The Jackrabbits are a Division I school (the largest enrollment classification) and the other two have less than half as many students, so the two won’t meet. In fact, the California state title games will be anticlimactic, at least on the national scene, for the toughest competition in Division I is in Southern California, and in Division III, in Northern California.

1. Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco, Calif.) 32-0 (1): The Irish may be unbeaten and number one, but it hasn’t been as easy road. Tragically, the father of a starter was shot and killed at halftime of one of its games, and now a more traditional and less shattering blow: Another starter has torn an ACL. And St. Mary’s looms on Saturday.

2. Long Beach Poly (Long Beach, Calif.) 27-2 (2): The Jackrabbits left no doubt as to Millikan’s status: Poly doubled up the team that upset it earlier this year, 66-33. It then knocked off 26-6 San Clemente Tuesday and move into the Southern California semis Thursday against A.B. Miller, which is 30-2.

3. Notre Dame Academy (Middleburg, Va.) 25-2 (3): The Dragons draw 16-9 Holy Cross in the first round of the Bishop Walsh Invitational, with Seton Keough (ranked earlier in the year) most likely the next opponent.

4. Murry Bergtraum (New York, N.Y.) 20-0 (4): The Blazers are finally back in action Saturday, but seven-loss Francis Lewis probably won’t be that tough a test. McKee Voc Tech, though, could pose a threat in the PSAL finals March 16.

5. St. Mary’s (Stockton, Calif.) 31-0 (5): The Rams won’t have an easy road to that hotly anticipated NorCal final against Sacred Heart Cathedral (Saturday at 6 p.m. at Arco Arena), but if form holds, they should get there. And if the two both advance, it will be the game of the year/decade/century in Northern California.

6. Cy-Fair (Cypress, Texas) 39-2 (15): The Bobcats lost just twice, in the first three games of the season, when the Ogwumike sisters were playing for the state volleyball title. After thumping DeSoto in the Texas title game, it rides that 37-game winning streak into the top ten.

7. Highlands Ranch (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) 21-3 (6): The Falcons advance to the Sweet 16, where it meets Central of Grand Junction. But the big rematch with Regis Jesuit will only occur if both teams make it to the March 14 finals.

8. Sapulpa (Sapulpa, Okla.) 26-1 (7): Claremore’s Zebras (love the mascot) hung with Sapulpa for three quarters by slowing the pace (there’s no shot clock in Oklahoma), but Alyssia Brewer and the Chieftains eventually prevailed, 35-22. Three wins this weekend, and Sapulpa claims the state title.

9. Centennial (Circle Pines, Minn.) 27-0 (8): If you believe in mathematical progressions, the Cougars should worry. The first time it played Osseo, they won by 43; the second time, by 14. If the Orioles improve by another 25 points Thursday, Centennial’s unbeaten run will be over. I would not, however, bet the rent.

10. Lakota West (West Chester, Ohio) 25-1 (11): Previously unbeaten Coffman proved to be no match for the Firebirds, who got 18 points from Alexis Rogers in a 62-48 win. Lakota West moves to the state semifinals against battle-tested Boardman Friday.

11. Lexington Catholic (Lexington, Ky.) 27-4 (14): Natalie Novosel led the Knights to two big wins: The first over rival Lexington Christian and the second over Dunbar, which had beaten Lexington Catholic twice before. But if form holds, the Knights play Dunbar again on Saturday to qualify for the state finals.

12. Gentry (Indianola, Miss.) 37-0 (13): The Rams came this close to seeing that two-year winning streak dissolve, as it blew an eight-point lead with 4:26 in the fourth quarter of the state semis, and went into overtime against Brookhaven. Luckily, Brizzanai Washington scored nine points in extra time, and Gentry survived, 76-69. Yazoo County is next.

