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YAIAA boys' basketball power rankings, Jan. 20


We had at least one first this week: previously unbeaten South Western dropped its first game of the season, a 56-47 defeat at Northeastern. But would that be enough to drop the Mustangs from their perch atop the power rankings? And would the Bobcats' big win be enough to push them into the top five?

Check out the jump to find out. Last week's rankings here.

1. South Western (1) -- Mustangs (16-1) suffered their first loss of the season this week, but their body of work keeps them at No. 1. South Western did post a solid bounce-back effort against New Oxford on Wednesday, a win highlighted by a well-deserved scoring milestone for standout junior Parker Bean. The forward scored his 1,000th career point, becoming just the fifth boys' player in his school's history to reach the mark. He has a good chance to pass the school's all-time scoring leader, Chad Tipton (1,574), by the time he's done. In the meantime, the Mustangs would settle for a few more productive outings from Bean next week, which will feature a trip to Spring Grove and a much-anticipated rematch at home with William Penn.

2. York Suburban (2) -- The Trojans (13-3) continue to roll behind the play of Ted Hinnenkamp (21.6 ppg) and an improving core of players around him. Hinnenkamp has topped 20 points in each of his last games, while Evan Eberhardinger (12.3 ppg) continues to be a solid second scoring option. Suburban has won eight in a row since a narrow loss to South Western on Dec. 29. A critical game against Bermudian Springs looms next Friday; that one may end up deciding the Division III title.

3. William Penn (5) -- The Bearcats (10-4) have righted the ship the last two weeks; they’ve won four straight since a three-game skid. Just as important, they've shown an ability the last few nights to grind out games in the second half, a trait that could prove important come the postseason. Even with its offensive weapons, William Penn isn't going to blow teams out every night.

T-4. Dover (3) --The Eagles (11-5) actually played well in their loss at William Penn on Wednesday. That defeat snapped a six-game winning streak, and momentarily drops them back into a tie with Northeastern. Jerell Figueroa didn't have his best shooting game Wednesday, but he has been among the league's most consistent gunners all season. His 47 3-pointers this season are the second most in the YAIAA, behind only Central York's Tremaine Bowman (50).

T-4. Northeastern (NR) -- That three-loss start to the season is history. The Bobcats (9-4) have won nine of their last 10 to surge into a tie for first in Division II with Dover. Defense has been the theme lately; Northeastern has held three of its last four opponents under 50 points, a stretch that not coincidentally has produced a four-game winning streak. Big matchup on tap for Friday, when the Bobcats host William Penn.

5. Bermudian Springs (NR) -- How historic of a week has it been for this program? Bermudian had not beaten York Catholic and Delone Catholic in 17 and 21 years, respectively. The Eagles (12-3) beat them both in a span of three days to keep pace with Suburban in Division III. There's nothing that jumps out at you about his team; they have no players taller than 6-1, and their leading scorer, Aaron Huntington, in averaging 10.6 points. But Bermudian uses a 10-deep lineup to wreak havoc on defense (YAIAA-best 43.4 ppg allowed) and wear teams down. Definitely one of the feel-good stories of the season so far.

In the hunt (alphabetical order): Central York (9-6), Dallastown (9-6), Delone Catholic (9-6), Hanover (7-5), New Oxford (8-6), West York (7-7), York Catholic (9-4)