Ponchatoula has played 30 games in Louisiana. Simeon, which was ranked in our preseason MaxPreps Top 25 high school girls basketball rankings, will play its first game in Illinois this week. Mater Dei and Archbishop Mitty, both from California and both given spots before the season, may not play at all.
Such is the state of high school basketball in the season of COVID-19, which has only added to the challenge of putting together these rankings.
So should an unbeaten team with 10 games be ranked ahead of an unbeaten team that's played 30? After all, every game is a chance to lose, and the 10-game team clearly had fewer opportunities to pick up a loss. But then again, it's certainly not the fault of the teams that they've played fewer games than expected, or didn't have a chance to get that big intersectional win that would have put them on the map.
Which means that this year, more so than any other, the talent on the roster — as measured by individual rankings and recruiting interest — has an impact on where a team is placed. Edison has played four games, but sits at No. 5 thanks to a horde of top-shelf talent that was just as likely to be 24-0 as 4-0.
Is this the way we normally do it? Not at all, but a lot of things aren't normal in the 2020-21 girls basketball season — and like most of these teams you just have to play the hand you're dealt.
NOTE: Coaches and team personnel are encouraged to update
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Marya Hudgins, Grandview
Photo by Steve Abeyta
Record: 17-0 |
Last week: 1
Note that there are two American Heritage high schools in Florida, and the one in the other 4A semifinal — the one Lake Highland Prep might have to face this weekend should it get by Bishop Kenny — is not the American Heritage that's ranked No. 24.
2. Westlake (Atlanta)Record: 15-0 |
Last week: 2
Westlake has waited nearly a month to play a game as opponents were hard to come by, but the AAAAAA postseason begins this week. The first serious test likely will come next week from 23-3 Kell in quarterfinals.
3. Mount Notre Dame (Cincinnati)Record: 23-0 |
Last week: 3
The Cougars won their first two Division 1 playoff games by an average score of 82-7 but it's possible, if not likely, that 21-2 Centerville — which only lost to host Mount Notre Dame by nine earlier this year — will be the semifinal opponent. We're guessing that game will be a lot closer than 82-7.
4. Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.)Record: 10-0 |
Last week: 4
Hopkins easily disposed of Minnetonka, which gave the defending state champs a tough game the first time around. So the next focus will be on the March 5 game at No. 20 Chaska.
5. Edison Academy (Detroit)Record: 4-0 | L
ast week: 5
Edison downed perennial rival Renaissance 68-59 on Saturday.
6. Incarnate Word Academy (St. Louis)Record: 18-0 |
Last week: 6
There are two games left in regular season for the Show Me State's best, and neither should pose much of a challenge.
7. Cypress Creek (Houston)Record: 28-0|
Last week: 7
Cypress Creek will play 24-4 Heights on Wednesday, and that record is impressive. But Cypress Creek already played Heights and won by 31.
8. Norman (Okla.)Record: 13-0 |
Last week: 8
Norman has had a long break, but plays Thursday against Grant — and is expected to move on to the 6A Area playoffs, which begin March 4.
9. St. John-Vianney (Holmdel, N.J.)Record: 9-0 |
Last week: 9
St. John Vianney's comfortable home in the Top 10 will be threatened Friday by 8-0 Trenton Catholic — but luckily the game will be in the friendly confines of Holmdel.
10. Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.)Record: 10-0 |
Last week: 10
Season complete.
11. DeSoto (Texas)Record: 22-2 |
Last week: 12
DeSoto continues to advance in 6A District play, but down the road must deal with rival Duncanville and No. 7 Cypress Creek.
12. Newark (Ohio)Record: 24-1 |
Last week: 13
Hilliard Darby, Wednesday's opponent in the Division 1 playoffs, is the 25th seed — 16-2 Watkins Memorial, the likely Friday opponent, will be a tougher test.
13. Grandview (Aurora, Colo.)Record: 9-0 |
Last week: 14
There are some very good teams in Colorado, but Grandview won't face any of them until postseason, which begins the week of March 8.
14. Princess Anne (Virginia Beach, Va.)
Record: 10-0 |
Last week: 17
Princess Anne completed its abbreviated unbeaten season by winning its eighth straight state title, and 12th overall.
15. Fremont (Plain City, Utah)Record: 22-0 |
Last week: 15
The 6A playoffs begin Thursday, but Fremont is the No. 2 seed, behind once-beaten Herriman, which did play a tougher schedule. We might find out how much that matters if both reach the March 6 finals.
16. Anderson County (Lawrenceburg, Ky.)Record: 17-0 |
Last week: 18
Sometimes it takes a little luck. Anderson County got a banked-in, 3-pointer with 3.2 seconds to left to take a 69-68 lead over Sacred Heart — and then had to watch as Sacred Heart's desperation heave spent some time on the rim before bouncing out.
17. Ponchatoula (La.)Record: 30-0 |
Last week: 22
Ponchatoula is three games away from an unbeaten season, a Top 20 ranking (or higher), and most important, a Louisiana 5A state title.
18. Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)Record: 21-2 |
Last week: 11
Montverde lost by one in the first round of the Independent School National Championships, but bounced back to win its last two and retain a spot in the Top 25. The other loss was to No. 1 Lake Highland Prep, and Montverde has a handful of impressive wins over strong Florida opposition.
19. Rutgers Prep (Somerset, N.J.)Record: 7-0 |
Last week: 19
Rutgers Prep has two games left before a limited postseason, and a loss anywhere along the line would be considered a major upset.
20. Chaska (Minn.)Record: 10-0 |
Last week: 20
Chaska was on no one's radar in preseason — but now you can bet No. 4 Hopkins is already gathering intel for the March 5 matchup.
21. Hazel Green (Ala.)Record: 32-1 |
Last week: 21
Should Hazel Green get past Hartselle Wednesday — and Hazel Green won by 19 back in November — McGill-Toolen would be the 6A semifinals foe. Hazel Green beat McGill-Toolen by 25 in December.
22. New Hope Academy (Landover Hills, Md.) Record: 10-3 |
Last week: NR
New Hope returns to the rankings after winning the Independent School National Championship over a strong field. And if you think three losses are too many for a Top 25 team, think again — all three came against elite opposition.
23. Bearden (Knoxville, Tenn.)Record: 25-1 |
Last week: 23
Oak Ridge is 20-4 and the likely opponent in Monday's Class AAA Regional semifinals, but Bearden should be favored, if not heavily favored, until the state tournament starts March 10.
24. American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.)Record: 23-2 |
Last week: 24
It's not going to be easy for American Heritage to hold on to this ranking, as Florida is very strong this year, and the 5A Final Four is impressive. First up is 24-4 Clearwater, which hasn't lost since Dec. 11, and the other side of the bracket has 26-1 St. Augustine and a fully healthy, and very talented, 22-3 Palm Bay.
25. Pius X (Lincoln, Neb.)
Record: 20-0 |
Last week: 25
Pius X must get past either 12-win Benson or 12-win Bellevue West on Thursday to get to the Class A state tournament, which starts next week. And it would be unwise to bet against the No. 25 team in the country.
Dropped out: No. 16 Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.).
