Student Sports Final Fab 50

STUDENT SPORTS FAB 50
FINAL 2004-05 RANKINGS

www.StudentSports.com

1. Christ The King (Middle Village, N.Y.) 27-0 (8)
After three years that ended in frustration, Christ The King once again hoisted the after a 66-59 victory over defending champion Bergtraum in a battle of national top 10 programs. Tina Charles, the MVP of the Tri-State area, had 20 points and 20 rebounds, while Duke-bound Carrem Gay chipped in with 13 points and 12 rebounds. The Federation title secured a perfect season and the FAB 50 No. 1 ranking for this traditional Eastern powerhouse. The other crucial win of the season was by 54-52 over preseason No. 1 Piedmont (Calif.) in the title game of the top division at the Nike Tournament of Champions in Arizona.

2. Garfield (Seattle, Wash.) 26-1 (nr)
Like No. 1 Christ The King, the Bulldogs gained a high national ranking mainly on the strength of posting a win over powerful Piedmont and its one-of-a-kind combo of Courtney and Ashley Paris. Coach Joyce Walker's team then followed up that win, which came on the road to boot, by taking the championship of the highly-competitive Class 4A division within the state of Washington. Garfield did not avenge its only loss (which came to Meadowdale very early in the season) in that tourney, but Meadowdale was in the field. Senior point guard Malia O'Neal and junior forward Samantha Tinned were the Bulldogs' leading players.

3. Piedmont (Piedmont, Calif.) 32-2 (1)
After their loss to Garfield, the rest of the season for the Highlanders consisted basically of a series of one-sided routs. Their final game was an 82-44 win over Brentwood of Los Angeles for the CIF Div. IV state title. It was Piedmont's second straight state title and it was the second straight year it finished No. 1 overall in the CalHiSports.com state rankings. Courtney Paris concluded her brilliant career with a triple-double of 23 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists. Combined with twin sister Ashley, the two Paris sisters wound up with more than 5,500 career points and nearly 4,000 career rebounds.

4. Riverdale Baptist (Upper Marlboro, Md.) 30-1 (45)
Coach Diane Richardson's team opened the season 1-1, then clicked off 29 straight wins to end as the top-ranked overall squad in the Washington D.C. metro area. The team's difficult schedule included four trips to out-of-state tournaments. Seniors Yolanda Lavendar and Xenia Stewart began the season as the key players to watch, but by the end junior Damuria Liles had firmly stamped herself as one of the best in the East.

5. Ankeny (Ankeny, Iowa) 27-0 (11)
A senior-dominant group led by Nicky Weiben finished with four straight Class 4A state titles. Another highlight was winning the Pickerington tourney in Ohio. And if you were giving an award for support from a community, Ankeny might be No. 1 in that category.

6. Lexington Catholic (Lexington, Ky.) 36-1 (40)
Anaris Sickles netted 16 points and hauled down 10 rebounds as the Knights earned their third Sweet 16 state tourney title in the last seven years with a 59-54 win two weekends ago in the final over Clinton County. Sickles, a junior, and 6-1 senior Shannon Novosel gave LexCath a potent interior game, while on the outside point guard Nikki Davis ran everything flawlessly.

7. Collins Hill (Suwanee, Ga.) 31-1 (23)
Coach Angie Embree and her team made it three state titles in the last five years. The title triumph was by 69-52 over Redan of Stone Mountain, but the semifinal win of 64-49 over Stone Mountain Stephenson was just as sweet since that was the team that handed the Eagles their only loss in 2004. Embree's bunch should be hanging around the national rankings for awhile, too, since this year's top player, 6-0 forward Maya Moore, was just a sophomore.

8. Murray Bergtraum (New York, N.Y.) 27-3 (2)
Bergtraum's bid for a third straight New York Federation title ended in a 66-59 loss to No. 1 Christ The King. The PSAL power had trouble uncorking its smothering defense in the final, which is what got the team that far in the first place. After back-to-back games of forcing opponents to 30 turnovers or more, Bergtraum could only muster 16 vs. the Royals. Epiphanny Prince (in photo) led all scorers in the Federation final with 27 points.

