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Top 25 Arkansas high school girls basketball rankings (2/24/2025)

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1 year ago

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Top 25 Arkansas high school girls basketball rankings (2/24/2025)


It was all but assured it would happen, and winter weather did end up forcing about two-thirds of the state — from mostly central Arkansas up through north Arkansas — to push games to this week. 

While all 25 squads from last week nearly held on to their exact spot from the previous week — which would have been the first time this season that occurred — the only changes are some shifting in the Top 10. There was a major headliner as there is a new No. 1 for the first time since the rankings dropped during the first week of January. 

Class 5A and 6A will wrap up their regular seasons this week, and Class 1A-4A will play regional tournaments as we are right around the corner from tipping off state tournaments. 

See the full Top 25 below. 

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February 24, 2025

Last week: 2 

They did not play last week, but the Cardinals enter this week as the new top-ranked squad. They’ll finish the regular season with a three-game slate that includes Russellville, No. 12 Mountain Home and Van Buren. 

Last week: 1

Trailing for the majority of the contest, the Wampus Cats kept finding ways to claw their way back in it but ultimately came up short as Little Rock Central snapped their 21-game win streak. They take on Jonesboro and Bryant this week looking to wrap up the 6A-Central outright title.

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Last week: 3

The Eagles sealed their second consecutive 5A-East conference title and head to the final week of the regular season on a 19-game win streak. They are at home for both games this week — against Batesville and No. 23 Marion. 

Last week: 4

The Wildcats were hardly pushed in their previous two contests, but they have a very challenging week ahead as they head to play a fifth-ranked Fort Smith Northside team with redemption on its mind before hosting crosstown foe and No. 6 Springdale on Senior Night. 

Last week: 5

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Fort Smith Northside hardly broke a sweat in a Monday rout of Fort Smith Southside in its lone game of the week. The team will wrap up the regular season with Rogers Heritage and No. 4 Springdale Har-Ber. 

Last week: 6 

The previous time the Red Dogs played a rescheduled game, they had one of their poorest showings of the season, but they were not about to let that happen again as they slipped past rival Fayetteville on Saturday. Leading the 6A-West race by a single game, they look to secure the title with final regular-season games against No. 17 Bentonville and No. 4 Springdale Har-Ber.

Last week: 8

The defending Class 6A state champion notched its biggest win of the season over top-ranked Conway at Buzz Bolding Arena on Friday night. With the 6A-Central’s No. 2 state tournament seed appearing to be their fate, the Tigers take on Little Rock Southwest and Jonesboro this week. 

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Last week: 7

North Little Rock did not play last week. The Charging Wildcats wrap up the regular season this week with Bryant and Cabot. 

Last week: 9

After finishing conference play with an early-week win over Heber Springs, the Bruins completed the first unblemished regular season in school history with a sportsmanship rule-invoking triumph over Class 5A Hot Springs Lakeside. They will be the 4A-5 North’s top seed in this week’ 4A-3 Regional Tournament in Clinton. 

Last week: 10

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Vilonia’s Saturday win over Parkview not only all but sealed an outright 5A-Central championship, but the star backcourt duo of senior Sidni Middleton and junior Maddie Mannion hit career milestones, surpassing 1,600 and 1,000 points, respectively. The Eagles now aim to finish league play unblemished with this week’s favorable three-game slate before making another state final run.

Last week: 11

The team did not play last week. Currently tied for the 5A-Central’s No. 2 seed with Beebe, Little Rock Christian has the Badgers, Mount St. Mary, Maumelle and Jacksonville remaining on the regular-season schedule. 

Last week: 12

They have had a few recent close calls, but the Bombers were not affected by the Alma game being moved to Saturday as they handled the Airedales in their final game of the season at The Hangar. They will get as good of a test, twice, before making a state tournament run as they head to play top-ranked Farmington and No. 18 Greenwood. 

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Last week: 13 

The Leopards earned a share of the 4A-7 conference title after wrapping up the regular season with a win over Magnolia to increase their current win streak to eight. Their sights are now set on the 4A-4 Regional Tournament, where they will be their conference’s top seed.

Last week: 14

A convincing win over Camden Fairview secured the Scrapperettes as a co-4A-7 regular-season conference champion. They will be their conference’s No. 2 seed in this week’s 4A-4 Regional Tournament in Monticello. 

Last week: 15

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Dover did not play last week. The Pirates will be the No. 1 seed in this week’s 3A-3 Regional Tournament at Bald Knob. 

Last week: 16

Although it was a much more competitive matchup this time, the Blazers fell short against No. 3 Greene County Tech on Friday. They will finish the regular season with crucial Top 25 matchups against No. 23 Marion and No. 24 Nettleton as they look to wrap up the 5A-East’s No. 2 seed. 

Last week: 17

The Tigers needed to handle their business last week, and they did with convincing wins over Rogers and crosstown rival Bentonville West. Their best-case postseason scenario is the 6A-West’s No. 4 seed as they look to secure it this week against No. 6 Springdale and No. 19 Fayetteville. 

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Last week: 18

Greenwood did not play last week. The final regular-season three-game slate includes matchups with Siloam Springs, Russellville and No. 12 Mountain Home.

