MaxPreps preseason Top 25 national high school girls basketball rankings

Though the top spot is crystal clear, murkiness abounds once we get very deep in this year's MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Girls Basketball Rankings presented by the Army National Guard.

Blackman High, last year's final No. 1, returns almost all of its firepower, so it's pretty clear that the Tennessee team deserves to start out at the top.

After that, though, caveats start piling up at an alarming rate. Riverdale Baptist has a ton of talent, but lost two seniors who played a huge role; Mater Dei has Katie Lou Samuelson, but also lost significant firepower. And after that ... well, a lot comes down to strength of schedule. The reason? If a team plays a tough schedule and wins all those games, it deserves a high ranking -- and maybe doesn't even drop too far with a loss to a highly ranked team.

On the other hand, a team that doesn't have a particularly challenging schedule may not be tested, and stay unbeaten even though it hasn't gone up against other elite teams. (A word to those coaches/fans/players who want to be ranked nationally: Get out of state and play other nationally ranked teams as often as possible. Beating up on your neighbors won't get you nearly as far as winning a close one on the road against one of the top five in another state).



Then again, these rankings are, at best, incredibly premature. After a few Thanksgiving events, and all the big Christmas tournaments, we'll have a much better idea of which teams really belong in the Xcellent 25 -- and count on several of these teams disappearing for good after a few early losses, to be replaced by those that get out and win some big games.


1. Blackman (Murfreesboro, Tenn.), 34-1
The defending Xcellent 25 national champion will start the season as No. 1 in the nation again, thanks to Crystal Dangerfield, Alex Johnson, MeMe Jackson and friends. And did we mention that Blackman is playing a brutal schedule, including a trip to the Nike TOC?

2. Riverdale Baptist (Upper Marlboro, Md.), 28-3
Yes, Riverdale Baptist lost four seniors, including Chania Ray (now at Florida State) and Chloe Jackson (North Carolina State). But as always, the Crusaders return a lot of talent, and as always, they reload with transfers. This year, freshman Honesty Grayson arrives, and she and 6-foot-2 junior Mikiyah Croskey will help Riverdale Baptist navigate its usual tough schedule.

3. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), 27-3
Any team that starts with consensus preseason player of the year Katie Lou Samuelson is off to a very good start, but Kevin Kiernan can also call on senior guard Andee Velasco and 6-3 junior post Ally Rosenblum. And as usual, the Monarchs don't duck anyone, with potential matchups against No. 11 Chaminade in the Palisades Tournament and their annual trip to the Nike TOC in Phoenix.

4. McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.), 29-2
It's not as if McEachern didn't lose some talent, but any team that returns Te'a Cooper (Tennessee commit) and Caliya Robinson (Georgia) is going to have plenty of firepower. The Indians will be tested at Duncanville's Sandra Meadows tournament, as the competition includes No. 9 Conway and plenty of Texas talent.

5. Myers Park (Charlotte, N.C.), 30-1
That lone loss last year was to No. 1 Blackman, but with point guard Aliyah Mazyck and forward Rydeiah Rogers back for another season, maybe the rematch on Dec. 5 will have a different outcome. Regardless, Myers Park is 90-3 in the past three seasons, so don't expect anything but another powerhouse in Charlotte.

6. Whitney Young (Chicago), 30-3
The Dolphins (are there dolphins in Lake Michigan?) lost only two seniors from a 30-3 team, and star guard Kiara Lewis is only a junior, so those hoping for a new champion in Illinois may have to wait a while. Seniors Madinah Muhammad and Tanita Allen will also make key contributions to a constant presence in the Xcellent 25.



7. Desert Vista (Phoenix), 30-2
Kristine Anigwe has inserted herself into the discussion about the top few players in the country after an impressive performance with USA Basketball, and the 6-3 post will have plenty of help returning from the Division I championship team. Also, nemesis Mesquite, which accounted for both those losses, graduated eight seniors.
 
8. Elizabethtown (Ky.), 32-5
So why is Elizabethtown considered Kentucky's best, and not Butler, which beat E-Town in last year's state title game? Because even though nine of 10 starters return for the two teams, Butler lost its best player to graduation. And on top of that, Elizabethtown plays No. 1 Blackman and will travel to the Naples Holiday Classic, which gives E-Town a chance to prove itself on the national stage.

9. Conway (Ark.), 27-5
We're always excited to get to mention any team with Wampus Cats as the mascot, but equally exciting is the boatload of talent the defending 7A champions have on board, led by 5-8 senior Jordan Danberry. The Wampus Cats (have to work that in whenever we can) also have junior guard Alexis Tolefree to go along with Kianna Speight, who's back after missing a season with a torn ACL.

10. Rock Bridge (Columbia, Mo.), 27-3
Sophie Cunningham and Cierra Porter return from one of the nation's best teams last year, and the Bruins will test themselves again with a game against Oklahoma power East Central and a trip to Florida for the Naples Holiday Classic. The Bruins, though, did lose seven seniors, so adjustments will have to be made.

