Deron Powell Power Rankings: CS8 & Area Teams For February 17th


CS8

 
1. Lanphier – It sure was an interesting week for the Lanphier Lions. Lanphier lost at the buzzer on Friday to Jacksonville on a Brandon McCombs baby hook at The Bowl in a game that will be talked about, discussed and debated for quite some time. A string of questionable technical fouls put a damper on what was a very good basketball game between two talented teams in the thick of a conference race. Lions junior guard, Yaakema Rose, who is averaging 15 points and a conference leading eight rebounds per game received two technical fouls, causing him to be suspended for the Lions game on Tuesday vs. feisty Lincoln. Back-to-back losses looked inevitable. The Lions were down five points with 30.9 seconds left. Xavier Bishop then rattled off six points in the final half minute, including an and-one to win it for Lanphier. The Lions remain atop the CS8, but still have to round out the season at home vs. Rochester, home vs. Glenwood, then on the road at Southeast. That’s what it will take for Lanphier to win the CS8. 
 
2. Jacksonville – Is there a team in the CS8 that’s playing better basketball right now than the Crimsons? On back-to-back Friday’s at The Bowl, Jacksonville has taken down Southeast in convincing fashion, followed by a win against Lanphier at the buzzer on a terrifically executed sequence of events led by Crimsons coach, Sean Taylor. With 1.7 seconds left, Jacksonville advanced the ball from beneath its defensive basket and past half court, as Joe Brannan rifled a football-like pass to Riley Dugan which only took .2 seconds off the clock. After the ensuing inbounds pass got knocked out of bounds, leaving .6 on the clock, Brannan lobbed up a perfect pass to Brandon McCombs, who got a shot off just before the horn to send The Bowl into a frenzy. With the Crimsons balanced attack in the post and on the perimeter, plus the addition of Brady Hays, Jacksonville is a well-balanced team that is playing its best basketball of the season right now.
 
3. MacArthur – Ron Ingram’s Generals have been steady all season long. Last Friday, MacArthur defeated Southeast for the third time this season. MacArthur’s resume also includes victories on the road at Glenwood and an overtime win vs. Jacksonville. Two losses to Lanphier, a loss to Southeast and a home defeat to Glenwood are MacArthur’s only conference losses and the Generals are still right in the CS8 race.
 
4. Southeast – The Spartans drop down to No. 4 in this week’s Power Rankings. Two losses to Jacksonville and three losses to MacArthur are the reasons behind Southeast’s fall, but with games remaining at Glenwood this Friday, at Lincoln next Tuesday and at home vs. Lanphier next Friday to round out the regular season, the Spartans could very well ascend to the top of the CS8 standings again. It ain’t over yet. The twists and turns will continue. Got to love it.
 
5. Glenwood – As expected, the Titans didn’t have much trouble against Springfield High last Friday. The Titans coming in at the No. 5 spot isn’t about what they have or haven’t done over the course of the last week. There was just so much movement from the other four teams. Glenwood’s remaining schedule is no joke either. The Titans remaining schedule is as follows: Home against Southeast, at Lanphier and home against Lincoln. The next week will be telling.
 
6. Lincoln – Just a crushing loss for the Railers on Tuesday night at Lober-Nika Gymnasium. Lincoln had Lanphier on the ropes. A five point lead with 30.9 seconds left, but the Railers gave up a Xavier Bishop 3-pointer, fumbled the ensuing inbounds, leading to a jump ball, then Bishop hit the aforementioned and-one to hand Lincoln the loss. The Railers showed their potential in the defeat, but also showed their inexperience down the stretch. 
 
7. Rochester – At the beginning of the season, Rochester fans claimed that we were “sleeping" on the Rockets after placing them ninth in the initial Power Rankings. Well, we’re still sleeping. Anybody from Rocket Nation want to wake us up? 
 
8. Eisenhower – Did anybody catch Stephon Bobbit’s cartwheel after Julian Jones threw down a dunk? The cartwheel has to be one of the funniest moments of the basketball season. Unfortunately, it’s one of the most memorable moments the Panthers have had on the court this year.
 
9. Springfield – It’s unfortunate what has happened this year to the Senators. When you look at their roster, Springfield has several very talented players, but the mess before the year carried over into the regular season and it’s been an ugly campaign for the Solons. 
 
10. SHG – We’re getting closer and closer to SHG Football Training Camp.

Area

 
1. Pleasant Plains – Yes, the Cardinals suffered their third loss of the season on Saturday night. That was without their floor general Cole Greer for three and a half quarters and Daulton Nibbe still got Plains into overtime where they finally ran out of gas. Greer is hobbled but says he’s going to try and go on Friday against Riverton for the outright Sangamo conference title. Isaac Collins has already broken his own school record for three’s made in a single season. The junior has 101 three’s this season and is sitting on 996 career points. We can’t find a good enough reason to drop the birds from the top line.
 
2. Williamsville – If there is a team that had the chance to jump Plains, it was the Bullets. Harrison Creswell continues to improve and that’s scary for their opponents. Nick Beard’s bunch picked up a win on senior night Tuesday over previously undefeated in conference Riverton, giving the Bullets a shot at sharing the title if the Hawks can beat Plains on Friday. As the number one seed in their sectional, the only thing that stands between this team and a sectional berth next week is an very much improved PORTA team. 
 
3. Riverton – The Hawks suffered their first conference loss in the last week of the Sangamo season, so we know they deserve to be here. Ryan Roscetti, Josh Gabriel, Zak Merchant, Anthony Frank, Vince Lanier and the rest of the Hawks have all shown they can compete with the top teams. The Bullets got the best of Riverton Tuesday night, nothing to freak out about but the Hawks could see the likes of Plains twice in the next ten days, so they better be ready. 
 
4. PORTA – The Bluejays are becoming a force at the right time. You want to play your best basketball at the end of the season and it sure seems like Nick Rathgeb has Max Muller and company clicking. Trevor Watson had a big game Tuesday, meaning that three guys on this team can carry the scoring load in Muller, Michael Curry and Watson. Watch out Williamsville in the regional championship next week.
 
5. Auburn – The Trojans had a tough week, dropping a close one to Plains at home before traveling to PORTA and getting sent home with their tail between their legs. Scott Bacon will have to rally the troops and get them focused because a showdown with Williamsville on Friday is a great way to gain a ton of confidence before they will take on Riverton in the regional semifinals next Wednesday. 

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