KR boys, Southeastern girls fare well in first RPI reveal
SPRINGFIELD — Several area boys and girls basketball teams stand among the top teams in the initial Ohio High School Athletic Association Maxpreps Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) rankings.
The Maxpreps RPI rankings, released Wednesday afternoon, will be used to determine seeding for the statewide district tournament draws, according to the OHSAA.
In the Division II Southwest North sectional boys rankings, Kenton Ridge (10-2) is second behind Kettering Alter (9-1).
In the D-IV North sectional girls rankings, Southeastern is ranked No. 3 — behind Fort Loramie
and defending state champion Tri-village.
The RPI formula was recommended by the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association and adopted by the OHSAA. It’s calculated using scores entered into Maxpreps. The formula consists of 40% winning percentage, 35% opponent’s winning percentage and 25% opponents’ opponent’s winning percentage, according to the OHSAA.
The final reporting dates for scores to be entered and utilized in the RPI are Feb. 2 for girls and Feb. 9 for boys.
The new system is more consistent than previous years, said Kenton Ridge coach Brian Smith. In the past, a worthy team may have received a lower seed than
it deserved based on the opinions of other coaches, he said. It’s also beneficial because you know where you stand throughout the season, he said.
“I like that we can see where everybody is,” Smith said.
The Cougars have won seven straight, including back-to-back wins in tough Central Buckeye Conference crossover division games against North Union and Indian Lake.
Kenton Ridge is tied atop the CBC Kenton Trail Division with Urbana (7-3, 3-1), which is ranked No. 7 in the D-II North ratings. The Cougars travel to Tecumseh (3-8) tonight. The surging Arrows have won three of their last four, including an overtime victory against Jonathan Alder
last week.
“The kids are excited and we’re playing well,” Smith said. “Quite frankly, we haven’t looked at the top of the CBC and seen Kenton Ridge there in a long time.”
The Cougars have to keep winning to keep pace in the rankings. The D-II North boys sectional consists of 22 teams, including Oakwood, Tippecanoe, Trotwood-madison and No. 6 Shawnee (7-4). Three will advance to the D-II district finals.
“Our sectional is just brutal,” Smith said. “It’s going to be tough either way.”
The Southeastern girls program (12-1) has won four straight since falling to Mechanicsburg (13-1) —
the top-ranked team in the Division III Central District — on Dec. 27. The Trojans beat Triad 49-31 on Wednesday night.
Southeastern is seeking its first district final appearance since 2015. The D-IV North girls sectional will have four teams advance to a D-IV district final game.
They have several tough games to finish the season, including a matchup with Legacy Christian, the topranked team in the D-IV South sectional.
“I like where we’re at,” said Trojans coach Matt Harner. “I’d like to stay there if we can, but we’ve got some work to do that’s for sure.”
Here’s a look at where other area teams are ranked:
Boys
● Springfield (1-7) is ranked No. 17 in the 20-team D-I North sectional.
● West Liberty-salem (8-2) is fourth in the D-III North and Greeneview (6-5) is ranked ninth.
● In the D-IV North boys sectional, Cedarville is fourth behind unbeaten Russia (11-0), Troy Christian and Botkins. Southeastern (6-5) is ranked 10th in the 26-team sectional.
Girls
● The Springfield girls program is 11th in the tough D-I North sectional. The Wildcats
have won four of their last five games, including a victory over Centerville on Dec. 3.
● Urbana (11-2) is the top-ranked team in the D-II North sectional, while Tecumseh (7-6) is sitting at No. 8.
● West Liberty-salem (101) is ranked fourth in the D-III North sectional, while
Greenon (10-6) is ranked No. 10.
The full rankings are posted on OHSAA.ORG.