Posted by sideline starter on Tue, Jan 1, 2013, at 1:44 PM:
Happy New Year to all and welcome to this season's inaugural edition of the Sideline Starter Top Ten. In recent weeks, a few people asked me when the Top Ten would be coming back and the answer was always after the Christmas tournaments. Once the Christmas tournaments are over, I feel like there is a large enough sample size to make a good list. While this edition is out on Tuesday, the Top Ten will come out every weekend (probably Sunday) from now until districts. There is a lot of ground to cover from the first weeks of the season from Sikeston's undefeated start to Charleston's dominating run against most of the area. There is Holcomb's big win at the Bloomfield Christmas tournament and the large number of Class 1 and 2 schools who could win not only districts but state. It is an exciting year for SEMO basketball. Let's get into the rankings.
1) Sikeston-The Bulldogs (11-0) are the only undefeated team in the area after the chaos of the Christmas tournament season. They have faced some major tests so far with Charleston and Ft. Zumwalt South and have some landmines looming from Maplewood to Charleston to Cape Central amongst others. The first landmine though is only days away as they face Class 5 school Parkway South this Saturday at the Cape Tiger Shootout. JT Jones has been the (slightly unexpected) MVP of not only his team but the entire SEMO region in the early part of the year and will continue to cause fits for his opponents. If you haven't been able to check out Jones yet, go see him play. He is fun to watch.
2) Charleston-The Bluejays (11-1) have arguably looked the part of the most dominating team in the area and are one loss to their rivals away from having the top spot in this inaugural poll. It has been much more than the Ryan Parham-Michael Hull show however. Sumner Foster is one of the most athletically gifted players in the area, Darrion Carter and Shandor Webster play great down low, and Del Bogan is the best player coming off the bench in the area. This team has a lot of talent and is very similar to the 2010-11 Sikeston Bulldogs team in terms of their depth and athleticism. The Blue Jays won the SEMO Christmas Tournament with their leader, Parham, injured and did it without really breaking a sweat. It will be tough for anyone to beat them in Class 3.
3) Poplar Bluff-This is easily the most underrated team in the area. The Mules (8-3) opened their season with some hiccups losing to South Iron to start the year and Sikeston in the next game. However, Will Durden has righted the ship and the players have started to gel as the Mules are a relevant player in the area for the first time in a few years. They defeated two teams also trying to figure things out in New Madrid and Jackson at the SEMO Conference tourney and only have one loss since. They were able to take third in their Showdown by defeating two good out-of-state teams in Moss Point and Booker T. Washington and only lost to finalist Liberty Tech by four. Their great showing in the Showdown shows that this team is heading in the right direction and is going to be a tough out in both SEMO Conference play and district play. I'm very impressed by their start.
4) Cape Central-If there is one word to describe the Tigers (6-4) in the early part of the season, it is inconsistency. While they have been in every game this year, they haven't shown the ability to really pull away from top competition. Jamal Cox has more help than he looked like he would have originally with Al Young, Aaron Statam, and Garan Evans all stepping up and playing great at times. However, for the Tigers to win games, it seems that they need big contributions from at least three of those four guys. Losses to St. James and Farmington show the vulnerability of Cape Central but they have second place trophies from the Potosi and Cape Christmas tournaments to go with a third place trophy from the SEMO Conference tournament. Thus, it is tough to place them too much lower.
5) Jackson-If there is a team primed to leap the Tigers in the coming weeks (or maybe even this upcoming Sunday), it is the Indians (7-5). Jackson has struggled against large school competition this season but was able to make some signature showings in the SEMO Christmas Tournament highlighted by their emotional win over Notre Dame for third place. Karson King makes this team go and is developing into a premier player in the area. What has impressed me the most about Jackson is how well they understand what they are and what they can and can't do better than just about any other team I have seen this season. They embrace being bigger than their opponents and driving inside for buckets or having the guys who they know can shoot do the shooting. Jackson does struggle against fast paced opponents which will knock them out of some games they should otherwise win but that along with their lack of great ballhandlers are the only real flaws to their game.
