MaxPreps 2017-18 Preseason Top 25 National Girls Basketball Rankings presented by the Army National Guard

Video: Preseason Top 25 Girls Basketball Rankings
Find out how the nation's elite stack heading into the 2017-18 season.

It's awfully hard to get to the top of the mountain in high school basketball.

There are nearly 18,000 girls teams in the country, and more than a few take the sport extremely seriously — which makes it all the more impressive that last year's MaxPreps National Champion, Riverdale of Tennessee, again starts this year on top of the rankings.

Obviously, Riverdale has tons of talent, but that's only part of the equation. Equally important is strength of schedule, and hand-in-hand with playing good teams is traveling to play good teams. It's one thing to win games in the friendly confines, and it's quite another to head off to one of the major tournaments far from home and play teams from around the country.

Even crossing state lines counts, as presumably winning a state title will prove who's the best in a state, regardless of its size. So driving the length of California to play a game — an 11-hour trip, by the way — often doesn't prove as much as driving a couple hours north or east to play one of the best teams in Oregon or Nevada or Arizona. A win in a game like that reveals strength in more than one state, and with so many quality teams, fine distinctions such as that definitely come into play.

In the end, though, it comes down to winning games, and remember, the scoreboard doesn't lie. Just because the star had the flu (or any number of other factors) can't erase the final score — a win's a win, and a loss, except to a team ranked higher in the Xcellent 25, will have consequences.

Riverdale avoided those consequences last year, and may do so again — but history suggests that a new champion will be at the top of the list next April. The mountain is steep, after all, and it's very hard to navigate the path to No. 1 two years in a row without a slip up. Still, for now, we've got Riverdale as queen of the hill, though uneasy lies any such preseason crown, especially in girls basketball.

Note: All records are as listed on MaxPreps. We encourage all coaches — not just those in the national rankings — to keep their rosters and schedules up to date for the benefit of fans and college coaches. Any issues can be handled quickly and easily by contacting coachsupport@maxpreps.com.

1. Riverdale (Murfreesboro, Tenn.), 34-0 2016-2017 record
The back-to-back Tennessee large school champs return five future Division I players, led by seniors Brinae Alexander (Vanderbilt) and twins Alexis Whittington and Amanda Whittington (both to Middle Tennessee). In addition, sisters Aislynn Hayes (a junior) and Alasia Hayes (a sophomore) are both Power 5 prospects, so it makes sense that Riverdale has loaded up schedule-wise with a trip to Nike TOC and games against No. 15 Collins Hill (Georgia) and No. 7 Mercer County (Kentucky).

2. St. Mary's (Stockton, Calif.), 21-9
Injuries slowed down the St. Mary's juggernaut last year, but with three Power 5 seniors leading the way — plus at least two more Division I prospects — the perennial Northern California power is back on track. Aquira DeCosta (Baylor) leads the way, but lack of depth might become an issue during the tough preseason and extended California playoffs.

3. Riverdale Baptist (Upper Marlboro, Md.), 20-13
Lots of talent, led by 6-5 transfer Shakira Austin (Maryland) and 6-2 Lauren Ebo (Penn State), plus the addition of transfer Honesty Scott-Grayson (Baylor), generates plenty of optimism, but getting acclimated to a new coach and a brutal schedule might make it hard for Riverdale Baptist to retain this spot all season long.

4. Hamilton Heights Christian Academy (Chattanooga, Tenn.), 29-2
You wouldn't think of Chattanooga as a magnet for international players but 6-6 Kamilla Cardoso is from Brazil and 6-2 Elizabeth Balogun is from Nigeria. Jazmine Massengill is homegrown, however, and the trio will be tested early by games against No. 3 Riverdale Baptist and No. 6 Paul VI.

5. Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.), 28-3
As the cliché goes, Sue Phillips doesn't rebuild, she reloads, and even though four Division I seniors graduated, elite junior Haley Jones and senior Karisma Ortiz (Penn State) lead a balanced, deep roster that will get tested at the Nike TOC and in California's mine-filled landscape.

6. Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.), 32-2
Right out of the gate, the Panthers host traditional power Christ the King (NY) and No. 3 Hamilton Heights at the Art Turner Memorial. But led by seniors 6-3 Amira Collins (Tennessee), and Kate Klimkiewicz (Boston College), and junior Ashley Owusu (Maryland commit), Paul VI should be up to even those kinds of challenges.

7. Mercer County (Harrodsburg, Ky.), 31-6
The defending Kentucky state champions have pretty much everybody back, including Seygan Robins (Louisville). The December schedule is highlighted by a matchup with No. 1 Riverdale of Tennessee and a trip to the Naples (Florida) Holiday Shootout.

8. St. John's (Washington, D.C.), 30-2
Like Mitty, St. John's just skips the rebuilding part of the process. Everybody's pick as the premier freshman in the country, Azzi Fudd, joins 6-3 Malu Tshitenge-Mutumbo (yes, a niece of Dikembe Mutumbo) and a loaded roster that plays three nationally ranked teams in preseason, and will also take a trip to Nike TOC in Arizona.

9. Princess Anne (Virginia Beach, Va.), 28-2
Princess Anne's packed roster is favored to make it five straight 5A state titles, but Xaria Wiggins (Mississippi State) and Makayla Dickens (Albany) will also have to navigate December trips to the prestigious She Got Game and the Boo Williams Christmas tournament.

