The first week back to school was an adjustment period for some of the MIAA's top girls programs.
Three members of last week's Top 10 lost to unranked opponents. Two of those "underdogs" have since moved into the rankings. It underscores the parity we're seeing across most of the state this season.
Big-picture thoughts: Division 1 is shaping up to be deeper than I expected. Six of the Top 10 teams this week are from the division, compared to three in Division 2 and one Div. 3 squad. The Bay State Conference, Catholic Central League and Patriot League are also separating themselves as the most competitive conferences at the top this season.
Here's the latest look at our top 10 teams in Massachusetts.
1. Medfield (8-0)
Previous rank: 1
Next game: vs. Millis, Jan. 13, 6 p.m.
Not much new to add for the Warriors, who cruised to three Tri-Valley League wins all by 27 or more points. They'll get some of the tougher teams in their league this week with Millis and then Medway on Friday. More notably, Medfield will compete in the Hoophall Invitational, a themed event alongside the Hoophall Classic that's geared towards public high schools and scattered around Central and Western Mass. schools. They'll have two games at Pope Francis this weekend: one against N.Y.-based Medgar Evans and another vs. opponent to be determined.
2. Wachusett (6-1)
Previous rank: 2
Next game: at Minnechaug, Jan. 13, 6:30 p.m.
Similarly, the Mountaineers steamrolled Shrewsbury and Leominster last week with 30-plus-point victories. Sophomore center Kyla Yurkus had a solid breakout performance against Leominster with 17 points. Wachusett shouldn't overlook Minnechaug, sitting 4-1 with a lone loss to Springfield Central and hanging just outside our Top 10. This will be the Mountaineers' toughest MIAA opponent to date.
3. Springfield Central (6-1)
Previous rank: 4
Next game: vs. Pittsfield, Jan. 13, 7 p.m.
The Golden Eagles made waves on Friday when they appeared atop the MIAA Division 1 power rankings and with the best overall team rating in the state. They disposed of two more quality Western Mass. opponents last week with a 14-point win against South Hadley and a 23-point win over Minnechaug. Springfield Central has three games this week. I hope to be in attendance for the last one. The Golden Eagles kick off Friday's girls-centric slate of the Hoophall Classic with a unique, awesome matchup against Northwest Catholic, our No. 1 CIAC team. That'll be a phenomenal test for both programs on a big stage.
4. Bishop Fenwick (7-0)
Previous rank: 6
Next game: at Central Catholic, Jan. 13, 6:30 p.m.
The Crusaders started their slate of challenging Catholic Central League games with two noteworthy wins against St. Mary's and Archbishop Williams. I attended Wednesday's matchup against St. Mary's, where the Crusaders dug in offensively and used an 11-0 fourth quarter run to pull away at home. They have a bunch of solid guard defenders and cutters surrounding the star duo of Celia Neilson and Caitlin Boyle. Fenwick can really assert itself as the team to beat in its league when it hosts Bishop Feehan on Friday.
5. Whitman-Hanson (7-1)
Previous rank: 5
Next game: at North Quincy, Jan. 12, 6:30 p.m.
The Panthers fought off strong challenges from Plymouth North, Fontbonne and Marshfield en route to three wins this week. It seems like the star cast of Maliah Pierre and Dylan Hurley has added a third member in senior guard Leah Daley. Daley reached double figures in all three victories. We get a rare Monday night showdown as the Panthers travel to North Quincy for a Patriot League matchup I have circled.
6. Needham (8-0)
Previous rank: 9
Next game: at Milton, Jan. 13, 6:30 p.m.
The Rockets remain unblemished following three wins against Pembroke, Newton North and Wellesley. Eva Andrews amassed two double-doubles and continues to dominate in the paint, but the Rockets are getting other contributors too. This week, junior Aislinn Flaherty pitched in with 12 points and 16 points, respectively, against Newton North and Wellesley. Needham has a back-to-back with a big additional challenge Wednesday as it travels to Bishop Feehan.
7. Bishop Feehan (6-2)
Previous rank: 3
Next game: vs. Needham, Jan. 14, 6:30 p.m.
The Shamrocks succumbed to gritty, defensive Worcester South in a 35-34 defeat last Monday after the Colonels mounted a 16-7 fourth quarter comeback. They've struggled to generate offense in their two losses so far, but they bounced back in a huge way with a 48-47 triumph over N.H. powerhouse Bedford on Saturday. Feehan gets tested again with two Top 10 matchups against Needham and Bishop Fenwick this week.
8. St. Mary's (8-1)
Previous rank: 8
Next game: vs. Algonquin, Jan. 13, 6:30 p.m.
The Spartans went 1-1 this week, faltering late against Bishop Fenwick and routing Cardinal Spellman. I learned a lot about how St. Mary's young talent is developing in the Fenwick matchup. I think sophomore Charleigh Green in particular looked a lot more confident on both ends of the court. Sysy Mcausland Emmanuel headlines a group of four freshman guards all growing fast, along with McKenna O'Connell, Lina Owumi and Janae Holmes.
9. Worcester South (4-2)
Previous rank: NR
Next game: at Leominster, Jan. 12, 6:30 p.m.
After falling from these rankings early in the season, the Colonels jump back in with their big comeback victory over Bishop Feehan. Gianah Estevez led the way with 15 of her squad's 35 points in that win, and Lydia Charlonne broke out for 19 points and seven steals Friday against Sutton. I have reservations about this team's ability to score, but they can clearly bog down some of the best programs in the state. They get three games this week, including one against Division 5 frontrunner Hopedale on Wednesday.
10. Braintree (5-2)
Previous rank: NR
Next game: at Newton North, Jan. 13, 6:30 p.m.
Braintree captured the highlight victory of the weekend, winning a 79-76 barn-burner on the road against Natick. This roster simply has more capable shooters than I realized and they did a phenomenal job running transition offense against a Natick team that likes to pressure and play fast. If this is the offensive ceiling for Braintree, it suddenly become even more interesting of a Division 1 contender. Next up is a winnable matchup at Newton North and then another quality Bay State Conference meeting with Walpole.
The next five:Â Natick, Foxboro, Woburn, Minnechaug, Archbishop Williams
Natick gets a tough draw here. The Redhawks are right in the mix with those latter Division 1 teams I've mentioned and still played super well against Braintree. I wouldn't argue with someone keeping them in the Top 10. This also shows the ruthless nature of these selective rankings. North Quincy lost two games against unranked opponents, and with so many contenders jockeying for a spot, that slump takes them out of the list for now.
Foxboro and Woburn remain undefeated. Minnechaug suffered its first lost, albeit to Springfield Central. Braintree's spot in the Top 10 actually makes Archbishop Williams — who beat Braintree over winter break — look even better. I'm keeping an eye on the 4-3 Bishops, whose three losses are to the three Catholic Central League teams ranked here. They're better than their record shows. Lastly, the Patriot League remains a brawl with Hingham and Duxbury each 7-1, plus North Quincy and a very good, 4-3 Pembroke.
