By Sonny Jones
We’re three weeks away from the end of high school basketball’s regular season and another week for conference tournaments before the N.C. High School Athletic Association releases its state playoff brackets on Feb. 18.
Here’s how Bladen County varsity teams rank in the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) as of Sunday night. It’s the formula the state uses to help with playoff seeding and first-round pairings. The formula includes a teams winning percentage, the winning percentage of opponents and the winning percentage of opponents’ opponents.
EAST BLADEN BOYS
Record: 13-3 overall, 5-1 conference
Current RPI: 0.568601; Last week: 0.57304
Current Seed: 12; Last week: 12; Two weeks ago: 9
This Week: Tuesday home vs. Midway (10-6, 2-4 SAC); Thursday at Clinton (3-12, 0-6 SAC)
Outlook: The Eagles will qualify for the state playoffs. They could lose their final six regular season games, which they won’t, and still have a winning record. The only question is whether East Bladen gets in as Southeastern Athletic Conference champion and assured of at least two home games or qualify based on RPI and uncertainly about playing at least one playoff game at home.
WEST BLADEN BOYS
Record: 12-6 overall, 3-3 conference
Current RPI: 0.538201; Last week: 0.540927
Current Seed: 17; Last week: 14; Two weeks ago: 13
This Week: Tuesday home vs. Clinton (3-12, 0-6 SAC)
Outlook: The Knights are in position to get a playoff seed in the high teens to lows 20s. That would be much better than last season’s No. 31 seed when it forced West Bladen to play at No. 2 Kinston. This current Knights team is good and the future is bright for this young squad.
EAST BLADEN GIRLS
Record: 11-5 overall, 3-3 conference
Current RPI: 0.559972; Last week: 0.586627
Current Seed: 14; Last week: 11; Two weeks ago: 9
This Week: Tuesday home vs. Midway (10-6, 3-3 SAC); Thursday at Clinton (7-8, 0-6 SAC)
Outlook: The Eagles’ RPI has taken a hit during their current three-game losing. It’s means a first-round home game will be tough to come by, but East Bladen will be in the playoffs, likely in the mid-teens to low 20s by the time the NCHSAA pairings are released.
WEST BLADEN GIRLS
Record: 8-7 overall, 1-5 conference
Current RPI: 0.479629; Last week: 0.490993
Current Seed: 27; Last week: 23; Two weeks ago: 21
This Week: Tuesday home vs. Clinton (7-8, 0-6 SAC)
Outlook: The Knights’ current six-game losing streak have them on the playoff bubble. A win against Clinton on Tuesday will get West Bladen back on track, but it will need another win to get to 10 and feel more comfortable qualifying for a state playoff bid. It also will depend on how other teams from, say, No. 25 to No. 35 RPI perform down the stretch.
Here is the RPI for other Southeastern Athletic Conference teams as of Tuesday morning:
BOYS (Last week)
13. St. Pauls (15)
18. Red Springs (19)
28. Midway (27)
31. Fairmont (26)
47. Clinton (48)
GIRLS (Last week)
4. St. Pauls (4)
5. Fairmont (5)
18. Midway (20)
21. Red Springs (21)
37. Clinton (34)
TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
• 2015 — Klay Thompson sets an NBA record for the most points in a quarter, a 37-point third period that powers the Golden State Warriors to a 126-101 victory over the Sacramento Kings. Thompson makes all 13 shots and finishes with a career-high 52 points.
POTATO PICKS TO WATCH TODAY
• TENNIS: Australian Open (taped), 2 p.m., ESPN2
• SOCCER: Tottenham Hotspur at Fulham, 3 p.m., USA
• BASKETBALL: Duke at Virginia Tech, 7 p.m., ESPN
• NBA: Atlanta at Chicago, 8 p.m., NBATV
• TENNIS: Australian Open, 9 p.m., ESPN2
• NBA: Memphis at Sacramento, 10:30 p.m., NBATV
Sonny Jones can be reached at wibbyj@gmail.com.
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