A case can be made for each of the top three teams — McAllen High, Brownsville Pace and Brownsville St. Joseph — to be No. 1 in the RGVSports.com initial top 10 boys basketball poll.

No. 1 McAllen High (19-6, 2-0 in district) starts off at the top after finishing last season as the No. 1 team in the Rio Grande Valley. The Bulldogs return six significant contributors from last year’s elite eight team and have added junior point guard Darren Manriquez, a transfer from McAllen Rowe, to the mix. McHi has earned wins over Brownsville Pace, Georgetown, San Perlita, Santa Rosa and Weslaco High, so far.

At No. 2 is the Brownsville Pace Vikings (20-4, 1-0), the defending District 32-5A champion. Pace’s on-court chemistry is clear and has led the Vikings to victories against Brownsville St. Joseph, Edinburg North, Harlingen High, North Mission IDEA, Port Isabel and Weslaco High. Pace’s only losses against RGV competition are against McAllen High and Brownsville St. Joseph.

No. 3 Brownsville St. Joseph (21-4, 0-0) has been nothing short of dominant to start over the first half of the season. Junior guard Gerry Martinez, a transfer from Los Fresnos, has made an instant impact that has resulted in wins over Brownsville Pace, Edinburg Economedes, North Mission IDEA, San Perlita, Santa Rosa and Weslaco High.

Edinburg Vela (19-6, 5-0) ranks No. 4 after a solid start to District 31-6A play. The SaberCats roll out a strong senior group that looks to put themselves back in the postseason after a one-year absence.

District 32-6A claims the next two spots led by Harlingen High at No. 5 and Weslaco High at No. 6. The Cardinals (12-8, 2-0) hold a slight edge on the district rival Panthers (15-9, 1-1) due to a 55-53 head-to-head overtime win on Dec. 31.

At No. 7 is Edinburg North (16-8, 4-1), the second top 10 team out of District 31-6A. The Cougars have racked up 13 wins in their last 15 games after a sluggish start to the season.

Santa Rosa, the No. 20-ranked team in the latest Texas Association of Basketball Coaches (TABC) 3A poll, comes in at No. 8 in the RGVSports.com top 10. The Warriors (12-10, 0-0) have played up in competition and recorded wins over Brownsville Veterans, Los Fresnos, McAllen Memorial, McAllen Rowe and Port Isabel.

District 31-3A leader North Mission IDEA ranks No. 9 and has raced out to an 8-0 record in district play. The Warriors are Class 3A’s No. 21 team, according to the latest TABC poll.

Rounding out the top 10 is Class 1A powerhouse San Perlita (16-7, 0-0). The Trojans rank No. 6 in the state, according to the TABC, and are poised to put together another deep run once the postseason comes around.

THE RGVSPORTS.COM
BOYS BASKETBALL TOP 10
Team                                                  Records       Prv.
1. McAllen High                         19-6, 2-0   —
2. Brownsville Pace                20-4, 1-0   —
3. Brownsville St. Joseph   20-4, 0-0   —
4. Edinburg Vela                        19-6, 5-0   —
5. Harlingen High                      12-8, 2-0   —
6. Weslaco High                        15-9, 1-1   —
7. Edinburg North                     16-8, 4-1   —
8. Santa Rosa                           12-10, 0-0   —
9. North Mission IDEA          11-7, 7-0   —
10. San Perlita                             16-7, 0-0   —