Boys Basketball Rankings, Preseason
Class A (last year’s record) Pvs
1. Omaha Central (19-7) 1
2. Bellevue West (18-10) 2
3. Omaha Bryan (24-2) 4
4. Creighton Prep (16-9) 3
5. Bellevue East (12-12) -
6. Ralston (16-7) *5
7. Lincoln East (3-19) -
8. Lincoln Southeast (14-8) -
9. Omaha Benson (15-9) -
10. Grand Island (6-16) -
* in Class B
Class B Pvs
1. Omaha Skutt (21-3) 1
2. Beatrice (21-3) 2
3. Crete (18-5) 3
4. Elkhorn (15-6) 6
5. Scottsbluff (21-6) 4
6. Norris (16-5) 7
7. Omaha Gross (11-10) -
8. Waverly (5-14) -
9. Plattsmouth (15-7) 10
10. Omaha Roncalli (13-10) 9
Class C-1 Pvs
1. Ainsworth (23-1) 1
2. Hastings St. Cecilia (18-4) 7
3. Pierce (23-2) 3
4. Boone Central (16-8) 8
5. Boys Town (17-6) 9
6. Chadron (18-8) 2
7. Bennington (14-8) -
8. Norfolk Catholic (15-7) -
9. O’Neill (11-9) -
10. Battle Creek (14-7) -
Class C-2 Pvs
1. Grand Island CC (23-3) *6
2. Ponca (20-1) 1
3. Oakland-Craig (14-4) 2
4. Laurel-Concord (14-9) -
5. Weeping Water (14-3) 7
6. Ravenna (13-10) -
7. Deshler (19-1) 8
8. Elmwood-Murdock (16-4) 9
9. Heartland (16-4) 10
10. Hartington CC (8-12) -
* in Class C-1
Class D-1 Pvs
1. Archbishop Bergan (19-5) *4
2. Humphrey St. Francis (17-5) 3
3. Hayes Center (14-7) -
4. Mead (16-6) 10
5. Palmer (14-7) -
6. Wauneta-Palisade (25-0) 1
7. Elwood (11-8) -
8. Freeman (16-10) 7
9. Burwell (8-12) -
10. West Boyd (0-0, new school) -
* in Class C-2
Class D-2 Pvs
1. Ewing (21-5) 3
2. Pleasanton (17-4) *6
3. St. Edward (24-2) 1
4. Falls City Sacred Heart (19-6) 6
5. Dodge (17-7) 5
6. Hampton (14-9) 10
7. Chambers (10-11) -
8. Hitchcock County (18-6) *8
9. Wallace (19-5) 4
10. Cody-Kilgore (19-4) -
* in Class D-1
Comments:
Class A
Contenders — Fremont, Kearney, Lincoln High, Lincoln Southwest, Millard North, Millard West, Omaha Westside, Papillion-La Vista South.
The case for No. 1 — Omaha Central returns four starters from its state championship team and the Eagles are aiming for a third straight title. Only Lincoln Northeast (1995-98) has won four straight and no other team has won three straight in Class A. The Eagles are led by Josh Jones, a Creighton recruit who was the Super-State honorary captain last year and had heart surgery in early September but is cleared to play.
Football carryover — It may take Central a little time to find its rhythm, with Chris Griffin, Ronnell Grixby, and Shaun and Shane Prater getting to practice late after helping the Eagles win their first state football title since 1984. Central stakes a claim to its version of the “Tiger Slam,” holding titles in basketball, track and football, though not in the same school year.
Plenty of experience — Central won’t get a free pass to another title. Bellevue East and Grand Island return all five starters. Like Central, Bellevue West has four starters back, as do Creighton Prep, Class A newcomer Ralston and Lincoln East. Omaha Bryan has three, as do Lincoln Southeast and Omaha Benson.
Rough transition — Ralston moved up to Class A and, while the Rams certainly have some good players, it will be difficult for the Rams to gauge themselves. They have just one Class A-level team on their schedule and it’s from Iowa.
District changes — This year, there will be seven districts and just one team will qualify for state via the wild card. Six of the district’s composition will be determined two weeks before the first district games are scheduled. Wild-card points will be used to assign schools in a serpentine method. The seventh district is comprised of Columbus, Grand Island, Kearney and North Platte.
