When the MHSAA’s biennial reclassification and realignment was announced in November, I took a brief look at how it would impact certain area football teams for the 2025-27 period. Now seems like a good time to do the same for basketball.
Class 7A
Tupelo is moving from Region 2 to Region 1, swapping places with Oxford. As is the case in football, Region 2 has been the much tougher division these past two years.
On the boys side, for instance, my buddy Lavel “Shoes” Johnson of MSHoopReport.com currently ranks Germantown No. 1 and Starkville No. 3 in his Power 15. The highest-ranked Region 1 teams are No. 14 Horn Lake and No. 15 DeSoto Central.
Brandon Shields of CapitalSportsMS.com also has Germantown and Starkville at Nos. 1 and 3, respectively. On the girls side, Shields has reigning state champ Tupelo at No. 1 (as do my area rankings). Starkville is No. 5 in his 7A rankings, and it should be noted that Starkville just beat Tupelo on Tuesday.
Both of Oxford’s teams are doing well this season, but the next two years look to be much more difficult.
Class 4A
Regions 1 and 2 will see significant shuffling. Mooreville, which has been moved up from 3A, will be in Region 2 with Lee County rival Shannon. Houston also joins the region.
Ripley, whose boys team is young but promising, will move to 3-4A and is by far the easternmost school in that region. The other teams in Region 3 are Byhalia, Clarksdale, Rosa Fort and Senatobia.
Class 2A
Baldwyn makes its return after spending these past two years in 1A. The Bearcats’ arrival will bump East Union from Region 1 to Region 2, where it joins Bruce, Myrtle, Strayhorn and Water Valley – not a particularly strong group at the moment.
Baldwyn’s region foes will be Hamilton, Hatley, New Site and Walnut. Much stronger field to navigate.
Class 1A
All kinds of changes here. Falkner, Jumpertown and Pine Grove move from Region 2 to Region 1; Region 2 imports three teams from Region 3 as well as West Union from Region 4; and Ingomar is dropping back down and will be in Region 3.
Also in Region 3 will be Okolona, Smithville and West Lowndes (all from Region 4), as well as Tremont and Tupelo Christian (both from Region 1). Got all that? I don’t know how well Ingomar’s girls will do next season with Macie Phifer having graduated, but the region slate shouldn’t be too taxing (watch out for Okolona, though).
Also, Calhoun City is down in 1A for the first time since 2008 and will be in Region 4.
Below, you’ll find the 2025-27 basketball regions that include area teams. Save it for future reference.
Region 1-7A: DeSoto Central, Hernando, Horn Lake, Lewisburg, Southaven, Tupelo
Region 2-7A: Clinton, Germantown, Madison Central, Murrah, Oxford, Starkville
Region 1-6A: Center Hill, Grenada, Lake Cormorant, Olive Branch, Saltillo, South Panola
Region 1-5A: Caledonia, Columbus, Lafayette, New Hope, Pontotoc, West Point
Region 1-4A: Corinth, New Albany, North Pontotoc, South Pontotoc, Tishomingo County
Region 2-4A: Amory, Houston, Itawamba AHS, Mooreville, Shannon
Region 3-4A: Byhalia, Clarksdale, Ripley, Rosa Fort, Senatobia
Region 1-3A: Alcorn Central, Belmont, Booneville, Kossuth, Mantachie
Region 2-3A: Coahoma County, Holly Springs, Independence, North Panola, Thomas E. Edwards
Region 4-3A: Aberdeen, Choctaw County, Nettleton, Noxubee County, Winona
Region 1-2A: Baldwyn, Hamilton, Hatley, New Site, Walnut
Region 2-2A: Bruce, East Union, Myrtle, Strayhorn, Water Valley
Region 4-2A: East Webster, Eupora, Kemper County, Philadelphia, Velma Jackson
Region 1-1A: Biggersville, Falkner, Jumpertown, Pine Grove, Thrasher, Wheeler
Region 2-1A: Ashland, Blue Mountain, H.W. Byers, Hickory Flat, Potts Camp, West Union
Region 3-1A: Ingomar, Okolona, Smithville, Tremont, Tupelo Christian, West Lowndes
Region 4-1A: Calhoun City, Coffeeville, French Camp, Houlka, Vardaman
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