Burlison on Basketball

Frank Burlison | High School Basketball | College Basketball

Best of the Best in SS Open quarterfinals Tuesday

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LAGUNA NIGUEL, Ca. – History may prove that there were never more compelling Southern California high school basketball games played on one day during this season as then are scheduled for Tuesday

Eight of the first 10 squads in the updated BurlisonOnBasketball Top 25 will hook up with one another Tuesday night during the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Open Division while three of the L.A. City Open Division first-round clashes – postponed on Friday for weather-induced reasons – are also scheduled for Tuesday.

In the Southern Section Open contests, top-ranked Sierra Canyon plays host to No. 7 Damien at Simi Valley High; No. 2 Chino Hills visits Norwalk to play No. 10 Long Beach Poly at Cerritos College; No. 3 Mater Dei is at home against No. 9 Roosevelt; and No. 4 Bishop Montgomery treks to Orange County to play No. 5 Santa Margarita.

Yeah, those are four tough viewing choices, right?

But wherever you decided to venture, be sure to get your tickets ASAP. My guess is that each of the four facilities will be approaching something close to – if not right at – SRO by the schedule 7 o’clock tip-offs.

The winners of the four games earn trips to the USC campus where they will visit the 10,800-seat Galen Center for the Southern Section Open semifinals on Friday evening.

The Open championship game is set for March 4 in the Anaheim Honda Center.

L.A. City Open first-round games still to be played on Tuesday having top seed (and No. 6 rated in my Top 25) Birmingham at home to Dorsey with 4 seed (and No. 19) Narbonne playing host to Taft and No. 3 Westchester visited by George Washington Prep.

The City Open semifinals will be played Saturday evening at the Roybal Learning Center with the championship game scheduled for March 4 at Cal State Dominguez Hills in Carson.

Here is the updated Top 25, with most recent rating and current record:

 

  1. Sierra Canyon/Southern Section Open (1) 26-1

Next up: Tuesday, vs. No. 7 Damien at Simi Valley High

Frank Says: Was the oh-so-close-to-an-upset, 97-91 overtime win against 16 seed Heritage Christian a “wake-up call” or indication of things to worry about for Ty Nichols and his crew? We’ll have a better idea Tuesday night.

  1. Chino Hills/SS Open (2) 28-1

Next up: Tuesday, vs. No. 10 Long Beach Poly at Cerritos College

Frank Says: The Huskies get a rematch with the Southern California club that came closest to beating them (Chino Hills 78-75 in the Dec. 3 Battlezone Tourney title game at Corona Centennial) this season.

  1. Santa Ana Mater Dei/SS Open (3) 29-1

Next up: Tuesday, vs. No. 9 Roosevelt

Frank Says: Roosevelt’s Jemarl Baker was enrolled at Mater Dei for a while in the summer. Now the Monarchs get an opportunity to try to slow him down.

  1. Bishop Montgomery/SS Open (4) 23-2

Next up: Tuesday, at No. 6 Santa Margarita

Frank Says: The last meeting with the Eagles was on Nov. 28, 2015 at Ocean View High and the Knights prevailed, 58-56. Eight of Tuesday night’s starters were in uniform in that game.

  1. Birmingham/L.A. City Open (5) 24-3

Next up: Tuesday, vs. Dorsey

Frank Says: One of three of the L.A. Open first-round games postponed on Friday via weather or technical reasons.

  1. Santa Margarita/SS Open (6) 21-6

Next up: Tuesday, vs. No. 4 Bishop Montgomery

Frank Says: Four players who signed D-I scholarships in November will suit up for this tilt.

  1. Damien/SS Open (7) 26-3

Next up: Tuesday, vs. No. 1 Sierra Canyon at Simi Valley High

Frank Says: The Spartans’ only losses have come to No. 2 Chino Hills (twice) and No. 3 Mater Dei.

  1. Fairfax/LACS Open (8) 25-3

Next up: Saturday, vs. No. 15 Westchester or Washington at Roybal.

Frank Says: Steve Baik and his staff can’t scout in-person Tuesday night after the Lions were part of the only L.A. City Open game that stayed on schedule Friday night.

  1. Roosevelt/SS Open (9) 19-6

Next up: Tuesday, at No. 3 Mater Dei

Frank Says: Jemarl Baker and Matt Mitchell combined for 58 ot the squad’s 81 points in the first-round win over Redondo Friday night.

