Briarcrest finishes No. 1 in Memphis boys basketball rankings after TSSAA championship

The boys high school basketball season is officially over. While no Memphis teams brought back a gold ball at the DI state tournament, it was an exciting week with Ridgeway and Douglass playing for state championships. With that, here’s the final Memphis area boys basketball rankings. 

1. Briarcrest (31-4): Fred Smith led the Saints to the Division II-AA championship for program’s first state title since 2019, scoring 29 points with 12 rebounds in the win. Last ranking: No. 4.

2. Bartlett (32-5): Christian Alston scored 20 points in his final high school game, but the Panthers lost to Cookeville 41-39 on a last-second shot in the Class 4A semifinals. Last ranking: No. 1.

3. Cordova (29-4): The Wolves lost to Rossview in the sectional round 59-56 to end their season one win shy of the state tournament. Last ranking: No. 3.

4. Douglass (35-1): The Red Devils came up short in the 2A championship game to Alcoa for the second-straight season, despite a comeback effort led by junior guard Taquez Butler. Last ranking: No. 3.

5. FACS (27-3): Cello Jackson scored the game-winning basket to help the Crusaders win their second state championship in three years in DII-A. Last ranking: No. 5.

6. Olive Branch (30-5): The Conquistadors grabbed an MHSAA Class 6A state championship title over Ridgeland, winning 59-56. Last ranking: No. 8.

7. Ridgeway (27-6): Marlon McShane scored 15 points and Emanuel Allen had 11 points, 10 rebounds in the Roadrunners' 68-47 loss to Fulton to finish runner-up in 3A. Last ranking: No. 6.

8. Fayette-Ware (24-6): Tarecous Stevens had a team-high 14 points but the Wildcats lost to Fulton in the 3A quarterfinals. Last ranking: Not ranked.

9. Whitehaven (23-9): The Tigers fell to Cordova in the Region 8 semifinals 73-71 in the final game of their season. Last ranking: No. 7.

10. Memphis University School (22-6): Owen Sharp scored 10 points but the Owls were eliminated from the Division II-AA playoffs with a 64-29 loss to eventual state champion Briarcrest. Last ranking: No. 10.

Reach Wynston Wilcox at wwilcox@gannett.com and on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, @wynstonw__.