Last week, California was cleared to begin play its high school girls basketball season , but since then nothing much has happened. Facilities must be prepared, protocols must be put in place and testing must be arranged. But if all goes well, play might begin in mid-April and last for six weeks.
Yes, that would mean basketball would finish its season on Memorial Day, but that's early compared to Oregon, which right now is planning to play its last game on June 27.
And though other states are still in the TBA category (like California), 16 have completed their seasons, and 13 more will do so by next Monday.
Oh, and Hawaii and Nevada are the only two that have officially canceled their seasons.
Confused? Join the club — but crashing this year's MaxPreps Top 25 is going to get more and more difficult as teams wrap up their postseasons. For those knocking on the door, the hope is always for that dramatic postseason upset, and it's possible, if not likely, that a couple will occur.
Lately, though, the MaxPreps Top 25 has been remarkably stable, even including the fact that No. 16 has dropped out in each of the last three weeks. Coincidence? New Hope Academy, this week's No. 16, sure hopes so.
NOTE: Coaches and team personnel are encouraged to update
schedules and results on MaxPreps – especially those in the mix for
MaxPreps Top 25 consideration. For assistance or questions, please reach
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Fremont captured the Utah 5A title and could receive an invitation to the GEICO High School Nationals.
Photo by Dave Argyle
Record: 19-0 |
Last week: 1
It's still unclear when and where the GEICO High School Nationals will be played, but from all reports the Highlanders will be one of the four girls' participants — and thus make the GEICO a de facto national championship tournament.
2. Westlake (Atlanta)
Record: 19-0 |
Last week: 2
The Lions are on track to join Lake Highland Prep at the GEICO High School Nationals, but first must take care of business in Friday's AAAAAA title game. Carrolton is 30-1, and well-coached, so it's far from a gimme.
3. Mount Notre Dame (Cincinnati)
Record: 26-0 |
Last week: 3
After handling a very strong Wayne team 49-33, the Cougars draw Notre Dame Academy on Friday, a team it has beaten. But then Saturday, the likely opponent in the Division I title game is No. 12 Newark.
4. Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.)
Record: 12-0 |
Last week: 4
Barring another COVID crisis — which canceled the much anticipated game with No. 20 Chaska last week — Hopkins will travel to unbeaten Becker on Friday before beginning postseason March 16.
5. Edison Academy (Detroit)
Record: 7-0 |
Last week: 5
Arbor Prep will be the latest to challenge Pioneers' long-running domination of Michigan, but Edison will host the Thursday game.
6. Incarnate Word Academy (St. Louis)
Record: 24-0 | Last week: 6
There are two steps left in Red Knights' state title quest: First is Francis Howell Central on Wednesday, followed by the winner of 20-4 Rockbridge vs. 22-2 Holt in Saturday's championship game.
7. Cypress Creek (Houston)
Record: 32-0 |
Last week: 7
The Cougars have played three games decided by fewer than 20 points all year, and none with a final margin in single digits. Thursday's 6A final at the Alamodome against No. 11 DeSoto promises to be much more competitive — and one has to wonder how CyCreek would respond in the final minutes of a close game.
8. Norman (Okla.)
Record: 16-0 |
Last week: 8
The Tigers got past Putnam North, 41-39, and should the team get past Midwest City on Thursday. Either Union or Edmond North will be a serious obstacle to both a state title and an unbeaten season.
9. St. John-Vianney (Holmdel, N.J.)
Record: 14-0 |
Last week: 9
The Lancers finished the season on a high note, rolling over talented Red Bank Catholic 61-34. That's it though, and we'll never know what might have happened if they'd met No. 19 Rutgers in the New Jersey postseason.
10. Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.)
Record: 10-0 |
Last week: 10
We thought the Panthers' season was done, but it now appears there's a good chance PVI will play in the GEICO High School Nationals — and if so, it will be a great opportunity to stake a claim to the national title.
11. DeSoto (Texas)
Record: 26-2 |
Last week: 11
The Eagles survived a grudge match with archrival Duncanville, 52-39, and then got past perennially strong South Grand Prairie 63-52. Now all that's left is unbeaten No. 7 Cypress Creek, which has not faced the same kind of tests DeSoto has this season.
12. Newark (Ohio)
Record: 27-1 |
Last week: 12
After slipping past Dublin Coffman 75-73, only 19-3 Archbishop Hoben stands in the way of a dream Division 1 final against No. 3 Mount Notre Dame on Saturday.
13. Grandview (Aurora, Colo.)
Record: 14-0 |
Last week: 13
Despite this ranking, the Wolves are the third seed in the Colorado 5A state playoffs, with unbeaten Valor Christian No. 1 and once-beaten Regis Jesuit (by Valor Christian) No. 2. It will all be settled on the floor come March 16.
14. Princess Anne (Virginia Beach, Va.)
Record: 10-0 |
Last week: 14
Season complete.
15. Fremont (Plain City, Utah)
Record: 25-0 |
Last week: 15
The Silverwolves are reported to be the Western representative to the GEICO High School Nationals after blowing open a close game in the second half of the 5A championship against Herriman. Though Fremont will be considered the underdog, don't forget that unheralded Central Valley from Washington state stunned the favorites a few years ago.
16. New Hope Academy (Landover Hills, Md.)
Record: 12-3 |
Last week: 17
New Hope's truncated season will very likely end with a game against very strong Westtown this Friday. There's a remote chance an invite to the GEICO High School Nationals will be forthcoming, but only if New Hope can find a way to win against Westtown.
17. Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)
Record: 21-2 |
Last week: 18
Season complete.
18. Rutgers Prep (Somerset, N.J.)
Record: 13-0 |
Last week: 19
Saddle River Day was supposed to give the Argonauts their toughest test, but the final was 81-54 – and Rutgers Prep's season will end on that high note.
19. American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.)
Record: 25-2 |
Last week: 22
Given the strength of Florida this year, and the Patriots' tough schedule, the jump into the Top 20 seems completely justified.
20. Chaska (Minn.)
Record: 12-0 |
Last week: 20
With the Hopkins game canceled, Chaska must now wait until postseason for a shot at the No. 4 team in the nation — but Minnesota is loaded this year, so there's no guarantee the two will survive to face each other.
21. Hazel Green (Ala.)
Record: 36-1 |
Last week: 21
The Trojans cruised to the 6A title, cementing a spot in the Top 25.
22. Bearden (Knoxville, Tenn.)
Record: 29-1|
Last week: 23
The Bulldogs begins the AAA playoffs Thursday with 20-2 Hardin County with 27-1 Bradley Central is the favorite in the other quarterfinal. And it takes wins over two teams of that caliber to get to Saturday's final.
23. Pius X (Lincoln, Neb.)
Record: 25-0 |
Last week: 24
It's difficult to beat a good team twice, but the third game is exponentially more difficult. Players, rightly, believe they've already proved they're better and even coaches can fall prey to overconfidence. It wasn't easy, but the Thunderbolts avoided that trap in the Class A title game, downing Fremont for the third time this year, 56-52.
24. Crown Point (Ind.)
Record: 24-1 |
Last week: 25
Season complete.
25. Zebulon B. Vance (Charlotte, N.C.)Record: 12-0 |
Last week: NR
If there was any doubt that to North Carolina's best — and given the abbreviated schedule, some doubt might have been justified — Vance terminated it with extreme prejudice by hammering an unbeaten team, 74-38, to win the 4A championship.
Dropped out: No. 16 Ponchatoula (La.)
