By BAKER ELLIS / Sports Editor

The latest ASWA basketball rankings came out late in the evening on Jan. 27, and as has been the case for most of the basketball season, a number of boys’ and girls’ teams from Shelby County made the cut.

2A Vincent remains the top-ranked team in the county, although the Yellow Jackets lost this week on the road to a talented Altamont team. Vincent is 19-5 (6-0) on the season, but with the recent loss to Altamont, the Yellow Jackets have fallen from the No. 1 spot in 2A down to No. 4. Altamont, which was the No. 5 team in 2A when it beat Vincent, has only lost once this season and is the new No. 2 in the class.

Resident breakout sensation Oak Mountain is the next-highest ranked team in the county, coming in as the No. 5 team in 7A. The 7A Area 5 regular season champs are 18-7 (5-1) and have won 11 of their last 13 games dating back to mid December. As of Jan. 28, the last two wins for the Eagles had come against defending 7A state champs and area opponent Hoover via an overtime win and state power Spain Park, which Oak Mountain beat by nine points on the road. Oak Mountain is up four spots from a week ago, when the Eagles were ranked ninth in the class.

The boys from Spain Park and Helena come in as the No. 7 teams in 7A and 5A, respectively. The Jaguars (17-9, 5-1) remain one of the most, if not the most, naturally talented teams across the state, but are going through a slight rough patch and were 2-2 in their last four games as of Jan. 28. Helena’s story however is the reverse of Spain Park’s. Not blessed with overwhelming size or depth, this Huskies team has won 13 games in a row and stands at 19-6 as of Jan. 28. Helena is up one spot in the 5A poll from a week ago while Spain Park fell four spots in the 7A poll.

The girls from Coosa Valley and the girls from Montevallo came in at No. 8 in their respective classes. The Lady Rebels are 10-5 after beating Kingwood on Jan. 27 in the first round of the AISA AAA state playoffs while Montevallo is 18-6. The Lady Bulldogs are down a spot from last week’s 4A poll while the Lady Rebels have stayed in the No. 8 slot of the AISA for most of the season.

The Lady Warriors from Thompson are the last ranked team in the county, coming in at No. 9 in the girls’ 7A poll. Thompson is 19-6 (3-3) and beat area opponent and previous 7A No. 9 Tuscaloosa County this week to climb a spot in the poll from the 10-hole a week ago. The Lady Warriors started the season strong, jumping out to a 15-1 record before falling on hard times and losing five of their next seven. They seem to be on the upswing though, and have won their last two.