Here it is, folks, the first major shakeup at the top of the boys basketball power poll since I started doing these things at the beginning of the season. We're still only halfway through the UCBAC divisional schedules, so there's plenty of games left to be played. Here's how is shakes out, taking into account all games played through Wednesday night:
1. Edgewood: Talking to Rams' head coach Austin Hill after his team's Friday-night road victory over Aberdeen, he told me that my last installment, in which I said Aberdeen was still my pick to take the Chesapeake Division, had motivated his team to go out and knock the Eagles off their pedestal. I guess it worked, since the Rams limited Aberdeen to less than 50 points in the 61-46 win. (I'm not seriously taking any credit for Edgewood's play; that would be way too pompous.) Since returning from the holiday break, during which the Rams took top honors at their own tournament, and beating Aberdeen, the Rams have racked up three straight Chesapeake Division wins, dispatching Havre de Grace and North Harford by a combined score of 138-74.
2. Aberdeen: I saw the Eagles handle red-hot Elkton fairly easily last week and thought, "this team is going to be tough to put down." I don't think the Rams had an easy time beating them last Friday, but they did, and that's why the Eagles are out of the number-one spot for the first time this season.
3. North Harford: The Hawks have had a rough go of it in Chesapeake Division play lately, losing 60-40 to Edgewood on Monday, and 67-46 to Elkton before the holiday break, but I'm keeping them in the third spot until I see another result, since they're still playing well despite losing three-quarters of their starters and moving up from the Susquehanna Division. They can't keep losing by 20 plus points and stay here, though.
4. Patterson Mill: Essentially tied with North Harford in my eyes, the Huskies, who are the UCBAC's last undefeated team at 10-0, had their closest game of the season on Tuesday, which was a 52-48 win over Joppatowne. Prior to that, nobody had gotten closer than 17 points to the Huskies. Tonight's (Friday's) home game with Harford Tech should be an fine matchup.
5. Joppatowne: The Mariners tore out of the holiday break with a pair of huge wins, beating Rising Sun, 88-36, and Bo Manor, 71-37, before the four-point loss to Patterson Mill on Tuesday. Look for the rematch of that game at Joppatowne on Feb. 7.
6. Harford Tech: The Cobras, after suffering a tough, 50-48 loss to Joppatowne in their final regular-season game before the holidays, came back from the break with three straight wins, beating North East, Rising Sun and Bo Manor. They didn't pound on the Cecil County squads like the two teams above them have, but I think the Cobras could make some trouble in the lower division with what season we have left.
7. CMW: Since returning from the break, the Mustangs have pasted Havre de Grace, 80-54, beaten Fallston by 11 (58-49) and, most recently, topped Northwestern, 64-54, in a non-conference matchup. Tonight though, they travel to play Elkton, and a win against the Elks would certainly push them up the ladder a few rungs.
8. Bel Air: In their most recent Susquehanna matchup, the Bobcats, who were my early pick to win the lower division, lost 72-52 to Patterson Mill. Coming up, they have road games with North East and Rising Sun, then a home matchup on Jan. 24 with Harford Tech.
9. Fallston: The Cougars took Elkton to the limit on Tuesday, but came up short in a 54-52 loss. A game that close with a team as good as Elkton tells me that Fallston has the ability to win some ball games, but just hasn't dialed in the right combination yet.
10. Havre de Grace: I'm thinking that the Warriors, who lost by 44 to Edgewood on Tuesday night, might be headed back down to the Susquehanna Division after this season.