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RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA – The CIF Southern Section’s top four seeds into the State Southern Regional Division I playoffs that get underway on March 7 were set Tuesday night.

Host Bellflower St. John Bosco’s 72-60 decision Encino Crespi in the SS’s Open Division “fifth-place” game means the victorious Braces will be the SS’s top seed to the regional D-I bracket that is unveiled on Sunday (March 4).

And visiting Temecula Rancho Christian’s 61-56 decision at Santa Margarita makes Coach Ray Barefield’s club the No. 3 SS seed into the D-I field with Santa Margarita taking the No.

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FULLERTON, Ca. – Five years ago the first-ever Pangos Junior All-American Camp, for middle school and elementary school players, produced eventual McDonald’s All-Americans in DeAndre Ayton, Billy Preston (2017) and Jordan Brown (2018), as well as 2017 California State Player of the Year Ethan Thompson.

It’s much too early to be making projections on which of the kids who attended the sixth version of the camp Saturday and Sunday at Fullerton Community College will be 2022 or ’23 McDonald’s AA selections.

But there is no hesitation in suggesting that a whole lot of guys who were on hand will be terrific high school players eventually – some a lot sooner than later.

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RIVERSIDE – How stacked is the CIF Southern Section’s basketball Open playoff division?

It’s so deep in quality teams that two squads that came into Saturday night’s semifinals at Cal Baptist University with a combined one loss will be playing for third place Tuesday night.

That Etiwanda at Bishop Montgomery contest came about as a result of Saturday night victories by No.5 seed Sierra Canyon over unbeaten- and top-seed Bishop Montgomery (77-74 in double overtime) and No. 3 Mater Dei over once-beaten and No. 2 seed Etiwanda (76-66).

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CHINO HILLS – Some assumed the days of the Chino Hills High basketball program being one of the most formidable in Southern California – and beyond – were numbered once social media legend Melo Ball withdrew from school with two full seasons of eligibility remaining.

“Some” assumed incorrectly, as the Huskies continued to demonstrate Friday night.

Melo Ball and older brothers Gelo (he’s with Melo playing in Lithuania) and Lonzo (of the Lakers, and Ground Zero for Big Baller Mania) are playing professional, and two-year standout Eli Scott is one of the West Coast Conference’s best freshmen at Loyola Marymount.

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LAGUNA NIGUEL, Ca. – The Southern Section’s representatives to the State Southern Regionals are set following the quarterfinal results of Tuesday night in Divisions I-to-4A.

The section’s regional Division I field was completed via the road victories of Long Beach Poly (Oak Park, 85-76), Chino Hills (Corona Centennial, 87-74), Pasadena (Damien, 88-75) and Moreno Valley Rancho Verde (Eastvale Roosevelt, 53-43).

Those results set up Friday night semifinal matchups of Rancho Verde-Pasadena and Poly-Chino Hills.

Each of those teams will join Open first-round losers Crespi, Rancho Christian, Santa Margarita and St.

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