Preview Southern Regionals/DI

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State Southern Regionals/Division I

Wednesday’s first-round matchups (all 7 p.m. unless noted)

Upper bracket: No. 16 La Crescenta Crescenta Valley (26-7) at No. 1 Santa Ana Mater Dei (29-2), 7:30; No. 9 Mission Viejo (27-4) at No. 8 San Diego Torrey Pines (22-10); No. 12 Vista (25-8) at No. 5 Etiwanda (30-2); No. 13 L.A. Crenshaw (24-5) at No. 4 L.A. Loyola (25-4).

Lower bracket: No. 14 Clovis West (22-6) at No. 3 Woodland Hills Taft (29-3); No. 11 L.A. Westchester (22-7) at No. 6 Fresno Bullard (28-3); No. 10 L.A. Dorsey (27-8) at No. 7 Orange Lutheran (20-12); No. 15 Mission Viejo Capistrano Valley (25-6) at No. 2 Long Beach Poly (27-2), 7:30.

What to watch for:

*The most entertaining first-round games could be Crenshaw at Loyola (excellent backcourt play on both squads) and Westchester at Bullard. The Central Section champion didn’t exactly overwhelm Southern California competition when it played in a post-Christmas tournament at Redondo Union High (losing to Torrance Bishop Montgomery by 14 points; the same team edged the Comets by five points earlier in December).

*If the higher seeds prevail, there should be some intriguing team and individual matchups to watch on Saturday night. Orange Lutheran and future Arizona guard Gabe York could have a rematch with the Poly team that handled the Lancers during the Nike Extravaganza at Mater Dei last month. An Etiwanda at Loyola clash would pit the semifinal losers (in close games) during the CIF Southern Section IAA semifinals in Anaheim last week. It would also offer spectators the splendid opportunity to watch two of the best sophomore guards in the country in action – likely against one another – via the presence of Parker Jackson-Cartwright of the Cubs and Jordan McLaughlin of the visiting Eagles. College recruiters will be sprinkled throughout the stands.

*A Westchester upset of Taft (barring an even bigger stunner against Taft) would set up a game between the teams most expected would face off for the L.A. City crown. But the Comets were bounced in the semifinals by Dorsey.