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LAGUNA NIGUEL – The top 15 spots in the BurlisonOnBasketball boys’ SoCal Top 40 (plus 10) changed as little as possible after the first week of the 2021-22 season.

The only change?

Riverside Poly and Hillcrest swapped the No.’s 12 and 13 slots, after the Bears went 4-1 during the “Rumble on Rosecrans” – losing only to No. 4 Damien in the final, 55-52 – while the Warriors went 2-1, losing a tight one with No. 7 Notre Dame by eight points at home before smacking a decent San Diego County team, San Marcos, by 21 points.

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LAGUNA NIGUEL – Finally!

Here’s the complete BurlisonOnBasketball preseason Southern California (CIF Southern and L.A. City Section schools) Top 40 boys’ basketball teams.

A few thoughts to go along with the ratings:

*Until a Southern California-based school’s team knocks off Corona Centennial, the Huskies will be atop my SoCal ratings;

*I can’t recall a real (non “prep school” or “academy” or what-not) high school program ever having the one-season influx of new players like Sierra Canyon gained by way of transfers Isaiah Elohim (Heritage Christian), Kijani Wright (Windward), Mike Price (Ribet Academy) and Jerimiah Nyarko (St.

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LAGUNA NIGUEL, Ca. – The countdown continues, with No.’s 21-30 of the BurlisonOnBasketball preseason boys Southern California Top 40 teams (and 10 “honorable mentions”).

And, trust me: I’m doing my best to get the final Top 20 on the website before games “officially” tip off for the 2021-22 season Monday evening:

 

21. Lake Balboa Birmingham

Coach: Nicholas Halic

League: West Valley (L.A. City Section Div. 1).

2021 results: 12-4 (CIF L.A. City Section Open champion; lost to Sierra Canyon in first round of Regional Open championships).

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LONG BEACH – The Pangos Best of the West Middle School Showcase had a distinct NBA flavor Saturday at McBride High.

The sons of three former NBA players – Gilbert Arenas, Matt Barnes and Kenny Smith – were among the 100 or players on hand for the Dinos Trigonis-fronted event that showcased a lot of quality sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders from the west coast.

But it was a kid without any NBA bloodlines – although I’m sure, like all hoopers who’ve reached this stage, he aspires to carving his own niche in the league someday – that bagged Most Valuable Player honors for his performance in the Top 30 Cream of the Crop all-star clash that wrapped the camp up Saturday evening.

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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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