6) Notre Dame-This is when things start to really get muddled. The Bulldogs (5-7) have a subpar record but have played nothing but quality teams (minus their first round Christmas tournament game against Bell City). Three of their losses are to the best two teams in the area (Sikeston and Charleston) while another three have been to the other top five teams (Cape and Jackson) with the last loss being to the team who will probably be #2 in Class 4 when the next rankings come out (Duchesne). If Notre Dame had been blown out in each of those games, they wouldn't be on the list. The key to their ranking is the fact that they have been competitive in most of them. They have also scored wins against some other low top ten teams (Kennett and New Madrid). There is a clear divide between the talent level in the SEMO Conference and the rest of the area this season as noted by these rankings so far. That is the number one trend I have noticed. Notre Dame has played eight games against SEMO Conference teams so far.
7) New Madrid County Central-The Eagles (5-5) do not have the greatest record but are another victim of the strong schedule. They also are a team that fades down the stretch. After a horrendous 1-4 start against Riverbend and SEMO Conference competition, they found their sea-legs in convincing wins over Doniphan and Malden followed by getting fifth in the Dyersburg Christmas tournament. The Eagles are one of only two teams in the area I believe to have held a fourth quarter lead in every game they have played (along with Sikeston) and have lost their five games by a combined 16 points with no loss being by more than four. That is the sign of a team who has the talent but just hasn't quite got it figured out. If Willie Jimerson can get some more help from his teammates, the Eagles may be the biggest threat to Charleston in their district.
8) Holcomb-The Bloomfield Christmas champion Hornets (9-3) have risen to the top early in the race for Class 2 with their wins over Bernie and Hayti at the tourney along with their surprise title game win over Kennett. However, Holcomb does have close losses to Portageville, Hayti, and Bernie already on the year proving this spot is nowhere near secure for them. Jamie Massey has been the force he was expected to be so far this season and has had plenty of help from Ryan Reeves and others. What keeps the Hornets from climbing much higher is the lack of games against the top area competition. While it isn't necessary at all for them to take on SEMO Conference teams, it is tough to rank them above many of those teams due to their schedule.
9) Kennett-The Indians (8-4) have been steady so far this season but have wilted a bit when faced with competition who can defend their offensive weapons (Mitchell, Primer, and Drake) or can capitalize on their defensive issues (Notre Dame put on a clinic on making the extra pass to get the open shot against them). The Indians have a lot of athleticism. They just don't always have it put together. They are a good team but could be exposed for their flaws when facing the top area teams in upcoming weeks.
10) Oran-The Eagles (11-2) had a memorable week at the Cape Christmas tournament taking fifth place, avenging their early season loss to Advance, and scoring a thirty point drubbing over Scott County Central. If they had been properly seeded, they may have been able to get another marquee game against a team like Cape Central, Notre Dame, or Jackson which really would have helped to pad their resume. The level of competition and avenging their early season loss to Advance are what pushed Oran into the tenth spot for me over the other teams who were considered (Bernie, Caruthersville, Hayti, Portageville, Advance, Leopold, South Pemiscot and a few others who are knocking at the door). They have some great shooters and an underrated presence inside in Alex Heuring. As of now, they are #2 in what would be my Class 2 rankings but as with Holcomb, those rankings are very fluid and will change from week to week.
In conclusion, I think there are a few prevailing storylines that are kind of hanging over the basketball season so far. First, and most obvious, is that Sikeston and Charlestona are a cut above the rest of the field. That doesn't mean that either team is unbeatable in the area but it will take a very good gameplan and effort by an opponent to score an upset over either team. The SEMO Conference seems to just be on a different level than the rest of the area as well. The tough competition level these teams provide each other throughout the year helps each other to get better and realize what they need to work on. Finally, the other notable storyline is just how deep Class 2 is in this area this season. If any combination of Holcomb, Oran, Advance, Bernie, South Pemiscot, Hayti, and Portageville played on a given night, it is almost a coin toss as to who would win. Anyone who tells you they know who will represent Class 2 in the Final Four from our area is flat out lying. Keeping up with all of these different teams as the year continues will be a lot of fun.
Thank you very much for taking time to read the inaugural rankings for this season. As more and more teams are able to get their games streamed online via various outlets, this is the first time I can say that I have seen each team in the rankings multiple times between in person games and webcasts. Please give your feedback. I'd love to see comments, criticisms, questions, or whatever. I know some folks believe that a .500 or sub-.500 team should not be ranked ahead of a team with one or two losses but strength of schedule has such a large disparity this season. It is going to be a fun time to be a fan of SEMO basketball. I hope you enjoy it just as much as I am.
Replies (43)
I pretty much think that is spot on although I will disagree that Parkway South is a landmine, they arent real good, also I agree about JT Jones he is a very good player, Id take him over probably anybody in Semo.
