Central State Eight
1. Lanphier – The Lions haven’t played against anyone but themselves since falling to Hazelwood Central at the Highland Shootout. Lanphier has not lost a game to a team from the state of Illinois and having a week of practice to work on what has been exposed by CBC and HC can only help. Expect Xavier Bishop, Yaakema Rose, Cardell McGee and the rest of B.O.N. to show out at City.
2. Southeast – The Spartans tuned up for City this week with a great home win over Champaign Central, showing some resolve with a twenty point swing to send the Finke brothers home with a loss. Mark Johnson has been coming on lately as a valuable asset off the bench. If there’s anyone who has a chance to knock off Lanphier from the ranks of the unbeatens in Central State Eight play, watch out for the East Side on Saturday night with the lights of City shining the brightest.
3. MacArthur – The main reason the Generals sit at number three is because of their tough schedule up to this point. Mac has already lost to Lanphier twice in the CS8, virtually moving them out of the running for a conference crown. Dallas McClain saved Mac from slipping down this list on Tuesday night with a game winning shot on the road against the Titans who we were ready to climb this list a couple days ago.
4. Glenwood – Tuesday was a tough test for the Titans and they almost passed. Key word being almost, but Dallas McClain closed the door on the Titans moving up the Power Rankings. Joel Alexander tipped the Titans into the spotlight on Saturday, completing a 24 hour span in which Coach Todd Blakeman’s team beat Lincoln and Jacksonville. If they can continue to improve on the offensive end, Glenwood might have the best shot to knock off the Lions after Southeast.
5. Jacksonville – If James White is hitting, the Crimsons can climb. The bigs for Sean Taylor have been getting more consistent, but without Brady Hays the offense isn’t always there. Jacksonville gave Glenwood all they could handle on the road Saturday before coming up just short, but they showed the CS8 how to slow down one of the league's best scorers in Parker Allen. We’ll see if they belong above or below the Railsplitters on Friday, but for now number five seems right for the Crimsons.
6. Lincoln – Coach Neil Alexander suffered the worst losing streak in his tenure as the Railsplitters head coach over the past few weeks. Aron Hopp did what seniors do, scored 25 and got Lincoln back in the win column with a home victory over Rochester on Tuesday. We’ve seen Lincoln’s potential in a one possession loss to Lanphier, but the youth has to start scoring.
7. Rochester – County didn’t go as planned and neither did a trip to the Bowl last Friday. A loss in Railsplitter territory is nothing to hang your head about but the Rockets need more scoring to compete for the rest of the CS8 schedule.
8. SHG – Last week we talked about offensive efficiency and it seems like the Cyclones worked on that, putting up plenty of points throughout the week but that didn’t result in wins. Coach Carey McVickers certainly has the potential to play spoiler at City this week though.
9. Eisenhower – This team has enough trouble staying consistent in conference play without one of their best players getting suspended. Panthers will get some home games this week against non-City schools, a good way to steal a conference win.
10. Springfield High – Keon Day and Isaac Nelson can put the ball in the hoop. They’ll be fun to watch no matter what the Senators do at the Prairie Capital Convention Center.
Area
1. Pleasant Plains – County Champs for the tenth time under Coach Cliff Cameron, the Cardinals found different ways to get it done throughout the week. Isaac Collins, Austin Finley and Daulton Nibbe all led the team in scoring on different nights at LLCC. Cole Greer and Nik Clemens are more than capable of doing the same. The starting five is so strong for this team, Plains sits atop the Area standings.
2. Williamsville – The Bullets did nothing to fall off the two line on the Power Rankings, pushing Pleasant Plains to the limit in the County championship. Harrison Creswell continues to improve in all aspects of the game and he carried his team past a Central State Eight opponent in the semifinal. Things don’t get an easier this weekend though, Williamsville will host a hungry PORTA squad ready for some revenge after the Bluejays lost to the Bullets in the holiday tourney third place game.
3. Athens – There was some discussion in our dungeon as to whether or not the Warriors should jump Williamsville in the Power Rankings. Having three votes ultimately solves that issue and with a 2-1 vote, Athens stays at number three but they're breathing down the necks of the Bullets. Jeff Johnston has his team playing excellent basketball as of late, winning 15 straight after starting 2-2. Their only losses came to Plains and Williamsville when they weren’t at full strength health-wise.
4. Auburn – The Trojans gave Plains a ballgame in the County semifinal and then brought home the third place trophy with a win over the second line of the Central State Eight's Rochester Rockets. Nate Brauer, named to the County all tournament team, is certainly a player to watch in the Sangamo for the rest of the season.
5. PORTA – They didn’t come home from Winchester with a first place trophy, but the Bluejays did return with hardware, finishing third in a quality tournament. If Max Muller and Michael Curry are clicking, watch for the birds to give the Bullets a game on Friday night.
Honorable Mention
Riverton – The Hawks had a tough draw to start the County tournament thanks to their slow start to the 2015-2016 season. A loss to Rochester threw them into the consolation bracket, but they responded with two strong wins to close out the tournament. Anthony Frank led the entire field in scoring at the County tournament, showing the Sangamo that they can’t just stop Zak Merchant and Ryan Roscetti if they want to beat Riverton this year. We’ll see where the Hawks really stack up when they play Athens on Friday.
