LAGUNA NIGUEL – Eight o’clock games Friday and Saturday nights, at Cal Baptist University in Riverside and Toyota Arena in Ontario, respectively, highlight the weekend’s ten CIF Southern Section boys’ basketball championship games.
Defending State Open Division champion Harvard-Westlake (29-3) and Eastvale Roosevelt (30-2) are each in pursuit of their initial sectional title when they hook up Friday at Cal Baptist.
And Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (28-3) and Windward (28-3), which came into the playoffs as the No.’s 1 and 2 seeds, face off Saturday night in Ontario with the CIF SS D-1 title at stake.
Each game will follow the respective girls title games in each division, with powerhouses Sierra Canyon (30-1) and Etiwanda (28-3) set to tip off at 6 o’clock at Cal Baptist, and Brentwood (23-8) playing Corona Santiago (21-11) for the D-1 crown the next evening in Ontario.
Coach David Rebibo’s Harvard-Westlake program returned three starters (Trent Perry and Robert Hinton, bound for USC and Harvard, respectively, and 6-foot-8 junior Nikolas Khamenia) and reserve Christian Horry from its state title-run of 2023.
Coach Steve Singleton’s Roosevelt Mustangs returned just one starter – Colorado State-bound guard Darnez Slater – from their 23-8, 2022-23 season.
But the addition of transfers Brayden Burries and Issac Williamson (juniors who sat out last season at Roosevelt after playing at Riverside Poly as freshmen), Myles Walker (a slick and crafty 5-8 junior who came from Riverside MLK) and 6-11 senior Tochi Anigbogu (by way of Corona Centennial) made them championship contenders the minute they put on Roosevelt uniforms.
Burries and Khamenia are two of the five most heavily recruited western prospects in the class of 2025.
And Perrym a McDonald’s All-American, and Walker are terrific point guards.
Perry averages 17 points, seven rebounds and six assists per game while the left-handed Walker (pictured) averages 10.3 points and 6.5 assists per game.
Walker’s father (Tony Walker) and uncle (Billy Walker) were starting point guards at Loyola-Marymount and Long Beach State, respectively,
He’s got a stunning assist-turnover ratio of 9.3-1, committing just 18 turnovers in the 26 games he’s played (he missed six late in the season with a broken bone in his right wrist).
The highest-profile game among the seven boys’ title matches set for Saturday has Mercy Miller-led Notre Dame taking on Windward and its starting lineup of four juniors, paced by point guard Gavin Hightower.
State Regional brackets and matchups are expected to be announced Sunday evening, with regional playoff action set to begin on Tuesday night.
Other CIF SS boys’ finals
Friday
At Azusa Pacific University
5AA: 4 p.m., El Segundo (23-9) vs. Castaic (18-14)
2AA: 8, Rolling Hills Prep (26-5) vs. St. Anthony (24-7)
Saturday
At Edison High
2A: 3 p.m., Long Beach Poly (24-8) vs. Marina (25-7)
4AA: 8:30, Cerritos (21-10) vs. YULA (20-10)
At Toyota Arena
3AA: 2 p.m., La Habra (28-4) vs. St. Bonaventure (24-8)
4A: 4, Temecula Valley (18-14) vs. Northview (24-9)
At Ontario Colony High
5A: 2 p.m., Firebaugh (17-11) vs. Big Bear (24-5)
3A: 6, Bosco Tech (23-8) vs. Alemany (19-15)
L.A. City
Friday
At El Camino College
D1: 8 p.m., Washington Prep (14-15) vs. San Pedro (21-10)
Saturday
At Pasadena City College
Open: 6 p.m., L.A CES (19-10) vs. King/Drew (18-11)
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