(McKinley was this close with Canisius for 32 minutes at the MLK Classic)

 

As a pollster for the Buffalo News, I'm asked to send in my weekly ballots ranking the top ten large and small schools.  The polls are based on games played through Saturday of each week.  Here's a look at how I see them and some of the rationale used to get there.

 

Large Schools

 1. Canisius (MMA) - After last week's 'Game of the Week' was postponed (Park @ Canisius), the Crusaders found themselves in what ended up being the Game of the Year to this point – a classic against McKinley.  Once again, Canisius made plays and stepped up in crunch time to solidify its place at the top of all the WNY teams.

2. McKinley (A1) - It's not often that a team moves up on my ballot following a loss, but it's also not often that anyone stands toe-to-toe with the Crusaders for 32 minutes the way the Macks did on Saturday.  Tough for anyone in attendance to argue after what we saw, that these two should be as close in the poll as they were on the court.  Besides, we're not talking about some "Johnny Come Lately", the Macks are legit and have been for years.

3. Jamestown (AA) -  The Red Raiders slide behind McKinley for now, based on the results from their only common opponent, Canisius.  Both teams have one other loss, Rush-Henrietta for Jamestown and Nichols for McKinley, so the two are really that close.  Here's my pitch – start playing each other.  Every year, the three teams in the top three spots on this ballot are elite WNY program.  Canisius & Jamestown finally got together this year – do it again.  Canisius & McKinley play every year – as they should.  Jamestown & McKinley never play – let's fix that.

4. Williamsvillle South (A1) - The Billies are rolling along with their only loss to Class AA Aquinas, ranked #14 in the state, and what looked to be a competitive league in ECIC II has yet to even offer South a challenge.  This is a very good team to only be at #4.  Tuesday night they visit Starpoint, who is also unbeaten in ECIC II.

5. Amherst (A2) - The Tigers are ready to be challenged again, which they really haven't been since losing to Aquinas, a team they competed with very similar to the way South did.  Friday night will bring that much needed challenge, as Cheektowaga grabs a vine and swings into the Jungle for the 'Game of the Week'.

6. Williamsville North (AA) - In what looked like a week where they might falter on the road against either Frontier or Lancaster, the Spartans kept right on performing and winning the games they were supposed to.  A look ahead at their schedule suggests the wins will keep on piling up.  At some point, I hope someone let's me in on when the Jamestown game at North has been rescheduled to.  Oh the suspense.

7. Nichols (MMA) - Rebounded nicely from the Canisius incident, and earned a solid road win at St. Joe's on Friday.  The next test comes on Tuesday when Timon visits and then the Vikings are at Niagara Catholic on Friday, a team that just beat the same Walsh squad that knocked off Nichols earlier in the year.

8. Niagara Falls (AA) – The Wolverines slip back a spot this week, not because they lost to anyone, but more a product of the teams they've faced recently.  We haven't had much to go on when gauging Falls in a while now.  The 21-point home win over Lew-Port would have looked better a few weeks ago, before the Lancers were tripped up at Niagara Wheatfield, a team Falls faces this week.  By the end of the season, Niagara Falls will have had its shot to move to the top of this ballot.

9. Olean (A2) -  The Huskies drove all the way out to Rochester's East High to play Park on Saturday did more than hang around for three quarters against WNY's top raked large school – a title Olean held down for the last two years before getting bumped back up to Class A2.

 10. St. Joe's (MMA) -  Last week, Starpoint occupied this spot.  On Wednesday night, the Marauders went into their house and came away with a 12-point win.  That came on the heels of strong showings against Henninger and Canisius.  I can't say that any other team vying for this spot would have led Canisius after three quarters, but I'm fairly confident that the Marauders could own the same wins as teams looking for this last spot if they toned down their always difficult schedule.

 

Small Schools

1. Park (MMA) - The Pioneers finished off Olean after finding themselves in a bigger battle than they'd likely bargained for.  Park's game against Tapestry, which was scheduled for tomorrow, has been cancelled and won't be rescheduled.  Did Park fear the Thunderhawks?  Probably not, but now they are off until Friday, when St. Mary's pays a visit to Harlem Rd.  

2. Fredonia (B2) -  Another team that is tough to gauge right now because of the lack of competition they are seeing in league play outside of Olean.  But we do know they played the Huskies to a four-point game and the back end of the Hillbillies schedule has four big tests. 

3. St. Mary's (MMA) -  The Lancers are back in the win column, to the tune of four straight wins, including three last week: St. Francis, Cleveland Hill, & Cardinal O'Hara.  The no nights off MMA league brings them Niagara Catholic on Tuesday and then their stiffest test of the season to date, at Park on Friday.

4. Middle College (C2) - After a much closer than expected result with Burgard (a six-point win), the Kats took St. Francis apart on Friday in the MLK Classic.  The Kats are at Bennett on Tuesday, before the big rematch at East – always a heated city rivalry game.  

5. East (B2) -  Panther's head coach Starling Bryant wins his 300th career game, as his squad earns the victory over Franklin in Rochester on MLK Day.  Burgard visits Tuesday, before the big rematch with Middle College on Thursday, who downed East at the buzzer during their first meeting.

6. Sherman (D) – Too high for the Wildcats?  They didn't even make it into the Buffalo News poll last week and I don't know why.  After watching them beat Olmsted on Saturday, they belong in the same company as any team I'm ranking below them.  This is a team chasing a third straight Section VI crown that gets dismissed because they are classified in D.

7. Randolph (C2) - If the Cardinals don't make it into the poll this week, I'm launching an investigation.  With football season now firmly behind them and hoops season well underway, let's look at Randolph's last five wins:  Panama (lost to Sherman by 4), Maple Grove, Allegany-Limestone, Tapestry, & Salamanca.

 8. Salamanca (C1) - Rebounded from a tough loss at Randolph to earn a huge victory over visiting Silver Creek, and didn't need any late game drama to pull it out.  The Warriors took the lead in the second half and didn't look back.

9. Silver Creek (C1) – The loaded CCAA I East finally put a blemish on the Black Knight's league record when they fell at Salamanca, causing the slide on this ballot.  That came on the heels of a convincing win over Portville, who had knocked off Walsh two weeks earlier.  A chance to rebound comes tomorrow night when Silver Creek travels to Randolph, but they'll likely be without their go-to scorer, Trevon Thompson, out due to injury.

10. Tapestry (C1) -  The Thunderhawks get the nod for this final spot, despite falling on the road at Randolph last week.  Tapestry's only other loss was to Nichols, and the other teams vying for this spot (O'Hara, Niagara Catholic, & Walsh) need sort out a pecking order rather than keep beating each other up.

 

-centercourt