SJB, Roosevelt head a Classic boys basketball tourney

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LAGUNA NIGUEL – The St. John Bosco and Eastvale Roosevelt boys’ basketball teams, who remain in the top spots of the updated BurlisonOnBasketball SoCal Top 30, head the field for the Platinum Division of the eighth The Classic at Damien, which tips off Thursday morning at Damien and other sites near the school’s La Verne campus.

If each win their first three games, they will play on Dec. 30 in a rematch of last year’s division finale that was won by Roosevelt, 68-65, behind event Most Outstanding Player Brayden Burries.

Burries bagged the same honor Saturday night in Las Vegas, after leading the Mustangs past No. 3 Notre Dame, 76-58, in the title of the Platinum Division of the Tarkanian Classic.

The Braves have been without mega-junior standout Brandon McCoy, Jr.  for the past six games (since he suffered a slight injury to his left heel during a tournament in Illinois).

Coach Matt Dunn’s crew hasn’t missed a beat in his absence, though, via the play of seniors Elzie Harrington and Chris Komin, as well as forward Christian Collins (pictured), a transfer from St. Bernard and – like McCoy – among the elite of the Class of 2026 prospects nationally.

Others joining SJB and Roosevelt in the Classic’s Platinum Division include the No.’s 5 (Redondo Union), 6 (Santa Margarita), 8 (La Mirada), 10 (Heritage Christian), 15 (the host Spartans, who have lost 7-foot senior center Nate Garcia for the season because of a foot injury) and 16 (Los Alamitos) teams in the Top 30.

The Gold Division of the event includes the Top 30’s No.’s 19 (Anaheim Canyon), 20 (Inglewood), 21 (Chatsworth), 23 (Crespi), 26 (Etiwanda), 27 (Rancho Cucamonga) and 28 (Campbell Hall) squads.

No.’s 18 (La Habra), 24 (St. Anthony) and 25 (Fairmont Prep) will compete for the Diamond Division title.

If each wins on Thursday, Friday quarterfinals in the upper half of the Platinum bracket will pit unbeatens in St. John Bosco and Heritage Christian, and No. 5 (Redondo Union) vs. No. 8 (La Mirada).

The Classic’s Thursday opener that figures to gather the most attention – in person, and via social media channels – is the 1 p.m., Gold Division game between No.’s 20 Inglewood and 21 Chatsworth in Damien’s Athletic Center (where the school’s main gymnasium is housed).

Each squad is led by one of Southern California’s – and the nation’s – most highly touted players in  Jason Crowe, Jr. and Alijah Arenas, respectively.

The 6-foot-4 Crowe (a junior point guard) was averaging 36.4 points per game going into this week while the 6-5 Arenas (who “reclassified” to the senior class a few weeks ago) was at approximately 30 ppg.

 

SoCal Top 30

(Records thru games of Dec. 16-21)

School/record/Last Week

1. Saint John Bosco/11-0/No. 1

This Week: Thursday, Classic at Damien/Platinum, vs. Phoenix Sunnyslope, 8:30 p.m. (Athletic Center).

2. Roosevelt/11-1/2

This Week: Thursday, Classic at Damien/Platinum, vs. Danville San Ramon Valley, 5:30 p.m. (Athletic Center).

3. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame/12-1/3

This Week: Friday, vs. Las Vegas Sierra Vista at Rancho Mirage, 7:30 p.m.

4. Harvard-Westlake/12-1/4

This Week: Thursday, vs. Bellevue (WA) at Rancho Mirage, 9:30 p.m.

5. Redondo Union/10-1/5

This Week: Thursday, Classic at Damien/Platinum, vs. Sacramento Destiny Christian, 10 a.m. (Athletic Center).

6. Santa Margarita/8-1/7

This Week: Monday, vs. Oceanside El Camino; Thursday, Classic at Damien/Platinum, vs. Layton (UT) Christian Academy, 2:30 p.m. (Athletic Center).

