Providence (Jacksonville) new No. 1 in regional boys’ hoops rankings
GAINESVILLE – There’s a familiar team on top of the Prep Zone Power Poll.
Providence (Jacksonville), which has won three state titles since 2010, is back on top of the all-classification regional rankings.
The Class 4A Stallions (11-5), who received six of the seven first-place votes following a 2-0 week which included wins against one of Alabama’s best in 6A No. 4 Carver (Montgomery, AL), 65-63 (OT), and Florida independent Potter’s House Christian (Jacksonville), moved up one spot to No. 1.
The other first-place vote went to 7A Vanguard (Ocala), which moved up one spot to second following a 2-0 week. The Knights (11-2) have yet to lose to a Florida school.
One of their victories came in overtime at home on Dec. 9 to Gainesville High, which moved up three spots to third following a 52-45 win against previous #1 Creekside (St. Johns) at the MLK Classic in Jacksonville. The other loss by the ‘Canes (12-2), who are in the same district with Vanguard, was against No. 13 Spruce Creek (Port Orange) at the Gulfshore Holiday Hoopfest during the holiday break.
Nature Coast Tech (Brooksville), which is one of only two unbeaten teams in the rankings, moved up one spot to fourth. The Class 6A Sharks are 16-0 on the season.
Rounding out the top five is Fernandina Beach.
The Class 5A Pirates (15-1) moved up two spots from seventh. Their only loss this season was by two at Class 5A Jackson (Jacksonville), which moved up three spots from 18th to 15th in this week’s poll.
The loss by Creekside (13-2) dropped the Knights five spots to sixth, while Ribault (Jacksonville) (12-3), Atlantic (Port Orange) (12-3), The Villages (14-1), and Terry Parker (Jacksonville) (12-1) round out the top 10.
Bolles (Jacksonville), Bishop Snyder (Jacksonville) and DeLand dropped out of the rankings, while 7A New Smyrna Beach (9-5), which defeated previous No. 4 Atlantic, and 6A Ponte Vedra (9-4), move in at Nos. 19 and 20, respectively.
The Prep Zone Power Poll ranks the top 20 high school football, basketball, baseball & softball teams (regardless of FHSAA classification) across 26 counties in North Florida (Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Citrus, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Levy, Madison, Marion, Nassau, Putnam, Sumter, St. Johns, Suwannee, Taylor, Union & Volusia counties). It is voted on weekly by sportswriters and sportscasters.
PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2016-17 BOYS BASKETBALL POLL #4
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, record through 1/7, and total voting points)
1. Providence (Jacksonville) (4A) (6) (11-5) – 138
2. Vanguard (Ocala) (7A) (1) (11-2) – 130
3. Gainesville (7A) (12-2) – 123
4. Nature Coast Tech (Brooksville) (6A) (16-0) – 113
5. Fernandina Beach (5A) (15-1) – 110
6. Creekside (St. Johns) (8A) (13-2) – 108
7. Ribault (Jacksonville) (6A) (12-3) – 103
8. Atlantic (Port Orange) (7A) (12-3) – 86
9. The Villages (5A) (14-1) – 83
10. Terry Parker (Jacksonville) (6A) (12-1) – 80
11. Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (6A) (12-4) – 78
12. Hawthorne (1A) (13-3) – 59
13. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (9A) (10-4) – 57
14. First Coast (Jacksonville) (8A) (13-4) – 54
15. Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville) (5A) (12-5) – 37
16. Madison County (1A) (13-2) – 27
17. Bell (1A) (14-1) – 19
18. Wildwood (1A) (13-0) – 15
19. New Smyrna Beach (7A) (9-5) – 11
20. Ponte Vedra (6A) (9-4) – 9
Also receiving votes: Eustis (6A) (11-4) – 7; East Ridge (Clermont) (8A) (12-4) – 5; P.K. Yonge (Gainesville) (4A) (11-6) – 5; DeLand (9A) (12-6) – 4; Bishop Snyder (Jacksonville) (4A) (10-4) – 3; Bolles (Jacksonville) (5A) (10-7) – 2; Robert E. Lee (Jacksonville) (8A) (11-5) – 2; Leesburg (6A) (11-6) – 2.
