The Upstate 20 & Weekly All-Upstate (Class B)

THE UPSTATE 20, comprehensive team rankings for all areas of the Empire State north of NYC, is back for a new installment. Not only are we well into the dog days of winter, it’s crossed into what I call the “wild card weeks” – a two-week span of late January/early February that tend to bring a few results that just don’t make sense. Never know what you’re going to get this time of year. Who is maintaining their daily approach to development & consistency?

Current rankings, Class B notes, and more:

*** Note: I will include this prior to every ranking list for every class because it’ll always be someone’s first time reading the EST class rankings. All NYSPHSAA & non-NYSPHSAA ‘Federation’ schools north of NYC & Long Island are considered. Also, it isn’t called ‘The Upstate 20 and some more’ so I don’t include an honorable mention list, but approximately 35 teams are currently under consideration for this class. ***

Susquehanna Valley has been in the market for a true signature win. They almost had it at Marcellus a few weeks ago but fell just short. Mission accomplished on Saturday as *Ava Kariam* & the Sabers knocked off previously top-ranked Hornell.

1.) Marcellus (3)
2.) Susquehanna Valley (4)
3.) Hornell (5)
4.) Chenango Forks (4)
5.) Alexander Hamilton (1)
6.) Yonkers Montessori (1)
7.) Coxsackie-Athens (2)
8.) Mechanicville (2)
9.) Southwestern (6)
10.) Waterloo (5)
11.) Blind Brook (1)
12.) Corinth (2)
13.) Saranac (7)
14.) Voorheesville (2)
15.) Newark Valley (4)
16.) Walton/Downsville (4)
17.) Skaneateles (3)
18.) General Brown (3)
19.) Northeastern Clinton (7)
20.) Salamanca (6)

Big Jumpers: none

New Entries: Alexander Hamilton, Walton/Downsville, Skaneateles

NOTES

A lot to unpack from maybe the most impactful week in any class all season… let’s try it.
A new #1! And I had to put some real thought into it. Let’s break it down. Despite a loss to Class AAA Bishop Ludden-Grimes on Friday night that doesn’t necessarily help their case, I’ve moved Marcellus to the top spot. That’s due to their overall track record this season, including a narrow win over Susquehanna Valley in early January, who just knocked off previously top-ranked Hornell in a game I made the trip to see in person on Saturday. That said, SV has another Class B showdown against Chenango Forks on Tuesday because the hits keep on coming. If the Sabers also win that, even with the loss to Marcellus, I will likely make the flip.
A big welcome to the team I know very little about. Seriously. Google “Alexander Hamilton girls basketball” and see if you find anything. Go through the respected Section I media sources and see if any stats are reported. Their athletics X account hardly says anything about the girls’ basketball program. Hell, it even took me a while to find an IG for the team, and I can typically sniff those out in seconds. The secret of Section I… and perhaps this is how they want it. Jaya Oliva, who previously starred here before spending last season as part of a one-year talent influx at Kennedy Catholic, is back and leading the charge for a team quickly cementing itself as a real contender. A week with narrow wins over Tuckahoe and highly ranked Class B Yonkers Montessori is the loudest statement they could make.
Speaking of week-long statements that break you onto the Upstate 20, a big welcome to Grace Walley and her Walton/Downsville team. In fairness, they’ve been winning, but the schedule leading into last week wasn’t exactly challenging. They reeled off a really eye-catching 54-28 win over Unatego to start the week, then officially jumped onto the 20 with a 54-46 win over previously ranked Sidney on Thursday. Big performances in both from Grace, one of the more powerful physical presences Section IV has to offer – she’ll definitely be mentioned below.
Skaneateles also cracks the U-20 for the time being after a noteworthy OHSL vs. Frontier League win over General Brown. I’ve had them just below the 20 in recent weeks and not really sure what to do with them – no bad losses but no notable wins either, sans maybe the win over Clinton a few weeks ago. GB counts as a signature victory, so here they are.

RESULTS OF NOTE (Jan 26-Feb 1) (current U-20 Class B teams in bold)

1/27: Walton/Downsville 54, Unatego (C) 28
1/27: Northeastern Clinton 46, Moriah (C) 41
1/28: Coxsackie-Athens 67, Voorheesville 62
1/28: Alexander Hamilton 54, Tuckahoe (C) 53
1/29: Walton/Downsville 54, Sidney 46
1/30: Alexander Hamilton 58, Yonkers Montessori 48
1/30: Susquehanna Valley 57, Elmira (AAA) 55
1/30: Waterloo 46, Palmyra-Macedon (A) 38
1/30: Corinth 41, Lake George (C) 26
1/30: Bishop Ludden-Grimes (AAA) 72, Marcellus 66
1/30: Westlake (A) 46, Blind Brook 38
1/30: Holy Names (A) 75, Voorheesville 45
1/31: Susquehanna Valley 64, Hornell 50
1/31: Skaneateles 51, General Brown 49

WEEKLY ALL-UPSTATE (Jan 26-Feb 1)

Baileigh Briski (Coxsackie-Athens 2026): Back-to-back big games in the books in the midst of another pair of wins for the player that’s turned into perhaps the best to put on a Coxsackie-Athens uniform on the girls’ side. Baileigh went for 28 points times two in wins over Voorheesville & Greenville, but most notably, it was a 28 point/14 rebound/7 steal outing that led the way in Wednesday’s big clash, a 67-62 home triumph over reigning Section II Class B champion Voorheesville.

Raegan Evingham (Hornell 2027): It may have come in a rare loss against another Class B foe, but how you perform in big games against top opponents, especially at neutral sites or on the road, holds value to me. In a challenging Saturday clash in the Binghamton area against fellow state-level Class B Susquehanna Valley, Raegan was exceptional. She led the charge with 21 points, scored at all levels & did so efficiently, and had her prints on many parts of the game in an eventual 64-50 setback.

Adriana Izzo (Little Falls 2027): The last week of January was another big one for Adriana, one of the Mohawk Valley’s top players, as they worked to a 1-1 split and broke a mini-skid in what’s been a particularly challenging stretch of schedule. She averaged 20.5 PPG, 8.5 RPG, and 4 APG in a 51-47 loss at Dolgeville (20/10/4) and a big 44-42 victory over Hamilton (21/7/4).

Ava Kariam (Susquehanna Valley 2029): One of the youngest in charge in Section IV continues with a tremendous freshman campaign, and she’s been a primary engine for a Saber team that made its case very clear as one of New York’s top Class B teams over the weekend. The savvy PG started the week with a 24 point/6 rebound/7 assist performance in a comfortable win over Owego, then delivered a big-time 27 points in a tough 57-55 Friday win at Elmira. Her stat line alone wasn’t huge the following day (10 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals), but her presence was vital in keeping the waters calm while serving as opposing Hornell’s primary defensive focus in an eventual 64-50 statement win.

Grace Walley (Walton/Downsville 2027): Speaking of statements, Grace delivered her biggest week in what’s been a season of them in the midst of two big wins that got her team on the Upstate 20. The powerful & versatile 5’11” forward, whose season scoring average is up over 25 per game, averaged 31.5 PPG & 15 RPG over the league contests. That included a 33 point/18 rebound/4 steal showing in a convincing win over Unatego and a 30 point/12 rebound performance a couple nights later in a key 54-46 victory over Sidney.