Way-too-early Top 15 for 2025-26

[Ray]

Now that PACE NSC is in the books, I'm ready to start speculating about next year. In tiers, based on what I saw at NSC and from squinting at HSNCT stats, assuming everyone with eligibility keeps playing:

S+ (Presumptive #1 team in the country)

Lexington: T5 with 22.06 PPB at HSNCT, 2nd with 21.98 PPB at NSC. Already fearsome last year, this team got even better, and did so at a faster pace than even bullish observers would have predicted. Made history at NSC as the first and only JV team to make it to the championship game in the 25-year history of the tournament. The way they've approached division of labor and specialization is unlike anything I've seen elsewhere in high school quiz bowl, with everyone completely locking down their categories and trusting their teammates to do the same. Easy to moderate for, because you always know which player to look at for a directed answer just based on the category alone. Incredibly fundamentally sound, almost never committing the unforced errors that are common even among other elite teams: no one ever negs out of category, no one ever flubs the easy bonus part because of inattention. More than anything, I'm impressed with how intentional their approach has been. They've behaved very much like a team that decided to win a national championship, formulated a plan to achieve that goal, and is executing that plan with ruthless, methodical competence. And they're just getting started.

S (Likely National Championship Contenders)

Stevenson: T5 with 20.23 PPB at HSNCT, 11th with 19.51 PPB at NSC. Spencer and Ani joining Monit on the A team consolidated the talent on this squad, and they made a massive leap even on top of that. Only non-Lexington team to take a game from Strake at NSC, and handed Lexington their only prelim loss at HSNCT. No reason they can't win it all if they put in the work.

Northview: 2nd with 19.58 PPB at HSNCT, 8th with 19.84 PPB at NSC. Exhibit A in the case for taking the best middle schoolers seriously. Showed very little respect for their (marginally) elders by twice defeating Stevenson in the HSNCT playoffs. Found themselves a bit outmuscled in the NSC superplayoff bracket, but still took a win off a very strong DCC team. May have outperformed their fundamentals somewhat at HSNCT, but clearly dangerous, hungry, and capable of beating anyone.

A (Likely Super Seven Teams)

Montgomery Blair: T21 with 20.44 PPB at HSNCT, 7th with 18.46 PPB at NSC. Everyone's back as seniors. I incorrectly shrugged this team off of last year's prediction after they lost a bunch of seniors and their B-team hadn't yet evolved, and I missed on Gugan Thuduppathy (45 PP20TUH at HSNCT, 47 PPG at NSC), who I was delighted to see utilizing the oft-forgotten Romero Method at NSC this year to great effect. I was also impressed by their composure and emotional stability in high-pressure games. Well-positioned to contend for a title if they can take another step forward this coming year.

Strake Jesuit: T5 with 21.46 PPB at HSNCT, NSC champions with 21.04 PPB. Losing top scorer Max Chen (37 PP20TUH and, as far as I can tell, the only person who was able to take any meaningful amount of science away from Aadi Pudasaini of Lexington) and in-game leader Justin Wang (24 PP20TUH). A bunch of strong B-teamers will presumably be clamoring to step up. Not clear that the production of the departing seniors can truly be replaced, but the institutional legacy of success here is hard to bet against; they're never really rebuilding, just reloading.

St. Mark's: T33 with 21.23 PPB. Kind of a similar situation to the other Texas juggernaut program, with senior Surya Dinesh (50+ PP20TUH) graduating but a bunch of hungry B-teamers waiting in the wings and an institutional history of continuity of excellence and proven ability to develop elite talent.

B (Likely Deep Playoff Teams)

Park Tudor: T13 with 19.42 PPB at HSNCT, 26th at NSC with 15.44 PPB (freshman Evan Ting playing solo). Exhibit B in the case for taking the best middle schoolers seriously. If Evan can elevate his arm-flailing game, the sky's the limit for this team.

Livingston: HSNCT champions with 22.24 PPB, but Bobby Wang is truly irreplaceable, even for a program that put three teams into the playoffs at HSNCT. The incredible depth here ensures that they'll stay in the playoff conversation, but someone (or someones) will have to undergo a metamorphosis to push them to the heights they reached this year.

Johns Creek: T33 with 18.73 PPB at HSNCT, 19th at NSC with 18.72 PPB. Losing Michelle but returning everyone else, and a deep bench from which to fill out the A team roster.

