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  ANAHEIM – Its 17s squad – the runner-up for the Nike-sponsored Peach Jam title last July – didn’t come to Orange County for the fourth Southern California Spring Tip-Off this past Saturday and Sunday at the American Sports Center.

   But, just beginning Year II of its existence, the Russell Westbrook-fronted “Why Not?” Elite Youth Basketball League program continues to look to be on a firm foundation.

   That was apparent, based upon the performances of the program’s 16s and 15s squads at the American Sports Center.

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  LAGUNA NIGUEL – By the end of its season, the Santa Ana Mater Dei High basketball team was – arguably – the second- best team in California.

  And that was in large due to a Monarchs’ sophomore class that was the best in Southern California.

   Two of those members of the Class of 2021, point guard Devin Askew and forward Wilhelm Breidenbach, are among the BurlisonOnBasketball first-team choices for the All-Southern California Sophomore squad for the 2018-19 season.

   And the 6-foot-4 Askew is my choice as the “Most Outstanding Sophomore” after demonstrating so well why he’s already rated one of the very best point guard prospects in the national class of 2021.

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  LAGUNA NIGUEL – It was a strong 2018-19 season for Southern California freshmen basketball players.

  But, when sorting out all of the performances, it’s apparent that no one had more of an impact on his team’s success than did Kijani Wright of Los Angeles Windward.

  The 6-foot-8 Wright (pictured), and classmate Dylan Andrews (who suffered a season-ending injury late in the regular season), helped Coach Colin Pfaff’s Wildcats to a 25-7 record, which included CIF Southern Section Division I upset victories over Long Beach Poly and L.A.

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  LAGUNA NIGUEL – Friday’s second day of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Round of 64 (first round) games produced “seed upsets” in eight of the 16 contests.

   *No. 9s got wins over 8 seeds by way of the University of Central Florida (over Virginia Commonwealth) in the East Regional), Oklahoma (over Mississippi in the South) and Washington (over Utah State in the Midwest).

  Coupled with Baylor’s toppling Syracuse (in the West), it meant there will be a “No. 9 . . . No.

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  LAGUNA NIGUEL – The dazzling play of Murray State sophomore-and-never-to-be-junior Ja Morant wasn’t the only highlight of Thursday’s first 16 first-round NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament games.

  It just seemed as if that was the case . . .

  It wasn’t just the gaudy numbers he produced – 17 points on just nine shots from the field; 11 rebounds and 16 assists – nor the surprisingly lopsided win over Marquette in the West Regional game in Hartford (welcome to geography, NCAA tourney-style) that made the best guard in the world not playing in the NBA the de facto star of stars Thursday.

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