What a difference four years makes.
Back in 2022, the West Rutland boys basketball team was in the rut of a winless campaign, crashing back down to earth after making it to the Division IV state championship game the year before against rival Proctor.
Fast forward to to 2026 and the Golden Horde are on the complete opposite end of things. West Rutland finished off its first perfect regular season in program history, beating Green Mountain to accomplish it on Thursday.
Two players, Braden Hogan and Michael Harte, have been on both of those teams and have experienced those extremes. Now, they want to be on the team that wins it all. The Golden Horde are one of the favorites to be crowned Division IV champion in two weeks.
West Rutland is one of two unbeaten boys basketball teams this year, along with Division II Hartford. The Hurricanes maintain the top spot in the final power rankings of the regular season.
1. Hartford (20-0)
Previous rank: 1
Hartford is the clear favorite to win a state championship in Division II. There are some other quality clubs in the division, but the Hurricanes have consistently stood out above the rest. Hartford going undefeated in Southern Vermont League A Division play is incredibly impressive, as Rutland and Burr and Burton Academy are very strong Division I teams. Hartford’s depth has continued to shine through all year with teams unable to key in on one guy. The Hurricanes have a recipe that could end in hoisting the hardware.
2. Rice (17-3)
Previous rank: 2
Division I is more wide open than it has been in many years, but Rice is probably the team that should be favored to win the state championship. They boast the player who is one of the top contenders for Gatorade Player of the Year, Pascal Munezero, and they have a really talented core around him. This past week, they avenged one of their earlier defeats, topping league rival CVU. Rice is shooting for its 20th state championship in program history.
3. Burlington (15-5)
Previous rank: 5
Burlington finished off the regular season with a quality 10-point win against Rutland Friday night at Patrick Gymnasium. The Seahorses' biggest win of the late regular season stretch was their two-point triumph over rival Rice in the previous game. That gave Burlington a split with the Green Knights and was another example of how viable the Seahorses’ title chances are. Burlington plays its home games at UVM’s Patrick Gymnasium, so the pressure of playing there in the state semifinals or finals shouldn’t throw them off.
4. South Burlington (15-5)
Previous rank: 4
South Burlington has been one of the hottest Division I teams late in the season, winning seven of its last eight games, after its convincing loss to BBA in late January. The Wolves have wins over Burlington, CVU and BFA-St. Albans in that span and all those teams have viable hopes in the upcoming state tournament. The dynamic duo of Oli Avdibegovic and Paul Comba is one of the most impressive combos in the state.
5. Rutland (14-6)
Previous rank: 3
Rutland dropped its final game of the regular season to Burlington, but showed a ton of fight in that game, battling back from 11 points down at the half to get within a possession at one point in the second half. Rutland has played some really strong basketball late in the season and its blowout win of Division II contender Fair Haven, arguably its biggest in-county rival, was super impressive. In that contest, RHS’s stars lived up to their billing with big man Cooper Sparks and guard Cellan Wood combining for 51 points. If those two are at the top of their game come playoff time, Rutland can compete with anyone.
6. CVU (12-8)
Previous rank: 7
CVU played in a lot of tight games late in the year with four of its last five contests decided by single digits. The one where they didn’t came in a blowout loss to D-I favorite Rice. It was a big change from the first time the two teams played, where the Redhawks eked out a one-point victory. CVU took a major step forward this year after not contending last season, but if it wants to get to Patrick Gymnasium it would likely need to go on the road in the quarterfinals to make it happen.
7. Burr and Burton (12-8)
Previous rank: 8
Burr and Burton has been a bit of a mystery in the back half of the regular season. They started the back half hot, blowing out South Burlington, but followed it up with four losses in their next five games. They’ve righted the ship late in the regular season with three straight wins and their most recent one, against Fair Haven on Thursday was impressive given the big first-half hole they climbed out of.
8. BFA-St. Albans (12-8)
Previous rank: 6
BFA-St. Albans was one of the hottest teams in the state early in the year, winning eight of its first 10 games. It has gotten a lot rockier since then, in Metro Division league play. They haven’t strung together multiple wins in the second half of the season and are going into the Division I playoffs with two straight losses, including a close loss to five-win Colchester. They remain dangerous, but need to find consistently.
9. Lamoille (16-4)
Previous rank: 9
Lamoille gained some momentum going into the Division II state tournament by beating Spaulding in a defensive-minded contest. It was a big win, having lost two of its last three games heading into the matchup. Dreaming upon a potential semifinal matchup with Fair Haven is very interesting as the teams don’t see each other in the regular season and don’t have common opponents.
10. Fair Haven (15-5)
Previous rank: 10
Fair Haven is entering the Division II state tournament on a two-game slide, but those losses came against Rutland and BBA, both D-I contenders, Fair Haven coach Luke Vadnais has noted how those games will be beneficial for the Slaters going into the tournament. Fair Haven has been a Barre Auditorium staple but has missed out on the chance to get there a few years in a row. This team certainly has the juice to end that mini-drought with established stars and younger guys that are ascending.
