If you missed the announcement last week, RecSpecsOnline.com is joining forces with TheFourFour.com (the pre-eminent local music blog) and S.A.U.C.E the Mag (the most fun you’ve had in SGF, guaranteed.) to give SGFers a new voice and way to look at ways to have fun. This site will cease to exist as of Jan. 4.

If you’re at the Blue and Gold, it’s likely you’ve seen our booth, but if not, stop by. We’re right by the main entrance.

The games run today from 9:30 a.m. to the nightcaps at 9:30 p.m.

While the tournament brackets are inside the links, I’ll move them out here so you can find your favorite teams and games:

Blue and Gold Tournament

Pink and White Tournament

For up-to-the-minute scores, you can follow the Tag Magazine feed on Twitter, as well as the RecSpecsOnline feed. But, remember, RecSpecsOnline.com is folding into Tag Magazine officially on Jan. 4, so change your bookmarks and Twitter followership. You can also follow the official Blue and Gold Tournament Twitter account by clicking here. (Just a hint, we are running it for the tournament.)

HUZZAH!!!

It's tough not to be smitten with Pam Beesly from the Office.

When you’re talking about the best high school boys’ basketball teams in the Ozarks, there’s no doubt the Ozark Tigers come to mind.

Sure, they’re the No. 2 team in the RecSpecs15, but they don’t seem to get the respect from the rest of the area. When I bring it up in public, many yawn. It’s simply an assumption the senior-laden Tigers are a good team, but they’re not even the most discussed team or topic from their side of the Blue and Gold Tournament, despite holding Gold Division’s top seed.

It’s Hillcrest. It’s Mount Vernon. It’s Strafford’s Conner Wilson. All are favorite topics of conversation right now. Why? All of those are relatively unknown entities. It applies to the way many discuss some of the best looking celebrities. Megan Fox? Hot. Jessica Biel? Absolutely. January Jones? Beautiful.

But, what do you know about them? Sure, they’re gorgeous and might have been given some great parts in some films you’ve seen, but are they a better overall package than Pam Beesly from The Office? Think about it. Now, think about it again.

Now take a look at Pam Beesly. Better looking than you thought? Thought so.

Beesly is cute, funny and, when you take a step back, is better looking than you thought. But, Beesly (or Jenna Fischer, her government name) is an afterthought amongst the best looking actresses out there. It’s the exact same thing for the Ozark Tigers.

They’re better than you think.

Chew on this: The Tigers (7-1) have a deep and experienced core, many of which were thrust into prominent varsity roles as sophomores. Three of those seniors, guards Seth Arnold and Isaiah Monroe and post player Thomas Ligon might be the top senior trio in the area.

Already with two victories over Kickapoo, Monroe scored 15 and 21 points, respectively. A versatile guard who battled injuries last season, the 6-foot Monroe is one of many Tiger shooters that can expand the defense. That, in turn, helps Ligon, a solid 6-5 center and football tight end. A physical specimen with an emerging offensive game, few are as strong as Ligon.

But, the catalyst is Seth Arnold. It was a year ago, many were saying Arnold was a rising star, a combo guard equipped with equal parts long-distance, mid-range and slashing skills.

(And add in Hall of Fame coach Steve Hunter. It’s a lethal combination.)

Fast forward to this year and not much has been expected of Ozark. Sure, everyone knew they’d be good and they’re exactly what we thought they would be. And now, you can add overlooked to the description. Just like Pam Beesly.

Ozark plays Willow Springs in an 11 a.m. first-round game.

• How good is Hillcrest? I think the answer is, “Really good.” But, the Hornets haven’t played enough ball to clue us in, yet.

Once a role player, Hillcrest's Taylor Sade is emerging as a star.

With many teams having between seven and eight games played, the Hornets are 4-1, and that came by playing a back-to-back on Friday the 18th and Saturday the 19th. And on par with Megan Fox, the Hornets are very intruguing. (Although Tuesday’s 68-34 to Columbia Rock Bridge looks gnarl.)

