I prepared last Friday's column somewhat hastily, and laid out my boys basketball power rankings before I heard the results of last Wednesday's games. Faced with the option of thoroughly reorganizing by rankings after my deadline had passed, or simply keeping things as they were and noting how the teams had done on Wednesday, I chose the latter, as it was the easier option. So, here's what I would have put down, given enough time, my final basketball power poll of 2011:

1. Aberdeen: No change here. The Eagles, who have been on top since I started these things, knocked off C. Milton Wright by 23 points last Wednesday. I didn't mention this game before because Elkton was not on my radar until recently, but Aberdeen hosts the Golden Elks Jan. 4 and, seeing how Elkton is 6-0 and just beat North Harford and Edgewood in a two-day span, that ought to be an important contest. I'm going with the Eagles to take that one.

2. Edgewood: The Rams dropped their last two games, but the most recent of those losses was a 57-54 heartbreaker they dropped to Elkton, the UCBAC's hottest team at the moment. After some holiday tournament engagements, they have a road game with Aberdeen next Friday night.

3. North Harford: In the second spot of my last installment, the Hawks were knocked down by virtue of a 21-point loss to Elkton (how many times am I going to mention the Elks in this column?). Their next Chesapeake Division game comes Jan. 9 when they travel to Edgewood.

4. Joppatowne: Thursday's match up with John Carroll, which the Mariners lost, 61-30, wasn't very encouraging, but the Joppatowne boys are still my pick to take top honors in the Susquehanna Division. Interestingly enough, the Mariners have scored more and allowed more points than any team in the conference.

5. Patterson Mill: In the same spot, the Huskies have outscored their opponents, 312-149, in four games, which means they've been putting up 2.1-times as many tallies as the opposition. That's impressive.

6. Harford Tech: A two-point loss to Joppatowne last Tuesday was very interesting, and shows me the Cobras, who pasted Havre de Grace to open the season, will have a running shot at keeping themselves near the top of the Susquehanna Division.

7. Bel Air: Though it wasn't a regular-season match up, the Bobcats ended a four-game losing streak Monday in the North Carroll Holiday Tournament by defeating Catoctin, 81-71.

8. C. Milton Wright: The Mustangs also had a holiday tournament match up Monday, which they lost, 81-45, to Pikesville.

9. Havre de Grace: Last Wednesday's 68-49 loss to previously winless Fallston said to me, "the Warriors are not going to fare well in the Chesapeake Division."

10. Fallston: A 19-point victory over Havre de Grace was the first step toward getting out of this list's cellar, but the 1-7 Cougars are going to need another victory to move up.

Have a Happy New Year, everyone. I'll talk to you again in 2012.