Riverside and Orange Counties the hoop headquarters Tuesday night

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LAGUNA NIGUEL – The focal points of Tuesday night’s Southern California high school hoops’ action will be in Corona and Rancho Santa Margarita:

*In the updated BurlisonOnBasketball Top 30 SoCal teams’ pecking order, Eastvale Roosevelt and Corona Centennial stand at No.’s 2 and 9, respectively.

And they’ll hook up for one of likely two regular-season meetings when the Roosevelt Mustangs visit the Centennial Huskies for a 7 o’clock Big VIII League clash.

The league no longer has a “round-robin” regular-season schedule (no more playing one another, home and away) but will have a post-season tournament to determine its CIF Southern Section playoff pecking order – ala the Mission League over the past few seasons.

Barring a stunning upset, the teams will meet against in the Big VIII tourney title game (to be played at Santiago High in Corona).

The player personnel on the teams is about as “familiar” with each other as two programs – even in the same league – can be.

Roosevelt juniors Myles Walker, Issac Williamson, and Brayden Burries (pictured, left to right, in both photos posted) were long-time teammates, since grade school, with the club program Inland Force – during which one of their teammates was University of Arizona-bound Centennial senior Carter Bryant.

Walker, Williamson, UCLA-bound Eric Freeny and his Centennial teammate, sophomore guard Justice Griffith, are members of the high-profile Compton Magic club program.

And, in another player connection, Roosevelt’s senior center, 6-10 Tochi Anigbogu (who became eligible on Dec. 27), attended Centennial during his first three academic years.

*No. 4 St. John Bosco visits Rancho Santa Margarita for a 7 o’clock Trinity League contest with host and No. 15 Santa Margarita.

Following their 83-62 defeat to now-No. 3 Mater Dei Saturday at the Crypto.com Arena, the Braves – likely – can’t afford another loss and still hope to remain a strong contender to defend its league title.

And, if the host Eagles are to make a serious run at their first-ever Trinity crown, they’re going to have to go unbeaten on their home court.

In some other games of note this week:

*The Baseline League Game of the Week takes places Tuesday night (6:30), when No. 17 Rancho Cucamonga plays host to No. 16 Etiwanda.

*And No. 20 Crespi is involved in the two most significant Mission League games this week, playing host to No. 1 Harvard-Westlake Wednesday (7 p.m.) and visiting No. 6 Sierra Canyon Friday night, also at 7 o’clock.

 

Updated Top 30

(results of Jan. 8)

Team/Record/Previous Ranking

1. Harvard-Westlake/17-1/1

Next Up: Wednesday, at No. 20 Crespi, 7 p.m.; Friday, vs. Loyola, 7 p.m.; Monday, at Springfield (MA), vs. Powder Springs (GA) McEachern, 8 a.m. (PT).

2. Eastvale Roosevelt/18-1/2

Next Up: Tuesday, at No. 9 Centennial, 7 p.m.; Friday, at MLK, 7 p.m.; Saturday, at Rancho Christian, vs. Linfield Christian, 7:30 p.m.

3. Mater Dei/17-1/6

Next Up: Tuesday, at Servite, 7 p.m.; Friday, at Springfield (MA), vs. West Roxbury (MA) Catholic, 3 p.m. (PT).

4. Saint John Bosco/15-3/3

Next Up: Tuesday, at No. 15 Santa Margarita, 7 p.m.; Thursday, at Springfield (MO) vs. Central, 4 p.m. (PT).

5. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame/17-0/5

Next Up: Wednesday, at St. Francis, 7 p.m.; Friday, vs. Alemany, 7 p.m.; Saturday, at St. Monica, 6 p.m.

6. Sierra Canyon/17-1/8

Next Up: Wednesday, at Loyola, 7 p.m.; Friday, vs. No. 20 Crespi, 7 p.m.

7. Damien/14-3/9

Next Up: Tuesday, at Chino Hills, 6:30 p.m.; Thursday, at Los Osos, 6:30 p.m.

