Iowa high school girls basketball Top 25 rankings (2/26/2024)

5 state champions to be crowned this week

By Kevin White

The Iowa girls state basketball tournament begins a six-day run on Monday at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. Five champions will be crowned, and all five winners from last year are in the field: Pleasant Valley (5A), Dallas Center-Grimes (4A), Sioux Center (3A, in 4A field this year), Dike-New Hartford (2A) and Algona Garrigan (1A).

1. Johnston (23-0)

Nationally ranked Dragons are still considered the class of a loaded Class 5A state field.

2. West Des Moines Dowling (19-4)

Many believe the Maroons have the best chance of knocking off Johnston. They lost by 12 both times in the regular season.

3. Davenport North (22-2)

The loss of five-star Iowa recruit Journey Houston for the season to injury makes the Wildcats’ first-round 5A matchup vs. Cedar Falls even more challenging.

4. Waukee (18-4)

Warriors beat first-round state opponent Ankeny Centennial by 14 and 7 during the regular season.

5. Ankeny Centennial (14-8)

Jaguars believe the third time will be the charm as they meet Waukee Monday in a 5A quarterfinal.

6. Clear Creek-Amana (23-0)

Clippers enter state as the No. 2 team in 4A in offensive average (63.7) and No. 1 in defensive average (31.2).

7. Pleasant Valley (19-4)

Defending 5A champs played quarterfinal opponent Dowling on Dec. 16, losing 43-36.

8. North Linn (23-1)

After appearing in a 1A regional final for a 13th straight season, the Lynx are back at state for the sixth straight season.

9. Sioux City Heelan (22-1)

One of the state’s great models of consistency, Heelan is back in the state tournament for the 13th time in 18 seasons.

10. Cedar Falls (22-1)

For the seventh time in 10 years, the Tigers have made the Class 5A state-tournament field.

11. West Des Moines Valley (13-10)

Tigers avenged a pair of regular-season losses to Ankeny with a 39-36 regional final victory.

12. Ankeny (13-10)

Savannah Gage led the Hawks with 18 points in their three-point, regional-final loss to Valley.

13. Waukee Northwest (11-12)

In a 5A regional final against Pleasant Valley, Wolves took a 34-30 lead to the fourth quarter, but lost 52-43.

14. North Polk (22-2)

Comets get Dallas Center-Grimes in a 4A quarterfinal, which is a rematch of last year’s championship game, won by DC-G, 57-50 in OT.

15. Solon (21-3)

A semifinalist last season, Spartans hope to advance one game farther in the 3A state tournament this year.

16. Dike-New Hartford (23-2)

Payton Petersen is attempting to become the season scoring leader on a 2A state championship team for a fourth straight season, which would be a remarkable feat.

17. Mount Vernon (21-3)

Mustangs have qualified for the 3A state field for the first time in eight years.

18. Sioux Central (22-1)

Rebels qualified for their first girls state tournament in school history with a 51-32 win over Pocahontas Area in 2A.

19. Estherville-Lincoln Central (22-2)

Midgets look to make amends in the 3A state tournament. Last year, they entered as the top seed but lost to Vinton-Shellsburg, 54-46, in the quarterfinals.

20. Newell-Fonda (22-2)

Mustangs are back in the 1A state tournament field for an impressive 14th time in the past 17 years.

21. Waverly-Shell Rock (23-0)

Go-Hawks will face last year’s 3A champion, Sioux Center, in a Class 4A state quarterfinal on Tuesday.

22. Dallas Center-Grimes (20-3)

Defending 4A champions meet the team they beat for the crown last year, North Polk, in the first round.

23. Cedar Rapids Prairie (16-5)

Hawks lost a defensive-oriented 5A regional to Cedar Falls, 45-35, getting 13 points from freshman KeaOnna Worley.

24. Sioux City East (18-6)

Black Raiders’ high-octane offense was silenced in a 53-25 regional-final loss to Ankeny Centennial, as they shot 21.7% (10 of 46) from the field and 12.5% (2 of 16) from 3.

25. Forest City (21-3)

Indians advanced to their first state tournament in school history with a 67-55 win over Roland-Story in a 3A regional final.

--Kevin White I @SBLiveIA