It’s time for the Rhode Island high school basketball season to get going.
The holidays always provide an odd break for high school hoops, with teams starting to play league games before winter vacation hits. Some teams were busy, some weren’t, some played holiday tournaments, others didn’t.
Putting a ton of stock into games over the break can be a mistake, but wins and losses still matter. There were plenty of eye-opening performances – good and bad – but we’re still super early in the season, giving teams plenty of time to continue working forward and chase whatever goal they’re after.
So who are the best teams in Rhode Island high school basketball after the third full week of play? Here’s how we ranked the top five teams in each division, plus one we hated to leave out.
🏀BOYS BASKETBALL – Division I Power Rankings
1. Barrington (5-0)
The Eagles closed 2025 with a bang – including a statement win over Classical – and have what is easily the most talented rotation in the state. Barrington opened 2026 with a win over Mount Pleasant Saturday and have three big games coming up this week. The Eagles travel to play Smithfield Monday, host La Salle Thursday, then head to Providence to play Central Sunday.
2. Hendricken (2-0)
There are teams with more athleticism and talent than the Hawks, but it’s hard to debate about their chemistry and cohesiveness. Hendricken looked good in last week’s win over Central, showing that defense is going to be key this season. The Hawks play three times this week, hosting Cumberland Tuesday before traveling to play the Clippers Thursday with a home game against Bridgewater-Raynham (Mass.) on Saturday.
3. Central (3-1)
You’re not going to find a more entertaining team to watch, but the Knights can do more than put on a show. After beating East Providence to close 2025, Central fell to Hendricken in a game that should give it an idea of what needs to improve. The Knights get back at it Tuesday at Cranston East, host Portsmouth Friday night and then host Barrington on Sunday afternoon.
4. Classical (3-2)
The Purple opened the season with a bang, but losing to Central and Barrington showed some of the team’s flaws. Classical closed 2025 by beating Cranston East, then beat North Kingstown in its first game of 2026. The Purple have three games this week, hosting Portsmouth Monday, traveling to play East Providence Thursday and hosting Smithfield Saturday.
5. Lincoln (7-0)
All the Lions have done this season is win, but it’s really hard to determine where they are amongst the contenders because of who they’ve played. Lincoln has talent and should remain undefeated going up against the Pawtucket schools this week – at Shea Monday, at Tolman Thursday – before a matchup against Classical next week.
NEXT UP: Portsmouth (3-0)
🏀BOYS BASKETBALL – Division II Power Rankings
1. Chariho (5-2)
Plenty of teams can claim the top spot, but we’ll give the Chargers some credit after its wins over defending D-II champ Moses Brown and Woonsocket that got 2026 rolling in the right direction. Nothing is going to be easy in D-II and Chariho knows it and will be ready to go Wednesday at Juanita Sanchez before hosting Burrillville on Thursday.
2. West Warwick (4-0)
In a division where no one has stood out, the Wizards have found a way to by not losing a game. West Warwick hasn’t played the toughest schedule, but it’s winning and opened 2026 with a victory over Middletown. Three games are on the schedule this week – at East Greenwich Monday, hosting EG Thursday and playing at Times2 on Friday.
3. Mt. Hope (4-1)
The Huskies have rattled off three straight wins since losing to Chariho on December 15 and while the victory over South Kingstown three days later was big, winning at Burrillville and at Tiverton were no small achievements. It’ll be a busy week for the Huskies, who travel to play St. Raphael Tuesday and Middletown Thursday before returning home to take on Juanita Sanchez Friday.
4. Moses Brown (2-1)
After the unexpected hiatus, the Quakers got back to it and closed 2025 with a tough road win over Burrillville. A loss to Chariho followed, but it won’t set MB back too much. There are going to be bumps in the road and the Quakers will be ready. MB hits the road Monday to take on South Kingstown, travels to play St. Raphael Thursday and hosts Coventry on Saturday.
5. South Kingstown (2-1)
The Rebels haven’t played a league game since beating Juanita Sanchez on December 22, but had some success in the Westerly Community Credit Union Classic that should springboard it into 2026. SK will be challenged immediately, hosting Moses Brown on Monday before hosting regional rival Narragansett on Thursday night.
NEXT UP: Cranston West (4-2)
🏀BOYS BASKETBALL – Division III Power Rankings
1. Exeter-West Greenwich (4-0)
If you like offense, you’re going to love the Scarlet Knights, who have put up numbers in the early part of the season. After winning the Charlie Gwynne Holiday Tournament, EWG cruised into 2026 with a win over St. Patrick. A fun one awaits Monday with a home game against Scituate before hosting Middletown on Wednesday.
2. Ponaganset (4-2)
The Chieftains closed 2025 with three games in four days, sandwiching D-III wins over contenders Scituate and Toll Gate with a one-point loss to Coventry. Ponaganset is building momentum and will try to keep it going this week when it hosts Central Falls Monday before traveling to North Smithfield on Thursday.
3. Hope (1-2)
What do we know about the Blue Wave? Not much, other than they found a way to beat a tough Scituate team and have two losses against D-II opponents. It’s a solid resume for a team with a good young core and Hope will be busy this week hosting Providence Country Day Monday, traveling to PCD on Wednesday and hosting Central Falls on Friday.
4. Scituate (3-3)
The Spartans’ season has been a rollercoaster ride of great wins and peculiar losses, but it seems the pieces are there to be a contender in D-III. After losing to Ponaganset and Hope, Scituate closed 2025 with a win over Davies and then beat Times2 to open 2026. The Spartans have a tough one Monday at Exeter-West Greenwich, travel to play Paul Cuffee on Thursday and host Block Island on Friday afternoon.
5. North Smithfield (5-1)
While the Northmen have one of the best win-loss records in D-III, a careful look at the resume shows why. North Smithfield has done what good teams are supposed to – win with authority over lesser competition – but it’s one test ended in a loss to Davies. North Smithfield will be challenged this week hosting Tiverton Monday and Ponaganset Thursday before hosting Davies on Friday night.
NEXT UP: Davies (3-2)
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Rhode Island high school boys 2026 basketball power rankings after Week 3
