6. Bolingbrook (Ill.) (29-2)
Morgan Tuck and No. 6 Bolingbrook losttwo Division I college players but haveplenty of talent left.
File photo by Chris Pondy
The Raiders lost their point guard to Tennessee and a post to Illinois, but they're still Top 10 material thanks to the presence of 6-2 UConn-commit
Morgan Tuck and 6-3 Illinois-commit
Nia Moore.
Cabriana Capers, a mere 6-1, will go to Auburn, and junior guard
Kennedy Cattenhead is also a Division I-level player. In short, don't expect much of a dropoff from the Illinois champs.
7. MacArthur (Irving, Texas) (37-2) The Cardinals have to stand for pretty much all of Texas because they're one of the very few teams that get out of state. Their trip this year is to the Nike TOC in Phoenix, where they'll measure themselves against the nation's best. Then they'll go back to Texas, and face some very tough opposition there, but with elite guard
Alexis Jones and a solid supporting cast, they should be able to handle pretty much anyone.
8. Incarnate Word Academy (St. Louis) (27-4)The two-time defending Missouri Class 5 champions have three starters back, including 6-3 post
Taylor Manuel, and two sterling sophomores in 6-2
McKenna Treece and 5-6
Nikiah Bell. The Knights will play in the Nike TOC as well as against Whitney Young of Chicago, but the really big games for Incarnate Word are against intracity rival St. Joseph's Academy.
9. Spring Valley (Columbia, S.C.) (29-0) The Vikings bring back a pair of elite players in South Carolina commits
Xylina McDaniel and
Asia Dozier - and yes, McDaniel is the daughter of former NBA All-Star Xavier McDaniel. Spring Valley did lose two D-1 starters, including the point guard, and doesn't play a great schedule, so winning the Crescent Bank Holiday Invitational is pretty much a must to retain this ranking.
10. Riverdale (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) (34-2) Riverdale is behind Memphis Central only because the Warriors lost to Memphis Central in the state finals last spring. But with four starters back, led by Georgia-bound
Shacobia Barbee, no one would be surprised if Riverdale avenged that loss when the teams meet in preseason. And no one would be surprised if they play for the Tennessee title again in March.
