.C.), 29-1Season complete.
7. (8) Manasquan (N.J.), 31-2Season complete.
8. (9) Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.), 32-2Season complete.
9. (10) Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.), 30-1Season complete.
10. (7) Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), 31-3
Destiny Frazier, Dillard
Photo by Mark Jones
With
Katie Lou Samuelson hampered by a knee injury and foul trouble, Mater Dei just didn't have enough to handle the relentless pressure of St. Mary's. Still, it was a great season with a win over No. 2 Blackman.
11. (11) Dillard (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), 30-1The Dick's National High School tournament has been added to the schedule, so Dillard gets two more games. (Note that many states do not allow their teams to participate)
12. (12) Miami Country Day, 30-2Miami Country Day may get another shot at Dillard, this time outside of Broward County, which is Dillard country.
13. (13) Gonzaga Prep (Spokane, Wash.), 27-0Gonzaga Prep finally gets a chance to prove itself on the national stage after winning some close ones en route to the Washington title.
14. (14) Whitney Young (Chicago), 28-2Season complete.
15. (15) Heritage Christian (Indianapolis), 28-2Season complete.
16. (16) Marian (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.), 27-1Season complete.
17. (17) Konawaena (Kealakekua, Hawaii), 31-1Season complete.
18. (18) Capital Prep (Hartford, Conn.), 25-1Season complete.
19. (19) Braintree (Mass.), 25-0Season complete.
20. (21) Easton (New Orleans), 31-1Season complete.
21. (22) Elizabethtown (Ky.), 32-3Season complete.
22. (23) Cumberland Valley (Mechanicsburg, Pa.), 32-1Season complete.
23. (NR) Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.), 19-4The win over No. 12 Miami Country Day plus the New York Federation championship (beating Christ the King 66-52 in the finals), puts Long Island Lutheran back in the Xcellent 25, despite some losses to unranked teams.
24. (24) Potter's House Christian (Jacksonville, Fla.), 38-5Season complete.
25. (25) Harlan (Iowa), 26-0Season complete.
Dropped out: No. 20 Chaminade.
