Top 25 in Kansas Rankings (Feb. 4)

Click to read the full breakdown of all of the Top 25 teams. 

#1 Blue Valley Northwest (14-0): Two more solid victories, including a quality 25-point thumping of Aquinas, last week. No one has been able to touch the Huskies this season, as they've maintained a average margin of win of 22 points with an extremely difficult schedule. There's no let up this season, as Northwest makes two difficult road trips to Gardner-Edgerton and Bishop Miege this week.

#2 Shawnee Mission East (12-1): How did the Lancers respond to their only loss of the season? Just by winning three straight, all over quality teams, including last week's thriller over Lawrence on a last-second shot by Zach Schneider. That gives East another high-quality win, its third of the season, to more than make up for the difference between the undefeated records of SM South, Highland Park and Ottawa.

#3 Shawnee Mission South (14-0): I gave a lot of thought to whether SM South or Highland Park deserved this spot, but I concluded that the Raiders had played a slightly more difficult schedule. Believe me, the margin is razor-thin between the two. Last week's 7-point win over Olathe South on the road was enough to push South ahead for this week. Another victory over Olathe East at home would count as a high-quality win and Leavenworth is no pushover, either.

#4 Topeka Highland Park (14-0): The Scots have been nothing but impressive this season, so it feels disappointing to put them fourth. There's just that many great teams in Kansas this season, though. Hi Park picked up a high-quality win on the road at Emporia last week and has taken care of business to the tune of a 24-point average margin of victory. They'll still be favored heavily for their two games this week, as the Scots get two good teams in Hayden and Seaman at home.

#5 Ottawa (14-0): Everyone knows about the talent that is Semi Ojeleye, who is the reason why the Cyclones have been so good the past four seasons. But when you reach the elite of the elite, everything is nit-picked, and Ottawa just doesn't play anything remotely close to the schedule of the four teams ranked ahead of them. There's nothing Ottawa can do about it, except keep winning, which it has. The Cyclones have one of their few challenges remaining this week with a home game against DeSoto, but they still will be favored mightily.

#6 Wichita North (12-2): With star Conner Frankamp, the Redskins are a perfect 12-0 and have blown out nearly every team they've faced. With him on the sidelines sitting out with a concussion, they lost two games by considerable margins. North still has to be penalized for its two losses, but this team is undefeated with its full squad. That almost came to an end last week, but a thrilling comeback spurred on by Frankamp allowed North to escape Wichita Heights with a 3-point win in overtime. Expect three more stiff challenges this week with Wichita East at home on Tuesday, the defending 5A champs Kapaun on Friday on the road and a trap road game at Southeast on Saturday. If North survives that 3-game stretch, it could be looking at a bump in the rankings.

#7 McPherson (13-2): There were some whispers about the Bullpups after an inconceivable 1-point loss at Circle, then a 1-win team, after such an impressive performance at their home invitational. But McPherson squashed any doubts of a hangover effect by beating a very good Andale team by 7 in overtime then another good team in Dodge City by 11 at home. The schedule eases up from here on out (though a road game at El Dorado might be tricky this week), but the body of work the Bullpups have already is really impressive.

#8 Goddard Eisenhower (13-1): The Tigers just keep rolling along, uncontested, but they'll finally get their chance to prove they are an elite team with a road trip to Andover Central on Tuesday. Win that and I think Eisenhower proves it is the second-best team in 5A and a legitimate title contender. The road trip to Newton on Friday could be sneaky, but the Tigers along with their star Trevon Evans haven't had a slip-up yet this season.

#9 Lansing (13-1): The Lions won fairly easily in both games last week and much like Eisenhower are chugging along untested for the most part this season. Unfortunately, that will likely continue this week with two over-matched teams in Bonner Springs and Bishop Ward on the slate. The Lions have had precious few opportunities to prove themselves, so when they come along in the final five games of the season they have to capitalize.

#10 Lawrence (9-5): I know there were some very good teams with excellent records that I did not put here, but I just think what Lawrence has done against one of the toughest schedules in the state is impressive and teams in a similar position to it would do just about the same. The Lions took SM East, who is my second-best team in the state, down to the very last shot and nearly won. Despite the loss, I think that proved Lawrence can play with just about anyone in the same. They should be favored in both games this week, although they're on both on the road so that makes it a little more unsure.

#11 Scott City (13-1): The only team in my Top 25 that is below Class 4A and for good reason: Scott City has played a schedule just as good as anyone ranked below them. The Beavers showed in the Dodge City tournament that they are legit, and unfortunately that may have been the last serious test of the regular season for them. After brushing off two lower-rung teams last week, Scott City gets another one at home this week in Goodland.

