5. Whitney Young (Chicago)2009-10 record: 28-3
Ranked
11th last year, the Dolphins lost in the state finals to Bolingbrook.
They return four starters in 5-6 Kiana Johnson, 5-6 Janee Thompson, 5-5
Chanise Jenkins and 6-1 Sinclair Cunningham, so speed is obviously the
team's strength. Cory Irvin's squad, which takes on all comers and last
season traveled to California to play Mater Dei and Long Beach Poly on
back-to-back nights, has added some size which should combat Tuck and
Bolingbrook down the state stretch.
4. Ben Davis (Indianapolis)2009-10 record: 28-0
It's
hard to argue with a state-record 58 straight wins over two seasons or
to match the talent of Kentucky-bound
Bria Goss and 6-3 junior center
Shawnece Teague. What's difficult to gauge is how the Giants match up
against the nation's other elite teams. The 2009 national champs, ranked third
in 2010, don't have a team outside of Indiana slated on their 2010-11
schedule.
Poly's Sheila Boykin is UCLA bound.
Photo by Nicholas Koza
32-3
The
Jackrabbits had an entire offseason to chew on a stunning upset loss in
the state Division I finals to Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills, Calif.) that denied
them a fifth straight state crown. With talent like UCLA-bound
Sheila Boykin and USC-signee
Ariya Crook-Williams, watch out for this perennial
national power. As usual, Carl Buggs' squad is loaded with depth and
talent and if a 15-point win over Mater Dei in a scrimmage is any
indication, Poly could run the table.
2. Bolingbrook (Ill.)2009-10 record: 28-1
The defending state 4A champion features one of the top one-two combos in the country in Tennessee-bound point guard Ariel Massengale and 6-2 junior forward Morgan Tuck, who helped U17 Team USA to the FIBA World Championship in July. Massengale averaged 22.5 points a game while adding a team-high 43 assists in eight games. Tuck, who came back from a torn ACL on the U16 national team the previous summer, led Bolingbrook with an 18.1 scoring average last year. The duo is after a third straight state crown and with other key returners like 6-1 junior Cabriana Capers, 5-10 senior Falon Edwards and 6-foot senior Taylor Tuck, that's a distinct possibility. So is a first national crown.
Mater Dei's Jordan Adams is stellar at the point.
Photo by Nicholas Koza
32-1
Last
year's national runner-up returns arguably the nation's top senior,
UConn signee and 6-foot forward
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, the nation's top junior, 6-1
point guard
Jordan Adams, and USC commit
Alexyz Vaioletama, who missed
all of last year with an injury. Add transfer
Kiki Alofaituli, an
Arizona State signee, and the only thing for Kevin Kiernan's defending
state Division II title team to achieve is an unbeaten season.
