Where do they fall? My Top 5 hoops teams and players (Jan. 19)

I usually have a plan for entries like this.

Most of the time there's a clear-cut favorite. One team that you can hitch your wagon to and just know they're going to run through the SEMO basketball gauntlet. Then, you have seasons where you're not so sure. A year where you feel any team could beat the other.

This year has already become "one of those years."

Nearly every big game is a tossup when trying to decide a winner each night. I know the word "parity" has been thrown around a lot but there's truly no other way to describe the state of southeast Missouri's high school basketball scene of late.

There's obviously some teams that have stepped ahead of others, but their competitors aren't far behind. This is my attempt (based mostly on gut feelings) to make some sense of where teams are. I throw in my Top 5 players as well because, c'mon, who doesn't like to debate those when it comes to basketball?

1. NMCC (15-2)
If there is such a thing as a favorite around these parts, it's New Madrid County Central. The Eagles, ranked fifth in Class 3 in the latest MOBCA state poll, have ripped through most of its schedule with slip ups only to Morgan Park out of Chicago and Notre Dame. The 65-48 loss to Notre Dame is where the whole parity and unsureness thing comes in. Had they beaten Notre Dame -- a game at NMCC and a team they had beaten already during the SEMO Conference Tournament, by the way -- there would have been no doubts at all about NMCC being the top team in SEMO. Nonetheless, NMCC's impressive run through the SEMO Conference tournament and playing Morgan Park (probably the best team I've seen this season) close in Carbondale has me thinking NMCC may be in for a deep playoff run and a regular season SEMO Conference crown. And how about that win at Charleston? Beating a Charleston team that has certainly had its number in the regular and post season in the past has got to give the NMCC faithful a little hope. But, be warned. Charleston is a different animal when the playoffs come. That Class 3 Sectional, which I'm predicting will be between NMCC and Charleston, should be a doozie.

2. Notre Dame (12-3)
Notre Dame has won nine games in a row and is the only SEMO team to knock off NMCC. They won the 1st Annual Houlihan's Irish Invitational after three wins in Springfield and bounced top-seed Jackson during the championship game of the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament. So why aren't they No. 1? They have a glaring 62-32 loss to Sikeston for one, and have fallen to Cape Central as well as the aforementioned defeat to NMCC. Excluding the Sikeston game, those aren't bad losses. At all. I believe Notre Dame is the favorite to win Class 4, District 1 right now. But, as I am well aware of, that district can flip at any moment. The Bulldogs's schedule gets a little lighter for the remainder of the month until they meet with Jackson on Jan. 30 then Cape Central the following Tuesday which should give us a more accurate picture of where they all stand.

3. Jackson (11-4)
Coming into the season the Indians were my No. 1 team despite losing three starters (Karson King, Brandon Lueders and Josh Daume). It may have been too much to ask of Jackson but they've proven to be a team that can fill voids like that most years. Blake Reynolds and Braden Wendel have led that charge with not many complications. I'm usually critical of a 6-7 guy playing anywhere but inside the paint around this area, but Reynolds is one of the not-so many exceptions. Especially after knocking down seven 3-pointers against Sikeston on Friday night. Shoot away big man. I'm sure Yale will appreciate your range as well. Jackson's four losses have come to state-ranked NMCC, Kirkwood, Notre Dame and state-ranked Nixa, in that order.

4. Poplar Bluff (12-2)
I see Poplar Bluff at the most twice towards the he beginning of the season during the SEMO Conference Tournament and then it's like they disappear from sight. So I rank them at No. 4 based on my impressions from the conference championship game against NMCC and scores. That's it. They haven't played Notre Dame or Jackson yet and they have already beaten my No. 5 team. Poplar Bluff's game with Jackson on Tuesday should tell a lot about my assumptions of both teams though. The next Top 5 might look a lot different the next time. The Mules have one of the most underrated players in senior Chris Stocks who leads the team with 21 points a night. After that, the Mules rely on tons of role guys who do their fair share. Joseph Eyler is one of those dudes averaging almost 10 points and six rebounds. The Mules have losses to NMCC and Westside from Jonesboro, Ark. in its first game of the year. They played NMCC to one of its closest games 73-66 of the season and since that loss, the Mules have ran off seven-straight wins including a win over Borgia, which is never an easy feat.

5. Cape Central (13-4)
The enigma of southeast Missouri basketball ladies and gentleman. Cape Central is one of the hardest teams to gauge. One minute they look like they're headed to a state championship run, the next, well, it's not as glamorous. I almost put them at No. 4 simply because of the win over Carbondale (also one of the better teams I have seen this season) on Saturday. The Tigers are capable of winning a lot of tough games because of what they have, but showing that ability is too inconsistent for me. I mean, lets face it, there's not too many teams that have both an Al Young and Andre Statam. Mix that with an underrated Peyton Montgomery and Kway'chon Chism and you have a recipe for a very dangerous team (on some nights...)

First five teams out:
Scott County Central
Charleston
Sikeston
Bernie
Senath-Hornersville

Top 5 players:
1. Blake Reynolds, Jackson
2. Delfincko Bogan, Charleston
3. Willie Jimerson, NMCC (Take your pick with any of the top three)
4. Andre Statam, Cape Central
5. Quinn Poythress, Notre Dame

On the bubble (in no particular order):
Chris Stocks, Poplar Bluff
Fred Thatch, Sikeston
Al Young, Cape Central
Javarcus Word, NMCC
Braden Wendel, Jackson
Jeffery Porter, SCC
Javonta Daniel, SCC
Victor Dukes, Senath-Hornersville (The kid scored 82 points in his first two games. Definitely in the conversation)
Cortez Dobbins, Malden

Do you agree? What are your top five teams and players?