Two Gaston County rivals among 14 new teams in statewide high school basketball rankings
It’s probably no surprise that there are 14 new teams in the N.C. statewide high school basketball rankings.
Teams are coming off a busy post-holiday tournament season and begin this week trying to jockey for playoff position as conference play heats up.
The statewide polls are sponsored by The Charlotte Observer and the News & Observer of Raleigh. The rankings are compiled by longtime N.C. basketball experts Rick Lewis and Alex Bass.
Girls’ rankings feature lots of new faces
This week, seven new girls’ teams join the rankings.
▪ In the NCISAA poll, Saint John Paul II (12-1) is in. The Saints have won five straight games.
▪ In the 4A poll, McDowell and Apex Friendship are new this week. McDowell, a longtime 4A state power, is 13-0. Apex Friendship has won two straight and has only lost to one in-state team this season, No. 5 Southeast Raleigh.
▪ Unbeaten Union Pines (13-0) is new to the 3A poll.
▪ Two new teams join the 2A poll: unbeaten Kinston (10-0) and Southeast Alamance. The Stallions have won six games in a row.
▪ And, finally, in the 1A poll, there is one new team: 8-3 Bear Grass Charter has won three straight games.
Two Gaston County teams join boys’ rankings
On the boys’ side, seven new teams join the rankings:
▪ In the NCISAA poll, High Point Christian (12-5) is in. The Cougars have won seven of their past eight games.
▪ Two new teams join the 4A poll and they are both from the Charlotte area: Mooresville and Independence. Mooresville (12-2) has won eight straight games. Independence (11-2) has won its past two games.
▪ Two new teams are in the 3A poll, and they are longtime rivals. Gaston County powers Hunter Huss (8-3) and Ashbrook (10-2) join the rankings. No. 9 Huss has won three of its past four games and plays unbeaten Crest on Tuesday. Crest is No. 5 in this week’s rankings. No. 10 Ashbrook has won eight in a row and plays Kings Mountain on Tuesday.
▪ In the 1A poll, Washington County and Corvian Community are in this week. Washington County is off to a 6-0 start. Corvian (4-5) is just getting to full strength after the football team played in the state championship in late December. Corvian, a NCHSAA 1A state finalist last season, was in a one possession game with 2A No. 1 Reidsville in the fourth quarter Saturday before losing a close game, 73-66.
NC girls’ basketball rankings
NCISAA
| Rk | School | Rec. | Prvs. |
| 1 | Cannon School | 12-3 | 1 |
| 2 | Concord Academy | 12-5 | 2 |
| 3 | Grace Christian | 6-3 | 3 |
| 4 | Wesleyan Christian | 10-2 | 4 |
| 5 | Providence Day | 9-5 | 9 |
| 6 | Greensboro Day | 12-5 | 5 |
| 7 | Victory Christian | 4-3 | 6 |
| 8 | Charlotte Country Day | 10-3 | 7 |
| 9 | Caldwell Academy | 7-1 | 10 |
| 10 | Saint John Paul II | 12-1 | NR |
NCHSAA 4A
| Rk | School | Rec. | Prvs. |
| 1 | Lake Norman | 9-1 | 1 |
| 2 | Mallard Creek | 11-2 | 2 |
| 3 | North Mecklenburg | 8-2 | 5 |
| 4 | McDowell | 13-0 | NR |
| 5 | Southeast Raleigh | 10-1 | 9 |