Last week: 19

It certainly was not for a lack of effort, but the Purple Dogs fell short in another tight finish with Springdale. The talented young squad currently holds the 6A-West’s No. 5 state tournament seed, but it could move up to fourth with victories over Fort Smith Southside and No. 17 Bentonville. 

Last week: 20

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The Eagles handled Norfork in the semifinal round of the 1A-2 District Tournament. They will face Rural Special in the championship round Monday, with the winner earning the top spot in the Regional Tournament later this week. 

Last week: 21

Many expected the Badgers to be one of the top three teams out of the 5A-Central, and they have lived up to that. Currently sitting in third, they have a chance to claim the No. 2 seed with wins this week over No. 11 Little Rock Christian and Parkview. 

Last week: 22

The Pointers picked up a crucial Saturday victory over Harrison to clinch the fourth and final 5A-West state tournament seed. Their regular season concludes with Alma and top-ranked Farmington. 

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Last week: 23

The Patriots are on a three-game win streak after a rollercoaster stretch and still have a prime opportunity to earn the 5A-East’s No. 2 seed. Their final week will be a challenging one, though, as they take on No. 16 Valley View and No. 3 Greene County Tech to finish the regular season.

Last week: 24

The Raiders bounced back from a heartbreaking loss to third-ranked Greene County Tech with a victory over Batesville. It’s a massive week ahead as they try to secure the fourth and final state tournament seed and can do so with a win Monday over No. 25 West Memphis. 

Last week: 25

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While the Blue Devils have dropped three of their past four contests — all losses to Top 25 opposition — they can take some positivity to this week’s three-game slate after coming up just three points short to No. 3 Greene County Tech last Monday. They start the week with No. 24 Nettleton, followed by Searcy and Paragould. 

None

To get live updates on your phone — as well as follow your favorite teams and top games — you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App | Download Android App



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Arkansas

Report Assesses Access to Primary Care in Arkansas – ACHI

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4 hours ago

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March 5, 2026

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Report Assesses Access to Primary Care in Arkansas – ACHI


Arkansas has made significant investments to strengthen its primary care physician workforce over the past decade. New medical schools have opened in the state, residency program slots have increased, and loan forgiveness programs have been established to incentivize residency graduates to remain in the state to practice. Despite these efforts, access to a usual source of care (i.e., a place where one goes for routine healthcare needs) remains a challenge for many Arkansans, according to a new report.

Published February 12 by the Milbank Memorial Fund, the report, “Investing in Primary Care: The Missing Strategy in America’s Fight Against Chronic Disease,” evaluates states’ primary care performance. Among its findings is that 18% of Arkansas adults report not having a usual source of care, which is comparable to the national estimate of 17%. That means that nearly 1 in 5 Arkansans do not have a consistent way of interacting with the state’s healthcare system.

Access to a Usual Source of Care

Nationwide, the report finds that among adults with chronic disease, having a usual source of care is associated with lower odds of hospitalization and lower total spending on health care. These findings are particularly relevant for Arkansas, where chronic disease prevalence remains high. The most recent America’s Health Rankings report from the United Health Foundation ranked Arkansas 44th among all 50 states and the District Columbia for its percentage (15%) of adults with three or more chronic conditions — such as arthritis, diabetes, or cancer — in 2023, with the top-ranked state having the lowest percentage.

The Arkansas Primary Care Payment Improvement Working Group, established under Act 483 of 2025, is currently examining primary care investment in the state. The group, which includes a representative from ACHI, is tasked with measuring current primary care spending, evaluating the adequacy of the primary care delivery system, and recommending spending targets for Medicaid and commercial insurers. These efforts align with national recommendations to track and increase primary care investment, an issue we highlighted in a previous post.

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Arkansas’s Primary Care Workforce

The country’s primary care workforce supply is another focus of the Milbank report. The report estimates that Arkansas had 58 primary care physicians per 100,000 residents in 2023, below the national average of 68 per 100,000 residents. The Milbank report also finds that 29% of Arkansas physicians were working in primary care in 2023, compared to 27% nationally.

The state’s higher-than-average share of physicians choosing primary care is encouraging, but long-term retention and geographic distribution remain challenges. ACHI developed the Arkansas Primary Care Physician Workforce Dashboard, an interactive tool that allows users to view data on primary care physicians practicing in Arkansas. The dashboard — which uses a broader definition of “primary care physician” than the Milbank report’s — shows that per capita rates of primary care physicians vary widely between urban and rural counties, and that two counties, Montgomery and Newton, had no active full-time primary care physician in 2022. The dashboard also shows that 26% of fill-time primary care physicians in the state were 60 or older in 2022, raising concerns about future supply as many approach retirement.

The Milbank report finds that in communities with higher levels of social deprivation — measured by the social deprivation index, a composite indicator of socioeconomic hardship — primary care physician availability in Arkansas is lower on average than in similarly deprived communities nationwide. Given the high burden of chronic disease among Arkansans, this is a concerning finding.

