Nebraska's Top 10 toughest boys basketball sub-districts

With the Nebraska boys sub-district basketball tournaments for Classes B, C1, C2, D1 and D2 fast approaching, and district competition beginning for Class A shortly thereafter, we have decided to take a look at which sub-districts could be the Waterloo for some very good Nebraska boys basketball teams in 2022-23.

Using the average MaxPreps power ranking for the teams assigned to each Sub-District, we determined that the B-1 Sub-District, featuring Class B's third-ranked Crete, No. 8 Beatrice and tenth-ranked Norris, is the toughest in Nebraska.

Class B's B-4 and B-3 Sub-Districts rank second and third in strength, respectively, while the C1-7 and C1-4 Sub-Districts sit in the No. 4 and No. 5 spots in this week's Top 10. Leading the way for the B-4 are top-ranked Omaha Skutt Catholic and No. 7 Elkhorn while No. 2 Platteview and sixth-ranked Omaha Roncalli Catholic are the only Top 10 squads in the B-3 Sub-District.

Class C1 No. 5 Pierce should be the C1-7 Sub-District's favorite when sub-district action tips off Feb. 21 while Class C1's top-ranked Wahoo Warriors sit in the driver's seat in the state's fifth toughest sub-district.

Classes B, C1, C2 and D1 are all represented in this week's Top 10. Class A's district assignments are scheduled to be announced Feb. 21 and Class D2 was unable to launch a sub-district into the Top 10. However, the D2-3 Sub-District calculates to be the toughest in Nebraska's smallest classification.

Class D2's third-ranked Osceola and No. 4 Parkview Christian are the favorites to capture the D2-3 title with No. 14 Humphrey St. Francis, No. 18 Nebraska Lutheran and No. 27 East Butler looking to pull upsets.

When it comes to collective winning percentage, the D1-10 Sub-District takes the top spot of those sub-districts that are listed in this week's Top 10. North Platte St. Patrick's, the top club in Class D1, No. 2 Elm Creek and third-ranked Maywood-Hayes Center are Top 10 teams there.

If the Class A seedings came out Thursday evening, Bellevue West (21-0), Millard North (19-2), Gretna (17-3), Lincoln East (17-4), Omaha Creighton Prep (17-6), Omaha Westside (14-6) and Lincoln North Star (15-7), the top seven seeds in Class A according to district points, would be the top seeds and each would host one of the seven Class A districts.

Below, listed along with the sub-district, is that sub-district's average MaxPreps power ranking. Line two is reserved for each sub-district's collective winning percentage while the third line and beyond lists each school that will compete in that tournament.

To the left of each school is its MaxPreps Nebraska class ranking as of Thursday with its updated record in parenthesis on the right.

Nebraska's Top 10 toughest boys basketball Sub-Districts

1. B-1 Sub-District – 17.233
Collective Winning Percentage (.672)
Class B No. 3 Crete (17-4)
Class B No. 8 Beatrice (11-7)
Class B No. 10 Norris (Firth) (13-9)

2. B-4 Sub-District – 15.9
Collective Winning Percentage (.598)
Class B No. 1 Skutt Catholic (Omaha) (19-2)
Class B No. 7 Elkhorn (13-7)
Class B No. 13 Mount Michael Benedictine (Elkhorn) (12-9)
Class B No. 21 Elkhorn North (Elkhorn) (5-15)

3. B-3 Sub-District – 15.025
Collective Winning Percentage (.605)
Class B No. 2 Platteview (Springfield) (18-4)
Class B No. 6 Roncalli Catholic (Omaha) (14-6)
Class B No. 14 Gross Catholic (Omaha) (10-11)
Class B No. 19 Ralston (10-13)

4. C1-7 Sub-District – 13.025
Collective Winning Percentage (.651)
Class C1 No. 5 Pierce (19-3)
Class C1 No. 11 Boone Central (Albion) (16-6)
Class C1 No. 14 O'Neill (15-6)
Class C1 No. 33 Battle Creek (6-15)

5. C1-4 Sub-District – 12.62
Collective Winning Percentage (.673)
Class C1 No. 1 Wahoo (20-1)
Class C1 No. 3 Ashland-Greenwood (Ashland) (22-1)
Class C1 No. 15 Douglas County West (Valley) (15-8)
Class C1 No. 23 Bishop Neumann (Wahoo) (11-10)
Class C1 No. 51 Arlington (6-16)

6. B-6 Sub-District – 11.167
Collective Winning Percentage (.556)
Class B No. 5 York (15-5)
Class B No. 18 Seward (12-11)
Class B No. 20 Hastings (8-12)

7. D1-10 Sub-District – 9.32
Collective Winning Percentage (.783)
Class D1 No. 1 St. Patrick's (North Platte) (19-2)
Class D1 No. 2 Elm Creek (17-4)
Class D1 No. 3 Maywood/Hayes Center (Maywood) (22-1)
Class D1 No. 7 South Loup (Arnold) (17-3)
Class D1 No. 36 Overton (8-13)

8. B-8 Sub-District – 9.233
Collective Winning Percentage (.540)
Class B No. 9 Scottsbluff (14-8)
Class B No. 16 Gering (12-10)
Class B No. 22 Alliance (8-11)

9. C2-1 Sub-District – 8.92
Collective Winning Percentage (.673)
Class C2 No. 1 Freeman (Adams) (22-1)
Class C2 No. 7 Tri County (DeWitt) (20-3)
Class C2 No. 20 Palmyra (11-11)
Class C2 No. 24 Johnson County Central (Tecumseh) (12-10)
Class C2 No. 30 Southern (Wymore) (9-11)

10. C1-8 Sub-District – 8.66
Collective Winning Percentage (.664)
Class C1 No. 10 Central City (20-3)
Class C1 No. 12 Aurora (15-7)
Class C1 No. 20 Fillmore Central (Geneva) (15-7)
Class C1 No. 26 Centennial (Utica) (13-8)
Class C1 No. 39 Milford (10-12)