Burlison on Basketball

Frank Burlison | High School Basketball | College Basketball

Las Vegas the place to be for high-level hoops this week

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LAS VEGAS – Bishop Gorman High will be the “epicenter”, of sorts, for Southern California high school boys basketball this week.

The “traditional high schools” portion of this week’s Tarkanian Classic is set to tip Wednesday afternoon.

And the event’s top (Platinum) 16-team division includes the No.’s 2 (Roosevelt), 3 (Notre Dame), 5 (Redondo Union), 11 (St. Pius X/St. Matthias Academy), 21 (Campbell Hall) and 25 (Centennial) in the updated BurlisonOnBasketball SoCal ratings.

Rounding out that division are two other California programs, L.A. Westchester and San Diego St. Augustine; the two best teams from Nevada (the host Gaels and Coronado of near-by Henderson); Miami Riviera Beach; Provo Timpview and another Utah program, Layton Christian; Seattle Garfield; Basha of Chandler, AZ; and Philadelphia St. Joseph’s.

The Platinum semifinals will be played Friday in the Orleans Hotel Arena, with all the championship games set for Bishop Gorman High on Saturday.

Making the event’s Platinum Division competition more compelling is that Notre Dame’s highly-touted, 6-foot-7 junior transfer – Tyran Stokes – is healthy and made his debut in wins over Fairfax and El Camino Real over the weekend.

He joins Roosevelt senior Brayden Burries is the two most high-profile players – regionally and nationally – in the event.

St. Pius X/St. Matthias won the Platinum Division a year ago.

For those who can’t get to Las Vegas this week, all the Tarkanian Classic games are live-streamed and archived by BallerTV.

 

SoCal Top 30

(Records thru games of Dec. 9-14)

School/Record/Preseason Rating

  1. St. John Bosco/10-0/No. 1

This week: Even without junior Brandon McCoy, Jr. (out indefinitely with lower left leg issue), the Braves bagged their own tourney title, closing with wins over then-No.’s 7 La Mirada and 16 Damien. Open Mission League play Thursday against Orange Lutheran before Classic at Damien Dec. 26 opener vs. Phoenix Sunnyslope.

  1. Roosevelt/7-1/3

This week: Tarkanian Classic (Platinum/Wednesday/vs. San Diego St. Augustine).

  1. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame/9-0/4

This week: Tarkanian Classic (Platinum/Wednesday/vs. Chandler, AZ, Basha).

  1. Harvard-Westlake/9-1/2

This week: There will a lot of video study and in-the-gym intense work after the team’s 64 minutes of so-so, at best, play in Utah over the weekend. Three games this week, including No.’s 13 Windward (Tuesday) and 6 JSerra (Saturday).

  1. Redondo Union/6-0/5

This week: Bay League opener at home, vs. Peninsula Monday night. Tarkanian Classic (Platinum/Wednesday/vs. Seattle Rainier Beach).

  1. JSerra/10-2/8

This week: A 10-game win streak is on the line Saturday night vs. No. 4.

  1. Santa Margarita/8-1/9

This week: Elevated two slots after four-point loss at NorCal’s best team (De La Salle). At home to Murrieta Valley Saturday.

  1. Sierra Canyon/8-2/6

This week: The Trailblazers (Long Beach Millikan, Saturday night) should close out their final four games of 2024 without a lot of fuss or muss.

  1. La Mirada/10-2/7

This week: The Matadores are off until Dec. 26 Classic at Damien opener vs. Dallas Parish Episcopal (already 17-1).

  1. Heritage Christian/10-0/10

This week: The Warriors, with games against Valencia and Oakwood Friday and Saturday, are likely still unbeaten when they come out and playaaaaa (guess the 1980s classic movie reference!) Centennial in their Classic at Damien opener.

  1. St. Pius X-St. Matthias/5-2/11

This week: The Warriors begin defense of their Tarkanian Classic title Wednesday vs. 6-0 Riviera Prep of Miami after down-to-wire road wins vs. St. Anthony and Los Alamitos last week.

