There are a lot of high school basketball rankings out there, but the one that matters most is the WIAA’s Rating Percentage Index (RPI). It is probably the most important factor in determining seedings in the playoffs, including state tournaments.
It is a complicated formula taking into account teams’ records, their opponents’ records, and their opponents’ opponents’ records (we told you it was complicated), but not margin of victory, the classification of opponents, or head-to-head results.
It is adjusted after every game, but the bottom line is the lower the number the better — just like the media rankings. In other words, you want to be No.1, not No.65.
For a look back at Week 6 for our Whatcom girls teams, check out Whatcom Hoops Girls Recap.
With that in mind, Whatcom Hoops will often use the RPI ratings whenever rankings are mentioned in game stories or, starting today, in our recaps. Keep in mind, the RPI rankings change every day depending on what your team does or what other teams do, so don’t worry if your team isn’t exactly where you think it should be.
And while RPI only really matters come playoff time, even then it is only a resource for selection committees made up of real people and not computers.
Right now after six weeks, we have three of our 11 Whatcom teams ranked in the top 10 of their classifications. In 1B, Lummi Nation is No.5; in 1A, Lynden Christian is No.2; and in 2A, Sehome is No.9.
Here are the boys highlights from Week 6 and our teams’ RPI rankings:
GAME OF THE WEEK
Bellingham and Oak Harbor had a wild finish on Tuesday with the Bayhawks coming out on top in the final second, 72-71. With the score tied, sophomore Emmett Vanhouten hit a jumper with 12 seconds left to give Bellingham a 71-69 lead. After two missed Oak Harbor free throws, junior Calvin Van Hofwegen was intentionally fouled with 4.8 seconds left and sank one of two free throws. But with 0.3 seconds left, Wildcats star Xavier Ochoa was fouled on a desperation 30-footer that missed. He made his first two free throws but couldn’t make the last one giving Bellingham the win.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Mount Baker junior Kell Reardon had 30 points on Monday and senior Jordan Bailey had 17 points on Wednesday. … Senior Joe Harward had 28 points in Bellingham’s Tuesday win, junior Calvin Van Hofwegen added 17 points, and senior Cyrus Campos had 15. Harward added 21 points on Saturday. … Senior Jerome Toby Jr. had 23 points and junior Dyson Edwards had 19 points for Lummi Nation on Monday, and on Saturday, Toby had 24 more and Edwards added 18 points. … Junior Orion Granberg-Kiddle had 23 points and junior Blake Elston had 15 points for Squalicum on Monday, and the two combined for 44 points on Saturday. … Ferndale senior Mantaj Singh had 22 points on Monday, 22 more on Thursday, and finished with 24 points on Saturday, and sophomore Houston Wills had 15 points for Ferndale on Saturday. … Lynden senior Spencer Adams had 19 points, senior Ty Jorgenson had 17 points, and sophomore Jayden Navarre had 16 points on Thursday with Navarre also having 16 points on Monday, and Adams collected 18 more points on Saturday. … Lynden Christian juniors Gunnar Dykstra and Dawson Hintz had 18 and 16 points, respectively, on Monday. … Senior Landon Melton had 18 points for Blaine on Wednesday. … Nooksack Valley senior Owen Wichers had 17 points on Saturday. … Junior Trey Alexander had 16 points for Meridian on Monday. … Seniors Xavier Kelley and Carter Duckworth had 22 and 16 points for Sehome on Friday, and junior Quincy Tanovan and Kelley had 16 and 15 points on Tuesday.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
LUMMI NATION (No.5, 1B) defeated rivals Tulalip Heritage on Monday, 68-65, and Neah Bay on Saturday, 74-51. On Monday, the Blackhawks took their rivalry to Everett Community College because of the big crowd and led by as much as 11 in the fourth quarter, but had to withstand a Hawks’ comeback and missed a 3-point attempt at the buzzer. Toby had a pair of 3-pointers and 23 points, 16 of them in the second half; Edwards kept the Blackhawks in the game early with nine of his 19 coming in the first quarter; junior Deandre James had 11 points and 7 rebounds; and senior Chayce Waite-Kellar had 6 points. On Saturday, the Blackhawks went to the coast and used an 18-2 second-quarter run to knock off Neah Bay in a non-league contest. Toby sank four 3-pointers and had 24 points to hit 2,000 points in his career (he now has 2,011), making him only the third Blackhawks basketball player to reach that milestone after Sarah Tom (now Brady), who had 2,154 points, and Trazil Lane, who had 2,026 points. Edwards added 18 points, four 3-pointers, and 4 steals on Saturday, Waite-Kellar had 12 points and 14 rebounds, James had 8 points, and junior Landon LaFontaine had 6 points.
