There is a lot to process in this week’s power ranking, with a lot of our top teams taking multiple losses over the past two weeks.
Each week, the O-Zone staff will rank the top 15 area boys’ basketball teams based on dominance by Class, aka how they stack up pound-for-pound with the other schools in their respective Class.
Strength of schedule and recent success are also factored into the rankings.
Overall record, Class and previous ranking are listed in parenthesis.
1. Hartville (11-2, Class 2, PR: 1) – As I highlighted in the Hartville-Licking game story last night, good teams don’t lose three straight games and the Eagles certainly fall under that category. It’s been a while since Hartville’s suffered three straight losses (December 2010, by my count). Hartville’s current senior class – which will go down as one of if not the most successful in school history – was in 6th grade the last time it happened. The Eagles know how to win, in any type of game. Hartville lost two games in the Blue and Gold last week, to Class 5 schools Glendale and Parkview. I think the Eagles will be just fine going forward. For perspective, Hartville lost to Strafford and Republic – and needed a buzzer-beater to defeat Conway – in the Blue and Gold last year and ended up winning state. Hartville has a three-game home stand before traveling to Nixa on Jan. 17, a rematch of last season’s 40-37 outcome won by Nixa.
Upcoming games: Jan. 6 vs. Willow Springs, Jan. 10 vs. Mansfield, Jan. 13 vs Morrisville
2. Walnut Grove (13-1, Class 1, PR: 2) – Hartville can thank Rogersville for keeping its top spot in the power rankings, after Rogersville handed Walnut Grove its first loss of the season last night, 74-58. No shame in losing to a Class 4 school the likes of Rogersville, which has a win over Mtn. Grove and close losses to Glendale, Ozark (twice), Willard and Nixa on its resume. Walnut Grove won’t see competition the likes of Rogersville going forward in its Class 1 schedule. Walnut Grove claimed its own tournament championship last week, defending PCL foe Hermitage in the finals, 85-65. Walnut Grove only led by three at halftime (43-40) before running away from the Hornets in the second half. Tournament MVP Logan Thomazin scored 38, including 23 in the second half. Hermitage will have a quick chance for revenge on the Tigers this Friday, as the teams meet in the official PCL game.
Upcoming games: Jan. 6 @ Hermitage, Jan. 9 vs. Fordland, Jan. 13 vs. Ash Grove
3. Mtn. Grove (8-2, Class 3, PR: 3) – In what was the best game of the tournament that no one (or at least, very few fans) saw, the Panthers suffered a heart-breaking 70-68 loss to Bolivar on the consolation side of the Gold Division as Conley Garrison scored the game-winner in the final seconds. At the same time, over at JQH, Willard and Rogersville were engaged in a low-scoring, defensive struggle that saw both teams holding the ball for 30-60 seconds at a time. The Panthers were also in position to beat Rogersville the previous night in the Gold quarterfinals, and probably would have if not for poor free throw shooting (6-for-18). I’m still riding with the Panthers as my top team in Class 3 for now; I think their guards and array of ball-handlers/scorers give Licking and Fair Grove matchup problems. We’ll finally see which team may be the best local team in Class 3 next week, when Mtn. Grove visits Licking. For now, Mtn. Grove competes in the Seymour Tournament this week. The Panthers defeated Lighthouse Christian 78-57 on Monday and play School of the Ozarks tomorrow night.
Upcoming games: Jan. 4-7 Seymour Tournament, Jan. 10 @ Licking, Jan. 13 @ Cabool,
4. Kickapoo (8-2, Class 5, PR: 4) – The Chiefs returned to action for the first time since Dec. 20 with a bang last night, winning 84-37 at West Plains behind 25 points from Jared Ridder. Kickapoo begins a gauntlet of a schedule over the next 10 days, with a road trip to Kansas City this weekend followed by the Tournament of Champions this weekend. Kickapoo’s reward for an 8-2 start is a first-round T of C matchup with national power Montverde (Fla.) Academy.
