First set of District 11 basketball rankings are out

FROM KEITH GROLLER

Some people get all excited when the District 11 rankings first come out.

I am not necessarily one of them.

There's still five weeks left in the regular season and then everything can change during tournament week -- Feb. 13-19 this year -- when champs automatically are bumped to the top and everybody beneath those champs are readjusted.

But looking at the rankings at least gives you a feel for who's doing what across the district and what teams may be lying down the road for you come late Feb. and early March. I didn't know, for instance, that Pottsville, the defending champion in 3A, had moved to up 4A this season. That makes that 4A field even more interesting than I thought it was because the Crimson Tide is good.

Remember that it's based on a point system that awards five points for each win over a 4A team, four points for each win over a 3A team, three points for each win over a 2A team and two points for each win over a 1A team.

You get no points for a loss.

You take the total points earned and divide by games played for your rating.

Only teams that go either .500 in the league or overall will qualify for districts.

Here are the first boys basketball rankings through Tuesday night's games:

CLASS 4A

1. Nazareth -- 8-0 overall, 3-0 league -- 37 points -- 4.63 rating

2. Bangor -- 8-0 overal, 5-0 league -- 34 points -- 4.25 rating

3. Liberty -- 7-1 overall, 3-0 league -- 33 points -- 4.13 rating

4. Allen -- 6-1 overall, 3-0 league --- 28 points -- 4.00 rating

5. PM West -- 7-2 overall, 3-0 league -- 35 points -- 3.89 rating

T6. Easton -- 7-1 overall, 2-1 league -- 29 points -- 3.63 rating

T6. Emmaus -- 6-2 overall, 1-2 league -- 29 points -- 3.63 rating

8. Pleas. Valley -- 6-3 overall, 2-0 league, 30 points -- 3.33 rating

9. Pottsville -- 8-1 overall, 3-0 league, 27 points --- 3.00 rating

10. PM East -- 6-3 overall, 2-0 league, 23 points, -- 2.56 rating

11. ES North -- 4-4 overall, 1-2 league, 17 points -- 2.13 rating

12. Dieruff -- 4-6 overall, 1-2 league, 18 points -- 1.80 rating

CLASS 3A

1. Northern Lehigh -- 6-1 overall, 4-1 league, 23 points -- 3.29 rating

2. CCHS -- 6-2 overall, 2-1 league, 24 points -- 3.00 rating

3. Wilson -- 6-3 overall, 4-1 league, 23 points -- 2.56 rating

4. N. Schuylkill -- 5-2 overall, 2-0 league, 17 points -- 2.43 rating

5. Blue Mt. -- 5-3 overall, 2-1 league, 19 points -- 2.38 rating

6. Palmerton -- 4-3 overall, 3-2 league, 15 points -- 2.14 rating

7. Saucon Valley -- 5-3 overall, 4-1 league, 16 points -- 2.00 rating

8. Jim Thorpe -- 4-5 overall, 1-2 league, 14 points -- 1.56 rating

9. Becahi -- 3-5 overall, 0-3 league, 12 points -- 1.50 rating

CLASS 2A

1. Pine Grove -- 7-1 overall, 1-1 league, 23 points -- 2.88 rating

2. Salisbury -- 4-3 overall, 2-2 league, 16 points -- 2.29 rating

3. Notre Dame-GP -- 6-3, overall, 3-2 league, 20 points -- 2.22 rating

4. Minersville -- 6-3 overall, 2-1 league, 19 points -- 2.11 rating

5. Shen. Valley -- 6-3 overall, 1-2 league, 18 points -- 2.00 rating

6, Williams Valley -- 3-5 overall, 0-3 league, 8 points -- 1.00 rating.

CLASS 1A

1. Tri-Valley -- 6-0 overall, 4-0 league, 17 points -- 2.83 rating

2. Marian -- 7-1 overall, 3-0 league, 18 points -- 2.26 rating

3. Mahanoy Area -- 6-2 overall, 3-1 league, 17 points -- 2.13 rating

4. Moravian Acd. -- 5-2 overall, 13 points -- 1.86 rating.

5. Pius X -- 4-3 overall, 13 points -- 1.86 rating.

6. Salem Christian -- 4-4, 8 points -- , 1.00 rating.

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