High school girls basketball rankings: Morris Catholic finishes No. 1, crowned MaxPreps National Champion

Crusaders finish 28-0 while capturing third straight state title.

Thumbnail image of this articles writer: Aaron Williams

By Aaron Williams

Apr 7, 2025, 12:30pm

Crusaders finish season 28-0 while grabbing second straight New Jersey Non-Public A state title.

Final MaxPreps Top 25 Girls Basketball Rankings 2024-2025 Season 225,925 views 1:14

Morris Catholic (Denville) capped a 28-0 season with a 55-44 victory over No. 25 Paul VI (Haddonfield) for New Jersey's Non-Public A state championship, the third straight title for the program. That helped the Crusaders finish No. 1 in the final MaxPreps Top 25 high school girls basketball rankings and earn the distinction of being named MaxPreps National Champion.

Led by first-year head coach Rahim Huland El and powered on the court by twin Tennessee commits Mia and Mya Pauldo, the Crusaders knocked off teams from California, Florida, Maryland, New York and Pennsylvania — including a victory over one-time No. 1 Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.) at the Hoophall Classic in January.

The Pauldo twins — Mia averaged 18.6 points and Mya averaged 16.1 — were the catalysts for this season's success as well as the three-peat state titles.

But Huland El got significant contributions from senior Loyola-Chicago commit Daniella Matus (12.4 points per game) and sophomore Jacqueline Edelman (10.6 points per game). Junior guard Kennedy Brown and sophomores Anastasia Bonfante, Morgan Fulston and Ashley LaBeach played key roles as well.

The Crusaders, who are 85-4 over the past three seasons, won the Non-Public B crown in 2023 and Non-Public A title in 2024 under previous head coach Williams Lovett.

Past MaxPreps National Champions

2011 — Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)

2012 — St. Mary's (Phoenix, Ariz.)
2013 — Riverdale (Murfreesboro, Tenn.)
2014 — Blackman (Murfreesboro, Tenn.)
2015 — Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.)
2016 — Duncanville (Texas)
2017 — Riverdale
2018 — Central Valley (Spokane Valley, Wash.)
2019 — New Hope Academy (Landover Hills, Md.)
2020 — La Jolla Country Day (La Jolla, Calif.)
2021 — Westlake (Atlanta, Ga.)

2022 — Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.)

2023 — Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)

2024 — Etiwanda (Calif.)

Final MaxPreps Top 25

1. Morris Catholic (Denville, N.J.)
Record: 28-0 | Last week: 1
Non-Public A state champion.

2. Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.)
Record: 29-1 | Last week: 2
Maryland private school state champion.

3. Etiwanda (Calif.)
Record: 28-5 | Last week: 3
Open Division state champion.

4. Bradley Central (Cleveland, Tenn.)
Record: 35-1 | Last week: 4
Division I Class AAAA state champion.

5. Ontario Christian (Ontario, Calif.)
Record: 30-2 | Last week: 5
Southern Section Open Division champion.

6. Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.)
Record: 27-3 | Last week: 6
Class AA champion.

7. Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.)
Record: 27-4 | Last week: 7
Open Division state runner-up.

8. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
Record: 29-4 | Last week: 8
Season complete.

9. Princess Anne (Virginia Beach, Va.)
Record: 28-0 | Last week: 9
Class 5 state champion.

10. Johnston (Iowa)
Record: 26-0 | Last week: 10
Class 5A state champion.

11. Ridgeline (Millville, Utah)
Record: 28-0 | Last week: 11
Class 4A state champion.

12. Providence Academy (Plymouth, Minn.)
Record: 32-0 | Last week: 12
Class 2A state champion.

13. Putnam City North (Oklahoma City, Okla.)
Record: 29-1 | Last week: 13
Class 6A state champion.

14. Grandview (Aurora, Colo.)
Record: 25-3 | Last week: 14
Class 6A state champion.

15. Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.)
Record: 28-3 | Last week: 15

16. Boswell (Fort Worth, Texas)
Record: 39-2 | Last week: 16
Class 6A Division II state champion.

17. Clackamas (Ore.)
Record: 32-3 | Last week: 17
Class 6A runner-up.

18. Hebron Christian (Dacula, Ga.)
Record: 29-2 | Last week: 18

Private school state runner-up.

