By Dean Backes
MaxPreps.com
Next week begins the win-or-go-home portion of the season for Kansas boys and girls basketball teams in all classes. For 2A, 3A and 4A the action begins Monday, while the Sunflower State’s bigger schools will begin their runs Wednesday.
Class 1A started the postseason earlier this week, but as the state’s largest classification in terms of the quantity of schools, regional tournaments around the state still have to iron out which teams will be seeded in eight sub-state tournaments to determine the state field.
The sub-state brackets are set for Classes 2A, 3A and 4A, so here is an attempt to pick who will be moving on to Manhattan (2A), Hutchinson (3A) and Salina (4A) with an opportunity to play for state titles in their respective classes.
Five schools are expected to qualify both their boys and girls basketball teams in their respective classifications. St. Marys and Olpe should be vying for the sweep in Class 2A, while Wichita Collegiate and Beloit may get dual championships in 3A.
Girard is a favorite to have boys and girls teams competing at the Salina Bicentennial Center when state tournament play begins March 11-14.
State Field Picks
Class 2A Boys
Yates Center (14-4), No. 5 Republic County (16-2), No. 6 Berean Academy (16-3), No. 2 Syracuse (17-1), St. Marys (13-6), No. 4 WaKeeney-Trego (18-2), No. 7 Nemaha Valley (15-4) and No. 1 Olpe (19-0).
Class 3A Boys
No. 4 Galena (17-1), No. 1 Wichita Collegiate (19-0), Beloit (15-5), No. 5 Holcomb (16-2), No. 2 Hutchinson Trinity (18-0), No. 3 Sabetha (17-1), No. 10 Burlington (15-4), No. 6 Kansas City-Christian (16-2).
Class 4A Boys
No. 3 Girard (18-1), No. 5 Topeka Hayden (16-2), No. 1 Sumner Academy (17-1), No. 4 Hesston (18-1), Ottawa (13-5), Basehor-Linwood (14-4), Scott City (14-4) and No. 2 Wichita Trinity (18-1).
Class 2A Girls
No. 5 Pittsburg Colgan (16-2), No. 6 Osborne (14-4), No. 1 Moundridge (18-1), Elkhart (13-6), No. 3 St. Marys (15-3), No. 9 Ellis (15-5), No. 7 Clifton-Clyde (17-3) and No. 2 Olpe (17-2).
Class 3A Girls
Frontenac (14-5), No. 5 Wichita Collegiate (17-2), Beloit (14-5), No. 1 Thomas More Prep-Marian (18-0), Southeast of Saline (14-6), No. 2 Jefferson County North (18-0), No. 6 Central Heights (15-3) and No. 3 Rock Creek (16-1).
Class 4A Girls
Girard (16-3), Chapman (12-8), Kansas City-Piper (13-5), No. 3 Concordia (19-0), No. 2 Paola (19-0), No. 1 Holton (19-0), No. 4 Cheney (18-2) and No. 7 Andover (16-2).
Below are the latest boys and girls basketball rankings.
Kansas Boys Basketball Rankings
Class 6A
1. Wichita Heights (17-1) 1
2. Olathe East (16-2) 2
3. Shawnee Mission Northwest (15-3) 4
4. Wichita East (13-5) 7
5. Wichita Southeast (14-4) 3
6. Olathe South (14-4) 5
7. Maize (13-5) 10
8. Goddard (14-4) 6
9. Derby (13-5) 8
10. Washburn Rural (12-6) –
Other Contenders: Shawnee Mission East (12-6).
Class 5A
1. Topeka Highland Park (17-1) 1
2. Bishop Miege (16-1) 2
3. McPherson (17-1) 3
4. Lansing (15-3) 4
5. Kansas City-Harmon (14-4) 5
6. Andover Central (13-5) 8
7. Great Bend (13-6) 6
8. Liberal (14-4) 7
9. Bishop Carroll (12-7) 9
10. Mill Valley (12-6) 10
Other Contenders: Hays (11-7), Salina Central (11-7).
Class 4A
1. Sumner Academy (17-1) 2
2. Wichita Trinity (18-1) 3
3. Girard (18-1) 4
4. Hesston (18-1) 1
5. Topeka Hayden (16-2) 5
6. St. James Academy (15-3) 7
7. Andover (15-3) 6
8. Wamego (16-3) 10
9. Labette County (14-4) –
10. Clay Center (14-4) 9
Other Contenders: Basehor-Linwood (14-4), Circle (14-4), Colby (14-5), Ottawa (13-5), Scott City (14-4), Andover Central (15-5).
