ESPN RISE

If style points count then Ames High of Iowa might be an appealing team to boys' basketball aficionados of discerning tastes.

Virginia Pilot

Oklahoma-bound Steven Pledger leads Atlantic Shores Christian (Chesapeake, Va.).

The Little Cyclones are a diverse team, comprised mainly of juniors.

They play at a pleasing up-tempo pace.

They defend (allowing only 41 points per game).

They are selfless; everybody touches the ball.

It's easy to see why Ames satisfies different needs and styles.

In Iowa, the Little Cyclones are top-ranked in Class 4A. In national circles, they are No. 13 in the ESPN RISE Midwest Region, flying fly under the radar because of strict state travel rules.

Translation: Ames doesn't travel to high-profile tournaments such as the Iolani Prep Classic (Honolulu); Beach Ball Classic (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) or City of Palms (Fort Myers, Fla.); or to events like the Prime Time Shootout (Trenton, N.J.) or Hoophall Classic (Springfield, Mass.).

"We feel like we can compete with many of the nationally ranked teams," Ames Coach Vance Downs said. "We have players here."

Next year Ames hopes to play traditional national powerhouses but until then, it eyes a state championship.

Ames is one of five teams in the ESPN RISE rankings with impressive resumes that teams should never overlook.

Five for Fighting

Provo (Utah)

Overview: The Bulldogs feature size and state tournament savvy. They are capable of squeezing opponents on defense and outthinking them on offense.

Personnel: The regular rotation has size and experience, with 6-0 guard Tanner Austin, 6-4 forward Ryan Durrant, 6-6 junior Kyle Collingsworth, 6-9 post Brandon Davies, 6-5 Scott Frandsen and 6-6 forward Beau Hunter.

Anatomy of the schedule:The holidays were bountiful for Provo as it won three games to take a tournament in Hawaii, including a 59-31 win over Konawaena (Hawaii) in the final.

Postseason: The Bulldogs are reigning Class 4A champions and is the favorite to repeat. Last year they stopped Bountiful, 45-42, in the final. Figure Provo must defeat Olympus (Salt Lake City), a powerhouse from Region 6; Mountain Crest (Hyrum); West (Salt Lake City) or Orem to secure the championship. The 4A tournament is March 3, 5, 6 and 7 at the E Center in West Valley City. Provo, the Region 7 champion, plays the Region 6 fourth-place team.

Ames (Iowa)

Overview: The Little Cyclones are a fun team, said Downs. "We like to get up and down the floor and have the people to do it." Pressure defense and a deep rotation are main reasons why they are 17-0 heading into Friday's game against Mason City.

Personnel: Barnes, a 6-6 junior guard, is an ESPNU 60 player. "Barnes may be the most promising 2-guard in the Class of 2010. There is no wasted motion to his game and his skills and athleticism are at the highest level. He possesses the prototypical frame for the 2-guard slot with long arms and overall great length that he uses well on the glass and the defensive end. Barnes is one of the smoothest shooters around," reads his ESPNU scouting report.

Barnes has been offered by several major schools including in-state schools Iowa, Iowa State and Drake. His father played at Iowa State.

Jesse Pritchard, a 6-2 shooting guard (No. 194 by ESPNU) is headed to Yale.

Anatomy of the schedule: Though Iowa has strict travel rules, Ames is making do with their Central Iowa Metro League against the likes of Marshalltown, Fort Dodge, Mason City and Indianola. Downs said quality wins include Marshalltown (twice), Urbandale and Southeast Polk.

Postseason: Last year the Little Cyclones lost in the Class 4A substates to Marshalltown, 51-50. This year it earned a first-round bye, playing the winner of Des Moines Lincoln-Fort Dodge in the semifinals. The Class 4A final is March 14 in Des Moines. If Ames gets there, many feel Linn-Mar (Marion) will be waiting. "I've heard that mentioned; people are already talking about it," Downs said.

Bellevue (Wash.)

Overview: The Wolverines (18-1), No. 43 in the ESPN RISE rankings, are one of the favorites in Washington's Class 3A have done it with offense and defense. They did not qualify for the 3A state tournament last year, so it's time for redemption. They carry a 14-game win streak into Thursday's game against Sammamish.

