Missouri basketball breezes past district championships

Playing without Arkansas recruit B.J. Young earlier this season, McCluer North (25-4) lost to Hazelwood Central 81-63. But with the 6-foot-2-inch senior back in the lineup, the Stars kept their Class 5 state basketball championship hopes alive with a 60-44 win over the Hawks in the Class 5, District 2 championship Saturday.

Young scored a game-high 21 points against Hazelwood Central this time, guiding the Stars into a sectional battle Wednesday against Cape Girardeau Central (20-5). Junior Jordan Granger, a Division 1 prospect himself, added 20 points in helping the Stars to the crucial win.

For Young it was an opportunity to play against his former teammates from a year ago.

"I hurt my team the first time by having to sit on the bench, and it hurt me very much," Young told the St. Louis Post Dispatch. "My heart was sick after watching my team lose by that amount of points. I'm glad I could help my team today and we could win a district championship."

MaxPreps Missouri boys basketball playoff brackets
MaxPreps Missouri girls basketball playoff brackets



With the win McCluer North moves up to No. 2 in the Missouri boys big school rankings, while Hazelwood Central drops to third. Undefeated Chaminade remains atop the Class 5 rankings, while DeSmet Jesuit and Nixa sit in the No. 4 and No. 5 spots respectively.

Defending Class 4 champion Webb City remains on top in the girls Class 5 rankings, followed closely by defending Class 5 runner-up Blue Springs. St. Joseph's Academy and Incarnate Word Academy rest in the third and fourth rungs respectively, while Ozark is ranked fifth.

FINALLY! LEAGUE CHAMPS AGAIN
Last week's 64-42 win over Richland ended 30 years of a Frisco League championship drought for Newburg. The win pushed Newburg's conference record to 7-1 and into a championship tie with Dixon.

Brandon Sutton led the way for the Wolves with 19 points, while Jonathan Crews and Ryan Reagan added 17 and 10 points respectively. Crews also added 15 rebounds and had a couple of steals and two more assists.

A night later the Lady Wolves (14-8) ripped the cords for 17 3-pointers in a 92-40 win over Bourbon. Junior Hannah Yelton made eight of the long-range shots on her way to a game-high 39 points. Shannon McNamara scored 11 points and dished out 10 assists, while Reghan Harris scored 13 points.

Below are the final regular season Missouri Basketball rankings. But first, let's take a look at the Show-Me State's big school state basketball brackets and try to make some sense out of them.



CLASSES 5 AND 4 STATE BASKETBALL PICKS

CLASS 5 BOYS SECTIONALS
No. 2 McCluer North (Florissant) (25-4) over Central (Cape Girardeau) (20-5)
No. 1 Chaminade (St. Louis) (26-0) over Marquette (Chesterfield) (18-10)
No. 9 Lee's Summit North (19-6) over Ruskin (Kansas City) (19-8)
Liberty (19-8) over Park Hill South (Kansas City) (19-8)
No. 4 DeSmet Jesuit (St. Louis) (22-5) over Vianney (Kirkwood) (17-11)
Fort Zumwalt North (O'Fallon) (22-7) over Troy-Buchanan (17-8)
No. 7 Rock Bridge (Columbia) (22-4) over Waynesville (12-15)
Branson (20-9) over Willard (19-7)

QUARTERFINALS
No. 1 Chaminade (27-0) over No. 2 McCluer North (26-4)
No. 9 Lee's Summit North (20-6) over Liberty (20-8)
No. 4 DeSmet Jesuit (23-5) over Fort Zumwalt North (23-7)
No. 7 Columbia-Rock Bridge (23-4) over Branson (21-9)

SEMIFINALS
No. 1 Chaminade (28-0) over No. 9 Lee's Summit North (21-6)
No. 7 Columbia-Rock Bridge (24-4) over No. 4 DeSmet Jesuit (24-5)

FINALS
No. 1 Chaminade (29-0) over No. 7 Columbia-Rock Bridge (25-4)

CONSOLATION
No. 4 DeSmet Jesuit (24-6) over No. 9 Lee's Summit North (21-7)

DARKHORSE
McCluer North



CLASS 4 BOYS SECTIONALS
No. 1 Sikeston (26-0) over Farmington (20-6)
Hillsboro (18-10) over Imagine College Prep (St. Louis) (11-10)
Lincoln College Prep (Kansas City) (18-8) over Harrisonville (20-7)
Lafayette (St. Joseph) (20-8) over Oak Grove (19-6)
No. 3 Soldan International Studies (St. Louis) (20-6) over No. 7 Clayton (St. Louis) (22-6)
No. 2 Mexico (25-1) over Duchesne (St. Charles) (15-11)
No. 6 St. Francis Borgia (Washington) (18-8) over No. 8 Helias (Jefferson City) (19-7)
No. 4 Hillcrest (Springfield) (22-4) over Cassville (17-9)

QUARTERFINALS
No. 1 Sikeston (27-0) over Hillsboro (19-10)
Lincoln College Prep (19-8) over Lafayette (St. Joseph) (21-8)
No. 3 Soldan International Studies (21-6) over No. 2 Mexico (26-1)
No. 4 Springfield-Hillcrest (23-4) over No. 6 St. Francis Borgia (19-8)