-- Posted by stlscott on Tue, Jan 1, 2013, at 2:01 PM
Thanks Scott. I understand your thinking and we'll disagree on who is and isn't a landmine but I appreciate the feedback.
-- Posted by sideline starter on Tue, Jan 1, 2013, at 2:04 PM
I am new to semoball but very impressed with your top ten sideline and your breaking down each team.I think you nailed poplar bluff spot on those first two losses were to two quality teams!
-- Posted by porchswing on Tue, Jan 1, 2013, at 2:07 PM
I just looked them up and you are right that they are not exactly playing great this year. Playing an out of area team always worries me though especially after a week layoff. As a Sikeston fan, it is tough to take anyone lightly.
-- Posted by sideline starter on Tue, Jan 1, 2013, at 2:07 PM
Thanks porchswing. Glad to have you on here.
-- Posted by sideline starter on Tue, Jan 1, 2013, at 2:08 PM
I think the Class 2 Champ is right here in the bootheel, I just dont know which school it will be.
-- Posted by TerryHicks4President on Tue, Jan 1, 2013, at 2:12 PM
Ive seen P South play just once against Summit, earlier in the year, Sikeston isnt the team that Parkway wants to see, your pressure will hurt them badly. Sikeston 76- South 54
-- Posted by stlscott on Tue, Jan 1, 2013, at 2:14 PM
I wouldn't hand that trophy just yet in class 2 Terry there are a couple of teams up around columbia that are pretty good salisbury,northeast cairo.I am not saying they will win it but they will give the bootheel teams all they want that salisbury team was in the state championship game last year and got almost same team back this year got a pair of twins that are the coaches son's!
-- Posted by porchswing on Tue, Jan 1, 2013, at 2:30 PM
^^ Couldnt agree more, class 2 is pretty tough statewide.
-- Posted by stlscott on Tue, Jan 1, 2013, at 2:33 PM
A well-thought out list as always Sideline. As one who follows SEMO basketball closely and contributes to the Top 25 poll on another web-site, I understand how difficult some of these decisions are. There are so many factors that have to be considered and many teams are really close.
I agree that Sikeston and Charleston are on another level than the rest of SEMO. I have 8 of your Top 10 in my own list of Top 25 schools, including the same Top 3 in the same order.
But I just cannot agree on Notre Dame and NMCC being in the Top 10 right now. I understand the whole large school and strength of schedule argument, but I just can't bring myself to rank a sub-.500 (ND) and a .500 team (NMCC) in the Top 10. Elite teams don't have losing records (ND) or blow so many 4th quarter leads (NMCC). Especially when you have Bernie (11-1) and Hayti (8-3) to consider, both teams having played decent schedules with signature wins. Bernie's only loss was to Holcomb in the BCT with their leading scorer on the bench with a shoulder injury.
I always enjoy your columns Sideline. They are well-written and researched. I imagine we'll have plenty to kick around during what should be another great basketball season in SEMO!
-- Posted by Preacher Man Fan on Tue, Jan 1, 2013, at 2:42 PM
I have to respectfully disagree with you on this preacher ND would beat most teams in Semo, after second tier teams like Cape, Jackson and notre Dame, most of these teams are struggling this year. And when you are looking at records I look at who they have played and there just is flat out alot of teams that are down.
-- Posted by stlscott on Tue, Jan 1, 2013, at 2:50 PM
Looks like a good list sideline! I think NMCC would handle both Hayti and Bernie. They have lost to three of the trams ranked ahead of them, one of the top teams in Arkansas, and one if the top teams in Mississippi. It think you can look at the 4th quarter thing either way. Yres it is a negative, but it is also a positive that NMCC has had 4thquarter leads over three teams ahead of them, and two good out of state teams. 16 more points, and they could easily be 10-0.
-- Posted by BuckMajor on Tue, Jan 1, 2013, at 2:54 PM
Stlscott, exactly what are you basing your opinion on regarding ND?
Buck, I think NMCC has the talent to be a Top 10 team and they are playing better, but right now they're just not there. Elite teams know how to close out games and the Eagles have struggled with that in the early going.
-- Posted by Preacher Man Fan on Tue, Jan 1, 2013, at 3:14 PM
I'd have to agree with you there! They do need work closing out games. Although I think they are getting there. They closed out Chester Co, and even battled from behind to beat Cville. So I think they are taking a step in the right direction. But they have to be able to close out games!
