A new top-ranked girls’ team highlights Charlotte Observer’s Sweet 16 basketball polls
Ardrey Kell came very close to upsetting Myers Park, the top-ranked team in The Charlotte Observer’s Sweet 16 poll, in the SoMECK conference championship game Friday.
After a close loss to the nationally-ranked Mustangs, Ardrey Kell moves into The Observer’s Sweet 16 this week. The Knights are in at No. 16.
The Sweet 16, which began in the 1984-85 season, ranks the top teams in the media company’s coverage area, which includes schools in the following counties: Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Gaston, Iredell, Lancaster, Lincoln, Union and York.
Rankings are based on strength of schedule, strength of a classification, team success within that classification and head-to-head competition between teams ranked in the Sweet 16. It does not consider how ranked teams would fare against each other — or other unranked teams — unless those teams actually meet.
The Sweet 16 champions, named at the end of the season, receive a banner to hang in the school’s gym.
▪ Davidson Day’s boys jump from No. 13 to No. 7 after winning the N.C. Independent Schools’ 2A state championship.
▪ In the girls’ poll, Concord’s J.M. Robinson returns at No. 16 and Mallard Creek returns to No. 1. The Mavericks, who won the Queen City 3A/4A tournament championship, started the season No. 1 in The Sweet 16.
