1. Cardinal O’Hara (Springfield, PA) 10-0
Cardinal O’Hara is led by three signed Division 1 seniors including Vanderbilt bound forward Stephanie Holzer. Natasha Cloud is the top returning player for O’Hara and she has already verballed to Maryland. O’Hara won the Joe Smith Division in the Tournament of Champions beating Bolingbrook in the final.
2. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, CA) 13-0
Mater Dei rolled through the TOC Mike Desper Division and has one of the top young teams in the country. Kaleena Lewis leads a potent offense with freshman Jordan Adams at the point guard position. As if these two big time players were not enough 6’2’’ Sophomore Forward Alexyz Vaioletama who holds down the middle for Mater Dei.
3. Washington (South Bend, IN) 14-0
Washington is led by all world guard Skylar Diggins and took home the T-Mobile crown this year in wins over Bob Jones (AL) and University (NJ)
4. Ben Davis (Indianapolis, IN) 14-0
Ben Davis’s signature win of the year is over Bolingbrook (IL) but they have not faced one of our three teams that are ranked in the FCP Top 25 yet.
5. Murry Bergtraum (New York, NY) 5-0
Bergtraum started the year the lowest ranked New York team we had and now are up to #5 with the steady play. Bergtraum crushed North Babylon for their best win of the season.
6. Mount Notre Dame (Cincinnati, OH) 10-0
Notre Dame was the top team in Ohio last year and at least half way through this season they look to be just as strong even with losing as much as they did. Only the playoffs will tell if Notre Dame can repeat last year’s success.
7. Polytechnic (Long Beach, CA) 10-2
Poly lost two games in Phoenix at the Nike Tournament of Champions but was missing two key guards. Poly also stomped Christ the King by 44 points in their worst defeat ever. Poly could end up being the best team in the country by the end of the season but will have to see some big time movement at the top to continue to move up.
8. Regis Jesuit (Aurora, CO) 7-3
Another team with more losses then they probably should have has 6 signed Division 1 players led by UCLA signee Mariah Williams who leads Regis at the point guard position. Regis finished 3rd at TOC which gets them in the top 10 nationally.
9. Oak Ridge (TN) 11-2
After starting TOC red hot with wins over Christ the King and H. D. Woodson the Wildcats cooled down and lost their last two games. Oak Ridge is led by MTSU guard Kortni Jones and Jill Pruden who is a legend in Tennessee coaching.
10. Whitney Young (Chicago, IL) 17-1
Whitney Young looks like the top team in Illinois with only one loss to this point in the season. Whitney Young’s lone loss came early and they have been rolling through the holiday season.
11. St. Michael’s (New York, NY) 10-2
St. Michael’s had a chance to be national champs if they had won the Bojangles event in North Carolina but they dropped two games and looked down and out. Shortly after the Bojangles event St. Michael’s took it to TOC Runner-Up Bolingbrook with a double digit win. Shenneika Smith according to sources will not play with continued “injury” problems.
12. Heritage Christian (Indianapolis, IN) 12-0
The Hoosier state is producing three of our top 13 teams this year with Heritage Christian coming in at 13 while still remaining undefeated. Like the other Indiana teams the only way to really judge how good they are will be when they face each other in the playoffs because of their travel restrictions.
13. Bolingbrook (IL) 8-3
Bolingbrook has lost to three teams in the top 12 in the country which just puts them on the outside looking in. I do not know if any freshman has had the year that Morgan Tuck has had on an elite national team but remember her because she will be a major player in the recruiting game in 2012.
14. University (Newark, NJ) 2-2
Laurin Mincy’s team is only 2-2 but took South Bend Washington to overtime in the T-Mobile event.
15. Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco, CA) 6-1
Last year’s Cinderella team is still hanging in the top 20 with Cal signee Tiera Rogers.
16. St. Mary’s (Stockton, CA) 10-3
St. Mary’s thrives off disorder on defense and their dribble drive motion. Chelsea Gray and Afure Jemerigbe are in a class of their own nationally and will be someone to recon with in the playoffs.
17. Detroit Community (MI) 6-0
DC did not travel out of area for Christmas but is sticking in the top 20 until they prove otherwise.
18. Archbishop Carrol (Radnor, PA)
Carrol would have faced Mater Dei and a chance to be ranked in the top 10 at TOC if they had stayed on Monday, instead they had to leave to take exams back at school and dropped a game to #1 Cardinal O’Hara by double figures.
19. Detroit Country Day (Beverly Hills, MI) 3-0
Another top team in the Motor City is still undefeated and waiting to be tested in Michigan the rest of the season.
20. Bob Jones (Birmingham, AL) 17-2
After being upset in Alabama by Sparkman Bob Jones lit up Gentry on national TV in the T-Mobile Shootout before falling in the championship game to South Bend Washington.
21. Timberview (Mansfield, TX) 19-2
Timberview is one of the top teams in the Dallas area and suffered two early season losses before going on a big win streak over Christmas break including a Christmas Tournament Championship.
22. Butler (Matthews, NC) 12-1
Led by super-soph Cierra Burdick, Butler won the Bogjangles Event in North Carolina with a win over West Charlotte who beat St. Michael’s. Butler’s only loss is to Wesleyan at Wesleyan at the Peach State Battle of the Southeast.
23. Lake Howell (Winter Park, Fl) 11-2
Lake Howell comes back into the rankings with the return of Ashley Jones (Mississippi State) and a win in the Jim Clark Christmas Tournament over then #24 Bishop Moore. Lake Howell led by double figures most of the game before Bishop Moore closed the gap at the end and only lost by 3. Lake Howell will face county rival Lake Mary next week.
24. Memphis Central (Memphis, TN) 12-1
Memphis Central is led by Jamila Ajanaku who is headed to Middle Tennessee State and their only loss is to Whitney Young in the second session of the Tournament of Champions.
25. Cy Fair (TX) 17-2
Record means a lot, but having Cassie Peoples who recently committed to Texas and Chiney Ogwumike is a pass to be in the top 25 in the country. While Kelsey Bone and Dulles may rule for now, look for Cy Fair to have the last laugh in the end.