Knoxville-area high school basketball boys rankings: See who is in new top 5
With the TSSAA BlueCross Boys Basketball State Championships tipping off Tuesday, here are the top-10 teams in the Knoxville area as ranked by PrepXtra.
1. Fulton (29-5): Fulton hasn’t lost since Jan. 12 and defeated Stone Memorial 58-54 in the Class 3A state sectional. Juniors Denaj Kimber and Tyler Lee combined for 38 points and 19 rebounds in the win last week. Last week: Ranked No. 3.
2. Alcoa (27-8): The Tornadoes won its Class 2A state sectional against Tyner Academy 64-43. They were led in scoring by IMG Academy transfer Brandon Winton Jr. who had 19 points. Last week: Ranked No. 4.
3. McMinn County (27-7): McMinn County defeated La Vergne 69-62 in the state sectional for Class 4A. The program hasn't reached the state tournament since 2011. Last week: Ranked No. 6.
4. Sevier County (17-14): While the record may not show it, the Smoky Bears have proven to be one of the better teams in the area. They knocked off Karns 70-59 in the state sectional for Class 4A. Sophomore Reed Ownby and senior Caleb Tarwater combined for 39 points in the win. Last week: Not ranked.
5. Karns (26-8): After defeating William Blount in the Region 2-4A championship on March 2, the Beavers fell to Sevier County in the state sectional, ending their impressive season Last week: Ranked No. 1.
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6. William Blount (30-6) The Governors had their season end after losing 64-63 to Dobyns-Bennet in the state sectional. A controversial foul was called that gave Dobyns-Bennet free throws to win. Last week: Ranked No. 2.
7. Austin East (23-10): The Roadrunners were one-point short of reaching the state tournament for the first time since 2019. Austin-East lost 54-53 to White County in the Class 3A state sectional. Last week: Ranked No. 5.
8. Knoxville Webb (24-8): Webb hasn’t won a state championship since 2019 and had its 2023 season end against Brentwood in the semifinals of the Division II-AA state tournament. Last week: Ranked No. 7.
9. Oak Ridge (24-6): The Wildcats missed the state tournament for the second season in a row. Their season ended this year after losing to Karns in overtime in the Region 2-4A semifinals. Last week: Ranked No. 8.
10. Halls (20-13): The Red Devils were one game away from making the state tournament for the first time in the program’s history. They lost 95-71 to Volunteer in the Class 3A state sectional. Last week: No. 9.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: TSSAA basketball: Knoxville-area boys rankings for March 13