LYNDEN CHRISTIAN (No.2, 1A) defeated Meridian on Monday, 73-46, and Blaine on Friday, 71-30. On Monday, the Lyncs outscored the Trojans in the final six and a half minutes, 23-4, to break open a close game. Dykstra had 18 points, four 3-pointers, and 9 assists; Hintz had 16 points; junior Kaden Veldman had 12 points and 11 rebounds; and senior Eli Maberry and junior Harvest Howell had 10 points each with Maberry sinking a pair of 3s. On Friday, the Lyncs used a 30-point second quarter to go up by 35 at the half and coast to the 1A victory. Twelve Lyncs scored with Veldman leading the way with 13 points and 4 steals. Hintz and Dykstra had 12 points and three 3s each with Dykstra grabbing 4 steals, Howell had 7 points, and Maberry had 6 points.
SEHOME (No.9, 2A) defeated Nooksack Valley on Tuesday, 58-50, and Oak Harbor on Friday, 66-63. On Tuesday, the Mariners held Nooksack to seven first-quarter points and used five 3-pointers to take a 10-point lead and then held off the Pioneers the rest of the way. Tanovan had 16 points and Kelley 15 and each hit three 3s with Kelley also pulling down a dozen rebounds. Senior Nolan Wright added 11 points, a pair of 3-pointers, and 5 assists, and fellow seniors Klay Jackson and Cole Turrell had 6 points each. On Friday night when the 1996 Sehome state championship team was honored, the Mariners won a thriller worthy of champions. After watching a 10-point lead disappear and down by one with a minute to go, Turrell muscled inside for a bucket, Kelley nabbed a steal that led to two Wright free throws, and after a Wildcats basket, Kelly hit two free throws with 15 seconds left to nail down the victory. Kelley had 22 points and 12 points, senior Carter Duckworth had 16 points, Wright had 9 points and 8 assists, Turrell had 9 points, and Jackson had 7 points.
SQUALICUM (No.27, 2A) rallied to beat Ferndale on Monday, 55-42, and defeated Mount Baker on Saturday, 59-46. On Monday, the Storm used a 23-point third-quarter to rally from a six-point halftime deficit and hit six of eight free throws in the fourth quarter to hold off the Golden Eagles. Granberg-Kiddle led the comeback with 23 points, 21 of them in the second half. Elston had 15 points, a pair of 3-pointers, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 steals; junior Hunter Calloway had 11 points; and senior Rhys Knowlton had 6 points. On Saturday, the Storm took a nine-point lead at the half and then made nine of 10 free throws in the fourth quarter to hold off the Mounties. Elston helped Squalicum pull away with 14 of his 23 points in the first half and had 4 assists for the game; Granberg-Kiddle had 12 of his 21 points in the second half, two 3-pointers, and 15 rebounds; and Calloway added 7 points.
FERNDALE (No.52, 3A) lost to Squalicum on Monday, 55-42, but bounced back to stun Mount Vernon on Thursday, 50-47, and down Nooksack Valley on Saturday, 58-46. On Monday, the Golden Eagles let a six-point halftime lead slip away when they only managed 20 second-half points. Singh had all but two of Ferndale’s buckets in the second half and finished with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Wills had 8 points, two 3-pointers, and 6 steals, and fellow sophomore Tracen Pazaski had two more 3s for 6 points. On Thursday, the Golden Eagles got free throws from Singh and sophomore Trey Munson in the final 30 seconds and then forced the Bulldogs to miss three chances to tie or lead as Ferndale took the key 3A game. Singh had 22 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 assists; senior Cooper Vincent had 8 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists; and Wills added 7 points. On Saturday, the Golden Eagles used an 11-1 run to start the second half to build a double-digit lead they’d never relinquish. Singh led the way with 24 points, Wills had 15 points, Vincent had 8 points and 6 rebounds, and Pazaski had 6 points. For the story and photos from Saturday’s game, click on Ferndale Boys.
