BILLINGS — Here are the 2023-24 MontanaSports.com high school boys basketball power rankings for games played through Feb 17:
MTN Sports Power Rankings
Boys basketball
(Through games of Feb. 17)
Class AA
1. Bozeman (16-0)
2. Missoula Hellgate (15-1)
3. Bozeman Gallatin (13-3)
4. Billings West (9-7)
5. Butte (10-6)
Around Class AA: Entering the final week of the regular season, the Class AA field continues to look up at top-ranked and unbeaten Bozeman High, which won two more games on the road last week in Great Falls. No. 2 Hellgate and No. 3 Gallatin also held serve to maintain their positions in the rankings. Billings West rejoins to top five at No. 4, replacing Billings Skyview, which suffered a one-point loss to Belgrade last week. And Butte makes its first appearance in the rankings at No. 5 riding a four-game winning streak.
Class A
(Regular season - final)
1. Billings Central (17-1)
2. Hamilton (16-2)
3. Butte Central (15-3)
4. Lockwood (15-3)
5. Dillon (14-4)
Around Class A: In the final rankings of the Class A season, Billings Central maintained its hold on No. 1 with wins over Livingston and Class AA Billings Senior. The wins were victories 188 and 189 for Rams 12th-year coach Jim Stergar, who has surpassed Gene Espeland (186 wins) as the school's all-time winningest coach. No. 2 Hamilton, No. 3 Butte Central, No. 4 Lockwood and No. 5 Dillon were all idle last week. Unranked Browning, meanwhile, finished the regular season with a flourish on an eight-game winning streak. Divisional tournaments across Class A begin this week.
Class B
(Regular season - final)
1. Missoula Loyola (17-0)
2. Manhattan (17-1)
3. Red Lodge (16-1)
4. Malta (16-2)
5. Arlee (16-2)
6. Columbus (15-3)
7. Lodge Grass (16-3)
8. St. Labre (16-2)
9. Cut Bank (14-4)
10. Eureka (14-3)
Class C
(Regular season - final)
1. Box Elder (18-0)
2. Manhattan Christian (16-1)
3. Lustre Christian (17-1)
4. Scobey (17-1)
5. Plentywood (17-1)
6. Melstone (15-3)
7. Savage (16-2)
8. Cascade (15-2)
9. C-J-I (15-2)
10. Drummond (16-2)
