This week's high school rankings
Notre Dame Academy's Azania Stewart
By
[url=javascript:location.href='http://search.scout.com/a.z?s=427&p=4&c=1&search=1&sskey=%22' + escape('Clay Kallam') + '%22&sssiteid=427';]Clay Kallam[/url] Publisher
Posted Feb 7, 2007
For the first time ever, a North Dakota team has broken into the national basketball rankings as the Mandan Braves claim the 25th spot. Why Mandan, which comes from a small state, and not a more familiar program like Ursuline of Delaware or Mt. Juliet of Tennessee? First, the one loss was avenged, meaning the Braves beat the only team that beat them (Century of Bismarck). Second, Mandan won the Energy Classic in Wyoming, a good regional tournament -- which gives the Braves intersectional clout that a lot of schools (some of them more highly ranked) don't have. And finally, any school with this kind of impressive tradition (coach Greg Amundson has won more than 500 games in his 27-year career) deserves more than just regional respect.
1. (1) Collins Hill (Suwanee, Ga.) 23-0: The playoffs finally begin, and though the Eagles should win the Georgia title, they will have to start playing hard again.
2. (2) Long Beach Poly (Long Beach, Calif.) 23-1: Poly also will move into postseason next week, but it's a different story in Southern California -- the Southern Section I-AA has the best teams from all enrollment categories and there will be no easy games.
3. (3) Notre Dame Academy (Middleburg, Va.) 22-1: After disposing of Riverdale Baptist and Bishop McNamara, two of the area's best, the Dragons draw St. Frances and H.C. Woodson, two more regional powers, this weekend.
4. (4) Murry Bergtraum (Manhattan, N.Y.) 20-0: The Blazers are done with finals, and the students celebrated with three wins. They shouldn't be pushed until postseason.
5. (5) Stephenson (Stone Mountain, Ga.) 23-0: The senior backcourt of Ashlie Billingslea and Eboni Wood has been playing extremely well for the Jaguars, who will start postseason play next week.
6. (6) Bolingbrook (Bolingbrook, Ill.) 23-1: It's that time -- Bolingbrook too will start the playoffs next week, though it will be a few games before a serious challenger appears.
7. (7) Brea-Olinda (Brea, Calif.) 24-0: An easy win over Mater Dei, though not a pretty one, sends Brea into the last week of the regular season 24-0. Among others, Poly awaits in the playoffs.
8. (8) Rockwall (Rockwall, Texas) 32-0: We know Rockwall's good, but we don't know how good. The playoffs, at long last, are coming.
9. (10) Cy-Fair (Houston, Texas) 32-0: In terms of national rankings, Cy-Fair and Rockwall have a one-game season. Since neither has played any other elite teams, the winner will stay in the top ten -- and the loser may disappear entirely.
10. (11) Fenwick (Oak Park, Ill.) 27-1: Two tough games for Fenwick this week: Marist and Marian Catholic. The Friars aren't that deep, and at the end of a long season, players are often sick and/or injured, so an upset is not out of the question.
11. (12) Incarnate Word (St. Louis, Mo.) 20-1: The Red Knights are hurting: point guard Bianca Beck tore her ACL, and backup point Courtney Kenner has mono and is out for three weeks. And up next is Kansas power St. Thomas Aquinas.
12. (13) Edison (Alexandria, Va.) 19-1: So the Eagles played the second and third place teams in its district -- and won by 37 and 41. Wake us when the playoffs start ...
13. (14) Lee’s Summit (Lee’s Summit, Mo.) 21-0: A 40-point win Monday but the best news for the Tigers' ranking would be for St. Thomas Aquinas to beat Incarnate Word -- since Lee's Summit already knocked off the Saints.
14. (16) Winter Haven (Winter Haven, Fla.) 23-3: State playoffs start Thursday for the Blue Devils, who have played one of the toughest schedules in the country -- which is they're ranked 15th even with three losses.
15. (19) Kentwood (Covington, Wash.) 20-0: Courtney Vandersloot leads Kentwood, which beat Sacred Heart Cathedral, which beat Mitty twice, which beat Christ the King. So Kentwood, and its unbeaten record, vault into the top 15.
16. (nr) Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco) 20-2: Why a debut at 16? Because the Irish knocked off Archbishop Mitty twice, and Mitty proved itself at the Nike TOC. Cathedral's losses are to number 15 Kentwood and San Diego power La Jolla Country Day. and they play in the very tough West Catholic Athletic League.
17. (17) Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.) 16-3: The Royals outlasted Philly's Archbishop Carroll, which was coming off a win over Ursuline of Delaware. As usual,
Sky Lindsay and
Lorin Dixon led the way.
18. (18) The First Academy (Orlando, Fla.) 24-3: The Royals are now in the 2A playoffs, which should prove to be easy pickings. But any loss from here on out ends the season.
19. (20) Washington (South Bend, Ind.) 21-1: Skylar Diggins had another nice little outing: The sophomore had 31 points, eight assists and five steals in an 88-71 win over Harding.
20. (21) St. Elizabeth (Wilmington, Del.) 15-2: The big one is next Tuesday, when Ursuline (with Elena Delle Donne) and St. Elizabeth meet for the second time -- but most likely not the last. Still, it will be standing room only.
21. (25) Sequoyah (Tahlequah, Okla.) 16-0: It would be a lot more interesting if these Oklahoma teams had played out of state -- but the Indians look like they'll be at the Nike TOC next year, so much will become clear.
22. (22) St. Paul Central (St. Paul, Minn.) 19-0: Six players average in double figures for the Minutemen, who are clearly the best in Minnesota. Then again, a lot of 'best' teams wind up without a state title.
23. (23) North Little Rock (Little Rock, Ark.) 20-1: The Charging Wildcats beat Conway at Conway for the first time in seven years as senior Gabby Coleman had 24. But the playoffs don't start until the end of the month.
24. (24) Bishop McGuinness (Kernersville, N.C.) 23-1: The Villains almost got knocked out of the rankings, but Erinn Thompson hit a gamewinner with a minute to go, and McGuiness slipped past 15-5 Dudley, 67-65.
25. (nr) Mandan (Mandan, N.D.) (14-1): Seventy-two Braves have gone on to play college basketball, from a program that has won the last four state titles and seven out of the last eight. In three losing efforts in the championship game, Mandan has lost by a total of five points.
Dropped out: #9 Lexington Catholic (Lexington, Kent.), #15 Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.)