LYNDEN (No.22, 2A) lost at Mount Vernon in overtime on Monday, 58-54, but came back to beat Sedro-Woolley on Wednesday, 79-71, and Bellingham on Saturday, 60-49. On Monday, the Lions got good news when seniors Ty Jorgenson and Spencer Adams returned from injuries, but Lynden gave up the final four points in the overtime period and fell at Mount Vernon. Navarre led the Lions with 16 points thanks to making three 3-pointers and seven of nine from the line; Adams had 12 points, a pair of 3s, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds; senior Brody Price had 8 points; junior Gordy Bedlington had 7 points and 4 assists; and junior Malachi Koenen had 6 points with two 3s and a team-high 5 rebounds. On Wednesday, the Lions were up by 14 but in the final minute needed a Bedlington drive, and two free throws each from Bedlington, Adams, and Navarre to down the Cubs. Adams had 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists; Jorgenson had 17 points; Navarre had 16 points, three 3s, and 6 assists; Bedlington had 12 points and 4 rebounds; and Price had 8 points and 10 rebounds. On Saturday, the Lions rallied from a five-point halftime deficit by holding the Bayhawks to 16 points in the second half for the comeback win. Adams had 18 points and a pair of 3-pointers, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists; Bedlington tossed in 13 points; sophomore Markus Koenen had 11 points, hitting all five of his field goal attempts; Jorgenson had 7 points and 6 rebounds; Malachi Koenen had 6 points on two 3s; and Price pulled down 7 rebounds and dished out 4 assists.
BELLINGHAM (No.34, 2A) beat Oak Harbor on Tuesday, 72-71, but fell to Lynden on Saturday, 60-49. In Tuesday’s thriller, the Bayhawks put up 40 points in the first half and led by eight going into the final quarter but had to withstand the Wildcats’ wild comeback for the road win. Harward had 28 points; Van Hofwegen had 17 points, a pair of 3-pointers, 7 rebounds, and 4 steals; Campos had 15 points, three 3s, and 8 assists; and Vanhouten had 10 points. On Saturday, the Bayhawks took a 33-28 lead into halftime but only managed four points in the third quarter and couldn’t hold off the Lions. Harward had 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 steals; Vanhouten had 12 point and three 3s; Van Hofwegen had 8 points and 6 rebounds; Johnson had 6 points and 5 rebounds; and Campos had a team-high 4 assists.
BLAINE (No.37, 1A) edged Mount Baker on Wednesday, 71-61, but lost to Lynden Christian on Friday, 71-30. On Wednesday, the Borderites built up a 21-point lead in the fourth quarter and then had to hang on to beat the Mounties. Melton led five Borderites in double figures with 18 points and made all six of his free throws in the crucial final quarter. Senior Daniel Banks finished with 14 points and 7 rebounds, junior Dawson Dohner had 13 points, sophomore Peyton Bouma had 11 points and 9 rebounds, and Milo Dahl had 10 points with Dohner sinking three of Blaine’s 11 3-pointers and Banks, Dahl, and Melton making two each. On Friday, the Borderites only managed 13 points in the first half and finished with their lowest point total of the season. Melton, Dahl, and senior Kai Kerwin had 5 points each, Bouma had 6 rebounds, and junior Gus Dickson had 4 steals.
MERIDIAN (No.30, 1A) lost at Lynden Christian on Monday, 73-46, and to Anacortes on Thursday, 65-35. On Monday, in a game much closer than the score indicated, the Trojans were only down by eight early in the fourth quarter before succumbing to the high-scoring Lyncs. Alexander led Meridian with 16 points and 7 rebounds, junior Gabe Galbraith had 13 points, and senior Daniel Larsen had 11 points. On Thursday, the Trojans only managed 24 points through the first three quarters and couldn’t slow down the Seahawks. Alexander had 9 points and 5 rebounds, Galbraith had two 3-pointers for 6 points, junior Josiah Harris had 5 rebounds, and junior Pierce Brzozowski had 4 steals.
MOUNT BAKER (No.42, 1A) lost to South Whidbey on Monday, 72-69; to Blaine on Wednesday, 71-61; and to Squalicum on Saturday, 59-46. On Monday, the Mounties rallied from a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter, cutting the margin to one with 11 seconds to go, but after two Falcons free throws, a final 3-point attempt was short leaving the Mounties three points short in the non-league contest. Reardon was unstoppable with 30 points and 19 rebounds; sophomore Pepe McElroy-Salgado had 13 points and 7 rebounds, 11 of them in the fourth-quarter comeback; and seniors Payten Abitia and Bailey added 10 and 7 points, respectively, with Abitia pulling down 6 rebounds. On Wednesday, the Mounties were down by 21 but rallied with a 23-point fourth quarter to close within six before falling to the Borderites. Bailey hit five 3-pointers to finish with 17 points and 7 assists; Abitia had 14 points; Reardon had 10 points, a pair of 3s, 14 rebounds, and 6 assists; and McEvoy-Salgado had 9 points. On Saturday, the Mounties only managed eight points in the final quarter and their comeback came up short against the Storm. Reardon led a balanced attack with 11 points, Bailey had 9 points on three 3s, and Abitia and McVoy-Salgado had 8 points each with the latter pulling down 6 rebounds.