-- Posted by BuckMajor on Tue, Jan 1, 2013, at 3:25 PM
Great list. You really nailed it. After seeing a lot of basketball and just looking at scores I think this is a year where there are a lot of good teams but not as many state title contenders as years past. I hope I'm wrong but that is my gut feeling. Take Class 2 for example. There are 5-6 really good teams in District 1 alone not to mention Advance and Oran also being SEMO teams with a chance to do something in Class 2. But are any of these teams as good as the state championship teams from Portageville? Or even the really good team Bernie sent to the state finals 3 years ago? I don't think any of them are that good but they're all good teams for sure. One of them will go to the final four and you could argue 5-6 of the top 10 in the state is down here within 50 miles of each other but I don't think we have a state champion in Class 2. Same goes for Class 1. Leopold, South Iron, Eminence, Risco, Oak Ridge and even Scott County all have nice teams in Class 1. But none of these teams have the look of a state title team. I don't think any of these teams would have beat Risco last year and look how far short they were of a state title. Again one of these schools will go to a Final Four but I don't think we'll have a state champion. Sikeston is cruising and has a shot at the final four but Class 4 has some really stiff competition out there. Same goes for Charleston in Class 3. The only thing I'm really sure of is Sikeston and Charleston are head and shoulders above the teams in their respective classes. The Class 1 and 2 districts will be fun to watch but to me that's just because there are more good teams than normal and no really great team in either class.
-- Posted by bootheelhooper on Tue, Jan 1, 2013, at 3:32 PM
Ya the Bernie mules would be in my top ten for sure. I believe they beat Oran . Not taking anything away form Oran just think Bernie would win if they played.
-- Posted by dickie v on Tue, Jan 1, 2013, at 3:46 PM
Preach, I can't just go by records and say that is the case why one team is better than another. I relented in football with Portageville when they hit 7-0 against weaker competition and it burned me. That isn't clouding my judgment in this situation but it is an example of what record chasing can do. Give Bernie the schedule that Notre Dame has played and play the best-case worst-case scenario game. They would beat Bell City and probably Leopold but every other game would be a tossup at best. I don't see five wins for them. Meanwhile, give Notre Dame Bernie's schedule, yes there is a chance they are 9-3 or 8-4 but I see them also being 11-1 or 12-0. I would feel confident that NMCC would be the same. Bernie would have two, maybe three wins in my opinion with New Madrid's schedule. This isn't a knock on Bernie. All the Bernie fans on here know I like them, the way they play, and their players, coach, and fans but playing in the SCAA is just different from playing in the SEMO Conference and playing the out of conference schedule that New Madrid and Notre Dame have played and will play is just on a different level and Notre Dame and New Madrid have not looked helpless. You say an elite team doesn't play under-.500 or blows fourth quarter leads. Don't elite teams blowout opponents regularly? Well, that eliminates Sikeston. Don't elite teams win against their rivals? There goes Charleston. I could do that with every team. There are two "elite" teams in this area: Sikeston and Charleston. Records don't make teams elite though as Portageville learned in football.
-- Posted by sideline starter on Tue, Jan 1, 2013, at 3:48 PM
Good list sideline. I do think Cape will beat Jackson, but that could be the homer in me. Either way we'll find out soon enough.
-- Posted by CapeAlum on Tue, Jan 1, 2013, at 3:49 PM
Sideline, I didn't base my argument just on records. Both Bernie and Hayti have played decent schedules. No, Bernie wouldn't have beaten Sikeston or Charleston, but I would give you even odds against any other team on ND's schedule with the exception of Duschene. I think you are seriously underestimating the Mules.
Do elite teams always beat their rivals or blow teams out? Not necessarily. We had this debate last year about Jackson. You kept arguing strength of schedule for keeping them in the Top 10 and they just kept losing. We'll see how that works out this year for ND and NMCC. In the meantime, I think you'll be hard-pressed to find an official Top 10 that includes a team with a losing record when there are comparable teams with much better records to consider.
-- Posted by Preacher Man Fan on Tue, Jan 1, 2013, at 4:20 PM
Bernie and Hayti's schedules are decent for Bernie and Hayti. If a Notre Dame or New Madrid had played them though, they would be getting bashed to no end about them being weak schedules. We are about halfway through the regular season right now. Some teams are going to be under-.500 who are better than their record shows. In football, Cape Central was 2-6 through Week 8 while Portageville was 7-0 but the difference in schedule made Cape seem like the better team and they were. I was wrong on Jackson last year and corrected it by the end of the year but they did play a strong schedule. If they play one more comparable to a Bernie or Hayti, they probably go closer 18-9 instead of 14-13 but also get bashed for trying to schedule wins.