9. Southridge (Beaverton, Ore.) 29-0 (9)
We received some passionate support for the Skyhawks after the most recent FAB 50 came out since they reportedly had an easy win during the summer over Seattle Garfield. Unfortunately for them, summer results don't count in the national rankings while a win over Piedmont (which Garfield accomplished) does. The dominance of this team over the rest of Oregon, though, does push the Skyhawks into the top 10 and that is, after all, where they were to start the season.

10. Chaminade-Julienne (Dayton, Ohio) 25-2 (16)
With a veteran lineup that came up one game short of winning last year's Division I state title, C-J was expected to be the top team in Ohio this season and lived up to expectations. The squad's leading player was Maria Getty, voted winner of the annual Ms. Basketball award for Ohio.

11. Kickapoo (Springfield, Mo.) 30-1 (nr)
The Chiefs won their third state title in five seasons with a 52-33 win over Lee's Summit (26-4) in the Class 5 title game. They also won in 2001 and 2003 and own a win this season over 2004 Ohio state champ Mt. Notre Dame. Senior Heather Ezell averaged 13 points per game, but scored a game-high 29 points in the title game win and was the only Kickapoo player in double figures. The Chiefs' boys and girls teams went a combined 58-3 this season.

12. Mt. Juliet (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) 37-1 (32)
The Lady Bears won their third state title with a 54-46 win in the Class AAA final vs. Dyersburg. Alysha Clark fired in 27 points and had 19 rebounds and later was named winner of state's Miss Basketball honor. Mt. Juliet's only loss was by two points after it raced out to a 33-0 record.

13. ThunderRidge (Littleton, Colo.) 26-2 (5)
All-American Abby Waner and her mates would have finished higher in these rankings if one of the teams they lost to – Long Beach Poly –had fared better in the California playoffs. Waner averaged 32 points per game as the Grizzlies beat Highlands Ranch and Horizon in their final two playoff games.

14. Richwoods (Peoria, Ill.) 38-0 (nr)
Super sophomore Biannca Ward led the Lady Knights to their perfect season, so this obviously is a team to watch for the next two years. Richwoods wrapped up its Class AA state title with victories over FAB 50 ranked Whitney Young as well as Bartlett, which featured All-American Lindsay Schrader.

15. Troy (Fullerton, Calif.) 32-2 (nr)
Led by All-Orange County point guard Sara Yee and All-Orange County forward Rheaya Neabors, the Warriors won their second CIF Div. II state title in three years with a victory over Mitty of San Jose. Troy's strength also was shown in a loss by just three points to No. 1 Christ The King at the Arizona TOC.

16. Snohomish (Snohomish, Wash.) 25-2 (nr)
The Panthers avenged their only loss of the season to University of Spokane in the Class 4A state semifinals and then lost in the final in overtime to No. 2 Garfield. In our system, Garfield's win over Piedmont of California benefits all other top teams in Washington, including Snohomish, University and Lewis & Clark.

17. St. John's (Washington, D.C.) 28-3 (10)
A loss to California's Hart High of Newhall at the Nike Tournament of Champions in Arizona likely prevented the Cadets from being higher in the rankings. Not counting that one, their losses otherwise were to Riverdale Baptist and Good Counsel, the latter of which was avenged at the Bishop Walsh tourney. All-American Marissa Coleman (Maryland) was the team's leader.

18. Dunbar (Fort Worth, Texas) 31-4 (nr)
With four returning starters, Dunbar figured to be strong this season, but freshman sensation Brooklyn Pope was the missing ingredient that propelled the Wildcats to the school's first-ever state title. Dunbar won the Class 4A state title with a 56-50 win over Angleton as Pope was named game MVP for her 18-point performance. The team's leading scorer, junior Jerin Smith, also scored 18 points in the contest and coach Andrea Robinson's squad figures to be highly ranked next year as sophomore LaShandra Hill will return in addition to Pope and Smith.

