By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Sports Editor

While expectations were unknown for basketball teams across Shelby County coming into the 2018-19 basketball season due to reclassification and a lot of lost talent, we now head into the postseason knowing one thing for sure—expectations have been exceeded.

When the final basketball poll of the season was released on Sunday, Feb. 3, three teams sat inside the top six of their respective classification’s rankings, while three others were either ranked or nominated for a spot inside the top 10 of their classification.

Tying for the highest spot among county teams was the Oak Mountain boys basketball team and the Shelby County girls basketball team.

Both came it at No. 5 in the standings with the Eagles taking that mark in Class 7A, and the Wildcats taking that spot in Class 5A.

Oak Mountain is an extremely young team that isn’t scared to play everybody on the bench at any given moment, which has helped them propel to one of the state’s deepest teams.

Now sitting at 19-8 heading into the area tournament, the Eagles are poised to make a run not just because their young players have grown with experience throughout the season such as Evan Smith at point guard, as well as Noah Young, Zane Nelson and many others, but seniors like Drew Dunn, Antheny Carey and Turner Youngblood have all stepped their game up as well.

This team is as dangerous as any heading into their area tournament matchup with Thompson on Thursday, Feb. 7, looking to clinch a spot in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2016.

Shelby County’s girls are also in a good situation heading into the area tournament, largely because they’ll host, and also because they’ve lost just one game this season to the 7A No. 2 team in McGill-Toolen (25-2) by two points at the buzzer.

The Wildcats, now sitting at 26-1 overall after an overtime win at Tuscaloosa County to close out the regular season, will be starting their postseason run looking to redeem a difficult Elite Eight loss from last year.

Shelby County has now won 13 consecutive games after that heartbreaking loss, 11 of which have come by 11 points or more.

The next highest ranked team outside of those two was the Spain Park girls basketball team, who came in at No. 6 in the standings after a tough loss to Hoover on the final night of the regular season.

The loss to the Bucs wasn’t a bad one, as they finished the season ranked No. 1 in the state, and if anything, it gave the Jaguars some confidence going into the postseason after almost pulling off the upset.

Spain Park will host the area tournament starting on Wednesday, Feb. 6, looking to earn a spot back in the Sweet 16 as the Jags start the postseason as the defending 7A state champions having been to back-to-back state championship games.

Sitting at 24-6 overall, this team is battle tested after a very difficult schedule and is never an easy out when it comes to the postseason.

The final team to make the rankings came in the AISA as the Kingwood Lions popped back into the top 10 of the final standings coming in at No. 10.

Kingwood finished the regular season at 16-6 closing out with a 77-48 victory against Russell Christian on senior night.

The Lions have struggled in big games this season, but have also played a difficult schedule, which included an upset of Tuscaloosa Academy, who at one time was the No. 1 team.

KCS also lost a couple of closely contested games to good teams, but will look to bring their A game throughout the postseason to come out on top.

Two other teams received votes and just missed out on finishing the season in the top 10 after stellar play as of late.

Thompson, who finished the season as the only boys team in the county with 20 wins at 20-10, has won eight of its last 13 games, with four of its five losses in that stretch coming to top five teams in Hoover and Oak Mountain, all four of which were close.

It was a remarkable turnaround for the Warriors, who finished the season 1-24 last year, and going into the area tournament with a matchup against Oak Mountain for the third time, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they pulled the upset to earn a spot in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2013.

Also just missing out on a spot in the top 10 was Westminster at Oak Mountain’s girls, who finished the regular season at 17-7 in the 1A classification.

The Knights will also host the area tournament and will be looking to build off strong postseasons each of the last two years where they have just narrowly missed out on a state championship.

Heading into the area tournament, Westminster has won 11 consecutive games and 13 of 15 after a difficult non-area schedule.

The full rankings are below:

GIRLS

CLASS 7A

1. Hoover (28-1)
2. McGill-Toolen (25-2)
3. Sparkman (24-5)
4. Austin (25-5)
5. Davidson (24-4)
6. Spain Park (24-6)
7. Grissom (18-6)
8. Auburn (21-4)
9. Hewitt-Trussville (17-9)
10. Foley (22-7)

Others nominated: Vestavia Hills (18-9).

