(2-3-25) Sam Houseworth’s OHSAA Boys Basketball Rankings and insights as we inch closer to tournament time.

D I

Before this week, it would have been hard to argue against St. Ignatius being the best D I team in northeast Ohio. However, Brunswick finished the weekend on an 8-game winning streak with double-digit victories over Strongsville and Bishop Watterson. The Wildcats are still the best team in the Cleveland area, but getting out of the regionals will not be a cake walk.

 

D II

Lima Senior suffered their second loss of the season, 80-66, at WBL favorite Lima Shawnee this weekend. While that doesn’t drop them in the D II rankings, it creates more separation between the Spartans and top dog Westerville North. Speaking of, the Warriors kept hold of their statewide number one ranking after a dominant road win against crosstown rival Westerville South, 67-48.

 

D III

The Bertke brothers combined for 61 points in Lima Shawnee’s 80-66 win over D II powerhouse Lima Senior. The Indians jump back into the D III top ten where they join battle tested Toledo Central Catholic as the only northwest Ohio teams. Louisville retakes the top spot after a 64-62 win over defending state champion Richmond Heights on Friday.

 

D IV

The top three hold steady in D IV as plenty of shuffling takes place underneath them. It is difficult to see any team challenging Ursuline for a spot at the state final coming out of the eastern half of the state. As for the western half, top ranked Alter and undefeated Wyoming will likely face off in the regional final.

 

D V 

Margaretta’s undefeated streak came to a brutal end this Saturday when they fell to Canton Central Catholic, 73-44. That leaves northeast Ohio owning all of the top three spots in the D V rankings, one week before the tournament draw. By the looks of it, Canton Memorial Fieldhouse will host the likely state champion as Lutheran East, Richmond Heights, Canton Central Catholic, and Norwayne could all face off in that D V regional.

 

D VI

Tri-Village takes over the top spot in D VI after two dominant road wins over Bradford and Troy Christian. Spencerville barely falls to the second spot after barely squeaking past Bluffton. In the eastern half of the state, Hiland suffered their first loss of the season, a 59-45 result against Harvest Prep. This allowed Monroe Central to jump to the third spot in the D VI rankings. The rest of the D VI top ten is filled by northwest Ohio teams with Coldwater and Lima Central Catholic sitting just outside.

 

D VII

Delphos St. John’s and Russia trade places once again, but in doing so, create even more separation between themselves and the rest of D VII. If the Blue Jays and Raiders played tomorrow, St. John’s would be a 1-point favorite at a neutral site, essentially a coin flip in basketball terms. Both teams would be double-digit favorites against any other team in D VII.