-- Posted by sideline starter on Tue, Jan 1, 2013, at 4:36 PM
Sideline, if that's your standard you might as well leave every Class 1 and 2 team out of your Top 10.
-- Posted by Preacher Man Fan on Tue, Jan 1, 2013, at 4:58 PM
I don't think you can leave every small school out of the rankings. For instance, Holcomb beat Kennett by a small margin, but ND beat Kennett by a big margin. And, having seen both teams play, I don't think Holcomb could beat ND. Holcomb and NMCC might be a toss up, but I would still give the edge to NMCC.
All in all, I think this is a great starting point for the mid-season rankings. I'm looking forward to see how things play out.
-- Posted by rocketsbro on Tue, Jan 1, 2013, at 6:05 PM
Boy both of you guys sideline and preach make really good cases for your side of this debate but i think i have to go with sideline if you forced me to you have to class them in some way not just records.Bootheelhooper i think you got the teams right that are in contention for class 1 but i do think there is one that is a little ahead of the others in my opinion not by much but a little that south iron team is 13-1 and has a win over class 5 poplar bluff and that win is looking better all the time.But the drexel bobcats are the team to beat in class 1!
-- Posted by porchswing on Tue, Jan 1, 2013, at 6:10 PM
Well thanks porchswing, but again, my argument for Bernie and Hayti over ND and NMCC isn't based solely on records. When making a poll you consider several factors: record, strength of schedule, talent level, wins or losses in a row, large school vs. small school, and record vs. common opponents. You can't take just one of the factors, like record, into consideration without weighing it against the others. Take St. Vincent for example. To my knowledge, they have only one loss on the season, but they have played a very weak schedule. In their one game against a good team, they got hammered by Leopold. So you couldn't seriously consider them for the Top 10 right now. That's no slight against St. Vincent who has a very good squad, just an example of the things you have to take into consideration in making a Top 10 or Top 25 poll.
The relative weight you give SOS vs. actual wins and losses is a friendly little debate Sideline and I have been having since last season.
-- Posted by Preacher Man Fan on Tue, Jan 1, 2013, at 6:31 PM
I understand and i guess there is a fine line between how much on a percentage basis you consider strenght of schedule.I totally enjoy the debate it helps me keep my mind open to opinions different than mine and you do it in a classy way keep it up very enlightening!
-- Posted by porchswing on Tue, Jan 1, 2013, at 6:47 PM
You have to go by records to some degree but more important than wins and losses is who you beat and who you lost to. Kennett getting smoked by Notre Dame and losing to Class 2 Holcomb is a good example. I root for Kennett but right now I don't know if they have a "good win" under their belt. Same goes for South Pem who started the year hot because they beat Caruthersville in triple OT. That looked like a great win at the time but Caruthersville is not even a 500 team. So now factor in close losses by South Pem to Malden, Hayti, Bernie, and a blowout loss to Kennett and you see how twisted this can all get. I look at records I look at how many good wins you have and I use the eyeball test. Sikeston and charleston pass the test right now. Everybody else could change week to week just like Holcomb beating Hayti this week but losing to them a couple weeks ago, Bernie beating Holcomb and them losing to them recently. Teams 3-15 in the area are going to change a lot this year because they are all just good-not-great teams. Sikeston and Charleston are clearly 1 and 2.
-- Posted by bootheelhooper on Tue, Jan 1, 2013, at 8:07 PM
Good work sideline, while I may not agree with every thing , I think you are very close and you have never claimed to be an expert authority. Thats what makes it fun to watch the teams sort themselves out. What looked like a down year has turned out to be a competitive and balanced group of teams who will have to battle every week.The cream will rise to the top.Thanks for the great effort.
-- Posted by attitude and effort on Tue, Jan 1, 2013, at 8:28 PM
I totally agree bootheelhooper.
-- Posted by Preacher Man Fan on Tue, Jan 1, 2013, at 8:29 PM
He's got the PB mules ranked a little high don't think they beat any he's got ranked in the top 10. They are better but the teams in the showdown were not real strong this year at all.But they are playing better ball .Just think they are a long ways from being ranked 3rd.
-- Posted by dickie v on Tue, Jan 1, 2013, at 10:07 PM
Poplar Bluff has beaten jackson and nmcc!
