Week 3 Rankings Update
For the first time on the young season, all four No. 1 teams remain the same in our Week 3 rankings update. But there was plenty of movement across all four classes after the top ranked teams. Below we detail some of the major moves.
Class 4A
-We are down to five unbeaten teams in 4A, with top ranked North Scott leading the way. The Lancers put together a 3-0 week last week, taking control of the MAC following wins over top contenders Pleasant Valley and Bettendorf.
-Iowa City West is the top ranked team that has a loss on their resume, dropping to No. 5 following a road loss to Linn-Mar. The Trojans opened the week with a solid road win over Dubuque Senior, but some alarming problems showed up in that loss to the Lions. Most notably, they got outrebounded 32-14. That’s something to keep an eye on moving forward.
-A pair of Sioux City teams moved up this week, with unbeaten East (5-0) moving up to No. 6, and crosstown rival West (4-1) moving up a pair of slots to No. 7. The Wolverines’ lone loss is to East.
-Three new teams enter the rankings this week in Bettendorf, Cedar Rapids Prairie and West Des Moines Valley, at 8, 9 and 10, respectively. Bettendorf took top ranked North Scott to overtime on the road on Friday night, and have gotten off to an impressive 5-1 start behind future Ohio State point guard DJ Carton.
Class 3A
-Class 3A continues to be the toughest class to rank. Oskaloosa stays strong at the top, but no other team is ranked in the same spot they were last week. The Indians rolled to three wins last week and have looked dominant in their six games following a narrow two-point season opening win over Fairfield.
-A pair of undefeated WaMaC teams come in at Nos. 2 and 3 in Maquoketa and West Delaware. They’ll meet on Tuesday night in Manchester.
-The only other unbeaten team in the class comes in at No. 4 in Clear Lake. The Lions have rolled through the early portion of their schedule, winning their first six games by an average of 22 points a game.
-Three new teams enter the rankings, with ADM coming in at No. 7, Pella at No. 9 and Carroll at No. 10. ADM went 3-19 last year and has been the most pleasant surprise of the season, reeling off five straight wins following a season opening loss to Pella Christian.
Class 2A
-North Linn and their historic offense continues to pace the way in Class 2A, although previous No. 1 Western Christian put together a solid week despite the loss of star big man Jacob Vis. The Wolfpack re-enter the rankings at No. 6. Vis’ diagnosis is supposedly a dislocated knee cap, which could get him back on the floor before postseason play starts in late February.
-Along with Western Christian, two more teams enter the rankings this week in Van Meter (No. 8) and Iowa City Regina (No. 10).
-There are six unbeaten teams still in Class 2A, the most of any class. Four of them are ranked in the top four – North Linn, Camanche, West Sioux and Treynor – while the other two come in at No. 7 (Boyden-Hull) and No. 8 (Van Meter).
-Previous No. 2 South Hamilton suffered their first setback of the year, losing 70-65 to Gilbert. That loss snapped an impressive conference winning streak for the Hawks, who had won 33 straight Heart of Iowa Conference games, a streak which spanned 686 days.
Class 1A
-It’s Grand View Christian, then everyone else again in 1A this year. The Thunder continue to roll along, posting a pair of double digit wins over 2A teams that have spent time in our rankings this season (Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont and Des Moines Christian). Their lone loss this year is a 10-point loss to 4A power Iowa City West.
-New London, Montezuma, Ankeny Christian Academy and George-Little Rock each moved up one spot, to Nos. 2-5, respectively, following a loss from Bishop Garrigan, who fell to No. 6.
-Only one new team enters the rankings this week, Exira-EHK, which comes in at No. 10.