Early state rankings in high school basketball are a fun way to turn social media on its head. Nobody likely knows too much with just a few games played at this point of the season — and just in time for the holidays, we argue anyway.

Still, it’s hard to discredit the top-ranked teams in the big-school classifications going into the third week of the winter season.

Mountain Vista, the CHSAA coaches poll Class 6A No. 1 team, has won three straight behind 6-foot-8 standout Caden Stevens (15.7 points per game).

The Golden Eagles are outscoring teams by 80 points through three games — which is just a little less than what Smoky Hill’s Rickey Mitchell (29.5 PPG) apparently can be expected to score in that same time frame.

Frederick, the top team in 5A, has the same number of wins through two weeks as it does sets of brothers in the program (five).

Eagle Ridge Academy, No. 1 in 4A, has the same number of wins as it does players averaging double figures in points (also five).

What else do we know? Not much, but let’s take a quick look through the 6A-4A classifications anyway and see what more we can find.

Class 6A

History could be made this week as Denver East coach Rudy Carey is one win away from owning the state’s record in wins for a boys basketball coach. He tied former longtime Denver Christian coach Dick Katte with his 876th win against Overland Saturday.

His first chance to secure the record will be at Palmer Tuesday night. The No. 10 Angels are 5-2, the Terrors 4-2.

The other must-watch game this week (also Tuesday) is No. 4 Smoky Hill (2-0) at No. 3 Valor Christian (3-0).

Nobody in the state has been hotter on the offensive end of the court as Mitchell, who had 21 points against Kent Denver on Dec. 1 for the Buffaloes, and 38 against Rangeview two days later. Against the Raiders, he hit eight 3s.

Valor Christian, off an 8-15 campaign, already has wins over the team that knocked it out the 2021-22 5A first round (Rocky Mountain), a round of 16 team (Air Academy) and the eventual class runner-up (Fossil Ridge).

From this past week, No. 2 Fossil Ridge beat back-to-back champ No. 5 ThunderRidge (4-1) in double overtime Friday, 84-81.

Nick Randall had 30 points in the win for the Sabercats and is averaging 25.2 PPG. Charlie Spann (22.6 PPG) had 31 in the loss for the Grizzlies, while Andrew Crawford (24 PPG) had 29.

Class 5A

Before the season, now-No. 1 Frederick believed it had the guys to contend for a state title.

The Golden Eagles were coming off their first state semifinals berth in 66 years and were getting back standouts Luke Justice and Matias Aldana. Coach Jeff Conway said his team just had to find its own identity.

A 5-0 start certainly isn’t a bad way to define one.

Frederick opened the season with a win at No. 2 Mead and handed 6A Denver South its first loss of the year Saturday behind 17 points and seven rebounds from Aldana and 18 points from Justice.

The Mavericks (5-1), meanwhile, haven’t lost since falling to the Golden Eagles on Nov. 29. Along with a 79-point win, they have double-digit victories over defending champ No. 4 Lewis-Palmer and 6A Highlands Ranch and Monarch. Senior Tucker Mills is averaging 21 PPG.

Tuesday, the Rangers (4-1) host Pueblo South (4-2) in a rematch of last season’s 4A state title game.

Eli Robinson is a double-double in shorts for L-P, averaging 19.4 PPG and 9.6 boards. For the eighth-ranked Colts, Maurice Austin leads the class with 26.7 points.

Class 4A

Holy Family coach Pete Villecco said before the season that his point guard Eric Quintana is the “straw that stirs the drink.”

Smooth.

Monday, the third-year starter hit five 3s and scored 21 points as the No. 2 Tigers (4-1) beat No. 3 Severance (3-1) 78-72. Quintana came into the game averaging five assists (top five in 4A) and 2 ½ steals per game.

Elsewhere, No. 5 Kent Denver (2-2) has already scored more than 90 points twice this season. It beat Middle Park 102-69 on Dec. 3, then lost to No. 4 Eaton 99-93 Saturday. In that win for the Reds (4-1), Zac Grable (19.8 PPG) had 29.

No. 1 Eagle Ridge Academy (5-0), meanwhile, is shooting 50% from the field and 31% from beyond the arc. Hunter Hill, a 6-6 senior, leads the way at 65% from the field while scoring 15.8 PPG.

This Saturday in cross-classification top-10 games, ERA faces 5A No. 7 Vista PEAK Prep (5-1) Saturday. Severance is at 5A No. 8 Pueblo South.