With Hutchinson's fall from the top spot in the Class 3A rankings has come Robbinsdale Cooper's rise. The No. 1-3A Hawks will have a chance to solidify their new ranking this week against No. 8-2A Minnehaha Academy on Thursday.
The Hawks have put together an impressive season so far, boasting a 4-1 record with their lone loss coming against No. 1-4A Hopkins (95-68 on Dec. 12). Their last two wins have come against top 10 teams in Class 3A — topping No. 6-3A DeLaSalle 52-48 on Dec. 9 and No. 5-3A Grand Rapids 84-69 last Friday.
Freshman Kierra Wheeler played a big role in those wins, scoring 21 points against the Islanders and 13 against the Thunderhawks.
The Redhawks started the season ranked No. 2 in Class 2A, but with two losses this season, they've slid to No. 8. If they want to claw back up in the Class 2A rankings, a win against the top Class 3A team would help.
If that’s going to happen, they’ll need a big scoring output from duo Mia Curtis and Taytum Rhoades. The two have averaged a combined 37.6 points per game this season, and they’ve each had games with at least 27 points.