The News-Gazette's final boys' basketball Top 10: Rockets make history, blast to top

Apr. 25—1. Unity

➜ 34-3

➜ No. 2

➜ The best season in Unity boys' basketball history featured a Rockets-record 34 wins and a program-best third-place finish at the Class 2A state tournament, a stage where seniors Coleton Langendorf and Dane Eisenmenger both reached 1,000 career points.

2. LeRoy

➜ 32-3

➜ No. 3

➜ For the second straight season, the Panthers reached the Elite Eight in Class 1A with another sectional championship. They caught everyone off guard last year, but with returning All-State talents Sam Edmundson and Brycen Umstattd, this success came as no surprise.

3. Westville

➜ 31-1

➜ No. 1

➜ A perfect 31-0 regular season for the Tigers was spoiled by a Class 2A regional semifinal exit, but that doesn't take away what Easton Barney, Aiden White, Matthew Darling and Co. were able to accomplish this year. Still one of the best seasons in school history.

4. Centennial

➜ 18-15

➜ No. 6

➜ In just his second year at the helm of the program, coach Roderick Hutchison led the Chargers to a Class 3A regional title. All season long, the senior trio of Sherrod Clark, Isaiah Allen and J.J. Lewandowski paved the way, and their efforts paid off in March.

5. Tuscola

➜ 28-7

➜ No. 7

➜ The Warriors kept it rolling after graduating their big three, as senior All-State guard Logan Kurtz led them to a fifth consecutive Class 1A regional championship. At it for almost a decade, coach Justin Bozarth has built a program with a successful reputation.

6. Mahomet-Seymour

➜ 19-8

➜ : No. 5

➜ : Senior guard Jackson Bohm had himself a year, carrying the Bulldogs to a Class 3A regional championship appearance while earning All-State First-Team honors as well as the title of The News-Gazette's All-Area Player of the Year. He'll be tough to replace.

7. St. Joseph-Ogden

➜ 20-12

➜ No. 9

➜ The Spartans had a bit of an inconsistent campaign despite getting great seasons from Parker Fitch and Nolan Franzen. This is now the second straight year SJ-O has fallen short of a regional title in Class 2A, but you better believe coach Kiel Duval will get his team back.

8. Ridgeview

➜ : 23-10

➜ Not ranked

➜ Behind an All-State season by Cole Kennedy, the Mustangs had a solid regular season and jumped all over their opportunity in the postseason. They beat Lexington by one point in the Class 1A regional final before falling in the sectional semifinals to Unity Christian.