Frank Burlison

LAGUNA NIGUEL, Ca. – Monday marks the first day of the real high school basketball season for 2021-22 after the pandemic-impacted hybrid “2021” season that began in the early spring and wrapped up in June.

Yeah, it was crazy, eh?

Here’s the first of a four-part series previewing my choices as the Top 40 teams (in the CIF Southern and L.A. City sections) in Southern California.

Based upon what I’ve seen in summer and fall competition – and a healthy mix of “hunches” on the kind of teams that will, once again, be produced by the elite programs and coaches in the region – here are my teams “31 to 40” in the BurlisonOnBasketball Top 40:

 

31. Eastvale Roosevelt

Coach: Steve Singleton

League: CIF SS Big VIII (Div.

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SACRAMENTO – The first-ever, two-day Nor Cal Frosh/Soph Camp wrapped up Sunday afternoon at Foothill Hill after showcasing a healthy percentage of the best of the region’s boys’ underclass hoops talent.

All due respect for Shawn Hadnot and Ryan Diew (of the Sacramento Magic club program) and their crew for putting on such a high-quality event – especially for the first time out of the chute.

I’ve put together a list (alpha sorting) of the 12 guys that most impressed me over the two days (a couple of guys played only on Saturday), not just based upon “potential” but in terms of their overall effort and attitude, as well as athletic and basketball skill.

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SACRAMENTO – The first-ever, Northern California Boys’ Basketball Frosh-Soph Camp tipped off Saturday afternoon at Foothill High.

And, appropriately enough, a player from Sacramento was among the first-day standouts.

Six-foot-four Ben Roseborough, a sophomore who attends Sacramento High (located about 12 miles to the south of the Foothill campus), hit seven 3s en route to a 27-point effort in his “Santa Clara” team’s 88-82 loss to “University of Pacific” in one of the first two games – played in the main and auxiliary gymnasium.

Not a shabby performance for a kid who suffered a fracture in his right pinky – yes, he’s right-handed – more than a month ago and had only recently begin using that hand in interaction with a basketball.

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IRVINE, Ca – Twenty games among some of the better boys’ basketball teams in Southern California, spread two sites and Saturday and Sunday are the hook for the Hoops By Ugland Fall Showcase.

Fourteen of those games, with the first tipping off at 9 a.m., will be played at Beckman High in Irvine (3588 Bryan) Saturday on two courts.

And the final six will be played at Servite High in Anaheim (1952 West La Palma).

Daily admission is $10. According to Irvine Unified School District and school policies, spectators must wear masks at all times while inside the gymnasiums, as must coaches and players when their teams aren’t playing.

[Click to continue reading]

IRVINE, Ca – Twenty games among some of the better boys’ basketball teams in Southern California, spread two sites and Saturday and Sunday are the hook for the Hoops By Ugland Fall Showcase.

Fourteen of those games, with the first tipping off at 9 a.m., will be played at Beckman High in Irvine (3588 Bryan) Saturday on two courts.

And the final six will be played at Servite High in Anaheim (1952 West La Palma).

Daily admission is $10. According to Irvine Unified School District and school policies, spectators must wear masks at all times while inside the gymnasiums, as must coaches and players when their teams aren’t playing.

[Click to continue reading]