The Herald’s first Big 5 basketball rankings are in. Did your team make the list?
Editor’s note: Starting this weekend, The Herald will analyze local high school boys and girls basketball programs and create its Big 5 Rankings.
The high school basketball season has already passed its halfway point — and because of that, a few realities have set in for the area’s teams.
On the girls’ side, its elite — South Pointe (4A) and Clover (5A) — has been established for weeks.
There’s almost interchangeable parity between these two powerhouses: Both teams have been largely invulnerable all season — each with one loss and only a few games with final margins in single digits. Both teams are led by fantastic guards who can quietly dominate.
And each school has a hand over the other one way or another: Clover’s sole loss came in a close game against Dorman, a team the Stallions defeated; South Pointe’s sole loss came more recently in a two-point loss to Ridge View this past week.
Finding separation between the two could be easier next week, as each team is facing good opponents: South Pointe is facing region foe Westwood, a team the Stallions lost to once but ultimately got their revenge in the state playoffs last season. And Clover gets its first look at Rock Hill (5A) — a team that has won five out of its last six (only loss was in double overtime to Airport) and gave the Stallions a rare run for their money earlier in the season.
Rock Hill is at the No. 3 spot.
Andrew Jackson (2A) and Nation Ford (5A) round out the Big 5. Andrew Jackson has won its last four. The Falcons have lost three of their last four, but they’ve been against the state’s upper echelon — South Pointe, Rock Hill and Clover — and they’ve picked up good wins prior to this stretch, including two against Catawba Ridge.
First two off for girls: Catawba Ridge (11-7, 1-2 region); Chester (6-5, 0-3 region)
Northwestern reigns on boys’ side
On the boys’ side, the parity is toward the bottom of the Big 5.
Northwestern (5A) takes the top spot. The Trojans have only lost four times, two of which have been against teams not from South Carolina. They’ve defeated quality opponents — from Lancaster to Andrew Jackson — and split the rivalry series with South Pointe, a team with “dangerous” potential.
Great Falls (1A), a team that has battled attrition all year — senior starting guard DJ Adams and senior 6-7 forward and Winthrop commit Kelton Talford have only played on the same court for a handful of games due to injuries — comes in at No. 2.
But the No. 3-5 spots were hard to compare, especially considering the fact that each team is in a different classification and none have met thus far in the regular season: Among this group is Westminster Catawba Christian — a group of young players headlined by the No. 1 eighth grader in the country Jahseem Felton. There’s Andrew Jackson (2A) at No. 4 after recovering from a tough schedule to begin the season; the Volunteers have won eight of their last nine, their only loss to Northwestern in Rock Hill.
And there’s Clover (5A), despite falling to Northwestern earlier this week, at No. 5.
First two off for boys: York Prep (12-3); Lancaster (9-7, 2-1 region)
Records and rankings are based on games played through Friday, Jan. 17.
GIRLS BASKETBALL RANKINGS
1. South Pointe Stallions (15-1, 2-1 region)
2. Clover Blue Eagles (17-1, 2-0 region)
3. Rock Hill Bearcats (13-5, 2-0 region)
4. Andrew Jackson Volunteers (12-1, 5-0 region)
5. Nation Ford Falcons (9-8, 0-2 region)
BOYS
1. Northwestern Trojans (13-4, 1-0 region)
2. Great Falls Red Devils (15-3, 2-0 region)
3. Westminster Catawba Christian (17-3)
4. Andrew Jackson Volunteers (9-4, 5-0 region)
5. Clover Blue Eagles (11-6, 1-1 region)
This story was originally published January 18, 2020 at 1:35 PM with the headline "The Herald’s first Big 5 basketball rankings are in. Did your team make the list?."
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