5A Early Season Heat Check: Buckle Up, It's Gonna Be a Wild Ride

Alright basketball fans, KFletch here, diving headfirst into the exciting world of 5A Arkansas hoops! It's still early in the season, with some teams having played several conference games while others are just getting started due to scheduling and recent winter weather. This means some makeup games may not be reflected here, but I've done my best to gather the most up-to-date info. One thing’s for sure: the 5A conference is shaping up to be a battleground this year. I truly believe it’s one of the strongest in the state (yes, I’m biased!), and I’m expecting some serious upsets and thrilling matchups.

Now, you won't find any rankings here. That's just not my style. I'm all about looking at the big picture and analyzing the teams as a whole. So, let’s break down each region, look at the current standings, upcoming games, and throw in a few predictions for good measure (but remember, it's about the teams, not my crystal ball!).

5A South:

The South is always a gauntlet, and this year is no different. We've got new coaches, key transfers, and a whole lot of talent. I’ve personally seen six of these teams in action, and let me tell you, it's been impressive.

• Benton (3-0): The Panthers are undefeated with wins over El Dorado, White Hall, and Texarkana. They face Pine Bluff and Lake Hamilton this week, and I have them winning both.

• El Dorado (2-2): The Wildcats have wins over Pine Bluff and Texarkana, but losses to Benton and White Hall. A tough week ahead with Hot Springs and Lakeside. I’m predicting a loss to Hot Springs and a win over Lakeside.

• Hot Springs (3-0): The Trojans are off to a hot start with wins over Lakeside, Sheridan, and Lake Hamilton. They face El Dorado and Texarkana this week, and I predict they continue their winning streak.

• Lake Hamilton (3-1): The Wolves have wins over Pine Bluff, Texarkana, and Sheridan, with their only loss to Hot Springs. They face Benton this week, which I predict will be a loss.

• Lakeside (2-2): The Rams have wins over Pine Bluff and Texarkana, but fell to Hot Springs and White Hall. They face Sheridan and El Dorado this week, and I have them winning both.

• Pine Bluff (0-4): The Zebras are looking for their first win after losses to Lake Hamilton, Sheridan, El Dorado, and Lakeside. They face Benton this week, which I predict will be another loss.

• Sheridan (1-2): The Yellowjackets have a win over Pine Bluff and losses to Hot Springs and Lake Hamilton. They face Lakeside and White Hall this week, and I’m predicting two losses.

• Texarkana (0-4): The Razorbacks are still searching for their first win after losses to Lakeside, Lake Hamilton, Benton, and El Dorado. They face White Hall and Hot Springs this week, and I’m predicting two more losses.

• White Hall (2-1): The Bulldogs have wins over El Dorado and Lakeside, with their only loss to Benton. They face Texarkana and Sheridan this week, and I predict they’ll win both.

My Current South Top Four (Alphabetical Order): Benton, Hot Springs, Lake Hamilton, White Hall

5A East:

This is the region I’m least familiar with, but I’ve been doing my homework and have seen four of these teams play. There’s a ton of talent here, and many of the early losses are to other strong opponents, which I love to see!

• Batesville (0-0): The Pioneers are starting their conference schedule. They face West Memphis and Paragould this week. I predict two losses.

• Greene County Tech (1-0): The Golden Eagles have a win over Paragould. They face Searcy and Nettleton this week. I predict a win over Searcy and a loss to Nettleton.

• Marion (1-0): The Patriots have a win over West Memphis. They face Nettleton and Searcy this week, and I predict they'll win both.

• Nettleton (0-0): The Raiders are just starting conference play. They face Marion and Greene County Tech this week. I predict a loss to Marion and a win over Greene County Tech.

• Paragould (0-1): The Rams lost to Greene County Tech. They face Valley View and Batesville this week. I predict a loss to Valley View and a win over Batesville.

• Searcy (0-0): The Lions are just getting their conference schedule started. They face Greene County Tech and Marion this week, and I predict two losses.

• Valley View (0-0): The Blazers are just beginning conference play. They face Paragould and West Memphis this week. I predict they win both.

• West Memphis (0-1): The Blue Devils lost to Marion. They face Batesville and Valley View this week. I predict a win over Batesville and a loss to Valley View.