10. Incarnate Word Academy (St. Louis), 27-4
Incarnate Word will play in two strong events (December at the She Got Game in Maryland and January at the Raitz Fence/O'Shea's in Kentucky), facing national level competition both times, but Sonya Morris (DePaul) and junior 6-3 Rickie Woltman (committed to Purdue) will make Incarnate Word a tough out no matter the opposition.

11. North Little Rock (Ark.), 28-3
December travels to the Fayetteville Tournament with its strong Arkansas bracket and the Nike TOC in Arizona highlight the schedule. Six-foot-two Yomyris Morris (TCU) and junior Kennady Tucker lead the way for one of Arkansas' most consistent programs.

12. South Shore (Brooklyn, N.Y.), 25-4
No one can say South Shore is resting on its laurels after winning the New York State Federation AA title last spring. The champs open with No. 8 St. John's in the Art Turner Memorial in early December and are set for D.C.'s Title IX after Christmas. Earlette Scott (Providence) and Destiny Philoxy (UMass Amherst) give South Shore a one-two punch in the backcourt.

13. Montini Catholic (Lombard, Ill.), 33-2
Few high school teams have this kind of size — 6-3 Aaliyah Patty (Ohio State) and 6-5 Lindsey Jarosinski (Wake Forest) — to go with several Division I prospects on the perimeter. That combination will hard to beat. Besides its own, usually loaded, post-Christmas tournament, Montini is making two trips to weekend events in Kentucky to further enrich its strength of schedule.

14. Collins Hill (Suwanee, Ga.), 25-5
Besides playing several of Georgia's small school powers, Collins Hill journeys to Tennessee after Christmas to face No. 1 Riverdale. Maya Moore's alma mater is led by 6-4 Jada Rice and juniors Javyn Nicholson (committed to Georgia) and Bria Harmon (committed to Purdue).

15. Mount Notre Dame (Cincinnati), 27-4
The defending Ohio Division 1 (largest class) champs don't go out of state this year, so it will be hard to determine just how good they really are. But since none of their top three players are seniors, expect the good times to roll through the end of the 2018-19 season as well.

16. Baldwin (N.Y.), 19-4
After winning the New York state Class AA public school championship, Baldwin returns a senior-laden lineup led by Donnetta Johnson (Georgia), Aziah Hudson (Old Dominion) and Jenna Annecchiarico (Eastern Michigan). A December trip to She Got Game in Maryland highlights the out-of-state travel and a January game with St. Frances of Baltimore will also be a good test of this ranking.

17. Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.), 31-1
That one loss came in the 4A state title game, and despite a 60-4 two-year record, Hopkins hasn't won a state title since 2015. That has to be the big goal in Minnesota, as the state association limits travel, but Hopkins does have a couple dates with Iowa and Wisconsin powers.

18. New Hope Academy (Landover Hills, Md.), 0-0
That's right, a school that didn't even field a varsity girls basketball team last year is in the top 20 — but when Sam Caldwell was let go by Riverdale Baptist, he moved to New Hope and started attracting elite talent. With plenty of firepower and a challenging schedule, New Hope has quickly established itself as a national power.

19. Franklin (Somerset, N.J.), 25-8
Franklin won its first New Jersey Tournament of Champions last spring and returns junior Power 5 prospect Diamond Miller and Camille Gray (Long Island University), and though the schedule isn't as strong as others in the Xcellent 25, No. 12 South Shore and always competitive New Jersey will be serious tests.

20. Regis Jesuit (Aurora, Colo.), 20-7
In a sport known for spectacular athletes, 6-1 junior Fran Belibi might just be the best, and she's only part of the story for Regis Jesuit, a school that's never out of the spotlight for long. Trips to the Sweet 16 in San Diego and the Classic in the Country in Ohio will expose Regis Jesuit to differing styles of play than most of its Colorado competition will face.

21. Miami Country Day (Miami), (FL) 31-1
Miami Country Day played a brutal schedule last year, losing just once (in the Nike TOC final), on the way to another dominating performance in Florida. Another challenging schedule awaits, with a trip to Maryland for She Got Game and back to the Naples Holiday Shootout to defend its title, though MCD's lack of experience could be an issue.

22. Southeast Raleigh (N.C.), 32-1
Southeast Raleigh looks to be the best of a group of talented North Carolina teams, and gets the nod here because of a trip to the She Got Game event. No. 18 New Hope and New York City power St. Francis give Southeast Raleigh a chance to prove it belongs in the Xcellent 25.

23. Windward (Los Angeles), 30-4
California's Open Division puts the top 16 teams in one postseason bracket, but Windward was the best of the rest, winning the Division I title. Coached by former Stanford star and WNBA veteran Vanessa Nygaard, Windward — led by Charisma Osborne — looks once again to be the class of Southern California.

24. Kentridge (Kent, Wash.), 26-5
The defending 4A champs return young posts Jordyn Jenkins and JaQuaya Miller, and even though the state of Washington's game restrictions make it hard to travel for teams in large leagues, Kentridge managed to land in an Oregon tournament to give itself an out-of-state measuring stick.

25. Mesquite (Gilbert, Ariz.), 31-1
The defending Arizona 5A (6A is largest) state champs will return to the Nike TOC (where they won a division last year) and can rely on guards Shaylee Gonzales (BYU) and Lindsey VanAllen (Santa Clara) to help them hold on to their Grand Canyon State dominance.