Basketball: VivaLoudoun/Loudoun Times-Mirror Top 5 Hoops Poll

Well most teams have gone 12 days with just one game! Thus the poll has been in hibernation but lets get this baby out before Mother Nature spews more wintery woe our way.

Feb. 4, 2010 Poll:

Boys Top 5
1. Broad Run (17-1)
If Broad Run coach John Costello had an assistant coach named Abbott ... then headline writers everywhere would be happy
2. Potomac Falls (15-2)
Ranking a Jeff Hawes team No. 2 is a bit like tugging on Superman's cape
3. Stone Bridge (12-5)
Stone Bridge senior Sam Tripp is a shot blocker by night ... and by day, of course, he's a Daytripper
4. Loudoun Valley (8-8)
The Vikes lose and move up ... the VivaLoudoun fox sent LTM sports editor Carl Lukat's coffee out for testing and it came back mostly Sumatra blend with traces of newspaper ink
5. Briar Woods (7-9), Loudoun County (9-9) and Park View (10-8)
The Skinny: No we didn't use a dart board but Briar Woods is playing well and split with County this year and County just beat Park View which was No. 4 and earlier this year Valley beat Park View and County ... oh heck, Carl, pass your coffee over here!

Girls Top 5
1. Loudoun County (15-2)
The Skinny: Raider coach Kevin Reed rewrote Dale Carnegie's book into "How to Win Games and Influence Officials" ... we hope he doesn't throw the book at us for that joke
2. Freedom (13-4)
The Skinny: We love the Eagles because they have a AAA-caliber schedule and NBA-caliber stat crew!
3. Loudoun Valley (11-5)
The Skinny: Is it just us or is there a great athlete named Oden at Valley just about every year. You could say we are Chrystal-clear on that fact
4. Stone Bridge (11-6)
The Skinny: When you go to a Bulldog girls game there is usually Prince working the snackbar, a Prince in the broadcast booth and two Prince's on the court - talk about your principalities
5. Broad Run (9-7) and Potomac Falls (10-5)
The Skinny: We would ask BR coach Mike O'Hara to change his name to O'Hare so we could joke about his team flying under the radar but man that is way too much work. You could say that even before Facebook and Twitter that PF coach Lynn Ewald was living ... in a "Ewald" ... but honestly, we wouldn't advise saying it

What do you think? Got a Better Pun than Us? Post a comment below! First person to post a comment will receive the keys to VivaLoudoun.com Township ... if we had a township!




Previous Polls

Jan. 24, 2010 Poll:

Boys Top 5
1. Potomac Falls (15-1)
The last time Potomac Falls broke into the Washington Post Top 20 ... wait, was there a last time? Panthers having a historic run. And next year they could be even better!
2. Broad Run (16-1)
The Skinny: We vow to say at least once on the air this Friday for the Verizon FiOS1 local sports telecast at Broad Run "Zafar ... so good."
3. Stone Bridge (11-5)
The Skinny: What can Brown do for you? Help your team to one of the best start's in school history.
4. Park View (10-7)
The Skinny: Brandon Lee likes to run the option on the basketball floor too ... he can either run around you or over you.
5. Loudoun Valley (8-7)
The Skinny: Cedar Run District is so small they don't even have enough teams for a postseason bracket ... one win and you can qualify for regionals! 

Girls Top 5
1. Loudoun County (13-2)
The Skinny: The Raiders move into first place thanks to a missing rectangle ... that hole on the wall where this year's district title banner could go.
2. Freedom (12-4)
The Skinny: Eagles were in big foul trouble Friday vs. Raiders with three players picking up three fouls each ... in warm-ups!
3. Potomac Falls (10-4)
The Skinny: Move over Mr. Rogers ... PF coach Lynn Ewald looks great in a sweater on the sidelines and his players on the court look even better!
4. Stone Bridge (11-5)
The Skinny: Bulldogs picked up two losses last week and had to pay a higher toll to get to those away Liberty District games. Ouch.
5. Loudoun Valley (10-5)
The Skinny: Kayla Sweet for the Vikes has a ... well, "sweet" shot!

What do you think? Post a comment below! First person to post a comment would receive a VivaLoudoun t-shirt if we had t-shirts to give out but we will give you a sartorial shoutout!




Jan. 17, 2010 Poll:

Boys Top 5
1. Potomac Falls (12-1)
Jeff Hawes gave his team a choice on Saturday: take a trip to New York to catch "Les Miserables" on Broadway or play Broadway High School and make life for them "Miserables" ... of course they opted for the hoops.
2. Broad Run (14-1)
The Skinny: Spartans win 15 of 16 and the football team calls the basketball team: "those guys that lose a lot!"
3. Stone Bridge (9-4)
The Skinny: Suddenly life is "Sonny" for Coach Green and the Bulldogs in the Liberty District
4. Park View (9-5)
The Skinny: Patriots aren't sad Heritage left for Cedar Run after non-district loss to Pride Sat.
5. Loudoun Valley (7-6)
The Skinny: If team can find another 6-foot-5 player or two, then they will get "Valley of the Giants" stitched on their warm-ups.