Upcoming games: Jan. 6 @ Blue Springs South, Jan. 7 @ Lee’s Summit, Jan. 12-14 Tournament of Champions
5. Bolivar (9-2, Class 4, PR: 7) – The Liberators finished up the 2016 portion of the schedule strong, picking up consolation wins over Mtn. Grove and Fair Grove (56-41) in the Gold Division. Way back on Dec. 21, Bolivar also played Class 4 No. 3-ranked Helias Catholic to a 74-72 overtime loss on the road. The Liberators’ other loss was 50-47 to Willard in the Blue and Gold, so Bolivar’s a few shots away from being undefeated. Senior guard Conley Garrison has emerged as one of the area’s premier guards. Not just a shooter/ball-handler any more, Garrison has proven himself as a bonafide scorer and playmaker. He scored 28 in the win over Mtn. Grove, including the game-winner.
Upcoming games: Jan. 6 vs. Bolivar, Jan. 10 @ Marshfield, Jan. 13 vs. Hollister
6. Licking (12-1, Class 3, PR: 5) – If your glass is half-full, Licking played the defending Class 2 state champs (Hartville) to a four-point loss and were several missed free throws away from being 13-0. If your glass is half-empty, it was the second straight game that Licking struggled for points against a quicker, guard-oriented team (Thayer being the other). Licking has the luxury of having two of the best three players on the court most nights between forwards Nathan Wilson and Brady Smith, but they’ll need some better perimeter play (and to limit turnovers) if they want a trip to the Class 3 state playoffs and Columbia.
Upcoming games: Jan. 6 vs. Stoutland, Jan. 10 vs. Mtn. Grove, Jan. 13 @ Iberia
7. Nixa (9-1, Class 5, PR: 6) – Here’s where things start to get a bit muddled, with teams in this 7-through-11 range having a legit argument for being slotted above the other. Nixa’s in a bit of a funk right now, but I’m still going to trust that the Eagles will figure it all out based off their talent and past history under coach Jay Osborne. Nixa lacked emotion and energy in the Blue and Gold Tournament, a sign of fatigue or disinterest, the latter of which is much more concerning. The loss to Ozark was a case of Nixa letting a great player (Quinn Nelson) get hot, building an early deficit, and the Eagles not making shots of their own (2-for-20 on 3-point attempts). Keep in mind that Nixa lost to Republic in the regular season last season, and went on to beat the Tigers convincingly in districts a few weeks later. We’ll see how Nixa responds from its shaky Blue and Gold performance soon; the Eagles have a daunting schedule ahead starting with a road trip to Kansas City this weekend.
Upcoming games: Jan. 6 @ Lee’s Summit, Jan. 7 @ Blue Springs South, Jan. 10 vs. Willard
8. Clever (9-3, Class 3, PR: 8) – It was a rough exit in the Blue and Gold for Clever, as it lost to Marshfield on a buzzer-beater on the consolation side of the Blue Division. Clever was sent there after losing to Parkview in the quarterfinals, a game which saw Clever play Parkview reasonably close for about three quarters before Parkview’s superior depth won out. Clever showed no hangover effects from the 1-2 stint in the Blue and Gold, hammering a decent Blue Eye team 62-21 at home last night. Clever faces another big test this Friday at home against Class 5 Willard. With non-conference games against Hartville, Ellington, Parkview and Marshfield so far, Clever’s primed to defend its SWCL crown heading into conference play.
Upcoming games: Jan. 6 vs. Willard, Jan. 13 @ Galena
9. Republic (10-1, Class 5, PR: 11) – Is No. 9 too low for the Tigers? There’s certainly an argument to be made the Tigers deserve to be a bit higher, as no one in the area is playing better than Republic right now. Class 5 is just really good, both locally and state-wide. The Tigers are on a roll: they won all four of the Blue and Gold games by double figures, including by 22 over Glendale (72-50) in the finals. Showing it was no fluke, Republic shut down Central 57-20 last night. Republic continues to field one of the stingiest defenses in the area; the most points its allowed in a game this season was to Class 3 power Cardinal Ritter (51-47), which was Republic’s lone loss of the season.
Upcoming games: Jan. 6 @ Bolivar, Jan. 10 vs. Carl Junction, Jan. 12-14 Tournament of Champions
10. Mansfield (10-3, Class 2, PR: 10) – I like what the Lions showed in the Blue and Gold. Mansfield held its own against Glendale and the Falcons’ guards – something which bodes well going forward in Class 2 with Hartville looming. If Dylan Caruso (17 points, 7 rebounds) isn’t in foul trouble in that game, things really get interesting down the stretch. Mansfield bounced back from that loss with victories over Catholic (the Irish had beat Mansfield nearly two weeks earlier) and Marshfield on the consolation side. Mansfield beat an underrated Cabool team 71-54 in the Seymour Tournament quarterfinals last night and plays Plato in the semifinals tomorrow night.
