While they are fun, do state rankings mean anything?
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By Josh Hall
Herald Sports Editor
State rankings are fun. I enjoy casting my votes each week, and I think the majority of sports fans across the country look forward to seeing them when they become available at midnght each week.
Do they mean anything? Not all that much.
I say that with the utmost respect to those teams that are state-ranked. It means you are good. And if you are left of the list, it doesn’t mean you’re bad. State rankings are merely a measuring stick, based on the opinion of media members and coaches around the state.
They give everybody something to talk about, which is not a bad thing.
But let’s remember what’s most important when it comes to rankings: they don’t put your team in a better or worse position when it comes time for the playoffs.
It’s unlikely the average sports fan who follows high-school athletics is going to remember the team that was ranked first during Week 4 of the regular season. No, they are going to remember the final rankings. They’re going to remember the championship games. They are going to remember state titles.
For the first time this season, the Evanston boys’ basketball team is ranked first in Class 4A. That’s awesome. But coach Lex Cornia’s team knows better than to read too much into that. The Red Devils didn’t crack the top-five list last season, and they ended up fourth at the end of the year after winning their consolation game.
Before the 2017-18 season kicked off in December, I’m betting few around the state had a heavy favorite to win the Class 4A boys’ state championship. I think we’re all still trying to determine that. There certainly isn’t a “heavy” favorite.
It looks like it’s up for grabs, and that is what is making this season so much fun.
Including the preseason rankings, five teams in Class 4A boys have been at No. 1 since early December. Cheyenne East (12-8, 4-4 East) has been at the top four times. Sheridan (14-5, 6-2 East) has been ranked first twice, while Evanston (15-3, 7-0 West), Campbell County (12-7, 5-3 East) and Laramie (5-11, 3-5 East) have all been at the top at one point this season.
The Class 4A girls’ rankings have been a little more consistent at the top, but not much. Since Dec. 14, Campbell County (15-5, 8-0 East) has been the No. 1-ranked team four times. Cheyenne East (14-6, 5-3 East), the defending state champions, was the preseason favorite and has been ranked at the top three times since then. Thunder Basin is the only other girls’ team in Class 4A to see time at No. 1.
I looked at the top-five teams from the latest rankings for Class 4A boys and girls to see if there were any patterns that stood out.
I was disappointed to see there was no concrete evidence at the end of collecting this information. But as I said before, does it really matter? That’s why the games are played.
I look forward to seeing how everything plays out over the next three weeks.
Starting with the Class 4A boys:
Now for the Class 4A girls:
No. 3 Thunder Basin – losses to: Fort Collins (Colorado) Fossil Ridge (Dec. 7), Bismarck (North Dakota) Century (Dec. 8), Lynwood, Cal. (Dec. 30), Campbell County (Feb. 2); wins against current top-five teams: Evanston (Dec. 15), Kelly Walsh (Jan. 12), Cheyenne East (Jan. 19); team scoring: 62.6 (No. 1); team rebounding: 36.5 (No. 1); team defense: 53.2 (No. 10).
No. 4 Evanston – losses to: Thunder Basin (Dec. 15), Cheyenne East (Jan. 6), Lyman (Jan. 11), Kelly Walsh (Jan. 27); wins against current top-five teams: none; team scoring: 55.1 (No. 4), team rebounding: 25.2 (No. 13); team defense: 46.3 (No. 5).
No. 5 Cheyenne East – losses to: Parker (Colorado) Chaparral (Dec. 7), Fort Collins (Colorado) Fossil Ridge (Dec. 15), Natrona (Jan. 5), Thunder Basin (Jan. 19), Campbell County (Jan. 27), Campbell County (Feb. 9); wins against current top-five teams: Kelly Walsh (Dec. 19), Evanston (Jan. 6); team scoring: 49.9 (No. 6); team rebounding: 32.1 (No. 4); team defense: 45.0 (No. 4).
