Frank Burlison

PHOENIX – A little more than two weeks after winning the CIF Southern Section’s Open Division title, the Corona Centennial basketball team reminded everyone watching why its also going to the “chased” in Southern California – and beyond – during the 2021-22 season.

Coach Josh Gilles’ Huskies rolled to four victories this past weekend at Brophy Prep College School during the second session of the Section 7 Tournament Camp.

With the same starting lineup used during the 21-2 “2021 season” that concluded with the June 11, 80-72 victory at defending champion Sierra Canyon, the Huskies scored decisive wins against Studio City Harvard-Westlake (65-41) in the West Bracket final and vs.

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LAGUNA NIGUEL, Ca. – The Corona Centennial High Huskies – with a starting lineup of four sophomores and a junior – sit atop seven other CIF Southern Section Open Division playoffs teams in the final BurlisonOnBasketball “15 for 2021” ratings.

Coach Josh Giles’ team – which opted out of the State Southern Regional Open playoffs in order to play in front of 100s of college coaches in last weekend’s Section 7 event in Phoenix – knocked off host and defending champion Sierra Canyon in the Section final on June 10.

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IRVINE, Ca. – The Crean Lutheran boys’ basketball program – in just its 13^th season – won its second CIF Southern Section championship Wednesday night, knocking off visiting Agoura, 68-58, in the 2A contest.

And one of its driving forces was a 6-foot-9, multi-skilled junior who was part of a CIF SS-winning team for the second season in a row.

Koat Keat, who led Glendale’s Renaissance Academy program (which is no longer part of the CIF) to a 4AA title last spring, had his hands in nearly every portion of the Saints’ success in front of a capacity crowd Wednesday.

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LAS VEGAS – The 19^th Pangos All-American Camp wrapped up late Tuesday afternoon with the announcement that was a near-foregone conclusion after the first session of games Sunday night:

Six-foot-10 Jalen Duren, from Philadelphia by way of Montverde Academy in Florida, was selected the event’s Most Outstanding Player.

The consensus No. 1 player in the national Class of 2022 – who, some believe, could “reclassify” to 2021 later this summer and enroll in college in September and play as a freshman – was just one of a large group of quality “big” prospects among the 106 players who participated.

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LAS VEGAS – Day II of the 19^th Pangos All-American Camp was – like the opening of the camp Sunday evening – a showcase for the best-ever depth of quality “bigs” in the camp’s history.

But the 12 games played across Monday’s two sessions also illustrated how many upper-tier jump shooters were on hand among the 100-plus players competing in the three-day event in the Tarkanian Academy in front of dozens of NBA employees and “scout” and “media-types”.

Among those who impressed me during the four games played on Court 1 that I honed in on were:

*Noah Shelby (pictured/Addison, TX, Greenhill School) he was equal parts superb playmaker and jump shooter during Virginia’s 75-74 win over North Carolina, hitting deep shots after the catch and dribble while never forcing anything while overtly contested.

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