Girls’ basketball: Super Ten (preseason)

The Gazette's area Super Ten girls' basketball teams, preseason edition:

1. WESTERN DUBUQUE (23-3 in 2013-14) - Picked seventh in the Wamac East by one brilliant prognosticator (yeah, that's me), the Bobcats went on to reach the Class 4A state final before losing a close one to Harlan. Both of their all-staters (Rose Simon-Ressler and Megan Maahs) return, and this team is a heavy favorite in the division this time.

2. IOWA CITY WEST (12-11) - The top four scorers from last year all return, and the Women of Troy welcome back Dani Craig, who missed last season with a torn ACL. UNI recruit Mikaela Morgan averages 14.9 points per game, while Craig (a Cal State-Fullerton recruit) averaged 11.1 points and shot 43 percent from 3-point range as a sophomore.

3. NORTH LINN (24-2) - The Lynx are two-time defending Tri-Rivers champions and favored to make it three in a row behind Drake recruit Nicole Miller and the Boer sisters (Maddie and Morgan). Miller was third in the state in scoring at 25.3 points per game and earned first-team all-state honors as North Linn reached the 2A state semifinals.

4. IOWA CITY HIGH (24-1) - The Little Hawks closed the last two seasons as the No. 1 team in Class 5A. They reached the state semifinals last year before falling to eventual champion West Des Moines Dowling, then bid farewell to Gatorade player of the year Haley Lorenzen. They'll rebuild around junior Courtney Joens, who has commited to Illinois.

5. CEDAR RAPIDS KENNEDY (16-8) - Four starters have departed after a state-tournament season that, frankly, could have been more. The arrival of M'caela Sellers - and the return of Stephanie Botkin - softens the blow of the losses, and a strong junior class will help. Sellers, who moved to Cedar Rapids from Minnesota, is the 60th-ranked junior by ESPN.com.

6. CEDAR RAPIDS JEFFERSON (9-13) - After four consecutive losing seasons, Jefferson should be poised for a breakthrough. Junior Amanda Ollinger (18.6 ppg) has committed to Iowa, and combines with sophomore Kennedy Dighton (12.0 ppg) to form an imposing front line, though both can run the floor and can play inside and out. Ollinger is ranked 30th among juniors by ESPN.com.

7. CEDAR RAPIDS XAVIER (11-12) - The Saints stumbled to their first losing season in school history (and ended a streak of 20 straight winning seasons for Coach Tom Lilly) last year. Xavier will be typically stingy defensively, and the 5A-heavy MVC schedule will make them a player in the 4A postseason come February. Lizzy Bailey and Morgan Breitbach lead the way.

8. CEDAR RAPIDS WASHINGTON (18-5) - Dani Franklin and Aleena Hobbs have graduated, and the Warriors lost 77 percent of their scoring punch. But the Warriors are consistent winners under Frank Howell, averaging more than 18 wins a season for the last 10 years. Senior Kandis O'Donnell (6.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg) is the top returner.

9. LINN-MAR (15-9) - Michael Brandt stepped down as head coach after 13 seasons, 204 wins and a state title, and 2009 Linn-Mar graduate Jaime Printy Brandt (no relation) takes the reins after one year as an assistant. She inherits a young team. Seniors Olivia Montague (6.6 ppg) and Nikita Sharma (3.1 ppg) form the nucleus of a team in transition.

10. CLAYTON RIDGE (17-6) - Four-time champion Sumner-Fredericksburg has left the Upper Iowa Conference for the NICL, and the Eagles are the most likely heir apparent to the throne. Savannah Domeyer (12.0 ppg, 8.5 rpg) and Erica Armstrong (9.9, 10.2) are regular double-double threats, and Jasmine Staebler is one of the area's best all-around athletes.

Area class rankings:

Class 5A - 1. Iowa City West (12-11), 2. Iowa City High (24-1), 3. Cedar Rapids Kennedy (16-8), 4. Cedar Rapids Jefferson (9-13), 5. Cedar Rapids Washington (18-5).

Class 4A - 1. Western Dubuque (23-3), 2. Cedar Rapids Xavier (11-12), 3. West Delaware (17-6), 4. Marion (6-16), 5. Clear Creek Amana (5-16).

Class 3A - 1. Center Point-Urbana (18-7), 2. Mid-Prairie (11-10), 3. Solon (10-13), 4. Mount Vernon (15-9), 5. Monticello (9-13).

Class 2A - 1. North Linn (24-2), 2. Clayton Ridge (17-6), 3. Maquoketa Valley (20-3), 4. Cascade (26-1), 5. West Branch (14-9).

Class 1A - 1. Iowa Valley (20-3), 2. Midland (17-7), 3. Keota (13-10), 4. English Valleys (15-9), 5. Springville (10-12).

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com