7. Sierra Canyon/9-2/8

This Week: Monday, vs. Venice, 4 p.m.; Saturday, vs. San Ramon Dougherty Valley at Santa Barbara, 7. p.m.

8. La Mirada/10-2/9

This Week: Thursday, Classic at Damien/Platinum, vs. Dallas Parish Episcopal, 11:30 a.m. (Athletic Center).

9. JSerra/10-3/6

This Week: Thursday, vs. Eastside Catholic (WA), at Torrey Pines, 2:45 p.m.

10. Heritage Christian/12-0/10

This Week: Thursday, Classic at Damien/Platinum, vs. Corona Centennial, 4 p.m. (Athletic Center).

11. Saint Pius X/Saint Matthias Academy/9-4/11

This Week: No games scheduled.

12. Mira Costa/13-0/12

This Week: Thursday, La Canada St. Francis Holiday Hoopfest, vs. Long Beach Wilson, 3 p.m.

13. Windward/10-2/13.

This Week: Thursday, Torrey Pines Holiday Classic, vs. Phoenix St. Mary’s, 4:20 p.m.

14. Riverside Poly/9-4/14

This Week: Thursday, Torrey Pines Holiday Classic, vs. San Diego Montgomery, 1:10 p.m.

15. Damien/12-3/15

This Week: Thursday, Classic at Damien/Platinum, vs. Phoenix Sandra Day O’Connor, 7 p.m. (Athletic Center).

16. Los Alamitos/7-3/17

This Week: Thursday, Classic at Damien/Platinum, vs. Fresno Clovis North, 3 p.m. (Event Center).

17. Mater Dei/8-3/16.

This Week: Thursday, vs. Stanwood (WA), at Rancho Mirage, 6:30 p.m.

18. La Habra/14-1/19

This Week: Classic at Damien/Diamond, vs. Murrieta Valley at Ramona MS, 12:30 p.m.

19. Anaheim Canyon/8-2/20

This Week: Classic at Damien/Gold, vs. Prescott (AZ), Noon. (Event Center).

20. Inglewood/10-2/22

This Week: Monday, TBD, Capitol City Classic, Salem, OR; Thursday, Classic at Damien/Gold, vs. Chatsworth, 1 p.m. (Athletic Center).

21. Chatsworth/8-1/23

This Week: Monday, TBD, Capital City Classic, Salem, OR; Thursday, Classic at Damien/Gold, vs. Inglewood, 1 p.m. (Athletic Center).

22. Bernard/9-3/24

This Week: Friday, Visit Mesa (AZ) Tournament, vs. Westwood, at Mesa High.

23. Crespi/9-4/28

This Week: Thursday, Classic at Damien/Gold, vs. Peoria (AZ) Liberty, 1:30 p.m. (Event Center).

24. Saint Anthony/4-2/18

This Week: Thursday, Classic at Damien/Diamond, vs. Houston Christian, 8 p.m. (Ramona MS).

25. Fairmont Prep/7-2/29

This week: Thursday, Classic at Damien/Diamond, vs. San Ramon California, 5 p.m. (Ramona MS).

26. Etiwanda/10-5/26

This Week: Thursday, Classic at Damien/Gold, vs. Dublin, 7:30 p.m. (Event Center).

27. Rancho Cucamonga/10-4/27

This Week: Thursday, Classic at Damien/Gold, vs. Glendale (AZ) Ironwood, 6 p.m. (Event Center).

28. Campbell Hall/7-2/21

This Week: Thursday, Classic at Damien/Gold, vs. Larkspur (CA) Redwood, 4:30 p.m. (Event Center).

29. Long Beach Poly/7-5/30

This Week: Thursday, La Canada St. Francis Holiday Hoopfest, vs. Santa Monica, 6 p.m.

30. Westchester/5-7/UR

This Week: Friday, Raleigh (NC) John Wall Tournament, vs. Cary (NC) Green Level, 2 p.m.