Top 25 Arkansas high school boys basketball rankings (2/17/2025)

Harrison, Marion, Farmington among the teams that move up; Little Rock Southwest joins the list

RJ Young fighting through contact during Bryant's 63-53 win over Little Rock Central last Tuesday / Joshua Gao

Winter weather during the first week of conference play forced games statewide to be moved around, and projected midweek frigid temperatures have already resulted in multiple reschedules for contests this week. Be sure to double-check the lineup as many of Tuesday's games have been moved to Monday.

As far as the Arkansas boys basketball state rankings, the first 10 spots remained the same, and while the remainder of the Top 20 teams stayed in the rankings, there was still some movement, particularly because of some chaos in the 5A-East. Checking in at the 23rd spot is a first-timer for this season that has surprised many while making the 6A-Central a little more competitive.

See the full Top 25 below. 

ARKANSAS BOYS BASKETBALL STATE RANKINGS

February 17, 2025

1. Springdale (25-3)

Last week: 1

After two more dominant victories in which the Red Dogs allowed fewer than 40 points to Rogers Heritage and Bentonville West, Springdale has won 16 in a row. They take on rival and ninth-ranked Fayetteville on Friday in their only game this week. 

2. Benton (23-3)

Last week: 2

With last week’s wins over Hot Springs and Pine Bluff, the Panthers clinched their second consecutive 5A-South championship with three regular-season games remaining. They continue conference play with Lake Hamilton and Sheridan this week. 

3. Jonesboro (23-3) 

Last week: 3

An early-week nonconference loss to Whitehaven (Tenn.) put the Hurricane on a two-game skid. They once again overcame adversity and survived another close matchup against North Little Rock, this time on the road. In the only game scheduled this week, Jonesboro makes another trip to Little Rock to take on a 23rd-ranked Little Rock Southwest squad that has been opening some eyes. 

4. Mills (26-1)

Last week: 4

After a week that was too close for comfort, the Comets handled business against Bauxite and Malvern to keep their conference unbeaten streak going. They wrap up the regular season this week with Fountain Lake, plus a makeup game with Malvern. 

5. Bryant (17-9)

Last week: 5

A finally-healthy Hornets squad did not show any signs of letdown after beating previously top-ranked Jonesboro as they took down Little Rock Central in a road Top 25 showdown before conquering Little Rock Southwest. Bryant has one game on the schedule this week, a trip to Cabot. 

6. Springdale Har-Ber (16-9) 

Last week: 6

The Bulldogs followed a crucial Tuesday win over Bentonville with a convincing triumph over Fort Smith Southside to cap the week. They will get this short week out of the way early with a Monday contest against Rogers Heritage. 

7. Maumelle (20-6)

Last week: 7

The Hornets’ lone showdown of the week against a red-hot Sylvan Hills squad came down to the wire, but Maumelle again proved it can close out tight games. The Hornets tip off this week against Greenbrier before hosting a highly anticipated rematch against No. 10 Little Rock Christian. 

8. Forrest City (22-2)

Last week: 8

Two more convincing wins over Wynne and Lonoke put the Mustangs two victories from wrapping up an unbeaten run through 4A-3 conference play. They will conclude the regular season this week with Trumann and Stuttgart.

9. Fayetteville (19-7) 

Last week: 9

They got all they wanted against Fort Smith Northside to start the week, but the Purple Dogs returned to form in a rout of Rogers. Every week in the 6A-West is important right now, but third-place Fayetteville has a big one with Bentonville West on the slate, followed by a rematch against top-ranked Springdale in which the Purple Dogs have to be licking their chops after a poor performance against the Red Dogs in January. 

10. Little Rock Christian (21-5) 

Last week: 10

Five-star junior prospect J.J. Andrews put up 32 points, and surpassed 2,000 for his career, in the Warriors’ win over Parkview after Tuesday's convincing triumph over Vilonia. LRCA will play host to Catholic on Tuesday before making the short trip to play No. 7 Maumelle with the 5A-Central championship on the line Friday.

11. Harrison (23-5)

Last week: 13

Harrison has come out on top in multiple close matchups this season, but after getting past Farmington on Tuesday, they had to really sweat it out against Alma before escaping with a second consecutive one-point victory over the Airedales. Leading the 5A-West race by a game, the Goblins square off against Van Buren on Friday in their only game of the week. 

