By Clay Kellam, Special to SI.com, Full Court Press
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, Mandan avenged its lone loss. 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.
| High School Basketball Power Rankings |
| 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 (Calif.) Poly (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 (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 (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) (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 10 |
| 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 ... |
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