Prep girls’ basketball rankings: Rio Linda enters rankings; Colfax moves into top 10

The start of the new year means one thing for prep basketball players and coaches: The season is now truly starting.

After a month and half of tournaments and nonleague play, area teams will begin what most coaches describe as the real season — league play. Girls’ basketball teams will now focus on raising banners and prepare themselves for the playoffs. Most teams start league play this week.

Rio Linda cracks Top 20

Welcome to the rankings, Rio Linda. For the first time this season, the Knights are ranked in the top 20 after starting the season 12-0. Rio Linda is ranked No. 19. Senior Kyalei Williams is averaging over 20 points per game. Williams had scoring outbursts of 33, 35 and 29 points last month.

Other key contributors are Sydney Grant, Juliana Garcia and Myunique Hill. A huge Foothill Valley League matchup looms against No. 16 Lincoln on Friday.

Colfax picks up big nonleague win

On the theme of rankings, Colfax moved up into the top 10 for the first time this season. Colfax is ranked No. 8 after beating Granite Bay 50-48, who previously held the same ranking. In the win, Jade Bittner had a game-high 17 and sister Gabby had 12.

Under first-year head coach Rexanne Simpton, Colfax is off to a 13-2 start and should battle with Marysville and Bear River for the Pioneer Valley League title.

Previewing big league matchups this week

There are a handful of big league matchups this week. In the Metro League, Monterey Trail hosts McClatchy in a critical top 20 showdown. In the Sierra Foothill League, Rocklin plays Oak Ridge, Del Oro plays Folsom and Whitney faces Granite Bay. All of those games are Friday.

The Bee’s Top 20

Girls’ basketball

Records entering Monday

1. Folsom 11-0

2. Laguna Creek 8-1

3. Oak Ridge 11-4

4. Del Oro 12-1

5. Vista del Lago 9-2

6. Vanden 8-2

7. McClatchy 6-4

8. Colfax 13-2

9. Christian Brothers 12-3

10. Granite Bay 13-4

11. Grant 10-4

12. Whitney 11-6

13. Rocklin 9-4

14. Antelope 4-3

15. Monterey Trail 10-3

16. Lincoln 12-2

17. Bear River 12-0

18. St. Francis 7-5

19. Rio Linda 12-0

20. Capital Christian 9-7

Bubble Teams: (in alphabetical order) Cosumnes Oaks (8-6), Dixon (10-3), El Dorado (10-6), Inderkum (6-9), Marysville (13-2), Pioneer (9-4), Placer (6-7), Rio Americano (7-8), West Campus (0-0), Yuba City (9-3).