Utah girls basketball teams with the strongest schedules

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Testing your team against the best competition is always a gamble. For a rebuilding or young team, it can mean a long season filled with hard lessons designed to mold you into a more experienced and competitive group. For a more experienced group, it can prepare you to make a run at a state title at season's end.

Both ends of the spectrum are populated by girls basketball teams in Utah. While tough schedules have provided a challenge to some, they have brought huge rewards to other teams.

Bingham and East both positioned themselves to make noise in region play after coming on strong late against tough non-region slates. Both teams capped off December by traveling to California to play in major holiday tournaments. The Miners and the Leopards each came away with big victories.

Bingham (6-6) went 3-1 against four California teams in the So. Cal. Holiday Prep Classic. The Miners beat Tesoro, San Marcos and Rancho Bernardo by double digit margins before losing to Rosary on the final day.

East (6-4) split four games in the MaxPreps West Coast Jamboree. The Leopards took down California schools Granada and St. Patrick-St. Vincent on the final two days of the tournament.

Alta (7-0) has positioned itself as the No. 1 team in Utah in the latest MaxPreps computer rankings after soaring through the state's toughest schedule unscathed. The Hawks have claimed victories over fellow Top 25 teams Bingham, Sky View, Judge Memorial, Skyline, American Fork. None of these opponents have seriously threatened the Hawks either.

Alta has won by an average margin of 17.9 points in its first seven games. The Hawks are averaging 72.7 points per contest while holding their opponents to just 54.8 points.

Here's a closer look at which Utah girls basketball teams have played the strongest schedules early in the 2016-17 season:


1. Bingham (South Jordan)
Record: 6-6
SOS: 13.7
Notable results: Wins over Tesoro (Calif.), San Marcos (Calif.), Rancho Bernardo (Calif) in So. Cal. Holiday Prep Classic.

2. East (Salt Lake City)
Record: 6-4
SOS: 12.6
Notable results: Wins over Granada (Calif.), St. Patrick-St. Vincent in MaxPreps West Coast Jamboree. 3. Logan
Record: 2-8
SOS: 12.4
Notable results: Win over Hurricane. Played four Top 25 teams (Sky View, Timpview, Box Elder, Richfield).

4. Alta (Sandy)
Record: 7-0
SOS: 12.3
Notable results: Wins over Bingham, Sky View, Judge Memorial, Skyline, American Fork.

5. Salem Hills (Salem)
Record: 3-6
SOS: 12.2
Notable results: Wins over Juab and Bountiful. Played four Top 25 teams (American Fork, Desert Hills, Richfield, Mountain View).

6. Fremont (Plain City)
Record: 4-5
SOS: 11.4
Notable results: Wins over Layton, Timpanogos, Copper Hills. Played four Top 25 teams (Alta, Viewmont, Morgan, Copper Hills).

7. Bear River (Garland)
Record: 1-8
SOS: 10.6
Notable results: Played three Top 10 teams (North Summit, Box Elder, Desert Hills).

8. Lone Peak (Highland)
Record: 2-7
SOS: 10.4
Notable results: Played seven Top 25 teams (Alta, Springville, Sky View, Viewmont, Copper Hills, Taylorsville, Mountain View).

9. Delta
Record: 1-8
SOS: 10.1
Notable results: Played three Top 5 teams (North Summit, Emery, Richfield).

10. Brighton (Salt Lake City)
Record: 0-9
SOS: 10.1
Notable results: Played four Top 25 teams (Riverton, Skyline, Bingham, Mountain View).

John Coon covers Utah high school sports for MaxPreps. You can contact him at john_coon@hotmail.com and follow him on Twitter at @johncoonsports