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 7 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.
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.
So after six weeks, we have four of our 11 Whatcom teams ranked in the top 10 of their classifications.
Here are the boys highlights from Week 7 with the RPI rankings included:
GAME OF THE WEEK
It wasn’t as meaningful as last season’s district consolation game that was decided on a last-second shot, but Monday night’s 54-53 Nooksack Valley victory over Meridian was just as thrilling. Each team had several leads during the game with the Trojans going up by one with 50 seconds to go. But it came down to the final five seconds when the Pioneers got the ball to senior Caden Heutink, who drove to the basket and scored with a scoop shot just before the buzzer.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Senior Gannon Dykstra had 40 points for Lynden Christian on Tuesday and his younger brother, sophomore Gunnar Dykstra, tied a school record with nine 3-pointers for 27 points on Saturday. … Junior Xavier Kelley had 25 points for Sehome on Friday. … Squalicum senior Marcus Nixon had 22 points on Monday. … Junior Mantaj Singh had 17 points for Ferndale on Wednesday, and on Friday, Singh and senior Hunter Wills had 21 points each, and senior Jonah Brillowsky had 17 points. … Senior Brant Heppner had 22 points for Lynden on Wednesday. … Junior Jerome Toby had 20 points and sophomore Deandre James had 19 points for Lummi Nation on Friday, and James followed that with 17 points on Saturday. … Senior Jaeger Fyfe had 19 points for Meridian on Thursday.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
LYNDEN (RPI ranking: No. 1, 2A) defeated Sehome on Wednesday, 63-36, and Burlington-Edison on Friday, 64-40. On Wednesday, the Lions started slow but used a 20-6 second quarter to take command and pull away from the Mariners. Heppner had 22 points, three 3-pointers, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists; juniors Ty Jorgenson and Spencer Adams had 15 and 12 points, respectively, with Jorgenson adding 6 rebounds and Adams grabbing 9 boards; and sophomore Gordy Bedlington had 6 points and 5 assists. On Friday, the Lions met a team that could match them in size but Lynden still dominated the boards, 34-25, and held the Tigers to their second lowest point total of the season. Lynden used a balance attack with senior Jack Stapleton and sophomore Malachi Koenen putting up 13 points each, Heppner had 10 points, Jorgenson and freshman Jaden Navarre had 8 points each, and Adams added 6 points. Adams led the team with 7 rebounds and 7 assists, and Heppner and Koenen had 5 rebounds and 4 assists each with Koenen adding three 3-pointers and Heppner two. For the story and photos from Wednesday’s game, click on Lynden boys.
LYNDEN CHRISTIAN (No. 3, 1A) defeated Mount Baker on Tuesday, 92-40, and Squalicum on Saturday, 80-52. On Tuesday, the Lyncs put up 75 points in the first three quarters to shock the Mounties. Dykstra did most of the damage with 40 points, eight 3-pointers, 5 rebounds, 4 steals, and 4 assists, but he got plenty of help as eight of the nine Lyncs scored. Senior Luke Van Kooten and sophomore Kaden Veldman had 11 points each with Van Kooten hitting three of LC’s 17 3s and Veldman collecting 12 rebounds, 6 blocks, and 4 assists. Junior Boyce Robertson had 9 points, 5 steals, and 4 assists, and sophomore Gunnar Dykstra had 8 points and 5 assists. On Saturday, the Lyncs took advantage of Gunnar Dykstra’s school record-tying nine 3-pointers and a Storm squad missing several key players because of illness to overcome Squalicum. Gunnar finished with 27 points; Gannon had 18 points, 5 assists, 4 steals, and 4 rebounds; Van Kooten and Veldman added 12 points each with Van Kooten hitting two 3s and collecting 4 assists and 3 steals, and Veldman pulling down 11 rebounds. Sophomore Dawson Hintz led LC with 6 assists, and Robertson had 6 rebounds and 4 assists.For the story and photos from Saturday’s game, click on Lynden Christian boys.
NOOKSACK VALLEY (No. 18, 1A) raised its winning streak to four in a row by beating Meridian on Monday, 54-53, and Blaine on Thursday, 67-35. On Monday, Heutink scored on a layup just before the buzzer to give the Pioneers the thrilling victory. Senior Tristan Kamphouse led the Pioneers with 12 points, senior Brady Ackerman finished with 11 points, Heutink had 10 points, and junior Owen Wichers came off the bench to score 9 points. On Thursday, the Pioneers had their highest scoring night of the season while holding Blaine to single digits in three of the four quarters. Ackerman led the scoring barrage with 12 points, Heutink had 11 points, Kamphouse and junior Cole Coppinger had 10 points each, junior Jayden Anderson had 7 points, and senior Corey Olney and sophomore Dane Ackerman had 6 points each. For the story and photos from Monday’s game, click on Nooksack Valley boys.