SEMIFINALS
No. 1 Sikeston (28-0) over Lincoln College Prep (20-8)
No. 4 Springfield-Hillcrest (24-4) over No. 3 Soldan International Studies (22-6)

FINALS
No. 1 Sikeston (29-0) over No. 4 Springfield-Hillcrest (25-4)

CONSOLATION
No. 3 Soldan International Studies (22-7) over Lincoln College Prep (20-9)

DARKHORSE
Mexico

CLASS 5 GIRLS SECTIONALS
No. 9 Hazelwood Central (Florissant) (22-5) over Poplar Bluff (21-6)
No. 3 St. Joseph's Academy (St. Louis) (25-3) over Lafayette (Wildwood) (17-8)
No. 2 Blue Springs (25-2) over Lee's Summit West (18-9)
Liberty (21-6) over Staley (Kansas City North) (19-7)
No. 4 Incarnate Word Academy (St. Louis) (22-4) over Kirkwood (20-8)
No. 7 Fort Zumwalt West (O'Fallon) (23-5) over Fort Zumwalt South (St. Peters) (21-5)
West Plains (21-7) over Jefferson City (17-9)
No. 1 Webb City (25-2) over No. 5 Ozark (22-5)



QUARTERFINALS
No. 3 St. Joseph's Academy (26-3) over No. 9 Hazelwood Central (23-5)
No. 2 Blue Springs (26-2) over Liberty (22-6)
No. 4 Incarnate Word Academy (23-4) over No. 7 Fort Zumwalt West (24-5)
No. 1 Webb City (26-2) over West Plains (22-7)

SEMIFINALS
No. 2 Blue Springs (27-2) over No. 3 St. Joseph's Academy (27-3)
No. 1 Webb City (27-2) over No. 4 Incarnate Word Academy (24-4)

FINALS
No. 2 Blue Springs (28-2) over No. 1 Webb City (28-2)

CONSOLATION
No. 3 St. Joseph's Academy (27-4) over No. 4 Incarnate Word Academy (24-5)

DARKHORSE
Fort Zumwalt South

CLASS 4 GIRLS SECTIONALS
No. 9 Farmington (20-5) over Dexter (18-9)
No. 5 Miller Career Academy (St. Louis) (22-4) over Notre Dame (St. Louis) (11-15)
Notre Dame de Sion (Kansas City) (17-10) over Pleasant Hill (20-5)
No. 6 Smithville (22-5) over Grain Valley (18-8)
Jennings (22-6) over Westminster Christian (St. Louis) (18-7)
No. 1 St. Dominic (O'Fallon) (26-0) over Moberly (21-4)
St. Francis Borgia (Washington) (15-11) over Helias (Jefferson City) (12-14)
No. 3 Republic (21-6) over McDonald County (Anderson) (13-12)

QUARTERFINALS
No. 5 Miller Career Academy (23-4) over No. 9 Farmington (21-5)
No. 6 Smithville (23-5) over Notre Dame de Sion (18-10)
No. 1 St. Dominic (27-0) over Jennings (23-6)
No. 3 Republic (22-6) over St. Francis Borgia (16-11)



SEMIFINALS
No. 6 Smithville (24-5) over No. 5 Miller Career Academy (24-4)
No. 1 St. Dominic (28-0) over No. 3 Republic (23-6)

FINALS
No. 1 St. Dominic (29-0) over No. 6 Smithville (25-5)

CONSOLATION
No. 3 Republic (23-7) over No. 5 Miller Career Academy (24-5)

DARKHORSE
Moberly

MISSOURI BOYS BIG SCHOOL BASKETBALL RANKINGS
CLASS 5
1. Chaminade (24-0) 1
2. McCluer North (22-4) 5
3. Hazelwood Central (25-2) 2
4. DeSmet Jesuit (20-5) 3
5. Nixa (21-5) 4
6. Webster Groves (22-4) 8
7. Columbia-Rock Bridge (20-4) 9
8. Raytown South (20-5) 7
9. Lee's Summit North (17-6) 10
10. Blue Springs South (18-7) –

CLASS 4
1. Sikeston (24-0) 1
2. Mexico (23-1) 4
3. Soldan International Studies (18-6) 3
4. Springfield-Hillcrest (20-4) 2
5. Logan-Rogersville (21-4) 5
6. St. Francis Borgia (16-8) –
7. Clayton (20-6) –
8. Jefferson City-Helias (17-7) 8
9. Platte County (18-5) 7
10. Miller Career Academy (19-7) 6



MISSOURI GIRLS BIG SCHOOL BASKETBALL RANKINGS

CLASS 5
1. Webb City (23-2) 1
2. Blue Springs (23-2) 2
3. St. Joseph's Academy (23-3) 3
4. Incarnate Word Academy (21-4) 4
5. Ozark (20-5) 5
6. Columbia-Rock Bridge (20-5) 7
7. Fort Zumwalt West (22-4) 6
8. Springfield-Glendale (20-4) 8
9. Hazelwood Central (20-5) 10
10. Springfield Central (19-4) –

CLASS 4
1. St. Dominic (24-0) 1
2. MICDS (21-1) 2
3. Mexico (21-3) 4
4. Republic (18-6) 5
5. Miller Career Academy (18-4) 3
6. Smithville (20-5) 6
7. Platte County (17-7) 7
8. Visitation Academy (19-6) 9
9. Farmington (18-5) 8
10. Bolivar (19-5) 10