Recommendations

States that invest in primary care, as highlighted in the Milbank report, experience downstream improvements in population health and lower healthcare costs. Arkansas has established the infrastructure to evaluate and potentially increase those investments. ACHI will continue to track physician supply, distribution, and access to help inform primary care policy discussions.

Find more information about Arkansas’s healthcare workforce on our topic page.

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Arkansas

Arkansas to honor Nolan Richardson with statue outside arena

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17 hours ago

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March 5, 2026

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Arkansas to honor Nolan Richardson with statue outside arena


  • Myron MedcalfMar 5, 2026, 12:03 AM ET

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    • Covers college basketball
    • Joined ESPN.com in 2011
    • Graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato

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Former Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson, who led the Razorbacks to the 1994 national title, will be immortalized with a statue outside Bud Walton Arena, the school said Wednesday.

Richardson was on the court at halftime of No. 20 Arkansas’ 105-85 win over Texas in the team’s regular-season home finale Wednesday night when athletic director Hunter Yurachek surprised him and told him the school had commissioned a statue to commemorate his achievements.

Per the school’s announcement, work on the statue is set to begin soon.

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“Coach Richardson’s impact on the game of basketball and our state is immeasurable,” Yurachek said in a statement. “He represented Arkansas with a toughness and intense work ethic that endeared him to our fans while changing the lives of numerous athletes, coaches and staff under his direction. His ’40 minutes of Hell’ changed college basketball and led to the 1994 national championship that changed Arkansas and our university forever. Coach Richardson will stand tall outside the arena for the rest of time.”

Richardson coined the phrase “40 Minutes of Hell” in reference to the ferocious, full-court defense his Arkansas teams played during his tenure (1985-2002). Between Arkansas and his first Division I job at Tulsa, Richardson amassed 508 wins (389 with the Razorbacks), reached the Final Four three times and secured Arkansas’ only national title.

Richardson also was a member of the Texas Western (now UTEP) teams that preceded the school’s victory over Kentucky in 1966, when five Black players started an NCAA championship game for the first time and won. That game paved the way for Black players to compete at schools that had previously rejected them.

Richardson, one of six SEC coaches to win a national title since 1990, was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014.

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After Wednesday’s game, current Arkansas coach John Calipari joked that he’s contractually obligated to clean the statue once it’s finished.

“Which I will do in a pleasant way because I love it,” he said. “He’s been so good to me since I’ve been here.”

Richardson and Arkansas were not on good terms when they divorced in 2002. But the two sides have repaired the relationship over the years. The university renamed the floor at Bud Walton Arena “Nolan Richardson Court” in 2019. Richardson praised Calipari’s hiring in 2024 after he left Kentucky, and he has been around the program since Calipari’s arrival.

“He should have been had a statue, I think,” said Trevon Brazile, who finished with 28 points on his senior night Wednesday. “They won the national championship.”

Added Darius Acuff Jr., who finished with 28 points and 13 assists against the Longhorns: “It’s great to see that for sure. Coach Richardson is a big part of our team. He’s been to a couple of our practices, so it’s always good to see [him]. He’s a legend.”

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Autopsies rule Arkansas mothers death a suicide; twin children’s deaths homicides

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March 4, 2026

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Autopsies rule Arkansas mothers death a suicide; twin children’s deaths homicides


BONANZA, Ark. (KATV) — According to our partners at 40/29 News, autopsies show that Charity Beallis died by suicide, and her six-year-old twin children died by homicide.

Beallis and the children were found on December 3, 2025, in their home in Bonanza. All three had gunshot wounds.

Records show that Beallis and her husband were in the process of divorcing when the murders happened. 40/29 reports that Beallis’ son has asked that their divorce be considered final, while her husband, Randall Beallis, has asked the court to dismiss the divorce proceedings.

The news release listed the following evidence:

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— An examination of the transcripts of the deposition of Mrs. Beallis in the divorce/custody case and the final hearing on the case on 12-2-2025, reveal that she wished to be reconciled to her estranged husband, which did not happen. Mrs. Beallis, after being represented by four different attorneys, represented herself in the contested divorce/custody hearing. At the conclusion of the hearing, Mrs. Beallis was ordered to begin joint custody of her children with her estranged husband.

–Mrs. Beallis’ estranged husband was a driver of a Tesla electric vehicle at that time. Tesla has compiled location data on Tesla vehicles, and according to the information provided by Tesla, Mrs. Beallis’ estranged husband’s vehicle was not near the residence in Bonanza on the night in question. Also, the estranged husband’s phones did not “ping” any of the cell towers proximately related to Ms. Beallis’ location.

–Information from the home security alarm company shows the alarm was deactivated by Mrs. Beallis by her phone (she had exclusive access to the security system) at around 10 pm on the night in question. Even though deactivated, the alarm company was able to provide information showing no doors or windows to the home were opened during that time. When law enforcement arrived after 9:30 am on 12-3-2025, there were no doors or windows open, and they had to use a key to enter the home. SCSO rigorously tested the functioning of each door and window and found them to be operating properly.

The court released an order on Wednesday stating that it does not have jurisdiction to rule on those motions regarding the divorce. Beallis’ body has been released to her son, while the children are with Randall Beallis.



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