19. Monterey (Lubbock, Texas)
Record: 37-5 | Last week: 19
Class 5A Division II state champion.

20. River Ridge (Woodstock, Ga.)
Record: 31-1 | Last week: 20
Class AAAAA state champion.

21. Sacred Heart (Louisville, Ky.)
Record: 36-3 | Last week: 24
Kentucky state champion.

22. Incarnate Word Academy (St. Louis, Mo.)
Record: 27-2 | Last week: 23
Class 6 state champion.

23. Bishop Ireton (Alexandria, Va.)
Record: 28-6 | Last week: 21
VISAA Division I state champion.

24. Lincoln (Dallas, Texas)
Record: 39-2 | Last week: 22
Class 4A Division II state champion.

25. Paul VI (Haddonfield, N.J.)
Record: 27-1 | Last week: 25
Non-Public A runner-up.

Next 75

26. Holy Innocents Episcopal (Atlanta, Ga.)

Record: 25-5

Private School state champion.

27. Clovis West (Fresno, Calif.)

Record: 33-1

Northern California Open Division runner-up.

28. Winton Woods (Cincinnati, Ohio)

Record: 27-0

Division 2 state champion.

29. Millennium (Goodyear, Ariz.)

Record: 25-6

Open Division state champion.

30. Carondelet (Concord, Calif.)

Record: 30-6

Division 1 state champion.

31. Hoover (Ala.)

Record: 32-4

Class 7A state champion.

32. Perkiomen Valley (Collegeville, Pa.)

Record: 28-3

Class 6A state champion.

33. Tualatin (Ore.)

Record: 28-3

Class 6A state champion.

34. Kimberly (Wis.)

Record: 29-1

Division 1 state champion.

35. Blue Valley North (Overland Park, Kan.)

Record: 20-4

Class 6A state champion.

36. Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.)

Record: 26-4

Class 4A state champion.

37. Purcell Marian (Cincinnati, Ohio)

Record: 23-6

Division 3 state champion.

38. Pickerington Central (Pickerington, Ohio)

Record: 25-3

Division 1 state champion.

39. Centennial (Las Vegas, Nev.)

Record: 23-2

Class 5A state champion.

40. Central Valley (Spokane Valley, Wash.)

Record: 27-0

Class 3A state champion.

41. Dowling Catholic (West Des Moines, Iowa)

Record: 19-4

Class 5A runner-up.

42. Winter Haven (Fla.)

Record: 27-2

Class 7A state champion.

43. Hamilton Southeastern (Fishers, Ind.)

Record: 27-1

44. Lawrence Central (Indianapolis, Ind.)

Record: 22-2

45. Palm Bay (Melbourne, Fla.)

Record: 25-7

Class 4A state champion.

46. Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.)

Record: 25-6

New York City champion.

47. Red Bank Catholic (Red Bank, N.J.)

Record: 28-5

South Jersey Non-Public A runner-up.

48. Kamehameha Kapalama (Honolulu, Hawaii)

Record: 29-3

Division 1 state champion.

49. Kenwood (Chicago, Ill.)

Record: 35-3

Class 4A state champion.

50. Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.)

Record: 27-5

Class 4A state champion.

51. Creekside (Fairburn, Ga.)

Record: 32-0

Class AAAA state champion

52. Langston Hughes (Fairburn, Ga.)

Record: 29-3

Class AAAAA state runner-up.

53. Osbourn Park (Manassas, Va.)

Record: 26-3

Class 6A state champion.

54. Arrowhead (Hartland, Wis.)

Record: 25-4

Division 1 state semifinalist.

55. Pewaukee (Wis.)

Record: 25-3

Division 1 state quarterfinalist.

56. Grandview Prep (Boca Raton, Fla.)

Record: 26-4

Class 1A state champion.

57. Ryan (Denton, Texas)

Record: 32-7

Class 5A Division 1 state champion.

