The WIAA’s RPI, one of the tools used by the seeding committee to fill out the state basketball brackets, is giving high marks to SCAC.

Zillah’s boys and girls, unbeaten in conference play and with strong out-of-conference resumes, sit atop the Class 1A rankings in the WIAA’s Ratings Percentage Index. The Leopards also are No. 1

Evans Rankings, which are done by Matt Evans of the Tri-Cities.

Both formulas factor in a team’s winning percentage, the winning percentage of that team’s opponents, and the winning percentage of that team’s opponents’ opponents.

Each formula gives different weights to the components.

Royal’s boys, who came the closest of anybody to knocking off Zillah, is third in both rankings.

The Knights girls team is sixth in the Evans Rankings and 10thin the RPI, while Wapato – which split two games with Royal – is No. 8 in both.

As congested as the CWAC girls standings are, so are the rankings for the four top teams.

Prosser, which has won eight straight behind high-scoring junior Herbie Wright, is ranked third in the VarsityWA poll but sixth in both computer rankings.

The Mustangs are followed by Selah (7thRPI, 8th Evans), Grandview (9th in both) and Ellensburg (12thRPI, 10th Evans).

Selah’s third-tanked boys are fourth in both computer rankings. No other CWAC team is in the boys top 10.

With the CBBN not being perceived as one of the tougher girls 4A girls conferences, top-ranked Davis is third in the RPI and fifth in the Evans Rankings.

West Valley is sixth in the Evans 4A boys poll – same as its state ranking – and No. 8 in the RPI.

The RPI is one tool for the seeding committee, and not necessarily where that team will be placed 

when the regional pairings are revealed Sunday, Feb. 22.

In the fall, five-time defending 1A  state champion Royal was fourth in the RPI, despite being undefeated with its only close game, an overtime victory against Cashmere which was fifth.

The Knights and Bulldogs were seeded No. 1 and 2, respectively, and met for the state championship.