When Class AA boys and girls basketball coaches talk about “on any given night,” you can take their word for it this winter.
Three full weekends into the season, the top six teams have been taking turns beating up on each other, with not the slightest clear-cut favorite. Put another way: How often does a team rise to No. 1 after losing?
Four of the top six suffered defeats last week, allowing Helena (4-1) to move up and Bozeman Gallatin (4-1) to move into the rankings. Missoula Hellgate (4-2) is just on the outside peeking in.
Much the same can be said for the Class AA girls, where all of the top five have suffered at least one defeat and no squad has emerged as the betting favorite.
In the other three classes, the top spots remain unchanged and only in Class A on the boys and girls side is there movement in the No. 2 slot.
The Butte Central boys seized control for the boys after downing previously unbeaten Frenchtown, which was just coming off a triumph over previously unbeaten Hamilton. On the girls side, Dillon (8-0) takes over for Hardin in a class that features four unbeatens.
BOYS RANKINGS
Class AA
- Helena Capital (4-1)
- Billings West (3-1)
- Billings Skyview (5-1)
- Helena (4-1)
- Bozeman Gallatin (4-1)
Class A
- Lewistown (6-0)
- Butte Central (6-1)
- Billings Central (5-1)
- Frenchtown (7-1)
- Hamilton (6-1)
Class B
- Missoula Loyola (7-0)
- Huntley Project (6-1)
- Bigfork (6-2)
- Fairfield (6-1)
- Columbus (7-0)
GIRLS RANKINGS
Class AA
- Billings Skyview (5-1)
- Helena Capital (4-1)
- Bozeman Gallatin (4-1)
- Missoula Sentinel (5-1)
- Billings West (3-1)
Class A
- Billings Central (6-0)
- Dillon (8-0)
- Browning (6-0)
- Laurel (7-0)
- Hardin (5-1)
Class B
- Bigfork (8-0)
- Big Timber (7-0)
- Huntley Project (7-0)
- Malta (7-1)
- Baker (5-1)
Via 406mtsports.com