Remember the weekly San Joaquin County football power rankings? They’re back — with a new focus.
This time, The Record turns its attention to boys basketball.
Each week, all 29 San Joaquin County teams will be ranked, with weekly movement tracked and explanations provided for why teams rise or fall.
Using results from Jan. 26–Feb. 2, here’s the updated ranking of all 29 county teams. Movement reflects changes from last week’s rankings. Oakdale cracks top 5? Mountain House out? Updated boys basketball rankings.
Rankings list each team’s name, movement, record as of the morning of Feb. 3 and league abbreviation.
1. Lincoln (—) (17-6) (TCAL)
Could this be the final week Lincoln sits at No. 1? Possibly. Even with Tre Simmons back in the lineup Jan. 26, Lincoln was stunned, as St. Mary’s picked up its first win in the series since Jan. 20, 2023. The Trojans responded by beating Kimball by 30 and Lodi by 12, but bigger questions loom. Two tough matchups await in games Lincoln isn’t favored in against Modesto Christian and San Joaquin Memorial, with the team already past last season’s loss total.
2. Weston Ranch (—) (13-11) (SJAA)
One result could change the conversation. A win against Clayton Valley Charter on Feb. 7, a top-25 team in California, would put Weston Ranch squarely in the conversation as the county’s best. The résumé already turns heads, the SJAA title is all but wrapped up behind Romello Bruhn’s 38 points and another statement win would only add fuel.
3. Venture Academy (↑2) (19-5) (CCAAL)
One game was enough. Venture Academy followed its Jan. 26 win over East Union by taking care of Golden Valley 58-48 on Feb. 2, a result that vaulted the Jaguars into the top three for the first time this season.
4. St. Mary’s (↑2) (14-10) (TCAL)
One by one, the TCAL losses have been answered. Lincoln was avenged in a 66-56 upset Jan. 26. Tracy followed with a 63-38 blowout Jan. 28.
5. Mountain House (↑2) (19-5) (VOL)
Recent losses to Oakdale and East Union weren’t ideal, but help elsewhere kept Mountain House atop the VOL, improving to 6-2 with a 65-56 win over Sierra on Jan. 28. Central Catholic, tied for first, is next on Feb. 4. A win would turn what was once a four-way tie into sole possession of first, with only Oakdale and two teams already beaten by double digits remaining.
6. Oakdale (↓1) (21-3) (VOL)
History finally pushed back. In a season filled with firsts and upsets, Oakdale saw its luck run out Jan. 28 when Central Catholic buried a game-winner at the buzzer in a 55-55 tie, extending a winless streak against the Raiders that now spans more than 20 years. The loss dropped Oakdale from first to third, but the bigger picture remains intact. At 6-3 in league play, Oakdale sits one game off the lead and added a 72-55 win over rival Manteca on Jan. 30 — the second such victory this season and the program’s first two since 2017.
7. East Union (↑1) (18-7) (VOL)
Four games in six days rarely come easy, and East Union felt the strain. The week opened with a 57-53 nonleague loss to Venture Academy on Jan. 26 and closed with a nonleague win over Hanford on Jan. 31. In between, East Union handled league foe Patterson 62-44 on Jan. 28, but a damaging upset loss to Sierra on Jan. 30 dropped the Lancers to third and out of the four-way tie for first. Central Catholic looms Feb. 6, but the path to another VOL title now requires help, including a Mountain House loss to Central Catholic on Feb. 4.
8. Tracy (↓5) (17-7) (TCAL)
The timing couldn’t be worse. Injuries have left Tracy shorthanded, and it showed in back-to-back losses by 35 and 25 points. Without Lars Lindroos, who averages nearly 20 points a night, the margin has grown. The skid deepened Feb. 2 with a 70-61 loss to Edison. Still, Tracy sits third in the TCAL and remains on pace for one of its strongest seasons in the past two decades, with earlier results showing just how high the ceiling can be when whole.
9. Edison (↑1) (12-9) (SJAA)
The title slipped away, but the bite didn’t. Just days after losing the SJAA crown to Weston Ranch, Edison answered with an upset of Tracy.
10. Lodi (↓1) (11-12) (TCAL)
Falling came from traffic above, not defeats to Lincoln and Modesto Christian.
11. Liberty Ranch (↓1) (18-6) (SVC)
History is starting to look familiar. A 10-0 record in SVC play once led Liberty Ranch to a league title and a run to the CIF Division IV Regional Finals in 2021-22. The Hawks are back in the same position at 10-0 after a 65-31 win over Amador on Jan. 28 and a narrow 45-44 victory over second-place Argonaut. The slide comes from congestion above, not a misstep.
12. Ripon Christian (—) (15-9) (TVL)
Seven straight wins and counting. Ripon Christian sits unbeaten at 8-0 in TVL play and is charging toward a fourth straight league title.
13. Lathrop (↑2) (15-7) (WAC)
The numbers point upward. One league title since the school opened in 2008 — the 2022-23 season — remains the benchmark after a 19-9 finish, but this group is closing in fast. At 8-1 in WAC play, every league win has come by double digits except a six-point victory over Johansen on Jan. 14, with the lone loss a 65-48 decision against first-place Beyer on Jan. 23. Even without a league crown, the pace points toward the best regular season in school history, with seven games remaining and a home finale against Beyer still ahead.
14. Merrill West (—) (11-12) (TCAL)
15. Kimball (↓2) (11-14) (TCAL)
16. River Island (↑1) (13-10) (CCAA)
Only four years in, and already knocking. Four years after opening and just in its second season in the CCAA, River Island sits firmly in the league title race. A 5-0 start through the midpoint of league play has fueled the push, highlighted by an eight-game winning streak that includes wins over Ripon, Ripon Christian and Sierra.
17. Sierra (↑1) (13-11) (VOL)
18. Escalon (↓2) (13-11) (TVL)
19. McNair (—) (15-9) (SJAA)
20. Bear Creek (—) (7-14) (SJAA)
21. Tokay (—) (9-15) (SJAA)
22. Manteca (—) (6-17) (VOL)
23. Chavez (—) (9-17) (SJAA)
24. Stagg (↑1) (7-19) (SJAA)
25. Ripon (↓1) (6-17) (TVL)
26. Galt (↑1) (3-21) (CVC)
27. Linden (↓1) (4-14) (MLL)
28. Franklin (—) (1-25) (SJAA)
29. Millennium (—) (1-18) (CCAAL)
This article originally appeared on The Record: Big moves at the top? SJ County updated boys basketball rankings
Reporting by Dylan Ackermann, The Stockton Record / The Record
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