8. JSerra/15-3/4

Next Up: Wednesday, vs. Orange Lutheran, 7 p.m.; Friday, vs. No. 15 Santa Margarita.

9. Corona Centennial/13-7/10

Next Up: Tuesday, vs. No. 2 Roosevelt, 7 p.m.; Wednesday, at Corona Santiago, 7 p.m.; Saturday, at Springfield (MA), vs. Philadelphia Wood, 4 p.m. (PT).

10. Saint Pius X-Saint Matthias/12-4/7

Next Up: Wednesday, vs. St. Bernard, 7 p.m.; Friday, at Bishop Montgomery, 7 p.m.

11. Windward/15-3/12

Next Up: Tuesday, vs. Crossroads, 7 p.m.; Thursday, at Campbell Hall, 7 p.m.; Saturday, vs. No. 16 Etiwanda, 6 p.m.

12. La Mirada/14-7/13

Next Up: Wednesday, vs. Dominguez, 7 p.m.

13. West Ranch/12-6/18

Next Up: Tuesday, at Golden Valley, 6:30 p.m.; Friday, vs. Castaic, 6:30 p.m.

14. Redondo Union/14-4/15

Next Up: Wednesday, vs. Santa Monica, 7 p.m.; Friday, at Peninsula, 7 p.m.

15. Santa Margarita/15-4/17

Next Up: Tuesday, vs. No. 4 St. John Bosco, 7 p.m.; Friday, at No. 8 JSerra, 7 p.m.

16. Etiwanda/15-2/11

Next Up: Tuesday, at No. 17 Rancho Cucamonga, 6:30 p.m.; Thursday, at Upland, 6:30 p.m.; Saturday, vs. No. 11 Windward, 6 p.m.

17. Rancho Cucamonga/12-6/19

Next Up: Tuesday, vs. No. 16 Etiwanda, 6:30 p.m.; Thursday, vs. Chino Hills, 6:30 p.m.

18. Los Alamitos/15-4/14

Next Up: Wednesday, at Newport Harbor, 7 p.m.; Friday, vs. Fountain Valley, 7 p.m.

19. Anaheim Canyon/14-4/22

Next Up: Tuesday, at Esperanza, 7 p.m.; Friday, vs. Villa Park, 7 p.m.

20. Crespi/18-3/16

Next Up: Wednesday, vs. No. 1 Harvard-Westlake, 7 p.m.; Friday, at No. 6 Sierra Canyon, 7 p.m.

21. Riverside Poly/15-6/21

Next Up: Wednesday, vs. Rancho Christian, 7 p.m.

22. Heritage Christian/12-8/23

Next Up: Tuesday, at Village Christian, 7 p.m.

23. Culver City/9-5/UR

Next Up: Wednesday, at Peninsula, 7 p.m.; Friday, vs. Palos Verdes 7 p.m.

24. Saint Anthony/14-4/30

Next Up: Wednesday, at Bishop Montgomery, 7 p.m.; Friday, vs. Gardena Serra, 7 p.m.

25. Long Beach Poly/12-7/UR

Next Up: Wednesday, at Long Beach Cabrillo, 6:30 p.m.; Friday, vs. Millikan, 6:30 p.m.

26. Mira Costa/13-6/20

Next Up: Friday, at Santa Monica, 7 p.m.

27. Campbell Hall/5-12/27

Next Up: Tuesday, at Brentwood School, 7 p.m.; Thursday, vs. No. 11 Windward, 7 p.m.

28. Rancho Verde/17-2/26

Next Up: Tuesday, vs. Elsinore, 6 p.m.; Friday, at Rancho Christian, 6 p.m.

29. Vista Murrieta/19-1/29

Next Up: Tuesday, at Murrieta Valley, 7 p.m.; Friday, vs. Murrieta Mesa, 7 p.m

30. San Gabriel Academy/8-5/UR

Next Up: Tuesday, at Capistrano Valley Christian, 7 p.m.; Thursday, vs. Newport Pacifica Christian, 7:30 p.m.