Knoxville-area high school basketball boys rankings: Karns rises to top 5
After the Division I region quarterfinals and Division II state quarterfinals, here are the top 10 boys basketball teams in the Knoxville area as ranked by PrepXtra.
1. William Blount (29-4): The Governors were District 4-4A champions after defeating Hardin Valley 63-49. They are on a nine-game win streak, winning their last game against Knoxville West, 80-62, in the Region 2-4A quarterfinals. Last week: Ranked No. 1
2. Fulton (26-5): Fulton became champions of the District 5-3A after winning the championship 80-78 against Austin-East in overtime. The Falcons have won their last 12 games and will face Lenoir City (18-13) in the Region 3-3A semifinals on Tuesday. Last week: Ranked No. 2
3. Knoxville Webb (24-7): The Spartans are heading to the Division II-AA state semifinals after beating Lipscomb Academy 65-51. Webb will face the team they lost to last year in the state tournament in Brentwood Academy (27-3) on Thursday. Last week: Ranked No. 3
4. Karns (21-7): After defeating Knoxville Central in the District 3-4A championship game, Karns defeated Farragut 73-48 in the Region 2-3A quarterfinals. Senior guard JJ Faulkner averaged 29.5 points in those two games. Last week: Ranked No. 8.
5. Austin East (21-7): In Tuesday’s District 5-3A championship against Fulton, Austin-East sophomore guard Shane Cherry scored 43 points, albeit in a loss. The Roadrunners bounced back to win 71-64 over East Hamilton (20-9) in the Region 3-3A quarterfinals. Last week: Ranked No. 6.
6. Oak Ridge (22-5): The Wildcats surprisingly lost to Knoxville Central on Feb. 17 and since then have recovered. They won by a combined 57 points over their last two opponents. Oak Ridge will have a challenge when it faces Karns in the Region 2-4A semifinals. Last week: Ranked No.5.
7. Alcoa (22-8): Alcoa has won 16 of its past 17 games. Last week, the Tornadoes collected the District 2-2A championship after defeating Gatlinburg-Pittman 70-51 and advanced to the Region 1-2A semifinals after beating Johnson County 81-42. Last week: Ranked No. 9.
8. McMinn County (24-7): McMinn County defeated Shelbyville 104-42 in the Region 3-3A quarterfinals and is on an eight-game win streak. Its last loss was an 87-65 road loss to William Blount. McMinn County will play Franklin County (14-15) in the semifinals at home on Tuesday. Last week: Not ranked.
9. Greeneville (21-11): Greenville won 11 of its last 12 games. The Green Devils defeated Sullivan East 80-48 in the Region 1-3A quarterfinals. They will have a tough contest in the semifinals Tuesday against Unicoi County (25-8). Last week: Not ranked.
10. Carter (23-9): The Hornets won District 3-3A championship against Gibbs on Tuesday and went on to win their first Region 2-3A tournament game against Scott 75-36. Carter will face Clinton — last year’s region champions — in the semifinals on Tuesday. Last week: Not ranked.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: TSSAA basketball: Knoxville-area boys rankings for February 27
