As hard as it is to believe, the final week of January has arrived, which means we are about a month from postseason play.

The state got treated to multiple Top 25 matchups last week, and more are in line for this week’s lineup. 

No. 1 Conway came out on top in matchups over North Little Rock and Little Rock Central, and Farmington throttled Mountain Home in a top-three contest, just to name a couple from the Top 10. 

Especially compared with last week, there was not a whole lot of movement in the Top 25. The top 14 teams held their spots, and a team from the 5A-West earned its way back in. 

See the full Top 25 below. 

January 27, 2025

Last week: 1

Top 10 victories over North Little Rock and Little Rock Central gave the Wampus Cats sole possession of first place in the 6A-Central, as well as increased their win streak to 16. They close January with Jonesboro and Bryant. 

Last week: 2 

Not that anyone who has paid attention is overly shocked, but the Cardinals sent out a reminder to the state just how good they are with a statement road win against a solid third-ranked Mountain Home squad. They start the week with a makeup game against Alma before wrapping up January with Van Buren.

Last week: 3 

There was no question the Bombers were amped to host No. 2 and 5A favorite Farmington at The Hangar, but the Cardinals were too much to handle — as they have been for nearly every opponent. After bouncing back against Alma, Mountain Home has another chance to get a win streak going against Russellville and a continuously improving No. 19 Greenwood team. 

Last week: 4 

They’ve shown the ability to win close games multiple times this season, and the Red Dogs did it once again in a competitive finish against Fayetteville. A big three-game slate lies ahead, starting with No. 17 Bentonville, followed by No. 8 Springdale Har-Ber, then No. 5 Fort Smith Northside to tip off February. 

Last week: 5 

Since falling to Springdale in the 6A-West opener, the Bears have won six in a row. They will have a chance for redemption against the Red Dogs on Feb. 3 and could take sole possession of the conference’s top spot. For now, they will have to keep their focus on Tuesday’s trip to No. 8 Springdale Har-Ber. 

Last week: 6 

The win streak now sits at 12 as the Eagles impressively got through the most crucial week of their season thus far. They are in a tie with No. 14 Marion atop the 5A-East standings, and assuming both teams handle business Tuesday, the winner of Friday’s matchup will enter February in sole possession of first place. 

Last week: 7

Having a week off seemed to have no negative impact as the Tigers went toe-to-toe with top-ranked Conway until the Wampus Cats started to pull away late in the third quarter. They head across town to Little Rock Southwest on Tuesday and wrap up the week back home against Jonesboro. 

Last week: 8 

The Wildcats played one game last week and hardly broke a sweat in a convincing triumph over Rogers Heritage. The rest was well-needed with a huge week ahead that features a home contest with No. 5 Fort Smith Northside and then a short trip across town to take on No. 4 Springdale. 

Last week: 9

Similar to how Conway separated from Little Rock Central late in Friday’s matchup, North Little Rock endured the same fate at the hands of the Wampus Cats to start the week. The team will be back on the court for the first time in a week Tuesday against Bryant and will finish January with Cabot. 

Last week: 10

The Bruins put two more complete performances together in routs of Clinton and Heber Springs. If it were not a question already, it is reasonable to ponder whether they will be challenged for the remainder of the regular season with only three weeks left. 

Last week: 11

To no surprise, the Eagles have figured out some things and are on a roll riding a six-game win streak after holding Jacksonville and Maumelle to a combined 53 points last week. Another 5A-Central matchup against Greenbrier is scheduled for Tuesday, followed by a big nonconference showdown at No. 13 Nashville on Friday. 

Last week: 12

The Warriors have rebounded nicely since falling a game behind Vilonia for first place in the 5A-Central standings. With a three-game win streak intact, they’ll look to add to it against Jacksonville and Sylvan Hills this week. 

Last week: 13 

The Scrapperettes have had some big performances in recent games, and Karstyn Scrivner turned in the latest, finishing with 40 points in Tuesday’s nonconference game against Hot Springs Lakeside. After handling Arkadelphia to close the week, they now set their sights on Camden Fairview before hosting No. 11 Vilonia in another nonconference contest. 

Last week: 14 

The Patriots did what they were supposed to do in convincing wins over Paragould and Batesville. This week features two Top 25 opponents, starting on the road with a 23rd-ranked Valley View squad looking to rebound, followed by a possible bout for first place in the 5A-East at home against No. 6 Greene County Tech. 

Last week: 16

On paper, the only team remaining on Dover’s schedule that posed a challenge was Baptist Prep, and the Pirates came away with a 30-point victory before routing Jessieville. They now have sole possession of first place in the 3A-5 race with Perryville and Mayflower up this week. 

Last week: 17

They took Springdale to the wire, but the Purple Dogs were unable to secure their second Top 10 victory in two weeks. They need a big week against Fort Smith Southside and No. 17 Bentonville this week to avoid falling further back in the 6A-West standings. 

Last week: 18

The Tigers needed a strong response after dropping consecutive Top 10 matchups and they got it with lopsided victories over Rogers and Bentonville West, in which they were expected to handle business. They have an important week ahead with 6A-West leader and fourth-ranked Springdale, followed by No. 16 Fayetteville.

Last week: 20 

After bouncing back from a loss to close last week, the Leopards surrendered only 14 points to Hope in Friday’s convincing victory. For the second consecutive week, they will play only one game, a road matchup against Magnolia. 

Last week: 24

It is a valid argument to say the Bulldogs are the top team in the 5A-West with the exception of No. 2 Farmington, and they have a chance to prove it this week. After a Tuesday trip to Harrison, they’ll be on the road again to take on No. 3 Mountain Home in what could be yet another classic at The Hangar. 

Last week: 21

Two more outstanding defensive performances propelled the Bulldogs to victory over Bigelow and Mount-Vernon Enola. With a three-game advantage in the 2A-5 standings, they’ve got a three-game slate this week featuring Jacksonville Lighthouse, Central Arkansas Christian and Conway Christian.

Last week: 22

The week started with good news as the Badgers won their third consecutive game, but things got away from them against No. 12 Little Rock Christian. The next four games are expected to be favorable to get on a run before a home rematch against Vilonia on Valentine’s Day. 

Last week: 15

Things have not gone so well in three of the Blue Devils’ past five contests, including the current two-game skid, but don’t give up on them yet. They should get back on track against Searcy on Tuesday, then you never know what could happen when they take on arch-rival and 14th-ranked Marion. 

Last week: 19

January has been a rollercoaster for the Blazers as they have not won consecutive contests since late December and had a rough outing in their most recent loss to No. 6 Greene County Tech. A huge opportunity to bounce back comes early this week against No. 14 Marion, and they’ll close January against a streaky Nettleton squad. 

Last week: 25

Ashlyn Cossey collected her 15th double-double of the season in West Side’s Friday victory over Viola. The Eagles head to Concord, head coach Keith Cornett’s alma mater and former team, to start the week and finish January with a big matchup against Rural Special. 

Last week: NR

After a brief hiatus, the Pointers are back in the Top 25 and looking to build off of victories in three of their past four contests. They have a favorable matchup against Siloam Springs to start the week, and then they are up against the machine that is No. 2 Farmington on Friday. 

Lake Hamilton

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