19. Good Counsel (Wheaton, Md.) 28-4 (nr)
The Falcons put themselves on the map by winning two holiday tourneys and took top honors in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference with that win over St. John's. Coach Tom Splaine returns everyone on his team next year except one player.

20. Ursuline Academy (Wilmington, Del.) 25-1 (nr)
It's not so much having freshman sensation Elena DelleDonne that puts Ursuline so high in the final rankings. The real reason the three-time Delaware state champs are this high is a head-to-head win over Cardinal O'Hara, which happens to be the No. 1 team in Pennsylvania.

21. Cardinal O'Hara (Springfield, Pa.) 26-2 (25)
The longtime power from the Philadelphia Metro area took the Catholic league title and lost only to Christ The King and Ursuline Academy. Three of the wins were over Archbishop Carroll, which was expected to be the league and state top team at the beginning of the season.

22. Centennial (Las Vegas, Nev.) 32-2 (22)
Silver State squads like Bishop Gorman and Reno made major strides this season, but they still have a ways to go to catch the Bulldogs as the state's No. 1 team. Centennial won its fourth straight Class 4A title this year with a 51-45 win over Reno and sophomore standout Italee Lucas still has two years left.

23. Canyon (Canyon, Texas) 32-3 (nr)
In one of the most impressive displays in prep basketball this season, the Eagles won the Texas Class 3A title with a 66-46 win over Cleveland, making 17 of 19 shots and all six of their three-pointers in the first half. Guard Sierra Wilcox paced the win with 21 points and nailed five of seven threes. With the triumph, Canyon won its third straight AAA crown and its 12th title in 20 state tournament appearances while Cleveland was making its first trip.

24. Winter Haven (Winter Haven, Fla.) 29-1 (nr)
LaQwesha Gamble has been voted winner as the state's Miss Basketball and led the Blue Devils to the Class 4A state title. The team's other standout was 6-3 University of Miami-bound center Brittany Denson. Gamble is headed to Alabama.

25. Mt. Notre Dame (Cincinnati, Ohio) 25-3 (20)
The Cougars did not defend their Division I state championship, but the 2004 FAB 50 national champs do deserve a top 25 ranking. Their losses were all in competitive games to teams above them – Lexington Catholic, Kickapoo and Chaminade-Julienne – and they had a significant win over Div. III state champ Regina.

26. Ramsay (Ramsay, Ala.) 36-2 (47)
It's tough to put the Rams much higher than this because they didn't venture outside of the state in pursuit of the toughest competition. Still, they were clearly the best in a good state and were led by Sameka Thrash. She'll play next year at Rutgers.

27. Regina (South Euclid, Ohio) 25-3 (nr)
This team won its fifth state Division III title in the last six years with a dominant tournament, including a 70-45 romp past Patrick Henry in the title game. Regina also owns a win over nationally-ranked Lexington Catholic of Kentucky.

28. Dillard (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) 30-1 (nr)
Coach Marcia Pinder's squad dropped its only game of the season to Deerfield Beach in the title game of a tournament. The Panthers' only close playoff game came in the final of the Class 5A tourney, but they still beat Venice, 52-49. Erika Brown capped a brilliant career before heading to Georgia with 19 points in that game. Dillard's other top senior was 5-8 guard Brittany McGraw.

29. Bowie (Arlington, Texas) 35-5 (nr)
The Vols won their first ever state basketball championship with a 69-62 OT win over Humble as tourney MVP Danielle Nunn scored 23 points. Bowie was able to win the state tile in Texas' largest classification (5A) behind the play of Nunn, who averaged 16 points and 15 rebounds in the tourney. The Vols also received a strong performance from 6-foot forward Erika Ferrell, who scored 17 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the title game win.

30. Dulles (Sugar Land, Texas) 34-2 (nr)
Regarded as one of the top teams in the nation during the regular season, the Vikings were ranked No. 1 in the state and the Southwest region heading into the playoffs. Dulles finished 16-0 in district 20-5A play, but was upset by Spring in the Region I semifinals. Also hurting the Vikings' final ranking was the fact that Spring lost its next game to Humble, the state 5A runner-up.