12. Marion (20-6) 

Last week: 17

A crucial victory over Nettleton kept the Patriots within reach of the 5A-East No. 1 seed, and they made sure not to have a letdown Friday against Searcy. That focus needs to remain this week in favorable matchups against Paragould and Batesville. 

13. Valley View (22-3) 

Last week: 12

While Friday’s loss to West Memphis snapped a 13-game win streak, the Blazers still lead the ultra-competitive 5A-East race heading to the final two weeks of the regular season. They take on Searcy and Greene County Tech this week. 

14. Farmington (22-5)

Last week: 15

The Cardinals split their games last week, ending with a win over Greenwood after a loss to Harrison, though they had a much better showing than January’s 21-point loss to the Goblins. Farmington is off this week until Friday, when the Cardinals head to Russellville. 

15. Nettleton (21-3) 

Last week: 16

An early-week 13-point setback against Marion was the Raiders’ second loss in their past four contests, but they got back on track with a victory over Greene County Tech to salvage the week. They start with Batesville this week before taking on No. 22 West Memphis. 

16. Bentonville (15-10) 

Last week: 11

A loss to No. 6 Springdale Har-Ber did not raise many eyebrows, but Fort Smith Northside conquering the Tigers caught many off guard, though the Grizzlies have played much better of late. Currently holding the head-to-head tiebreaker over crosstown rival Bentonville West for the 6A-West’s No. 4 seed, the Tigers square off against the Wolverines on Friday after a Monday bout with Rogers. 

17. Bentonville West (16-9)

Last week: 18

The week started on a good note for the Wolverines with a win over Rogers, but there is certainly no shame in falling to top-ranked Springdale as they did Friday. In fifth place in the 6A-West standings, they have opportunities to gain some big momentum on the verge of the state tournament with Top 25 road matchups against No. 9 Fayetteville and No. 16 Bentonville. 

18. North Little Rock (14-6) 

Last week: 14

It’s fair to say the Charging Wildcats have been the state’s most Jekyll and Hyde-esque squad, but lately they have taken the role of Hyde, currently riding a three-game losing streak. A trip to play a fifth-ranked Bryant squad that is itching for redemption could turn into four consecutive defeats if they don’t get things turned around quickly. 

19. Sylvan Hills (15-9)

Last week: 19

They came up short against No. 7 Maumelle, but the Bears keep proving their second-half season surge is not a fluke. While the 5A-Central’s No. 3 seed appears to be their likely fate, this will be a team no one wants to face in the postseason. They aim to get back on track against Beebe and Greenbrier this week. 

20. Conway (14-11)

Last week: 20

The Wampus Cats came out firing in last week’s rout of Cabot, securing their second consecutive victory with a brutal three-game slate ahead to finish the regular season. They tip it off with No. 21 Little Rock Central on Friday before taking on No. 3 Jonesboro and No. 5 Bryant next week. 

21. Little Rock Central (12-14)  

Last week: 21

Yes, they have dropped three of their past four contests with all losses to Top 20 opposition and two of them to Top 5 squads, but all 11 of their in-state defeats have been to ranked teams mixed in with some quality wins. Their final three regular-season matchups feature more opportunities for Top 25 victories, starting with No. 20 Conway on Friday. 

22. West Memphis (16-9) 

Last week: 25

Say what you want about this season's West Memphis team, but when their backs have been up against the wall, they have gotten it done, and they capped last week with a Top 10 triumph over Valley View. As of now they are out of the postseason picture, but they can earn their way back in with redemption wins at home against Greene County Tech and then No. 15 Nettleton.

23. Little Rock Southwest (14-10)

Last week: NR

The Gryphons have made some soft noise at times throughout the season against a tough schedule, and that work has started to pay off as they earned Top 20 wins over Conway and North Little Rock in the span of a week. Two more chances are on the table for the regular season as they take on No. 3 Jonesboro on Friday before facing No. 21 Little Rock Central on Feb. 25. 

24. Hot Springs (17-9)

Last week: 22

A red-hot No. 2 Benton squad handed it to the Trojans on Tuesday, but Hot Springs did bounce back to pull out a redemption win over El Dorado. They have locked up the 5A-South’s No. 2 seed, but they need to finish the regular season strong against a favorable three-game slate. 

25. Morrilton (19-7)  

Last week: 24

The Devil Dogs secured expected victories over Central Arkansas Christian and Lisa Academy West to put their win streak at 10. Tuesday’s regular-season finale will be for the 4A-5 North conference championship against a Joe T. Robinson squad with revenge on its mind. 

Dropped out

Alma

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