Let’s get the Dorial Green section out of the way. The 6-5 sophomore phenom has expanded his basketball skill this season, adding more of a face-up offensive attack, even though he’ll be expected to play in the paint. Hornet coach John Schaefer said Green is a natural swingman, the same way you’d think he would be a tight end in football, but instead is a dominant wide receiver.

Green is joined by senior guard Taylor Sade, who is making the jump from role player to scorer. In Saturday’s victory over Parkview, the 6-1 southpaw guard had 18 points. If he can provide some scoring and mostly an unproven bench keeps succeeding, the Hornets could advance to the Gold championship.

Hillcrest plays Hartville in an 6:30 p.m. first-round game.

• How underappreciated is Zack Kleine? It seems like the 6-5 Mount Vernon senior has been making the B&G his personal playground since he debuted as a freshman, helping Tomas Brock and Co. win the title. Now, the future Southwest Baptist Bearcat is back, and his team (6-1) has the No. 3 seed.

But does everyone realize how talented he is? That’s what I’m here for.

A gifted scorer, who is averaging 26.3 points, Kleine is a swingman with inside-outside skills. He has expanded his game to the 3-point line, but could play the point, if asked. How talented is he? Recruited by Division I schools, he is heading to SBU, which doesn’t recruit many freshmen, especially local freshmen.

Now, many of you are B&G veterans and might remember Kleine as a freshman. Sure, he was a good player then, but when you’re watching him tear up opposing defenses, remember how good he was as a freshman and marvel at how much he’s improved. He has to be included amongst the B&G all-time greats, right?

The Mountaineers play Greenwood in a 9:30 p.m. first-round game.

• Looking for a breakout star? Then Strafford’s Conner Wilson is your guy. Straight Flush Michael Stacy of the News-Leader wrote about the 6-4 junior yesterday. This is what you need to know about Wilson:

• He can shoot it from deep
• He can handle like a much smaller guard
• He can post you up
• He’s learned how to play defense

Sounds like a small-school nightmare. The Blue and Gold is his opportunity to prove to the rest of the HS scene that he belongs amongst the area’s best players.

• Other storylines to watch: Is Republic really this good? Not much was expected of the fifth-seeded Tigers, but Coach Gary Stanfield has them off to a 7-1 start. … With a very secure top four teams, will there be any upsets? Look for Rogersville, which has a ton of B&G experience, to push Mount Vernon. … First-round upset special: No. 7 Mansfield vs. Camdenton, 5 p.m.

When you see Seth Davis on TV, understand he's going to tell you the most obvious thing possible. Yes, even stuff your sports-hating grandma could point out.

When talking about the Blue Division of the Blue and Gold Tournament, which begins at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at Hammons Student Center, some people I’ve spoken to said I could write a preview in five words:

Nixa Eagles, Blue Division champions

Wow, what a leap of faith, crowning the top-seeded Eagles as the champions. Even Captain Obvious thinks that’s apparent. (FYI, Sports Illustrated’s Seth Davis is the modern-day Captain Obvious. God, he sucks. Badly. It’s unfortunate CBS has him as their primary in-studio March Madness analyst.)

Even to Davis’ or anyone else who would handicap Nixa as the favorite, the Eagles (9-0) are the easy choice. They have the three tangible measurements the truly good high school teams need:

1. Great talent — The Eagles feature one of the most talented teams, bringing back solid varsity veterans like junior guard Ben Fisher and seniors Jordan Keeney and Zac Hill. Plus, freshmen Austin Ruder and Jalen Norman are explosively talented and might be the team’s best players.
2. Great coaching — Jay Osborne is one of my favorite coaches to interview because you always hardly know where you stand or what’s going on in his head. Probably makes for a good poker face, I’d guess, but it works best on the court. He’s a savvy X’s and O’s guy and has won big games before.
3. Respect — The name on the front of the jersey needs to put a little bit of fear in you. Nixa has that in spades, even having the respect of the media, including yours truly. The Eagles are the top team in the latest RecSpecs 15.

