Redondo boys jump up to No. 3 while J.W. North and Chino Hills are now in the top five after knocking off higher-ranked opponents. For the girls, major powers will probably play again in two weeks after pulsating CIFSS Open Division semifinals. Plus, the Bishop O’Dowd parents are still trying to keep hope alive for girls’ season to continue.
Check below for this week’s new list of the State Top 20 boys and girls basketball rankings.
To read our breakdowns on each Top 20 team, why some of these rankings moves were made, which teams are on the bubble and for the CIF divisional state rankings for both boys and girls basketball, you need to be a member of our Gold Club. Join our team today by CLICKING HERE.
NEW BOYS BASKETBALL
STATE TOP 20 OVERALL RANKINGS
Redondo Union of Redondo Beach, Chino Hills and J.W. North of Riverside all made big leaps in this week’s new Cal-Hi Sports State Top 20 after posting significant CIF Southern Section Open Division quarterfinal wins.
Chino Hills, which snuck past previous No. 2 Etiwanda in one of those quarterfinals, and J.W. North, which edged previous No. 3 Corona Centennial in another, also make strong cases to be FAB 50 nationally ranked in ratings we compile as part of our national content initiatives with Student Sports.
Monte Vista of Danville, meanwhile, cracks the top 10 and gets ready to play De La Salle of Concord in the CIF North Coast Section Division I semifinals.
This week’s rankings also sees one CIFSS Open Division consolation loser (Compton) remaining in the State Top 20 because of its overall resume.
(Compiled by Ronnie Flores with assistance from Mark Tennis; updated through games played Saturday, March 1; previous rating in parentheses)
1. (1) Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 29-0
2. (4) Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland) 24-4
3. (6) Redondo Union (Redondo Beach) 24-4
4. (7) Chino Hills 25-4
5. (8) J.W. North (Riverside) 26-0*
6. (2) Etiwanda 26-4
7. (3) Centennial (Corona) 25-3
8. (9) Capital Christian (Sacramento) 25-3
9. (10) Westchester (Los Angeles) 28-5
10. (11) Monte Vista (Danville) 26-1
11. (5) Loyola (Los Angeles) 25-3
12. (12) Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) 26-3
13. (13) Bishop Montgomery (Torrance) 23-5
14. (14) Long Beach Poly (Long Beach) 23-7
15. (16) Folsom 27-2
16. (18) St. Augustine (San Diego) 27-2
17. (19) Cosumnes Oaks (Elk Grove) 28-1*
18. (NR) St. John Bosco (Bellflower) 18-10
19. (15) Compton 22-7
20. (NR) St. Joseph Notre Dame (Alameda) 25-5
*Forfeit loss or forfeit losses not included
Dropped Out: Previous No. 17 Mayfair (Lakewood); No. 20 Cathedral (Los Angeles).
NEW GIRLS BASKETBALL
TOP 20 OVERALL RANKINGS
Based on where they are in the playoffs right now, and barring some humungous upsets in the CIF North Coast Section and Sac-Joaquin Section this week, nine of the top 10 teams in this week’s Cal-Hi Sports State Top 20 will all be in the CIF Open Division for the upcoming regional playoffs.
One thing is certain, the four teams from the CIF Southern Section who played in Saturday’s CIFSS Open Division semifinals — Mater Dei of Santa Ana, Windward of Los Angeles, Etiwanda and Long Beach Poly — seem set in stone to be the same four teams from the CIFSS that will be in the SoCal Open Division. The CIF commissioners couldn’t take a fifth team even if they wanted to due to a provision in the Open Division for the state that limits a section to just four teams that can be brought up.
The NorCal Open Division bracket, meanwhile, will probably have the same four-limit rule in effect for the CIF North Coast Section. Due to an announcement by school officials, defending CIF Open Division champ Bishop O’Dowd of Oakland won’t be one of those teams.
On Monday, a petition begun by Bishop O’Dowd parents was gaining support on the Change.org web site. And while we agree that it’s unfair to punish the kids for the mistake of adults, the rule that was broken seems clear. Kudos to the girls for trying; it’s worth a try.
It also should be mentioned that just this week in Illinois the Illinois High School Association reinstated three boys teams to the postseason that previously were finished for breaking the same rule that the O’Dowd girls did (which was play one too many regular season games).
(Compiled by Harold Abend with assistance from Mark Tennis; updated through games played Saturday, March 1; previous rating in parentheses)
1. (1) Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 26-1
2. (2) Windward (Los Angeles) 24-2
3. (3) Long Beach Poly 23-3
4. (4) St. Mary’s (Stockton) 23-4
5. (5) Salesian (Richmond) 24-5
6. (6) Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland) 23-4**
7. (7) St. Mary’s (Berkeley) 24-7
8. (8) Carondelet (Concord) 25-3
9. (10) Etiwanda 20-6
10. (11) Miramonte (Orinda) 26-1
11. (12) Serra (Gardena) 23-4
12. (9) Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) 23-3
13. (13) Camarillo 24-3
14. (14) Chaminade (West Hills) 22-4
15. (15) Clovis West (Fresno) 25-3
16. (16) Bishop Alemany (Mission Hills) 22-8
17. (17) Bishop’s (La Jolla) 25-5
18. (18) Canyon Springs (Moreno Valley) 20-6
19. (19) Hanford 23-2
20. (20) Enterprise (Redding) 24-2
Dropped Out: None.
Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow Mark, Ronnie Flores and Harold Abend on the Cal-Hi Sports Twitter handle: @CalHiSports