Stateline Preps: Boys Hoops Power Rankings (Week 1)
Welcome back to Stateline Preps Football Powe… Wait a minute, that’s not right.
I guess with prep football over, it’s time for a new Stateline Preps blog — this time for basketball.
Just looking at the Stateline teams in the first week, there’s a feeling that this could be some of the most talent-laden teams in Stateline history.
Consider that nearly every team has some sort of star power from Beloit Memorial (K.J. Evans and Sharod Stone) to Hononegah (Mario Donaldson), to Brodhead (J.J. Panoske), Parkview (Nick Melton), Beloit Turner (Jordan Conway) and South Beloit (Denzel Woods and Katonka Friar).
It should make for an interesting and entertaining season, not to mention a difficult time ranking the top five teams in the area.
But, I’ll give it a shot and see what happens. What could go wrong? Right?
(Disclaimer: This is my opinion only, so if you don’t agree with it, feel free to send me a comment on the bottom of the page. Otherwise, it’s not a life-and-death situation.)
1. BELOIT MEMORIAL (2-0): After losing big men Marshall Davis and Terell Parks to graduation, the Purple Knights figured to be one of the biggest question marks in the Stateline. So far, so good. After a one-point victory over Milwaukee Riverside (52-51), Beloit ran over Janesville Parker (82-61) with balanced scoring (13 players scored) and, gulp, strong defense. While last year’s team gave coach Jay Bryant size for the first time in his career, this seems more like Bryant’s team: Fast, athletic and irritatingly good. NEXT: Tuesday vs. Janesville Craig; Friday at Madison East.
2. HONONEGAH (6-0): After finishing undefeated in the Hoops for Healing Tournament, the Indians got a nice, little warmup schedule in the NIC-10, facing undermanned Harlem and not-yet-ready-for-primetime Guilford. The Indians dispatched both teams, but not in the usual way. Hononegah’s interior defense was surprisingly weak in its win over Harlem, but the Indians have shown they have plenty of scorers. Look out for big seasons from Mario Donaldson and Stanley Moore. NEXT: Friday at Freeport.
3. SOUTH BELOIT (4-1): Perhaps the most startling loss from last week was South Beloit’s 19-point whooping at the hands of Pecatonica. But as coach Mat Parker said, “You can’t shoot 15 percent and win.” The SoBos rebounded nicely, thumping a much-bigger North Boone team and rolling to an 87-70 win last year’s co-NUIC champs Polo. Terrel Williams has given the SoBos another scorer. You can almost hear the rest of the NUIC team sighing. NEXT: Thursday at Durand; Friday at Pecatonica.
4. BRODHEAD (2-1): If this team can grow up and continue to mature, they could be in line for a great season. If not, mediocrity will follow them everywhere they go. There’s no question that the Cardinals have the best big man in the area (Panoske), but will a lack of veteran leadership (one senior) haunt them? Time will tell. NEXT: Tuesday at Parkview; Friday at East Troy.
5. PARKVIEW (3-2): Parkview seems to have the right mix around all-everything Nick Melton. The Vikings have surrounded their star with shooters, which is the right thing to do. When you have players like Jay Naatz to kick it out to, it makes Parkview even more dangerous. Parkview’s 2-2 run at the Hoops for Healing Tournament opened some eyes, especially considering that the Vikings played schools nearly four times its size. The real Rock Valley test begins Tuesday for Parkview when it hosts Brodhead. Remember, Parkview went 0-6 against the top three RVC teams (Brodhead, Turner, Big Foot) last season. NEXT: Tuesday vs. Brodhead; Friday at Evansville.
STAR SYSTEM
(I award stars to the top five players in the past week, checking out who had star performances in Week 1).
1. J.J. PANOSKE (BRODHEAD) — The 6-foot-9 junior scored 33 points in the Cardinals’ victory over Clinton, scoring 20 points in the first and fourth quarters. If he can dominate like this, look out.
2. TERELL WILLIAMS (SOUTH BELOIT) — Williams scored 50 points in the SoBos’ victories over Polo and North Boone. The diminutive guard has shown an early-season propensity for lighting up the scoreboard and an outstanding shooting touch from beyond the arc.
3. SHAROD STONE (BELOIT MEMORIAL) — If the Purple Knights are to repeat last season’s state tournament bid, they’ll have to win in different ways. That’s where guys like Stone come in. He was big in Beloit’s triumph over Milwaukee Riverside (game-clinching free throw) and he had 16 points to lead a balanced Knights’ squad over Parker. He could be the most improved player in the Stateline this season.
4. NICK MELTON (PARKVIEW) — If you want to talk about all-around performances, the discussion begins and ends with Melton. Here’s a sample of his stat line against Palmyra-Eagle: 14 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds, 5 steals. That’s what you call stuffing the boxscore.
5. CHASE ROBINSON (HONONEGAH) — Usually makes the football Star System, but his basketball prowess puts him on this particular list. There may be no better interview in the Stateline than Robinson, who’s humble and funny. He put together his best showing to date in Hononegah’s 62-51 win over Harlem, scoring 19 points and knocking down four three-pointers, proving he’s not just a player you can leave uncovered.
Beloit Memorial's Leketreuis Broomfield
