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BURBANK – The combination of the West Coast Elite program and Julius Von Hanzlik invariable produces some of the best “grassroots basketball in the west”, especially as it pertains to middle school-aged players.

And the duo delivered the goods again this past weekend at Burroughs High, which is darn-near located in the shadows of the ABC and Disney studios.

The “Elite 32 King of Kings” Camp provided a sweet showcase for some of the very best of the “barely teen-aged” set in the region and beyond.

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EL MONTE – Chris James remembers all-too-well the fourth quarter of his St. John Bosco High basketball team’s State Southern Regional Division I final with Chino Hills in The Pyramid on the Long Beach State campus on March 17.

In fact, it’s been pretty much one of the very first things on the minds of he and his teammates upon waking ever morning since – including Monday, just hours before the 2018-19 season opened for the Braves at El Monte High against St. Paul.

Uh .

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LAGUNA NIGUEL – The first week of the Southern California high school hoops season was highlighted by significant victories in quite competitive tournaments by Fairfax, Camarillo and Etiwanda.

The Lions came away with the title of the best of the events, the Ryse Williams/Pac Shores at Redondo Union High, highlighted by a semifinal victory over Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks and then toppling Bishop Montgomery, with UNLV-bound guard Ethan Anderson picking up Most Valuable Player honors.

Junior Camren Pierce was the MVP as Etiwanda knocked off then-No.

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SAN DIEGO – The multitude of reasons why, in reality, the Sierra Canyon High Trailblazers should be considered the strong favorites to successfully defend their California State Open Division basketball championship were all on display Saturday night in front of a packed San Diego Montgomery gymnasium for the final game of the three-day San Diego Tip-Off Challenge.

Consider:

*Five of the program’s top six players from last season made up Coach Andre Chevalier’s starting lineup in the Trailblazers’ business-like 86-40 victory against a Saint Augustine squad that has a chance to be the second-best team in San Diego this season (behind defending Section Open champion Mission Bay, which returns every starter including Duke-bound guard Boogie Ellis);

*In seniors Scotty Pippen Jr.,

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RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Ca. – The Rancho Verde High basketball team seemingly was on its way to a decisive Inland-Empire Classic victory over Hesperia Friday night while opening up a 17-point advantage after three quarters at Rancho Cucamonga High.

But then Hesperia’s Jaden Shackelford (pictured) started knocking in jump shots – deep, deep shots.

And very high school jump shooters – anywhere – sizzle quite like the 6-foot-3 and University of Alabama-bound Shackleford does when he gets hot.

Shackelford scored 20 points – via four 3s, a drive and four free throws – in the fourth quarter, with the last of those coming by way of a couple of free throws with 9.3 seconds to go to tie the score at 54 and send things into a four-minute extra period.

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