WICHITA, Kan.—
It’s that time of year. Hardwood gyms start to hear whistles and heavy breathing echo off brick walls and plastic and wood benches. The Kansas high school basketball season unofficially begins Nov. 30 and preseason rankings were released today. One year removed from yet another state runner-up finish at the hands of Wichita Heights, Blue Valley Northwest takes the preseason No. 1 spot in 6A. Connor Frankamp and the Wichita North Redskins debut at No. 4 in 6A.
The Wichita Heights girls debut as the state’s top team in 6A, as Maize shows up at No. 3. Wichita East is the seventh-ranked team in the class.
The Kapaun boys debut with the top spot in 5A after a state championship run in 2011-12. Their counterparts on the girls’ side can say the same, as the Lady Crusaders debut as the state’s No. 1 team in 5A.
The Salina Central girls are the second-ranked team in 5A, as Newton debuts in the No. 6 spot. Andover and Andover Central will start the season as the No. 7 and 8 teams in the class, respectively. Bishop Carroll is the preseason No. 9.
The McPherson boys and girls both start the season ranked in the top 10, as the Lady Bullpups are the top-ranked team in 4A. The McPherson boys are the No. 10 team.
Below are complete preseason rankings for each class.
Boys
Class 6A
1. Blue Valley NW
2. Olathe East
3. Blue Valley North
4. Wichita North
5. Olathe South
6. SM East
7. Derby
8. Blue Valley West
9. Topeka High
10. Wichita East
Class 5A
1. Kapaun Mt. Carmel
2. Emporia
3. Shawnee Mission South
4. Lansing
5. Leavenworth
6. Bishop Carroll
7. Goddard Eisenhower
8. St. Thomas Aquinas
9. KC Washington
10. KC Harmon
Class 4A
1. Ottawa
2. Highland Park
3. Abilene
4. Coffeyville
5. KC Sumner
6. Wichita Collegiate
7. Basehor Linwood
8. Holton
9. Topeka Hayden
10. McPherson
Class 3A
1. Scott City
2. Beloit
3. Nemaha Valley
4. Hillsboro
5. Central Heights
6. Conway Springs
7. Hosington
8. Sacred Heart-Salina
9. Pitt-St. Mary’s Colgan
10. Rock Creek
Class 2A
1. Sterling
2. Meade
3. Lyndon
4. Ness City
5. Berean Academy
6. Jeff County North
7. Republic County
8. Moundridge
9. Oxford
10. Bennington
Class 1A Div. I
1. South Haven
2. Udall
3. St. John
4. Centralia
5. Pretty Prairie
6. Hanover
7. Olpe
8. Waverly
9. LaCrosse
10. Hoxie
Class 1A Div. II
1. Fowler
2. Frankfort
3. Wallace County
4. Baileyville-B&B
5. Otis-Bison
6. South Barber
7. Greely County
8. Hope
9. Dighton
10. Colony-Crest
Girls
Class 6A
1. Wichita Heights
2. Olathe Northwest
3. Maize
4. Olathe South
5. Washburn Rural
6. Free State
7. Wichita East
8. Blue Valley
9. Wichita South
10. Manhattan
Class 5A
1. Kapaun Mt. Carmel
2. Salina Central
3. St. Thomas Aquinas
4. Mill Valley
5. Blue Valley
6. Newton
7. Andover
8. Andover Central
9. Bishop Carroll
10. Bishop Miege
Class 4A
1. McPherson
2. Wamego
3. Holton
4. Hesston
5. Colby
6. Girard
7. Buhler
8. Pratt
9. Chanute
10. Frontenac
Class 3A
1. Hillsboro
2. Burlington
3. Garden Plain
4. Holcomb
5. Haven
6. Silver Lake
7. Riley Co.
8. ACCHS – Effingham
9. Caney Valley
10. Cimarron
Class 2A
1. Jeff County North
2. Washington Co.
3. Moundridge
4. Sterling
5. Ell-Saline
6. Republic County
7. Berean Academy
8. Madison
9. Lincoln
10. Chase County
Class 1A Div. I
1. Olpe
2. Hoxie
3. Waverly
4. Dexter/Ceder Vale
5. Pike Valley
6. Centralia
7. Bucklin
8. St. John
9. Victoria
10. Centre
Class 1A Div. II
1. Wilson
2. Argonia
3. Wetmore
4. B&B-Baileyville
5. Wallace County
6. Central Christian
7. Norwich
8. Golden Plains
9. Weskan
10. Hope
