Anne Arundel County
County champion Severna Park and Class 4A state semifinalist Chesapeake both have plenty back to be considered the favorites, but there's plenty of company not far behind.
The Falcons (19-6), who avenged a regular-season loss to Chesapeake with a 55-38 win in the county championship game, return four of their five starters and 10 players in all led by first-team All-County senior guard Jessica Norris.
The Cougars don't come with as much depth, but standout senior guard Courtney Gogolinski does. The versatile 5-foot-9 first-team All-County performer did a lot of everything to lead Chesapeake to a 20-7 mark.
South River - with four players at 6 feet or taller, led by Lindsay Sheppard (15.4 points, 11.5 rebounds) - will be difficult to defend in the post, and Arundel - with guards Amanda Hernandez and Alex McGuire - will cause havoc and turnovers with its typical high-pressured defense.
Enough returning talent and good coaching will make Annapolis, Meade and Broadneck all teams that can not be overlooked.
Baltimore City
Dunbar coach Wardell Selby calls the seniors on this season's team "the last of the unknown soldiers." That's what all the Poets were four years ago, but after three straight state championships and a couple of city titles, everyone knows about these Poets.
The graduation of hot-shooting guard Toni Kennedy leaves an 18-point void in the offense, but senior guards Bianca Sullivan and Shalane Price and junior forward Jolunda Leake should help fill it.
In its second season as a varsity program, Southside could give the Poets (26-1) a run in Division I. The Jaguars (17-5), who return three starters, lost only to Dunbar and Western in the league last season.
With four starters back, including 6-0 junior forward Krystal Vaughn, Lake Clifton could also contend while Carver, City and Poly should be competitive.
In Division II, perennial contender Western looks to be the front-runner for new coach Donchez Graham. The Doves, who came on strong at the end of last season, are young but have a lot of potential.
Walbrook (17-6) graduated six seniors but still looks to be the Doves' best competition.
Baltimore County
After winning its first county championship since 1978, Parkville will be looking for another.
With nine returning players, including senior forward/guard Deshonda Barton and sophomore guard Patrice Griffin, the Knights (22-2) have talent and depth to pursue it.
Milford Mill (21-5) has the same, however, and should give Parkville a run in Division I. Led by senior forwards Candyce Jeter and Qiana Cheatham, the Millers lost point guard Tammy Rogers to St. Frances but will be OK in the backcourt.
Look for Towson (16-7) also to be in the hunt.
Last year's Division II winner, Catonsville, again faces a tough fight from Woodlawn.
The Comets (21-6) return three starters, including senior forward Carly Wasserbach and her sophomore guard sister, Sandy, but have significant holes to fill. The Warriors (21-4), however, return 80 percent of their offense. Junior guard Ronda Shelly leads the returnees. Woodlawn also picked up a strong transfer and 6-1 freshman center Kim Carr.
Division III appears to be a three-team race. Defending champion Patapsco (15-6) returns 10 players, Loch Raven (11-10) brings back nine and Western Tech (14-6) eight.
Carroll County
Westminster has the talent to be head and shoulders above the rest of the county, returning three first-team All-County picks in senior point guard Kerry Higgs, 5-11 junior forward Jennifer Walkling and county Player of the Year Emily Bollinger, a 6-1 center who averaged 16.0 points and 8.7 rebounds.
The Owls (15-8) have lost just once at home over the past two seasons. A team to watch will be first-year Century, which finished 15-1 last season at the JV level and features several key players from the school's 2A state champion girls soccer team, including guards Kelly Kasper - county Player of the Year in soccer - and Lauren Schwarzmann. The Knights, however, are fighting a rash of injuries, with four of their top nine players currently on the shelf.
Century coach Joel Beard will have mixed emotions when his team plays North Carroll, a team featuring his daughter, Courtney. The Panthers also return a pair of second-team All-County players in forward Shanna Shirey and guard Carly Rihard, but will need to replace one of the county's best in point guard Katy Winemiller.
Liberty, which last year contended with Westminster for the county title, graduated its two best players in first-team picks Holly Steinacker and Becky Trumbo.
Harford County
Aberdeen seeks to build off a record-setting season in which the Eagles (20-5) won the county title and made their first state tournament appearance after winning the 2A East region. They return four starters on a team now dominated by juniors. Guard Tameka McDonald, an intense defender, will run the offense. Forward Rudina Johnson will provide the scoring and rebounding punch in the paint.
With nine players back, Fallston (12-10) is the deepest team in the county. Senior forward Alison Kelly, junior point guard Kelly Heier and sophomore guard Amanda Andrews are the key returning starters. Add in four more seniors and the Cougars hope the close games they lost last season will turn into wins.
North Harford (13-9), which lost to Aberdeen in the regional semifinals, brings back a good mix of talent.
Nicole Nimmo, the new coach at C. Milton Wright, faces an uphill challenge: The Mustangs graduated 70 percent of last season's offense. Edgewood (13-8) has a new coach in Gary Pusinsky, and Mike Harris takes over at Joppatowne. Bel Air should bounce back after a down season. Havre de Grace (5-18) returns four starters.
Howard County
Four teams with legitimate championship aspirations will make the race for the county title a tight one.
River Hill is the safe choice. The Hawks return nearly everyone from a 16-8 team, and they added some punch with freshman guard Keisha Eaddy. The Hawks have four 6-footers, plenty of scoring and so much talent that coach Teresa Waters may rotate 11 players.
Depth may be the one advantage River Hill holds over Glenelg. But the Gladiators counter with Cieran Lesikar's most balanced team, led by 6-2 center Cheyenne Davidson, forward Alli Biggs and guard Chrissy Starcher.
Also vying for the top spot will be Mount Hebron and Long Reach. The defending champion Vikings have county Player of the Year Kristen Waagbo and some solid role players. The Lightning will try to build off its first winning season behind a talented backcourt.
Atholton and Wilde Lake are on the rise. The Raiders (2-21) are healthier and hungrier. Teamwork will be the key for the Wildecats.
Hit hard by graduation, Centennial and Hammond will depend on younger players. Howard and Oakland Mills should be more competitive.
Private schools
Parity could again be the watchword in the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference, but two teams likely will rise above the pack - St. Frances and the Institute of Notre Dame.
The Panthers have the most enviable roster of talent, led by 6-0 forward Angel McCoughtry and 5-10 guard Shadae Swan. The Indians aren't far behind with 5-9 guard Chandrea Jones and 5-10 forward Colby Lee.
Defending champion Archbishop Spalding and runner-up Seton Keough both suffered significant losses to graduation, but should regroup quickly. The crowd in the middle could include McDonogh, St. Mary's, Roland Park, Mercy, Mount de Sales and St. John's-Prospect Hall, which moved up after winning the B Conference last season.
In the B Conference, Chapelgate has the early edge despite graduating three starters. The Flames (27-5) return point guard Heather Landis, and they can run. Also look for Pallotti (14-10) and St. Paul's (10-16) to contend.
With defending champion Catholic now in the B Conference and Beth Tfiloh having graduated high-scoring guard Stacey Hollander, the C Conference field is wide-open.