11. Chaminade (West Hills, Calif.), 29-4
The defending Division II state champions lost leading scorer Devin Stanback to graduation but return the extremely athletic Valerie Higgins and add transfer Leoanna Odom. And the Eagles, like most Southern California teams, play a tough schedule and will head to Northern California for the West Coast Jamboree after Christmas for a potential date with No. 13 St. Mary's of Stockton.

12. Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.), 23-2
The defending New York Federation champs bring back a trio of top players in point guard Lauren "Boogie" Brozoski, two guard Erin Storck and post Taylor Byrne. But even though the Crusaders have significant talent, they don't quite match up the Christ the King teams of the past. Then again, who does?

13. St. Mary's (Stockton, Calif.), 25-6
As usual, St. Mary's graduated a lot of talent. And as usual, St. Mary's brought in a lot of talent -- this time led by freshman Aquira Decosta, a 6-0 wing who will play a key role on a young and explosive team. Look for the usual barrage of 3-pointers and full-court presses, followed by lots of wins.



14. Bedford North Lawrence (Bedford, Ind.), 27-1
Seniors (and top two scorers) Dominique Mcbryde and Jenna Allen return for the Indiana 4A champions, who lost only to Lawrence North last season and avenged that defeat in the playoffs. Still, coach Damon Bailey left to become an assistant for the men's team at Butler University, so that could be an issue.

15. Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia), 29-1
Though the conversation almost always begins with 6-9 Felicia Aiyeotan, senior guards Ciani Cryor and Sianni Martin may have more to do with the overall success of Neumann-Goretti -- which lost its only game in the Class AA finals.

16. Leavenworth (Kan.), 29-1
Kansas teams can't travel much, so Leavenworth's 29-1 record from last year stayed mostly under the radar. But college coaches know 6-2 senior center Tyler Johnson, who was dominant in the 5A playoffs, and 6-0 senior Tashia Jones. That one loss was to Olathe South, which Leavenworth beat twice.

17. South Medford (Ore.), 26-4
Even though Oregon City will be good again (as always), and even though Oregon City won the 6A title last year, South Medford gets back 6-1 wing Andee Ritter from injury to join a potent backcourt that also includes senior Keyari Sleezer and junior Julissa Tago, a late bloomer who will help showcase South Medford in the West Coast Jamboree after Christmas.

18. East Central (Tulsa, Okla.), 22-5
The East Central coaches and players know the meaning of the word frustration: They've lost in the state finals four times in last five years. But this year should be the year, as point guard Chantel Mack returns from injury to lead a senior-dominated team that will be tested in Tennessee's tough Turkey Jam over Thanksgiving.

19. Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.), 29-5
There are a lot of people who believe the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference is the toughest in the country, and Paul VI went 16-1 in that incredibly difficult league -- and avenged its only loss in the playoffs. With senior Jonquanae Cole and junior Raven James back, plus junior Jasmine Whitney, don't expect much of a dropoff.

20. Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.), 24-4
Hopkins is the perennial power in Minnesota but the Royals have something to prove this year. After beating Eden Prairie by 35 in a regular season game, Hopkins lost to that team in the state semifinals, ending a three-year title run. So senior T.T. Starks and juniors Nia Hollie, Ashley Bates and Liz Bulver are on a mission -- which isn't good news for the other teams in the state.



21. Braintree (Mass.), 32-2
Massachusetts teams usually don't find their way into the Xcellent 25, in part because of scheduling restrictions imposed by the state. But it's hard to pass over a roster with the Herlihy sisters (senior Bridget and junior Brianna) and Ashley Russell. The two losses last year were to New York power Christ the King and in-state rival Newton North, which they beat twice.

22. Gonzaga Prep (Spokane, Wash.), 23-1
Yes, Laura Stockton is the daughter of former NBA star John Stockton. But that's far from the whole story in Spokane. Four starters are back for team that lost in the third game of the 2013-14 season -- by one point in an Oregon tournament -- and then ripped off 21 in a row and came back from a 12-point second-half deficit to win the state title.

23. Northside (Fort Smith, Ark.), 25-4)
Rickey Smith has had some very good teams at Northside, but he's especially excited by this group, which features 6-0 junior forwards Aahliyah Jackson (a transfer from Oklahoma) and Maya Hood. The Grizzlies will be a physical, inside-oriented team in an age of spread-the-floor, 3-point bombers, but that won't keep them from not only challenging Conway in Arkansas, but anyone else they come across.

24. Lawrence North (Indianapolis), 25-2
Last season ended in a storm of controversy, as top-seeded Lawrence North had to play its 4A state semifinal on the homecourt of Bedford North Lawrence rather than on its home court, or a neutral court, and lost in overtime.

25. Marian (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.), 24-2
Coach Mary Cicerone won her fifth state title in her distinguished 30-plus year career, and she welcomes back the Thomas sisters (junior Bailey and sophomore Samantha ) plus two other starters. It's too bad they don't play more out-of-state teams, though, as it's hard to get a read on how good they really are.