CLASS 6A

1. Hazel Green (27-3)
2. Blount (21-4)
3. Eufaula (23-6)
4. Hartselle (24-4)
5. Huffman (22-8)
6. McAdory (22-7)
7. Carver-Birmingham (21-8)
8. Cullman (22-8)
9. Opelika (21-6)
10. Muscle Shoals (16-12)

Others nominated: Albertville (19-7), Athens (15-13), Dothan (17-5), Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (18-8), Mae Jemison (15-10), Northview (16-10), Park Crossing (22-4).

CLASS 5A

1. Ramsay (22-7)
2. Charles Henderson (21-6)
3. Madison Academy (22-7)
4. Central-Tuscaloosa (22-3)
5. Shelby Co. (26-1)
6. Wenonah (20-8)
7. Brewer (21-8)
8. Pleasant Grove (19-8)
9. Brewbaker Tech (25-3)
10. West Point (24-5)

Others nominated: East Limestone (19-8), Faith Academy (19-9), Jackson (23-4), Mortimer Jordan (17-6), Scottsboro (19-10), Southside-Gadsden (17-5), Vigor (17-6).

CLASS 4A

1. Priceville (21-5)
2. Sipsey Valley (25-1)
3. Childersburg (28-1)
4. Greensboro (21-1)
5. Sumter Central (22-3)
6. Rogers (25-3)
7. Anniston (23-4)
8. Cherokee Co. (21-6)
9. West Limestone (20-6)
10. Oneonta (22-6)

Others nominated: DAR (17-11), Deshler (20-8), Handley (21-4), St. John Paul II (14-11), Wilson (20-9).

CLASS 3A

1. Pisgah (27-1)
2. T.R. Miller (20-2)
3. Midfield (20-8)
4. Winfield (27-1)
5. Phil Campbell (22-4)
6. Geneva (25-3)
7. Montgomery Academy (25-2)
8. Susan Moore (24-5)
9. Locust Fork (19-6)
10. Glencoe (18-8)

Others nominated: Lauderdale Co. (14-14), Pike Road (18-10), Prattville Christian (21-8), St. James (19-7), Slocomb (18-8), Weaver (18-9).

CLASS 2A

1. Sand Rock (27-2)
2. Sacred Heart (21-4)
3. Central-Hayneville (17-4)
4. Collinsville (23-5)
5. Cold Springs (21-6)
6. Fyffe (24-5)
7. Samson (22-6)
8. G.W. Long (22-4)
9. Geneva Co. (20-7)
10. Calhoun (14-6)

Others nominated: Addison (16-10), Ariton (17-7), Cedar Bluff (12-14), Hatton (20-7), Winston Co. (17-6).

CLASS 1A

1. Pleasant Home (18-3)
2. Spring Garden (21-7)
3. Skyline (23-5)
4. Phillips (19-10)
5. Talladega Co. Central (22-8)
6. Belgreen (20-6)
7. Florala (22-6)
8. R.A. Hubbard (18-7)
9. Mars Hill Bible (17-9)
10. Brantley (20-8)

Others nominated: Covenant Christian (17-5), Decatur Heritage (18-6), Falkville (16-11), Georgiana (15-12), Lanett (13-7), St. Luke’s (19-9), Westminster-Oak Mountain (17-7).

AISA

1. Tuscaloosa Academy (22-2)
2. South Choctaw Academy (21-1)
3. Abbeville Christian (24-4)
4. Lee-Scott (19-4)
5. Northside Methodist (17-8)
6. Fort Dale Academy (15-4)
7. Sparta Academy (17-5)
8. Monroe Academy (11-5)
9. Macon-East (12-9)
10. Evangel Christian (19-9)

Others nominated: Lakeside (13-10), Pike Liberal Arts (12-15), Southern Academy (17-5).