Class B
Contenders — Hastings, Lincoln Pius X, Seward, York
The case for No. 1 — Omaha Skutt will be looking for its third straight Class B title and has three starters returning. The SkyHawks have a strong inside game with 6-foot-8 center Jake Reinders and 6-5 Andy Morris. Joining them are Andy’s twin Will and 6-8 junior Zach Croonquist. Greg Taphorn returns at guard and he, Nick Anderson and Todd Schlautman will have to pick up for graduated all-staters Trent Schlautman and Matt Foster.
Longtime rivals — Beatrice’s Mike Fox and Crete’s John Levorson both were named second-team Super-State last year and to the Class B all-state team. The two have been going up against each other on the court since they were young.
Football carryover — Crete may take a little time to get to running smoothly after winning the state football title. Beatrice, Elkhorn and Omaha Gross also played deep into the football playoffs.
Class C-1
Contenders — Bishop Neumann, Crofton, Minden, Lincoln Christian, Wahoo, Wayne, Wisner-Pilger
The case for No. 1 — Ainsworth returns three starters from its state championship team. None is more visible than Jesse Carr, a second-team Super-Stater who has committed to Colorado State and helped his teammates play to a higher level. The Bulldogs don’t have much size, which could prove to be a problem.
Football carryover — Pierce won the state title, so the Bluejays may be a bit rusty at first, but they won’t be the only team carrying memories of football success. Hastings St. Cecilia returns all five starters from its state tournament basketball team and most of the Bluehawk players also played football. Boone Central, Chadron, Bennington and Norfolk Catholic, among others, have high hopes in basketball after solid seasons on the gridiron.
Class C-2
Contenders — Hartington, High Plains, Loup County, Perkins County, Southern, Sutton
The case for No. 1 — Grand Island Central Catholic switches from Class C-1, where it finished the season rated sixth. The Crusaders will be led by returning starters Spencer Fahey and Brent Moravec. The stiff competition in the Centennial Conference should prepared GICC for the Class C-2 postseason well. Ponca, the defending champion, returns just one starter — Brent Smith.
Loaded districts — Four subdistricts are loaded, with nine of the 10 rated teams. Deshler and Heartland are in C2-2, Elmwood-Murdock and Weeping Water in C2-3, Hartington CC, Laurel-Concord and Ponca are in C2-7 and GICC and Ravenna are in C2-9.
Football carryover — Only Elmwood-Murdock and Laurel-Concord played very deep into the playoffs, so most of the top teams should be ready to roll.
Class D-1
Contenders — Arapahoe, Kenesaw, Maxwell, Overton, Pope John, Scribner-Snyder
The case for No. 1 — Archbishop Bergan drops from Class C-2 to Class D-1 after making it to the state semifinals last year. Four starters return, including Iowa State recruit Wes Eikmeier. He was second-team Super-State last year and has all the skills to make it in big-time basketball. Depth will be a huge asset. The Knights don’t have a lot of height, but a couple of sophomores will be called on to play the post.
Football carryover — Bergan made it to the quarterfinals in Class C-2 and school record-setting passer Joey Spellerberg will be on the court after sitting out last year because of an injury. Humphrey St. Francis and Elwood were semifinalists, Hayes Center, West Boyd and Wauneta-Palisade were in the quarters and Mead and Palmer made it to the second round of the playoffs.
Newcomer — West Boyd has a fair amount of tradition even though it is the first year of the school after the consolidation of Spencer-Naper and Butte. Spencer-Naper was the runner-up in Class D-2 last year, finishing the season 26-1.
Class D-2
Contenders — Allen, Bruning-Davenport, Loomis, Parkview Christian, Sargent, Verdigre.
The case for No. 1 — Ewing gets the nod over Pleasanton, counting on a pair of underclassmen who have a knack for basketball. Brett Kaczor and Austin Kaczor are still young (junior and sophomore, respectively) but are leaders and started on the Tigers’ state semifinal team. Nic Thramer has twice been all-state in football and Bradley Wright joined him on the all-state team this fall, as did Brett Kaczor.
Changing classes — Pleasanton lost in the first round of state last year, but it was the Class D-1 tournament. The Bulldogs have three three-year starters, including 6-7 Elijah Zwiener. Hitchcock County is also down from Class D-1.
Football carryover — Chambers got a late start after winning the Class D-2 title, but Jason Cameron put that team on his back and could certainly do the same for an athletic bunch on the court. Pleasanton made it to the semifinals, as did Dodge.
