If not for the ravages on all walks of life wreaked by the global COVID-19 pandemic, the fifth Classic at Damien would have tipped off Saturday morning at Damien High in La Verne.
And, for the fifth time, it would have been the most competitive and entertaining post-Christmas boys’ basketball tournament in the western portion of the United States.
The 80-team event (five, 16-team divisions) has been re-scheduled – assuming any reasonable return to a sense of “normalcy” –to April 5-10.
The Rancho Christian program – which, led by two-time event Most Outstanding Player and current-USC freshman standout Evan Mobley – opted not to return for this “2020-21 season” after winning consecutive Open (top) Division championships.
Also not returning is 2019 runner-up Sierra Canyon.
But the Open Division that would have tipped today would have, no doubt, been loaded with quality teams – as it will on April 10, if the 2020-21 season takes place in California.
Heading the field would be the three strongest challengers to Sierra Canyon in the CIF Southern Section Open Division in Ribet Academy (the 2020 State Southern Regional D-I champion), St. John Bosco and Windward, as well as the host Spartans.
Coach Matt Dunn’s SJB Braves have a roster with loaded with skill, experience and depth that is capable of upending Mater Dei as the Trinity League champion and knocking off Sierra Canyon.
Ribet Academy returns standouts in senior Tyler Powell (bound for Seton Hall) and juniors Tre White and Barrington Hargress, and adds one of the west’s best sophomore guards Mike Price by way of Crespi.
The Braves return a dynamic trio of their own in seniors Lamaj Lewis (a LMU signee in November) and 6-foot-5 Scotty Washington (among the best of the “non-committed seniors in the west” and 6-8 junior Jeremiah Nyarko.
Collin Pfaff-coached Windward (last season’s Southern Section Division I champion) returns superb juniors in 6-9 Kijani Wright and 6-3 Dylan Andrews, as well as 6-2 senior Jaren Harris.
And Damien should feature one of the best offensive squads in the west, paced by USC-bound Malik Thomas and junior R.J. Smith.
The No. 1-ranked Class of 2021 player in California, UCLA-bound, 6-7 Peyton Watson (pictured), will lead the Long Beach Poly squad that is projected to be a Southern Section Open playoff participant this spring.
Joining St. John Bosco as 2020 Southern Section Open playoff participants as programs also scheduled to participate in the Classic are Corona Centennial, Etiwanda and Long Beach St. Anthony.
A heavy contingent of Northern and Central California-based programs set to be a part of the field, including Capital Christian and Sheldon of Sacramento, Jesuit of Carmichael, Salesian of San Francisco, Modesto Christian, Fresno San Joaquin Memorial and Stockton Weston Ranch.
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