NOOKSACK VALLEY (No.34, 1A) lost to Sehome on Tuesday, 58-50; to Burlington-Edison on Thursday, 55-41; and to Ferndale on Saturday, 58-46. On Tuesday, the Pioneers fell behind by double digits early and while managing to close within two in the fourth quarter, couldn’t overcome the Mariners. Senior Jayden Anderson led the Pioneers with 14 points thanks to four 3-pointers, Wichers had 13 points and 6 rebounds, and senior Crew Bauman had 6 points. On Thursday, the Pioneers gave up 26 points in the first quarter and despite outscoring the Tigers the rest of the way couldn’t close the gap enough. Anderson, Wichers and senior Brian Leyerly had 7 points each with Leyerly also collecting 9 rebounds, senior Weston Silves had 6 points, and Bauman had 6 steals, 4 rebounds, and 3 blocked shots. On Saturday, the Pioneers were cold from outside making only one of 12 3-pointers and couldn’t bring down the Golden Eagles. Wichers had 17 points and 6 rebounds; Bauman had 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 steals, and Anderson and Leyerly had 6 points each. For the story and photos from Saturday’s game, click on Nooksack Valley Boys.
NOTE: A big thank you to the coaches and Tyler Anderson of WhatcomPreps.com for providing statistics. For a look at NWC boys highlights, check out Ted House’s Northwest Conference Basketball Report.
WEEK 7
TOP GAME
Things are starting to warm up in the Northwest Conference and some of the hottest teams in the league are facing off this week. Sehome is at Lynden in a battle of 2A contenders on Wednesday, and Squalicum travels to Lynden Christian in another big contest. The 1As also begin their round-robin schedule with Nooksack Valley at Meridian on Monday, Mount Baker at LC on Tuesday, and Nooksack Valley at Blaine on Thursday.
SCHEDULE
Monday, Jan 12: Mount Vernon at Squalicum, Nooksack Valley at Meridian, Bellingham at Lakewood
Tuesday, Jan. 13: Mount Baker at Lynden Christian, Blaine at Anacortes
Wednesday, Jan. 14: Sehome at Lynden, Sedro-Woolley at Ferndale
Thursday, Jan. 15: Oak Harbor at Meridian, Nooksack Valley at Blaine, Lummi Nation at Cedar Park Christian (Lynnwood)
Friday, Jan. 16: Ferndale at Bellingham, Lynden at Burlington-Edison, Sehome at Lakewood
Saturday, Jan. 17: Squalicum at Lynden Christian, Anacortes at Mount Baker, Lummi Nation at Orcas Island
NORTHWEST CONFERENCE
| League | Overall | |||
| W | L | W | L | |
| Lynden Christian | 7 | 0 | 12 | 1 |
| Anacortes | 6 | 1 | 10 | 1 |
| Burlington-Edison | 5 | 1 | 9 | 2 |
| Lakewood* | 5 | 1 | 7 | 2 |
| Lynden | 5 | 2 | 8 | 5 |
| Sehome | 5 | 2 | 8 | 4 |
| Sedro-Woolley | 4 | 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Squalicum | 4 | 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Ferndale | 2 | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| Meridian | 2 | 4 | 4 | 7 |
| Mount Vernon | 2 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
| Bellingham | 2 | 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Blaine | 2 | 5 | 4 | 8 |
| Oak Harbor | 1 | 5 | 3 | 9 |
| Mount Baker | 1 | 6 | 3 | 7 |
| Nooksack Valley | 0 | 7 | 4 | 8 |
NORTHWEST 1B LEAGUE
| League | Overall | |||
| W | L | W | L | |
| Lummi Nation* | 4 | 0 | 11 | 1 |
| Grace Academy | 3 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| Tulalip Heritage | 2 | 1 | 9 | 2 |
| Providence Classical Christian | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Cedar Park Christian (Lynnwood) | 2 | 4 | 3 | 6 |
| Shoreline Christian | 2 | 4 | 3 | 5 |
| Lopez Island | 1 | 4 | 2 | 6 |
* Does not include non-league tie.
