CS8
1. Southeast – The march continues for the Spartans who got a good road win against MacArthur and then dismantled Jacksonville. There’s not a lot of flash for Southeast, but that’s the brand of basketball that LT preaches. They win games with defense and occasionally throw us a few dunks for some excitement. The boys on the East Side have certainly proven they belong at the top of our Power Rankings this season.
2. Lanphier – The Lions continue to make teams look silly on their way to an undefeated record. Lanphier puts teams away early and doesn’t allow them to make a game out it. Yaakema Rose is putting up Russell Westbrook numbers and Aundrae Williams is a do-it-all type guard. A good test is in the works for Saturday when they head to Decatur to take on the Generals but it’s looking like Lanphier and Southeast are on a crash course for that last night of City again to see who the top dog is.
3. Lincoln – The contenders are starting to separate themselves from the pretenders and the Railsplitters have continued to impress. Going on the road at the Bowl and controlling the Crimsons is an impressive win for a team that is gaining confidence and experience by the day. Isaiah Bowers is a top five player in the conference and Bryson Kirby is the perfect Robin to his Batman.
4. Eisenhower – The Panthers got punched in the mouth by the Lions and responded well. Eisenhower made Springfield High look silly on Tuesday while Stefon and Stephon did whatever they wanted. Losses to Lanphier and Southeast early in the CS8 season show Ike they have work to do but we can see the potential.
5. MacArthur – Ask Southeast how hard it is to win on the road at MacArthur. The Generals gave the Spartans all they could handle on Friday night but Mac is still looking for that signature win. Amir and Armon are highlight reel talent but the Generals need a few more options if they want to contend for a CS8 title this season.
6. SHG – We’re moving the Cyclones up to number six with a little bit of skepticism. SHG will be tested this weekend with a trip to Lincoln coming Saturday after they host MacArthur on Friday. A split would be a solid weekend for Kyle Krager, who picked up his second conference win last Friday in a close contest with Rochester. Regardless of the score, they found a way to win and that’s a start for SHG.
7. Jacksonville – Despite a double-double every night from Brandon McCombs the Crimsons seem to be struggling. The chemistry of the Crimsons isn’t all quite there but the talent certainly is. Cliff Cameron has been in his business too long to just sit back and watch the season go to waste.
8. Springfield High – After a promising weekend featuring a win over Glenwood and a decent showing against Quincy, the Senators regressed against Eisenhower. The Panthers put the Solons out of the game with a 20-2 run to start Tuesday’s contest and that can’t happen at home.
9. Glenwood – Another double digit loss to a team towards the bottom of these rankings proves that the Titans have a few issues to deal with this season. Things aren’t going well out in Chatham.
10. Rochester – The Rockets picked up a non-conference win over Clinton last weekend…so that’s a start. Collin Stallworth scored over half of Rochester’s points which proves they need other contributors on a consistent basis.
Area
1. Athens – The Warriors have swag. They don’t lack confidence. They really don’t care what you think about them. But that came back to haunt them on Tuesday night in a road loss to Auburn. Once the pressure of the game turned up, Athens lost its composure and fell apart. This was a good early season test for this group that is susceptible to being vulnerable. For a team that might have the most talent in the area, how will the Warriors respond to this adversity? They might get another crack at Auburn in the Waverly Tournament.
2. Williamsville – The Bullets lost a heart breaker in the final seconds at home to Athens on the night Williamsville dedicated its court to long-time superintendent David Root last Tuesday. Good teams respond to tough losses. That’s exactly what the Bullets did, as they turned around and beat Pleasant Plains at home on Friday night in a pivotal conference matchup.
3. PORTA – Max Muller has it going on in the early going this season. That’s no surprise. Not only is he one of the best wing players in the Sangamo, he’s one of the best wing players you’ll find in the area. Length, strength and athleticism is a wonderful blend that he possesses. The Jays haven’t had the most arduous schedule so far, but a matchup at home against Pleasant Plains on Friday looms large.
4. Auburn – The Trojans surprised everybody on Tuesday night. After falling down early and calling multiple timeouts in the opening minutes against Athens, Auburn stormed back to claim the biggest win of coach Scott Bacon’s short coaching tenure with the Trojans. A 24-4 second half run helped cement the come-from-behind victory, led by Benji Eaker’s 31 point performance. Turn up, Benji!
5. Pleasant Plains – The Cardinals have struggled so far this season. That isn’t much of a surprise given what they lost from last year and a new coach in Kyle Weber coming in that has implemented a new system. Depth production has been an issue. Is Plains’ best basketball still to come? A road win at PORTA would be a great start.
Honorable Mention
New Berlin and South County are right on the fringe. Blake Lucas has done a tremendous job with the Pretzels, who nearly clipped Athens last week. South County on the other hand has been a pleasant surprise so far, beating New Berlin twice.
