Three new teams join The Charlotte Observer’s Sweet 16 high school basketball poll
Three new teams join The Charlotte Observer’s Sweet 16 polls this week and they are all on the boys’ side.
The Observer has ranked the top regional teams in its coverage area since the 1984-85 school year. The boys’ and girls’ winners at the end of the year receive a large banner to hang in their gymnasiums.
The polls are compiled by longtime N.C. basketball experts Alex Bass and Rick Lewis, who are co-hosts of The Observer’s “Talking Preps” streaming show.
This week, the top nine spots in the girls’ poll were unchanged but there was some shuffling below that.
There were bigger changes on the boys’ side:
Mooresville (6-2) and Weddington (5-2) return to the poll, and Carmel Christian joins for the first time this year.
▪ Mooresville, which beat Statesville 84-56 on Friday, has won two of its past three games and plays conference rival Cox Mill on Friday.
▪ Weddington (5-2) has also won two of its past three games, including Thursday’s 62-51 win over Cox Mill. The Warriors have a big non-conference game at No. 12 Butler on Tuesday.
▪ Carmel Christian (8-3) has won seven straight games, including Saturday’s 82-68 win over Cary Academy after Marshall commit Bryce Slay has gotten going. Slay is averaging 16.6 points and 2.4 rebounds. He’s played in five of the team’s 11 games after sitting out due to injury.
Girls’ Sweet 16 rankings
| Rank | Team | Record | LW Rank |
| 1 | Cannon School | 10-1 | 1 |
| 2 | Lake Norman | 5-0 | 2 |
| 3 | Mallard Creek | 5-1 | 3 |
| 4 | South Mecklenburg | 7-0 | 4 |
| 5 | North Mecklenburg | 3-0 | 5 |
| 6 | Marvin Ridge | 4-1 | 6 |
| 7 | Concord Academy | 8-3 | 7 |
| 8 | Butler | 5-0 | 8 |
| 9 | Hough | 4-0 | 9 |
| 10. | North Lincoln | 4-1 | 11 |
| 11. | Hickory Ridge | 5-1 | 13 |
| 12. | East Lincoln | 3-1 | 10 |
| 13. | Robinson | 3-2 | 12 |
| 14 | Porter Ridge | 6-1 | 14 |
| 15 | Charlotte Country Day | 7-1 | 15 |
| 16 | Cramer | 5-1 | 16 |
Boys’ Sweet 16 rankings
No. | Team | Record | LW Rank |
1 | Lake Norman | 6-0 | 1 |
2 | Concord Academy | 12-0 | 2 |
3 | Providence Day | 8-2 | 4 |
4 | Lancaster (SC) | 4-0 | 7 |
5 | North Mecklenburg | 3-1 | 3 |
5 | Davidson Day | 8-6 | 5 |
6 | Charlotte Catholic | 6-0 | 8 |
7 | J.L. Chambers | 2-3 | 6 |
8 | Ardrey Kell | 5-1 | 9 |
9 | Gaston Christian | 9-3 | 10 |
10 | Independence | 6-0 | 11 |
11 | Hopewell | 5-0 | 15 |
12 | Butler | 4-1 | 12 |
13 | Queens Grant | 8-3 | 13 |
14 | Mooresville | 6-2 | NR |
15 | Carmel Christian | 8-3 | NR |
16 | Weddington | 5-2 | NR |
