Nebraska's Top 10 most improved girls basketball teams

Video: Highlight of Shelby High School
Watch the Cross County girls team, which has had the sixth best rankings improvement since last season.

As the Nebraska girls high school basketball season prepares to hit the stretch run, we've crunched the numbers to determine which programs made substantial climbs in our MaxPreps Computer Rankings over a year ago.

Having improved its record by an impressive 10 games heading into last weekend's action, St. Paul comes up the winner, climbing 147 rungs to 65th in Friday's girls computer rankings. The Wildcats, who turned in a 4-18 record a year ago, are off to a fast start this winter having won 10 of their first 14 games.

Gering (137), Meridian (120) and Chase County (101) all pushed the Wildcats for the top spot, improving their placements of a year ago by 100 spots or more. Boone Central/Newman Grove rounds out the top five after climbing 98 spots to 85th. Of all of the members of our Top 10, Meridian earned the highest ranking Friday at No. 36.

Milford takes the ninth spot over Blair after improving their record 6-½ games compared to a six game improvement for the Bears. Both programs improved their standing in the rankings by 92 spots.

Every classification in Nebraska is represented in this Top 10 except for Class A, the Cornhusker State's largest classification. Lincoln Southwest earns the nod as Nebraska's most improved big school having climbed 69 spots to 41st, while Omaha North improved 60 rungs to 75th.

As you browse through this Top 10, the 2016-17 record displayed with each school may have changed with last weekend's competition. The mark displayed was each team's record when Friday's rankings came out.


1. St. Paul +147
2015-16 MaxPreps Rating (Record): 212th (4-18)
2016-17 MaxPreps Rating (Record): 65th (10-4)

2. Gering +137
2015-16 MaxPreps Rating (Record): 198th (7-16)
2016-17 MaxPreps Rating (Record): 61st (8-6)

3. Meridian (Daykin) +120
2015-16 MaxPreps Rating (Record): 156th (11-12)
2016-17 MaxPreps Rating (Record): 36th (12-3)

4. Chase County (Imperial) +101
2015-16 MaxPreps Rating (Record): 194th (8-16)
2016-17 MaxPreps Rating (Record): 93rd (10-5)

5. Boone Central/Newman Grove (Albion) +98
2015-16 MaxPreps Rating (Record): 183rd (4-18)
2016-17 MaxPreps Rating (Record): 85th (6-8)

6. Cross County (Stromsburg) +95
2015-16 MaxPreps Rating (Record): 232nd (4-16)
2016-17 MaxPreps Rating (Record): 137th (6-7)

7. Red Cloud +94
2015-16 MaxPreps Rating (Record): 195th (10-10)
2016-17 MaxPreps Rating (Record): 101st (10-1)

8. Franklin +93
2015-16 MaxPreps Rating (Record): 268th (1-18)
2016-17 MaxPreps Rating (Record): 175th (6-5)

9. Milford +92
2015-16 MaxPreps Rating (Record): 245th (3-17)
2016-17 MaxPreps Rating (Record): 153rd (7-7)

10. Blair +92
2015-16 MaxPreps Rating (Record): 226th (2-18)
2016-17 MaxPreps Rating (Record): 134th (5-8)