A big two weeks of high school basketball culminates in Thursday's girls' State Champions Invitational, a tournament created last year as another way for the country's top teams to square off in postseason play. Last week featured two national events, the McDonald's All American Game and the Geico Nationals.
The boys' and girls' SCI tournaments, at Georgetown University, will be available on ESPN+, ESPNU and ESPN2. The girls' tournament gets underway Thursday with games at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. ET. Friday's girls' games are at noon and 2 p.m., with the championship game Saturday at 10 a.m. on ESPNU.
Defending SCI champion and top seed Sidwell Friends from Washington, D.C., the current No. 2 in the SCNext Top 25, returns for this year's event, as does Centennial (Nevada), the No. 4 seed in the six-team single-elimination tournament.
Eligible teams must win their respective state championship and be selected by the SCI committee. Criteria are national rankings, strength of schedule, roster and record, as well as approval from individual state federations. Only nine states, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Hawai'i, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, Utah and Washington, as well as Washington, D.C., currently allow their teams to participate.
This year's field includes numerous college-bound seniors and espnW Top 100-caliber players. Headliners include two of the top freshmen in the country, Jordyn Jackson (Sidwell) and Jerzy Robinson (Desert Vista). Sensational twin sophomores Mia and Mya Pauldo lead Morris Catholic out of New Jersey. They represent the new age of name, image and likeness as they already have a promotional deal with Puma. No. 13 junior Kendall Dudley of Sidwell Friends is said to be making her college decision soon. She is expected to choose between North Carolina and UCLA.
Here's a deeper look into each team competing in the SCI.
No. 1 seed: Sidwell Friends (D.C.)
Coach: Tamika Dudley
Record: 28-3
Key wins: Duncanville, South Grand Prairie, Lone Peak, Montverde, Conway, The Webb School, St. John's College Prep
About Sidwell: Sidwell was last year's consensus No. 1 team after a historic season, and it did not unload in its scheduling of heavyweights this season. This team is loaded with top-100 players and high-major-caliber talent. Sidwell runs a disciplined system that starts with defense and has skilled and versatile options in all classes.
Analysis: Although Sidwell will be missing star senior Jadyn Donovan and her 14.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game -- the Duke signee will be with USA Basketball at the Nike Hoop Summit -- and junior guard Leah Harmon (14.4 points, 4.2 assists and 40% on 3PT%), it will compete for the title in this event. Junior wing/forward Kendall Dudley (9.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 2.7 steals) and freshman guard Jordyn Jackson (9.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.4 steals), as well as senior guard Khia Miller, will work to fill the holes. Miller, an East Carolina signee, has made some big shots in big moments this year. Look for freshman Ava Yoon to get more playing time.
No. 2 seed: Lone Peak (Utah)
Coach: Nancy Warner
Record: 23-3
Key wins: Centennial, St. John's College Prep, Clackamas
About Lone Peak: Warner has one of the best executing teams in the country. It shares the ball and moves the ball with precision and, consequently, tends to find the right shooters at the right time. They made an incredible run at this year's Nike TOC in Phoenix, dropping a semifinal contest to La Jolla Country Day (Calif.) by just two points.
Defensively, the team rotates and contains the basketball well. Without overwhelming size and athleticism, communication and game planning are paramount and Lone Peak does a great job with this.
Analysis: Kailey Woolston (BYU) is as complete a guard as there is in the country. She leads Lone Peak in scoring at 20.7 points per game while shooting 47% from 3 and adds 8.1 rebounds. Junior Shawnee Nordstrom is the second-leading scorer, averaging 12.9 points and 3.3 assists. Junior forward Sarah Bartholomew (7.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg) is tasked with holding things down inside. Senior guard Makeili Ika hit clutch shots to help bring home the state title for Lone Peak just a few weeks ago.
No. 3 seed: Morris Catholic (N.J.)
Coach: Billy Lovett
Record: 28-3
Key wins: Purcell Marian, Etiwanda, Rutgers Prep
About Morris Catholic: Lovett's Morris Catholic squad is a young team at its core -- led by three sophomores in the Pauldo twins and Daniella Matus. It plays a swarming, trapping defense that uses the feel and communication of the Pauldos as a catalyst for turnovers and to ignite offense. This is not a big team, so it has to make up for it with ball pressure and tempo.
