Iowa high school boys’ basketball rankings: North Linn and Western Christian finish No. 1

CEDAR RAPIDS — North Linn and Western Christian finish No. 1.

We’ll see if that’s the case next month at the state tournament, but the Lynx and Wolfpack are atop their respective classes in the final Class 1A and 2A rankings of the boys’ basketball season. The Iowa High School Athletic Association released its weekly poll Monday afternoon.

North Linn took a 19-1 record into its Class 1A district opener Monday night at home against Highland. The Lynx were No. 1 most of the season, reassuming the top spot with a win just over a week ago against then top-ranked Bellevue Marquette.

Madrid (19-2) and Marquette (21-1) are second and third, respectively, in the final 1A rankings. Keota (21-0) is sixth, South Iowa Cedar League mate Lynnville-Sully (20-1) seventh and Lansing Kee (19-2) 10th.

In fact, the entire poll in 1A stayed the same as last week.

  Buy Photo

There was minimal movement in the final 2A rankings, with Western Christian (17-3) staying on top despite a 21-point loss last week to Sioux Falls Christian, the top-ranked team in South Dakota’s Class A (second-largest class) rankings.

Hudson (20-2) remained in the second spot despite also losing, albeit to Class 4A No. 1 Cedar Rapids Kennedy, 76-46. West Lyon (20-1), Underwood (21-0) and Pella Christian (16-5) stayed third, fourth and fifth, respectively.

Monticello (18-2) inched up two spots to seventh. River Valley Conference rival Cascade (16-4) joined the 2A poll for the first time this season at No. 10.

There will be one more set of rankings for Class 4A and 3A next week. Kennedy (20-0) and Clear Lake (19-0) remain top-ranked in those classes.

Seven of last week’s top 10 in 4A lost last week. All remained in this week’s rankings, minus Waukee Northwest.

Iowa City West (17-2) stayed second despite losing to Kennedy, 71-57. West Des Moines Valley (14-5) remained third despite losing to Ankeny, 76-72.

Ankeny (14-6) climbed back in the 4A poll, to No. 8.

Cedar Falls (16-3) moved from sixth to fifth after an impressive 55-37 win last week over Dubuque Senior (16-2), which fell from fifth to seventh.

Class 3A saw equal volatility, as it has all season. Decorah (18-2) was the big mover, going from fifth to second after a 79-76 win at Waverly-Shell Rock.

The Go-Hawks (16-3) stayed at No. 3. The teams split their two regular-season games.

Adel ADM went from second to fourth after a 10-point loss last week to Winterset (13-8), which went from 10th to seventh.

Solon (18-1) slipped from fourth to fifth after a two-point loss last week to Williamsburg. Speaking of the Wamac Conference, Marion (15-5) stayed steady at sixth after a week that saw it lose to Waverly-Shell Rock and beat Clear Creek Amana.

CCA fell out of the rankings.

Here is this week’s entire poll, with team record and last week’s ranking in parentheses.

Class 4A

1. Cedar Rapids Kennedy 20-0 (1)

2. Iowa City West 17-2 (2)

3. West Des Moines Valley 14-5 (3)

4. Sioux City East 19-2 (4)

5. Cedar Falls 16-3 (6)

6. Waukee 14-7 (7)

7. Dubuque Senior 16-2 (5)

8. Ankeny 14-6 (NR)

9. Pleasant Valley 14-5 (9)

10. Ankeny Centennial 14-6 (8)

Dropped out: Waukee Northwest

Class 3A

1. Clear Lake 19-0 (1)

2. Decorah 18-2 (5)

3. Waverly-Shell Rock 16-3 (3)

4. Adel ADM 17-2 (2)

5. Solon 18-1 (4)

6. Marion 15-5 (6)

7. Winterset 13-8 (10)

8. MOC-Floyd Valley 18-3 (7)

9. Davenport Assumption 11-8 (NR)

10. Pella 11-8 (NR)

Dropped out: Ballard, Clear Creek Amana

Class 2A (Final)

1. Western Christian 17-3 (1)

2. Hudson 20-2 (2)

3. West Lyon 20-1 (3)

4. Underwood 21-0 (4)

5. Pella Christian 16-5 (5)

6. West Burlington 19-0 (8)

7. Monticello 18-2 (9)

8. Treynor 18-3 (7)

9. Carroll Kuemper 17-3 (6)

10. Cascade 16-4 (NR)

Dropped out: Grundy Center (10)

Class 1A (Final)

1. North Linn 19-1 (1)

2. Madrid 19-2 (2)

3. Bellevue Marquette 21-1 (3)

4. Lake Mills 20-1 (4)

5. Winfield-Mount Union 16-2 (5)

6. Keota 21-0 (6)

7. Lynnville-Sully 20-1 (7)

8. North Union 18-3 (8)

9. East Mills 19-1 (9)

10. Lansing Kee 19-2 (10)

Comments: (319)-398-8258, jeff.johnson@thegazette.com