31. Whitney Young (Chicago, Ill.) 28-2 (nr)
Purdue-bound Danielle Campbell helped make the Dolphins one of the toughest teams anywhere to score against on the inside. Whitney Young placed third at the Class AA state tournament, but can be the next team from Illinois in the FAB 50 since its loss was to champion Richwoods in the semifinals.

32. Marietta (Marietta, Ga.) 28-2 (nr)
The Blue Devils were up there with Collins Hill in the Georgia rankings all year and lost by just 50-46 to Collins Hill in the quarterfinal round of the state playoffs. Their top player, Angel Robinson, played in the McDonald's All-American Game and was the state player of the year by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

33. Bishop Amat (La Puente, Calif.) 35-0 (nr)
CalHiSports.com State Coach of the Year Richard Wiard guided the Lancers to the best record of any team in Southern California history. Their final win was by 56-53 over FAB 50-ranked St. Mary's of Stockton in the CIF Div. III state final. Most of Bishop Amat's lineup will be back next year, too, including inside players Juanise Cornell (a girls version of North Carolina's Sean May) and Candice Brown, a 6-2 junior post.

34. Detroit Country Day (Birmingham, Mich.) 26-1 (na)
The Yellowjackets won the Class B state title for the second straight year last fall. Michigan, though, will soon join the rest of the country when its switches to the more traditional winter season. It's too bad this group didn't play in the winter because it no doubt would have gotten more attention. Center Kristen Morris, the Class B state player of the year, is headed to LSU. And 5-8 guard Keri Laimbeer, the daughter of former NBA player Bill Laimbeer, is going to Syracuse.

35. Fenwick (Oak Park, Ill.) 33-3 (18)
Coach Dave Power's team looked like a FAB 50 top five contender early in the season, especially when it beat both North Central of Indianapolis and Incarnate Word of St. Louis at the McDonald's Shootout. In the postseason, the Friars made it to the quarterfinals of the Class AA state playoffs where they lost, 48-43, to eventual champion Richwoods.

36. Archbishop Carroll (Radnor, Pa.) 22-6 (6)
A tough schedule took its toll on the Patriots, who went to Florida and played Christ The King. They still gain a fairly high national ranking despite the six losses because three of those losses were to Cardinal O'Hara and they had a win over Oakland Catholic, which wound up winning the PIAA Class AAAA state title.

37. Oakland Catholic (Pittsburgh, Pa.) 29-2 (nr)
Four-year starter Eve Pyle hit for a game-high 20 points as the Eagles won the Class AAAA state title with a victory over Cheltenham. Pyle is headed to Miami University of Ohio, but she's not the only Div. I recruit that was in the lineup. Sarah Bucar, a 5-6 guard, is headed to West Virginia, while 5-6 guard Brianne O'Rourke is going to Penn State. Oakland Catholic lost an early-season game to Archbishop Carroll, otherwise it would have been much higher in the rankings.

38. Lincoln (Dallas, Texas) 29-5 (4)
Led by 6-foot-4 Simone Cook and 6-foot-3 Dominique Seals, Lincoln lost in the state 4A semifinals to Ft. Worth Dunbar, who went on to win the AAAA title with a 31-4 mark. Although the Tigers were unable to defend their 2004
state title, they did win the Red Division title at the Nike TOC in Arizona.

39. Lewis & Clark (Spokane, Wash.) 26-3 (nr)
One of the best rivalries in the nation this year was Lewis & Clark against Spokane rival University. The two played four times and split in the series. Lewis & Clark won the fourth game, 47-45, in the Class 4A state tournament, so it gets to be one spot higher in these rankings.

40. University (Spokane, Wash.) 26-3 (31)
This team didn't lose until late February and until then was the No. 1 team in Washington. Uni's first loss was to Lewis & Clark (a team it beat earlier in the season), its second loss was to Snohomish (another team it beat earlier in the season) and its third loss was again to Lewis & Clark. The squad was led by Angie Bjorklund, one of the nation's top sophomores.

