Arkansas Sports Media Poll

[birddawg1986]

Boys:

1. Baptist Prep
2. Booneville
3. Ashdown
4. Valley Springs
5.  Harding Academy, Manila, Tuckerman

Girls:

1. Charleston
2. Mountain View
3. Hoxie
4. Valley Springs
5. Riverview

[Hitman Warrior23]

Sorta surprised on the girls that Valley is still getting so much respect.

[CoolBreeze]

Sorta surprised on the girls that Valley is still getting so much respect.

I'm wondering if some of these polls don't focus on the overall record without looking behind that record to who they defeated and who they lost to. For example, there's a lot of difference between Manila's loss to Tuckerman and Valley's loss to Jasper, a 1A school.

[NEABBALLFAN03]

MaxPrep's updated Rankings 2/5

Boys:

Baptist Prep
Ashdown
Manila
Booneville
Valley Springs

Girls:

Mountain View
Charleston
Valley Springs
Hoxie
Two Rivers

[RamblinRazorWreck]

MaxPrep's updated Rankings 2/5

Boys:

Baptist Prep
Ashdown
Manila
Booneville
Valley Springs

Very tight point spread for #2-6 (a little over one point) and only 0.6 points separating 2 from 5.

Tuckerman at #6

[FoxandHound34]

Seen Tuckerman lost to Izard County tonight 73-37, what happened tonight??

[smallybells]

Shots fired..lol

[RedWolf275]

Sounds like Tuckerman is playing bad at the wrong time.

[RedWolf275]

Mountain View girls got thrashed by 2A Melbourne last night by 21. This score came from 2A board.

[FoxandHound34]

Ouch sounds like some top 3A teams had trouble last night

[AT]

A little surprised Charleston boys are not getting a little more recognition. The loss at Lincoln is not a good look, but they were undefeated at home up to that point.

[dentist15]

A little surprised Charleston boys are not getting a little more recognition. The loss at Lincoln is not a good look, but they were undefeated at home up to that point.

The Lincoln loss, plus the losses the Pea Ridge and Ozark (both 4A schools, but neither are anywhere near good as they've been in recent years). Plus some very underwhelming wins over mediocre to above average 3A schools (Cedarville, Elkins, West Fork). Before you say Elkins is really good, they lost to Lavaca, and not doing something as good as Lavaca is not a good look for Charleston either (only a single thing, but we all know Charleston likes to be better than Lavaca).

That said, they've still won most of their games, so they are a solid team. Just not looking like a Top 5 team at this point.

[AT]

The Lincoln loss, plus the losses the Pea Ridge and Ozark (both 4A schools, but neither are anywhere near good as they've been in recent years). Plus some very underwhelming wins over mediocre to above average 3A schools (Cedarville, Elkins, West Fork). Before you say Elkins is really good, they lost to Lavaca, and not doing something as good as Lavaca is not a good look for Charleston either (only a single thing, but we all know Charleston likes to be better than Lavaca).

That said, they've still won most of their games, so they are a solid team. Just not looking like a Top 5 team at this point.

Good analysis +1. Probably not top 5, but maybe a tough out.

[bobcats]

The Lincoln loss, plus the losses the Pea Ridge and Ozark (both 4A schools, but neither are anywhere near good as they've been in recent years). Plus some very underwhelming wins over mediocre to above average 3A schools (Cedarville, Elkins, West Fork). Before you say Elkins is really good, they lost to Lavaca, and not doing something as good as Lavaca is not a good look for Charleston either (only a single thing, but we all know Charleston likes to be better than Lavaca).

That said, they've still won most of their games, so they are a solid team. Just not looking like a Top 5 team at this point.

Elkins is better than Lavaca.  That game was a Christmas tournament which are useless information as far as evaluating teams.  Most kids dont want to be there. 

[dentist15]

Elkins is better than Lavaca.  That game was a Christmas tournament which are useless information as far as evaluating teams.  Most kids dont want to be there.

Fair point, in that Christmas tourneys don't count toward conference standings, and are just a way to get some competition against different schools.

But it sounds as though you're saying the Elks just quit in that game because they didn't care. And that would be an even bigger indictment of the Elks than simply losing to a smaller and/or inferior school who just had a better night than the Elks. Theres no shame in losing to a team that has a better night or the Elks just had an off night, but it's a bad sign if they just quit. All teams, even good teams have off nights or struggle to gel during the season. But giving up during a game because of not caring would be a terrible excuse. That kind of stuff can come back to haunt a team in the postseason. I find it hard to believe that Elks didn't want to win every single time they step on the floor, regardless of what's at stake.

That said, they still are a talented team from what I've seen. Hopefully I'm wrong and they go deep in the postseason.




And Alma, agreed, the Tigers will still be a very tough out.

[bobcats]

Fair point, in that Christmas tourneys don't count toward conference standings, and are just a way to get some competition against different schools.

But it sounds as though you're saying the Elks just quit in that game because they didn't care. And that would be an even bigger indictment of the Elks than simply losing to a smaller and/or inferior school who just had a better night than the Elks. Theres no shame in losing to a team that has a better night or the Elks just had an off night, but it's a bad sign if they just quit. All teams, even good teams have off nights or struggle to gel during the season. But giving up during a game because of not caring would be a terrible excuse. That kind of stuff can come back to haunt a team in the postseason. I find it hard to believe that Elks didn't want to win every single time they step on the floor, regardless of what's at stake.

That said, they still are a talented team from what I've seen. Hopefully I'm wrong and they go deep in the postseason.




And Alma, agreed, the Tigers will still be a very tough out.

It is obvious you have never coached teenage boys, they are not robots and don't show up to play at their peak every day.  Lavaca would be a rivalry game for Charleston, so yes it means more for them than it would for Elkins.

BTW, Elkins beat Charleston last night to win the conference outright.

[dentist15]

It is obvious you have never coached teenage boys, they are not robots and don't show up to play at their peak every day.  Lavaca would be a rivalry game for Charleston, so yes it means more for them than it would for Elkins.

BTW, Elkins beat Charleston last night to win the conference outright.

No, I just grew up around basketball, as my dad coached at Lavaca and Cedarville for 20+ years. Spent 4 nights a week every basketball season since I was 5, in some gym around the river valley and NWA, keeping stats or playing on the floor when I was old enough, and breaking down game film on off nights, and assisting practices on just about every afternoon. I wouldn't know anything about coaching or dealing with teenage players, as I was one myself and helped out with numerous camps and summer teams. But alas, you are correct, I'm not a coach, and never wanted to be.

I never said that teenagers are robots, should be able to play at 100% every night regardless, and aren't subject to attitude swings. I said that is hard to believe any group of basketball players would not care to win every time they step on the floor, and would just give up or quit playing hard in a game just because they didn't feel like being there.

I saw that, CONGRATS to the Elks. I will gladly eat my words, and say the Elks are much better than I gave them credit for. As I said in my previous post, I hope the Elks go deep in the postseason.