I’d be shocked if they were seriously threatened late in a game. Still, there are many other Blue Division storylines that are juicy, ones that Seth Davis would never uncover:

Right here, Bolivar's Preston Guiot is lulling you to sleep. You'll learn soon enough.

• How far can Preston Guiot carry Bolivar?: The most dynamic player in the area, Guiot, who signed to play for Utah next season, has a tall order: Score a bunch, be judicious with his decisions and score a bunch more.

Bolivar’s 5-2 record shows the overall improvement of the rest of the roster, but Guiot still had 35 points and 11 assists in a 73-72 victory over Lebanon Friday. Dalton Kelley has been a key player for the Liberators, but the depth still isn’t there. So it begs the question, can Guiot have four spectacular games in five nights to keep the fifth-seeded Liberators afloat?

Absolutely, but he needs to play perfectly. Bolivar plays Skyline in a 12:30 p.m. first-round matchup.

Branson's Avery Dingman is on many Missouri Valley Conference teams' radar.

• Can we really take Branson seriously? I know what you’re thinking. “Didn’t the Pirates just graduate two studs? How could they be legitimate again so quickly?” To answer your questions, Yes and talent.

Sure, gone are Mike Wiebe and Division I Diary penpal Tate Unruh, who combined to win back-to-back Blue and Gold titles the last two years, but another duo has emerged for the second-seeded Pirates (7-0). Avery Dingman and Sam Pugh have quickly jumpstarted another Branson era.

Dingman burst on to the scene with a 46-point explosion, including 10 3-pointers, in just his third game as a junior. The 6-foot-6 swingman could be the breakout player of the B&G. Or it could be Pugh. A 6-1 junior, Pugh can handle both guard spots and is the calming influence on a mostly varsity-inexperienced team.

Or, maybe you need to look no further than coach Randy Bishop’s Blue and Gold resume. Branson has three titles under Bishop (2003, 07 and 08), a third-place finish 2005 and a fourth-place finish in ‘04. The second-seeded Pirates take on Ash Grove at 6:30 p.m.

• Can Clever brew up a little more magic? After advancing to the Blue and Gold championship in 2007, Clever finished fourth in 2008. What does that have to do with this year’s version? Seniors Jeremy Dresslaer and Michael Reeves were a part of both and are looking to make another heartthrob run.

Dresslaer, a 5-11 senior guard, is averaging 25.2 points per game and Reeves has been steady, averaging 9.3 points and 6.3 assists per game. But, the biggest change in the team is the growth of senior forward Joey Smith. After averaging 5.3 points per game last season, the 6-5 senior is averaging 21.7 points and 13.0 rebounds per game.

With that type of a start, the fourth-seeded Blue Jays could make another deep run. It all starts with a 2 p.m. first-round game with West Plains.

• Other storylines to watch: Is seventh-seeded Stoutland a good team, or simply a good small-school team? … Without junior Brodie Wingert, how will third-seeded Kickapoo fare? Wingert injured his ankle last week. … Is the Blue and Gold going to be the official coming out party for Willards Tim Huskisson? The 6-2 junior is a talented dude. … Upset special: No. 6 Miller vs. Marshfield, 8 p.m.

Click here for a Blue and Gold Tournament bracket

No, this isn't the trophy for the Pink and White Tournament, but maybe it should be.

OK, so that ball in the picture above isn’t the trophy for the upcoming Pink and White Tournament, nor is it the type of ball you’ll see in McDonald Arena. However, if Mount Vernon’s Kenzie Williams has anything to do with either, she could probably make it happen.

But before we get to talking about how Williams is the top individual talent in the P&W, let’s talk about the main reason to get excited about this year’s Pink and White Tournament — the tournament planning committee.

