Girls basketball rankings: 2 defending state champions stand at No. 1

Two defending champions and three teams seeking their first state titles are among the eight teams standing at No. 1 in the first AJC Varsity girls basketball rankings of 2026.

Reigning champion River Ridge is No. 1 in Class 5A despite a 9-6 record and a loss last week against Newton, the defending champ and No. 2-ranked team in Class 6A. River Ridge has played the toughest schedule in Class 5A by a wide margin, according to MaxPreps, and all six losses have come against teams ranked in the top six in their classifications (Archer, Creekside, Newton) or highly ranked out-of-state opponents (Doral Academy and Grandview Prep of Florida and Westside of South Carolina).

The Knights will face their top challenger in Region 6-5A when they take on third-ranked Creekview at home Tuesday night.

Defending champion Wilcox County is ranked No. 1 in Class A Division II after starting the season 11-1, including three victories last week by an average of 23 points. The Patriots, who won their first state title last season, will have another busy week, with region games against Wheeler County, fifth-ranked Telfair County and Hawkinsville.

The three No. 1 teams trying to win their first state championships are Class 6A North Paulding, Class 3A Monroe and Class 2A Thomson.

North Paulding (16-1), a state runner-up in 2024, spent much of the season ranked No. 1 last year before losing to Carrollton in the second round of the state playoffs and finishing No. 7 in the final rankings.

Monroe (14-2) was a semifinalist in 2024 and quarterfinalist last year, losing to the eventual state champion each time. Monroe ended the 2025 season ranked No. 7.

Thomson finished the year at No. 5 last season after reaching the quarterfinals for the second time in three seasons and the sixth time in program history. The Bulldogs have never advanced to the semifinals.

Other No. 1-ranked teams are Class 4A Marist, Class A Division I Putnam County and Class 3A-A Private Hebron Christian.

Marist, which won state titles in 2022 and 2024, is led by Kate Harpring, a North Carolina signee and five-star prospect ranked No. 4 nationally by ESPN. Putnam County is seeking its first championship since 1998. Hebron Christian lost to Holy Innocents’ in the 2025 finals, ending its bid for a third consecutive state title and fourth in five seasons.

Class 6A

1. North Paulding (16-1)
2. Newton (10-4)
3. Carrollton (19-1)
4. Buford (13-1)
5. Archer (13-4)
6. Cherokee (10-7)
7. Hillgrove (12-3)
8. Westlake (16-2)
9. Grayson (12-4)
10. Marietta (11-4)

Class 5A

1. River Ridge (9-6)
2. Milton (10-3)
3. Creekview (14-1)
4. New Manchester (12-3)
5. Bradwell Institute (18-0)
6. Woodward Academy (13-3)
7. Hughes (10-3)
8. Alexander (11-4)
9. Coffee (13-2)
10. Sequoyah (9-7)

Class 4A

1. Marist (14-2)
2. Kell (13-3)
3. Cartersville (12-2)
4. Southwest DeKalb (14-2)
5. Creekside (9-6)
6. Starr’s Mill (13-1)
7. North Oconee (11-6)
8. Jones County (12-4)
9. Dalton (10-3)
10. Warner Robins (14-3)

Class 3A

1. Monroe (14-2)
2. Luella (10-3)
3. Sandy Creek (8-5)
4. Oconee County (13-2)
5. Jenkins (10-4)
6. Ridgeland (14-1)
7. White County (12-3)
8. Heritage-Ringgold (13-4)
9. Jefferson (12-4)
10. Stephenson (10-2)

Class 2A

1. Thomson (14-1)
2. Josey (11-3)
3. Columbia (9-6)
4. Murray County (11-3)
5. Sonoraville (12-4)
6. Westside-Macon (11-3)
7. Laney (12-4)
8. Hart County (9-6)
9. Morgan County (10-6)
10. Sumter County (9-2)

Class A Division I

1. Putnam County (13-1)
2. Bremen (13-1)
3. Elbert County (11-3)
4. Fannin County (15-2)
5. Lamar County (14-2)
6. Rabun County (11-3)
7. Bacon County (16-0)
8. Heard County (8-6)
9. Washington County (10-3)
10. Brantley County (11-3)

Class A Division II

1. Wilcox County (11-1)
2. Macon County (13-1)
3. Bryan County (15-1)
4. Pelham (12-1)
5. Telfair County (12-3)
6. Washington-Wilkes (8-7)
7. Terrell County (10-3)
8. Charlton County (10-3)
9. Metter (6-2)
10. Screven County (8-4)