Four new teams in The Observer’s Sweet 16 basketball polls, including a new boys’ No. 1
Today, we announce the first regular-season Sweet 16 polls, which rank the top high school basketball teams in The Charlotte Observer’s coverage area.
And there are many changes.
▪ There are two new teams are in the girls’ poll.
The top five remained the same, headed by No. 1 Cannon, though Lake Norman moved up to No. 2 and pushed Mallard Creek down a spot to No. 3. Lake Norman beat Mallard Creek at the Phenom Hoops’ George Lynch Invitational on Saturday.
Joining the poll this week are a pair of unbeaten teams.
In 4A, Hough is 2-0. In 1A, Queens Grant is 5-0, led by freshman Za’Miya Bynum, the nation’s No. 3 scorer overall and No. 1 in North Carolina.
Bynum, a 5-foot-9 freshman, averages 32 points, 7.2 rebounds, 7.0 steals, 4.0 assists and 1.4 blocks per game.
▪ Lake Norman takes over the top spot in the boys’ poll. Preseason No. 1 Davidson Day has lost twice in its first seven games and fallen to third.
Elsewhere, Concord Academy is up seven spots to No. 4, and Mooresville moves into the poll this week, debuting in the top 10.
The Blue Devils are No. 9, powered by an upset of preseason No. 6 Mooresville on Saturday.
Also new this week is two-time NCHSAA 4A state champion Independence, which is off to a 2-0 start for coach Preston Davis. Davis was head coach of one of the Patriots’ state title runs and he was a player on the other.
▪ NOTE: The Sweet 16, which began in the 1984-85 school year, ranks the best teams in the media company’s coverage zone, which includes schools in the following counties: Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Union and York and Lancaster counties in South Carolina.
The boys’ and girls’ winners at the end of the season will get a large banner to hang in their gymnasiums.
Girls’ Sweet 16
Rk. | School | Rec. | Prvs. |
1. | Cannon School | 7-1 | 1 |
2. | Lake Norman | 2-0 | 3 |
3. | Mallard Creek | 2-1 | 2 |
4. | South Mecklenburg | 3-0 | 4 |
5. | North Mecklenburg | 0-0 | 5 |
6. | Concord Academy | 3-1 | 7 |
7. | Butler | 1-0 | 9 |
8. | Marvin Ridge | 1-1 | 6 |
9. | Stuart Cramer | 3-0 | 10 |
10. | JM Robinson | 1-0 | 11 |
11. | Charlotte Country Day | 4-0 | 12 |
12. | East Lincoln | 0-0 | 13 |
13. | Hickory Ridge | 4-0 | 14 |
14. | Porter Ridge | 2-0 | 15 |
15. | Hough | 2-0 | NR |
16. | Queens Grant | 5-0 | NR |
Boys’ Sweet 16
| Rk. | School | Rec. | Prvs. |
| 1 | Lake Norman | 1-0 | 3 |
| 2 | Davidson Day | 5-2 | 1 |
| 3 | North Mecklenburg | 0-0 | 5 |
| 4 | Concord Academy | 7-0 | 11 |
| 5 | Providence Day | 4-2 | 2 |
| 6 | J.L. Chambers | 1-1 | 4 |
| 7 | Lancaster (SC) | 0-0 | 7 |
| 8 | Charlotte Catholic | 2-0 | 9 |
| 9 | Mooresville | 3-0 | NR |
| 10 | Ardrey Kell | 2-1 | 10 |
| 11 | Weddington | 2-1 | 6 |
| 12 | Gaston Christian | 5-3 | 13 |
| 13 | East Mecklenburg | 2-0 | 16 |
| 14 | Independence | 2-0 | NR |
| 15 | South Mecklenburg | 2-1 | 12 |
| 16 | Hickory Ridge | 1-2 | 8 |
