Another cavet: I saw Ursuline Academy of Wilmington, Del., but the great Elena Delle Donne was sidelined with mononucleosis at the time. With Delle Donne in the lineup, Ursuline beat all comers in its home state of Delaware, as well as Pennsylvania, the latter including several teams ranked by various media outlets.

Note to Carl Buggs (Long Beach Poly) and Brian Harrigan (Sacred Heart Cathedral): Your teams are going to be very good again. Can you guys schedule each other near the end of the season, so we can speculate about who will win, instead of who would have won?

Again, the following is the best of what I saw. I saw many, and just because your school is not listed here doesn't mean I did not like it. You know, every other ranking is done by someone who works the phones with trusted sources and tries to deduce a national order. Those people are saying, "These are the best." All I'm saying is, "These are the best that I saw with my own two eyes." Just so we're clear.

OK, let the flames begin.

1. Sacred Heart Cathedral, San Francisco, Calif: It took an entire season for SHC to grow on me. What finally made me flip? Tierra Rogers overcoming pain and delivering the game-winner on a beautifully drawn play by coach Brian Harrigan during the NorCal championship. The Fightin' Irish live up to their nickname. SHC won its third straight CIF Division III title and have Rogers, Kamilah Jackson and Ki-shawna Moore returning for a shot at a fourth straight state title and back-to-back national championships. Rogers currently is ranked No. 37 in the 2009 class, but is certain to rise when HoopGurlz revises the rankings in a couple months.

2. Poly, Long Beach, Calif.: The Jackrabbits won their third straight CIF Division I title and, like SHC, should be overwhelming favorites for a fourth straight next year, when they are led by Monique Oliver, the No. 5 player in the 2009 class; Kelli Thompson, No. 25 in 2009, and Ariya Crook-Williams, one of the top freshmen in the country. Poly, no question, was the most talented team in the nation that probably missed on a national title by overscheduling. The Jackrabbits lose Jasmine Dixon, one of the top high-school players in the nation, to Rutgers and guard April Cook to Washington State.

5. Murry Bergtraum, New York, N.Y.: The Lady Blazers got great guard play out of Krystal Parnell and sophomores Cee Cee Dixon and Doris Ortega, but their primary inside player - 6-3 Shakeya Leary - has the skills to go out on the perimeter, and she seems to like it there better. Bergtraum doesn't match up with the nation's elite because of its lack of inside play and a schedule that doesn't venture beyond the New York borders.

6. St. Mary's, Stockton, Calif.: St. Mary's has two of the sweetest sophomore guards in the country in Chelsea Gray and Afure Jemerigbe, so the Rams will be a factor both nationally and in the state of California for a few more years. Their style of fullcourt pressure, penetration and quick-triggered shooting from beyond the arc makes them a difficult matchup on a day-to-day basis.

7. St. Michael Academy, New York, N.Y.: When Alexa Roche went down with a season-ending ACL tear, so did St. Michael's bid for national prominence. Still, it had enough of an inside presence from Jelleah Sidney, star power from junior Shenneika Smith and guard play from under-the-radar sophomore Jennifer O'Neil. This team had a more well-rounded approach than most.

8. Hampton, Hampton, Va.: The Crabbers may not have cashed in on their TV game against Poly in the T-Mobile championship, but their stars - junior Alyssa Bennett and sophomore Deborah Smith - were young and mighty good. Hampton did not defend its Virginia state title, losing in the regional finals, but it did come within three points of St. Michael up in New York.

9. Southridge, Beaverton, Ore.: Four-peating seniors Alex Earl and Michelle Jenkins move on to the Pac-10 having started and won an Oregon state title in each of their years with the Skyhawks. Southridge defends and executes it offense extremely well, and has size galore. Plus, with sophomores Allie Brock and Nicole Santucci (6-4) leading the way, a five-peat is not out of the question.

10. Highlands Ranch, Highlands Ranch, Colo: Further proof that great coaching and great guard play can get a team far on the high-school level. Colorado-bound Alyssa Fressle had some amazing offensive performances, and coach Caryn Jarocki ran a tight ship that played both Long Beach Poly and Sacred Heart tooth and nail, and beat highly regarded Bishop Gorman at the Tournament of Champions.

11. University, Newark, N.J.: An undersized team, University has some wow talent on the perimeter in juniors Tiffany Green and Nadirah McKenith and super soph Laurin Mincy. They can make it interesting in the Northeast next year.

12. Auburn Riverside, Auburn, Wash.: Excellent coaching, take-your-breath-away pressure, and maybe the best guard trio in the country in WSU-bound Katie Grad, junior Nichole Jackson and sophomore Mercedes Wetmore that played Notre Dame close at the TOC.

13. Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas, Nev.: Much more was expected from a team with Texas-bound Ashley Gayle, Oregon-bound Darriell Gaynor, highly recruited junior Danielle Diamant and super soph Aaryn Ellenburg.

14. Sequoyah, Tahlequah, Okla.: A joy to watch, this is a team plays with electricity, seems willing at times to run through walls and is led by Panther-quick, Kansas-bound Angel Goodrich.

15. Shabazz, Newark, N.J.: While I thought University was more talented, Shabazz had more Jersey success, taking the state TOC, by flying all over the court on defense and relying on the likes of sophomore Desiree Simmons for cold-blooded shooting.

16. Lewis and Clark, Spokane, Wash.: The Tigers have carved out three straight state titles with the kind of defense that has throttled the likes of Washington's two latest McDonald's All-Americans, Angie Bjorklund and Ashley Corral.

17. Sapulpa, Sapulpa, Okla.: With her inside-outside, versatile game, Tennesse-bound Alyssia Brewer makes this team hum, but it also has shooters to surround her, and gets spirited play off the bench.

18. Archbishop Carroll, Radnor, Pa.: This isn't the highest-rated group in Pennsylvania, but the best we saw. Meagan Pearson is a strong and versatile forward, junior Kerri Shields is steady at the point and junior Kaitlin Cole has upside on the front line.

19. H.D. Woodson, Washington, D.C.: This is an up-and-coming program that had only one senior starter and tries to play a national schedule. Junior Jeniece Johnson is 6-5, headed to N.C. State and nearly impossible to stop - when Woodson gets her the ball.

20. Shelbyville Central, Shelbyville, Tenn.: Junior guard Ceny Phelps is a dynamic player and senior Alex Jarrell, 6-4, was a good complement on a well-coached team that dropped Wilson Central from the national rankings and made an impression at the TOC.

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