LAGUNA NIGUEL – The Open Division has been the flag pole of the CIF Southern Section boys basketball playoffs since its debut 11 years ago.
And, naturally, with two-time defending state Open champion Harvard-Westlake and 2024 Southern Section and Southern Regional runner-up Roosevelt leading the way, that was the case during the first week of the playoffs.
But even if a computer program dictates that the “10 best” teams in the Section are in the Open Division, there are a lot of quality teams busting it trying to win titles on Feb. 28 and March 1, too.
And there are four terrific games in Division 1 Tuesday night that illustrate that.
*Isaiah Johnson-led Campbell Hall (19-9), which knocked off No. 1 seed Crespi Friday night, is in Irvine to take on Crean Lutheran (17-11).
The left-handed Johnson (who signed with the University of Colorado in November) averaged 28.9 points per game in the regular season.
Johnson (pictured/courtesy Greg Stein Media) was even better last week, scoring 35 points in the first-round win over Chaminade before dropping 43 on Crespi to avenge a Dec. 28 loss to the Celtics in the Classic at Damien Gold Division semifinal.
The Saints have won 13 of their past 16 games, including five in a row.
Coach Nate Klitzing’s team has knocked off two league champions in the playoffs, San Clemente (South Coast) and The Brentwood School (Gold Coast).
*The Sunset (Los Alamitos) and Coastal (Rolling Hills Prep) League champions meet in the other upper-bracket quarterfinal at Harbor College.
The Griffins (22-8) beat Vista Murrieta and Long Beach Poly on their homecourt while the host Huskies toppled Oaks Christian at home and Corona del Mar in Newport Beach.
*Mater Dei (22-8) missed playing in the Open for only the second time but is in the playoffs as one of only three at-large selections in Division 1 after finishing in a tie for third in the Trinity League.
The Monarchs will travel to Channel League champion Santa Barbara (25-5), in showdown pitting two of Southern California’s top scorers in Mater Dei’s 6-foot-3 junior Luke Barnett and the Dons’ UC Santa Barbara-bound Luke Zuffelato, who scored 38 points in the second-round win over Anaheim Canyon Friday night.
*And, in the final quarterfinal in Manhattan Beach, Mira Costa (27-3) plays host to Gold Coast League second-place squad Windward (22-7), which upset host Inglewood Friday night (71-69).
Windward returned three starters – seniors Jeremiah Hampton, J.J. Harris and Louis Bond – from the squad that was the D1 runner-up to Sherman Oaks Notre Dame a year ago
*In 2AA, top seed Camarillo (28-2) is an underdog while facing Corona Centennial (16-16) on the road.
The host Huskies’ schedule was immensely more challenging than the Scorpions’.
Camarillo’s losses came to D1 quarterfinalist Rolling Hills Prep (55-37) and to Gateway League runner-up Mayfair (75-72).
Five of Centennial’s defeats are to teams in the Open Division: Roosevelt (twice), Redondo, Santa Margarita and Heritage Christian .
The Scorpions’ playoff victories are by a collective margin of seven points (vs. Lakewood and Glendora), while the Huskies cruised past by Rancho Christian and Oak Hills by 18 and 14 points, respectively.
The other 2AA quarterfinals featuring an all-Orange County tilt via San Juan Hills (21-9) at Newport Pacifica Christian (21-7); a battle of Ivy League co-champions in Rancho Verde (24-5) at Riverside Poly (21-9) and Baseline League at-large choice Chino Hills (23-6) vs. Fairmont Prep (19-9) – which shared the San Joaquin League title with Pacifica Christian – in Anaheim.
*In the Open Division, Harvard-Westlake (28-1) is at home to JSerra (22-8); Redondo Union (24-4) visits Roosevelt (28-2); Santa Margarita (22-6) plays host to Notre Dame (24-6); and Sierra Canyon (22-5) heads to Bellflower to take on St. John Bosco (24-5).
Heritage Christian (25-5) and La Mirada (24-6) – each of which lost their two games last week – have byes Tuesday.
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