Let’s start with a round of applause for the Greenwood folks who now have the ability and facilities to begin both divisions of the Blue and Gold Tournament, as well as the Pink and White at the same time. As I’m sure you’re familiar with, the P&W always gave way to its male counterpart, the B&G, using both McDonald Arena and Hammons Student Center to get its 16 first-round games completed on the day after Christmas. The P&W waited, starting the next day and sometimes finishing on New Year’s Eve. Yuck.

But now, with JQH Arena in the mix, the B&G is taking JQH and HSC and letting the P&W dominate McDonald Arena the same day as the boys. And, more impressively, the P&W championship is on the same day as the B&G finals and it’s at JQH Arena. Genius. And about time.

Expect to see a lot of green at McDonald Arena during the post-holidays.

Now, on to Williams. The 5-10 senior star, is as versatile as they come, navigating her 5-1 and top seeded Lady Mountaineers into the P&W. She leads her team with 19.3 points per game, and has the ability to score inside with post skills, outside with the 3-pointer and handles the ball well enough to distribute to open teammates. Plus, Mount Vernon plays a matchup zone, which is tough enough to figure out by breaking game tape, let alone in a four-games-in-five-days format.

It’s no wonder she has been the early talk of the local girls’ basketball scene. With a victory over Republic to win the Aurora Tournament and only an eight-point loss to Nixa, Mount Vernon might be for real. Just look at the teams MV is seeded above:

1. Mount Vernon
2. Ozark
3. Branson
4. Willard
5. Republic
6. West Plains
7. Parkview
8. Sparta

While her teammates take care of the balanced scoring, Ozark senior Kara Dickemann is a defensive stopper.

Yep, MV is ranked above all of those Class 4s and 5s and rightfully so. The only better teams according to the RecSpecs 15 are Nixa, Webb City, Glendale and Kickapoo, all of which are in the Lady Classic (which we will preview Monday).

As for seeds 2-8, no one is invincible. Ozark is better than people think, thanks to a developing offensive cast. Sophomore Melanie Williams has come out of nowhere to help the second-seeded Tigers, scoring in double digits in four games this season. And with a reputation for tough man-to-man defense, this year’s Ozark team can guard, led by senior Kara Dickemann.

The rest of the field? It’s honestly a crapshoot. Branson, Willard and Republic have been surprises. Despite having one of its better players, Kyndal Clark, transfer to Webb City, Branson has received strong play from its front line, especially forwards Ruby Stevens and Moriah Dapprich. The Pirates are a tough matchup, considering they have four post players that are 5-foot-11 or taller.

Willard has been led by a core of seniors Sammie Gathercole and Amanda Allen and sophomore Brook Duncan. The talent pool seems to be replenished, exclamated by wins over Hillcrest and Central.

Unlike Branson, with sophomore post player Alexis Edwards out with a leg injury, Republic has no true post players. Instead, the Tigers depend on a full-court press attack and an offense that revolves around a slew of 3-pointers. So far, it’s worked, but if it’s not clicking for a few quarters, the Tigers are vulnerable.

West Plains and Parkview are interesting case studies, seeing as how West Plains’ leading scorer is 5-foot-7 freshman guard Andi Haney is averaging 13.1 points per game and how Parkview has used nearly double-digit variations of its planned starting five.

Sparta's Mikalah Hardcastle and Co. are in the midst of a 37-game winning streak, including last year's Class 2 title.

But my question is, how did Sparta get the No. 8 seed? Is it hazing? Sure, Sparta isn’t normally in the P&W field, but the Trojans extended their winning streak to 37 with a 58-46 victory over Hartville Monday.

Now, this is the true beauty of the P&W and B&G formats, at least in theory. Barring an upset loss to unseeded Blue Eye (more on the Bulldogs in a minute), we’ll get to see Sparta and top-seeded Mount Vernon. Ideally, I’d like to see Sparta against a Class 4 or 5 school, but the Trojans and Mountaineers would be a heck of a matchup.

But, I’m still trying to figure out this seed thing. Could Sparta beat any of the teams in the top seven with regularity? Probably not, but for them to be seeded is a slap in the face, even if coach Jerry Songer won’t say it out loud.

