Prep Talk

Throughout the boys basketball season, 10 voters will rate Western New York's best teams from 1 to 10 in the large and small school polls. The News has one vote in each poll.

The polls are part of the Sidelines published in Tuesday's Scholastic Spotlight. Here's how we filled out our ballot in Week Two.

Here's how we voted in the first poll. (Note -- the poll takes a break next week; the next rankings will be published Jan. 6, 2009).

Large schools

1. Niagara Falls (4-0) [1] -- Tonight's trip to Jamestown -- the toughest road game the Wolverines have played since ... ? Toughest ever? Falls has played plenty of top opponents since the program began in 2000-01, but usually at neutral sites of some sort. When it comes to venturing in an actual school's gym, this might be it. They have another tough one next week when Falls plays defending AA champ Bishop Maginn at Albany's College of St. Rose.

2. Nichols (4-1) [2] -- Love their schedule: at Niagara Falls, then at Orchard Park Next up, at Maryland this weekend. I'll be vacationing in Maryland for part of this weekend, but not in the same neighborhood.

3. Grover Cleveland (3-1) [3] -- The way the Presidents have reloaded, and are playing at such a high level so quickly, probably makes their reload more impressive than the Falls'. There's something about Canisius-Grover that brings on the snow, huh? Two years in a row their matchup at the Keenan has been postponed. 

4. Jamestown (3-0) [4] -- Biggest home game since ... ? Biggest regular-season home game since ... ? Biggest ever?

5. East (2-0) [6] -- Moved up a spot on my ballot by not playing. Some wins in Rochester could give them a strong case to move up. They play Dec. 29-30 at the Rush-Henrietta Tournament, where the opener is East-vs.-East (Rochester's version lost to Falls in the regionals last year).

6. Williamsville South (3-2) [7] -- We liked their composure vs. Nichols.

7. Depew (6-1) [8] -- The smallest large school can play with big boys.

8. Williamsville North (5-1) [NR] -- Nice win over Frontier. The ECIC I guys are sure going to slug it out this year.

9. Frontier (4-2) [5] -- Still top 10 material.

10. McKinley (5-1) [10] -- Seems like the Jamestown loss got their attention. For now we'll keep them here, boxing out Sweet Home.

They got next (in no particular order) ... This bubble is getting bigger -- full-blown league play can't come soon enough (and is sure going to be fun): Sweet Home, Middle College, Canisius, Grand Island, Lockport, Lew-Port, Orchard Park, Maryvale, Bishop Timon-St. Jude, St. Joe's, St. Francis, Kenmore East, Kenmore West, Lake Shore, Pioneer, Hutch-Tech, Riverside ...

Small schools

1. Lackawanna (2-3) [1] -- Still under .500. Small schools still a muddled bunch -- a good, muddled bunch -- up top.

2. Maple Grove (5-2) [2] -- We'll keep the state champs here -- there's that muddled-ness again.

3. Allegany-Limestone (6-0) [NR] -- Did we say muddled? Call this a shoutout to CCAA I, the recent dominance of Olean, and the Gators' thorough victory over them. For now these guys belong in the middle of the muddle.

4. St. Mary's (5-1) [3] -- Fans have to wait for the big-school measuring stick after St. Joe's at St. Mary's got plowed last Friday.

5. Wilson (4-1) [4] -- We see the Lakemen as the N-O team to vote for, ever so slightly ...

6. Akron (3-1) [5] -- ... over these guys. I'm not arguing with those first-place votes, by the way. All of the these top six have a case for No. 1.   

7. Alden (5-1) [6] -- Loss at St. Mary's makes them the only school ineligible for a first-place vote -- but that's just for now.

8. East Aurora (3-4) [8] -- Treat the record like Lackawanna's -- losses to Depew and St. Francis last week.

9. Frewsburg (5-1) [NR] -- Earned a split with Southwestern with a road win last week.

10. Olean (2-3) [7] -- We keep 'em in for now. How can you not? But the rest of CCAA I wants to get to do what the Gators did.

They got next: Randolph, Southwestern, Medina, Newfane, Gowanda, Maritime Charter, City Honors.

Don't like what you're reading here, or in the overall poll? The comments section is below.

---Keith McShea