The Gazette’s 2024-25 preseason high school girls’ basketball rankings

The 2024-25 Iowa high school girls’ basketball season begins with practice for 347 teams statewide Monday.

We are aware of a handful of schools that will not be fielding a varsity team, including Charles City, which would have been a 4A program.

With that in mind, here are The Gazette’s preseason state rankings and area conference projections:

Class 5A

1. West Des Moines Dowling (21-5, 5A state runner-up)

2. Johnston (26-0, 5A state champion)

3. Ankeny Centennial (14-9, 5A state quarterfinalist)

4. Pleasant Valley (19-5, 5A state quarterfinalist)

5. Davenport North (22-3, 5A state quarterfinalist)

6. Cedar Falls (23-2, 5A state semifinalist)

7. Waukee (19-5, 5A state semifinalist)

8. Cedar Rapids Prairie (16-5, 5A regional finalist)

9. Ankeny (13-10, 5A regional finalist)

10. West Des Moines Valley (13-11, 5A state quarterfinalist)

Next five (alphabetic order): Cedar Rapids Washington (11-12), Iowa City High (8-15), Iowa City Liberty (11-9), Iowa City West (13-10), Waukee Northwest (11-12).

Class 4A

1. North Polk (23-3, 4A state semifinalist)

2. Norwalk (18-5, 4A regional finalist)

3. Sioux City Heelan (23-2, 4A state runner-up)

4. Sioux Center (17-7, 4A state quarterfinalist)

5. Clear Creek Amana (26-0, 4A state champion)

6. Gilbert (15-10, 4A state quarterfinalist)

7. Maquoketa (20-4, 4A regional finalist)

8. Central DeWitt (15-6, 4A regional semifinalist)

9. Cedar Rapids Xavier (10-14, 4A regional finalist)

10. Storm Lake (14-8, 4A regional semifinalist)

Next five (alphabetic order): Carlisle (13-10), Carroll (12-10), Dallas Center-Grimes (20-4), Keokuk (19-4), Winterset (12-12).

Class 3A

1. Estherville ELC (24-3, 3A state runner-up)

2. Mount Vernon (22-4, 3A state semifinalist)

3. Dubuque Wahlert (19-6, 3A state quarterfinalist)

4. Algona (19-5, 3A regional finalist)

5. Forest City (21-4, 3A state quarterfinalist)

6. Humboldt (18-5, 4A regional finalist)

7. Monticello (20-4, 3A regional finalist)

8. Roland-Story (22-2, 3A regional finalist)

9. Monroe PCM (15-7, 3A regional semifinalist)

10. Williamsburg (14-9, regional semifinalist)

Next five (alphabetic order): Center Point-Urbana (10-14), Cherokee (15-8), Clarinda (15-9), Harlan (20-4), West Marshall (14-8).

Class 2A

1. Eddyville EBF (23-2, 2A state qualifier)

2. Westwood (22-1, 2A state semifinalist)

3. Cascade (17-7, 2A state qualifier)

4. North Mahaska (19-5, 2A regional finalist)

5. Mapleton MVAOCOU (17-5, 2A regional semifinalist)

6. Kingsley-Pierson/River Valley (16-6, 2A regional semifinalist)

7. Iowa City Regina (19-5, 2A regional finalist)

8. Exira-EHK/Audubon (16-7, 2A regional finalist)

9. Jesup (17-6, 2A regional semifinalist)

10. West Lyon (14-8, 3A regional semifinalist)

Next five (alphabetic order): Central Lyon (23-4), Denver (16-8), Emmetsburg (13-10), Hudson (12-11), Sioux Central (23-2).

Class 1A

1. Algona Garrigan (23-2, 1A state qualifier)

2. Riceville (22-2, 1A regional finalist)

3. Montezuma (20-5, 1A state qualifier)

4. Mount Ayr (16-7, 1A regional semifinalist)

5. Dunkerton (18-6, 1A regional semifinalist)

6. Akron-Westfield (14-8, 1A regional semifinalist)

7. North Linn (26-1, 1A state champion)

8. Newell-Fonda (24-3, 1A state runner-up)

9. Lone Tree (19-4, 1A regional quarterfinalist)

10. Lansing Kee (18-6, 1A regional semifinalist)

Next five (alphabetic order): Coon Rapids-Bayard (20-4), Council Bluffs St. Albert (23-2), Fremont-Mills (23-1), Gladbrook-Reinbeck (15-10), Lynnville-Sully (19-4).

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Area conference projections

MVC MISSISSIPPI DIVISION

1. Iowa City West

2. Iowa City Liberty

3. Cedar Rapids Xavier

4. Linn-Mar

5. Cedar Rapids Kennedy

6. Western Dubuque

7. Dubuque Senior

MVC VALLEY DIVISION

1. Dubuque Wahlert

2. Cedar Falls

3. Cedar Rapids Prairie

4. Cedar Rapids Washington

5. Iowa City High

6. Waterloo West

7. Cedar Rapids Jefferson

8. Dubuque Hempstead

WAMAC EAST DIVISION

1. Mount Vernon

2. Center Point-Urbana

3. West Delaware

4. Solon

5. Marion

6. Independence

WAMAC WEST DIVISION

1. Clear Creek Amana

2. Williamsburg

3. Benton Community

4. Vinton-Shellsburg

5. Grinnell

6. South Tama

RIVER VALLEY NORTH DIVISION

1. Cascade

2. Monticello

3. Maquoketa

4. Northeast

5. Bellevue

6. Camanche

7. Dyersville Beckman

8. Anamosa

RIVER VALLEY SOUTH DIVISION

1. Iowa City Regina

2. Mid-Prairie

3. Tipton

4. Wilton

5. Durant

6. West Liberty

7. West Branch

TRI-RIVERS EAST DIVISION

1. Calamus-Wheatland

2. Bellevue Marquette

3. Easton Valley

4. Lisbon

5. Midland

6. North Cedar

7. Clinton Prince of Peace

TRI-RIVERS WEST DIVISION

1. North Linn

2. Maquoketa Valley

3. Springville

4. East Buchanan

5. Edgewood-Colesburg

6. Alburnett

7. Starmont

NORTH IOWA CEDAR EAST DIVISION

1. Jesup

2. Oelwein

3. Wapsie Valley

4. Sumner-Fredericksburg

5. Union Community

NORTHEAST IOWA

1. Crestwood

2. Waukon

3. Decorah

4. New Hampton

SOUTH IOWA CEDAR EAST DIVISION

1. Sigourney

2. Keota

3. Iowa Valley

4. English Valleys

5. Belle Plaine

SOUTH IOWA CEDAR WEST DIVISION

1. North Mahaska

2. Montezuma

3. Lynnville-Sully

4. HLV/Tri-County

5. BGM

6. Colfax-Mingo

UPPER IOWA

1. Lansing Kee

2. North Fayette Valley

3. MFL MarMac

4. Clayton Ridge

5. Turkey Valley

6. South Winneshiek

7. Elkader Central

8. West Central

9. Postville

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com