With games finally under way, it’s time to unveil our first Boys’ Basketball Power Rankings of the 2015-16 season.
As with all our power rankings, these are based on dominance by Class, not head-to-head. It’s the “pound-for-pound” best teams in the Ozarks.
Current record, Class and previous ranking are listed in parenthesis.
1. Kickapoo (3-0, C5, NR) – A solid start to the season for the Chiefs, who beat Jefferson City Helias, DeSmet and Class 4 No. 9-ranked Glendale to win the MBCA Hall of Fame Classic over the weekend. Jared Ridder led Kickapoo in all three games (23 ppg) and was named Tournament MVP for his efforts. Guards Isaac Johnson and Niekie Thomas-Fontleroy joined Ridder on the all-tournament team. Kickapoo faces Champaign (Ill.) Central this Friday night in the Ozark Mountain Shootout at Glendale High School, before pre-Christmas games against Branson (Dec. 15), Ozark (Dec. 18) and Springfield Central (Dec. 22).
2. Bolivar (1-0, C4, NR) – After leading by just five at halftime, Bolivar pulled away in the second half to defeat Pleasant Hill 65-50 at home in its season opener last Friday night. Bryce Krueger led the Liberators in scoring, but with five starters back and some improved depth, this will be a balanced team that can score in a variety of ways. Bolivar visits Hillcrest on Tuesday night and hosts Warrensburg on Friday.
3. Hartville (4-0, C2, NR) – The Eagles have hit the ground running. Hartville has won its first four games, with all outcomes decided by double digits. The Eagles blew out Sparta in the semifinals of the Clever Tournament last Friday, then topped the host Blue Jays in the finals, 69-56. The win over Clever was much closer than the final score indicates, as Hartville trailed 51-48 with six minutes remaining before going on a 10-0 run. Ryan Ward, who was an all-state player last season at Newburg, led Hartville with 28 points in the finals victory over Clever. Ward figures to be a nice addition to a group that already includes All-Summit Conference returnees Grant Dedmon, Deric Jones and Dune Piper.
4. Nixa (1-0, C5, NR) – A 62-point win is impressive at any level. Nixa’s 82-26 win over Carl Junction got the Eagles off to a 1-0 start and may have been a sign Nixa will be just fine even without all-stater Jacob Ruder. We’ll go against history, for now, and put Kickapoo ahead of Nixa even though Nixa has 11 of the last 13 meetings. The Eagles, led by all-state forward Chase Allen, should still be very good and capable of defeating the Chiefs – again – come districts thanks to what is probably the best frontcourt in the area.
5. Walnut Grove (4-0, C1, NR) – There’s heat check, then there’s the level Logan Thomazin was on in the third quarter of Saturday’s Marionville Tournament finals against Greenfield. Thomazin, a sophomore guard, erupted in the third quarter, scoring 25 of his 29 points (including five 3-pointers) as Walnut Grove put away Greenfield for a 68-47 victory. Walnut Grove outscored Greenfield 29-7 in the decisive third quarter after leading just 30-26 at halftime on a Hunter Gilkey buzzer-beating 3-pointer to end the first half. Walnut Grove also got 18 points from Dallas Meinders and 17 points, nine rebounds and three assists from Gilkey. Walnut Grove is riding an average margin of victory of 41.25 points per game right now, but the schedule will stiffen up over the next week with home games against Greenfield (Dec. 8) and Lockwood (Dec. 15).
6. Thayer (4-0, C2, NR) – Thayer won its own tournament over the weekend, knocking off MV-BT/Liberty 71-58 in the title game. Ayden Henry went off for 38 points against Liberty and was named tournament MVP. Thayer has a good early season test tomorrow (Tuesday) night when it hosts Winona, a team that went 21-3 last year but was upset by Neelyville in its district semifinal game. The Bobcats finish the week by hosting Couch on Friday night.
7. Conway (3-0, C3, NR) – Conway rode Andrew Huckaby to a title-game victory over Strafford in the Strafford Tournament on Saturday. Huckaby scored a game-high 28 points, but it was his leadership abilities that earned praise from coach Jeffery Cope afterwards. The victory also gives Conway an early leg-up on district seeding for the Class 3, District 11 group, which appears to be pretty competitive at the top between Conway, Fair Grove, Strafford and Clever. With upcoming games against Mountain Grove (Dec. 10), Clever (Dec. 12) and Fordland (Dec. 15), Conway can work itself into mid-level seed consideration for the Blue and Gold Tournament later this month.