58. Lawrence North (Indianapolis, Ind.)

Record: 20-8

Class 4A state champion.

59. Cardinal Mooney (Sarasota, Fla.)

Record: 24-9

Class 3A state champion.

60. Newton (Covington, Ga.)

Record: 25-5

Class AAAAAA state champion.

61. Sage Hill (Newport Beach, Calif.)

Record: 23-12

Division 1 state runner-up.

62. Summer Creek (Houston, Texas)

Record: 29-11

Class 6A Division 1 state champion.

63. Skutt Catholic (Omaha, Neb.)

Record: 28-1

Class B state champion.

64. Norman (Okla.)

Record: 25-3

Class 6A state semifinalists.

65. Millard West (Omaha, Neb.)

Record: 28-1

Class A state champion.

66. Davis (Yakima, Wash.)

Record: 24-3

Class 4A state champion.

67. Grayson (Loganville, Ga.)

Record: 30-2

Class AAAAAA state runner-up.

68. Duncanville (Duncanville, Texas)

Record: 29-7

Class 6A Division 1 state quarterfinalist.

69. Farmington (Ark.)

Record: 30-1

Class 5A state champion.

70. Lake Norman (Mooresville, N.C.)

Record: 30-1

Class 4A state champion.

71. Cypress Springs (Cypress, Texas)

Record: 30-4

Class 6A Division 2 state quarterfinalist.

72. Warsaw (Ind.)

Record: 26-2

Class 4A state runner-up.

73. Democracy Prep Agassi Campus (Las Vegas, Nev.)

Record: 23-4

Class 5A state runner-up.

74. Belleville (Mich.)

Record: 28-1

Division 1 state champion.

75. Legend (Parker, Colo.)

Record: 22-6

Class 6A state runner-up.

76. Northside (Fort Smith, Ark.)

Record: 28-5

Class 6A state champion.

77. Staley (Kansas City, Mo.)

Record: 28-1

Class 6 state runner-up.

78. Hillcrest (Evergreen, Ala.)

Record: 33-3

Class 7A state runner-up.

79. Washington (Okla.)

Record: 27-1

Class 3A state champion.

80. Rockford (Mich.)

Record: 27-2

Division 1 state runner-up.

81. Park Hill South (Riverside, Mo.)

Record: 28-1

82. Fremd (Palatine, Ill.)

Record: 30-6

Class 4A state runner-up.

83. Zachary (La.)

Record: 26-6

Division 1 state champion.

84. Snow Canyon (St. George, Utah)

Record: 26-1

Class 4A state runner-up.

85. Manchester (Midlothian, Va.)

Record: 23-4

Class 6A state runner-up.

86. George Rogers Clark (Winchester, Ky.)

Record: 28-9

Kentucky state runner-up.

87. Tupelo (Miss.)

Record: 29-4

Class 7A state champion.

88. Homestead (Fort Wayne, Ind.)

Record: 24-3

89. Parkway (Bossier City, La.)

Record: 29-5

Division 1 state runner-up.

90. Cedar Hill (Texas)

Record: 29-9

Class 6A Division 1 state runner-up.

91. Wagner (San Antonio, Texas)

Record: 34-4

Class 5A Division 2 state runner-up.

92. St. John's (Washington, D.C.)

Record: 26-6

Class AA runner-up.

93. Conway (Ark.)

Record: 29-3

94. St. Francis (Alpharetta, Ga.)

Record: 28-3

Private school state semifinalist.

95. Lancaster (Texas)

Record: 27-6

Class 6A Division 2 state semifinalist.

96. Wauwatosa East (Wauwatosa, Wis.)

Record: 27-1

Division 2 state champion.

97. Southern Lab (Baton Rouge, La.)

Record: 25-5

Division IV state champion.

98. Braswell (Little Elm, Texas)

Record: 34-3

99. Lynden (Wash.)

Record: 28-0

Class 2A state champion.

100. San Ramon Valley (Danville, Calif.)

Record: 28-4

High school girls basketball rankings: Morris Catholic finishes No. 1, crowned MaxPreps National Champion

Crusaders finish 28-0 while capturing third straight state title.

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