Five new teams join The Observer’s Sweet 16 high school basketball polls
Five new teams join The Charlotte Observer’s Sweet 16 high school basketball polls this week.
The Observer has been ranking regional schools since the 1984-85 season. The girls’ and boys’ winners at the end of the season receive a large banner to hang in the school gym.
Eligible teams come from the following counties: Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln and Union as well as York and Lancaster in South Carolina.
This week, just one new team, North Lincoln (2-1) is in the girls’ poll, which did get a pretty heavy shakeup.
After losing its season-opener to 4A power Lake Norman, 3A North Lincoln has beaten South Iredell and upset No. 13 Hickory Ridge at the Phenom Hoops’ Lakesgiving event at Lake Norman High School on Friday.
Four new teams joins the boys’ poll: unbeatens Butler (3-0), Hough (3-0) and Hopewell (3-0) are in along with 6-3 Queens Grant, which started the year in the preseason rankings.
Queens Grant beat 4A regional power Weddington Saturday to win its fourth straight game. Weddington was No. 11 in last week’s rankings.
▪ Note: The polls are compiled by longtime N.C. high school basketball experts Alex Bass and Rick Lewis, co-hosts of The Observer’s “Talking Preps” streaming show.
Girls’ Sweet 16
| Rk | School | Rec. | Prvs. |
| 1 | Cannon School | 9-1 | 1 |
| 2 | Lake Norman | 4-0 | 2 |
| 3 | Mallard Creek | 3-1 | 3 |
| 4 | South Mecklenburg | 5-0 | 4 |
| 5 | North Mecklenburg | 2-0 | 5 |
| 6 | Marvin Ridge | 3-1 | 8 |
| 7 | Concord Academy | 5-3 | 6 |
| 8 | Butler | 3-0 | 7 |
| 9 | Hough | 3-0 | 15 |
| 10 | East Lincoln | 1-0 | 12 |
| 11 | North Lincoln | 2-1 | NR |
| 12 | Robinson | 2-1 | 10 |
| 13 | Hickory Ridge | 4-1 | 13 |
| 14 | Porter Ridge | 3-1 | 14 |
| 15 | Charlotte Country Day | 6-1 | 11 |
| 16 | Cramer | 3-1 | 9 |
Boys’ Sweet 16
| Rk. | School | Rec. | Prvs. |
| 1 | Lake Norman | 4-0 | 1 |
| 2 | Concord Academy | 9-0 | 4 |
| 3 | North Mecklenburg | 2-0 | 3 |
| 4 | Providence Day | 6-2 | 5 |
| 5 | Davidson Day | 6-4 | 2 |
| 6 | J.L. Chambers | 2-1 | 6 |
| 7 | Lancaster (SC) | 2-0 | 7 |
| 8 | Charlotte Catholic | 3-0 | 8 |
| 9 | Ardrey Kell | 3-1 | 10 |
| 10 | Gaston Christian | 7-3 | 12 |
| 11 | Independence | 2-0 | 15 |
| 12 | Butler | 3-0 | NR |
| 13 | Queens Grant | 6-3 | NR |
| 14 | Hough | 3-0 | NR |
| 15 | Hopewell | 3-0 | NR |
| 16 | Hickory Ridge | 2-2 | 16 |
