Stateline Preps: Boys Hoops Power Rankings (Week 4)
After a long holiday break and probably five pounds, it’s time to get back to basketball.
Most of the Stateline teams competed in tournaments over the past two weeks with some faring well (Beloit Turner) and others doing OK (Beloit Memorial).
But tournaments are made for getting better for the rest of the season, which is what those teams can only hope for.
Even with a month gone by, there still is no clear-cut favorite in the Stateline as far as “best team.” I think there are some good teams this year, but there’s yet to be a dominant one that wows. There were three teams like that last year, but two of the three fell flat in the state tournament.
So, maybe this year will bring better results, if not better teams.
Here’s the rankings:
1. BELOIT MEMORIAL (5-2): I still think Beloit Memorial is the best team in the Stateline even though the Purple Knights lost to sixth-ranked Racine Park in the Waterford Tournament. If there’s such a thing as good losses, Beloit has them (Park and Madison East). In the loss to Racine Park, you could tell how badly the Knights miss Terell Parks and Marshall Davis. Beloit’s perimeter defense is still strong, but once a team gets the ball in the paint, it’s not pretty. With that said, Beloit has a chance to take down a pair of Madison teams this week to solidify its spot in the Big Eight. NEXT: Tuesday at Madison West, 7:30 p.m.; Friday vs. Madison Memorial, 7:30 p.m.
2. HONONEGAH (10-2): Hononegah teases you with offense one night (88 points against North Chicago) then disappears the next night (25 points in loss to Champaign Centennial). Looking at Hononegah’s roster, there’s not an abundance of talent, so the Indians finishing second at the State Farm Classic to a team that’s won 33 games in a row is not a big setback. Stanley Moore (First Team All-Tournament) continues to impress. You have to wonder if Hononegah used Moore enough last year as he certainly could have given them a lift. NEXT: Friday vs. Rockford East, 7 p.m.
3. BELOIT TURNER (7-1): The Trojans should really be 8-0 and looking at a spot in the state rankings. Turner coach Ken Watkins has done an extraordinary job in playing to his team’s strengths and getting the best out of his players — not an easy task. The best example would be D.J. Hill. Mostly a floor leader last season, Hill has stepped up his scoring and has made some big plays down the stretch in key games. Winning the Pardeeville Tournament was a big deal, but beating Brodhead on Friday night would send a message to the rest of the Rock Valley South Conference. NEXT: Tuesday vs. Palmyra-Eagle, 7:15 p.m.; Friday vs. Brodhead, 7:15 p.m.
4. BIG FOOT (4-3): I know Big Foot doesn’t have a better overall record than Brodhead, but the Chiefs are still the only unbeaten team in the RVC South. Of course, all that could change if they lose on Tuesday to the Cardinals. Big Foot’s strength lies in its defense. If the Chiefs are to have any shot at taking down Brodhead, it’ll have to be on the defensive end. We’ll see if they can get it done. NEXT: Tuesday vs. Brodhead, 7:15 p.m; Friday vs. Parkview, 7:15 p.m.
5. SOUTH BELOIT (5-2): The SoBos have been off so long that I’ve kind of lost track of them. Consider that their last game was on Dec. 14 and they won’t play again until Thursday at North Boone. That’s a looooong break. I wonder if Denzel Woods and Katonka Friar have graduated yet. NEXT: Thursday at North Boone, 7 p.m.; Saturday vs. Forreston, 7:30 p.m.
STAR SYSTEM
I am suspending the Star System this week as not every team played in the same amount of games last week, therefore making it difficult to determine who truly had the top five performances. It will return next week!
Beloit Memorial's Leketrius Broomfield.