13. Heritage Christian (Indianapolis, Ind.) 27-1 (17): The Golden Eagles showed that a glittering record doesn’t mean all that much, pummeling previously unbeaten Oak Hill 53-31 to win the Indiana 2A title Saturday. A late 19-2 run removed all doubt for Heritage Christian, which lost only at Dunbar of Kentucky.

14. Whitney Young (Chicago, Ill.) 29-3 (25): The Dolphins claimed the 4A title by beating Bolingbrook (which had upset Buffalo Grove) for the second time this season. Whitney Young dominated the boards to take over in the second half and, behind Ashlee Anderson’s 14 points, rolled to its first state title.

15. DeSoto (DeSoto, Texas) 37-2 (10): The Eagles had the best record of any team, boys or girls, in school history, but just didn’t have enough juice to get by Cy-Fair and the Ogwumike sisters in the finals.

16. Lower Richland (Hopkins, S.C.) 26-0 (24): Dorman’s Fanchon Sortar was fouled on a three-point attempt as the clock expired – but only made one, and the Hornets held on for a 47-45 win, and its third straight title.

17. Oak Ridge (Oak Ridge, Tenn.) 33-1 (18): The word is that the team playing the best basketball in Tennessee is Shelbyville Central – and Oak Ridge draws the Eaglettes in the quarterfinals, so we’ll find out if the Wildcats really deserve this ranking.

18. Cardinal O’Hara (Springfield, Pa.) 25-2 (21): The Lions have never played in the Bishop Walsh Invitational (for the top Catholic schools in the Northeast), and won’t in the future, as from now on, all Pennsylvania teams will be playing for the same state title. Still, it would have been interesting if the Lions had gone up against Notre Dame Academy.

19. Southridge (Beaverton, Ore.) 21-4 (20): Michelle Jenkins led the three-time defending state champion Skyhawks past Clackamas, 53-50, with 19 points. Next up is South Eugene in the quarterfinals – most likely followed by Central Catholic and perennial power Oregon City.

20. St. Michael Academy (New York, N.Y.) 24-1 (23): The Eagles will finally face a quality opponent when they run into St. John the Baptist – the winner of that gets Christ the King.

21. Sequoyah (Tahlequah, Okla.) 25-2 (21): Marietta is the Indians’ first opponent in the quarterfinals after an easy ride through the regionals. Angel Goodrich, naturally, was the star.

22. Bob Jones (Madison, Ala.) 35-2 (22): Three players combined for 46 of Bob Jones’ 48 points in the six-point win over Clay- Chalkville in the state title game, the first championship in school history. Kellie Cook had 22, and not surprisingly, was tourney MVP.

23. Lewis & Clark (Spokane, Wash.) 29-0 (NR): The Tigers won its third straight Washington 4A crown by knocking off Moses Lake, 42-37. Lewis & Clark has been pinned in Eastern Washington because of league commitments and thus didn’t play anyone outside its region until the state tournament – when the Tigers showed just how good they really are.

24. Carmel (Carmel Ind.) 23-4 (NR): Thanks to a record-tying 31 points from Chrissy Steffen, the Greyhounds upset defending champion (and previously number 16) Washington of South Bend, 84-72. It was the highest scoring state title game ever.

25. Dunbar (Lexington Ky.) 29-2 (11): Chantelle Pressley had 21 points for the Bulldogs, but it wasn’t enough in a 54-51 loss to Lexington Catholic. If they can win two more, though, they’ll play the Knights for the fourth time this season – so far, Dunbar has won two of the three matchups.

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Clay Kallam is the publisher of Full Court Press (www.Fullcourt.com), an online magazine devoted to women’s basketball. The author of the book “Girls Basketball: Building a Winning Program (Wish Publishing, 2002), Kallam has written about the women’s game for several national publications and is a voter for the McDonald’s All-American team, the Parade All-American team, the All-WNBA team and the Wooden Award. He is the coach of The Bentley School girls’ varsity basketball team and formerly wrote for the Contra Costa Times newspaper chain. Clay can be contacted via our Contact form (click "Ask Clay Kallam").