Who is the best team in 4A? Pulaski Academy or De Queen?

I was checking out the girls basketball standings in the state and I noticed that the two top teams in the 4A classification are undefeated. The 4A-5 North Pulaski Academy Lady Bruins and the 4A-7 De Queen Lady Leopards have yet to be defeated in 2024/25, but which team is better?   Both squads have ridiculously good talent, with multiple players already committed to play at the next level or at least prepared to make that jump. Neither De Queen nor Pulaski Academy were the 4A state champions last season, but they both appear to be the early favorites for the title.   De Queen sits with a 19-0 record, but they have yet to start conference play. It was supposed to occur last night, but with the whole state covered in snow, you can see why it did not happen. Pulaski Academy possesses an 18-0 overall record. They were also supposed to tip off conference play last night, as their matchup against Morrilton would have been an entertaining game.   These two teams will not face each other in the regular season, but if they keep up their stellar play, then they might see each other in the biggest game of the year. With that in mind, these players are helping their teams stay undefeated.   Pulaski Academy Playmakers    [player_tooltip player_id='1051956' first='Madison' last='Sanders'] has been the catalyst for Pulaski Academy for the last 2 seasons. She has starred for the Lady Bruins over the last several games, being one of her team's leaders in almost every statistical category.   Sanders ended 2024 with a tournament MVP award after the BRS Holiday Tournament championship game. In that victory over Valley View, Sanders logged 17 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists. In Pulaski Academy's most recent game, the senior posted another solid all-around performance. She notched 10 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. All of these scoring outings stem from her driving ability, and she is one of the best post finishers in her conference.   Sanders does not have to be the top scorer for Pulaski Academy, but she can, as she won games during the 2024 state tournament with multiple 20-point or more performances. In other instances, she impacts the game in the passing game, on the glass, and on defense.   [player_tooltip player_id='1051956' first='Madison' last='Sanders'] is the Lady Bruins' leader. This team does not jump out to an 18-0 record without her, and this team will not have a deep run in the playoffs without their star.     [player_tooltip player_id='1093288' first='Greenlee' last='Elmore'] has stepped up in a big way for Pulaski Academy this season. She is hanging just inside the top 10 of the 2027 class, but with her performances as of late, she might take a big step up in the ranking.   Like Sanders, Elmore played well in the BRS Holiday Tournament, winning the MVP award after their win over Yazoo City in game 1. She finished the game with 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. At the Kameron Hale Invitational, Elmore averaged 16.7 points per game, including posting 19 points and taking game MVP versus Magnolia. The sophomore was recently nominated as the SBLive Arkansas Girls Basketball Player of the Week.   Elmore has been a lethal shot-maker. She torches defenses with her handles, flying into the paint and finishing through traffic. On the outside, she can make defenders pay if they do not close out. She also rebounds well and knows how to get her teammates involved.   [player_tooltip player_id='1093288' first='Greenlee' last='Elmore'] is a huge factor behind Pulaski Academy's success, and she will be important later in the season.     [player_tooltip player_id='1093280' first='Randi' last='Stewart'] is playing well along side her sophomore backcourt mate Elmore. Stewart led her squad in the victory over Fountain Lake on the 7th, showing that she can take over when needed.   Stewart had 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 blocks in that win. She also made timely free throws, going 5/6 on the evening. Stewart's shot-making ability is not talked about enough. She is an automatic 3-point shooter and a tough paint scorer.   Her 3 blocks in the Fountain Lake game show how she can use her long wingspan to contort shots. Her defensive prowess also stems from her ability to force multiple turnovers a night. Once she has the ball in her hands, she is taking it the other way and putting up some fastbreak buckets.   [player_tooltip player_id='1093280' first='Randi' last='Stewart'] is a solid young player on this Pulaski Academy team. It is no wonder as to why she already possesses two Division I offers, and I imagine she will receive more by the end of the season.     [player_tooltip player_id='454410' first='Sophia' last='Boyd'] has taken a little bit of a step back in her senior season, but when Pulaski Academy needs a bucket or a stop, she is always there to deliver.   Boyd had a solid statline versus Fountain Lake, posting 11 points, 3 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks in the win. She also averaged 1.0 steal per game in the 3 games played at the Kameron Hale Invitational.   Boyd can hurt defenses from inside and out. From the outside, she is a major threat to knock down multiple threes a game. From the inside, she drives and cuts hard to the basket. Boyd takes a lot of pressure off of the Bruins' top scorers, and when she has the chance, she is able to take over.   On the other side of the ball, Boyd is capable of taking on the toughest assignment to guard. Blocking shots as a guard is easy with her long wingspan and 5'9" frame. She also feasts off turnovers, racking up steals throughout the year.   