Arizona Republic's Super 10 girls high school basketball rankings: Dec. 15-Jan. 2
The last edition of these rankings came mid-way through the Nike Tournament of Champions, which pitted Arizona’s best teams against top-level competition from outside the state. Now, with holiday tournaments in the rearview mirror, the picture of the state’s top teams has crystallized. Here are the top 10 teams in the state ahead of conference play, which begins this week:
1. Surprise Valley Vista, 9-3
Valley Vista was the only Arizona team in the Tournament of Champions’ Joe Smith division, which featured the event’s best teams. The Monsoon won their first two games before losing to Etiwanda (Calif.) — the No. 5 team in ESPN’s national rankings — and No. 15 Bishop McNamara (Md.). Despite those two defeats, Valley Vista’s fourth-place finish remains an impressive mark on its resume.
2. Chandler Seton Catholic, 9-4
This time last month, Seton Catholic barely snuck into the top 10 at No. 8 in the state. Since then, the two-time reigning 4A state champions have been on a roll. They went 3-1 en route to a second-place finish in the Dan Wiley division of the Tournament of Champions. That loss in the championship game is their only defeat since Dec. 4.
3. Tucson Salpointe Catholic, 10-4
Salpointe Catholic closed the Tournament of Champions with an impressive 15-point win over Phoenix Xavier Prep before falling to 12-2 Westview (Tenn.). Unlike most teams, though, that wasn’t the end of the Lancers’ holiday season. They went 2-1 at the Gold Crown Holiday Tipoff in San Diego, beating Bishop Gorman (Nev.) and Mount Miguel (Calif.).
4. Goodyear Millennium, 8-4
Millennium only picked up one win in its 15th-place finish in the Tournament of Champions’ John Anderson division. That win, though, came against Xavier Prep in a 65-64 nailbiter. Led by 17 points from Trayanna Crisp and 16 points from Elli Guiney, that win keeps Millennium above the Gators heading into Tuesday’s showdown with Valley Vista.
5. Phoenix Xavier Prep, 6-4
Thanks to its loss to Millennium, Xavier Prep finished the Tournament of Champions winless. That, though, doesn’t negate the strength of the Gators’ 6-0 start. Two of the defeats came by a single possession and all were against strong opposition.
6. Waddell Canyon View, 14-0
With a 4-0 sweep of the Bullhead City Holiday Shootout, Canyon View’s storybook season continues. The Jaguars have only played four teams above .500 and lack a true marquee win. Still, they’re undefeated entering the new year in just their third season as a varsity program. Thursday’s matchup against Millennium will be an excellent test.
7. Gilbert Perry, 10-3
Perry lost its first three games of the Tournament of Champions before snapping its slide with a 56-52 win over Troy (Calif.) in its last game. That’s enough to keep the Pumas at No. 7 for now, but they’ll be looking to pull off a statement win on Thursday, when they host Xavier Prep.
8. Tucson Flowing Wells, 15-1
Rather than competing in the Tournament of Champions, Flowing Wells hosted the Flowing Wells Shootout last week and took full advantage. They beat three outmatched opponents before finishing the tournament with an impressive, 66-57, win over 11-3 Mesa Westwood. An 11-point loss to Perry in November remains the only blemish on the Caballeros’ resume.
9. Phoenix Desert Vista, 10-4
With just one upperclassman in its rotation and no true post players, Desert Vista was an unlikely preseason candidate to compete with Arizona’s best teams. The Thunder, though, stormed to a third-place finish in the Mike Desper division at the Tournament of Champions and are now 10-4 on the back of a staunch defense.
10. Chandler Hamilton, 10-4
Unlike most of the schools in these rankings, Hamilton opened the Tournament of Champions with a win, beating Oregon City (Ore.), 58-54. That, though, was as good as it would get for the Huskies, who lost their next three by a combined 33. The 6A Premier division, though, is the best in the state and offers plenty of chances for Hamilton to prove itself in conference play.
Theo Mackie covers Arizona high school sports and Phoenix Rising FC. He can be reached by email at theo.mackie@gannett.com and on Twitter @theo_mackie.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Republic's Super 10 girls high school basketball rankings
