Gazette boys' basketball poll: Western Christian, North Linn finish atop Class 2A, 1A

CEDAR RAPIDS — If The Gazette is correct, you know who your boys' state basketball champions will be in the smaller classes.

Western Christian and North Linn finish No. 1 in Class 2A and 1A, respectively, in the final poll of the season. The 1A and 2A postseason begins Monday night, though Western Christian (18-2) and North Linn (21-0) don't begin their tournament trails until Thursday.

It's the same 10 teams as last week in Class 2A, though there was a bit of shuffling after Cascade ended its regular season with a loss to Northeast. The Cougars fell from sixth to eighth.

In 1A, nine of the 10 teams from last week remain in the final poll. New London is the exception, replaced in the top 10 by LeMars Gehlen (15-6).

Iowa City West and West Delaware remain atop Class 4A and 3A, respectively, even though West lost over the weekend to Webster Groves (Mo.). That Webster Groves team featured one player that is committed to the University of Louisville and another who is considered one of the top 25 juniors in the country.

The Trojans are 16-2 headed into the final week of their regular season. West Delaware continued sailing along, improving its record to 19-0 last week and clinching the Wamac Conference overall championship.

Mount Vernon (16-4) remains No. 5 in 3A. Cedar Rapids Kennedy (14-5) climbed back into the 4A ratings at ninth.

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

CLASS 4A

1. Iowa City West 16-2 (1)

2. Waukee 17-3 (3)

3. Sioux City East 17-2 (4)

4. Dubuque Senior 16-3 (5)

5. Des Moines Hoover 15-4 (2)

6. West Des Moines Valley 15-4 (7)

7. West Des Moines Dowling 15-4 (8)

8. Dubuque Hempstead 15-4 (6)

9. Cedar Rapids Kennedy 14-5 (NR)

10. Des Moines North 14-5 (NR)

CLASS 3A

1. West Delaware 19-0 (1)

2. Waverly-Shell Rock 18-1 (2)

3. Pella 19-2 (3)

4. Mount Pleasant 18-2 (4)

5. Mount Vernon 16-4 (5)

6. Sioux City Heelan 13-5 (6)

7. Atlantic 15-5 (8)

8. Glenwood 15-5 (9)

9. Spirit Lake 16-4 (6)

10. Davenport Assumption 11-8 (NR)

CLASS 2A

1. Western Christian 18-2 (1)

2. Carroll Kuemper 19-2 (2)

3. Osage 20-1 (3)

4. Garner GHV 20-1 (4)

5. South Hamilton 19-2 (7)

6. Pella Christian 17-4 (8)

7. Dyersville Beckman 16-5 (5)

8. Cascade 19-2 (6)

9. Van Meter 20-1 (9)

10. Dike-New Hartford 19-3 (10)

CLASS 1A

1. North Linn 21-0 (1)

2. Gladbrook-Reinbeck 20-2 (2)

3. Remsen St. Mary's 20-0 (3)

4. Ar-We-Va 21-0 (4)

5. Grand View Christian 20-1 (5)

6. Lynnville-Sully 20-1 (6)

7. Don Bosco 20-1 (7)

8. West Fork 16-5 (9)

9. Boyden-Hull 14-7 (10)

10. LeMars Gehlen 15-6 (NR)

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