#12 Mill Valley (12-2): The Jaguars picked up a quality win at home over KC Piper last week and then followed it by an impressive shellacking of Tonganoxie. While Mill Valley won't get a chance at two wins like that this week with KC Turner on slate, it has set up a monster showdown with Lansing in the second-half of the season and could potentially crack the top 10 with a win there.

#13 Olathe South (10-4): South is on a little bit of a rough patch here recently, but it showed it is still a very good team in taking SM South down to the wire on the road last week in a losing effort. South will get another crack at a high elite team with a road trip to SM East, then a tricky road game at Free State on Friday. I think anything better than a split this week would be outstanding.

#14 Emporia (12-2): The Spartans got another crack at a high quality team in Highland Park last week at home but came up short. That one hurts the body of work for Emporia, but it can bounce back with two good wins this week against Topeka and then on the road at Hayden. The Spartans are one high-quality win away from moving up.

#15 Andover Central (12-3): The Jaguars survived an amazing 3-overtime game at rival Andover last week, winning by 4 and picking up another quality win in the process. If they can pull that off again this week and knock off Eisenhower, then it will be in the conversation for moving up the 5A and state rankings. The Jaguars have been very solid this season, not losing a single game to any team but high-quality.

#16 Olathe East (10-4): Yes, the Hawks have played a very difficult schedule. But looking at their body of work, who have they beaten this season to deserve a higher ranking? I think the road win at KC Washington is the best, but that doesn't compare to the wins of the teams ranked ahead of East. But don't worry, the Hawks have their chance this week with a road trip to SM South. And don't count out another road trip, this one to Olathe Northwest, later in the week. Either would be a solid win for East.

#17 Kapaun Mount Carmel (10-4): Right when you think the defending 5A champs are about to turn things around for good, they lose one like last week at Wichita East. Kapaun has lost a few questionable ones so far, but has just enough quality wins to survive compared to the top teams. The Crusaders will get their chance at a high-quality win this week when they host Wichita North on Friday. Two road games to solid teams are also packed in this week, so it's going to be a serious challenge for Kapaun.

#18 Andale (13-2): The Indians took McPherson right down to the end and then lost in overtime, but they did prove they can play with the best of 4A. They responded by getting up 26-0 on a good El Dorado team at home and whipping them for a solid win. Andale will have no such chances this week, as it will have to settle for a home game against overmatched Wellington.

#19 Derby (12-3): The Panthers just keep on winning, but still lack a single quality win on the season. In fact, Derby is the only team in the Top 25 that does not have one. Why the Panthers have survived despite that is just taking care of business against the lower-rung teams and losing to great ones. That's good enough to just get ranked, but to be taken seriously Derby needs a quality win. A road win at Salina Central might be enough to do the trick this Friday.

#20 Shawnee Mission Northwest (8-6): The record does not look good, but considering the schedule Northwest has played it sure does. It sprung on the scene last week after knocking off Olathe East on the road and then taking care of Northwest at home. They should win easy early in the week, but that road trip to SM East on Friday is looking extremely difficult. Northwest is used to it by now, though.

#21 Bishop Miege (8-6): As you might imagine, I had a difficult time distinguishing between the three teams bunched together at 20-21-22. But Miege did just beat BV North last week, so that gives it the edge. Miege has played a very difficult schedule, which gets no easier this week with two stiff challenges in a road trip to Aquinas and then against the best team in the state BV Northwest on Friday. Coming away with just one win this week would be solid.

#22 Blue Valley North (7-7): Almost identical to the two teams above, SM Northwest and Miege. The Mustangs do not have a good record, but they have played such a difficult schedule those seven wins are very good. In fact,  BV North has yet to play a bad team this season by my ratings. The loss at Miege last week hurts, but North responded with a nice road win at Blue Valley have a chance for two more quality wins this week against BV West on the road at Gardner-Edgerton at home.

#23 Blue Valley Southwest (10-5): The T-Wolves went through some struggles in the middle of the season, but they started off the second half right with two great wins on the road over Aquinas and Gardner last week. Two more winnable, but very difficult games, are on tap this week against Blue Valley and BV West, both at home. Southwest has a chance to build some serious momentum.

#24 Andover (10-4): The Trojans have to be feeling a little disappointed in not finishing off their cross-town rivals, Andover Central, last week. They had that game won, but let Central slip back in and eventually lost in triple overtime. That's rough, but I don't think they should be penalized too much for it. Still, Andover is lacking a high-quality win on the season and that won't come this week against two of the lower teams in 5A.

#25 Kansas City Piper (11-4): The Pirates cling to this spot, despite losing both of their games last week. But when you look at who to, Mill Valley and Basehor, both on the road, it's not that bad. Piper still has a high-quality win over Lansing to hold on to and that makes it the best candidate for this spot. Expect two more wins this week as the Pirates rebound with KC Turner and Tonganoxie.