Girls Top 5
1. Freedom (11-2)
The Skinny: Every time Dionna Scott makes an acrobatic layin we think "Great Scott!"
2. Loudoun County (11-2)
The Skinny: Raiders have been known to apply defensive pressure on teams all the way to their bus.
3. Stone Bridge (10-3)
The Skinny: The Bulldog roster reads like an Stone Bridge football game report from three years ago ... Gouveia ... Prince ... Stancik ... And over the college break, most of the big brothers were in the stands!
4. Potomac Falls (7-4)
The Skinny: We think it would be cool if Raven Short refused to speak to the media, you know, so we could say "quoth the raven nevermore".
5. Loudoun Valley (8-5)
The Skinny: If we had a nickel every time we pronounced coach Jen Piccolomini's name we would be halfway to a Venti Latte at Starbucks.




Jan. 10, 2010 Poll:

Boys Top 5
1. Potomac Falls (10-1)
The Skinny: Midseason Dulles District MVP candidate Lukas Mihailovich has Panthers rolling towards the playoffs
2. Broad Run (12-1)
The Skinny: Since John Costello took over as head coach a year ago, all the Spartans have done is win, baby, win
3. Stone Bridge (7-4)
The Skinny: Stone Bridge finally looking to punch a ticket to the Northern Region playoffs
4. Park View (8-4)
The Skinny: The Patriots only loss in the past week was a well-played game against Broad Run
5. Loudoun Valley (5-5)
The Skinny: Vikes victory over Dominion Monday keeps them in the Top 5


Girls Top 5
1. Freedom (10-2)
Does Kelsey Buchanan order a double shot at Starbucks?
2. Loudoun County (9-2)
The Skinny: Raiders develop a new rivalry with Potomac Falls
3. Stone Bridge (9-2)
The Skinny: Bulldogs beat Madison to put Liberty in a 4-way tie
4. Potomac Falls (7-3)
The Skinny: The 15-point lead vs. LC in Leesburg Monday answered that question: Are the Panthers for real?
5. Loudoun Valley (7-3)
The Skinny: Vikes on a 4-game roll to claim No. 5 all alone

Jan. 3, 2010 Poll:

Boys Top 5
1. Potomac Falls (7-1)
The Skinny: Panthers got in some good scouting at the Leesburg Honda Holiday Tournament and then shook the rust with a win over George Mason on Saturday
2. Broad Run (9-1)
The Skinny: Spartans ran the field at the Leesburg Honda Holiday Tournament with wins over Dominion, Loudoun Valley and Stone Bridge
3. Stone Bridge (5-3)
The Skinny: Bulldogs break the tie for third with win over Vikes in holiday tournament.
4. Loudoun Valley (4-3)
The Skinny: Vikes dropped two of three in holiday tournament
5. Park View (5-3)
The Skinny: A pair of wins in their own holiday tournament break the Pats into the poll for the first time.
Others with votes: Loudoun County (5-4)

Girls Top 5
1. Freedom (7-2)
The Skinny: Eagles with back-to-back losses at Bulldog Bash but hang onto top spot
2. Loudoun County (7-2)
The Skinny: Raiders lost to Edison in Chantilly tournament but won two other games
3. Stone Bridge (7-1)
The Skinny: Bulldogs impressed with three wins at Leesburg Honda Holiday Tournament to move past Potomac Falls
4. Potomac Falls (5-2)
The Skinny: Not playing cost the Panthers a spot in the poll as they slipped behind hot Dawgs
t5. Broad Run (5-4)
The Skinny: Spartans go 1-2 in holiday tournament but still climb into the poll
t5. Loudoun Valley (4-3)
The Skinny: Vikes impressed in win over Broad Run to tie Spartans in poll for fifth as Briar Woods, going 0-2 in own holiday tournament, falls out of poll

VivaLoudoun and Loudoun Times-Mirror Team Up to Launch Top 5 Hoops Poll
(Dec. 23, 2009) - VivaLoudoun.com editor Dan Sousa and Loudoun Times-Mirror sports editor Carl Lukat have teamed up to launch a Top 5 Hoops Poll that will rank the top boys and girls basketball teams each week in Loudoun.

Here are the results for the first week of the poll:

Boys Top 5
1. Potomac Falls (6-1)
The Skinny: Panthers beat Broad Run on buzzer beater to claim top spot
2. Broad Run (6-1)
The Skinny: Spartans have wins over Valley, Stone Bridge
t3. Loudoun Valley (3-1)
The Skinny: Vikes can lay claim to top spot with win over PF
t3. Stone Bridge (3-2)
The Skinny: Bulldogs fell to PF in triple overtime
5. Briar Woods (4-3)
The Skinny: Win over Dominion puts Falcons on radar


Girls Top 5
1. Freedom (5-0)
The Skinny: Eagles with early win over Raiders
2. Loudoun County (5-1)
The Skinny: Only LC loss is to Freedom
3. Potomac Falls (5-2)
The Skinny: Panthers have wins over SB, BW
4. Stone Bridge (4-1)
The Skinny: SB's only loss to PF
5. Briar Woods (4-2)
The Skinny: Falcons loss to PF came without Kim Bell


What do you think? Post a comment below!