Burlison on Basketball

Frank Burlison | High School Basketball | College Basketball

Yes, league play still means a lot in high school hoops

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LAGUNA NIGUEL – With the pre- and post-Christmas tournaments in the books, and just a handful of “showcase events” remaining, league play is front and center stage now for the rest of Southern California boys’ high school hoops regular season.

A multitude of contests scheduled for this week – from the San Fernando Valley to the South Bay, to South Orange County and all the way east to the Inland Empire – will influence not only league championships but the ratings that the CIF Southern Section computer program will spit out weekly.

And I’ll deem the most significant day of this week (relative to what the CIF SS Open Division might look like early next month) “Fabulous Friday”.

That is when Sierra Canyon – still atop the updated BurlisonOnBasketball SoCal Top 30 – plays host to No. 4 Notre Dame in a Mission showdown while, in a Trinity Clash, No. 3 Santa Margarita is home to No. 5 St. John Bosco.

If you’re wondering whose gym I’ll be in that night, reference the dateline on this story . . .

Coach Andre Chevalier’s Trailblazers – whose last 11 wins have come by an average margin of 29.4 points – open Mission play in Chatsworth Wednesday night against No. 22 St. Francis and its 7-foot-3 junior “mega big”, Cherif Millogo.

The heat Sierra Canyon defenders will put on the Golden Knight’s ball handlers and passers – to keep them from getting the ball cleanly to Millogo (pictured) within dunking or turn-around shooting range – could warm up the entire San Fernando Valley for 90 minutes.

In other significant league matchups this week:

*The two best public-school teams in Orange County hook up Monday night in Los Alamitos, when No. 12 Corona del Mar visits the No. 25 Griffins’ spiffy new gymnasium in a Sunset League tilt.

*Irvine is the Orange County stop for the next Game of Note, where No. 9 Crean Lutheran plays host to Canyon of Anaheim in a Crestview clash.

Friday night Crean Lutheran visits La Habra and superb senior guard Acen Jimenez in another Crestview showdown.

*No. 19 St. Bernard is at home in Playa del Rey Wednesday night against No. 29 St. Monica in the Del Rey League.

Both teams got considerably stronger on Dec. 26, when SOP (Sit out Period) transfers became eligible.

Depending on bracket matchups, each of these squads have the goods to get to the quarterfinals – or beyond – of the CIF SS D-1 playoffs.

*And – barring the unforeseen – the Baseline League tournament’s top seed will go a long way to being set by the winner of the No. 11 Damien at No. 10 Etiwanda game Thursday night.

I would be surprised – and then some – if either of those teams lose again before the final of the league tourney on Feb. 3.

*And one of those still-remaining “showcase events” is set for Saturday at Long Beach City College as the first-ever, six-game Lute Olson Legacy Classic.

The games begin at 11:30 a.m. with Palisades playing St. Paul and conclude with one of the two “prep school games” played as Arizona Compass takes on the Wilson Academy from Georgia at 7:30.

The rest of the schedule has Laguna Hills vs. Campbell Hall (1 p.m.), Phoenix Bella Vista Grind vs. SoCal Academy (2:30), Long Beach Poly vs. No. 24 Mayfair (4) and San Gabriel Academy vs. Fairmont (in a San Joaquin League game at 6).

 

SoCal Top 30

(Records as of Jan. 3)

School                          Record                 Previous#

  1. Sierra Canyon/13-1/1

Next: Wednesday, vs. No. 22 St. Francis, 7 p.m.; Friday, vs. No. 4 Notre Dame, 7.

  1. Redondo Union/16-3/2

Next: Tuesday, vs. Wiseburn-Da Vinci,  7.

  1. Santa Margarita/19-2/3

Next: Friday,  vs. No. 5 St. John Bosco, 7.

  1. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame/13-4/6

Next: Wednesday, vs. Loyola, 7; Friday, at No. 1 Sierra Canyon, 8:30.

  1. St. John Bosco/11-4/4

Next: Friday, at No. 3 Santa Margarita,  7.

  1. Harvard-Westlake/13-2/5

Next: Wednesday, at Chaminade, 7; Friday, at No. 8 Crespi, 7.

  1. La Mirada/11-6/12

Next: Monday, vs. Dominguez, 7; Friday, vs. Mayfair, 7.

  1. Crespi/13-6/11

Next: Wednesday, at Alemany, 7; Friday, vs. No. 6 Harvard-Westlake, 7.

  1. Crean Lutheran/14-5/8

Next: Tuesday, vs. Anaheim Canyon, 7; Friday, at La Habra, 7.

  1. Etiwanda/17-1/9

Next: Tuesday, vs. Los Osos, 6:30; Thursday, vs. No. 11 Damien, 6:30.

  1. Damien/15-4/13

Next: Tuesday, vs. Rancho Cucamonga, 6:30; Thursday, at No. 10 Etiwanda, 6:30.

  1. Corona Centennial/15-5/8

Next: Tuesday, vs. Fairmont Prep, 6; Friday, at Norco, 7.

  1. Corona del Mar/16-1/11

Next: Monday, at No. 25 Los Alamitos, 7; Wednesday, vs. Marina, 7.

  1. Inglewood/14-5/19

Next:  Monday, at Leuzinger, 7; Wednesday, vs. Compton Centennial, at Morningside, 7; Saturday, at Webster Groves (MO), 5:30.

  1. JSerra/13-8/14

Next: Friday, vs. Orange Lutheran, 7.

  1. Brentwood/18-1/24

Next: Friday, at Crossroads, 7.

  1. Mira Costa/16-2/25

Next: Tuesday, vs. Palos Verdes, 7; Friday, vs. Peninsula, 7.

  1. Bishop Montgomery/15-2/15

Next: Wednesday, at Verbum Dei, 7; Friday, vs. Bosco Tech, 7.

  1. St. Bernard/11-8/20

Next: Wednesday, vs. No. 29 St. Monica, 7; Friday, at St. Anthony, 7.

  1. Eastvale Roosevelt/10-8/21

Next: Wednesday, at Riverside MLK, 7; Friday, vs. Corona Santiago, 7.

  1. San Gabriel Academy/7-6/16

Next: Thursday, at Bakersfield Christian, 7; Saturday, vs. Fairmont Prep, at LBCC, 6.

  1. St. Francis/16-2/25

Next: Wednesday, at No. 1 Sierra Canyon, 7; Friday, vs. Alemany, 7.

  1. Village Christian/13-5/25

Next: Tuesday, at Heritage Christian, 7; Friday, vs. Valley Christian, 7:30.

  1. Mayfair/8-5/19

Next: Monday, at Bellflower, 7; Wednesday, vs. Gahr; Friday, at No. 7 La Mirada; Saturday, vs. Long Beach Poly, at LBCC, 4:30.

  1. Los Alamitos/8-6/UR

Next: Monday, vs. No. 13 Corona del Mar 7; Wednesday, at Huntington Beach, 7; Friday, at Marina, 7.

  1. Servite/15-5/UR

Next: Tuesday, at St. Anthony, 7; Wednesday, at Mater Dei, 7.

  1. Rolling Hills Prep/13-5/28

Next: Wednesday, vs. Foothill, 7; Thursday, vs. L.A. Dorsey, 6; Friday, vs. Narbonne, 7:20.

  1. Arcadia/13-4/26

Next: Wednesday, at Burbank Burroughs, 6:45; Friday, vs. Muir, 6:45.

  1. St. Monica/13-7/UR

Next: Wednesday, at No. 19 St. Bernard, 7; Friday, vs. St. Paul, 7.

  1. Millikan/11-6/29

Next: Wednesday, vs. Lakewood, 7.

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