It’s a great opportunity for seniors Brooke Stevens (15.5 ppg) and Kayla Coffer (13.6 ppg), as well as sophomore Mikalah Hardcastle (11.0 ppg) to show they can play with the bigger schools. Or not.

As for unseeded teams with a realistic chance for an upset, you’d have to look at Blue Eye — Sparta’s first round opponent. The Bulldogs (5-2) are led by Timbo Barrett and are always a tough Class 3 out. Despite some early-season struggles, also look for Catholic to be a tough out for West Plains and teams like Skyline and Marshfield aren’t used to being out of the top 8. And you all know what it’s like to deal with scorned women, right?

But, honestly, this is Kenzie Williams’ show. Sit back and enjoy.

Click here for the Pink and White Tournament bracket

Here is a list of the unseeded teams:

• Aurora
• Blue Eye
• Skyline
• Marshfield
• Rogersville
• Morrisville
• Hillcrest
• Catholic

Game times begin at 9:30 a.m. daily with the tournament starting on Dec. 26, taking a day off Sunday, then wrapping up Dec. 28-30. The championship game will be at JQH Arena at 5 p.m. Dec. 30 and all the of the consolation games will be played at Hammons Student Center.

Want to get ahold of Allen Vaughan? E-mail him at Allen@TagSGF.com. You can follow him on Twitter here or on Facebook here.

This future Missouri State Lady Bear has a chance to become Missouri's all-time leading scorer.

Ho-hum, just another pair of 30-plus pont games for Miller senior and future Missouri State Lady Bear Hannah Wilkerson.

After wins over Golden City and Greenfield last week, Wilkerson continues her pace to obliterate Missouri’s career scoring record. This is Week No. 2 of the HWW and if you missed the initial installment, click here to get her back story.

But for now, all you need to know is she is well on her way to becoming the top scorer in Missouri history.

If you haven’t yet seen her play and are a Mediacom subscriber, replays of last night’s game with Strafford will be shown on Mediacom Connections Channel 22 at 4:30 p.m. today and Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Thursday.

So far this season (through Sunday, Dec. 20):

• Fair Grove, 38 points
• Harrison (Ark.), 39 points
• Marshfield, 44 points
• Webb City, 34 points
• Golden City, 34 points
• Greenfield, 37 points
• Total: 226

The state’s top career scorers:

1. Melissa Grider, Morrisville-Marshfield, 1989-91, 3,211
2. Kari Koch, Elsberry, 1999-2002, 3,077
3. Lauren Dubbert, Madison, 2002-05, 3,038
4. Joyce Arnsmeyer, So. Boone County, 1963-66, 3,036
5. Lisa Ellis, Elsberry, 1981-84, 2,980
6. Renee Garrison, Climax Springs, 1998-2001, 2,944
7. Shyla Tucker, Fredericktown, 1987-90, 2,926
8. Michelle Holman, Dadeville, 1994-97, 2,820
9. Bethany Creed, Ash Grove, 1999-2002, 2,760
10. Casey Garrison, Bolivar, 2004-08, 2,744
11. Michele Harkrader, Rich Hill, 1985-88, 2,735
12. Jessica Keller, Belle, 2002-05, 2,735
13. Sonya Daugherty, Hancock, 2002-05, 2,703
14. Hannah Wilkerson, 2007-2010, Miller, 2,700

Most points in a season

1. Melissa Grider, Morrisville-Marshfield, 1998-2001, 1,231
2. Joyce Arnsmeyer, So. Boone County, 1965-66, 994
3. Kari Koch, Elsberry, 2001-02, 956
4. Shyla Tucker, Fredericktown, 1988-89, 952
5. Hannah Wilkerson, Miller, 2008-09, 940

Most points scored by a freshman in a season

1. Hannah Wilkerson, Miller, 2006-07, 746
2. Lauren Dubbert, Madison, 2001-02, 686
3. Sonya Daugherty, Hancock, 2001-02, 642
4. Tasheena Mmoris, Blue Eye, 2001-02, 634
5. Kami Scrivner, Mt. Vernon, 1997-98, 616

We are trying to piece together what other records she has either broken, or is closing in on, so be sure to check back for weekly updates.

