Frank Burlison

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Ca. – My high school hoops travels this week take me to the California central coast town of San Luis Obispo and then on to Las Vegas.

The respective events, the Mission Prep Christmas Classic and Jerry Tarkanian Las Vegas Classic, both get underway on Wednesday.

I’ll be at Mission Prep Wednesday and Thursday, before busting South-bound on the 101 Freeway very early Friday morning – as in 12:30 or 1 – for LAX and a 5:40 a.m. flight to Las Vegas, where I’ll be on Friday and Saturday.

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LAGUNA NIGUEL, Ca. – I’m writing this from Casa de Julia y Paco Saturday night but got reports from those were in attendance.

Over at AB Miller High in Fontana, Etiwanda came from five points down at intermission to overtake fellow Baseline League member Rancho Cucamonga, 67-59, in the championship game of the Inland Empire Tournament.

Six-foot-four senior Sheldon Blackwell, who might be the best man-to-man defender in the Southland, was selected the event’s Most Valuable Player after scoring 16 points while teammates Kenny Barnes and Dominic Alexander – both juniors, FYI – added 20 and 17, respectively.

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FONTANA, Ca. – A couple of teams from the Baseline League with contrasting styles will hoop up for the championship of the Inland Empire Tournament Saturday night at 7:30 at AB Miller High.

Etiwanda and Rancho Cucamonga won their semifinals in different – but equally impressive – fashions Friday evening.

Rancho Cucamonga improved to 8-1 with its 73-46 victory over Victorville Silverado, getting 29 points (including five 3s) from senior wing Malcolm Drumwright and 13 more from junior point guard Victor Joseph.

And then Etiwanda (6-2) avenged one of its two defeats with a 54-49 decision over previously unbeaten Corona Centennial, which knocked off the Eagles (76-67) on Nov.

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SANTA MONICA, Ca. – Is L.A. Loyola High’s Parker Jackson-Cartwright the best player, per se, in Southern California?

Hey – that’s one of those questions that is better asked, and answered, at some point in March.

But the junior point guard certainly looked the part Saturday night.

PJC sparked the Cubs to a terrific start, a 23-point advantage at intermission and, ultimately, an eased-up 78-58 victory over Valencia West Ranch in the championship game of the third “The Tournament”, hosted by Santa Monica High under the terrific guidance of tourney director Dennis Magro and SMHS Coach James Hecht.

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HUNTINGTON BEACH, Ca. – Gary McKnight’s Santa Ana Mater Dei may have lost three starters from last season to major college programs.

But don’t expect much drop-off at all from of the best high school programs in the U.S. of A.

That was evident Wednesday night with the Monarchs cruised to an 83-38 quarterfinal victory over Downey Warren in a quarterfinal of the Jim Harris Memorial Tournament of Championships at Ocean View High.

Katin Reinhart (UNLV) and Xavier Johnson and Eli Stalzer (both at Colorado) were key elements to Mater Dei’s run to Southern Section IAA and State Division I titles last spring.

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