Changes at the Top of the New WyoPreps Boys Basketball Poll
A pair of new No. 1 ranked teams highlight this week’s WyoPreps.com Coaches and Media Boys Basketball poll released on Wednesday.
The change at the top occurs for just the second time in Class 2A, while it’s the first in Class 1A.
Wyoming Indian is back atop the 2A ranks for the first time since the preseason poll. The Chiefs received eight first-place votes after their victory over previous No. 1 Rocky Mountain, who drops to second. The Grizzlies still picked up five first-place tallies in this week’s balloting. Pine Bluffs remains third, while Big Horn moves up a spot to fourth. There is a tie for No. 5 this week between Southeast, who falls a position, and Sundance. The Bulldogs are back in the rankings for the first time in a couple of weeks. In games that involve ranked teams this weekend, the fifth-ranked Cyclones are at the third-ranked Hornets on Friday, while No. 5 Sundance visits No. 4 Big Horn on Saturday.
For the first time this season, there is someone other than Encampment that is on top of the Class 1A boys’ poll. It is the Upton Bobcats. They take over the top spot after three victories last week, which included a win at Class 2A No. 3 Pine Bluffs. The Bobcats received ten first-place votes and have just one loss this season and that was to an out-of-state opponent. The Encampment Tigers fall only to second and still earned five first-place votes. The Saratoga Panthers were the team that knocked Encampment from the ranks of the unbeaten. They move up to third in the balloting. That pushes St. Stephens down to fourth. There’s a new No. 5 in Class 1A. For the first time this season, Lingle-Fort Laramie joins the top five. Kaycee falls out, but the Buckaroos were one of three other teams that received votes. There are no games this weekend involving ranked teams against each other. On Friday, four of the top five are in action and all four are on the road. Upton’s first game as No. 1 will be a road contest on Saturday.
Classes 4A and 3A are the same as a week ago.
The top team in Class 3A continues to be the Worland Warriors. They are the last undefeated team in Wyoming high school basketball, boys or girls. Worland is a unanimous choice for the top position in 3A. They garnered all 13 first-place votes. Lander holds in second, with Wheatland third, Mountain View at No. 4, and Rawlins rounds out the poll at five. There is only one ranked match-up this weekend. It’s top-ranked Worland traveling to fifth-ranked Rawlins on Friday night. This will be the second meeting between the two in a week after they made up an earlier postponement last Saturday. Worland won by 11 at home on Feb. 8.
Cheyenne Central continues its hold on the top spot in Class 4A. The Indians are one vote away from being a unanimous No. 1. Cheyenne East remains in second. The Thunderbirds are the other team that earned a vote for first. Despite two losses last week, the Sheridan Broncs hold at No. 3 and by a comfortable margin in this week’s balloting. Thunder Basin suffered a loss, but they stay fourth. Kelly Walsh holds the fifth spot. Four other teams received votes in this week’s rankings. The big action this weekend is in Gillette, where No. 4 Thunder Basin gets their shot at the top two. The Bolts host top-ranked Cheyenne Central on Friday night before a midday game on Saturday against second-ranked Cheyenne East.
Here is this week’s voting breakdown for the boys’ poll:
WyoPreps.com polls coaches and media from across the state each week during the basketball season. These rankings are not associated with the Wyoming High School Activities Association or its member schools. The poll is conducted for fun and has no bearing on any game or post-season seeding.
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