MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Girls Basketball Rankings

If you long for stability, you'll love this week's Xcellent 25. The Top 24 teams stayed just where they were, with only No. 25 Marion County of Kentucky dropping out -- and the Knights were replaced by the Kentucky team that beat them, duPont Manual.

That said, we almost had a major shakeup as No. 12 Long Beach Poly came from nine points down with 3:42 left to take the lead against No. 3 Windward, but the Wildcats squeezed out yet another win against elite competition. And they're not done, as they face No. 9 Mater Dei Friday.

Otherwise, though, most of the top teams in the country are pounding on local opposition as they ready themselves for postseason, and that's when change will come. It's a lot different playing a confident in-state team that is playing well than it is pummeling some league "rival" whose only goal si to avoid the running clock in the fourth quarter.

But this week, at least, the Xcellent 25 held uncertainty at bay.

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

1. (1) St. Mary's (Phoenix) (22-0)
Pinnacle was the fourth-best team in Arizona, and the Knights routed them Tuesday night, 69-49. Mountain View and Chandler will be the big threats in the postseason.

2. (2) Riverdale Baptist (Upper Marlboro, Md.) (20-1)
Archbishop Spalding of Maryland will be a challenge Monday, especially on the road, but the Crusaders have so many weapons, they average nearly 80 points a game.

3. (3) Windward (Los Angeles) (19-3)
Macchiati Smith hit the game-winner with 11 seconds left, and the Wildcats beat No. 12 Long Beach Poly 56-55 to stay in the Top 5. Jordin Canada had 22 but No. 9 Mater Dei is on tap Friday.

4. (4) Cicero-North Syracuse (Cicero, N.Y.) (13-2)
The Northstars should dismiss their last two local opponents before gearing up for the postseason by playing Christ the King Feb. 12.

5. (5) Bolingbrook (Ill.) (19-1)
The Raiders treated highly regarded St. Joseph's of Missouri as though the Angels were just another piece of Illinois cannon fodder. The final was 64-32, and that's the last test before the playoffs.

6. (6) McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) (21-0)
The Indians are in cruise control until they run into Norcross or South Gwinnett in the AAAA playoffs.

7. (7) Whitney Young (Chicago) (24-0)
The Chicago city playoffs began Monday night, and the Dolphins had little trouble beating North Lawndale and Marshall to advance to the semifinals.

8. (8) MacArthur (Irving, Texas) (29-2)
The Cardinals should roll over their last two opponents before the Texas playoffs start - and the 81-44 win over 22-8 Bell Tuesday was proof that MacArthur is on track.

9. (9) Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) (21-2)
Oaks Christian is one of the top teams in the Southern Section, with only four losses against 17 wins (including one over Colorado's Highlands Ranch). After one quarter, it was 30-6 Mater Dei, and the final was 78-51. It won't be that easy against No. 3 Windward Friday, though.

10. (10) Our Lady of Good Counsel (Olney, Md.) (20-3)
Just another week in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference - the Falcons came from 14 points down in the third quarter to knock off St. John's of D.C., 69-65. Lindsey Spann had 25, and led the fourth-quarter charge.

11. (11) Riverdale (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) (20-3)
After disposing of a decent Oakland team 66-33 last week, the Warriors take a break until Feb. 7. The big regular-season test left is Mt. Juliet on Feb. 13.

12. (12) Long Beach Poly (Calif.) (21-2)
The Jackrabbits erased a nine-point fourth quarter lead and went ahead of No. 3 Windward in the final minute, but despite Arica Carter's 18 points, they couldn't seal the deal. They did bounce back with a 53-33 win over tough Troy on Tuesday, though.

13. (13) La Jolla Country Day (Calif.) (21-1)
Coach Terri Bamford bulked up the schedule with JSerra, one of the top teams in the state in the Torreys' division, on Saturday - and to make it more of a challenge, La Jolla Country Day will travel north for the game.

14. (14) Hoover (Ala.) (23-3)
The Buccaneers got balanced scoring in a 61-51 win over Memphis Central Saturday, and have just one game left before the Alabama playoffs begin.

15. (15) Duncanville (Texas) (31-1)
There are a lot of good teams in 5A in Texas, and three 20-win teams are in the Panthers' district. After that, the 30-win teams start lining up.

16. (16) Science Hill (Johnson City, Tenn.) (26-0)
The Hilltoppers took care of Daniel Boone Tuesday, and Davy Crockett is next. Is Jim Bowie after that?

17. (17) Nazareth (Brooklyn, N.Y.) (9-1)
The Kingsmen ran off four straight wins, including two wins at the Kennedy Challenge and a big 82-39 victory over a good Bishop Ford team Tuesday.

18. (18) Dr. Phillips (Orlando, Fla.) (22-3)
The Panthers outlasted their biggest Florida rival, Edgewater, last week, 75-68 -- and though the 8A playoffs begin this week, Edgewater is 6A.

19. (19) Bob Jones (Madison, Ala.) (27-2)
The Patriots can just settle back and get ready for the Alabama playoffs -- and even then, the only real competition will be No. 14 Hoover.

20. (20) Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.) (18-0)
Although Hopkins beat Eden Prairie by seven Tuesday night, and Eden Prairie beat Wayzata last week, Wayzata has only lost three times all year and will be a tough test for the Royals on Friday.

21. (21) Detroit Country Day (Beverly Hills, Mich.) (9-1)
Talk about a big week for the Yellowjackets: Their three opponents -- Pershing, Chaminade-Julienne and Carroll -- have a combined record of 42-2. And the last two, against Ohio teams, are on the road.

22. (22) Reynoldsburg (Ohio) (17-0)
Aliyah Zantt had 11 points and a key 3-pointer to help blunt a PIckerington North rally in a 40-32 win. Pickerington North has lost just twice all season, both times to Reynoldsburg.

23. (23) South Medford (Ore.) (18-0)
The Panthers haven't been stressed in 2012, with their closest win by 19 points. In fact, they've only played two games all year with a margin of fewer than 15 points.

24. (24) Pflugerville (Texas) (35-0)
Georgetown has lost only three times all year, and only once in Texas -- but that loss was to Pflugerville, by 17, so Friday night's rematch in the Panthers' home gym on senior night, should go well.

25. (nr) DuPont Manual (Louisville, Ky.) (21-2)
Finally healthy, the Rams won the Louisville Invitational Tournament by avenging an earlier loss to Marion County. Kayla Styles had 20 points, and April Wilson joined her on the all-tournament team.

Dropped out: No. 25 Marion County