WyoPreps Unveils Preseason Basketball Polls

The first rankings of the high school basketball season are here. The WyoPreps.com Coaches and Media Preseason Polls were released on Monday.

The girls’ rankings feature the defending champions in 1A and 2A atop the poll. In 3A and 4A, all eight state qualifiers received votes. With last season’s state tournament canceled for the largest two classifications, there are no defending champs or other trophy winners.

Class 4A is led by the Thunder Basin Bolts. They received 17 first-place votes and are a pretty clear choice for the top spot with nearly a 100-point lead in the balloting over No. 2, which is Cheyenne East. Their crosstown rival, Cheyenne Central is third. Both of those teams earned votes for No. 1. The two Casper schools find themselves in the last two positions of the top five. Kelly Walsh is fourth, while Natrona County is fifth. The Fillies edged out Campbell County by six points in the voting. The Camels were one of five other teams that received votes in Class 4A.

The Douglas Lady Cats are a unanimous pick at the top of Class 3A. They received all 20 first-place votes from coaches and media members. Bridger Valley rivals Mountain View and Lyman are second and third. Worland sits in the No. 4 spot. They are nine points ahead of Lander, who rounds out the top five. The Tigers were just three points better than Rawlins. The Outlaws are one of five teams the picked up votes.

Defending champion Wyoming Indian tops the Class 2A preseason rankings. The unknown is whether the Lady Chiefs will even get to play this season. Wyoming Indian was the only school that garnered more than one first-place vote. They received seven of them. Sundance checks in at second, while Rocky Mountain is third. Moorcroft and Pine Bluffs are tied for fourth to complete the poll. Six other teams earned at least one vote.

The other unanimously ranked No. 1 team in the preseason is Cokeville. The defending champion Panthers earned all 10 first-place votes in Class 1A. Upton is second, while last year’s runner-up Kaycee checks in at No. 3. New to the class this year is Southeast, who has dropped down a division. They were part of the 2A state tournament last season. The Cyclones are fourth with Meeteetse rounding out the top five. There were votes for five other teams in the class.

Click the button to see the voting breakdown of how the coaches and media around the state voted in the preseason poll.

On the boys’ side, the defending champs in 1A start the year at No. 1, while the champs in Class 2A are second. In 3A and 4A, seven state qualifiers received votes in the preseason poll.

Class 4A is led by Cheyenne Central. The Indians were upset at the regional tournament last season but return four starters and top the big school division with 19 first-place votes. Thunder Basin is second, followed by Sheridan in third, while Cheyenne East is fourth. All three of those teams picked up a pair of first-place votes. Campbell County rounds out the top five at No. 5. The Camels edged out Kelly Walsh for the final position. The Trojans are one of six schools that received at least one vote in the poll.

Class 3A sees the same top two teams leading the rankings that ended last season in those positions. The Worland Warriors are No. 1. They earned 14 of the 17 first-place votes. Lander received the other three. The Tigers are second in the preseason poll. Rawlins garnered a majority of third-place votes, and the Outlaws are No. 3. Powell and Wheatland are tied for fourth. There were six more teams that got at least one vote in the balloting.

The Rocky Mountain Grizzlies start the 2A rankings at No. 1. They received nine first-place votes and 201 total points in the balloting. Defending champ Wyoming Indian is second. The Chiefs earned four first-place votes. The status as to whether or not they will play this season is uncertain at present time. Last season’s runner-up, the Sundance Bulldogs come in at No. 3. Big Horn edged Pine Bluffs by three points in the voting for fourth, which places the Hornets in fifth. Five other teams garnered votes in the poll, including Big Piney, who has dropped down a class and picked up a No. 1 vote in 2A.

Class 1A starts with the defending champs. The Saratoga Panthers earned eight first-place votes to top the small-school division. The team they beat in the title game last March, the Farson-Eden Pronghorns are second. They are followed by Southeast. The Cyclones took part in the Class 2A state tournament last season. Upton is fourth but by only three points over Encampment. The Tigers spent quite a bit of time in the top position last season. Five more schools received at least one vote in the preseason balloting.

To view the voting breakdown of how the coaches and media cast their ballots, click the button below.

Disclaimer: 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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