Each week during the high school basketball season, select coaches from the six Nebraska classes rate the teams in their class and our Tony Chapman compiles the rankings.
Here is the ninth in-season poll for the 2023-2024 season, presented by Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Records are for games played through Saturday, Feb. 10.
Class A (Record), Previous
1. Millard West (20-1), 1
2. Lincoln Southwest (18-3), 2
3. Lincoln Northeast (17-5), 5
4. Lincoln North Star (16-4), 4
5. Millard North (14-6), 3
6. Bellevue West (13-6), 6
7. Papillon-La Vista South (15-5), 7
8. Lincoln Pius X (15-6), 8
9. Lincoln Southeast (15-5), 9
10. Omaha Central (16-6), 10
Receiving Votes: Bellevue East (13-7), RB; Omaha Marian (15-6), RV.
Comments: Millard West continues its stranglehold on the top spot with Lincoln Southwest staying second after a weekend make-up game win over North Star. Millard North falls off a loss to Bellevue East which is still just outside the rankings.
Class B (Record), Previous
1. Elkhorn North (17-1), 1
2. Skutt Catholic (20-1), 2
3. Norris (13-5), 3
4. Gretna East (13-6), 4
5. Waverly (14-4), 5
6. Beatrice (18-3), 6
7. South Sioux City (14-8), 7
8. Bennington (14-7), 8
9. Seward (14-7), 10
10. Elkhorn (13-6), 9
Receiving Votes: Crete (10-7), RV; Scottsbluff (14-9), NR.
Comments: The only change this week is Seward passing Elkhorn into ninth. Norris dropped a pair of games to Skutt and Elkhorn North but remains third. Elkhorn North, Gretna East, Bennington and Elkhorn are in the same sub-district. All will advance to a district final. Someone fix that madness.
Class C-1 (Record), Previous
1. Sidney (22-0), 1
2. Lincoln Christian (19-2), 3
3. Grand Island Central Catholic (20-2), 2
4. Bridgeport (22-0), 4
5. Minden (17-3), 5
6. Broken Bow (18–3), 7
7. Gothenburg (17-5), 6
8. Hastings Adams Central (18-4), 8
9. North Bend Central (14-8), NR
10. Arlington (19-4), 10
Receiving Votes: Columbus Scotus (14-7), RV.
Comments: Lincoln Christian moves back to No. 2 off of Grand Island Central Catholic’s loss to Hastings St. Cecilia to end the regular season. Sidney and Bridgeport could play in a sub-final as well as GICC and Adams Central and Minden and Broken Bow.
Class C-2 (Record), Previous
1. Crofton (21-0), 1
2. Elmwood-Murdock (21-1), 2
3. Yutan (18-2), 3
4. Hastings St. Cecilia (14-4), 5
5. Wahoo Bishop Neumann (16-5), 4
6. Bayard (20-3), 6
7. Cross County (21-2), 7
8. Freeman (16-4), 8
9. Oakland-Craig (13-5), 10
10. Clarkson/Leigh (14-6), 9
Receiving Votes: none.
Comments: Coaches in agreement on all 10 teams as we head into postseason play. Crofton remains a unanimous No. 1. St. Cecilia moves to No. 4 off a win over Grand Island Central Catholic and Neumann’s loss to Yutan.
Class D-1 (Record), Previous
1. West Point Guardian Angels Central Catholic (18-2), 2
2. Pender (22-1), 1
3. Southern Valley (23-1), 3
4. O’Neill St. Mary’s (19-2), 4
5. Johnson-Brock (19-2), 5
6. McCool Junction (17-3), 6
7. Elgin Public/Pope John (19-2), 7
8. Sumner-Eddyville-Miller (19-3), 8
9. Centura (17-6), NR
10. Maywood-Hayes Center (19-2), RV
Receiving Votes: Alma (19-3), RV; Elm Creek (16-6), 10; Summerland (16-5), 9.
Comments: A late season shakeup at the top as Guardian Angels Central Catholic knocked off No. 1 Pender in overtime last Tuesday. The D1-9 at SEM has teams 11, 13 and 14 of the top 16 in the points. Two of them may not advance.
Class D-2 (Record), Previous
1. Overton (22-1), 1
2. Falls City Sacred Heart (17-4), 2
3. Wynot (17-2), 3
4. Shelton (16-4), 4
5. Sandhills/Thedford (18-4), 6
6. Leyton (19-3), 5
7. Howells-Dodge (12-9), 7
8. Plainview (15-6), 8
9. Humphrey St. Francis (13-8), 10
10. Wilcox-Hildreth (15-8), RV
Receiving Votes: none
Comments: Overton remains on top, but Class D-2 has six of its ranked teams in just two different sub-districts. Shelton will play Wilcox-Hildreth (at Overton) and Howells-Dodge will play St. Francis (at Wynot) to open the postseason.
