The same 25 schools make up this week's rankings, but key wins and losses caused some shuffling.
Undefeated Windward enters the top five of this week's Xcellent 25 after holding on for a close win over Long Beach Poly.
File photo by Mark Jones
It's been a quiet couple of weeks in the Xcellent 25 but, with playoffs beginning in some states next week, don't expect the stability to last. Postseason pressure and the huge expectations for any ranked team combine to create the perfect conditions for the stunning upset — and there will be several in the coming weeks.
Injuries, too, are critical — for example, if No. 1 Mater Dei star Lou Samuelson's knee injury is serious, then the Monarchs will be very vulnerable in the long and difficult California playoffs. Of course, those don't start until mid-February and don't end until March 23, so Samuelson could have time to heal.
But the scoreboard doesn't care about injuries, and it never lies. So every team in the Xcellent 25 is just a twisted ankle away from slipping back into the pack.
MaxPreps Xcellent 25 Girls Basketball Rankings Presented by the Army National Guard
1. (Last week 1) Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 21-0Sometimes a big early win over a team over helps the second time around — and sometimes it hurts. The Monarchs beat JSerra by 33 the first time, but had to come from behind in the fourth quarter Saturday to win 61-54. Oaks Christian and St. Anthony will also be challenges this weekend, especially if Samuelson is out.
2. (2) Riverdale (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) 21-0Two easy games this week (Riverdale outscored their two opponents 137-60 the first time around) but No. 21 Blackman and always competitive Mt. Juliet are on tap before playoffs begin.
3. (4) Duncanville (Texas) 32-0Duncanville can relax before the regular season ends against tough DeSoto. The Panthers then must navigate the brutal Texas postseason — they have to win seven straight to claim another state title.
4. (7) Windward (Los Angeles) 21-0Windward's unbeaten season was in serious jeopardy Saturday, as the Wildcats trailed Long Beach Poly by eight in the fourth quarter. But
Jordin Canada hit a free throw with 4.5 left to send it into overtime, and then she and Kristen Simon made free throws in the last nine seconds for a 59-57 win.
5. (6) Marion County (Lebanon, Ky.) 22-0Marion County more than doubled up Hathaway Brown, which owns a win over Whitney Young, and then held off No. 13 Science Hill, 61-58. From this point forward, the Knights should be heavy favorites in every game.{PAGEBREAK}
Shabazz has raced out to a 17-0 record, and looks to have a clear path to the postseason.
Photo by Richard Ta
The big one is next Monday at home against No. 15 St. John's. Of course, that's just a prelude to the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference playoffs, which will be as competitive as any other state playoffs.
7. (8) Shabazz (Newark, N.J.) 17-0After trailing Phillipsburg at half, the Bulldogs bounced back to win by five. That was probably the toughest game left on the schedule before postseason, though East Orange Campus might be a challenge on the road.
8. (9) St. Mary's (Phoenix) 21-1The playoffs start next week in Arizona and, unlike in the old days when the best of 32 teams could be a state champ, there are 61 teams in the Knights' division. And one of them is 27-0 Westview.
9. (12) Pflugerville (Texas) 31-0Pflugerville only beat Hendrickson by 20 the first time around, which counts as a nail-biter. Friday's rematch is at home, though, and it's also Senior Night.
10. (17) Centerville (Ohio) 17-1In front of more than 2,000 fans (and Geno Auriemma), the Elks snapped an 11-game losing streak to No. 12 Fairmont and avenged their only defeat with a 54-48 win. Centerville also gave Seton LaSalle its only loss of the year.{PAGEBREAK}
Science Hill suffered a tough loss to No. 5 Marion County, but only dropped two spots in the rankings.
Photo by John Pratt
The Bulldogs missed 42 shots against Norcross and, not surprisingly, were tagged with their first loss of the season, 46-29. It didn't help that Norcross star Diamond DeShields went for 25.
12. (5) Fairmont (Kettering, Ohio) 16-1The Firebirds had won 37 straight Greater Western Ohio Conference Central Division games before losing to Centerville. It's quite possible the two will meet again in the postseason, though, so this rivalry may not be settled yet.
13. (11) Science Hill (Johnson City, Tenn.) 21-3The Hilltoppers battled back from a 13-point third-quarter deficit against No. 5 Marion County to get within one point — but never got over the hump, and lost 61-58. Science Hill will be back in cruise control until postseason.
14. (14) Our Lady of Good Counsel (Olney, Md.) 18-3Amanda Fioravanti had 19 points as Good Counsel overcame a six-point third-quarter deficit and survived a last-second shot in a 55-53 win over Archbishop Carroll of Pennsylvania, one of the top teams in that state.
15. (15) St. John's (Washington, D.C.) 18-1The Cadets will have a shot to return to the top ten when they travel to Fairfax, Va., to play No. 6 Paul VI Monday in just another Washington Catholic Athletic Conference game.{PAGEBREAK}
Katie Drexelius and No. 17 Regis Jesuit won their games last week, but dropped in the rankings due to some unlucky circumstances.
Photo by Matt Daniels
The Mounties are riding a 26-game winning streak heading into the Alabama playoffs, which begin Monday.
17. (13) Regis Jesuit (Aurora, Colo.) 15-1Regis Jesuit dropped because the team that it lost to, No. 12 Fairmont, got knocked off and dropped in the rankings. Sometimes life just doesn't seem fair …
18. (18) Columbus North (Columbus, Ind.) 22-0Indiana teams can't play any school that's more than 300 miles from the state's border, even if the school comes to Indiana, so Columbus North's national options are limited. But a state title means more, and the playoffs start next week.
19. (19) Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland, Calif.) 16-3Three easy league games will be O'Dowd routs — but No. 20 St. Mary's of Stockton comes to Oakland Feb. 9.
20. (20) St. Mary's (Stockton, Calif.) 20-1The Rams' unrelenting press — which never lets up, regardless of margin — creates tempo and easy baskets, which is why St. Mary's lowest output of 2013 is 64 points. And the Rams have scored more than 83 eight times.{PAGEBREAK}
At 20-1, Blackman will face a tough test in No. 25 Oakland on Friday.
Photo by John Pratt
The Blaze draw No. 25 Oakland in a league game Friday, but they already beat their crosstown rival 46-28 — and that was at Oakland.
22. (22) Central Catholic (Portland, Ore.) 16-3Douglas and Gresham, Central Catholic's next two opponents, have a combined 1-13 league record — so everyone on the roster should get plenty of minutes.
23. (23) Riverdale Baptist (Upper Marlboro, Md.) 20-3The Crusaders don't duck anyone. They have two-loss Aberdeen Thursday, on the road, and then travel to New York City Saturday to play Bishop Ford, which has a win over Ohio power Reynoldsburg.
24. (25) Incarnate Word Academy (St. Louis) 18-0After rolling through a couple games in Kentucky, Incarnate Word returns to Missouri for league play, which is only a prelude to the postseason.
25. (24) Oakland (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) 16-3The Patriots lost to No. 2 Riverdale 69-53, and travel to No. 21 Blackman to finish the regular season. That early win over No. 16 Shades Valley is what's keeping them in the Xcellent 25.
Dropped out: None.