Need to get in tough with Allen Vaughan? E-mail him your thoughts at Allen@TagSGF.com.

For the past three months of RecSpecsOnline.com, I’ve been trying to highlight aspects of the local sports scene that either don’t receive enough of the spotlight or didn’t exist at all, and I want to thank you for becoming part of that movement.

Now, the movement is moving, so to speak.

As many of you know from my style of writing, I love things other than sports. I love music. I love the arts. I love movies. I love food. In other words, while this is a sports Web site, it’s always been about much more than sports. It’s your life. It’s my life. It’s our lives.

That’s why as of Jan. 4, RecSpecsOnline.com is merging with TheFourFour, the area’s most dominant local music site and S.A.U.C.E. Magazine, the most energetic and unique community site in the Ozarks. The collective effort is called Tag Magazine and can be found/viewed/consumed at TagSGF.com. (It exists now, if you want to try it out.)

I understand most sports fans like to identify themselves within the sports category. It carries a certain comfort level and an image, a membership to a sometimes-gregarious, sometimes locked-lips club that elevates us above “non-sports” people. And that’s fine, identify away. But if it makes you feel better, while Chris DeRosier and Scott Perket are driven by music and Brett Johnston’s sweet spot is the arts, the community, etc., when we have meetings at our secret Tag headquarters, we all discuss business with SportsCenter on in the background. We have the same conversations I have with you about both Missouri State programs, the high schools and talk Spring Vegas hilarity.

As Chris said, “Knowing people who work as tirelessly to cover those specialties as we do ours, we thought, why not put it all in one place?”

Exactly. So brace for the change by heading over to TagSGF.com and start being a complete SGFer. Or, simply read the sports section until you’re comfortable with branching out to our Top 5 lists, the Daily Show Report or our Foodie Reviews. We are still posting on our individual sites until Jan. 4, and after that, they will no longer be active. Change your browser bookmarks and get ready for the next step.

Also, if you follow RecSpecsOnline on Twitter or Facebook, go ahead and make the change to TAG, as well. Click here for the new Twitter page and here for the Facebook page.

It’s an exciting time for Springfield and every SGFer out there. If you’re at the Blue and Gold Tournament next week, be sure to stop by our booth and say hi. You’ll want to be on the ground floor for this one.

If you’re not familiar with how the RecSpecs 15 works, it’s simple. These are Allen Vaughan’s high school basketball rankings, assuming each team will beat the teams ranked below them. No questions asked.

With the holiday tournaments quickly approaching, be sure to check back often for Blue and Gold previews, as well as Pink and White and Lady Classic.

Now, on to the rankings:

RecSpecs 15

Boys

1. Nixa (8-0) – Wins over two Ozark Conference schools (Glendale and Waynesville) show Eagles have strong schedule strength, as well as talent.
2. Ozark (6-1) — Tigers aren’t a sexy pick amongst local media. They’re not flashy, but two wins over Kickapoo looks pretty good right about now.
3. Hillcrest (4-0) — With only four games played, Hornets are still trying to find a groove. Victory over Parkview helps the Hill tread water.
4. Branson (7-0) — Always entrenched in an irregular non-conference schedule, Branson’s win over Kickapoo shows B&G seed committee got it right with that No. 2 seed.
5. Joplin (4-1) — Big win over Webb City shows Eagles are knocking off the football rust.
6. Glendale (5-2) — A lopsided loss to Nixa was to be expected, but the young Falcons rebounded with a big win over Central.
7. Strafford (6-0) — Is this too high for the Indians? Perhaps, but this week’s Blue and Gold will tell us a lot about possibly the area’s best sub-Class 4 school.
8. Parkview (5-1) — A close loss at Hillcrest is a nice litmus test for the Vikings.
9. Kickapoo (4-3) — Not only did the Chiefs lose twice last week, but Kickapoo might have lost its best player in Brodie Wingert for at least the B&G, if not longer. Stay tuned.
10. Mt. Vernon (5-1) — The Mtneers are starting to prove they’re more than just the Zack Kleine show.
11. Republic (6-1) — After another win, the Tigers are off to a start well beyond expectations. The B&G is a huge opportunity to prove they are as good as the record.
12. Clever (7-1) — A 75-29 victory over Ash Grove shows how good Clever is. No matter how down AG is, it should never lose to Clever by 40+.
13. Dadeville (5-0) — Easily the top Class 1 school in the Ozarks, the Bearcats are an off-broadway hit. Unfortunately, they’re not in the B&G.
14. Stoutland (7-0) — The Tigers continue to look like they’re a Class 2 heavyweight.
15. Rogersville (4-3) — Struggling to find a groove, the Wildcats can make a good impression at the B&G.