41. Choctaw Central (Philadelphia, Miss.) 37-1 (nr)
The Lady Warriors and their rabid fans from their American Indian reservation came within a bucket or two of going 38-0. Choctaw Central's only loss was in double overtime to Bay Springs and that was a team the Lady Warriors defeated later on in the season. Coach Walter Wilson's team won its second straight Class 3A state title and was No. 1 in the Jackson Clarion-Ledger's rankings for the second straight season.

42. Brock (Brock, Texas) 37-3 (nr)
The Eagles won the Texas Class 2A title, their third state title in four years with an easy 64-30 win over Canadian in the state final. Texas Tech signee Kyrstal Cole led Brock with 32 points and nine rebounds and took home the third championship ring of her stellar career.

43. Asheville (Asheville, N.C.) 32-0 (nr)
Rashad McCants of NCAA champion North Carolina was not the only member of his family who celebrated wildly after a final game this season. Rashad's sister, Rashanda, was the star player for an Asheville High squad that won its third straight Class 3A state title and didn't lose a game all season long. Not even the Tarheels did that good.

44. Northeast (Lincoln, Neb.) 24-0 (nr)
The state's top-ranked squad won the Class A state title with a 52-45 win over Bellevue East (25-3), the school's first state title in girls basketball. The win was sweet for coach Rich Olson, who had returned to his alma mater after leading Millard South to three state titles in 21 seasons so he could be closer to his wife, Olinda, who is battling Lou Gehrig's disease and lives in a nursing home in Lincoln.

45. St. Mary's (Stockton, Calif.) 30-5 (24)
The Rams were denied in their bid for a fourth straight CIF state title as they lost in the Div. III title game to Bishop Amat of La Puente. Jacki Gemelos led all scorers in that game with 30 points and averaged more than 25 per game. The 5-11 junior will be one of the nation's most-watched players next season.

46. Oakland Tech (Oakland, Calif.) 22-6 (7)
Coach Pico Wilburn's squad won its second straight CIF Div. I state title with a 64-63 win over Canyon Springs of Moreno Valley. The Bulldogs also had close losses to other top teams and did post wins over several of the teams they lost to. One team in which that wasn't the case, however, is St. Mary's of Stockton, which is why the Bulldogs have to be behind the Rams for the final rankings.

47. McPherson (McPherson, Kansas) 25-0 (nr)
The Bullpups wound up a dominant season with a 40-30 victory over Tecumseh of Shawnee Heights in the Class 5A state final and are being compared to some of the best teams in state history. Kansas State-bound senior Marlies Gipson blocked 12 shots in the title game while the team's other standout player was 6-1 junior Ashley Sweat.

48. Southwood (Shreveport, La.) 36-4 (nr)
This dominant program in the Southeast is back on top in the Bayou State. Southwood won its eighth state title in 11 years and ended the season on a 17-game win streak following a 38-32 win over Dominican of New Orleans in title game of the Sweet 16 tourney in Hammond.

49. Canyon Springs (Moreno Valley, Calif.) 31-4 (nr)
It's hard to drop the Cougars at all for the final rankings since they lost in the CIF Div. I state final by just one point to Oakland Tech. It was a breakout season for coach Gail Hail's team as it had never played beyond the Southern Section semifinals before. Seniors Jennifer Risper and Brandi Jones-Fitzgerald will be sorely missed next year, but junior Ebony Ward gives Hail at least one standout player to build around.

50. Manchester (Manchester, Conn.) 28-0 (nr)
Hillhouse of New Haven was No. 48 in the preseason FAB 50, but Manchester was the team that got it done this season in Connecticut. Led by 5-6 guard Khalia Cain and 5-10 forward Leanne Crockett, the team wrapped up its perfect season with a 63-48 triumph over defending champion Windsor in the Class LL state final. This year's playoff run also included five games that Manchester won by an average of 23.8 points per game.