Samantha Boyd's two-way play has been a crucial part of Pulaski Academy early season success, and it will be even more important deeper into the conference slate.    [player_tooltip player_id='1186787' first='Lindsey' last='Johnston'] 2025 F- Johnston has quietly had one of the most impactful seasons for Pulaski Academy. She does a lot of the little things well, along with being the best rebounder on the team. She was the team's leading rebounder at the Kameron Hale Invitational and she recently posted 7 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 steals against Fountain Lake. If she needs to turn it on and score more, she is capable of doing so. Johnston had 15 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals at the BRS Holiday Tournament, showing that she can feast if she drives inside and finishes over the defense consistently.   De Queen Playmakers    After [player_tooltip player_id='875466' first='Shalyn' last='Lyle'] and her sister came over from Nashville High School, it became clear that they would be stars for the Lady Leopards. The Lyle sisters are both committed to Arkansas Tech, but their work with De Queen is not even close to being finished.   Lyle plays with a bit of flare. She can hit teammates with flashy passes either in transition or in the half court, usually hitting them right on the money. When she is not passing, she is usually putting on a scoring clinic. Lyle is a solid shot-creator, being able to use her handle to find a crease in the defense when attacking the basket. She can also take a step back and knock down jumpers, from both outside and inside the 3-point line.   [player_tooltip player_id='875466' first='Shalyn' last='Lyle'] brings playmaking and scoring each night for the Lady Leopards. They will continue to call her name for the rest of the season, and I bet that the Arkansas Tech Golden Suns are happy with her output so far.     No, [player_tooltip player_id='875473' first='Jessie' last='Lyle'] is not at Nashville High School, as she transferred to De Queen for her senior season.   Lyle committed to the Golden Suns alongside her sister, and they have emerged as one of the best sister duos Arkansas has to offer.   The play style of both Lyle sisters is fairly similar. Like her sister, [player_tooltip player_id='875473' first='Jessie' last='Lyle'] attacks the basket with force, maneuvering her way inside with a slick handle, being able to finish through traffic in the process.   This Lyle twin is also able to do some damage from the outside, especially from well beyond the arch. She loves to pull up for deep 3-pointers, and her shooting form is so smooth, it looks like it will go through the entire way there. Lyle can hit these deep shots wide-open or with a defensive presence.   [player_tooltip player_id='875473' first='Jessie' last='Lyle'] is another great player that will be headed to Russellville this fall. Until then, she looks to help De Queen make it all the way to the 4A state playoffs and beyond.     [player_tooltip player_id='819148' first='Emma' last='Chambers'] picked up an offer from Crowley's Ridge College right before the new year, and it is no wonder as to why.   Chambers has been torching defenders this season. She works her magic as she attacks the paint, twisting and turning in order to finish over and through the defense. She also adds a floater and runner to her scoring arsenal, lofting it high over potential rim protectors.   From the outside, you do not want to leave Chambers open. She will make the defense pay if she has a chance to shoot a rhythm 3-pointer. Even off a bad pass, the junior is deadly off the catch, nailing shot after shot from outside with her smooth shooting form. If she is not the one doing the scoring, she can get her teammates involved. There is plenty of scoring to go around on this team, so Chambers posts solid outings in the assist category.   [player_tooltip player_id='819148' first='Emma' last='Chambers'] is a solid offensive player for De Queen. She continues to improve night after night, and I bet she will have more offers by the end of the season.     As of November 27th, [player_tooltip player_id='999832' first='Landri' last='Liggin'] was averaging 13 points per game, along with shooting 40% from 3-point land. I do not know what her current averages are, but she continues to keep up with the good work as we enter the second half of the season.   It is obvious that Liggin is a great outside shooter, knocking down around 40% of her shots. She is almost an automatic assist for her teammates whenever she is on the floor. Liggin finds her spots along the arch, and once the ball is in her hands, a shot is going up.   If the outside shots are not falling for whatever reason, then she has no issue driving inside. Liggin cuts hard to the basket, and if she has the ball in her hands already, she will not hesitate to take her defender off the bounce.   [player_tooltip player_id='999832' first='Landri' last='Liggin'] is best when she is dialing up triples, but she can hurt any defense with her all-around play. Pay attention to Liggin and all of her talented guard teammates.    So, who is better? Pulaski Academy or De Queen? I will leave that for you to decide.   As I mentioned earlier, these teams will not face each other in the regular season, but a meeting in the playoffs is not unlikely. Both teams are favorites to win out the conferences, but holding on to a perfect record is not an easy task. You should keep up with the results of every game these two teams play from now on. Go ahead and pop some popcorn while you are at it, too.

I was checking out the girls basketball standings in the state and I noticed that the two top teams in the 4A classification are undefeated. The 4A-5 North Pulaski Academy Lady Bruins and the 4A-7 De Queen Lady Leopards have yet to be defeated in 2024/25, but which team is better?