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By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Below are the Jan. 22 boys basketball power rankings.
NOTE: THESE RANKINGS ARE BASED ON DOMINANCE BY CLASS, NOT STRICTLY HEAD-TO-HEAD RESULTS
1. (4) Eminence (C1: 16-1)
We have a new No. 1 and they’ve done everything possible to earn the top spot. Ultimately it comes down to how good are you within your class and Eminence looks like they’re state championship good. Since opening the season with a loss to defending Class 1 runner-up Advance, the Redwings have won 16 straight which includes Dora, Thayer (three times), Clever and Blue Eye. If they’re still No. 1 by season’s end they will have earned it with people like Dora, South Iron and Ellington left.
2. (1) Mountain Grove (C3: 15-1)
Mountain Grove finally lost – proving that they are in fact human – but what does it really mean? Ultimately, someone in the Ozarks needs to beat the Panthers in a meaningful game which hasn’t happened in a while. It took an overtime miracle for a state-ranked Class 3 team (Licking) to beat Grove. They did bounce back by drilling Cabool and now they’ll host their own tournament, which includes Hartville, Dora, Clever and Class 4 Marshfield.
3. (9) Ozark (C5: 12-5)
Ozark is 4-4 in their last four games, which is more losses than most of the top teams in the area have all season. However, this is purely an eye test ranking; right now there’s no one in Class 5 playing better basketball than the Tigers. Ozark looked impressive in the Tournament of Champions and followed that up by drilling solid Class 5 teams Parkview and SLUH. Quinn Nelson is averaging 25.7 points over his last six games. When he’s knocking down shots and Schweitzer is flexing they’re a tough team. Having Webb City, Glendale, Nixa and Willard in an 11-day span will let us know just how tough.
4. (6) Rolla (C4: 14-1)
The winning streak is up to 12 and as the guy that carried the Rolla flag at the beginning of the season, they’ve done nothing but back up the hype. The Bulldogs lone loss came to Ozark on Dec. 1. Since then, Rolla has given people the business, which includes Hogan Prep, Helias Catholic, Hillcrest and Waynesville. Matchups with Jeff City, Joplin and Lebanon are all up this week as the Class 4 Bulldogs step up to play Class 5 competition.
5. (11) Walnut Grove (C1: 9-7)
They’ve quietly won three straight games – all by at least 30 points – and seem like they’re becoming the Walnut Grove we’ve come to expect. The losses weren’t bad and quite frankly they still don’t matter until someone in Class 1 beats them. Walnut Grove’s schedule is an example of what competitive small schools should want. Yes, they’ll likely lose more games because of the Nixa Invitational Tournament, as well as seeing Hartville and Dora down the road. Let’s hold the judgement on their ranking until the playoffs start.
6. (8) Dora (C1: 15-3)
The Falcons have won six straight, which includes a win over Class 3 MV-BT/Liberty and Class 4 Aurora and have three players (all freshman) averaging double figures. They’ve established that they’re an elite Class 1 team, but the question is how elite? With Hartville, Walnut Grove and Eminence all coming up in the next two weeks – all on the road – we’re about to find out.
7. (5) Springfield Catholic (C3: 15-4)
The Irish have won 10 of their last 11 with the lone loss coming to Class 4 Helias Catholic. Right now, there’s nothing to complain about. They can go big and beat you up or go small and kill you with guard play. Back-to-back nonconference games with Republic and Saxony Lutheran will be tough, before Catholic jumps back into COC action with Rogersville.
8. (3) Thayer (C2: 16-3)
Thayer is undefeated… against everyone not named Eminence. The Bobcats have met their match in the Redwings, losing all three meetings this season, but fortunately they don’t share a conference or class with Eminence. Thayer hops out of SCA play to see North Tech out of St. Louis before closing six straight league games including the annual clash with Mountain Grove.
9. (2) Glendale (C5: 11-5)
If we ignore the Tournament of Champions, Glendale has won 10 straight games and scored at least 90 points in five of those. Really, this team is about where we’d expect them to be with only the Nixa loss being unexpected. Monty Johal is the city’s all-time leading scorer, and nobody has made more triples in a Glendale uniform than Jordan Walton. Waynesville and Ozark this week, before the Falcons jump into the heart of OC play.
10. (15) Mansfield (C2: 11-4)
It’s really difficult to hold any of their losses against them. Class 4’s Hillcrest and West Plains and Class 3 Mountain Grove and Springfield Catholic. Even still, this is a team that has beaten Hartville. So, they lost some games they probably should’ve and beaten everyone that they probably should. They have three straight wins with a four-game week, all of which are nonconference.
11. (7) Nevada (C4: 14-3)
Nevada continues to just fly under the radar and I think they’re okay with that. The Tigers lost in the championship game of a tournament for the second time this season. In fact, all there of their losses have come in tournaments, to teams that are a combined 39-9 this season. Carthage, Clinton and Warrensburg are up next for Nevada.
12. (10) Hartville (C2: 14-4)
Brett Reed has been stacking wins in Hartville like crazy. The Eagles have won six of their last seven, which includes beating the likes of Licking and Strafford. It took everything Mansfield had to top the Eagles and the other three teams to do so will likely be Class 3 district champions. Coming up next is the Mountain Grove Tournament, Cabool and Dora.
13. (12) Republic (C5: 12-4)
RepMo has won four straight games and that number would be higher had Broc Smith not gone down with an ankle injury. He’ll be fine, and the Tigers are a tough out with him on the floor. They beat football powers Carthage and Lamar this week and have a rematch with Springfield Catholic, and a tilt with Father Tolton before jumping back into COC play. Republic has held 11 straight opponents to fewer than 50 points. Again, head coach Trevyor Fisher is one of – maybe the best – in the business.
14. (NR) Hurley (C1: 13-5)
The Tigers started the season 2-5, but are a perfect 11-0 since Christmas Day behind the play of senior guards Chase Simpson and William Pope, both of whom are averaging better than 20 points on the season. Hurley is a team that isn’t going to impress you getting off the bus. Really they’re underwhelming in the layup line, but Ryan Yates has these dudes playing hard and he has two great scorers in Simpson and Pope. This is a dangerous crew in Class 1.
15. (14) Joplin (C5: 11-3)
Joplin is holding onto a ranking by the skin of its teeth. The Eagles have lost three games, all of which have come in 2018 and all of which have come to out of area competition, which makes it more difficult to gauge. However, Central, Rolla and Parkview this week will immediately let us know just how good the Eagles are. They’ll also offer a talented crop of Joplin wings some elite competition in Josh Pritchett (Rolla) and Tyem Freeman (Parkview).
Knockin’ on the Door: Nixa (C5: 10-6), Blue Eye (C2: 13-3), Pierce City (C2: 14-4), Joplin Thomas Jefferson (C2: 13-2), Forsyth (C3: 14-3), Conway (C3: 11-3), Rogersville (C4: 11-5), Strafford (C3: 11-6), Waynesville (C5: 10-5)
