North Dakota Class B Rankings
Class B is a bit of a mess as the only teams that have gotten this far unscathed are Thompson and Rugby. With many of the top teams playing each other on what feels like a weekly basis, the separation…
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Continue ReadingClass B is a bit of a mess as the only teams that have gotten this far unscathed are Thompson and Rugby. With many of the top teams playing each other on what feels like a weekly basis, the separation between so many of the top teams feels ever so slight.
Here are this week’s Class B Rankings:
Thompson
To this point, Thompson has been the best team in the state though not necessarily the far-and-away best team in the state. The Tommies have an impressive resume with quality wins over Dickinson Trinity, Bishop Ryan and Hillsboro. Chance Danner and Hayden Overby have been excellent up front.
Hillsboro/Central Valley
The Burros lost to Thompson in a nip-and-tuck affair but have since beaten Four Winds/Minnewaukan and Cavalier. They’ve already got good wins over Richland and Kindred as well. The defending state champs are right there with the elites.
Four Winds/Minnewaukan
The Indians are 10-1 on the year with quality wins against Grafton, Beulah, Dunseith and Dickinson Trinity plus a one-point loss to Hillsboro. Four Winds has excellent guard play and with their style of play, they are undoubtedly a state title contender.
Rugby
One of two undefeated teams left in the state. This may be a bit low for Rugby but in comparison to the teams ahead of them, they haven’t been tested enough for my taste. Maybe that just shows they are that much better than everybody. Wins over New Rockford/Sheyenne, Beulah and Dunseith are certainly quality ones though. They should be able to head into the final two weeks of the season with one or fewer losses too. Closing the year with Bishop Ryan, Four Winds and Dunseith is ideal as it’ll prep them for Regions.
Shiloh Christian
The Skyhawks started the year with a slew of tough opponents and have since mostly cruised in eight straight wins including against Stanley and Oak Grove. They’ll have opportunities for several more good wins later in the year but it looks like they’ve got a light schedule here for a few weeks. Shiloh should continue piling up wins.
Cavalier
The Tornadoes won their first nine games before losing to Hillsboro this past week. The quality of opponent in their first nine wasn’t special and things will get tougher here over the next month, so we’ll find out a lot about this Cavalier club which to this point has been one of the pleasant surprises in Class B.
Bishop Ryan
The Lions haven’t been quite as good as expected but a difficult early-season slate and lack of experience beyond their star backcourt contributed to the troubles. Bishop Ryan will still be a factor in the year and with Ben Bohl and Mason Hedberg on the court, the Lions will never lack the talent to contend. They end the year with good tests in Rugby and Dickinson Trinity ahead of the playoffs.
Richland
Richland has one loss to its resume – a close one at the hands of Hillsboro – and several solid wins. Richland hasn’t been tested much yet but the Colts certainly have the firepower to beat anybody and at this point, they should be considered the favorite in Region 1.
Dickinson Trinity
The Titans hit a snag around the holidays but have seemingly righted the ship with four straight wins. Offense can be a struggle at times but with the way they defend, the Titans will have a chance to pick up wins over anybody. Tough games are coming in February.
Kindred
Another contender in Region 1, the Vikings have been excellent since a season-opening loss to Hillsboro. Wins over Grafton and EKM look particularly good. Matchups with Richland and Oak Grove are around the corner, so we’ll know more about this team in the coming weeks.