-- Posted by porchswing on Tue, Jan 1, 2013, at 10:11 PM
Jones is probably Sikeston's best player, but from watching Sikeston vs. FZS, I'd vote for Ruffin as their MVP.
If you keep him bottled up, the half-court offense has some issues.
Just my two cents after seeing only one Sikeston game.
-- Posted by unclegrubworm on Wed, Jan 2, 2013, at 9:40 AM
I agree with your rankings for the most part sideline. My thoughts on the top 5 are similar to yours, but I do have a few differences in opinion. I think Jackson has a stronger team than Cape. The only way I can frame my argument that makes sense is to look at it as not Cape vs Jackson but as Cox vs King. I agree that Cape probably has better overall talent than Jackson, but the key difference lies with each teams star player. Jackson is built around King's evolving inside outside scoring in a way that has way more upside should King develop average or above passing in the post or the half court, which essientially nullifies Jackson's ball handling problem. Cox on the other hand may be an athletic freak( in a good way), but his game doesn't really elevate the players around since they cannot shoot and lack the size to score down low consistently.
Spot on with ND's ranking by the way. ND at the moment as the mix of talent and skill that make them a perfect litmus test for the area's team. The are probably not going to get much better this year unless they play some seniors less and some JV sophomores more so they currently don't have the talent to compete with the top teams in SEMO. However the ND squad makes up for its lack of talent with good ball skills( they pass the ball well and shoot it pretty decently and they play above average half court D). This is how they can beat teams that are lower in these rankings. They expose and exploit flaws in these teams that lesser skilled or less talented teams cannot. Evidence can be found in exposing Kennett's lack of half court defense and exploiting Leopold's lack of depth. Simply put ND are the gatekeepers of the SEMO area.
-- Posted by Bunk on Wed, Jan 2, 2013, at 9:56 AM
Then the question begs asking...who is the keymaster?
-- Posted by Captain Awesome on Wed, Jan 2, 2013, at 10:36 AM
Grubworm are you a Central Colt?
-- Posted by stlscott on Wed, Jan 2, 2013, at 2:12 PM
And Bunk I think ND is going to do nothing but keep getting better.
-- Posted by stlscott on Wed, Jan 2, 2013, at 2:13 PM
I think ND is probably a really good team who challenges Sikeston, Charleston etc. next year. I really like #11 on the JV. With some luck and a good offseason he is potential top two PG who can distribute and score. But I don't see them being much better than they are now. Now they may even their record out or improve to an above .500 record because I'm not sure what their schedule is. In my mind this ND team has the same ceiling it did have which losing to Sikeston in districts.
-- Posted by Bunk on Wed, Jan 2, 2013, at 2:22 PM
I see ND ceiling going nowhere but up, they are young they are a team I would not want to play come playoff time, and they are gonna be a handful the next couple of years for sure.
-- Posted by stlscott on Wed, Jan 2, 2013, at 2:28 PM
Obviously anybody can beat anyone on any given night and ND has enough talent to pull off the upset just ask Jackson. Your right they are not a team to take lightly in a lose and your out situation.
-- Posted by Bunk on Wed, Jan 2, 2013, at 2:41 PM
stlscott,
I was a Parkway Central Colt many years ago. I'm pretty much a swayback nag now.
-- Posted by unclegrubworm on Wed, Jan 2, 2013, at 4:03 PM
Nice grubworm, always thought you were a knowledgeable poster.
-- Posted by stlscott on Wed, Jan 2, 2013, at 4:07 PM
Uncle, Ruffin and Jones both make this Sikeston team run. I didn't mean to minimize Vashawn's efforts as he is definitely the facilitator of the team but JT in the grand scheme of the season so far has been more valuable in my personal opinion especially defending against guys inside that are sometimes much bigger than him. They are both great players and people though.
-- Posted by sideline starter on Wed, Jan 2, 2013, at 11:51 PM
Thanks, Scott. Not always so sure about the "knowledgeable" part, however. But I do think I'm fairly objective, even though I am a pretty big honk for SEMO teams.
Sideline, you know a lot more about Sikeston than I do. I think Sikeston probably learned a few things against Zumwalt South. They did a very good job of slowing down Sikeston in the second half and forcing them to play a halfcourt game. At some point in the tournament, the Bulldogs will have to do that to win. Let's hope both Ruffin and Jones come up big.