Offensively, Morris Catholic does as good a job in the country at the penetrate-and-kick, plus making the extra pass. It keeps the floor spaced, plays out of many ball screens, finds the gaps in the defense and engages defenders to create opportunities for teammates. As a team, it shoots 38.5% from 3-point range, quite impressive.
Analysis: Mia Pauldo leads the way with 17.6 points, 5.6 assists and 3.4 steals. Matus benefits from the unselfish play by lining up for rangy 3-point shots and complements her game with more wiggle than many realize. She brings 13.1 points per game and shoots 39.7% from 3. Inside, Alexis Rosenfeld averages 8.9 points and 11.2 rebounds. Mya Pauldo, playing with a wrist injury all year, is the glue. She averages 11 points, 4.6 assists and 2.9 steals while taking on the top defensive assignment game after game.
No. 4 seed: Centennial (Nev.)
Coach: Karen Weitz
Record: 24-1
Key wins: Carondelet, St. Mary's Stockton
About Centennial: Weitz is no stranger to the big stage. She takes on a grueling travel schedule year in and year out. She has won 14 state championships and was this year's coach of the West team in the McDonald's All American Game. Fun fact: She also coaches the boys' varsity team at Centennial.
Defense is a prerequisite for Centennial, which averages 15.3 steals per game. These teams are always well conditioned, and they know what is expected out of their defensive scout. They create points from their pressure defense and get into transition quickly.
Analysis: Centennial shares the ball, and the focal point is junior Kaniya Boyd (10.5 points. 4.1 assists, 3.1 steals per game). She is a high-energy guard who gets to the rim in a blur. She is in the discussion as the best on-ball defender in her class in the country. She really causes problems for the opponent's point guards. Junior Danae Powell (14.2 points per game) is a skilled and poised guard who can knock down timely shots and find the pull-up. Junior Cici Ajomale (11.0 points and 7.7 rebounds per game) has expanded her game this year by refining her perimeter skills. The lefty wing/forward brings a ton of energy and is effective on the glass. Look for her recruitment to grow into the spring and summer. Senior forward Charlece Ohiaeri (TCU) scores 10.1 points per game and brings a floor spacer and versatile defender to the floor.
No. 5 seed: Dr. Phillips (Fla.)
Coach: Anthony Jones
Record: 30-1
Key wins: Mercy Academy, St. Thomas Aquinas, Winter Haven
About Dr. Phillips: Jones' team plays an up-tempo style, averaging more than 65 points per game. They create 13 steals per game, so opponents had better be ready for a pressure defense. Seven players average over four rebounds per game, and there is a commitment to getting stops and getting out on the break.
Analysis: Junior guard Trinity Turner leads the way at 20.6 points, 10.9 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 4.6 steals. Freshman Kendall Perry averages 13.0 points and 4.2 rebounds and shoots 44% from 3. Sophomores Sariah Johnson and Anilys Rolon both contribute 10.1 points per game, and Johnson also brings down 7.1 rebounds. This is a well-balanced team that can put the ball in the hole.
No. 6 seed: Desert Vista (Ariz.)
Coach: Dave Williams
Record: 28-3
Key wins: Lake Highland Prep, St. Mary's Stockton, Xavier, Millennium
About Desert Vista: Williams' squad ran through the Arizona high school ranks this season, with its closest in-state game being a nine-point win over Valley Vista in early January. It averages close to 74 points per game and over 17 steals. Like a couple of others in this SCI field, it turns its defensive pressure into offensive production, and fast.
Freshman Jerzy Robinson is in the conversation as the top player in her class. She averages 22.0 points and 8.2 rebounds -- scoring at a high efficiency. Junior Shay Ijiwoye (13.0 points, 2.3 assists) is a strong and stocky guard who puts a lot of pressure on the paint and likes to harass opponent point guards with her defensive activity. Sophomore Michaela Fairwell (8.9 points) is a lengthy off guard who has a knack for playing off the bounce and in transition.
Analysis: Overall, this is a young squad that has not seen a tough test in a while. Desert Vista will see that at the SCI. Its challenge will be how it executes in the half court, as it cannot expect to turn the good teams over the same way it did at home. The team's assist/field goal ratio is 10.5 to 28.2, which is not bad, but it might need to see a slight uptick in assists against these defensive-minded opponents at this level.