Des Moines Register's Iowa boys high school basketball Super 10 rankings at season's halfway point
In November, the Des Moines Register put out its preseason Super 10 ranking for Iowa boys high school basketball.
Now, just a couple of months later, there has already been some shakeup in the rankings.
Undefeated Cedar Rapids Kennedy has taken over the top spot, thanks to consistent contributions from a few of the top players in the state. West Des Moines Valley holds down the No. 2 slot. And 8-3 Waukee rounds out the top three.
Here are the top 10 teams in Iowa halfway through the season.
Stats and records are based on what was input to GoBound as of Thurs., Jan. 11 at 12 p.m.
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1. Cedar Rapids Kennedy
Previous ranking: 2
Current record: 8-0
The Cougars are one of two undefeated teams remaining in Class 4A, and they’ve maintained a perfect record against a competitive schedule. Kennedy collected wins against Cedar Falls, Marion and Waukee. The schedule only gets tougher in the back half of the season, but Kennedy is in a good spot.
More: What we learned from the first Iowa boys basketball games of 2024
2. West Des Moines Valley
Previous ranking: 1
Current record: 7-2
Valley dropped games against two other teams on this list: Ankeny Centennial and Waukee. The latter loss came down to a freak half-court shot in double overtime. But the reigning state champs boast one of the best rosters in the state, especially now that Zay Robinson has returned from a shoulder injury. Curtis Stinson has averaged 19.9 points per game, and four other players have averaged nearly 10 points or higher.
3. Waukee
Previous ranking: unranked
Current record: 8-3
The Warriors jumped onto this list after racking up wins against Ankeny, Ankeny Centennial and Valley, among others. Their losses were against Cedar Rapids Kennedy, Linn-Mar and Des Moines Roosevelt. Mason Costello has stepped up big time this season, averaging 18.1 points, six rebounds and 3.3 assists per game so far.
More: WATCH: Incredible buzzer-beater shot gives Waukee boys a victory over Valley in 2 OTs
4. Ankeny Centennial
Previous ranking: 4
Current record: 8-2
The Jaguars flew relatively under the radar to start the season, compiling a solid record against some of the top teams in the state. Luke Winkel is a major part of their success, averaging 22.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game. And Centennial’s roster makes it so that any player — from Nick Vaske to Joey Oakie — could be a major contributor.
5. Ankeny
Previous ranking: unranked
Current record: 8-2
Ankeny bounced back from a loss to Waukee in the season opener to compile a solid record. The Hawks are in a similar situation to their cross-town counterpart, and Ankeny is a team that should be taken seriously. Carson Johnson averaged 25.3 points per game, and the Aguirre brothers, Lio and Rio, have combined for over 25 points, 10 rebounds and six assists per night.
6. Clear Lake
Previous ranking: 10
Current record: 9-0
Thomas Meyer is a threat on the football field…and on the basketball court. He has averaged 13 points per game while shooting over 60% from the field and has added 7.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists each time he takes the floor. Cael Stephany and Titan Schmitt also contributed major points on the scoreboard, and this trio is a major reason why Clear Lake is out to an undefeated start.
7. North Linn
Previous ranking: 7
Current record: 11-0
The Lynx carried their runner-up finish in last season’s state tournament into this year, starting off with a perfect record through 11 games. North Linn is led by Ty Pflughaupt (21 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 3 apg, 2.7 spg) and Mason Bechen (20.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 5.6 apg, 3.8 spg).
More: The Register's Iowa girls high school basketball midseason Super 10 rankings
8. West Lyon
Previous ranking: unranked
Current record: 11-0
The Wildcats are off to a hot start this season, going unbeaten through the first few months. Carson Hoogeveen and Trevor Ciesielski averaged over 10 points and four assists per game each.
9. Iowa City West
Previous ranking: 5
Current record: 8-1
The Trojans' only loss this season came on the road against Linn-Mar. Outside of that one dropped matchup, Iowa City West picked up wins against Iowa City Liberty, Iowa City High and Dowling Catholic. Jack McCaffery, Jacob Koch, Julian Manson and Kareem Earl all have averaged over 10 points per game.
10. Dubuque Senior
Previous ranking: unranked
Current record: 8-0
Here’s the other undefeated team left in 4A. The Rams' wins include victories over Western Dubuque, Dubuque Hempstead and Iowa City High. But Dubuque Senior’s best win is its 69-66 victory over Linn-Mar in late December.
Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at ahertel@dmreg.com or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa high school boys basketball Super 10 rankings at midseason
