Fifty-one-oh! It means Top 25 No. 1 for Chino Hills

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LAGUNA NIGUEL, Ca. — The first part of the 2016-17 high school hoops season – the pre- and post-Christmas tournaments – is officially a wrap.

It’s now time to dive full-bore league campaigns with the “showcase” events scattered among them – Part II – before mid-February thru March when Part III (the playoffs) get underway.

Along with league play this week, there are a spattering of solid non-league matchups on hand, as well as “showcase events”, including the Take Flight Classic (Redondo High/Friday and Saturday), Sierra Canyon Super Showcase (Sierra Canyon High/Saturday), the Coach Dwan Hurt Cavalier Classic (Gardena Serra High/Saturday) and the Westchester Challenge (Westchester High/Saturday).

Here is the updated BurlisonOnBasketball Southern California Top 25, which includes programs from the CIF Southern, L.A. City and San Diego sections. Previous rating is in parenthesis:

 

1. Chino Hills/Southern Section (4) 16-0

PRE-JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS: The Huskies are at 51-zip over two years after tourney titles in Corona, Las Vegas and Rancho Mirage.

2. Chatsworth Sierra Canyon/SS (2) 10-1

PRE-JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS: The Porter Brothers of Seattle Nathan Hale proved too much for Cody Riley & Crew in Oregon. Big win over previous unbeaten Oak Hill in Indianapolis.

3. Santa Ana Mater Dei/SS (3) 16-1

PRE-JANUARY LIGHTS: Tourney titles in Mission Viejo and La Verne sandwiched around loss to Chino Hills in Tarkanian Classic finale.

4. Torrance Bishop Montgomery/SS (1) 12-1

PRE-JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS: Reeled off 12 wins in a row after opening loss to Oakland Bishop O’Dowd albeit against not nearly the comp faced by the three teams ahead of it for the time being.

5. Lake Balboa Birmingham/L.A City (11) 11-3

PRE-JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS: Through November and December, this was clearly the best team in the L.A. City and, likely, one of the half-dozen best in the state.

6. La Verne Damien/SS (23) 15-1

PRE-JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS: The Spartans proved championships in not particularly strong tournaments in Riverside and La Canada weren’t flukes via a spot in Classic at Damien final vs. Mater Dei after consecutive wins over the No.’s 7&8 teams in this ratings.

7. Eastvale Roosevelt/SS (13) 8-4

PRE-JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS: Only losses were to No. 15 Westchester, No. 1 Chino Hills, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) and No. 6 Damien.

8. Long Beach Poly/SS (9) 9-6

PRE-JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS: Losses were to Top 25 teams: Westchester, Oak Park, Redondo, Chino Hills, Damien and Birmingham.

9. El Cajon Foothills Christian/San Diego (15) 12-2

PRE-JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS: UCLA-bound guard Jaylen Hands dazzled in team’s Under Armour/Torrey Pines Tournament championship run.

10. Corona Centennial/SS (8) 12-4

PRE-JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS:  Ten-game winning streak snapped during Classic at Damien (2-point losses to Mater Dei and Roosevelt)..

11. Mission Hills Alemany/SS (17) 11-3

PRE-JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS: Impressive run to Gold Consolation crown after opening loss to Corona Centennial during Classic at Damien.

12. Santa Margarita/SS (10) 10-3

PRE-JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS: Mainland losses were of narrow variety to Birmingham (5) and Saint Augustine (14).

13. Fairfax/LACC (5) 8-1

PRE-JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS: The Lions haven’t had services of terrific sophomore Robert McRae (broken wrist) all season.

14. San Diego Saint Augustine/SD (12) 11-3

PRE-JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS: Beat Foothills Christian in “showcase” game at Torrey Pines on Dec. 26.

15. Westchester/LACC (22) 11-6

PRE-JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS: Comets are led by an underrated senior point guard in Chris Simmons.

16. Harbor City Narbonne/LACC (UR) 10-4

PRE-JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS: Post-football season pickups should help this team challenge for L.A. City title crown.

17. Oak Park/SS (14) 10-6

PRE-JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS: Strong group of underclassmen – led by junior post Riley Battin – had impressive moments during 2-2 performance at Damien.

18. Redondo Beach Redondo/SS (19) 10-4

PRE-JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS: Strong backcourt could help program make it 4-for-4 in Southern Section Open Division playoff appearances.

19. Santa Monica Crossroads/SS (UR) 11-4

PRE-JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS: Has played consistently well even with significant injuries.

20. Anaheim Esperanza/SS (UR) 13-1

PRE-JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS: Picked up championship in the strongest of the post-Christmas Orange County-based tournaments (Orange Holiday Classic).

21. La Mirada/SS (UR) 11-3

PRE-JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS: Four- and six-point decisions to Esperanza, and an 85-52 walloping by Redondo, are the only losses for Matadores.

22. Etiwanda/SS (24) 10-5

PRE-JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS: Picked up Classic at Damien wins against Las Vegas Centennial and Bellflower St. John Bosco.

23. Huntington Beach Edison/SS (UR) 10-3

PRE-JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS: Handed Santa Monica its first loss (in the 310 area code).

24. Santa Monica/SS (16) 9-4

PRE-JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS:  The Beverly Hills Tournament victory over Birmingham is indicative of what this team is capable of.

25. Torrey Pines/SD (UR)             12-2

PRE-JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS: Wins over Fairfax and Oakland Bishop O’Dowd in its tournament last week.