BOYS

CLASS 7A

1. Mountain Brook (25-3)
2. McGill-Toolen (21-6)
3. Lee-Montgomery (25-3)
4. Sparkman (20-8)
5. Oak Mountain (19-8)
6. Florence (27-3)
7. Hoover (20-8)
8. Fairhope (20-6)
9. Vestavia Hills (19-9)
10. Austin (15-7)

Others nominated: Baker (16-13), Enterprise (22-7), James Clemens (17-11), Theodore (16-10), Thompson (20-10).

CLASS 6A

1. Columbia (21-7)
2. Lee-Huntsville (20-7)
3. Jemison-Huntsville (20-8)
4. Eufaula (24-5)
5. Oxford (22-4)
6. Muscle Shoals (20-7)
7. Pinson Valley (18-9)
8. Carver-Montgomery (18-9)
9. Hartselle (21-7)
10. Sidney Lanier (17-6)

Others nominated: Albertville (20-7), Blount (17-10), Buckhorn (24-5), Homewood (22-8)

CLASS 5A

1. Wenonah (23-4)
2. LeFlore (20-8)
3. Fairfield (20-8)
4. Pleasant Grove (21-8)
5. Hamilton (24-4)
6. Russellville (18-6)
7. Brewbaker Tech (19-9)
8. Sylacauga (21-7)
9. East Limestone (17-7)
10. Charles Henderson (17-9)

Others nominated: Jackson (20-6), Tallassee (21-6), Vigor (15-9).

CLASS 4A

1. Hillcrest-Evergreen (21-2)
2. Williamson (20-7)
3. Brooks (24-3)
4. Sumter Central (22-3)
5. Deshler (22-6)
6. Good Hope (22-5)
7. Anniston (20-7)
8. Escambia Co. (17-6)
9. Talladega (20-7)
10. Cherokee Co. (20-5)

Others nominated: Childersburg (18-9), Headland (21-6), LAMP (18-8), Oneonta (17-8), UMS-Wright (16-11), West Morgan (17-9).

CLASS 3A

1. Plainview (26-4)
2. Westminster-Huntsville (21-4)
3. Prattville Christian (26-3)
4. Lauderdale Co. (19-9)
5. Sylvania (17-7)
6. Hanceville (21-5)
7. Winfield (20-8)
8. Pike Co. (16-6)
9. Piedmont (19-5)
10. Weaver (18-9)

Others nominated: Houston Academy (17-9), Mobile Christian (16-9).

CLASS 2A

1. Fyffe (23-5)
2. Abbeville (20-5)
3. Red Bay (24-5)
4. Tanner (22-6)
5. Section (17-9)
6. Barbour Co. (19-7)
7. Sacred Heart (16-10)
8. Calhoun (22-7)
9. North Sand Mountain (18-6)
10. Central-Coosa (16-4)

Others nominated: Collinsville (16-10), Cottage Hill (15-6), Daleville (16-7), Houston Co. (14-6), Sumiton Christian (20-6).

CLASS 1A

1. Decatur Heritage (25-4)
2. Cornerstone-Birmingham (19-7)
3. Spring Garden (20-6)
4. Georgiana (22-5)
5. Skyline (20-8)
6. R.A. Hubbard (16-9)
7. Covenant Christian (19-6)
8. Francis Marion (18-4)
9. Mars Hill Bible (16-9)
10. Holy Spirit (22-6)

Others nominated: Elba (14-6), Florala (17-7), South Lamar (15-6).

AISA

1. Lakeside (19-3)
2. Pike Liberal Arts (17-6)
3. Evangel Christian (24-4)
4. Success Unlimited (13-3)
5. Morgan Academy (15-4)
6. Bessemer Academy (14-2)
7. Monroe Academy (16-2)
8. Edgewood (19-5)
9. Tuscaloosa Academy (18-6)
10. Kingwood (16-6)

Others nominated: Chambers Academy (15-5), Escambia Academy (12-8), Lee-Scott (13-10), Lowndes Academy (15-6), Southern Academy (18-4).