AHSAA basketball teams can officially begin play today, although most open the season at some point over the next week.

There’s a familiar group of teams competing for championships with some notable exceptions.

Below are some of the top storylines heading into the season for girls basketball.

THE STREAKS

Both Class 6A Hazel Green and Class 2A Pisgah have won five straight state championships, tying Lauderdale County for the most consecutive titles in AHSAA history.

The two are also favorites to win their sixth straight championships this season.

Hazel Green has also won 59 straight games, but it’ll take another perfect season — they were 35-0 last season — to reach Lauderdale County’s streak of 86 straight wins from 2013-2015.

RELATED: Boys top storylines

RELATED: Boys Basketball Preseason Power 10

RELATED: Girls Basketball Preseason Power 10

TOP TEAMS

Last season’s AHSAA champions were Class 7A Hoover, Class 6A Hazel Green, Class 5A Guntersville, Class 4A Deshler, Class 3A Prattville Christian, Class 2A Pisgah and Class 1A Marion County.

Class 7A

Two-time defending champion Hoover returns a great lineup and should be the team to beat again. The senior class is one of the best in the state, including Reniya Kelly, Alanah Pooler, Kristen McMillan, Layla Etchison and Kennedi McCray.

The class has plenty of solid teams that will fight to unseat the Bucs.

Reigning class Coach of the Year John David Smelser guided Vestavia Hills to last year’s championship and the Rebels will be a power as will Auburn, Hewitt-Trussville, Sparkman and Bob Jones.

Class 6A

Five-time defending class champion Hazel Green has compiled a 71-1 record over the past two seasons with no losses to instate teams.

This group has the potential to be even better with an outstanding junior class that includes Leah Brooks, Amiya Redus, Sydney Steward and Zyriah Price.

Last season’s finalist Oxford returns a good group, including junior XaiOnna Whitfield along with seniors Lamya McGrue and Justice Woods.

Other contenders are Mortimer Jordan, Mountain Brook, Lee-Huntsville, moving up from Class 5A, Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa, Pike Road and Huffman.

Class 5A

Guntersville earned its first state title in history behind stellar play from tournament MVP Olivia Vandergriff. There were no seniors for coach Kenny Hill so expect the Wildcats to make another run.

Ramsay is always tough and it’s never wise to overlook perennial Final 4 contender Charles Henderson. Eufaula drops down from Class 6A while Pleasant Grove and St. Paul’s have talent.

Class 4A

Deshler dominated the class last season and finished with an 18-game winning streak to earn its eighth championship with seven coming under Jana Killen.

The Tigers lost a good senior class, but return stars in national record-setting Chloe Siegel (18 3-pointers in a game last season) along with point guard Raegan Rickard.

Two-time Class 3A champion Prattville Christian moves up to Class 4A this season with a loaded lineup that includes four returning starters. Hannah Jones and CoCo Thomas are strong inside while Avery Rogers and Kayden Carr return at guard.

The other three Final 4 teams, Vigor, St. James and New Hope, will also contend along with Jackson, Priceville and Good Hope.

Class 3A

There will be a new champion since Prattville Christian is gone to Class 4A and the field is wide open.

Susan Moore lost to Prattville Christian in overtime last season and has a good nucleus returning, including Montevallo commit Cali Smallwood.

Plainview and Southside-Selma also played in the Final 4 and will contend.

Lauderdale County has an AHSAA-best 13 state titles and should contend for No. 14 this season. Trinity, St. James, Midfield, Hillcrest-Evergreen and UMS-Wright, which drops down from Class 5A, will all have plenty of success.

Class 2A

It’s Pisgah’s sand box and the Eagles don’t like to share, winning 10 titles, second only to Lauderdale County.

Coach Carey Ellison has won eight of those championships and knows what it takes, but it’ll be tougher this season after losing one of the best senior classes in school history, including three-time Player of the Year Molly Heard.

The Eagles returning talent includes dynamic guard Kallie Tinker.

