Boys' basketball rankings: A new No. 1 in Class 1A

CEDAR RAPIDS — There weren't many boys' prep basketball games last week, but there were enough to create a new top-ranked team in Class 1A.

West Hancock sits atop The Gazette's weekly poll in the smallest class. The Eagles hit the holiday break with an 8-0 record, their closest win 15 points.

Defending 1A champion Gladbrook-Reinbeck (5-1) fell to fourth after an 81-75 loss last week to Janesville (7-1), which entered the 1A poll at No. 7. Boyden-Hull (6-1) is second in 1A, followed by IKM-Manning (7-1).

Meskwaki Settlement School jumped from eighth to fifth. The Warriors (8-0) gave Janesville its lone loss.

The other No. 1s remain the same: Iowa City West in Class 4A, Dubuque Wahlert in 3A and Western Christian in 2A. In fact, the 4A poll remains exactly the same as a week ago, with Pleasant Valley checking in second, West Des Moines Valley third, Ankeny fourth and Des Moines Hoover fifth.

Linn-Mar (4-2) is ninth.

Harlan (5-1) lost last week to 4A seventh-ranked Council Bluffs Lincoln and fell from third to seventh in 3A. Cedar Rapids Xavier (5-1) has been especially impressive of late and moved from seventh to fifth.

Western Christian (5-0) is a strong No. 1 in 2A, though defending champ Treynor (6-0) is right on the Wolfpack's heels. Dike-New Hartford (8-0) is third, Cascade (7-0) fourth and Northeast Goose Lake (9-0) fifth.

Cascade and Northeast play right after the break, Jan. 5 at Cascade.

Here is the entire poll, with last week's ranking in parentheses:

CLASS 4A

1. Iowa City West 5-1 (1)

2. Pleasant Valley 7-0 (2)

3. West Des Moines Valley 7-0 (3)

4. Ankeny 7-0 (4)

5. Des Moines Hoover 6-1 (5)

6. West Des Moines Dowling 5-1 (6)

7. Council Bluffs Lincoln 6-0 (7)

8. Waukee 4-2 (8)

9. Linn-Mar (9)

10. Davenport Central 6-1 (10)

CLASS 3A

1. Dubuque Wahlert 7-1 (1)

2. Chariton 6-0 (2)

3. Algona 7-0 (4)

4. Pella 7-0 (5)

5. Cedar Rapids Xavier 5-1 (7)

6. Atlantic 7-0 (6)

7. Harlan 5-1 (3)

8. Sioux City Heelan 6-2 (8)

9. Spencer 5-1 (9)

10. Waverly-Shell Rock 5-2 (10)

CLASS 2A

1. Western Christian 5-0 (1)

2. Treynor 6-0 (2)

3. Dike-New Hartford 8-0 (3)

4. Cascade 7-0 (4)

5. Northeast Goose Lake 9-0 (5)

6. Pocahontas 7-1 (6)

7. Pella Christian 5-1 (7)

8. Aplington-Parkersburg 6-1 (10)

9. Carroll Kuemper 5-2 (9)

10. Sioux Center 5-2 (8)

CLASS 1A

1. West Hancock 8-0 (2)

2. Boyden-Hull 6-1 (3)

3. IKM-Manning 7-0 (4)

4. Gladbrook-Reinbeck 5-1 (1)

5. Meskwaki Settlement School 8-0 (8)

6. Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire 6-0 (6)

7. Janesville 7-1 (NR)

8. Colo-NESCO 7-1 (7)

9. Jesup 7-1 (8)

t-10. North Linn 8-0 (10)

t-10. West Fork 8-0 (10)

l Comments: (319) 398-8259; jeff.johnson@thegazette.com