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It's time to say goodbye to Gramp's; Hello to Gramp's Jr.

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 It's time to say goodbye to Gramp's;  Hello to Gramp's Jr. Don't be sad....  Gramp's is living on with Gramp's Jr.    @coachmikb, or actually Coach Mike Backes, a retired Missouri government worker who coaches 7th and 8th graders for Blair Oaks.  Mike has a background in analysis and loves working an Excel spreadsheet.  In fact, most of the work this year on Gramp's Braggin' Rights Missouri Basketball Ratings was computed by Coach Mike. This old Gramp's was going to retire this year but couldn't quite give up the ghost.  I had been posting Missouri basketball boys ratings for about eight years and the girls for about five years.  With over 1300 followers, everyone looked forward to seeing their team rated in a quantifiable rating system that rated teams on head-to-head and opponent performance vs. other teams.  Mike helped Gramps solidify the ratings so that they were fully dynamic.  The teams you played could either raise or lower...

Missouri Class Three Girls District Matchups and Sectional/State Prognostications 2/24/2025

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  I don't know if I have ever seen so many really good and highly rated class three girls teams as this year's crop.  While Principia and Fair Grove stand slightly above the rest and have done well vs. upper class opponents, Thayer, South Shelby, Centralia, Fatima and El Dorado Springs are all great teams. Look for an exciting state tournament.  Here are Coach Mike Backes ratings and Gramps prognostications.  Gramps is taking Grama on a cruise for ten days so Coach Mike B might have to fill you in on class four through six girls or boys until we get back. Good luck to all teams. Here are Gramps prognostications on Class Three girls Here are the class three girls ratings, calculated by Gramps and Coach Mike Backes.

Missouri Class Three Boys basketball district seeds and predictions 2/23/2025

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 Here are ratings by district from Coach Mike Backes and Gramps selections for each class three  boys basketball district.  Prognostications are below, followed by overall class three ratings. District and sectional predictions.  Look out for Principia. Overall class three ratings

Missouri Class Two boys basketball predictions by district 2/22/2025

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 Gramps and Coach Mike Backes look at class two boys district matchups and state predictions.  Predictions are listed below the district rankings. Here are our predictions for district and sectional games and the state champion.

Missouri Class One Boys District and State predictions - 2/20/2025

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 Missouri Class One boys has some good teams this year with Green City and Chadwick leading the way.  After nearly equal ratings all season long, Green City appears to have a slight edge. Coach Mike B has been busy cranking numbers and here are Gramps (and Coach B's) picks for district titles and a state prognostication. The first table shows teams by district with MSHSSA seeds, our seeds, games we rated, and team ratings.  The second to last column is their overall ranking in class one. The last column is the district rating. The second table is our prognostications on district and sectional winners and the ultimate state champ. Good luck to all the teams. Here are our picks for district, sectional and state title.

Missouri Girls class two district matchups and overall ratings - 2/18/2025

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 When Gramps is on the golf course, and I hit a great shot, my favorite saying is “Even a Blind Mule finds Water”.  I might have some ability but those great shots come out of nowhere at times. Well, the Missouri State High School League is often like that at tournament time.  It’s not that they have a great system, cuz often the best two teams in the tournament end up playing each other in the first or second round.  That’s because the League does not have a rating system that seeds teams at the state tournament.  They seed teams at districts and then rotate through a couple of variations of tournament brackets each year.  It results in the best teams playing a quarterfinal game instead of a championship final. This year, the blind mule found water. The best two teams in class two, Tipton (district eight) and Skyline (district thirteen), are in opposite brackets so that they might meet in the final.  Except I won’t say “might” because these two te...

Missouri Class One Girls Basketball District Seedings and Overall Ratings 2/18/2025

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 If you are a class one girl's coach that is looking for the best evidence to get your team seeded in the appropriate slot at your District basketball seed meeting, then you need to print this off and take it with you. Gramps Braggin' Rights ratings have predicted 85% of the winners in district, sectional and state brackets for over eight years.  It's the best form sheet for Missouri basketball. Here are Gramps and Coach Mike B's ratings for district seeding, with comments and state predictions below the chart: District One - Delta is the clear favorite and will have a tough sectional game with District 2 champion, Chadwick or Bunker. District Two:  Chadwick is the favorite but Bunker could challenge.  The winner of the sectional game could go far into the state bracket but the top of the bracket (districts 1-8) are loaded with the best teams. District Three: Hurley is the clear favorite but won't get past their District Four opponent in the sectional. District Four...