Top 5 Teams of the 2021 Season

<strong>#5| Bishop McNamara (MD) </strong> The Bishop McNamara Mustangs have an unbelievable amount of young talent on their roster. While the team got a lot of production from Senior Michigan commit [player_tooltip player_id="51136" first="Taylor" last="Gibson"], the true identity of Frank Oliver Jr’s squad is best exemplified by their underclassmen. The Mustangs were incredibly fast and athletic this season which is a huge reason they only lost one game- the opener. Bishop McNamara has been undefeated since that first game, and their stellar underclassmen players [player_tooltip player_id="142823" first="Sahnya" last="Jah"] and [player_tooltip player_id="142828" first="Qadence" last="Samuels"] had a lot to do with the team’s success. The Mustangs will absolutely be a top 5 DMV team again next year, and, with their young talent, Frank Oliver’s program will be ranked even higher at the conclusion of the 2022 season. &nbsp; <strong>#4| McDonogh (MD) </strong> Coach Brad Rees has created an IAAM powerhouse at McDonogh. With an undefeated regular season record, the Eagles absolutely ran through their conference with elite level play from Illinois Fighting Illini commit [player_tooltip player_id="136403" first="Jayla" last="Oden"]. Jayla, this article's feature photo athlete, led the team in steals and was a quintessential backcourt leader throughout the season. She always stays positive and her pass first offensive mind is a perfect match for BIG10 basketball. McDonogh was also led by their Junior small forward and captain- [player_tooltip player_id="27873" first="Nekhu" last="Mitchell"]. Mitchell is more than ready to take control of the Eagles’ offense next season, as her grassroots play with Team Power Move has shown us consistently. There’s no question that McDonogh can keep this winning streak alive far into next season, if not for the duration, but it will be fascinating to see what adjustments coach Rees makes since he’s losing such key pieces this offseason. &nbsp; <strong>#3| New Hope Academy (MD) </strong> New Hope Academy went on an absolute tear towards the back end of their schedule, ending their season on an eight game winning streak. Led by coach Sam Caldwell, the Tigers really came together as a team while the season progressed, and it showed in their spectacular ball movement on offense and communication on defense. The program also benefited immensely from the arrival of Senior transfer [player_tooltip player_id="136415" first="Bianca" last="Pendleton"]. Her presence, in the paint especially, was immediately impactful on both sides of the ball for the Tigers, and there’s no doubt that Bianca was a key factor during the team’s eight game win streak. New Hope Academy will soon be without Bianca, as she will most likely be playing in college, but it’s clear that Bianca and her soon to be alma mater are both capable of playing even better next year. It will be no surprise to see each of them dominate in 2022. &nbsp; <strong>#2| St. John’s College High School (D.C.) </strong> The pandemic, in terms of basketball, was absolutely devastating to everybody, but it also impacted the playing time of some programs more than others like we are currently seeing in professional sports. The St. John’s program only competed in two games this season but one of them was against the National Championship runners-up Paul VI. The St. John’s vs. PVI game was a game of the year contender and it concluded in a two point PVI victory. Even though they lost, St. John’s proved that their young core is ready for 2022- a year they just might find themselves at GEICO Nationals. With megastar [player_tooltip player_id="18351" first="Azzi" last="Fudd"] headed to UConn, Cadet stars [player_tooltip player_id="142836" first="Delaney" last="Thomas"] and Caramina Tanedo seem more than ready to take on the spotlight this upcoming season and create a St. John’s legacy of their own. Watch out for the Cadets next year. &nbsp; <strong>#1| Paul VI (VA) </strong> PVI was clearly the top team in the area this year. They represented the DMV in the GEICO National Championship game, falling short to Westlake (GA), but they also maintained  an undefeated record up until that point. PVI guard [player_tooltip player_id="21939" first="Bella" last="Perkins"] flourished in the tournament and she was absolutely electric on both sides of the ball all year. Duke commit [player_tooltip player_id="21932" first="Lee" last="Volker"] was also stellar throughout the season, and her leadership was crucial during the Panthers’ incredible playoff run. PVI’s future is also very bright, as they bring back star players [player_tooltip player_id="150114" first="Alyssa" last="Costigan"] and [player_tooltip player_id="238889" first="Laura" last="Williams"] next season. The Paul VI Panthers will be a dominant force in girl’s high school basketball again next year and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them at GEICO Nationals yet again in 2022.