1. Omaha Central (19-7) 1
2. Bellevue West (18-10) 2
3. Omaha Bryan (24-2) 4
4. Creighton Prep (16-9) 3
5. Bellevue East (12-12) -
6. Ralston (16-7) *5
7. Lincoln East (3-19) -
8. Lincoln Southeast (14-8) -
9. Omaha Benson (15-9) -
10. Grand Island (6-16) -
* in Class B
Class B Pvs
1. Omaha Skutt (21-3) 1
2. Beatrice (21-3) 2
3. Crete (18-5) 3
4. Elkhorn (15-6) 6
5. Scottsbluff (21-6) 4
6. Norris (16-5) 7
7. Omaha Gross (11-10) -
8. Waverly (5-14) -
9. Plattsmouth (15-7) 10
10. Omaha Roncalli (13-10) 9
Class C-1 Pvs
1. Ainsworth (23-1) 1
2. Hastings St. Cecilia (18-4) 7
3. Pierce (23-2) 3
4. Boone Central (16-8) 8
5. Boys Town (17-6) 9
6. Chadron (18-8) 2
7. Bennington (14-8) -
8. Norfolk Catholic (15-7) -
9. O’Neill (11-9) -
10. Battle Creek (14-7) -
Class C-2 Pvs
1. Grand Island CC (23-3) *6
2. Ponca (20-1) 1
3. Oakland-Craig (14-4) 2
4. Laurel-Concord (14-9) -
5. Weeping Water (14-3) 7
6. Ravenna (13-10) -
7. Deshler (19-1) 8
8. Elmwood-Murdock (16-4) 9
9. Heartland (16-4) 10
10. Hartington CC (8-12) -
* in Class C-1
Class D-1 Pvs
1. Archbishop Bergan (19-5) *4
2. Humphrey St. Francis (17-5) 3
3. Hayes Center (14-7) -
4. Mead (16-6) 10
5. Palmer (14-7) -
6. Wauneta-Palisade (25-0) 1
7. Elwood (11-8) -
8. Freeman (16-10) 7
9. Burwell (8-12) -
10. West Boyd (0-0, new school) -
* in Class C-2
Class D-2 Pvs
1. Ewing (21-5) 3
2. Pleasanton (17-4) *6
3. St. Edward (24-2) 1
4. Falls City Sacred Heart (19-6) 6
5. Dodge (17-7) 5
6. Hampton (14-9) 10
7. Chambers (10-11) -
8. Hitchcock County (18-6) *8
9. Wallace (19-5) 4
10. Cody-Kilgore (19-4) -
* in Class D-1
Comments:
Class A
Contenders — Fremont, Kearney, Lincoln High, Lincoln Southwest, Millard North, Millard West, Omaha Westside, Papillion-La Vista South.
The case for No. 1 — Omaha Central returns four starters from its state championship team and the Eagles are aiming for a third straight title. Only Lincoln Northeast (1995-98) has won four straight and no other team has won three straight in Class A. The Eagles are led by Josh Jones, a Creighton recruit who was the Super-State honorary captain last year and had heart surgery in early September but is cleared to play.
Football carryover — It may take Central a little time to find its rhythm, with Chris Griffin, Ronnell Grixby, and Shaun and Shane Prater getting to practice late after helping the Eagles win their first state football title since 1984. Central stakes a claim to its version of the “Tiger Slam,” holding titles in basketball, track and football, though not in the same school year.
Plenty of experience — Central won’t get a free pass to another title. Bellevue East and Grand Island return all five starters. Like Central, Bellevue West has four starters back, as do Creighton Prep, Class A newcomer Ralston and Lincoln East. Omaha Bryan has three, as do Lincoln Southeast and Omaha Benson.
Rough transition — Ralston moved up to Class A and, while the Rams certainly have some good players, it will be difficult for the Rams to gauge themselves. They have just one Class A-level team on their schedule and it’s from Iowa.
District changes — This year, there will be seven districts and just one team will qualify for state via the wild card. Six of the district’s composition will be determined two weeks before the first district games are scheduled. Wild-card points will be used to assign schools in a serpentine method. The seventh district is comprised of Columbus, Grand Island, Kearney and North Platte.
