by Rusty Ellis

The January 17 edition of the UC Top 5 is here, and with it comes a new face in the girls’ number-one spot, as the Cookeville Lady Cavs make their return to the top of the rankings. It’s all Cookeville at the top, as the Cavs maintain their ranking after another undefeated week.

The Top 5 is revealed every week on the UCR Basketball Coaches Show, presented by Fire & Vine.

Complete rankings are available BELOW:

Girls

1. Cookeville (15-3)

By virtue of their win over previous number-one York, the Lady Cavs now find themselves in the top spot. With a strong post presence in Isabel Garcia and constant improvement from players like Cara Lee Gilbert, Allie Gillies and Charlie Roby, it’s going to be hard for anyone to knock the Lady Cavs from this perch, especially when you factor in Cookeville’s district and their likeliness to dominate it.

2. Upperman (18-2)

The Lady Bees are one of the teams that has the best shot to potentially force their way to the top spot, but they end up in the number-two spot after another week of taking care of business. Taylor Dolente is making the jump to stardom, and it appears that Gracie Butler has found her groove again. The latest development has been Bella Stiles providing a good presence in the paint, which the Lady Bees will need in their upcoming 7-3A matchups.

3. York (13-5)

York falls to third overall after a 1-2 week that saw them fall in tough games to Cookeville and Bearden. Certainly not bad losses by any stretch of the imagination, the Dragonettes should be able to rebound and pick up some steam in district play. There were bright spots last week, like they got good games out of Raylee Werner and Emma Cooper in a win over Jackson County. If those two maintain that level of play, it’s a fearsome big three forming with those two and star Reese Beaty.

4. Pickett County (13-2)

The Lady Bobcats are on a roll, as winners of nine in a row and their first two in district play. They’ll have to make up a game with RBS due to weather, and their game on Thursday with Clarkrange will likely be in jeopardy for the same reason, but if Pickett starts 3-0 in 7-A play, they’ll find themselves in the cat-bird seat and the one-seed will be well-within reach. Much of Pickett’s success has come from one of the deepest starting fives in the area, and Ella Kate Keisling has been on fire from three-point land lately. Couple that with how dominant this team is in the paint, and you see why they’re the favorite in this district.

5. Livingston Academy (14-6)

The Lady Wildcats rebounded nicely from a tough loss in Baxter with their win at Stone Memorial on Friday night. Ellie Butler has seen her offensive game grow in her junior season, and Mallie Carwile has added much-needed shooting to the LA starting five. There are some opportunities coming up for some bigger wins, so the Lady Wildcats could absolutely find themselves higher up on this list.

Honorable mentions: White County, Cumberland County

Boys

1. Cookeville (16-3)

The Cavaliers continued rolling with another undefeated week of their own, featuring wins over Smyrna, York Institute and Wilson Central, and it seems like Cookeville is getting better with each passing week. Jack Oakely is lighting it up from three right now, and Colin Ayers is proving to be the missing piece we all believed he was these last two years. Much like with the girls, it would take quite a bit to uproot the Cavaliers from the top spot.

2. Upperman (15-4)

The Bees are winners of four in a row, and last week saw them take care of business against Livingston, DeKalb and Franklin Classical. It’s a team with a plethora of weapons, and the standout on Saturday was Evan Huddleston, who caught fire from three in dropping 18 points to lead the team in the win. They’re 2-1 in the district, and their upcoming meeting with Sparta will likely have everyone’s attention. More on the Warriors later…

3. Stone Memorial (12-7)

Stone did a good job of bouncing back from a tough loss to Sparta last Tuesday with their Friday win over a very game Livingston Academy team, a game that showed off what the Panthers could be when they’re knocking down threes at a high rate. Cade Capps has been special, but the real key for Stone moving forward is who can provide that secondary scoring? Wyatt Grothe, Preston Mayberry and Brady Lane all could be answers, it just needs to be more consistent first.

4. Pickett County (12-4)

The Bobcats are playing some really good basketball to open district play, as they sit atop the standings with a 2-0 record after wins over Clay County and Gordonsville on the road. Jacob Amonett has become a more efficient scorer and Eli Reagan is playing some of the best ball of his career. Add in great effort and energy players in Lyric Parris and Kaiden Thomas, and you’ve got a Bobcat team that’s going to be tough to beat in district play.

5. White County (8-7)

Welcome to the Top 5, Warriors! There will be many people that see 8-7 and have a meltdown, but the underlying fact is that Sparta is playing some of their best ball right now and they’re the lone 3-0 team in district play. Tripp Pinion is healthy, and he’s forming quite the backcourt tandem with Cole Sims. Head coach Eric Mitchell and his squad are figuring things out, which is dangerous for 7-3A.

Honorable mention: Livingston Academy