By Dean Backes
MaxPreps.com
McPherson rebounded from a disappointing 54-53 loss to Class 6A No. 9 Maize Feb. 6 with a blowout win and a classic, nail-biting triumph last weekend to maintain its stranglehold on the Class 5A No. 3 slot in this week’s Kansas boys basketball rankings.
Following its only loss of the 2008-09 season to the Eagles, McPherson rallied with a 74-36 win over Valley Center and then started a new streak with a 61-59 win over Salina Central despite Jack Shoup’s big first half.
Shoup helped Salina Central, who led by as many as eight points in the opening half, earn a 30-27 halftime advantage by scoring 14 of his game-high 24 points in the first half against the Bullpups.
But McPherson countered with a balanced attack and overtook the Mustangs late in the second half on Tyler Burch’s top-of-the-key 3-pointer with 1:30 remaining in the game.
“We showed some toughness,” McPherson coach Kurt Kinnamon told the McPherson Sentinel. “They’re a very nice basketball team. I didn’t vote them No. 2 in the state at the start of the year because they weren’t a good basketball team. They’re well coached, they’re disciplined, got a good big (man) and a great guard.”
The Bullpups were led by Adam Bruner’s 16 points and Christian Ulsaker’s 15 points. The duo also leads McPherson on the season with Ulsaker (6-4, So.) scoring at a 20.4 points per game clip and Bruner (6-2, Sr.) adding 12.4 points per outing.
Junior Treg Fawl (5-11) rounds out double-digit scoring with an average of 10.8 points per game. Levi Gerhardt (6-3, Sr.) and Tyler Burch contribute 8.6 points and 6.7 points per game for the Bullpups.
The loss dropped the Mustangs from last week’s rankings to make room for Bishop Carroll and Mill Valley. Hays also dropped out following back-to-back losses to Dodge City and Liberal.
Below is a look at the latest Kansas boys and girls basketball rankings.
Kansas Boys Basketball Rankings
Boys Top 15
1. Topeka Highland Park (16-0) 1
2. Wichita Heights (15-1) 2
3. Olathe East (14-3) 4
4. Bishop Miege (15-1) 5
5. Wichita Southeast (14-3) 6
6. Shawnee Mission Northwest (13-3) 3
7. Olathe South (13-3) 7
8. McPherson (15-1) 8
9. Goddard (13-3) 12
10. Wichita East (11-5) 9
11. Hesston (17-0) 11
12. Derby (12-4) 13
13. Sumner Academy (16-1) 15
14. Maize (11-5) –
15. Leavenworth (10-6) 10
Class 6A
1. Wichita Heights (15-1) 1
2. Olathe East (14-2) 3
3. Wichita Southeast (14-3) 4
4. Shawnee Mission Northwest (13-3) 2
5. Olathe South (13-3) 5
6. Goddard (13-3) 8
7. Wichita East (11-5) 6
8. Derby (12-4) 9
9. Maize (11-5) 10
10. Leavenworth (10-6) 7
Other Contenders: Blue Valley Northwest (10-6), Olathe Northwest (10-6), Shawnee Mission East (10-6), Washburn Rural (10-6).
Class 5A
1. Topeka Highland Park (16-0) 1
2. Bishop Miege (15-1) 2
3. McPherson (15-1) 3
4. Lansing (14-3) 4
5. Kansas City-Harmon (13-4) 5
6. Great Bend (12-5) 7
7. Liberal (13-3) 8
8. Andover Central (11-5) 10
9. Wichita Bishop Carroll (10-7) –
10. Mill Valley (10-6) –
Other Contenders: Hays (11-6), Newton (10-6), Salina Central (10-6).
Class 4A
1. Hesston (17-0) 1
2. Sumner Academy (16-10 3
3. Wichita Trinity (16-1) 4
4. Girard (16-1) 5
5. Topeka Hayden (14-2) 2
6. Andover (14-2) 6
7. St. James Academy (14-3) 9
8. Circle (13-3) –
9. Clay Center (14-3) –
10. Wamego (14-3) –
Other Contenders: Altamont-Labette County (12-4), Kingman (12-4), Basehor-Linwood (12-4), Parsons (12-4), Scott City (12-4).
Class 3A
1. Wichita Collegiate (17-0) 1
2. Hutchinson Trinity (16-0) 2
3. Galena (17-0) 3
4. Sabetha (15-1) 4
5. Holcomb (14-2) 6
6. Kansas City Christian (14-2) 7
7. Sedgwick (15-2) 5
8. Phillipsburg (12-3) 9
9. Southwestern Heights (13-4) 8
10. Pleasant Ridge (12-4) –
Other Contenders: Burlington (13-4), Osage City (12-5), Rossville (12-4).
