The 2022-23 basketball season has come to an end with many state trophies making their way back to the St. Louis metro area over the past month. It is time for the final High School Sports Caravan/Scoops with Danny Mac Top 10 rankings of the year and after claiming their third straight state championship, Vashon emerged as the top team in the area. Three teams that won state titles are in the rankings with others that placed in the state final four in both Missouri and Illinois.
- Vashon (24-7)
- The Wolverines claimed their 14th state title with a 64-37 victory over Park Hills Central. Vashon finished the season on a 17-game winning streak.
- Cardinal Ritter (26-4)
- The Lions won their 10th state championship with a 65-54 victory over Ladue in the Class 5 title contest. Cardinal Ritter finished the season by winning 25 of their final 26 games.
- East St. Louis (26-9)
- The Flyers finished the season with a third-place finish in the IHSA Class 3A tournament after defeating St. Ignatius out of Chicago in the third-place contest.
- Ladue (26-6)
- The Rams earned the runner-up spot in Class 5 as they fell to Cardinal Ritter 65-54 in the state championship game. Ladue won 13 of their last 15 games to end the season.
- Gibault Catholic (32-7)
- The Hawks claimed their first state boys’ basketball state title with a 65-45 victory over Scales Mound. The Hawks won 12 out of their final 13 games to wrap up the season.
- Troy (26-6)
- The Trojans claimed the Class 6 third-place trophy with a 40-32 win over Jackson this past weekend. Troy finished the season winning 11 of their final 13 games.
- Principia (25-7)
- The Panthers wrapped up an outstanding year as the Class 2 runner-up as they fell to Salisbury 55-46 in the title game. Principia won seven of their last eight contests to end the year.
- Lutheran North (20-11)
- The Crusaders went on an outstanding run at the end of the year to finish second in the state in Class 3 after falling to New Madrid Co. 56-46 in the final game. Lutheran North won five straight games in the state tournament before falling in the championship game.
- O’Fallon (25-8)
- The Panthers advanced to the Super-Sectional in the IHSA Class 4A tournament before falling to Moline 62-38. O’Fallon won eight of their last 10 games including victories over East St. Louis and Belleville East twice.
- Triad (28-7)
- The Knights fell to East St. Louis in the IHSA Class 3A tournament 53-38 and ended their season by winning 18 of their final 20 games.
Jim Powers has been covering prep sports in the St. Louis area for 15+ years and a part of the Missouri State High School Activities Association Championship Broadcasts for the past 11 years. Powers is also a part of the Fox 2 Verlo Mattress Prep Zone Friday nights at 10:10 during the football and basketball seasons. If you have a prep sports story, please contact Jim at japowers2421@yahoo.com. Follow Jim at @hssportscaravan