| 6 | Marvin Ridge | 10-3 | 6 |
| 7 | South Mecklenburg | 13-2 | 7 |
| 8 | Butler | 11-1 | 8 |
| 9 | Apex Friendship | 10-2 | NR |
| 10 | Watauga | 6-4 | 10 |
NCHSAA 3A
| Rk | School | Rec. | Prvs. |
| 1 | Terry Sanford | 10-2 | 1 |
| 2 | North Lincoln | 10-1 | 4 |
| 3 | Cramer | 11-1 | 5 |
| 4 | South Central | 9-4 | 2 |
| 5 | Rocky Mount | 9-1 | 3 |
| 6 | East Lincoln | 9-3 | 7 |
| 7 | Ben L. Smith | 10-2 | 6 |
| 8 | J.M. Robinson | 9-4 | 6 |
| 9 | Pisgah | 10-2 | 9 |
| 10 | Union Pines | 13-0 | NR |
NCHSAA 2A
| Rk | School | Rec. | Prvs. |
| 1 | East Burke | 11-1 | 1 |
| 2 | North Wilkes | 12-1 | 2 |
| 3 | Seaforth | 10-1 | 3 |
| 4 | T.W. Andrews | 7-0 | 4 |
| 5 | Fairmont | 8-1 | 7 |
| 6 | Goldsboro | 10-2 | 5 |
| 7 | Maiden | 10-2 | 8 |
| 8 | Kinston | 10-0 | NR |
| 9 | Newton-Conover | 9-1 | 10 |
| 10 | Southeast Alamance | 9-1 | NR |
NCHSAA 1A
| Rk | School | Rec. | Prvs. |
| 1 | Cherokee | 9-1 | 1 |
| 2 | Bishop McGuinness | 9-0 | 2 |
| 3 | Perquimans | 11-0 | 3 |
| 4 | Mountain Heritage | 9-2 | 4 |
| 5 | East Bladen | 9-1 | 6 |
| 6 | Gates | 11-0 | 7 |
| 7 | East Columbus | 6-3 | 8 |
| 8 | Chatham Central | 8-2 | 10 |
| 9 | Bear Grass Charter | 8-3 | NR |
| 10 | Pamlico | 10-2 | 5 |
NC boys’ basketball rankings
NCISAA
| Rk | School | Rec. | Prvs. |
| 1 | Christ School | 12-0 | 1 |
| 2 | Concord Academy | 18-2 | 5 |
| 3 | Greensboro Day | 19-3 | 3 |
| 4 | Providence Day | 13-4 | 2 |
| 5 | Forsyth Country Day | 17-3 | 10 |
| 6 | Caldwell Academy | 14-7 | 4 |
| 7 | Davidson Day | 14-10 | 6 |
| 8 | Gaston Christian | 15-4 | 8 |
| 9 | Harrells Christian | 17-2 | 9 |
| 10 | High Point Christian | 12-5 | NR |
NCHSAA 4A
| Rk | School | Rec. | Prvs. |
| 1 | Lake Norman | 11-1 | 1 |
| 2 | Green Level | 11-2 | 2 |
| 3 | North Mecklenburg | 9-2 | 4 |
| 4 | New Hanover | 9-2 | 7 |
| 5 | Garner | 8-2 | 8 |
| 6 | Jordan | 10-2 | 3 |
| 7 | Ardrey Kell | 11-1 | 10 |
| 8 | Mooresville | 12-2 | NR |
| 9 | Independence | 11-2 | NR |
| 10 | Clayton | 6-5 | 6 |
NCHSAA 3A
| Rk | School | Rec. | Prvs. |
| 1 | Swansboro | 11-0 | 1 |
| 2 | Southern Durham | 9-2 | 2 |
| 3 | Ben Smith | 11-2 | 3 |
| 4 | Southern Lee | 12-0 | 4 |
| 5 | Crest | 8-0 | 5 |
| 6 | Seventy-First | 5-1 | 6 |
| 7 | Person | 12-0 | 8 |
| 8 | Jay M. Robinson | 11-2 | 9 |
| 9 | Huss | 8-3 | NR |
| 10 | Ashbrook | 10-2 | NR |
NCHSAA 2A
| Rk | School | Rec. | Prvs. |
| 1 | Reidsville | 10-0 | 1 |
| 2 | West Bladen | 11-1 | 2 |
| 3 | Farmville Central | 8-4 | 3 |
| 4 | Washington | 8-5 | 4 |
| 5 | Pine Lake Prep | 10-2 | 5 |
| 6 | Northwood | 11-2 | 7 |
| 7 | Maiden | 9-2 | 6 |
| 8 | Bandys | 9-2 | 8 |
| 9 | Randleman | 11-0 | 10 |
| 10 | Lincolnton | 8-3 | 9 |
NCHSAA 1A
| Rk | School | Rec. | Prvs. |
| 1 | Southern Wake Academy | 12-3 | 1 |
| 2 | Queens Grant | 12-6 | 2 |
| 3 | South Stokes | 8-2 | 4 |
| 4 | Bishop McGuinness | 9-2 | 5 |
| 5 | Wilson Prep | 7-2 | 6 |
| 6 | Carolina International | 9-4 | 3 |
| 7 | Washington County | 6-0 | NR |
| 8 | Corvian Community | 4-5 | NR |
| 9 | Winston-Salem Prep | 8-1 | 7 |
| 10 | North Stokes | 9-4 | 8 |
