Tacoma News Tribune Boys Basketball Week 3 Rankings

CLASS 4A
1. Garfield (5-1)
2. Yakima Davis (5-0)
3. Kentridge (5-1)
4. Kentwood (7-1)
5. Auburn (5-1)
6. Curtis (4-1)
7. Gonzaga Prep (4-1)
8. Jackson (6-1)
9. Olympia (6-0)
10. Union (4-1)
Next (alphabetical order): Arlington (6-1), Battle Ground (5-0), Bellarmine Prep (2-2), Chiawana (4-0), Federal Way (3-2), Ferris (3-1), Kentlake (3-2), Monroe (5-0), Newport (5-1), Puyallup (5-1), Puyallup Rogers (5-1), Vancouver Evergreen (6-2), Walla Walla (5-3), Wenatchee (4-1)

All of last week’s top four teams – Garfield, Curtis, Kentridge and Kentwood – and five of the top six teams lost last week, clearing the way for the undefeated Davis Pirates of Yakima to climb five spots to No. 2. Davis was eighth in the preseason rankings and moved up to No. 7 last week.

With all those top teams losing, there’s some shifting in the top half of the rankings. Garfield remains atop the rankings, despite falling to 3A No. 1 O’Dea. Kentridge and Kentwood hold steady and Nos. 3 and 4, even though the Chargers beat the Conquerors on Tuesday before losing to Kentlake on Friday. Curtis fell from second to fifth after losing at Puyallup, 84-71. Keep an eye on Puyallup, which is averaging 84.5 points per game. The Vikings are small – no major contributor is taller than 6-foot-2 – but they can really shoot. When Puyallup is hitting from the perimeter, it can hang with any team in the state.

Union dropped from sixth to tenth after losing in overtime to Vancouver Evergreen, and Gonzaga Prep, Jackson and Olympia all moved up one slot.

No new teams entered the rankings this week.

CLASS 3A
1. Rainier Beach (4-1)
2. O’Dea (5-1)
3. Lincoln (4-1)
4. Franklin (4-0)
5. Lakes (4-0)
6. Bellevue (5-0)
7. Kamiakin (5-0)
8. Glacier Peak (4-2)
9. Mercer Island (5-1)
10. Spokane University (5-0)
Next (alphabetical order): Camas (5-1), Capital (4-1), Chief Sealth (4-1), Decatur (4-2), Foss (5-2), Hazen (4-2), Hudson’s Bay (5-0), Kennedy Catholic (5-1), Lake Washington (4-2), Mountlake Terrace (4-2), Prairie (5-1), Sammamish (5-1), Seattle Prep (4-1), Shadle Park (3-4), Spokane University (5-0), Wilson (6-1)

What’s more important in determining the No. 1 team this week? Rainier Beach’s 75-73 overtime victory against O’Dea, or O’Dea’s 78-76 win over 4A No. 1 Garfield? I was tempted to keep the Irish atop the rankings, but it’s hard to argue against the head-to-head outcome. So, Rainier Beach is the new top team.

Lincoln, Franklin and Lakes all continued to win and hold steady. The bottom-half of the top-10 saw lots of movement. Mercer Island, Lake Washington and Foss all lost. Bellevue surges into the rankings this week at No. 6, Kamiakin makes its debut at No. 7 and University of Spokane appears at No. 10.

CLASS 2A
1. Clover Park (6-0)
2. River Ridge (3-1)
3. Grandview (5-0)
4. Burlington-Edison (5-1)
5. Clarkston (6-1)
6. Mark Morris (1-2)
7. Foster (4-1)
8. Ellensburg (5-0)
9. North Thurston (5-1)
10. Wapato (5-0)
Next (alphabetical order): Anacortes (3-2), Cheney (5-1), Eatonville (4-2), Fife (4-2), Franklin Pierce (2-3), Kingston (6-1), Lynden (5-0), Medical Lake (5-1), Mount Baker (4-2), Port Angeles (6-1), Pullman (4-1), Sehome (4-1), Sequim (8-1), Spokane West Valley (5-0), Squalicum (2-2), Tumwater (2-3), Yakima East Valley (4-1)

No changes at all in this week’s top 10. No. 7 Foster lost 66-64 toa solid 3A Kennedy Catholic squad and North Thurston fell in overtime to W.F. West. Both teams held steady in the rankings.

Mark Morris did not play any games last week.

Teams will begin to separate themselves in early January when we’ll be deep into league play. The Northwest Conference has six teams that could find their way into the top 10. The CWAC currently has three undefeated teams. And I’m interested in seeing how the Olympic League, with three one-loss teams in Kingston, Port Angeles and Sequim, plays out.

CLASS 1A
1. Lynden Christian (5-0)
2. Cascade Christian (3-2)
3. Onalaska (4-0)
4. Granger (4-0)
5. Zillah (5-2)
6. Seattle Christian (5-1)
7. Goldendale (5-1)
8. Chelan (3-3)
9. Tonasket (6-0)
10. Hoquiam (5-1)
Next (alphabetical order): Bellevue Christian (2-2), Cashmere (3-2), Connell (1-2), Ilwaco (5-1), Kalama (5-2), King’s (3-3), Lakeside (4-2), Life Christian Academy (5-2), Meridian (2-3), Nooksack Valley (3-3), Okanogan (4-2), Seattle Academy (5-1), Toledo (3-2), Tonasket (6-0), Vashon (3-2)

Lynden Christian and Cascade Christian remain at Nos. 1-2. The Cougars lost their only game last week, but they won’t be dropped in the rankings for losing to 3A No. 5 Lakes, 69-66.

With wins against Ephrata, Liberty Bell and previously-ranked Life Christian Academy, Chelan played itself back into the top 10. Tonasket and Hoqiuam make their debuts in the rankings.

Okanogan, Life Christian Academy and Meridian fell out of the top 10 after each lost twice last week.

The next set of rankings will be released on Jan. 3.