Upcoming games: Jan. 5-7 Seymour Tournament, Jan. 10 Hartville, Jan. 13 vs. Bradleyville
11. Fair Grove (10-4, Class 3, PR: 9) – The Eagles can be a tough team to figure out. Some nights, Fair Grove can look really good: overtime loss to Hartville at the Clever Tournament and out-playing Ozark for three quarters at the Blue and Gold, for example. Fair Grove led Ozark, the eventual Gold Division champ, 45-38 going into fourth in a game that came down to the final minute. Other nights, Fair Grove can look like a different team; the Eagles had slow starts and had to grind out victories over Forsyth, West Plains and Greenwood. Fair Grove also struggled in the first-half against Conway last night before pulling away for a 67-54 victory. Fair Grove’s district will again be very challenging, but fortunately for the Eagles, the freshmen that are playing heavy varsity minutes will have plenty of experience come late February.
Upcoming games: Jan. 6 @ Stockton, Jan. 10 @ Ash Grove, Jan. 13 vs. Catholic
12. Thayer (11-2, Class 2, PR: 14) – Thayer pushed Licking to the brink – and Zyman Langley made some ridiculous shots – in the finals of the Cabool Tournament last week, before Licking won out in OT, 47-40. Thayer adjusted from its normal go-go-go style with forward Ayden Stone in foul trouble and the Bobcats managed to shorten the game and keep it within one possession for most of the second half. Thayer’s not very deep, but its starting five is good enough to give them a chance against any other Class 1-3 school in the area.
Upcoming games: Jan. 6 vs. Bakersfield, Jan. 10 vs. Eminence, Jan. 13 vs. Salem
13. Hermitage (11-1, Class 1, PR: 12) – The Hornets made it to the finals of the Walnut Grove Holiday Classic last Friday, but couldn’t keep up with the host school in the second half and ended up losing, 85-65. So is Hermitage more like the first-half team that played Walnut Grove to a 43-40 deficit at halftime, or the second-half team that ended up losing by 20? Perhaps somewhere in the middle, but we’ll find out for sure this Friday when the teams meet in Hickory County for the Polk County League clash. Despite the loss, Hornets coach Joe Nicholson said he was proud of the Hornets’ effort and said his players will be eager to face Grove on their home court. Hermitage also collected wins over Miller, Billings and Fair Play at the Walnut Grove Classic, and won 67-37 at Weaubleau last night.
Upcoming games: Jan. 6 vs. Walnut Grove, Jan. 9-14 Lakeland Tournament
14. Hillcrest (7-3, Class 4, PR: Unranked) – The Hornets are back! Hillcrest is showing signs of its potential after a sluggish start to the season. The Hornets have won six straight after starting 1-3, the latest three wins coming at the Harrison, Ark. Tournament last week. Considering how they fared in the Blue and Gold, Hillcrest’s wins over Rogersville and Willard look really good right now. Hillcrest begins conference play this Friday.
Upcoming games: Jan. 6 vs. Waynesville, Jan. 10 @ Rolla
15. Ozark (9-3, Class 5, PR: Unranked) – The Tigers emerged as the darkhorse of the tournament last week, overcoming a close call with Fair Grove in the quarterfinals to beat Nixa and Willard for the Gold Division championship. Weird things can happen when playing four games in four days, but Ozark found its groove at the right time. The Tigers entered the tournament with close wins over Parkview and Rogersville, and a blowout loss to Kickapoo, but something – maybe the motivation to prove they were better than a 4-seed – seemed to click for them in the Blue and Gold. Also, don’t call Quinn Nelson just a shooter. Ozark is off completely this week before returning to action next Tuesday at Carthage.
Upcoming games: Jan. 10 @ Carthage, Jan. 13 vs. Webb City
Dropped out: Glendale (6-5 Class 5), Eminence (4-4, Class 1)
Knocking on the door: Eminence, Lincoln (7-1, Class 2), McAuley Catholic (9-3, Class 2), Marionville (9-0, Class 2), Greenwood (9-3, Class 2), Lamar (9-2, Class 3), Glendale, Willard (7-5, Class 5), Parkview (8-4, Class 5)
