MaxPreps 2016-17 Pennsylvania preseason high school girls basketball Fab 5, presented by the Army National Guard

A predominantly underclass Cardinal O'Hara team managed to reach the PIAA Class 4A final a year ago before dropping a 57-34 decision to three-time defending champ Cumberland Valley. A disappointment, yes, but all five starters are back from that team, including Villanova commit Kenzie Gardler, a junior guard. Junior guard Maura Hendrixson, senior guard Lauren Leicht, senior guard Hannah Nihill (Drexel commit) and senior forward Mary Sheehan (St. Joe’s commit) round out the other top returnees.

All four of the Lions' losses last season were to eventual state champions: Cumberland Valley, Archbishop Wood and Neumann-Goretti in the PIAA and to Ursuline Academy of Delaware, alma mater of WNBA star Elena Delle Donne. The time may be now for O'Hara to turn the tables.

Villa Maria picked an inopportune time to lose its only game of 2015-16, falling to Archbishop Wood in the PIAA 3A final last March. Chuzie, who enters his sixth season as head coach, brings back two starters from that team, as well as four players with current Division 1 college offers and nine players overall being recruited by a college of some kind.

The starting five figures to be 5-foot-8 senior guard Andrea McCormick, 6-2 junior forward Sydney Palermo, 6-2 junior forward Madison Demski, 5-8 junior guard Molly Mraz, and 5-9 senior guard Julia Casella. McCormick, who missed much of the 2015-16 season following a December knee injury, has her college choices narrowed to Richmond, Miami-Ohio, Columbia, Manhattan and Loyola-Chicago. The Victors move up to the PIAA's new Class 6A for 2016-17.

The seventh-year coach Wolf (134-46 at CV, 265-75 overall) sees senior guard Mackenzie Torresin, senior forward Sarah Lehman and senior guard Jess Tonrey as his other starters. Hannah Sauve, a 6-0 freshman forward, junior Mackenzie Zimmerman and 5-6 junior guard Allison Hinish will be prominent in the rotation as well. Cumberland Valley finished No. 11 last season in the MaxPreps National Computer Rankings and No. 18 in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Girls Basketball Rankings presented by the Army National Guard.

McDonald will be hard-pressed to match his debut coaching season at Archbishop Wood in 2015-16, a season in which the Vikings captured both the Philadelphia Catholic League title - beating PIAA 2A champ Neumann-Goretti - and the PIAA 3A crown with a win against Villa Maria. There are no plans to rest, however, as Archbishop Wood returns 6-foot forward Katie May, 5-6 combo guard Cassie Sebold, 5-5 combo guard Shannon May, 5-7 guard Karly Brown, 5-8 guard Meg Neher and 6-0 wing Bridget Arcidiacono.

"We're preparing to once again play for a PCL and state championship," McDonald said. "We have 12 players returning with varsity game experience, five of whom played in the state championship game for us. We have scheduled four returning state champion opponents and two state runners-up this season to go along with our PCL schedule and four games at the Nike Tournament of Champions."

As a WPIAL 4A finalist in 2015-16, as well as PIAA semifinalists, North Allegheny has a lot to live up to this season. In fact with records of 25-4, 24-4 and 23-3 over the last three seasons, the Tigers have an entire recent generation to live up to. That's OK, though, because Stefko, entering his second season, knows a thing about going a long way in the postseason, having taken both Chartiers Valley and Seton-LaSalle to WPIAL finals in his previous coaching stints.

Though much of North Allegheny's recent success has revolved around the departed Abby Gonzales (Delaware) and Taylor Lake (University of Chicago), senior swing player and Stony Brook recruit Hailey Zeise (5-10) remains a fixture. So does sophomore Rachel Martindale, who enjoyed a magical freshman season full of buzzer-beaters and other long-range shots in 2015-16.