Jan. 11 Girls Basketball Power Rankings

1-11-17-power

By Matt Turer — mturer@ky3.com
@MattTurer

Each week, OzarksSportsZone.com will release local girls basketball power rankings. Like our other power rankings, these rankings will be based on dominance by Class, not head-to-head matchups.

Recent success and strength of schedule are also factored into the rankings. These rankings are through games played on Jan. 10.

Overall record, Class and last week’s ranking are listed in parenthesis.

JAN. 4 POWER RANKINGS
DEC. 21 POWER RANKINGS
DEC. 14 POWER RANKINGS
DEC. 7 POWER RANKINGS
NOV. 28 POWER RANKINGS

1. Strafford (14-0, C3, LW: 1)
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This team can win a basketball game in any situation and in any way imaginable. It can outscore a team like Mercer County in a 76-75 shootout. It can blow by a Class 5 program by 20 points. Or, like it did this week, it can suffocate an offense when its own is struggling to score. Strafford traveled last Friday to Class 2 No. 2 Skyline, absorbing early foul trouble to Hayley Frank and winning a defensive road battle, 50-36. The 36 points was the lowest total Skyline had put up all season (by 15 points). Frank, who hit the 1,000-point mark in a 90-11 win over Conway on Monday, sat most of the first half against Skyline. You could see the impact of her absence on the offensive end (Skyline trailed 13-12 after one quarter but led 14-13 midway through the second quarter) but Strafford’s defense didn’t allow Skyline to take advantage. (And eight first-quarter points from Zoey Mullings certainly helped as well). When Abby Oliver said back in early December that this year’s Strafford team can be better than last year’s state championship team, some may not have been sure how. Just over a month later, “how” has become clear.

This week: 1/12 Marionville (C2, 1-11), 1/16 Joplin (C5, 2-8, Rogersville Tournament quarterfinals)

 

2. Skyline (12-2, C2, LW: 2)
skyline girls 1.11.17
Skyline can’t be faulted for its 50-36 home loss to Strafford. The Tigers did all they could to slow what may be the best team in Missouri regardless of Class. They forced Hayley Frank to the bench for much of the first half due to foul trouble. They created turnovers in the paint. They led 14-13 with just over four minutes to play before halftime. They limited Strafford to a season-low 50 points. Alas, in the end, none of that was enough to knock off the Indians. Skyline, which has an intriguing matchup with Class 3 Fair Grove (10-4) coming up in the Skyline Tournament finals on Friday, is still the best Class 2 team in the state despite falling behind undefeated Clopton in last week’s state poll. There should be no cause for concern in Urbana.

This week: 1/13 Fair Grove (C3, 10-4)

 

3. Walnut Grove (11-2, C1, LW: 3)
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Like Skyline, Walnut Grove fell to No. 2 in its Class in last week’s state rankings. Grove dropped behind undefeated Jefferson. But, like with Skyline, the drop seems a bit premature and uninformed. (Two losses versus zero losses is all some voters need to see to make a potentially uninformed decision). Yes, the Tigers lost by five to Class 2 Pierce City two weeks ago, but that’s an 11-2 team from a higher Class. Yes, the Tigers lost by 40 to Strafford in early December, but that’s STRAFFORD. Grove has been dominant against C1 competition, including a 16-point win over No. 6 Wheatland, and continued that dominance this week, beating previously ranked Hermitage by 31.

This week: 1/12 Ash Grove (C3, 7-6), 1/17 Humansville (C1, 5-7)

 

4. Kickapoo (12-3, C5, LW: 4)
kickapoo girls 1.11.17
If you’ve read these power rankings the past few weeks, Kickapoo is another team on my state rankings hit-list. The Chiefs dropped to NINTH in last week’s rankings, which is a foolish thing to even have to report. Kickapoo is still the defending state champions and two close early season losses to the current C5 No. 1 and No. 5 teams does nothing to change that. The Chiefs showed that last week’s drop was extreme with a 13-point win over C5 No. 10 Lebanon last Thursday. That win was the second double-digit win for the Chiefs over a very good Lebanon team in the past two weeks and the consistency in the two results shows that this team is still a favorite in Class 5. Monday’s game against C4 No. 9 West Plains is another good test for Kickapoo.

