STATE CHAMPS! Top 10 Girls Basketball Rankings: Week of January 8th, 2023
STATE CHAMPS! Big Lexi’s Top 10 Team Rankings – Week of January 8th, 2023
Lexi Ayala – Twitter @LexiReyne1523
1: Grand Rapids West Catholic – Division 2
Even though they graduated Miss Basketball Runner Up Abbey Kimball, Senior Point Guard Cadence Dykstra (Toledo commit) and sister Elisha Dykstra, just received an offer from Western Michigan, have been picking up Kimball’s slack to say the least. Becca Tuttle has been wonderful turning her defense into offense, and the defense is the identity of this West Catholic team. Three transfers have made an immediate impact this year, as well, a unique blend for high school hoops that’s working really well! Head Coach Jill VanderEnde is bringing back the gritty, 90’s style tough-defense.
Notable wins over Rockford, East Grand Rapids, Hudsonville, Wayland, Portland St. Patrick and Muskegon.
2: Detroit Renaissance – Division 1
Junior Center Anaya Hardy (6-2) dropped 20 points and 11 rebounds in a two point win over Wayne Memorial. She only had one Division 1 offer right at the beginning of the season, but she’s jumping onto scouting reports and she got hops, her profile picture is her dunking!
Notable wins Wayne Memorial, Belleville and Detroit Country Day.
3: Farmington Hills Mercy – Division 1
Sophomore Guard Aizlyn Albanese is having one of those ‘super sophomore’ breakout type of seasons, and they’re led by Senior Guard Maya White, Grand Valley State Commit.
Notable wins #12 Northville, Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard, Rochester and Brighton.
4: Lake Fenton – Division 2
Notable wins Frankenmuth, and Grosse Pointe North. Biggest win yet is over 11th ranked Arbor Prep 45-39 on January 9th. Lake Fenton plays really good team basketball, the scoring outputs are pretty even among players because everyone on their team can be a threat at any moment. Lake Fenton’s record is 10-0, it’s best start since going 5-0 to open the 1987 season. Makenna Clement and Emerson Baker led the team in scoring vs Arbor Prep.
5: Rockford – Division 1
Junior Guard Grace Lyons is one of the key returners that advanced to the Division 1 Final Four, averaging 12 PPG & great 3-point shooter. Senior Guard Alyssa Wypych also returns, averaging 12 PPG.
Notable wins Byron Center, Forest Hills Eastern, Muskegon, Detroit Country Day and Grand Haven
Rockford’s lone loss was to #1 West Catholic 61-54.
6: Chelsea – Division 2
Notable wins #12 Arbor Prep, Williamston, Clarkston, and not such a notable win but beating a team from another state is always big in Ohio Brush Arcs. Chelsea’s loss was to Laurel (Shaker Heights) Ohio’s 8th ranked team.
7: Lowell 8-0 – Division 1
Only close game they’ve had all season was the 54-50 win over Westfield Prep, they would maybe be higher on the BIG10 if they had played tougher competition thus far.
Notable wins over Westfield Prep, East Kentwood, and Kent City
8: East Grand Rapids – Division 1
Senior Guard Macy Brown (University of Michigan Commit) motor of team & most likely a Miss Basketball Finalist.
Notable wins Hudsonville, Westfield Prep, Mona Shores, and Greenville
East Grand Rapids’ lone loss to #1 West Catholic 49-41.
9: Detroit Edison – Division 2
They’ve been playing mostly out of state teams to toughen up their non-conference schedule, and I didn’t want to put Edison this low, like I didn’t want to put West Bloomfield as low I did, but they both have two losses this year, but they are both to out of state teams, Bolingbrook and Whitney Young of Illinois are two really tough teams.
10: West Bloomfield – Division 1
Don’t let the two losses fool you this team is the real deal and their play shows it. A team nationally ranked to start the season had those two setbacks but those came against two really good teams. Arbor Prep was one of those team, winning a tight game 66-62, and the other team was South Bend Washington who is currently on a win streak of 25 games going back to last season. They are currently 18-0 this season and ranked 10th in the state of Indiana. West Bloomfield has quality wins over Stoney Creek, Clarkston, and their biggest win so far against the #11 team out of Chicago Kenwood.
The First Five Out
11: Arbor Prep – Division 3
12: Northville – Division 1
13: West Ottawa – Division 1
14: Divine Child – Division 2
15: Escanaba – Division 2