Which Fayetteville high school basketball teams are fighting for a playoff spot?
Fayetteville-area high school basketball teams have two weeks remaining in the regular season, with several squads making a push to earn a spot in the NCHSAA playoffs.
The NCHSAA’s RPI formula will determine the 64-team playoff brackets – 32 teams in the East and 32 teams in the West -- in the four classifications. League champions and the top 3A and 4A finishers in the All American and United 8 Conferences will make the playoffs.
Wild-card berths and seeding are determined by the RPI rankings, so teams hovering in the 20s can't afford to falter down the stretch. Playoff brackets are scheduled to be released on Feb. 18 and first-round games are set for Feb. 21.
Here’s a look at where Cumberland County's squads stand as of Monday.
All American Conference
As was the case in football, the All American Conference has five teams in the hunt for a playoff bid, including four in Fayetteville.
Led by Charleston recruit James Scott, E.E. Smith (15-3, 9-1) is on track to win its first league title in 19 years. The Golden Bulls have the highest ranking among the county’s boys basketball teams at No. 5 in the 3A East RPI rankings.
Westover (14-6, 7-3), Pine Forest (12-6, 6-4) and Terry Sanford (10-7, 6-4) also appear to be in good shape to advance to the postseason. The Wolverines are 13th in the 3A East rankings, followed by the Bulldogs at 21.
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The Trojans, reigning AAC champions, are No. 17 in the 4A East rankings.
As for the girls, E.E. Smith (15-1, 10-0) and Terry Sanford (15-3, 9-1) currently sit atop the 3A East rankings. The Golden Bull-ettes, who earned a 65-61 win against the Bulldogs on Jan. 13, are No. 1 in the rankings. Terry Sanford, which sits at No. 2, will take aim at revenge on Feb. 7.
Despite a recent string of injuries, Pine Forest (10-8, 6-4) is the top 4A girls squad in the league. The Trojans are No. 25 in the 4A East rankings.
United 8 Conference
Changes haven’t hindered Seventy-First boys basketball (17-2, 10-0). The reigning United 8 Conference champions and state finalists are No. 11 in the 3A East rankings under first-year coach Jeremy Ingram.
Cape Fear (10-8, 5-5) has dealt with injuries throughout the season, but the Colts currently are safely in the playoff field at No. 23 in the 3A East rankings.
On the girls side, Cape Fear (14-4, 9-1) is just behind E.E. Smith and Terry Sanford at No. 4 in the 3A East rankings. The Colts are in position to win their first conference championship in at least 30 years.
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After a five-win season, Jack Britt (15-5, 7-3) has experienced the top turnaround in the county with a reinvigorated roster that has the Bucs at No. 18 in the 4A East rankings.
South View (13-7, 8-2) is experiencing similar success under first-year coach Travis Lemanski. The Tigers, who sit at No. 24 in the 4A East rankings, beat Britt on Jan. 17. The rematch is set for Feb. 10.
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: NCHSAA basketball: Fayetteville playoff picture entering February
