Missouri Boys All Class Basketball rankings - week three 12/15/2019

It's been an interesting week of basketball in Missouri and I think I learned (or relearned) a few things along the way.

Defense wins basketball games.

Take the McCluer-Webster Groves game last night.  McCluer was down by 16 at the start of the 4th quarter but came back to win 49-48.  I don't have the particulars but typically a desperate team will put on a withering full court press and turn the tables on the team with the comfortable lead.  Once the momentum starts to swing, it is real hard to get it back and regroup.  Webster Groves had a chance to win with a one and one and missed.  McCluer came back to win it on their own free throws.

I watched the Eureka Wildcats play two superior offensive teams in Hillsboro at the 64th Gene Steighorst tournament Friday and Saturday.  Eureka beat Park Hills Central in overtime, 68-66, in the semi-final by throttling the high powered Rebels and, in particular, Breven McMullen for the first half with a stifling defense.  McMullen, with two points at half, found a way to drive a double screen for baskets at the rim and brought the Rebels back to tie.  Defense played a big role in the overtime too.

In the championship game with host Hillsboro, Eureka was down on torrid three point shooting by the Hawks early, but found a way to pressure the Hawks out beyond the three point arc and keep them to 1-10 shooting in the second half after a 5-11 first half.  The Hawks shot 58% from two in the first half and 25% in the second.  Defense is a mindset that good teams carry into every contest.  D wins games.

Here's my top 150 for all Missouri classes.  I will post the entire state teams by class in the next blog post.  I might get to a few other thoughts over there.

Missouri All Classes - 12/15/2019
Rank	Team name	Class	District	Rating
1	Francis Howell	5	8	139
2	Mehlville	5	2	137
3	Vashon	4	6	137
4	De Smet	5	6	132
5	Charleston MO	3	1	130
6	CBC	5	6	129
7	Chaminade	5	4	129
8	Cardinal Ritter	3	6	129
9	Rock Bridge	5	9	128
10	Trinity	3	7	128
11	McCluer	4	7	128
12	Webster Groves	5	4	127
13	Liberty KC	5	15	127
14	Father Tolton Catholic	3	9	126
15	Park Hill South	5	16	125
16	Sikeston	4	1	124
17	Rockhurst	5	14	123
18	Hazelwood Central	5	5	122
19	Joplin	5	12	122
20	Helias	4	10	122
21	Blue Springs	5	14	122
22	Hazelwood East	4	6	121
23	Liberty North	5	15	120
24	Raymore Peculiar	5	13	120
25	Blue Springs South	5	14	120
26	Fort Zumwalt South	5	7	120
27	Ladue	4	5	119
28	Kickapoo	5	11	119
29	Cape Girardeau Central	4	1	119
30	MICDS	4	5	119
31	Blair Oaks	3	9	119
32	Raytown South	4	14	118
33	Staley	5	16	118
34	Confluence	4	6	118
35	Eureka	5	3	118
36	Parkview	5	11	118
37	Oak Park	5	16	118
38	Hillsboro MO	4	2	118
39	Nixa	5	11	118
40	Westminster Christian Academy	4	4	118
41	Dora	1	4	117
42	Ozark	5	10	117
43	Parkway South	5	3	117
44	Kirkwood	5	4	117
45	Lakeland	2	13	117
46	Christian (O'Fallon)	3	8	116
47	Liberty Mountain View MO	3	4	116
48	North Kansas City	5	15	116
49	Lincoln College Prep	4	15	116
50	William Chrisman	5	15	116
51	Springfield Catholic	3	11	115
52	Glendale	5	10	115
53	McCluer North	5	5	115
54	Truman	5	14	115
55	St. Francis Borgia	4	4	114
56	Parkway Central	5	6	114
57	St. Dominic	4	7	114
58	Vianney	5	2	114
59	Kearney	4	16	114
60	Cape Girardeau Notre Dame	4	1	114
61	University City	4	5	114
62	Delta	1	2	114
63	Nevada	4	13	113
64	Pattonville	5	6	113
65	Soldan	3	7	113
66	Hogan Prep Charter	3	15	113
67	Holt	5	8	113
68	Fort Zumwalt North	5	7	113
69	Lafayette	5	3	112
70	SLUH	5	4	112
71	Webb City	4	12	112
72	Washington	4	4	112
73	St. Pius X Festus	3	3	112
74	Grain Valley	4	14	112
75	Republic	5	12	112
76	Lutheran North	3	7	112
77	St. Joseph Lafayette	4	16	112
78	Hazelwood West	5	5	111
79	Jennings	4	6	111
80	New Madrid County Central	3	1	111
81	St. Mary's	4	3	111
82	Park Hill	5	16	111
83	Whitfield	3	5	111
84	Marquette	5	3	111
85	Windsor Imperial	4	3	111
86	Grandview (Kansas City MO)	4	13	111
87	Francis Howell Central	5	7	111
88	Lutheran South	3	5	111
89	Greenwood (Springfield)	2	11	110
90	Park Hills Central	4	2	110
91	Lift for Life	3	6	110
92	Hancock	3	5	110
93	Troy Buchanon	5	8	110
94	KC Central Academy (Central Academy of Excellence High School KC)	3	16	110
95	St. Charles	4	7	110
96	Rockwood Summit	4	4	109
97	South Iron	1	3	109
98	Jefferson City	5	9	109
99	Hartville	2	10	109
100	Lee's Summit	5	13	109
101	Platte County	4	16	109
102	John Burroughs	4	5	109
103	Centralia MO	3	13	108
104	Southern Boone	3	9	108
105	KC Center	4	14	108
106	Ruskin	4	13	108
107	Raytown	5	14	108
108	Smith-Cotton	5	9	107
109	Battle (Columbia)	5	9	107
110	Clayton	4	5	107
111	Mexico	4	8	107
112	St. Charles West	4	7	107
113	Lesterville	1	3	107
114	Sullivan MO	4	9	107
115	Normandy Collaborative	4	5	107
116	Bolivar	4	11	106
117	St. James	3	4	106
118	Jackson	5	1	106
119	Miller Career Academy	3	6	106
120	Christian High School Springfield	3	8	106
121	Poplar Bluff	5	1	106
122	Ewing Marion Kauffman Charter High School	3	15	106
123	Lee's Summit North	5	13	105
124	Fort Zumwalt West	5	7	105
125	Timberland	5	8	104
126	Oakville	5	2	104
127	Skyline	2	13	104
128	DuBourg	3	5	104
129	Monroe City	3	13	104
130	Lee's Summit West	5	13	104
131	Priory	4	4	103
132	Lindbergh	5	2	103
133	Parkway West	5	3	103
134	Fort Osage	5	15	103
135	Willard	5	12	102
136	Steelville	3	3	102
137	Carl Junction	4	12	102
138	Pembroke Hill	4	14	102
139	Parkway North	4	7	102
140	Palmyra	3	13	102
141	Van Horn	4	15	101
142	St. Joseph Central	5	16	101
143	Pacific	4	4	101
144	Versailles	3	9	101
145	New Franklin	2	7	101
146	St. Elizabeth	1	9	101
147	Milan	2	6	100
148	Dexter	4	1	100
149	Oak Grove	4	14	100
150	Farmington	4	2	100