By Josh Hall

Herald Sports Editor

If they didn’t have a target on their backs before this week, the Evanston Red Devils basketball players certainly do now.

For the first time this season, Evanston was ranked as the No. 1 team in the latest Class 4A boys’ basketball poll released Wednesday.

The Red Devils are 15-3 on the season and 7-0 in the 4A West Conference with three regular-season games remaining. 

“It can be a distraction if you allow it to be,” Evanston head coach Lex Cornia said earlier in the week. “We’ve addressed that already with guys. Last year, we were never in the rankings. Not a single time, 1-5. At the end of the season, we were fourth. That’s the one you look at. That’s the one people remember.”

Last week, Evanston secured its spot as a No. 1 or 2 seed in the regional tournament. That means the Red Devils already have an automatic bid to play in the state championship tournament. 

Evanston received 10 of the 13 first-place votes cast in this week’s poll. The Red Devils, who were the No. 2 team the previous week, finished with one second-place vote and one third-place vote for a total of 171 points.

Sheridan (14-5, 6-2 4A East) received three first-place votes and finished second in the rankings after tallying 150 points. Cheyenne East (87 points), Campbell County (78 points) and Cheyenne Central (63 points) rounded out the top-five teams this week. 

Kelly Walsh, Green River, Cheyenne South and Laramie also received votes. 

“I think our guys have gotten used to the idea that they are going to take every teams best shot,” Cornia said. “That’s just our reality. Being in the position we’re in, you’re not going to get anybody’s half effort. You’re going to get everybody’s full preparation.”

Evanston will look to keep a perfect conference record when the Red Devils take on Kelly Walsh (7-10, 4-2 West) on the road tonight. The team will be in action again on Saturday at Natrona (3-14, 1-5) and will conclude the regular season on Feb. 24 at Jackson.

Regional play will begin March 1 in Jackson. The top-two teams in each conference receive the top seeds at the three-day double-elimination tournament and have an automatic bid to compete in the state tournament March 8-10 in Casper.

Evanston ranks fifth in the state in team scoring (62.8 ppg), is first in shooting from the field (51 percent), is last in team rebounding (24.7 rpg) and sixth in team defense (55.0 ppg).

Braxton Hiatt leads the team in scoring at 20.4 points per game, while Chase Critchfield is close behind at 19.1.