MaxPreps Top 25 National Girls Basketball Rankings presented by the Army National Guard

Video: Jasmine Lyles's highlights vs. St. John-Vianney
See the Rutgers Prep freshman post in action for the No. 20 Argonauts.

High school basketball is unpredictable in many ways, and not just on the court. Different states have different calendars, and none coordinate with any of the others. That means, among other things, that some states end their playoffs in February, while others wait to crown their state champions until the end of March.

The impact on the Xcellent 25 will start to show in the next few weeks, as elite teams begin wending their way through the sometimes labyrinthine playoff process. Sometimes they will play tough competition early – if states group playoff teams by region rather than by strength – and sometimes the only real competition will come in the final game or two.

Right now, though, things are relatively quiet, and only two teams dropped out of the Xcellent 25 this week. That limited movement will continue, most likely, for the near future, but by the time all is said and done, in early April, expect the list below to be more than a little different than it is now.

(Note: We urge all teams, not just those in the Xcellent 25, to make sure their rosters and schedules are up-to-date on MaxPreps. This allows parents, fans, media and college coaches easy access to what they need to know. Problems? Contact coachsupport@maxpreps.com.)


1. (last week 1) St. John's (Washington, D.C.), 18-1
The weekly battles in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference continue, as even though Our Lady of Good Counsel has struggled, Chloe Chapman and company are far from an easy out Friday.

2. (2) Riverdale (Murfreesboro, Tenn.), 21-0
That 52-43 win over Hoover might not seem that impressive, but four of Hoover's six losses came before Nov. 26. And Riverdale's trip to Murray on Saturday counts as a minor test.

3. (3) Monacan (Richmond, Va.), 19-0
Cosby, traditionally one of the best in Virginia, comes to Monacan on Thursday. Huguenot and Manchester this weekend, though, won't be quite as high a mountain to climb.

4. (4) Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.), 19-1
Paul VI quickly got back on track, but do host Seton on Wednesday. Still, Paul VI won by 16 the first time, on the road.

5. (5) Centennial (Las Vegas, Nev.), 23-2
Note that Centennial's margin of victory in Nevada never reaches 50 -- that's because an odd Nevada rule requires a report to be written up any time the margin of victory is greater than 49, and the winning coach must explain why he or she allowed it to happen. Maybe they were just a lot better?

6. (6) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.), 17-2
Carondelet is expected to win the NorCal Division I (largest schools) championship, but even hosting Mitty in its undersized gym didn't help as the Monarchs rolled, 64-48.

7. (7) Clovis West (Fresno, Calif.), 22-2
Clovis West runs, as do many elite girls' teams, an offense called Dribble Drive Motion, which was developed by Vance Wahlberg. Wahlberg's daughter Heather Long coaches at Clovis North, and not surprisingly, Clovis North hung with the No. 5 team in the country before losing 77-52.

8. (8) Miami Country Day (Miami), 23-1
IMG has Rellah Boothe, but even the McDonald's All-American wasn't enough as Miami Country Day won 73-60. The district playoffs are next.

9. (9) Grandview (Aurora, Colo.), 15-1
Horizon hasn't lost to a Colorado team this year -- its only defeat came at the Nike TOC in Arizona -- so Grandview will face its first real challenge since the TOC when it travels to Horizon on Feb. 7.

10. (10) Norcross (Ga.), 22-2
Norcross must travel to Parkview on Friday to finish the regular season, and then the AAAAAAA playoff run begins next week. Collins Hill and Lambert will be the main impediments.

11. (11) Hamilton Heights Christian Academy (Chattanooga, Tenn.), 20-1
Choctaw Central kept it close, but faded in the fourth quarter in a 69-41 loss -- which has only one more game before the NACA national championships late February.

12. (13) St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.), 21-0
St. Frances handled the first of three serious tests by beating Roland Park 54-44 -- but McDonogh on Wednesday and Riverdale Baptist on Sunday will make St. Frances prove that it really is No. 12 in the nation.

13. (14) North Central (Indianapolis), 24-0
Sometimes you just have to wonder -- North Central is 22-0, the best in Indiana by acclamation and does not get a bye in the first round of the sectionals. Lawrence Central, at 5-17, does. Go figure …

14. (17) Butler (Louisville, Ky.), 22-1
On Nov. 29, Butler -- No. 20 in the preseason Xcellent 25 -- traveled to Male and lost 68-62. That knocked Butler out of the rankings, and it did not return until last week. But revenge is a dish best served cold: Butler 85, Male 57.

15. (16) White Station (Memphis, Tenn.), 18-2
White Station handled Hamilton on the road last week, but only beat Memphis Central by five at home -- and the road trip to Memphis Central is Friday.

16. (21) Montini (Lombard, Ill.), 24-1
Montini got knocked way down after losing to Butler, but Butler's big win over previous No. 15 Male moved Butler up -- and Montini along with it.

17. (18) Detroit Country Day (Beverly Hills, Mich.), 13-0
They don't exactly play a grueling early schedule in Michigan. Detroit Country Day's has played just 13 games and Edison only nine -- but neither team has lost, and Edison comes to the Michigan version of Beverly Hills on Thursday.

18. (19) Central Valley (Spokane Valley, Wash.), 18-0
The word from those who know is that Central Valley's unbeaten streak will extend to two full seasons by the time the playoffs wind down. Maybe a trip out of state next year?

19. (20) Olive Branch (Miss.), 24-1
The second husband-wife battle (Jason and Janna Thompson) is Friday, but this time Jason and Olive Branch must travel to Horn Lake, which is coming off a tough loss to another good Mississippi team, Southaven.

20. (NR) Rutgers Prep (Somerset, N.J.), 17-1
Rutgers Prep jumps into the rankings after knocking off previous No. 12 Manasquan 62-52. The only loss was early in the year to Franklin, and Rutgers Prep avenged that five-point defeat with a 13-point win.

21. (NR) Amarillo (Texas), 30-1
Amarillo jumps into the rankings as the Texas team, like Rutgers Prep, avenged its only loss by beating Canyon 44-40. It's now playoff time and both Canyon and Mansfield Timberview lie in wait. 22. (22) King (Milwaukee, Wis.), 18-0
Hard to say just how good Wisconsin is, or King, but Hamilton will supply something of a test next Tuesday.

23. (23) Destrehan (Destrehan, La.), 27-0
Destrehan's solid schedule continues with East St. John on Friday, but like King, limited out-of-state competition makes it hard to know how good Destrehan really is.

24. (24) Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.), 20-0
Set the alarm for postseason -- until then, there's nothing to see here.

25. (25) Southeast Raleigh (Raleigh, N.C.), 21-0
East Wake is on tap Friday, but Southeast Raleigh's year will be defined by an expected postseason matchup with preseason favorite -- and preseason Xcellent 25 member -- Millbrook.

Dropped out: No. 12 Manasquan, No. 15 Male.