Linn-Mar was decimated by graduation, losing four starters from a year ago when the Lions won the Class 4A state boys basketball championship.

But voters across the state decided the one the Lions have back is good enough to keep them atop the 4A field in the first Associated Press polls released Monday.

North Carolina recruit Marcus Paige and the Lions hold a four-point margin over No. 2 Ankeny. West Des Moines Valley is third and Iowa City West, the preseason favorite in the Mississippi Valley Conference Valley Division, is No. 4.

Kennedy, which routed Burlington and Oskaloosa in winning its first two games is No. 10.  The Cougars edged out Jefferson by a point for that spot.

Linn-Mar (2-0) already owns a win over No. 9 Waukee, but the Lions face a tough test Friday when they host Iowa City West.

The other top-ranked teams are Waverly-Shell Rock in Class 3A, Monroe PCM in 2A and Danville in 1A. Waverly-Shell Rock and Danville lost in the championship games of their respective classes at last year's state tournament. PCM Monroe finished third in 2A.

AP BOYS BASKETBALL POLLS
(First-place votes in parentheses)

CLASS 4A
1. Linn-Mar (6)                2-0         94
2. Ankeny                      2-0         90
3. WDM Valley (3)           2-0         88
4. Iowa City West (2)      2-0         78
5. Sioux City East            2-0         63
6. Cedar Falls                  0-0         47
7. DM Hoover                 2-0         34
8. Dubuque Senior          2-0         27
9. Waukee                     1-1         21
10. CR Kennedy              2-0         10
Other receiving votes -- CR Jefferson 9, SE Polk 8, North Scott 7, Iowa City High 7, Davenport Central 6, DM Roosevelt 5, Johnston 5, Pleasant Valley 3, Waterloo West 2, DM North 1.

CLASS 3A
1. Waverly-Shell Rock (8)     2-0       105
2. MOC-Floyd Valley (1)        2-0        85
3. SC Heelan (1)                 1-0        69
3. Iowa Falls-Alden (1)         2-0        69
5. Davenport Assumption     1-1         60
6. Mount Pleasant               1-0        56
7. Harlan                            1-0        29
8. Dubuque Wahlert            0-2        27
9. Western Dubuque           1-0        18
10. Solon                           2-0        16
10. Storm Lake                   2-0        16
Others receiving votes -- Carroll 13, Clear Lake 7, Ballard 7, Atlantic 6, LeMars 5, ADM Adel 4, Crestwood 3, Pella 3, Webster City 2, Union 2, New Hampton 2, DeWitt Central 1.

CLASS 2A
1. Monroe PCM (7)              3-0        92
2. Western Christian (2)       1-0        80
3. FD St. Edmond                1-1       64
4. West Marshall                  2-0       61
5. Carroll Kuemper               3-0       53
6. West Fork (2)                 1-0       46
7. Dyersville Beckman           2-0       27
8. Mount Vernon                 2-1       25
9. Iowa City Regina             1-0        22
10. DM Christian                  3-0       21
Others receiving votes -- Forest City 20, Sioux Center 19, North Cedar 19, Ogden 12, Mediapolis 11, Dike-New Hartford 10, Garner-Hayfield 6, Emmetsburg 5, Central Lee 3, Unity Christian 2, Pekin 2, MFL MarMac 1, Denver 1, Davis County 1, West Branch 1, West Liberty 1.

CLASS 1A
1. Danville (5)                        2-0       101
2. Iowa Mennonite (2)            2-0        83
3. Storm Lake St. Mary's (3)     1-0        79
4. NE Hamilton                       3-0         61
5. Boyden-Hull (1)                  2-0         53
6. Treynor                            2-0         39
7. Lisbon                              2-0         33
8. Nodaway Valley                 1-1         16
8. Kingsley-Pierson                 2-0         16
10. Algona Garrigan               2-1         15
Others receiving votes -- CB St. Albert 13, Keota 13, North Linn 11, Harris-Lake Park 9, Exira 8, Lone Tree 7, Gladbrook-Reinbeck 7, North Iowa 7, Lawton-Bronson 6, Guthrie Center 5, LeMars Gehlen 4, Pleasantville 4, Oakland Riverside 3, Mount Ayr 3, Tripoli 2, Cedar Falls NU 2, AGWSR 1, Bellevue Marquette 1, West Hancock 1, Lynnville-Sully 1, Murray 1.