Des Moines Hoover takes over Class 4A top spot in Gazette boys’ basketball rankings

CEDAR RAPIDS - There are two teams in Class 4A that haven't lost to another team from the state of Iowa. One of those teams is your new number one in the class.

Des Moines Hoover takes over the 4A top spot in the penultimate Gazette boys' basketball rankings of the season. The Huskies are 17-1 after a pair of impressive wins last week over Waukee and Des Moines North, both of whom have been ranked this season.

Hoover's lone loss came all the way back on Dec. 5 at Hopkins, which is 22-1 and ranked third in Minnesota's largest class (4A). It has a tough game Tuesday night against West Des Moines Dowling (16-3), which is ranked fifth.

Pleasant Valley (18-1) lost its first game of the season last week to Muscatine (59-58) and slipped to second in 4A. Iowa City West (15-4) also dropped a spot after a loss to Iowa City High.

The rest of the top 10, in order, are West Des Moines Valley, Dowling, Council Bluffs Lincoln, Ames, Ankeny, Cedar Falls and Linn-Mar, which is back in the top 10 after a two-week absence. Lincoln is the other 4A team undefeated against Iowa opponents, losing only to a team from Minnesota.

Pella (19-1) remains a strong number one in Class 3A. Chariton (19-1) is second, Dubuque Wahlert (14-5) third, Spirit Lake (18-3) fourth and Webster City (16-2) fifth.

Wahlert dropped a spot after a loss last week to West. Cedar Rapids Xavier (13-6) has lost four in a row and slid from third to eighth.

This is the final poll of the season in Class 1A and 2A, as districts began Monday night. Dike-New Hartford and West Fork finish tops in their respective classes.

Dike-New Hartford (22-0) overtook Western Christian (19-2) in 2A after WC's loss to Sioux Falls Christian last week. Western Christian's only two defeats have been to teams from Sioux Falls (O'Gorman was the other).

Northeast Goose Lake (19-2) is third in 2A, followed by Treynor (19-2), Anamosa (16-5) and Monticello (16-5). Cascade (17-3) is eighth.

West Fork finished the regular season 21-0, one of two remaining unbeatens in the state (Dike-N.H. the other). Colo-NESCO (20-1) is ranked second in 1A, followed by defending champion Gladbrook-Reinbeck (19-2), Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire (19-1) and Danville (20-1).

Jesup (18-3) is seventh.

Below are the entire rankings, with last week's rankings in parentheses.

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CLASS 4A

1. Des Moines Hoover 17-1 (3)

2. Pleasant Valley 18-1 (1)

3. Iowa City West 15-4 (2)

4. West Des Moines Valley 17-2 (7)

5. West Des Moines Dowling 16-3 (4)

6. Council Bluffs Lincoln 18-1 (6)

7. Ames 14-4 (9)

8. Ankeny 16-4 (5)

9. Cedar Falls 15-4 (NR)

10. Linn-Mar 14-5 (NR)

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CLASS 3A

1. Pella 19-1 (1)

2. Chariton 19-1 (2)

3. Dubuque Wahlert 14-5 (2)

4. Spirit Lake 18-3 (7)

5. Webster City 16-2 (6)

6. MOC/Floyd Valley 18-3 (8)

7. Harlan 16-3 (5)

8. Cedar Rapids Xavier 13-6 (3)

9. Glenwood 16-4 (10)

10. Atlantic 15-4 (NR)

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CLASS 2A

1. Dike-New Hartford 22-0 (2)

2. Western Christian 19-2 (1)

3. Northeast Goose Lake 19-2 (5)

4. Treynor 19-2 (3)

5. Anamosa 16-5 (6)

6. Monticello 16-5 (7)

7. Southeast Valley 17-3 (9)

8. Cascade 17-3 (8)

9. Des Moines Christian 18-3 (NR)

10. Pocahontas 17-3 (NR)

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CLASS 1A

1. West Fork 21-0 (1)

2. Colo-NESCO 20-1 (2)

3. Gladbrook-Reinbeck 19-2 (3)

4. Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire 19-1 (7)

5. Danville 20-1 (8)

6. West Hancock 19-2 (9)

7. Jesup 18-3 (4)

8. Boyden-Hull 18-3 (5)

9. IKM-Manning 18-2 (10)

10. Lynnville-Sully 20-1 (NR)

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