  1. Long Beach Poly/SS Open (10) 22-6

Next up: Tuesday, vs. No. 2 Chino Hills at Cerritos College

Frank Says: Future Loyola Marymount players Zafir Williams (LBP) and Elizjah Scott could be matched a lot in this one.

  1. Corona Centennial/SS Open (12) 22-8

Next up: Tuesday, at No. 21 Heritage Christian

Frank Says: Like the other SS Open first-round losers, the Huskies are playing for enhanced seeding in State Regional action now.

  1. San Diego St. Augustine/San Diego Open (13) 24-4

Next up: Saturday, vs. Carlsbad La Costa Canyon

Frank Says: The top seed in the San Diego Open bracket has plenty of time to prep for the playoffs.

  1. Alemany/SS Open (11) 24-4

Next up: Tuesday, at No. 22 JSerra

Frank Says: The Warriors have a long drive in front of them – Mission Hills to San Juan Capistrano Valley (roughly 83 miles) – for this Open consolation quarterfinal.

  1. Foothills Christian/SD Open (14) 23-5

Next up: Saturday, vs. Chula Vista Mater Dei

Frank Says: Jaylen Hands of Foothills Christian gets to play against the program he played for as a freshman and sophomore.

  1. Westchester/LACS Open (15) 22-8

Next up: Tuesday, vs. George Washington Prep

Frank Says: The Comets had to wait an extra four days to play for a shot a a third game against rival Fairfax.

  1. Redondo/SS Open (16) 23-5

Next up: Tuesday, vs. No. 24 Crossroads

Frank Says: The Sea Hawks’ guard play will have to be strong to overcome the 1-2 big man punch they’ll face in Ira Lee and Shareef O’Neal.

  1. Oak Park/SS Open (17) 21-7

Next up: Tuesday, vs. No. 20 Esperanza

Frank Says: The Aztecs will have to find a way to cope with one of the best “big” juniors in SoCal in Riley Battin, who had 28 points and 11 rebounds for Oak Park in its loss at Bishop Montgomery.

  1. Torrey Pines/SD Open (18) 26-3

Next up: Saturday, vs. La Jolla Country Day

Frank Says: Barring an upset, Torrey Pines will get No. 3 seed Vista in a Feb. 28 Open semifinal.

  1. Narbonne/LACS Open (19) 23-6

Next up: Tuesday, vs. Taft

Frank Says: Narbonne and Taft will finally hook up after transfportation issues on Taft’s part postponed the scheduled Friday first-round clash.

  1. Esperanza/LACS Open (20) 25-2

Next up: Tuesday, at No. 17 Oak Park

Frank Says: Kezie Okpala and Brendan Harrick scored 46 of Esperanza’s 56 points in the loss at Santa Margarita.

  1. Heritage Christian/SS Open (22) 20-8

Next up: Tuesday, vs. No. 11 Corona Centennial

Frank Says: Let’s see how much energy Heritage Christian plays with after such a heart-wrenching loss Friday night.

  1. JSerra/SS Open (23) 17-10

Next up: Tuesday, vs. No. 13 Alemany

Frank Says: After facing a very good sophomore in Onyeka Okongwu at Chino Hills, JSerra 6-9 junior Joel Mensah will be matched against 6-11 Fred Adhimabo in this one.

  1. Etiwanda/SS 1AA (24) 20-11

Next up: Tuesday, vs. Los Alamitos

Frank Says: The Eagles had strong road victories against Beverly Hills and Village Christian and now face a sizzling Griffins’ squad at home.

  1. Crossroads/SS Open (21) 18-9

Next up: Tuesday, at No. 16 Redondo

Frank Says: The Roadrunners were only competitive for about six minutes against Mater Dei in their 80-41 loss.

  1. Santa Monica/SS 1AA (25) 21-7

Next up: Tuesday, at Cantwell Sacred-Heart

Frank Says: The Vikings travel to Montebello for a rematch of a Dec. 9 Beverly Hills semifinal won by Santa Monica, 46-40.

Next 10 (alpha): Colony 24-5; La Canada 25-4; La Jolla Country Day 20-8; Los Alamitos 22-6; Pasadena 21-6; Rancho Verde 23-3; Taft 22-9; Tahquitz 24-4; Vista 25-3 and Windward 23-6.

 

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