Amador Valley: T49 with 20.07 PPB at HSNCT. The core of Karthik Anbazhagan (41 PP20TUH) and Shounak Bhindwale (37 PP20TUH) is back for their senior year. Developing the best complementary 3rd and 4th scorers should be a priority.

Belmont: T65 with 19.04PPB at HSNCT, 17th at NSC with 17.82 PPB playing without Greg Zeldovich. Stumbled a bit against a very tough schedule at HSNCT. Taking the next step will require building consistency and channeling the enthusiasm of their deep bench in the direction that best supports Andrew and Greg.

Caddo Magnet: T21 with 19.89 PPB at HSNCT and top scorer Johnny Zheng is back as a senior. Ty Bishop says they're ready, and that's good enough for me.

Saratoga: T49 with 18.88 PPB at HSNCT, 29th with 16.73 PPB at NSC. Exhibit C in the case for taking the best middle schoolers seriously. Made some real noise in some pre-nats tournaments. Far from hitting their ceiling.

[Redacted; please don't reveal the real names of pseudonymous teams --Mgmt.] ("Lincroft Scholars"): T65 with 19.04 PPB and returning most of their firepower.

Henderson: 4th with 17.78 PPB at HSNCT. Showed tremendous GTDIH in their Cinderella run deep into the playoffs, and will return two top scorers. Not sure they can do it again, but certainly not leaving them off this list.


What did I get wrong? Who did I miss? Classen? Eastchester? Have I still not learned my lesson about the middle schoolers? Mira Loma (even with Aatreyo and Tanay leaving)? Chapel Hill? Mission San Jose?

[mrpotatokid]

Shocked that Washington Connections, Classen and HSMSE are nowhere to be found. I also think Hunter and TJ are capable of reloading at least to the point that the A team makes it t33 or higher. An already strong Chapel Hill team inheriting a really good group of middle schoolers from Smith and Mission San Jose keeping everybody and gaining good middle schoolers indicate that they deserve their shouts as well.

[Somewhere in the Stratosphere]

Shocked that Washington Connections, Classen and HSMSE are nowhere to be found. I also think Hunter and TJ are capable of reloading at least to the point that the A team makes it t33 or higher. An already strong Chapel Hill team inheriting a really good group of middle schoolers from Smith and Mission San Jose keeping everybody and gaining good middle schoolers indicate that they deserve their shouts as well.

He mentioned Classen in the last little blurb he threw out

[Jacksondahammerbidney]

I would consider Minnetonka A, with 4 rising seniors to go win a few games next year… they could be dominant next year in the Minnie circuit (which figures to be competitive as always), and carry it to Hotlanta

[ChrisFromGCity]

Not even to pointlessly glaze an Alabama team, but Hoover A will be really, really good in the next two years. T21 at HSNCT this year, they retain 3/4 of their A-team, and powerhouse Krish Nathan is only a sophomore.

[Somewhere in the Stratosphere]

Not even to pointlessly glaze an Alabama team, but Hoover A will be really, really good in the next two years. T21 at HSNCT this year, they retain 3/4 of their A-team, and powerhouse Krish Nathan is only a sophomore.

alabama teams are cool

also i think seven lakes, bella vista, and padraig finan (i refuse to call his solo team washington connections) will be really good

[quizbowlchamp1]

Not even to pointlessly glaze an Alabama team, but Hoover A will be really, really good in the next two years. T21 at HSNCT this year, they retain 3/4 of their A-team, and powerhouse Krish Nathan is only a sophomore.

Dang you beat me to it. Alabama is a really weird circuit this year. We're losing so many good people (Tate, Brodie, Latika, etc.) so there's so many good teams this year. Hoover's gonna be really good as long as Krish is there. He is IMO the best player in the circuit. You should probably keep ASCTE on your radar, as well as Arab, Gadsden City, West Point, and Bob Jones (and probably plenty of others I didn't mention).

Also hopefully I can step up and help Southside do decently this year.

[Worldtrotter]

I’d like to include Johns Creek somewhere on this list, at least on B (deep playoffs), seeing as they retain Edward Kim who is day-by-day conquering the path to becoming a generalist—and he still has a handful of respectable teammates. Edward in particular is notably good at “other” questions, or packets where most players seem to struggle. I wouldn’t be surprised if he could solo a majority of teams in Georgia next year, and his teammates will certainly help at nationals.