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The News-Gazette's boys' basketball Top 10: Unity stays at No. 1

matt daniels, the news-gazette, champaign-urbana, ill.
·6 min read

Jan. 26—Three weeks remain in the regular season for boys' basketball teams. Meaning conference title races, top postseason seeds and 20-win milestones are in reach for a handful of area teams. Sports Editor Matt Daniels returns with a look at our weekly Top 10 poll:

1. Unity

Record: 18-1

Previous ranking: No. 1

What's working: OK, so the Rockets won't get the chance to become the first undefeated team in the state since Seneca last accomplished the feat during the 2005-06 season. Unity sustained its first loss of the season last Saturday at Mt. Zion, the fifth-ranked team in Class 3A. Unity didn't fall down the 2A state rankings much, slipping a spot to No. 3. Dalton O'Neill and his teammates have an intriguing home game against Prairie Central on Friday night at the Rocket Center in Tolono before two tough road games next Tuesday (at Pontiac) and next Wednesday (at Bloomington Central Catholic).

2. Clinton

Record: 20-2

Previous ranking: No. 3

What's working: The Maroons are the top seed and the host school for the upcoming six-team Central Illinois Conference Tournament that tips off Monday night, with Clinton playing coach Vic Binkley's old team, Warrensburg-Latham, at 6 p.m. in the first pool-play game. Brooks Cluver and Co. will want to erase what happened on Wednesday night when the Maroons meet the Cardinals next week. Tri-Valley stopped Clinton's six-game win streak with a 73-58 nonconference win on the Maroons' home court. Don't be shocked, though, if Clinton meets Tuscola for the third time to determine the CIC Tournament champion next Friday night.

3. Tuscola

Record: 18-3

Previous ranking: No. 2

What's working: The Warriors are essentially a lock to reach 20 wins for the third straight season and fifth time in coach Justin Bozarth's seven seasons. Sawyer Woodard and his teammates responded after losing at Clinton last Friday night with a 32-point win against Arthur Christian on Tuesday night. That renewed confidence should serve Tuscola well before it play at Bloomington Central Catholic on Saturday in a challenging nonconference game. The Warriors are the No. 3 seed in next week's Central Illinois Conference Tournament and open against Central A&M next Tuesday night in Clinton.

4. St. Joseph-Ogden

Record: 17-5

Previous ranking: No. 4

What's working: Call it the Tanner effect. Tanner Jacob and Tanner Siems are usually the Spartans' top two scoring options in any given game. So much that Jacob, a senior guard, and Siems, a junior forward, each dropped 15 points during SJ-O's commanding 64-30 home win against St. Thomas More on Tuesday night. A week after losing 81-75 at St. Anthony, the top-ranked team in Class 1A, another tough weekend awaits the Spartans. SJ-O travels to Monticello on Friday night for a matchup between two teams with a combined 7-0 record in the Illini Prairie Conference. Then, the Spartans play Saturday afternoon at Morton, the eight-ranked team in 3A.

5. BHRA

Record: 21-3

Previous ranking: No. 5

What's working: Everything. The Vermilion Valley Conference title is the Blue Devils' to lose this season. Again. After securing the program's fifth straight Vermilion County Tournament title with a 62-50 win against Oakwood last Saturday night on the Danville Area Community College campus, Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin made it 11 wins in a row following Tuesday night's double-digit victory road victory against a solid Watseka team. Keison Peoples is thriving for coach Gary Tidwell's team, which sits at 6-0 in VVC games heading into Friday night's home game with Hoopeston Area.

6. Arcola

Record: 17-5

Previous ranking: No. 8

What's working: The Purple Riders will try to make good on the No. 1 seed they earned for the Lincoln Prairie Conference Tournament and come home with a title on Friday night when they play Okaw Valley in the championship game set for an 8 p.m. tip at Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond High School. Braden Phillips and Co. are on a roll in the last month, carrying a 10-game win streak into Friday night. Arcola is also firmlly in control when it comes to the Lincoln Prairie regular-season championship chase, too, with a 6-0 record in league games before it resumes conference play next Tuesday night at home against Heritage.

7. Centennial

Record: 14-8

Previous ranking: No. 6

What's working: The Chargers snapped a two-game losing streak with a 49-44 home nonconference win against Charleston on Tuesday night, part of a recent four-game homestand where Centennial went 2-2 at Coleman Carrodine Gymnasium. The two losses happened on back-to-back nights last weekend, falling 61-56 to Decatur MacArthur last Friday night and 50-47 to Decatur Eisenhower last Saturday night. O'Neil Johnson and his teammates will try to carry the good vibes from its win against Charleston into a tough road matchup on Friday night against Peoria Richwoods.

8. Oakwood

Record: 18-6

Previous ranking: No. 10

What's working: When the Comets don't play Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin or a team from the Illini Prairie Conference, good things usually transpire. Like wins. Oakwood bounced back from its loss to BHRA in the championship game of the Vermilion County Tournament last Saturday night with a stout defensive effort during a 58-20 home win against Georgetown-Ridge Farm on Tuesday night. A 20-win season for the third straight campaign under coach Jeff Mandrell appears likely. Alec Harrison and the rest of his teammates can get there by next week's rankings if they win at Cissna Park on Friday night and win at Westville next Tuesday night.

9. Westville

Record: 16-5

Previous ranking: No. 7

What's working: The Tigers have had some notable moments in January. Such as stringing three straight wins together, Drew Wichtowski reaching 1,000 points and cruising past Hoopeston Area in the third-place game of the Vermilion County Tournament. But the Tigers have picked up more than half their losses this month, including a 40-33 setback at Salt Fork on Tuesday night. Cade Schaumburg and pals will look to reset with three consecutive home games, starting Friday night against Watseka, continuing Saturday against La Salette and concluding next Tuesday against Oakwood.

10. St. Thomas More

Record: 15-6

Previous ranking: No. 9

What's working: The Sabers are still vying for their first Illini Prairie Conference win of the season after starting 0-2 in league play, but they followed up Tuesday night's 64-30 loss at St. Joseph-Ogden with a resounding 61-16 home nonconference win on Wednesday night against DeLand-Weldon. Cole Kemper and Co. will have three opportunities to pick up some Illini Prairie wins in the next week, however, beginning on Friday night with a home game against a tough Bloomington Central Catholic program. Two road trips ensue next week, with STM playing at Chillicothe IVC on Wednesday night and at Rantoul next Friday night.