This week: 1/12 Springfield Central (C5, 1-10), 1/16 West Plains (C4, 8-5)


5. Rogersville (10-4, C4, LW: 6)

rogersville girls brown 1.11.17
Rogersville leapfrogs Carl Junction after CJ’s 12-point loss to Republic. The Wildcats will still likely be below CJ when this week’s state rankings are released, but, for now, there’s just a lot more clarity surrounding Rogersville on a nightly basis. I’ve heard multiple coaches praise just how fundamentally sound this team is, and it’s true. They have the ability to compete with any team on any given night if they play their brand of basketball. Denny McHenry is really doing a fantastic job. The Wildcats beat Buffalo by 16 last week. They have a road rematch Thursday with what’s sure to be a hungry West Plains team. (Rogersville upset West Plains 44-40 back on Dec. 1).

This week: 1/12 West Plains (C4, 8-5), 1/16 Marshfield (C4, 2-11, Rogersville Tournament quarterfinals)

 

6. Carl Junction (7-1, C4, LW: 5)
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The Bulldogs got into foul trouble early against Class 5 Republic, falling back early and just never being able to quite record in a 43-31 loss. The loss was the first of the season for Carl Junction, which had been giving up just over 18 points per game hadn’t played a team near Republic’s caliber all season. You can’t fault them for their schedule, however, since they were winning those early games by 30 points. Not that you want to dish out excuses, but it should be fair to say that the nearly three-week layoff CJ had between its Dec. 19 win over Joplin and its Jan. 9 loss to Republic had some impact in how their first loss unfolded. The good news? CJ gets C5 Branson (11-2) this week at home, which is the perfect opportunity to make people forget about Republic.

This week: 1/12 Branson (C5, 11-2), 1/13 Aurora (C4, 3-8)

 

7. Norwood (12-0, C2, LW: 7)
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It’s statement time for Norwood. The Lady Pirates cruised through the Sparta Tournament this week to set up a Wednesday-night title bout with fellow Class 2 undefeated Gainesville (12-0). It’s pretty rare to get a pair of undefeateds matching up at this point in the season, let alone for a tournament title, so this will be a fun one between the C2 No. 3 team (Norwood) and the C2 No. 4 (Gainesville). If any credence can be given to common opponents, Gainesville holds the pre-game advantage, having beaten Willow Springs by 19, Plato by 10 and Seymour by 51, teams Norwood beat by 16, three and 39, respectively. A win Wednesday would be Norwood’s first over Gainesville since Feb. 9, 2012 and would break a seven-game losing streak against the Bulldogs. Like I said, it’s statement time for Norwood.

This week: 1/11 Gainesville (C2, 12-0, Sparta Tournament championship), 1/12 Fordland (C2, 9-5), 1/16 Mansfield (C2, 5-7)

 

8. Thayer (13-1, C2, LW: 8)
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Thayer fell from the shrinking list of area undefeateds with a 61-33 loss to Bay, Ark. (18-7) in the Liberty Tournament championship. Out-of-state games are next to meaningless in my power rankings, so Thayer isn’t getting punished for that. The Lady Bobcats beat previously ranked Hartville, 41-35, in that same tournament and finished the week with a 31-point win over C3 Ava (5-7).

This week: 1/12 MV-BT/Liberty (C3, 4-8), 1/16 Koshkonong (C1, 2-9, Thayer Tournament quarterfinals)


9. Purdy (10-1, C2, LW: 9)

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Another great week for Purdy. The Lady Eagles took down C4 Cassville (7-5) by 12 points and C3 Seneca (6-6) by 23. Don’t forget that Purdy’s lone loss came by a trey against Walnut Grove. They have three (and nearly four) players averaging in double figures and could very well be the biggest threat in the area to Skyline down the road. Good test this week against C2 Pierce City.