FERNDALE (No. 38, 3A) lost to Sedro-Woolley on Wednesday, 59-48, but came back to beat Bellingham on Friday, 87-49. On Wednesday, the Golden Eagles held the Cubs to five points in the second quarter to take a five-point lead at the break but couldn’t slow down Sedro in the second half. Singh had 17 points, Wills had 13 points, and senior Jonah Brillowsky had 8 points and a pair of 3-pointers. On Friday, the Golden Eagles scored the game’s first 15 points on the way to their highest point total of the season. In addition to his 21 points, Wills had 10 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals. Singh contributed 21 points; Brillowsky had 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists; senior Tushraj Grewall had 11 points; and junior Kaveer Dhillon had 6 points.
MERIDIAN (No. 9, 1A) lost to Nooksack Valley on Monday, 54-53, and slipped past Oak Harbor on Thursday, 64-62. In Monday’s back-and-forth battle, the Trojans scored six straight points in the last minute to go up by one only to give up a bucket at the buzzer. Sophomore Trey Alexander led Meridian with 13 points, senior Talon Jenkins and Jaeger Fyfe had 12 points each, and senior James Hedahl added 7 points. On Thursday, the Trojans were on the other side of an exciting ending when Oak Harbor’s 3-point attempt went in just after the final buzzer allowing Meridian to avoid the major upset. Fyfe had 19 points, Hedahl had 14 points, Jenkins had 12 points, and sophomore Pierce Brzozowski and Alexander added 8 and 7 points, respectively. For the story and photos from Monday’s game, click on Meridian boys.
BLAINE (No. 46, 1A) lost to Anacortes on Tuesday, 67-37, and to Nooksack Valley on Thursday, 76-35. On Tuesday, the Borderites fell behind by 14 after the first quarter and couldn’t make up the difference. Senior Josiah Weeda had 10 points and senior Dulio Kanagie had 6 points and 5 rebounds. On Thursday, the Borderites were down by 19 at intermission and could only put up 15 points in the second half against the red-hot Pioneers. Weeda led Blaine with 12 points, and Kanagie and junior Milo Dahl had 10 points each.
BELLINGHAM (No. 22, 2A) lost to Lakewood on Monday, 70-35, and to Ferndale on Friday, 87-49. On Monday, the Bayhawks were down by 14 in the first quarter and then outscored, 22-2, in the second quarter in the loss to the Seahawks. Seniors Gabe Van Hofwegen and Harmon Wienkers and sophomore Calvin Van Hofwegen each had 6 points with the younger Van Hofwegen adding 3 assists, and senior Kincade VanHouten and junior Joe Harward pulled down 6 rebounds each. On Friday, the Bayhawks were down by 19 after the first quarter after only managed one field goal and never got back in the game against the Golden Eagles. Harward led Bellingham with 15 points and 4 steals, Gabe Van Hofwegen had 11 points, and VanHouten had 10 points and 5 rebounds.
LUMMI NATION (No. 10, 1B) lost to Tulalip Heritage on Friday, 68-63, and bounced back to defeat Orcas Island on Saturday, 63-29. In Friday’s much-anticipated battle for first place, the visiting Blackhawks surrendered a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter in losing to their rivals. Toby had 20 points, 5 steals, and 4 assists, and James added 16 rebounds to his 19 points. Sophomore Landon LaFontaine had three 3-pointers and 11 points, and sophomore Dyson Edwards added 8 points. On Saturday, the Blackhawks didn’t waste any time getting back on track with an 18-4 first quarter and an easy non-league victory. James led Lummi with 17 points, Edwards had 11 points, Toby had 9 points, senior RayShawn Bob had 9 points, and Karson Revey had 6 points. Lummi Nation also had Tuesday’s game against Providence Classical Christian rescheduled for Jan. 27 and its Thursday game against Shoreline Christian canceled.
MOUNT BAKER (No. 27, 1A) lost to Lynden Christian on Tuesday, 92-40, and to Anacortes on Saturday, 60-45 On Tuesday, the Mounties only managed 18 points by halftime and by then were looking at a 34-point deficit against the Lyncs. Senior Luke Smith had 14 points and 7 rebounds, and junior Carter Hill had 10 points, but the only other Mountie with more than four points was sophomore Kell Reardon with 6 points. On Saturday, the Mounties fell behind by 14 at the half and despite playing the favored Seahawks even in the second half couldn’t make up any ground. Reardon led Mount Baker with 12 points, Hill had 10 points on three 3-pointers, and senior Christopher Armbright had 8 points with two more 3s.