My Current East Top Four (Alphabetical Order): Marion, Nettleton, Valley View, West Memphis

5A Central:

This is my home turf! I cover this region closely and have seen all but two teams play (which I’ll remedy this week). While I think the Central might be a bit down in overall strength this year, it’s still highly competitive. With the exception of Maumelle and Catholic, every team has a new head coach, which is a huge factor.

• Beebe (0-2): The Badgers have losses to Maumelle and Greenbrier. They face Vilonia, Jacksonville, and Sylvan Hills this week and I predict three losses.

• Catholic (2-1): The Rockets have wins over Jacksonville and Vilonia, with a loss to Greenbrier. They face Sylvan Hills and LRCA this week. I predict a win over Sylvan Hills and a loss to LRCA.

• Greenbrier (2-1): The Panthers have wins over Catholic and Beebe, with a loss to LRCA. They face Jacksonville and Maumelle this week. I predict a win over Jacksonville and a loss to Maumelle.

• Jacksonville (1-2): The Titans have a win over Parkview and losses to Catholic and Maumelle. They face Greenbrier and Beebe this week. I predict a loss to Greenbrier and a win over Beebe.

• LRCA (2-0): The Warriors are undefeated with wins over Sylvan Hills and Greenbrier. They face Parkview, Vilonia, and Catholic this week. I predict wins over Parkview and Catholic and a loss to Vilonia.

• Maumelle (3-0): The Hornets are undefeated with wins over Beebe, Parkview, and Jacksonville. They face Sylvan Hills and Greenbrier this week. I predict they win both.

• Parkview (0-3): The Patriots are looking for their first win after losses to Maumelle, Jacksonville, and Sylvan Hills. They face LRCA, Vilonia and Parkview this week, I predict a loss to LRCA and Vilonia and a win over Parkview.

• Sylvan Hills (1-2): The Bears have a win over Parkview and losses to LRCA and Vilonia. They face Maumelle, Catholic and Beebe this week. I predict a loss to Maumelle, a win over Catholic and a win over Beebe.

• Vilonia (2-1): The Eagles have wins over Sylvan Hills and Beebe, with a loss to Catholic. They face Beebe, LRCA and Parkview this week. I predict wins over Beebe and LRCA and a loss to Parkview.

My Current Central Top Four (Alphabetical Order): LRCA, Greenbrier, Maumelle, Vilonia

5A West:

I've only seen three of these teams play so far, so my analysis is based on research as well. The West looks to be incredibly close this year. Early results have shown tight contests, and I expect that trend to continue.

• Alma (1-0): The Airedales have a win over Russellville. They face Greenwood and Harrison this week. I predict a win over Greenwood and a loss to Harrison.

• Farmington (1-0): The Cardinals have a win over Siloam Springs. They face Harrison and Greenwood this week. I predict a loss to Harrison and a win over Greenwood.

• Greenwood (1-0): The Bulldogs have a win over Van Buren. They face Alma and Farmington this week. I predict a loss to Alma and a loss to Farmington.

• Harrison (1-0): The Goblins have a win over Mountain Home. They face Farmington and Alma this week. I predict they win both.

• Mountain Home (0-1): The Bombers lost to Harrison. They face Siloam Springs and Van Buren this week. I predict they win both.

• Russellville (0-1): The Cyclones lost to Alma. They face Van Buren and Siloam Springs this week. I predict they win both.

• Siloam Springs (0-1): The Panthers lost to Farmington. They face Mountain Home and Russellville this week. I predict two losses.

• Van Buren (0-1): The Pointers lost to Greenwood. They face Russellville and Mountain Home this week. I predict two losses.

My Current West Top Four (Alphabetical Order): Alma, Farmington, Harrison, Russellville

Looking Ahead:

I’m incredibly excited for the rest of the season. There are so many intriguing storylines developing, and I can't wait to see how it all plays out come March. This 5A conference is packed with talent and competitive balance, and I expect plenty of surprises along the way. Stay tuned for more updates as the season progresses, and keep watch for a 5A Girls check-In hopefully tomorrow!

KFletch 🖤