Personnel: Alex Schrempf, a 6-5 forward, tops the team scoring 15.4 points per game. Schrempf is one two players on the roster whose fathers played for the Seattle Supersonics, including 6-3 sophomore Nate Sikma (their fathers are Detlef Schrempf and Jack Sikma). Colton Christian, a 6-7 forward, pumps in 13.9 points and 5-11 junior Aaron Bright adds a team-best 15.4. At 6-7, Matt Olson (5.9 ppg) bolsters the frontline.

Anatomy of the schedule: Good thing O'Connor scheduled tough out of league games. The KingCo 3A is down but the Wolverines did clinch the title with a pair of wins over Mercer Island. The lone loss was to Grant (Portland, Ore.), 64-52, on Dec. 13. They also won four games to capture the MaxPreps Holiday Classic, including a 58-55 win over Eisenhower (Rialto, Calif.) in the final and a 52-43 win over Bellarmine Prep (Tacoma).

Postseason: Traditionally Washington's Class 3A features the biggest challenge. This year's bracket will likely see the Wolverines receive big tests against Franklin (Seattle), Renton and defending champion Rainier Beach (Seattle). Columbia River (Vancouver), Shadle Park (Spokane), Bainbridge, Seattle Prep and Lakes (Lakewood) will challenge. The 3A tournament is March 11-14 at the Tacoma Dome but first is the KingCo Championships (Feb. 17) followed by the Sea-King District Tournament.

Atlantic Shores Christian (Chesapeake, Va.)

Overview: The No. 41 Seahawks live on the 3-point field goal, averaging nearly 15 made per game. The up-tempo offense simply trades threes for opponent's layups. Junior Andre Dawkins' ESPNU scouting report says, "Dawkins is a big time 3-point shooter that thinks he is in range when he walks into the gym."

Personnel: At 6-5, Oklahoma-bound Steven Pledger is the No. 23 shooting guard. He averages nearly 25 points and has more than 2,000 careers points (at two schools). The 6-5 Dawkins, an ESPNU 60 player, says he'll sign with Duke and regularly scores off the dribble with slashing moves. Guard Todd Haynes (10 ppg), 6-0 junior Brandon Britt (15 ppg), guard A.J. Porterfield and 6-9 Matt McMahan complete the rotation.

Anatomy of the schedule: Coach Bruce Croxton's team has defeated several area Class AAA team such as Deep Run (Glen Allen), Green Run (Virginia Beach) and Tallwood (Virginia Beach). They also beat powerhouses Benedictine (Richmond) and Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.), which was previously ranked by ESPN RISE.

Postseason: Atlantic Shores Christian is the favorite to secure a Virginia Independent Schools, Division II championship. The Seahawks have a first-round bye but will need to win three straight, capped by the final on March 7 in Petersburg. Their main competition is Miller School (Charlottesville), Roanoke Catholic and St. Anne's-Belfield (Charlottesville).

Bearden (Knoxville, Tenn.)

Overview: The Bulldogs are an experienced, savvy team with four starters back from a team that went 33-4 and were considered a top-3 team in Tennessee's Class AAA. There's a dichotomy on this team, with the seniors playing a half-court methodical pace and the spry sophomore group on the run. Bearden, No. 14 in the Southeast Region, is 26-2. Coach Mark Blevins, 665-280 in 24 years, has more than 1,000 wins combined on the high school and college levels in basketball, softball and baseball. The Bulldogs, who have won at least 24 games for 16 of the last 17 years, need two wins in District 4-AAA play to clinch its second unbeaten district season.

Personnel: Demonte Simpson (9 ppg, 11 rpg) is 6-9, 230 pounds and getting looks from several mid-majors; 6-5 Nathan Parker tops the team in scoring (11 ppg); 6-6 Dustin Craig will play for Air Force; while sophomore point guards Dion Fair and Jaeland Lawson and senior Benji Ware orchestrate the offense.

Anatomy of the schedule: The Bulldogs have fared so-so against national powers. They took third at the Arby's Classic in Bristol, Tenn., going 3-1, but losing to Miller Grove, No. 13 in the Southeast, and No. 2 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), 96-86. OHA made 9-of-10 free throws in the last 40 seconds to ice it. They beat Austin-East (Knoxville), 109-68. A-E is Tennessee's No. 2-ranked AA team.

Postseason: The Bulldogs last went to the Class AAA state tournament in 2006 when they lost to Raleigh-Egypt (Memphis) in the quarterfinals. Memphis schools such as R-E, Melrose, Craigmont and White Station figure to reach Murfreesboro  home of the state finals  in mid-March.