Cold Springs always fields a competitive team as does St. Luke’s, Sulligent and Lanett, which all played in the Final 4 last season. Other contenders include Locust Fork, Decatur Heritage (moving up from Class 1A) and Hatton.

Class 1A

Marion County won its first girls title last season, but lost most the team’s starters while Skyline, which won the 2021 title and reached the finals three of the past four seasons, also lost much of its punch.

That normally means a scramble to fill the void, but with Spring Garden dropping down from Class 2A, expect the Panthers to quickly find success.

Spring Garden returns first-team all-state Ace Austin to lead a good group for dad and coach Ricky Austin, who has guided the Panthers to the final game five times in the past eight seasons, winning three championships.

Other contenders include Final 4 participants Loachapoka and University Charter along with Brilliant and Linden.

TOP PLAYERS

ESPN HoopGurlz ranks on three players among its best in the nation, listing Hoover senior Reniya Kelly (North Carolina commit) and Jackson senior Naomi Jones (Alabama commit) along with Auburn freshman Kelsi Andrews.

Other top players include:

Class 7A

Auburn’s Syriah Daniels

Bob Jones’ Janyiah Bone

Daphne’s Addison Luker

Foley’s Jestiny Dixon and Keiyonia Knight

Hewitt-Trussville’s Jordan Hunter (Auburn commit)

Hoover’s Kristen McMillan (Central Arkansas commit)

Sparkman’s Kennedy Langham (Samford commit)

Vestavia Hills’ Anna Towry and Sarah Gordon

Class 6A

Chilton County’s Trinity Pulliam

Hazel Green’s Leah Brooks (Alabama commit)

Helena’s Olivia Johnigan

Hueytown’s Ghanaye Whitfield Moss

Lee-Huntsville’s Limaya Batimba

McAdory’s Tamirea Taylor

McGill-Toolen’s Lindsey Cox

Mortimer Jordan’s Jaylen Pleasant

Pelham’s Laci Gogan

Class 5A

Brewbaker Tech’s Erin Martin

Charles Henderson’s Makala Hobdy

St. Paul’s Ella Vallas

Vigor’s Kiara Howard

From the smaller schools

Deshler’s Chloe Siegel

Linden’s Timya Thurman

Pisgah’s Kallie Tinker

Prattville Christian’s Hannah Jones

Spring Garden’s Ace Austin

Susan Moore’s Cali Smallwood

NEWS AND NOTES

A strong group of teams begin two days of play in the Hazel Green Tip-Off Tournament starting on Friday. Hazel Green plays Central-Phenix City and Cullman while other teams include Class 7A Sparkman and Bob Jones along with Class 6A Mortimer Jordan, Lee-Huntsville and Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa, Class 5A Guntersville and Pleasant Grove and more.

Several coaches are approaching milestones.

Two coaches should surpass 700 career wins this season with Pisgah’s Ellison at 683-164 while Lauderdale County’s Brant Llewellyn has 677-123 career record.

Hazel Green coach Tim Miller also has an impressive record with 650 wins that includes nine championships with three different teams (Jeff Davis, Bob Jones and Hazel Green) while earning a spot in the Final 4 18 times.

Lee-Huntsville coach J. Silas 195 has career wins while Bob Jones coach Jazmine Carr has 99 wins in six seasons, three with the Patriots.

Hazel Green junior Leah Brooks should surpass 1,000 career points and rebounds this season.

KEY 2022-2023 DATES

Nov. 3: First official games

Feb. 4-10: AHSAA girls area tournaments

Feb. 8-10: AISA state final four tournament at Cramton Bowl Multiplex

Feb. 13: AHSAA girls sub-regionals

Feb. 16-23: AHSAA Regionals (Central-Bill Harris Arena, South-Garrett Coliseum, Northeast Jacksonville State, Northwest-Wallace-Hanceville)

Feb. 27-March 4: AHSAA state finals (Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center)