Stateline Preps: Boys Hoops Power Rankings (Week 6)
Usually in the power rankings, there’s a clear-cut No. 1 team in the Stateline.
But, not this week.
Never have I been so unsure of a No.1 team until this week.
That’s because a lot of teams have slipped with the question being how far?
Hononegah lost three of four in its own Martin Luther King Jr. Tournament, but those teams were not named East, Guilford or Freeport. They were Zion-Benton, Normal West and Naperville Neuqua Valley. None of which are slouches with each boasting a Division 1 player.
Beloit Memorial has had some difficult losses and it’s tough to gauge what kind of team the Purple Knights are.
Beloit Turner had momentum but lost by 13 points to East Troy. Parkview is a good team, but besides a one-point win over Big Foot, I’m still leery as to how good they really are. I have a feeling we’ll find out this week.
South Beloit won its own MLK Tournament, but none of those teams will be considered a state-title contender.
Like I said, it was tough. But I’ll give it a shot.
(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. HONONEGAH (13-5): Even though they struggled closing out games in their MLK Tournament, I still think they are the best team — right now. Consider that the Indians lost by a combined four points to Normal West and Zion-Benton. The 63-52 loss to Neuqua Valley was strictly a talent thing as the Indians couldn’t match up inside with the Wildcats. But Hononegah still has bigger goals in its sights, like a NIC-10 championship, which they still have a shot at. Saturday’s game at Rockford Auburn likely will determine if the Indians are pretenders or contenders. NEXT: Friday vs. Belvidere, 7 p.m.; Saturday at Rockford Auburn, 7 p.m.
2 BELOIT MEMORIAL (7-4): The Purple Knights’ inconsistency is maddening. Beloit looks like a team searching for an identity. It looked like the Knights had things figured out when they topped Verona, but then they regressed defensively in a 73-66 loss to Middleton. Prior to last week, I thought Beloit was definitely the third best team in the Big Eight (behind Madison East and Madison Memorial). Now, I’m not so sure. NEXT: Thursday at Sun Prairie, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday at Janesville Parker, 7:30 p.m.
3. PARKVIEW (9-3): If there’s been a more exciting, unpredictable team in the Stateline this year, I’d like to know. The Vikings sit all alone in first place in the RVC South with a 5-1 record. A lot of pieces are in the right place for the Vikings. Like having the best player in the conference (Nick Melton) and the best shooter in the RVC South (Jay Naatz). With those two weapons, it’s no wonder why the Vikings are where they’re at. Friday’s game at Beloit Turner will determine a lot of things and give the winner the distinct advantage in the RVC South race. NEXT: Tuesday vs. Edgerton, 7:15 p.m.; Friday at Beloit Turner, 7:15 p.m.
4. BELOIT TURNER (9-2): Things will pick up this week for Turner. After playing McFarland on Tuesday, the Trojans host Parkview on Friday. The Trojans shut down the Vikings twice last year doing it with what they do best — defense. Turner remains one of the more consistent teams in the Stateline, playing a style that’s difficult to match up against. NEXT: Tuesday vs. McFarland, 7:15 p.m.; Friday vs. Parkview, 7:15 p.m.
5. SOUTH BELOIT (12-3): After a disappointing win against Orangeville — yes, win — the SoBos turned it up a notch in their MLK Tournament. The SoBos rolled over Alden-Hebron, Rockford Keith and Lena-Winslow before being tested against Dakota. The SoBos answered the challenge, especially on the defensive end, holding Kyle Benning to two points. NEXT: Thursday at Freeport Aquin, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday vs. Dakota, 7:30 p.m.
STAR SYSTEM
(I award stars to the top five players in the past week, checking out who had star performances in Week 6).
1. DENZEL WOODS (SOUTH BELOIT) — The South Beloit senior guard is credited with shutting down Dakota’s Kyle Benning in Monday’s championship game, holding the Indian senior to 2 points. Woods didn’t let his defense hurt his offense, scoring 18 points.
2. K.J. EVANS (BELOIT MEMORIAL) — Evans had his best week of the season last week, tallying 22 points against Middleton and 25 in the win over Verona. Unfortunately for Beloit, it split those two games.
3. ANDREW TAPLEY (HONONEGAH) — This sharpshooter rescued Hononegah from an 0-4 tournament with clutch 3s in the Indians 59-50 overtime victory over DeKalb. Tapley had 14 points, knocking down three treys and all five of his free throws.
4. T.J. KYSER (PARKVIEW) — If Kyser can score on a consistent basis, the Beloit Memorial transfer could be another integral piece to the Vikings’ machine. He scored 17 points in the Vikings’ 79-56 triumph over Jefferson last Thursday.
5. KATONKA FRIAR (SOUTH BELOIT) — Friar averaged 17 points a game in the MLK Tournament, scoring 24 points in the finale against Dakota.
Hononegah's Stanley Moore runs into Naperville Neuqua Valley's Kareem Amedu during Monday's game.
