#1 O’Gorman Knights (10-3)
Rank+: 165
Best Win: #8 Brandon Valley (54-41)
Wins: Brandon Valley, Roosevelt, Watertown, Brookings, Yankton, Lincoln, Roosevelt, Tea Area, Stevens, RC Central
Last Week:
- Fri vs. #6 Stevens (W 68-42)
- Sat vs. RC Central (W 49-31)
Weekly Schedule:
- Tue @ Lincoln
- Fri vs. #2 Washington
OG takes over at the #1 spot after a great weekend of basketball, including a dominant victory against Stevens. That game was a great bounce back from the Knights, who lost their 5-game win streak against Pierre on Jan. 27th.
The Knights will have to defend their top rank, and home court, however, on Friday against Washington.
#2 Washington Warriors (11-2)
Rank+: 160
Best Win: #2 O’Gorman (W 42-33)
Wins: Lincoln (x2), Huron, Aberdeen, Pierre, O’Gorman, Jefferson, Roosevelt, Marshall (MN), Brookings, Watertown
Last Week:
- Tue @ Brookings (W 52-40)
- Fri vs. #10 Watertown (W 49-36)
Weekly Schedule:
- Tue @ #7 Brandon Valley
- Fri @ #1 O’Gorman
Washington rebounded from a loss to Jefferson with two victories as the calendar turned to February.
This week, though, will be the big test as Brandon Valley and O’Gorman headline a tough schedule ahead for the Warriors.
#3 Pierre Governors (12-2)
Rank+: 158
Best Win: #2 O’Gorman (57-46)
Wins: Stevens, RC Central, Watertown, Spearfish, Sturgis, Lincoln, Lakota Tech, Douglas, Aberdeen, O’Gorman, Harrisburg, Yankton
Last Week:
- Tue @ #6 Harrisburg (W 40-30)
- Fri vs. Yankton (W 59-18)
Weekly Schedule:
- Tue @ Huron
- Fri vs. Bismarck (ND)
The Lady Govs took care of business this last week, taking home a huge win before cruising to a victory over Yankton.
Pierre has some very winnable games down the stretch and this could be a very dangerous team come March.
#4 Jefferson Cavaliers (12-2)
Rank+: 150
Best Win: #1 Washington (52-47)
Wins: Roosevelt, Brandon Valley, Lincoln, West Central, RC Central, Stevens, Yankton, Harrisburg, Huron, Mitchell
Last Week:
- Tue @ #10 Mitchell (W 56-47)
Weekly Schedule:
- Tue @ #8 Watertown
- Fri vs. Brookings
The Cavs only had one game this week but took home a nice win over Mitchell. Tuesday’s going to be another challenging game on the road, but Jefferson is playing their best basketball at just the right time.
#5 Stevens Raiders (11-4)
Rank+: 139
Best Win: #7 Spearfish (53-38)
Wins: Douglas, Aberdeen, RC Central, Spearfish, Roosevelt, Campbell County (WY), Sturgis, Watertown, Brookings, Mitchell, Huron
Last Week:
- Fri @ #2 O’Gorman (L 68-42)
- Sat @ #8 Brandon Valley (L 45-32)
Weekly Schedule:
- Fri vs. Yankton
- Sat vs. #6 Harrisburg
It was a tough road trip out east for the Raiders, but series like this past one are going to set Stevens up for success later in the season.
These next few weeks are going to give them an opportunity to learn from their mistakes, and they will have a great chance to bounce back with this weekend’s slate.
#6 Harrisburg Tigers (11-3)
Rank+: 125
Best Win: #1 Washington (40-39)
Wins: Yankton, Lincoln, Marshall (MN), Roosevelt, Huron, Douglas, Spearfish, Washington, Mitchell, Brookings, Aberdeen
Last Week:
- Tue vs. #3 Pierre (L 40-30)
- Fri @ Aberdeen (W 40-38)
Weekly Schedule:
- Mon vs. Tea Area
- Fri @ RC Central
- Sat @ #5 Stevens
The Tigers currently are the #4 seed in the state’s power points, and this week is going to be huge for where they end up. Tea Area is a talented team that can play with some of the best teams in AA, and Stevens is going to be hungry for a win after last week.
And this is just the start of a tough stretch of games, as O’Gorman, Brandon Valley and Watertown are their remaining opponents after this week. It’s going to be a tough run of games for the Tigers, but that means Harrisburg is going to be battle-tested heading into the playoffs.
#7 Brandon Valley Lynx (10-4)
Rank+: 122
Best Win: #3 Pierre (75-69)
Wins: Roosevelt, Watertown, Brookings, Spearfish, Douglas, Marshall (MN), Pierre, Yankton
Last Week:
- Fri vs. RC Central (W 45-38)
- Sat vs. #5 Stevens (W 45-32)
Weekly Schedule:
- Tue vs. #2 Washington
- Sat @ Lincoln
Brandon Valley picked up a huge win this past Saturday over Stevens, winning their 9th game in 10 tries. The Lynx are showing a ton of improvement, and could make a statement tomorrow night against Washington.
#8 Watertown Arrows (7-7)
Rank+: 111
Best Win: Huron (W 36-34)
Wins: Brookings, Aberdeen, Yankton, Tea Area, RC Central, Huron, Douglas
Last Week:
- Tue vs. Lincoln (L 53-50)
- Fri @ #1 Washington (L 49-36)
Weekly Schedule:
- Tue vs. #4 Jefferson
- Thu @ #10 Mitchell
- Fri @ Roosevelt
It was a tough week for the Arrows, but there is no time to worry about the past; as they have a tough two games coming up.
This is going to be a great opportunity for Watertown to show their toughness and could swing the momentum in their favor heading into the postseason.
#9 Spearfish Spartans (5-8)
Rank+: 108
Best Win: Hill City (48-25)
Wins: Hot Springs, Hill City, STM, RC Central, Lead-Deadwood
Last Week:
- Tue @ Lead-Deadwood (W 47-9)
- Fri vs. Huron (L 58-54)
- Sat vs. #10 Mitchell (L 56-52)
Weekly Schedule:
- Tue @ Sturgis
- Thu vs. Custer
Spearfish continues to battle it out in close matchups against all their opponents with two tough losses this past weekend. The Spartans have now won or loss by 5 points or less in 7 games.
They’ll are still looking to finally turn the corner on these close games, but have put themselves in a position to make a great run down the stretch.
#10 Mitchell Kernels (8-6)
Rank+: 107
Best Win: #9 Spearfish (56-52)
Wins: Huron, Yankton, Brookings, Roosevelt, Lincoln, Sturgis, Spearfish
Last Week:
- Tue vs. #4 Jefferson (L 56-47)
- Fri @ Sturgis (W 55-30)
- Sat @ #9 Spearfish (W 56-52)
Weekly Schedule:
- Tue vs. Aberdeen
- Thu vs. #8 Watertown
Mitchell picked up their best win of the season this past Saturday in a road victory over Spearfish. The Kernels now just sit outside the Top 8 in Sodak 16 seeding, and two wins this week would give them a chance to host.
It’s not going to be an easy road for Mitchell to get there, as 5 ranked teams remain on their schedule, including #1 O’Gorman, #2 Washington, #3 Pierre, #7 Brandon Valley and #8 Watertown.