This week: 1/13 Pierce City (C2, 11-2), 1/16 Marionville Tournament

 

10. Gainesville (12-0, C2, LW: 10)
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Still perfect, Gainesville has an opportunity to leapfrog Norwood in the state rankings and these power rankings with a win in Wednesday-night’s Sparta Tournament championship. I touched on common opponents and the recent head-to-head history between Norwood and Gainesville while discussing Norwood, so if you skipped to Gainesville, head up there for more on Wednesday’s matchup between the No. 3 and No. 4 state-ranked teams in Class 2. Gainesville easily got by Class 2 Sparta (3-9) and Blue Eye (9-4) to reach the final.

This week: 1/11 Norwood (C2, 12-0, Sparta Tournament championship), 1/12 Dora (C1, 6-5), 1/16 Mountain Grove (C3, 7-6)

 

11. Wheatland (11-1, C1, LW: 11)
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Wheatland held serve with a 37-point win over C1 Weaubleau (6-5). The point differential was nice to see, even if it was expected. Wheatland found itself at No. 6 in the state in Class 1 last week, and that’s probably about right. Their one loss was by 16 to Walnut Grove but, to be honest, that game was closer than the final score.

This week: 1/12 Lakeland Tournament

 

12. Fair Grove (9-4, C3, LW: 12)
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A nice 56-50 win over C3 Ash Grove (7-6) on Friday led off a 3-0 week for the Lady Eagles. The other two wins came in the Skyline Tournament over C2 Osceola (1-8) and C1 Weaubleau (6-5) by a combined 79 points. We get to find out a lot more about Fair Grove in the Skyline Tournament finals on Friday against host Skyline (13-2).

This week: 1/13 Skyline (C2, 13-2, Skyline Tournament championship), 1/16 El Dorado Springs (C3, 4-7)

 

13. Clever (9-4, C3, LW: 13)
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It was great seeing Clever handle Class 5 Willard (7-5) this week, winning 67-56. Important win for Clever and helps reaffirm their inclusion on this list. Willard led 16-15 through a quarter in that game but Clever outscored the Tigers 33-22 in the second and third quarters to take control. FOUR Blue Jays reached double-figures, led by Allie Clevenger’s 18. Harper Little’s defensive impact was front-and-center, finishing with seven steals and 14 points. (Little is averaging 4.2 steals per game).

This week: 1/12 Billings (C2, 4-5), 1/16 Greenfield (C1, 2-6, Stockton Tournament quarterfinals)

 

14. Pierce City (11-2, C2, LW: 14)
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I would’ve liked to see a little more separation in Pierce City’s 46-39 road win over Crane (3-11), but fact is, they still won and have now won eight in a row after Monday’s 35-point win over College Heights Christian (3-5). This team hasn’t lost since Dec. 15 and is clearly having a lot of fun with this success. Big opportunity to make a big statement in Class 2 with a visit to C2 No. 7 Purdy (10-1) on Friday.

This week: 1/13 Purdy (C2, 10-1), 1/16 Cherokee, Kan. Tournament

 

15. West Plains (8-5, C4, LW: NR)
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The Zizzers are a bit tough to judge but, in a shallow Class 4 field, have a chance this week to get back in the discussion with Thursday’s matchup against C4 No. 8 Rogersville (10-4). The Wildcats upset No. 9 West Plains back on Dec. 1, 44-40, at a time when the Zizzers were highly ranked in C4 and the Wildcats not yet on anybody’s radar. Since then, West Plains has losses to C4 No. 6 Pacific, C5 Ozark, C3 Strafford and C5 Branson. The only one there that really matters in the loss to Pacific, which came by just five points. Since the loss to Rogersville, West Plains has quality wins over C5 Republic, C4 Salem and C3 Clever and deserve to again be in the discussion. Keep an eye on Monday’s road matchup with C5 Kickapoo as well.

This week: 1/12 Rogersville (C4, 10-4), 1/16 Kickapoo (C5, 12-3)

 

Keep an Eye On: Spokane (C2, 12-2), Lebanon (C5, 8-4), Branson (C5, 11-2), Hartville (C2, 12-5), Newburg (C2, 10-3), Alton (C2, 10-6), Salem (C4, 8-4), Licking (C3, 10-3)

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