Basketball gets into fullswing on Friday, so the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association has released its first rankings of the season.
Class 6A
Wichita Heights is seeking its fourth title in a row on the boys side with senior and University of Kansas commit Perry Ellis. Terrence Moore is also back for one more season before he heads to Emporia State to play basketball. The Falcons also added Second-Team All-State transfer Gavin Thurman. Thurman, who is committed to Missouri State University, transferred in from Southeast.
The Falcons could be pushed this year by No. 2 Olathe Northwest. The Ravens are led by two Division I commits in Willie Cauley and Shavon Shields. Cauley will play for John Calipari at the Univeristy of Kentucky next year while Shields is heading to Nebraska.
Wichita Northwest, Dodge City and Wichita East are the only other area teams ranked in the top 10.
6A Boys
1. Wichita Heights
2. Olathe Northwest
3. BVNW
4. Topeka High
5. Blue Valley North
6. Leavenworth
7. Olathe South
8. Wichita Northwest
9. Dodge City
10. Wichita East
On the girls' side, Olathe Northwest starts the season at No. 1. Maize, who is led by Paige Lungwitz and Jurnee Reed, starts the year at No. 2. The Class 6A defending champion Wichita Heights Falcons open the year ranked No. 3.
6A Girls
1. Olathe Northwest
2. Maize
3. Wichita Heights
4. Olathe South
5. Olathe East
6. Free State
7. Manhattan
8. Washburn Rural
9. Dodge City
10. Gardner-Edgerton
Class 5A
The Class 5A defending champion McPherson Bullpups have moved down to Class 4A, so Topeka Highland Park is the favorite coming into the season. The Scots have won three of the last five titles in Class 5A, but missed out on the state tournament last season.
Andover Central starts the year ranked No. 3. City League foes Bishop Carroll and Kapaun start out at Nos. 6 and 7.
5A Boys
1. Highland Park
2. Lansing
3. Andover Central
4. KC-Washington
5. Bishop Miege
6. Bishop Carroll
7. Kapaun Mt Carmel
8. St. Thomas Aquinas
9. Salina Central
10. Emporia
Aquinas won the team title last year in Class 5A with a 25-0 record, but the Saints start the season ranked No. 2 behind the team they beat last year in Blue Valley Stilwell. Salina Central is led by sophomore Shaelyn Martin, who is committed to Kansas State University, and starts the season at No. 3. Newton lost star post player Kate Lehman, but the coaches have the Railers up high still at No. 4.
5A Girls
1. Blue Valley
2. Aquinas
3. Salina Central
4. Newton
5. Miege
6. Liberal
7. Highland Park
8. Carroll
9. Salina South
10. Shawnee Heights
Class 4A
The defending Class 4A champion Kansas City Sumner Sabres start the year back at No. 1. McPherson won the Class 5A title last year and starts this season ranked No. 4 in Class 4A. Collegiate, also new to Class 4A this season, is just behind the Bullpups at No. 5. Buhler sits at No, 6.
4A Boys
1. KC Sumner
2. Basehor-Linwood
3. Ottawa
4. McPherson
5. Wichita Collegiate
6. Buhler
7. St.James Academy
8. Topeka Hayden
9. Pratt
10. Abilene
Defending Class 4A girls champion Holton starts again at No. 1. McPherson slides in at No. 2 after dropping down a class. Last season, Cheney was the state runner-up and the champion two years ago, but the Cardinals start the season unranked.
4A Girls
1. Holton
2. McPherson
3. Ottawa
4. Wamego
5. Bashor Linwood
6. Haven
7. Hesston
8. Colby
9. Pratt
10. Wellington
Class 3A
Scott City took the Class 3A title last season on the strength of star Ron Baker. Baker now plays for Wichita State University, but that does not stop the Beavers from starting the year at No. 1 yet again. Last year's runner-up, Minneapolis, starts the year at No. 10.
3A Boys
1. Scott City
2. Effingham - Atchison County
3. Hutch Trinity
4. Burlington
5. Beloit
6. Rock Creek
7. Hillsboro
8. Riley County
9. Hoisington
10. Minneapolis
Only two teams that made the state tournament last season start this year ranked in the top 10. Hillsboro finished third last season and starts out as the favorite in Class 3A this year. Riley County finished 21-3 last season with a loss in the opening round to eventual champion Collegiate and this year starts as No. 2.
3A Girls
1. Hillsboro
2. Riley Co.
3. Atchison Co. Community
4. Sabetha
5. Moundridge
6. Cimarron
7. Marysville
8. Frontenac
9. Holcomb
10. Southwestern Heights
Class 2A
The Berean Academy Warriors are two-time defending champions in Class 2A boys and the coaches like them to win a third in a row as they start out as No. 1 in Class 2A. Meade failed to qualify for state last year, but starts this season at No. 2.
2A Boys
1. Berean Academy
2. Meade
3. Plainville
4. Washington County
5. Sterling
6. Ness City
7. Syracuse
8. Lyndon
9. Smith Center
10. Stanton County
Jefferson County North was the runner-up in Class 3A last year, but dropped down a class to 2A this year and is the immediate favorite at No. 1. Moundridge, last season's Class 2A girls champion, moved up to Class 3A.
2A Girls
1. Jeff Co North
2. Washington Co
3. Olpe
4. Ell-Saline
5. Berean Academy
6. Smith Center
7. Atwood
8. Oakley
9. Little River
10. Oskaloosa
Class 1A
Macksville won the Class 1A Division I title last season, but starts out this year at No. 5 in the class. South Haven is the favorite to start the season in Division I. Tribune, the 1A Division II champion from last year, starts out unranked.
1A-Div 1-Boys
1. South Haven
2. Ashland
3. Centralia
4. Hanover
5. Macksville
6. Pretty Prairie
7. Lakeside-Downs
8. St. John-Hudson
9. South Gray-Montezuma
10. Thunder Ridge-Kensington
1A-Div 2-Boys
1. Otis-Bison
2. Hope
3. Kiowa-South Barber
4. Baileyville-B&B
5. Fowler
6. Wilson
7. Chase
8. Moscow
9. Cheylin
10. Frankfort
Olpe won the Class 1A Division I title last year on the girls' side, but the Eagles bumped back up to Class 2A this year. As a result, Hoxie is the new favorite in Class 1A Division I. Argonia romped to the 1A Division II title last year with a 69-41 win over Hutchinson Central Christian in the title game to complete a 26-0 season. The Raiders slipped one spot to No. 2 to start this year, while the team they beat for the title starts the year at No. 1.
1A-Div 1-Girls
1. Hoxie
2. St. John-Hudson
3. South Central-Coldwater
4. Centralia
5. Dexter-Cedar Vale
6. Minneola
7. Caldwell
8. SCC-Leroy
9. St. Paul
10. Wakefield
1A-Div 2- Girls
1. Central Christian
2. Argonia
3. Wilson
4. Norwich
5. Ingalls
6. South Barber
7. B & B-Baileyville
8. Wetmore
9. Wallace County
10. St. John's- Tipton