-- Posted by unclegrubworm on Thu, Jan 3, 2013, at 10:35 AM
That game against Zumwalt South was a great learning experience for the team and is exactly the type of game they hope to get out of the St. Dominic tourney. Count me as another guy who's seen your posts on here and STL Today and appreciates your contributions.
-- Posted by sideline starter on Thu, Jan 3, 2013, at 11:05 AM
Happy New Year to all and welcome to this season's inaugural edition of the Sideline Starter Top Ten. In recent weeks, a few people asked me when the Top Ten would be coming back and the answer was always after the Christmas tournaments. Once the Christmas tournaments are over, I feel like there is a large enough sample size to make a good list. While this edition is out on Tuesday, the Top Ten will come out every weekend (probably Sunday) from now until districts. There is a lot of ground to cover from the first weeks of the season from Sikeston's undefeated start to Charleston's dominating run against most of the area. There is Holcomb's big win at the Bloomfield Christmas tournament and the large number of Class 1 and 2 schools who could win not only districts but state. It is an exciting year for SEMO basketball. Let's get into the rankings.
1) Sikeston-The Bulldogs (11-0) are the only undefeated team in the area after the chaos of the Christmas tournament season. They have faced some major tests so far with Charleston and Ft. Zumwalt South and have some landmines looming from Maplewood to Charleston to Cape Central amongst others. The first landmine though is only days away as they face Class 5 school Parkway South this Saturday at the Cape Tiger Shootout. JT Jones has been the (slightly unexpected) MVP of not only his team but the entire SEMO region in the early part of the year and will continue to cause fits for his opponents. If you haven't been able to check out Jones yet, go see him play. He is fun to watch.
2) Charleston-The Bluejays (11-1) have arguably looked the part of the most dominating team in the area and are one loss to their rivals away from having the top spot in this inaugural poll. It has been much more than the Ryan Parham-Michael Hull show however. Sumner Foster is one of the most athletically gifted players in the area, Darrion Carter and Shandor Webster play great down low, and Del Bogan is the best player coming off the bench in the area. This team has a lot of talent and is very similar to the 2010-11 Sikeston Bulldogs team in terms of their depth and athleticism. The Blue Jays won the SEMO Christmas Tournament with their leader, Parham, injured and did it without really breaking a sweat. It will be tough for anyone to beat them in Class 3.
3) Poplar Bluff-This is easily the most underrated team in the area. The Mules (8-3) opened their season with some hiccups losing to South Iron to start the year and Sikeston in the next game. However, Will Durden has righted the ship and the players have started to gel as the Mules are a relevant player in the area for the first time in a few years. They defeated two teams also trying to figure things out in New Madrid and Jackson at the SEMO Conference tourney and only have one loss since. They were able to take third in their Showdown by defeating two good out-of-state teams in Moss Point and Booker T. Washington and only lost to finalist Liberty Tech by four. Their great showing in the Showdown shows that this team is heading in the right direction and is going to be a tough out in both SEMO Conference play and district play. I'm very impressed by their start.
4) Cape Central-If there is one word to describe the Tigers (6-4) in the early part of the season, it is inconsistency. While they have been in every game this year, they haven't shown the ability to really pull away from top competition. Jamal Cox has more help than he looked like he would have originally with Al Young, Aaron Statam, and Garan Evans all stepping up and playing great at times. However, for the Tigers to win games, it seems that they need big contributions from at least three of those four guys. Losses to St. James and Farmington show the vulnerability of Cape Central but they have second place trophies from the Potosi and Cape Christmas tournaments to go with a third place trophy from the SEMO Conference tournament. Thus, it is tough to place them too much lower.
5) Jackson-If there is a team primed to leap the Tigers in the coming weeks (or maybe even this upcoming Sunday), it is the Indians (7-5). Jackson has struggled against large school competition this season but was able to make some signature showings in the SEMO Christmas Tournament highlighted by their emotional win over Notre Dame for third place. Karson King makes this team go and is developing into a premier player in the area. What has impressed me the most about Jackson is how well they understand what they are and what they can and can't do better than just about any other team I have seen this season. They embrace being bigger than their opponents and driving inside for buckets or having the guys who they know can shoot do the shooting. Jackson does struggle against fast paced opponents which will knock them out of some games they should otherwise win but that along with their lack of great ballhandlers are the only real flaws to their game.