Class 2A
1. Olpe (18-0) 1
2. Syracuse (15-1) 4
3. West Elk (14-2) 5
4. WaKeeney-Trego (16-2) 2
5. Republic County (14-2) 3
6. Berean Academy (14-3) 6
7. Meade (14-3) 7
8. Salina Sacred Heart (13-4) 8
9. Nemaha Valley (13-4) 9
10. Peabody-Burns (13-4) –
Other Contenders: Spearville (12-5), Yates Center (13-3).
Class 1A
1. Colony-Crest (18-0) 1
2. Hanover (18-0) 2
3. South Gray (17-1) 4
4. Kensington-Thunder Ridge (17-0) 5
5. Quinter (17-1) 3
6. Macksville (16-2) 6
7. Tribune-Greeley County (18-1) 8
8. Blue Valley-Randolph (15-3) 7
9. Attica (13-3) –
10. Quivira Heights (14-3) 10
Other Contenders: Claflin (13-5), Baileyville B&B (13-5), Beloit-St. John’s (14-4), Centralia (12-5), Frankfort (13-5), Sharon Springs (14-4).
Kansas Girls Basketball Rankings
Top 15
1. Washburn Rural (16-0) 1
2. Wichita Heights (15-1) 2
3. Wichita Bishop Carroll (16-1) 3
4. Olathe South (14-2) 4
5. Bishop Miege (15-2) 5
6. Shawnee Mission East (13-3) 6
7. Shawnee Mission West (13-3) 7
8. Holton (17-0) 8
9. Liberal (15-1) 11
10. St. Thomas Aquinas (12-4) 9
11. Paola (17-0) 10
12. Concordia (17-0) 12
13. Salina South (14-2) 13
14. Andover Central (13-3) 15
15. Shawnee Heights (10-4) –
Class 6A
1. Washburn Rural (16-0) 1
2. Wichita Heights (15-1) 2
3. Olathe South (14-2) 3
4. Shawnee Mission East (13-3) 4
5. Shawnee Mission West (13-3) 5
6. Blue Valley (11-6) 8
7. Olathe East (13-4) 10
8. Goddard (11-5) 7
9. Junction City (9-5) 9
10. Olathe Northwest (10-6) 6
Other Contenders: Manhattan (10-6).
Class 5A
1. Wichita Bishop Carroll (16-1) 1
2. Bishop Miege (15-2) 2
3. Liberal (15-1) 4
4. St. Thomas Aquinas (12-4) 3
5. Salina South (14-2) 5
6. Andover Central (13-3) 6
7. Shawnee Heights (10-4) 8
8. Emporia (11-4) 10
9. Gardner-Edgerton (13-4) –
10. Wichita Kapaun Mount Carmel (11-5) 9
Other Contenders: Great Bend (10-6), Hutchinson (11-4), Lansing (13-4).
Class 4A
1. Holton (17-0) 1
2. Paola (17-0) 2
3. Concordia (17-0) 3
4. Cheney (16-1) 4
5. Haven (16-1) 5
6. Andover (15-1) 6
7. Buhler (14-2) 7
8. Fort Scott (14-3) 8
9. Scott City (13-3) 9
10. Rose Hill (12-4) 10
Other Contenders: Ottawa (13-4), Louisburg (12-4), Clearwater (11-5), Hesston (13-4), Basehor-Linwood (12-4), Girard (13-3), Tonganoxie (12-4).
Class 3A
1. Thomas More Prep-Marian (16-0) 2
2. Norton (14-1) 3
3. Jefferson County North (15-0) 4
4. Rock Creek (14-1) 1
5. Southwestern Heights (15-1) 5
6. Wichita Collegiate (15-2) 6
7. Central Heights (13-3) 7
8. Garden Plain (14-3) 9
9. Jayhawk-Linn (15-2) 8
10. Cherryvale (13-3) 10
Other Contenders: Frontenac (13-4), Osage City (12-5), Oskaloosa (13-3), Cimarron (12-4).
Class 2A
1. Olpe (16-1) 1
2. Moundridge (16-1) 2
3. Cedar Vale-Dexter (16-1) 3
4. Pittsburg-Colgan (13-1) 4
5. Osborne (12-4) 5
6. St. Marys (13-3) 6
7. Lebo (15-4) 7
8. Clifton-Clyde (14-3) 8
9. Washington County (13-5) 10
10. Berean Academy (12-5) –
Other Contenders: Salina Sacred Heart (13-4), Elkhart (12-5), Ellis (12-5).
Class 1A
1. South Gray (18-0) 1
2. Centralia (16-1) 2
3. Hoxie (17-1) 3
4. Argonia (17-0) 4
5. South Barber (16-2) 5
6. Dighton (16-2) 6
7. Quivira Heights (17-1) 7
8. Rolla (15-1) 8
9. St. John (15-2) 9
10. Southern Coffey County (16-2) –
Other Contenders: Frankfort (14-3), Hutchinson Central Christian (13-3), Claflin (15-3), Ashland (15-2), Burrton (13-5), St. Paul (14-3), Pike Valley (15-3), Pratt-Skyline (12-4).