Basketball Race has New Faces On Top

Friday night Nash Central's overtime victory over Rocky Mount has two new teams at the top of the standing as the second lap in conference play is made. Hunt's only lost is to Nash Central leads the pack with two weeks to go with a 5-1 mark.

Nash Central who lost one game like most teams to the weather has five conference games to play in the next two weeks find themselves on a four game conference win streak and in second place with a 4-1 mark.

The defending state champs the Gryphons of Rocky Mount have lost four times since mid December and three by tip ins or buzzer beaters. They find themselves in third place at 3-2 and both conference losses by one point to the top two teams.

The surprise team of all of them has been Southern Nash who has a break even record at 3-3. This is the first time the Firebirds have been competitive in boys basketball since the Nash County schools all went together to be in the same conference.

You would have thought that Northern Nash was ready to make their bid for the top spot in the Big East after clipping Rocky Mount in the Holiday Basketball Tournament but it hasn't happen as they stand at 1-4 in the league.

Most years you look towards the top of the standings and Fike is either at the top or pushing the top team. This year basketball has joined their football program at the bottom of the heap at 0-5.

By weeks end we will know a lot about who is for real and who are the dreamers in this basketball season. League Leader Hunt starts off Monday Hosting non conference Tarboro and Tuesday host Rocky Mount. They finish up the week Friday at Southern Nash.

Nash Central has three roads games starting Tuesday at Fike, Wednesday at Southern Nash and Friday at Northern Nash.

Rocky Mount begins Monday night at Fike and then at Hunt Tuesday and they come back home Friday to play Fike a second time this week.

Basketball is a game once the playoffs start that home games can pull a team through to victory where any other sports being at home is no great advantage. Rocky Mount saw that last year in home games crowds helped get them to the East Regional. The only team that can count on the first two playoff games at home is the #1 seed if they win the first one. Everybody else will play on the road where it is not easy by second round.

This is a huge week in Big East boys basketball.

While the boys struggle with each other the girls have got to find someone that can compete with Rocky Mount or the Title could be decided even before the last week gets here. They like their boys counterparts will have three chances for victory this week and if Rocky Mount wins all three will be in the drivers seat for the title.