Trying to get in focus: Miller, Bolivar, Waynesville,  Greenwood, Seneca, Carthage, Webb City

Girls

1. Nixa (8-0) — Is anyone going to stop the Eagles? Just asking. Is that what the Lady Classic is for?
2. Webb City (9-0) — Webb City is gearing up for what could be one of two meetings with Nixa in the Lady Classic.
3. Kickapoo (2-3) — A huge win over Bishop Miege proves the Lady Chiefs belong in the top three of these rankings. Miege is a powerhouse in the KC area.
4. Glendale (5-2) — Defense continues to be Glendale’s calling card. Once Emily Cline is 100 percent health, watch out. A loss to Rock Bridge doesn’t hurt too bad.
5. Mt. Vernon (5-1) — The Pink and White’s top seed is on a roll. A win over Fair Grove strengthens the resume.
6. Ozark (5-4) — I still have a hard time believing the Tigers can drop below the top six. Maybe I’m wrong, but I’ll deal with the consequences.
7. Parkview (5-2) — Don’t ever use injuries as an excuse. The Vikings have nearly used double-digit different combos of starting lineups. And they’re still winning.
8. Branson (6-1) — A slim win over local rival Blue Eye wasn’t as demonstrative as some would have liked, but the Pirates continue to get Ws.
9. Republic (5-1) — The undersized Tigers live and die by the 3-point shot. So far, it’s a reason to live.
10. Sparta (5-0) — Anytime your team can win 94-29 over anyone, you know it’s serious. The Lady Trojans extend the winning streak to 36.
11. Purdy (6-1) — The Lady Eagles might not lose for a while, once they get into conference play.
12. Fair Grove (5-2) — A loss to Conway muddles a little bit of the Eagles’ luster. Is it a sign of things to come?
13. Fordland (5-1) — Well below the radar, the Eagles can make some noise at the Walnut Grove Tournament.
14. Walnut Grove (6-0) — The last time the Tigers were this good, they won the Class 1 championship.
15. West Plains (4-2) — A loss to Poplar Bluff isn’t the worst thing in the world, but it could have helped foreshadow the season. Or did is that exactly what happened?

Trying to get in focus: Hillcrest, Marshfield, Hartville

Got beef with my rankings? Who did I leave out? Who did I overvalue? Email Allen Vaughan at Allen@TagSGF.com and give it to me straight.

If you’re not familiar with Bracketology, ESPN.com’s Joe Lunardi gives a real-time look at what teams would be in and out of the NCAA Tournament. As of now, the Bears would be a No. 10 seed in the Midwest against No. 7 seed Butler.

MSU’s next game is Tuesday at Arkansas.

If you think Twitter is too high-tech for you, all you have to do is click on my Twitter page throughout the afternoon and check out my updates.

Why am I declaring this Twitter Sunday?

• The Rams hunt for the No. 1 pick continues
• Fantasy football playoffs
• The Chiefs could win
• Time to get fired up for the New Orleans Bowl!
• I’m bored