8. Glendale (2-1, C4, NR) – A young Falcons team couldn’t keep up with a more experienced Kickapoo team in the finals of the MBCA Hall of Fame Classic on Saturday, as the Chiefs prevailed 84-68. Sophomores Jordan Walton and Monty Johal look to be ready to shoulder the main scoring duties for Glendale this season, with senior Tristan Baker (12.6 ppg through three games) emerging early as a No. 3 option. Walton and Joahl were named to the MBCA Hall of Fame Classic All-Tournament Team. In Glendale’s season opener, Walton scored his 400th career point during the game, which made him the fastest boys’ player in SPS history to reach that mark among those who played varsity as a freshman
9. Crane (4-0, C2, NR) – The Pirates dominated the Pierce City Tournament last weekend, winning all three games by at least 25 points, including 77-48 over Greenwood in the title game. Some different names are leading the way for Crane compared to recent seasons, but the Pirates’ “go-go-go” style under coach Craig Campbell will be tough for most other local Class 2 groups not named Hartville to keep up with. Crane hosts Hurley on Tuesday night then Reeds Spring next Monday, Dec. 14.
10. Clever (3-1, C3, NR) – Clever was six minutes away from getting what may have been its best win to date under coach Luke Brosius. The Blue Jays couldn’t hold that 51-48 lead and ultimately fell 69-56 to Hartville in the finals of the Clever Tournament. Sophomore Devan Hampton is off to a nice start for Clever and gives the Blue Jays another threat to go with sharp-shooting forwards Jakob Partee and Jakob Albright. Clever has upcoming games against Strafford (Dec. 11), Conway (Dec. 12) and Carthage (Dec. 17), all at home, so there’s an opportunity for the Blue Jays to build a mid-level seed-worthy Blue and Gold resume.
11. Fair Grove (4-1, C3, NR) – The Eagles suffered their first loss of the season on Friday, falling in a tight semifinals contest against Clever, 67-64. Fair Grove rebounded the next night, beating Sparta 83-57 to take 3rd place at the Clever Tournament in a father (Larry Brown, Sparta) vs. son (Tim Brown, Fair Grove) coaching matchup. Fair Grove’s showing signs of a being an excellent offensive team – the Eagles have scored at least 64 points in all four of their games, and have surpassed the 80-point barrier three times already. Ultimately, how well Fair Grove defends will determine whether or not the Eagles can get out alive in a competitive Class 3, District 11 group. This week, Fair Grove plays at Mt. Vernon on Tuesday then hosts Buffalo on Friday night in the Battle for Highway 65.
12. Ozark (3-0, C5, NR) – Ozark out-gunned Rolla in the finals of the Republic Tournament on Saturday, winning 86-77. It was the second straight year the two teams had met in the Republic Tournament finals, with Rolla claiming an 82-72 victory in 2014. Down 55-47 midway through the third quarter, Ozark went on a 25-7 run – behind consecutive treys from sophomores Jack McCowan and Curt Gracey – to take control of the game. Seven players scored for Ozark, four in double figures, so Ozark should have good balance going forward. The Tigers play at Central on Tuesday night then face Blue Valley (Kan.) Northwest in the Ozark Mountain Shootout at Glendale High School on Saturday.
13. Rolla (3-1, C4, NR) – Rolla’s lack of depth finally caught up to it in the finals of the Republic Tournament against Ozark, but coach Mark Miller is confident the event will prep his team well for the upcoming regular season grind. All-state guard Kobe Wands scored 20 of his game-high 27 in the second half against Ozark, with Logan Short adding 21 points and Sam Marshall scoring 12. The Bulldogs, who opened the season with an impressive 26-point win over Rogersville, have some local matchups ahead with a game at St. James (Dec. 8) and a home date with Salem (Dec. 15).
14. Skyline (3-0, C2, NR) – Skyline claimed the Warsaw Tournament championship on Saturday, holding off Butler in the finals, 67-62. Skyline plays at Warsaw – a team it beat 76-55 in last week’s tournament – on Friday, then visits Lincoln next Monday. On Tuesday, Dec. 15, Skyline finally gets its first crack at a local opponent when the Tigers host Buffalo.
15. Weaubleau (4-0, C1, NR) – The No. 3 seed Tigers “upset” top seed Hermitage, 67-64, to win the Humansville Tournament on Saturday and take the final spot in our rankings. It was a good showing for a Weaubleau group that has several new varsity players in its rotation, said coach Matt Johnson. The second quarter was the difference, as Weaubleau out-scored Hermitage 14-4. In the semifinal round, Weaubleau beat 2-seed Fair Play and saw senior forward Gatlin Freeman surpass 1,000 career points. Weaubleau has two home games this week, facing Greenwood on Tuesday then Macks Creek on Thursday.
Knocking on the door: Strafford (2-1, C3), Mtn. Grove (3-0, C3), Hillcrest (0-0, C4), Waynesville (1-0, C5), Hermitage (3-1, C1), Winona (2-1, C2), Bradleyville (3-0, C1), Aurora (2-1, C4)