SEHOME (No. 40, 2A) lost to Lynden on Wednesday, 63-36, and to Lakewood on Friday, 54-50. On Wednesday, the Mariners led by one after the first quarter but only scored 25 points the rest of the way and were worn down by the taller Lions. Junior Cole Turrell, who at 6-2 was called to bang inside with Lynden’s big men, had 16 points and 4 rebounds; junior Nolan Wright had 11 points; and Kelley pulled down 16 rebounds. On Friday, the Mariners rallied in the fourth quarter but came up short. Kelley led the Mariners with 25 points, Wright had 10 points, and Turrell had 8 points. For the story and photos from Wednesday’s game, click on Sehome boys.
SQUALICUM (No. 28, 2A) fell to Mount Vernon in overtime on Monday, 67-66, and to Lynden Christian on Saturday, 80-52. On Monday, the Storm lost a 14-point lead in the second half and then lost the game in OT when a Mount Vernon 3-pointer bounced around before falling through at the buzzer. Nixon had 22 points and three 3-pointers, sophomore Hunter Calloway had 12 points, senior Jaxon Hofer had 10 points, and junior Laki Fagaautau had 9 points, 12 rebounds and 3 steals. On Saturday with much of the team dealing with sickness, the Storm were forced to bring up JV and C team players and were no match for the Lyncs. Sophomore Blake Elston had a team-high 14 points; sophomore Orion Granberg-Kiddle, who was brought up from JV, added 10 points; Hofer had 9 points on a trio of 3-pointers; and senior Ty Hoffman and Calloway had 6 points each. For the story and photos from Saturday’s game, click on Squalicum 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 8
TOP GAME
It’s Lynden Christian and Lynden’s turn for a rough league week. The Lyncs host Anacortes on Wednesday and then host Nooksack Valley on Friday for a key Class 1A contest. The Lions take on King’s as part of the King Showcase tournament in Seattle on Monday, then visit Meridian in another NWC showdown on Tuesday.
SCHEDULE
Monday, Jan. 20: King’s vs. Lynden in King Showcase (Seattle), Mount Vernon at Bellingham, Blaine at Oak Harbor, Lummi Nation at Lopez Island
Tuesday, Jan. 21: Lynden at Meridian, Sehome at Ferndale, Squalicum at Sedro-Woolley
Wednesday, Jan. 22: Anacortes at Lynden Christian, Lakewood at Lummi Nation, Nooksack Valley at Mount Baker
Thursday, Jan. 23: Sehome at Mount Vernon, Lynden at Blaine, Bellingham at Sedro-Woolley
Friday, Jan. 24: Anacortes at Squalicum, Nooksack Valley at Lynden Christian, Oak Harbor at Mount Baker, Grace Academy at Lummi Nation
Saturday, Jan. 25: Ferndale at Burlington-Edison, Blaine at Bear Creek
NORTHWEST CONFERENCE
| League | Overall | |||
| W | L | W | L | |
| Lynden | 9 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Lynden Christian | 9 | 0 | 14 | 1 |
| Anacortes | 7 | 2 | 11 | 2 |
| Lakewood | 7 | 2 | 10 | 4 |
| Meridian | 6 | 4 | 10 | 4 |
| Sedro-Woolley | 6 | 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Bellingham | 5 | 4 | 7 | 7 |
| Ferndale | 5 | 4 | 7 | 7 |
| Burlington-Edison | 4 | 5 | 9 | 5 |
| Nooksack Valley | 4 | 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Mount Vernon | 3 | 6 | 6 | 8 |
| Mount Baker | 2 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Sehome | 2 | 7 | 4 | 10 |
| Squalicum | 2 | 7 | 6 | 8 |
| Oak Harbor | 1 | 8 | 2 | 11 |
| Blaine | 0 | 9 | 3 | 10 |
NORTHWEST 1B LEAGUE
| League | Overall | |||
| W | L | W | L | |
| Tulalip Heritage | 8 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Lummi Nation | 4 | 1 | 13 | 2 |
| Grace Academy | 4 | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| Providence Classical Christian | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Lopez Island | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Cedar Park Christian (Lynnwood) | 2 | 4 | 4 | 10 |
| Shoreline Christian | 0 | 6 | 1 | 8 |
