Seven local teams ranked in 1st state basketball poll of new season:

Five girls teams earn spotlight a month into 2024/25 season:

GDW Analysis:
  Local basketball is off to a good start in the 2024/25 season with seven teams covered by Gameday Weekly getting ranked in the first poll released by the state sportswriters.
Even with a different team this season, the Good Hope Lady Raiders have been given the nod as No. 1 in Class 4A. Good Hope has 12 wins in 14 games, coming off a 58 to 40 victory Thursday night at No. 10 Danville.
Others that have joined the Lady Raiders in Top 10 recognition in their class include the West Point Lady Warriors 6th in 5A, Holly Pond Lady Broncos 7th in 3A, Vinemont Lady Eagles 9th in 3A and Cold Springs Lady Eagles 4th in 2A.
Good Hope and West Point play Saturday at Jim Boyd Gymnasium in a game that will determine the No. 1 seed in the Cullman County Tournament in late January.
Holly Pond and Vinemont are to play Friday evening as both compete in AHSAA 3A, Area 13 play. The game will be carried live on WKUL FM (92.1) after 6:00 p.m. from Vinemont Gymnasium.
Cullman Bearcats locked in the 3rd position in Class 6A when the pairings were released on Thursday.
The Bearcats have 12 wins and 1 loss and are playing out of state teams this weekend in a classic at nearby Jasper High School.
Good Hope has a 12 & 1 start with the Raiders winning at Danville 65 to 56 Thursday.
The Raiders visit West Point Saturday in a confrontation with the top seed for the county tournament hanging in the balance.
West Point is 12 & 3 but not ranked in the 5A division, on the outside looking in.
Good teams seen by GDW that are ranked:
Gameday Weekly has been able to notice other good ball clubs that are outside the county in reporting on various tournament play since the season began November 7.
GDW has seen the two girls teams that have defeated Good Hope so far in 2024/25. Decatur Heritage is 1st in the 2A poll and Lauderdale County on top in Class 3A.

 Plainview is 4th in 4A. The Lady Bears lost to West Point 71 to 68 in the Veterans Day Classic November 11 at Wallace State.
Deshler is rated 5th in 4A with Madison Academy right behind in the No. 6 position.
Guntersville claims No. 4 in 5A. The Lady Wildcats toppled Deshler on November 26 from Wallace State.
Hartselle Lady Tigers have No. 5 in Class 6A. They have been seen a pair of times by GDW with wins over Springville and Homewood.
Priceville Lady Bulldogs have gone 8 & 5 in their first season in 5A and are currently No. 10.
From the varsity perspective, the Brewer Patriots are 10th in 5A with 11 wins and a loss. The loss was on opening night at Bearcat Arena to Cullman.
Plenty of hoops will be going on following Christmas with West Point hosting a varsity invitational, the traditional Border Wars in Athens and others at various locations.

Photo of Good Hope's Lexi Collins (30) driving by Cold Springs' Paizley Whitlow (1) in a game at Good Hope Gymnasium December 9.
Photo courtesy of Martha Needham.