Class 3A
1. Wichita Collegiate (19-0) 1
2. Hutchinson Trinity (18-0) 2
3. Sabetha (17-1) 4
4. Galena (17-1) 3
5. Holcomb (16-2) 5
6. Kansas City Christian (16-2) 6
7. Sedgwick (17-2) 7
8. Southwestern Heights (15-4) 9
9. Pleasant Ridge (14-4) 10
10. Burlington (15-4) –
Other Contenders: Phillipsburg (12-5), Hillsboro (12-6), Osage City (13-6), Rossville (14-4).
Class 2A
1. Olpe (19-0) 1
2. Syracuse (17-1) 2
3. West Elk (16-2) 3
4. WaKeeney-Trego (18-2) 4
5. Republic County (16-2) 5
6. Berean Academy (16-3) 6
7. Nemaha Valley (15-4) 9
8. Salina Sacred Heart (14-5) 8
9. Spearville (14-5) –
10. Peabody-Burns (14-5) 10
Other Contenders: Meade (15-4), Yates Center (14-4).
Class 1A
1. Colony-Crest (20-0) 1
2. Hanover (20-0) 2
3. Kensington-Thunder Ridge (20-0) 4
4. South Gray (19-1) 3
5. Quinter (19-1) 5
6. Macksville (18-2) 6
7. Tribune-Greeley County (19-1) 7
8. Blue Valley-Randolph (16-3) 8
9. Centralia (15-5) –
10. Attica (14-4) 9
Other Contenders: Quivira Heights (16-4), Beloit-St. John’s (15-5), Frankfort (16-5), Goessel (15-5), Sharon Springs (15-5), Southern Coffey County (15-5).
Kansas Girls Basketball Rankings
Class 6A
1. Washburn Rural (18-0) 1
2. Wichita Heights (17-1) 2
3. Olathe South (16-2) 3
4. Shawnee Mission East (14-4) 4
5. Shawnee Mission West (14-4) 5
6. Goddard (13-5) 8
7. Olathe Northwest (12-6) 9
8. Manhattan (12-6) –
9. Blue Valley (12-7) 6
10. Olathe East (12-6) 7
Other Contenders: Junction City (10-8).
Class 5A
1. Bishop Carroll (18-1) 1
2. Bishop Miege (17-2) 2
3. Liberal (17-1) 3
4. Salina South (16-2) 5
5. Andover Central (15-3) 6
6. St. Thomas Aquinas (13-5) 4
7. Emporia (14-4) 8
8. Gardner-Edgerton (14-4) 9
9. Hutchinson (13-5) –
10. Shawnee Heights (12-6) 7
Other Contenders: Wichita Kapaun Mount Carmel (12-6), Lansing (14-4).
Class 4A
1. Holton (19-0) 1
2. Paola (19-0) 2
3. Concordia (19-0) 3
4. Cheney (18-1) 4
5. Haven (18-1) 5
6. Buhler (16-2) 7
7. Andover (16-2) 6
8. Fort Scott (16-3) 8
9. Rose Hill (14-4) 10
10. Ottawa (14-4) –
Other Contenders: Louisburg (13-5), Clearwater (12-6), Hesston (14-5), Basehor-Linwood (14-4), Girard (16-3), Kansas City-Piper (13-5), Scott City (14-4).
Class 3A
1. Thomas More Prep-Marian (18-0) 1
2. Jefferson County North (18-0) 3
3. Rock Creek (16-1) 4
4. Southwestern Heights (18-1) 5
5. Wichita Collegiate (17-2) 6
6. Central Heights (15-3) 7
7. Garden Plain (16-3) 8
8. Norton (15-3) 2
9. Oskaloosa (15-3) –
10. Horton (15-4) –
Other Contenders: Jayhawk-Linn (15-4), Cherryvale (14-4), Osage City (13-6), Beloit (14-5), Cimarron (13-5), Frontenac (14-5).
Class 2A
1. Moundridge (18-1) 2
2. Olpe (17-2) 1
3. St. Marys (15-3) 6
4. Cedar Vale-Dexter (17-2) 3
5. Pittsburg-Colgan (16-2) 4
6. Osborne (14-4) 5
7. Clifton-Clyde (17-3) 8
8. Berean Academy (14-5) 10
9. Ellis (15-5) –
10. Lebo (15-5) 7
Other Contenders: Elkhart (13-6), Washington County (14-6).
Class 1A
1. South Gray (20-0) 1
2. Hoxie (19-1) 3
3. Argonia (20-0) 4
4. South Barber (18-2) 5
5. Centralia (17-3) 2
6. Dighton (18-2) 6
7. Southern Coffey County (18-2) 10
8. St. John (18-2) 9
9. Quivira Heights (18-2) 7
10. Rolla (16-2) 8
Other Contenders: Hutchinson Central Christian (17-3), Claflin (17-3), Frankfort (16-4), Ashland (17-2), Pike Valley (16-3), St. Paul (17-3), Pratt-Skyline (16-4), Weskan (17-3).