6) Notre Dame-This is when things start to really get muddled. The Bulldogs (5-7) have a subpar record but have played nothing but quality teams (minus their first round Christmas tournament game against Bell City). Three of their losses are to the best two teams in the area (Sikeston and Charleston) while another three have been to the other top five teams (Cape and Jackson) with the last loss being to the team who will probably be #2 in Class 4 when the next rankings come out (Duchesne). If Notre Dame had been blown out in each of those games, they wouldn't be on the list. The key to their ranking is the fact that they have been competitive in most of them. They have also scored wins against some other low top ten teams (Kennett and New Madrid). There is a clear divide between the talent level in the SEMO Conference and the rest of the area this season as noted by these rankings so far. That is the number one trend I have noticed. Notre Dame has played eight games against SEMO Conference teams so far.
7) New Madrid County Central-The Eagles (5-5) do not have the greatest record but are another victim of the strong schedule. They also are a team that fades down the stretch. After a horrendous 1-4 start against Riverbend and SEMO Conference competition, they found their sea-legs in convincing wins over Doniphan and Malden followed by getting fifth in the Dyersburg Christmas tournament. The Eagles are one of only two teams in the area I believe to have held a fourth quarter lead in every game they have played (along with Sikeston) and have lost their five games by a combined 16 points with no loss being by more than four. That is the sign of a team who has the talent but just hasn't quite got it figured out. If Willie Jimerson can get some more help from his teammates, the Eagles may be the biggest threat to Charleston in their district.
8) Holcomb-The Bloomfield Christmas champion Hornets (9-3) have risen to the top early in the race for Class 2 with their wins over Bernie and Hayti at the tourney along with their surprise title game win over Kennett. However, Holcomb does have close losses to Portageville, Hayti, and Bernie already on the year proving this spot is nowhere near secure for them. Jamie Massey has been the force he was expected to be so far this season and has had plenty of help from Ryan Reeves and others. What keeps the Hornets from climbing much higher is the lack of games against the top area competition. While it isn't necessary at all for them to take on SEMO Conference teams, it is tough to rank them above many of those teams due to their schedule.
9) Kennett-The Indians (8-4) have been steady so far this season but have wilted a bit when faced with competition who can defend their offensive weapons (Mitchell, Primer, and Drake) or can capitalize on their defensive issues (Notre Dame put on a clinic on making the extra pass to get the open shot against them). The Indians have a lot of athleticism. They just don't always have it put together. They are a good team but could be exposed for their flaws when facing the top area teams in upcoming weeks.
10) Oran-The Eagles (11-2) had a memorable week at the Cape Christmas tournament taking fifth place, avenging their early season loss to Advance, and scoring a thirty point drubbing over Scott County Central. If they had been properly seeded, they may have been able to get another marquee game against a team like Cape Central, Notre Dame, or Jackson which really would have helped to pad their resume. The level of competition and avenging their early season loss to Advance are what pushed Oran into the tenth spot for me over the other teams who were considered (Bernie, Caruthersville, Hayti, Portageville, Advance, Leopold, South Pemiscot and a few others who are knocking at the door). They have some great shooters and an underrated presence inside in Alex Heuring. As of now, they are #2 in what would be my Class 2 rankings but as with Holcomb, those rankings are very fluid and will change from week to week.
In conclusion, I think there are a few prevailing storylines that are kind of hanging over the basketball season so far. First, and most obvious, is that Sikeston and Charlestona are a cut above the rest of the field. That doesn't mean that either team is unbeatable in the area but it will take a very good gameplan and effort by an opponent to score an upset over either team. The SEMO Conference seems to just be on a different level than the rest of the area as well. The tough competition level these teams provide each other throughout the year helps each other to get better and realize what they need to work on. Finally, the other notable storyline is just how deep Class 2 is in this area this season. If any combination of Holcomb, Oran, Advance, Bernie, South Pemiscot, Hayti, and Portageville played on a given night, it is almost a coin toss as to who would win. Anyone who tells you they know who will represent Class 2 in the Final Four from our area is flat out lying. Keeping up with all of these different teams as the year continues will be a lot of fun.
Thank you very much for taking time to read the inaugural rankings for this season. As more and more teams are able to get their games streamed online via various outlets, this is the first time I can say that I have seen each team in the rankings multiple times between in person games and webcasts. Please give your feedback. I'd love to see comments, criticisms, questions, or whatever. I know some folks believe that a .500 or sub-.500 team should not be ranked ahead of a team with one or two losses but strength of schedule has such a large disparity this season. It is going to be a fun time to be a fan of SEMO basketball. I hope you enjoy it just as much as I am.
Replies (43)