Class B
Contenders — Hastings, Lincoln Pius X, Seward, York
The case for No. 1 — Omaha Skutt will be looking for its third straight Class B title and has three starters returning. The SkyHawks have a strong inside game with 6-foot-8 center Jake Reinders and 6-5 Andy Morris. Joining them are Andy’s twin Will and 6-8 junior Zach Croonquist. Greg Taphorn returns at guard and he, Nick Anderson and Todd Schlautman will have to pick up for graduated all-staters Trent Schlautman and Matt Foster.
Longtime rivals — Beatrice’s Mike Fox and Crete’s John Levorson both were named second-team Super-State last year and to the Class B all-state team. The two have been going up against each other on the court since they were young.
Football carryover — Crete may take a little time to get to running smoothly after winning the state football title. Beatrice, Elkhorn and Omaha Gross also played deep into the football playoffs.
Class C-1
Contenders — Bishop Neumann, Crofton, Minden, Lincoln Christian, Wahoo, Wayne, Wisner-Pilger
The case for No. 1 — Ainsworth returns three starters from its state championship team. None is more visible than Jesse Carr, a second-team Super-Stater who has committed to Colorado State and helped his teammates play to a higher level. The Bulldogs don’t have much size, which could prove to be a problem.
Football carryover — Pierce won the state title, so the Bluejays may be a bit rusty at first, but they won’t be the only team carrying memories of football success. Hastings St. Cecilia returns all five starters from its state tournament basketball team and most of the Bluehawk players also played football. Boone Central, Chadron, Bennington and Norfolk Catholic, among others, have high hopes in basketball after solid seasons on the gridiron.
Class C-2
Contenders — Hartington, High Plains, Loup County, Perkins County, Southern, Sutton
The case for No. 1 — Grand Island Central Catholic switches from Class C-1, where it finished the season rated sixth. The Crusaders will be led by returning starters Spencer Fahey and Brent Moravec. The stiff competition in the Centennial Conference should prepared GICC for the Class C-2 postseason well. Ponca, the defending champion, returns just one starter — Brent Smith.
Loaded districts — Four subdistricts are loaded, with nine of the 10 rated teams. Deshler and Heartland are in C2-2, Elmwood-Murdock and Weeping Water in C2-3, Hartington CC, Laurel-Concord and Ponca are in C2-7 and GICC and Ravenna are in C2-9.
Football carryover — Only Elmwood-Murdock and Laurel-Concord played very deep into the playoffs, so most of the top teams should be ready to roll.
Class D-1
Contenders — Arapahoe, Kenesaw, Maxwell, Overton, Pope John, Scribner-Snyder
The case for No. 1 — Archbishop Bergan drops from Class C-2 to Class D-1 after making it to the state semifinals last year. Four starters return, including Iowa State recruit Wes Eikmeier. He was second-team Super-State last year and has all the skills to make it in big-time basketball. Depth will be a huge asset. The Knights don’t have a lot of height, but a couple of sophomores will be called on to play the post.
Football carryover — Bergan made it to the quarterfinals in Class C-2 and school record-setting passer Joey Spellerberg will be on the court after sitting out last year because of an injury. Humphrey St. Francis and Elwood were semifinalists, Hayes Center, West Boyd and Wauneta-Palisade were in the quarters and Mead and Palmer made it to the second round of the playoffs.
Newcomer — West Boyd has a fair amount of tradition even though it is the first year of the school after the consolidation of Spencer-Naper and Butte. Spencer-Naper was the runner-up in Class D-2 last year, finishing the season 26-1.
Class D-2
Contenders — Allen, Bruning-Davenport, Loomis, Parkview Christian, Sargent, Verdigre.
The case for No. 1 — Ewing gets the nod over Pleasanton, counting on a pair of underclassmen who have a knack for basketball. Brett Kaczor and Austin Kaczor are still young (junior and sophomore, respectively) but are leaders and started on the Tigers’ state semifinal team. Nic Thramer has twice been all-state in football and Bradley Wright joined him on the all-state team this fall, as did Brett Kaczor.
Changing classes — Pleasanton lost in the first round of state last year, but it was the Class D-1 tournament. The Bulldogs have three three-year starters, including 6-7 Elijah Zwiener. Hitchcock County is also down from Class D-1.
Football carryover — Chambers got a late start after winning the Class D-2 title, but Jason Cameron put that team on his back and could certainly do the same for an athletic bunch on the court. Pleasanton made it to the semifinals, as did Dodge.
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