  1. Mira Costa/12-0/12

This week: The Mustangs open their Bay League schedule Saturday at home to Wiseburn-Da Vinci.

  1. Windward/8-1/14

This week: The Wildcats face their toughest regular-season test Tuesday night (at No. 4 Harvard-Westlake).

  1. Riverside Poly/8-4/15

This week: Ivy League opener at home to Rancho Christian Thursday night.

  1. Damien/12-3/16

This week: Without 7-footer Nate Garcia (out indefinitely following a procedure scheduled this week to treat an injury to his left leg suffered last Monday), the Spartans hung tough for most of the way against St. John Bosco Saturday. They are home to San Gabriel Academy and 6-9 sophomore Mahamadou Diop Wednesday.

  1. Mater Dei/7-2/17

This week: The Monarchs are in Ft. Myers (FL) this week and open vs. St. Petersburg Gibbs Thursday.

  1. Los Alamitos/5-3/18

This week: The Griffins open Sunset League action Wednesday at Huntington Beach and face 11-3 San Clemente Saturday at Tesoro.

  1. Anthony/4-0/20

This week: The Saints take on Crespi Friday at Heritage Christian.

  1. La Habra/10-1/21

This week: The Highlanders stay in town while visiting Sonora Friday night.

  1. Anaheim Canyon/3-2/22

This week: Friday game with Costa Mesa last action before Classic at Damien opener vs. Prescott (AZ).

  1. Campbell Hall/5-0/23

This week: The Vikings open Tarkanian Classic Platinum play Wednesday vs. Henderson (NV) Coronado.

  1. Inglewood/8-1/24

This week: Opens Capitol City Classic in Salem, Oregon ,Thursday vs. 4-0 South Salem.

  1. Chatsworth/6-0/HM

This week: Like Inglewood, in Capitol City Classic (vs. 3-0 Salem Western Christian), and could face Sentinels in Dec. 23 title game.

  1. St. Bernard/9-3/HM

This week: Off until Dec. 27 for opener vs. Westwood in the Visit Mesa (AZ) Tournament.

  1. Corona Centennial/3-6/25

This week: The next 11 games – Platinum Divisions at Tarkanian Classic (vs. Layton Christian of Utah Wednesday) and Classic at Damien, plus Saguaro Division in Gilbert, AZ, for the Nike TOC – is beyond “challenging”.

  1. Etiwanda/9-4/HM

This week: Friday (Vista Murrieta) and Saturday (vs. Fairmont Prep) before Classic at Damien opener vs. Dublin.

  1. Rancho Cucamonga/10-4/HM

This week: Off until Dec. 26 Classic at Damien opener vs. Ironwood (AZ).

  1. Crespi/7-4/19

This week: No. 18 St. Anthony at Heritage Christian Friday.

  1. Fairmont Prep/6-2/UR

This week: Saturday vs. No. 26 Etiwanda before Classic at Damien opener vs. San Ramon California.

  1. Long Beach Poly/5-5/13

This week: Moore League opener at Lakewood Thursday.

 

Top Performances from Week IV (Dec. 9-14)

(Based strictly on the games I watched in person)

Most Outstanding Player

*A.J. Dybansta/Utah Prep (consensus No. 1 in national senior class)

 

15 more who impressed me

Seniors

*Noah Bendinger/Draper (UT) Corner Canyon

*Chamberlain Burgess/Orem (UT)

*Kayden Edwards/Duncanville (TX)

*Jaden Erami/St. Pius X/St. Matthias Academy

*Aaron Glass/Rancho Cucamonga

*Elzie Harrington/St. John Bosco

*Easton Hawkins/Lehi (UT)

*Nikolas Khamenia/Harvard-Westlake

*Jackson Rasmussen/Utah Prep

 

Juniors

*Christian Collins/St. John Bosco

*Katrelle Harmon/Wasatch (UT) Academy

*Will Openshaw/Provo Timpview

*Dean Rueckert/Provo Timpview

 

Sophomores

*Beckham Black/Duncanville

 

Freshmen

*D.J. Okoth/Bartlett (TN)

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