Tournament time is in full swing and most teams in the MaxPreps Top 25 high school girls basketball rankings have some game sunder their belt ... or will shortly.
Three news teams crack this week's rankings led by
Hoover (Ala.), which jumps in at No. 13 after its 10-0 start. Paced by North Carolina commit
Reniya Kelly, the Bucs have four in-state wins and a trio of victories over Georgia and South Carolina schools.
Reniya Kelly has helped Hoover to the No. 13 spot in the MaxPreps Top 25 high school girls basketball rankings. (Photo: Brandon Sumrall)
Record: 2-0 |
Last week: 1
The Red Knights opened the season with a pair of convincing wins as
Natalie Potts and
Peyton Hill each had 17 in a 59-46 victory over Whitney Young (Chicago). They travel to Hawaii this week to compete in the 'Iolani Classic.
2. Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.)
Record: 4-0 |
Last week: 2
Juju Watkins was dynamite in a 61-49 win over Parkway (Bossier City, La.) scoring 24 with 23 rebounds. The USC commit also had 31 in a season-opening win over Duncanville (Texas) while
Izela Arenas added 20 points and seven rebounds.
3. Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)
Record: 9-0 |
Last week: 3
Sahnya Jah,
Mjracle Sheppard and
Cori Allen are each averaging better than nine points per game as the Eagles already grabbed wins over Duncanville, South Grand Prairie (Grand Prairie, Texas) and The Webb School (Bell Buckle, Tenn.). Sheppard dropped 18 against The Webb School. Coach Special Jennings picked up her 50th win on Dec. 1.
4. Etiwanda (Calif.)
Record: 7-0 |
Last week: 4
The Eagles have won their first six by an average of 45 points.
Kennedy Smith led Etiwanda with 29 in a 74-48 win over Sage Hill at the Battle at the Beach.
5. La Jolla Country Day (La Jolla, Calif.)
Record: 8-0 |
Last week: 6
Four Torreys are averaging double figures as
Breya Cunningham leads the way with 17.6 points per night along with
Tajianna Roberts (13.8),
Safiyha Sugapong (12.4) and
Jada Williams (10.4). After a 47-44 win to open the year, LJCD has rolled comfortably, including a 62-42 win over Desert Vista (Phoenix) in the Sweet 16 Invitational.
6. Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.)
Record: 2-0 |
Last week: 7
The Quakers rolled past Bishop McNamara 90-65 as freshman
Jayla Jackson led the way with 20 points.
Leah Harmon,
Jadyn Donovan and
Kendall Dudley all scored in double figures in a 66-44 win over St. Paul VI.
7. Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.)
Record: 4-0 |
Last week: 9
Taylor Woodson dropped 28 in a 69-49 win over Maple Grove.
Nunu Agara is averaging 18.2 points and
Liv McGill is scoring 13.2 per night for the Royals.
8. Lake Highland Prep (Orlando, Fla.)
Record: 5-1 |
Last week: 8
Lexi Blue's 20 points led four in double figures in a 73-63 win over St. Cloud.
9. St. John-Vianney (Holmdel, N.J.)
Record: 0-0 |
Last week: 10
Open season Dec. 17 against Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.).
10. Garfield (Seattle)
Record: 1-0 |
Last week: 12
The Bulldogs opened the year with a 32-point win over West Seattle and get rolling this week against Ballard and Eastside Catholic.
11. South Grand Prairie (Grand Prairie, Texas)
Record: 8-3 |
Last week: 11
Yes, there's three losses on the record, but all three were to teams ranked higher in the MaxPreps Top 25 — Sierra Canyon, La Jolla Country Day and Montverde Academy — and by a combined 18 points. The Warriors own a win over No. 12 Conway.
12. Conway (Ark.)
Record: 8-1 |
Last week: 13
The Wampus Cats fell 70-55 to South Grand Prairie. Stanford commit
Chloe Clardy dropped 34 in a 73-59 win over Norman (Okla.).
13. Hoover (Ala.)
Record: 10-0 |
Last week: NR
The Bucs are the biggest riser in the MaxPreps Top 25 after starting the season with 10 wins.
Reniya Kelly scored 18 in a 55-51 weekend win over Keenan (Columbia, S.C.) to become the school's all-time leading scorer with 1,884 points.
14. DeSoto (Texas)
Record: 7-2 |
Last week: 5
The Eagles have won six games handily but slipped up against No. 3 Montverde and dropped a 54-48 decision to 13-1 Summer Creek (Houston).
15. Lone Peak (Highland, Utah)
Record: 3-0 |
Last week: 14
Kailey Woolston had 19 and 9 in a season-opening 66-34 win over Timpview while
Shawnee Nordstrom added 11.
16. Hazel Green (Ala.)
Record: 10-0 |
Last week: 15
Nyla Collier passed the 1,000-point plateau for her career while
Leah Brooks has notched 1,000 points and rebounds.
17. Paul VI (Haddonfield, N.J.)
Record: 0-0 |
Last week: 16
Open season Dec. 15 against Seneca (Tabernacle).
18. West Bloomfield (Mich.)
Record: 1-0 |
Last week: 17
The Lakers opened the season with a 63-26 win over South Lyon East as
Sydney Hendrix had 14 and 10 while
Summer Davis added 12 points.
19. (18) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.)
Record: 4-0 |
Last week: 18
The Monarchs are the cream of the Northern California crop. Head coach Sue Phillips, in her 30th season, was nominated to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.
20. Sacred Heart (Louisville, Ky.)
Record: 3-0 |
Last week: 20
Last season's MaxPreps Freshman of the Year
ZaKiyah Johnson is off to a hot start, averaging 27 and 9 for the Valkyries.
21. Morris Catholic (Denville, N.J.)
Record: 0-0 |
Last week: 21
Open season Dec. 10 against Bayonne.
22. Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.)
Record: 2-0 |
Last week: 22
Kate Koval had 17 points and 10 boards in a 25-point win over Good Counsel (Olney, Md.) while
Syla Swords led the way with 20 points in a 67-44 win over Benson Tech (Portland, Ore.) to start the season.
23. Centennial (Las Vegas)
Record: 0-0 |
Last week: 23
Open season Friday against No. 15 Lone Peak.
24. St. John's (Washington, D.C.)
Record: 3-0 |
Last week: NR
Delaney Thomas and juniors
Kyndal Walker and
Carolae Barton are averaging double figures early in the year as the Cadets own wins over Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.), St. Anne's-Belfield (Charlottesville, Va.) and McDonough (Pomfret, Md.).
25. Clovis West (Fresno, Calif.)
Record: 8-0 |
Last week: NR
The Golden Eagles will be tested at the She Got Game Classic in Washington D.C. against Good Counsel and South Shore (Brooklyn, N.Y.).
On the bubble: Duncanville (Texas), 7-3;
Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.), 1-1;
St. Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.), 2-1;
South Bend Washington (South Bend, Ind.), 9-0;
IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), 3-1
