With St. George's Kevin Zhong (left) in pursuit, St. Patrick's guard Jacob Matabalos surveys the scene during third-day semifinal action from the 2023 Tsumura Basketball Invitational on Friday at the Langley Events Centre. (during second-day quarterfinal action from the 2023 Tsumura Basketball Invitational on Thursday at the Langley Events Centre. Both the Saints and Celtics sit among the Top 10 teams at both the Quad-A and Triple-A tiers this week. (Photo by Ryan Molag property of Langley Events Centre 2023. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Boys Basketball

B.C. Boys Top 10 basketball rankings 01.17.24 edition: Spectrum, Lord Byng each move into No. 1 slots, while Lord Tweedsmuir and STMC enjoy this week’s healthiest climbs!

LANGLEY — The Spectrum Thunder of Saanich, and Vancouver’s Lord Byng Grey Ghosts are the new No. 1-ranked senior boys basketball teams atop the province’s two largest tiers.

The then-No. 2 Thunder topped former No. 1 Oak Bay 74-65 in Quad-A South Island league play Tuesday, while Byng’s 2-0 week coupled with former No. 1 St. Patrick’s 76-66 loss to Surrey’s Elgin Park Orcas saw the Grey Ghosts climb to the top of the Triple-A poll.

For more on the story behind the rise of Spectrum senior boys basketball, click here.

The week’s biggest climbers?

At Quad-A, Surrey’s Lord Tweedsmuir Panthers stormed the gates at the Terry Fox Legal Beagle, beating both Vancouver College (94-89) and Semiahmoo (84-71), the former knocking the Fighting Irish out of the Top 10.

At Triple-A, St. Thomas More won the first three games of its own Goulet Chancellor Memorial, including 86-79 in the semifinals against Elgin Park.

Here are the rankings at all four tiers:

BASKETBALL

TOP 10 RANKINGS

B.C. SENIOR BOYS

QUAD A

1 Spectrum Thunder (Saanich) (VI) (LW-2) 

2 West Vancouver Highlanders (VSS) (4) 

3 Oak Bay Bays (Victoria) (VI) (LW-1) 

4 Tamanawis Wildcats (Surrey) (SF) (3)

5 St. George’s Saints (Vancouver) (VSS) (5)

6 Burnaby South Rebels (FN) (6) 

7 Lord Tweedsmuir Panthers (Surrey) (SF) (NR)

8 Semiahmoo Thunderbirds (Surrey) (SF) (8)

9 Kelowna Owls (TOK) (9) 

10 Handsworth Royals (North Vancouver) (VSS) (10) 

Honourable mention — Centennial Centaurs (Coquitlam) (FN) (NR), Fleetwood Park Dragons (Surrey) (SF) (HM), Sullivan Heights Stars (Surrey (SF) (HM), Vancouver College Fighting Irish (VSS) (7), Yale Lions (Abbotsford) (EV) (HM)

Dropped out — Kitsilano Blue Demons (Vancouver) (VSS) (HM), Walnut Grove Gators (Langley) (EV) (HM)

TRIPLE A

1 Lord Byng Grey Ghosts (Vancouver) (VSS) (LW-2) 

2 St. Thomas More Knights (Burnaby) (FN) (6)

3 St. Patrick’s Celtics (Vancouver) (VSS) (1)

4 MEI Eagles (Abbotsford) (EV) (4)

5 Byrne Creek Bulldogs (Burnaby) (FN) (8) 

6 A.R. MacNeill Ravens (Richmond) (SF) (7)

7 Dover Bay Dolphins (Nanaimo) (VI) (9)

8 North Delta Huskies (SF) (5)

9 Carihi Tyees (Campbell River) (VI) (HM)

10 Brookswood Bobcats (Langley) (EV) (3)

Honourable mention — Duchess Park Condors (Prince George) (NC) (NR), Magee Lions (Vancouver) (VSS) (HM), Sir Charles Tupper Tigers (Vancouver) (VSS) (HM), South Delta Sun Devils (SF) (HM), South Kamloops Titans (T-OK) (HM), 10 Windsor Wolves (North Vancouver) (VSS) (10) 

Dropped out — Pitt Meadows Air Force (FN) (HM)

DOUBLE A

1 King George Dragons (Vancouver) (VSS) (LW-1)

2 Pacific Academy Breakers (Surrey (SF) (2)

3 Collingwood Cavaliers (West Vancouver) (VSS) (3)

4 John Barsby Bulldogs (Nanaimo) (VI) (5) 

5 Lambrick Park Lions (Victoria) (VI) (6) 

6 Summerland Rockets (T-OK) (9) 

7 Westsyde Whundas (Kamloops) (TOK) (4)

8 Langley Christian Lightning (EV) (7)

9 Southridge Storm (Surrey) (SF) (8)

10-tie Britannia Bruins (Vancouver) (VSS) (10-tie)

10-tie St. Michaels University School Blue Jags (Victoria) (VI) (10-tie) 

Honourable mention — Archbishop Carney Stars (PoCo) (FN) (HM), Brentwood College (Mill Bay) (VI) (HM), George Elliott Coyotes (Lake Country) (TOK) (NR), Khalsa Lions (Surrey) (SF) (HM), Mulgrave Titans (West Vancouver) (VSS) (HM), 

Dropped out — West Point Grey Academy Wolves (VSS) (HM)

SINGLE A

1 Unity Christian Flames (Chilliwack) (EV) (LW-1)

2 Credo Christian Kodiaks (Langley) (FN) (2)

3 SJS Eagles (Vancouver) (VSS) (5) 

4 Similkameen Sparks (Keremeos (TOK) (6) 

5 King David Lions (Vancouver) (VSS) (3)

6 Aberdeen Hall Gryphons (Kelowna) (TOK) (4)

7 Maple Ridge Christian Hornets (FN) (7) 

8 Gidalang Kuuyas Naay Breakers (Daajiing Giids) (NW) (8)

9 John Knox Hawks (New Westminster) (FN) (HM)

10 Bulkley Valley Christian Royals (Smithers) (NW) (HM)

Honourable mention — Brookes Westshore Gryphons (Victoria) (VI) (HM), Dasmesh Punjabi Falcons (Abbotsford) (EV) (NR), Deer Lake Falcons (Burnaby) (FN) (9), Fraser Academy Mustangs (Vancouver) (VSS) (HM), Gudangasay Tlaats’gaa Nay Thunder (Masset) (NW (HM)

Dropped out — Cedars Christian Eagles (Prince George) (NC) (10)

(All rankings courtesy B.C. School Sports)

KEY: EV — East Valley, FN — Fraser North, NC — North Central, NW — North West, SF — South Fraser, T-OK — Thompson-Okanagan, VI — Vancouver Island, VSS — Vancouver Sea-to-Sky

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