Playoff Previews!
For the 11th straight season...here are my capsule summaries of playoff teams/matchups!
This season, I saw 31 of the 38 teams in the postseason field, including all 20 teams in the Southern bracket, at least once during the season. And though I saw just 11 of the 18 teams in the Northern bracket during the season, I saw 4 more over the summer (and think I have a pretty good read on the remaining three teams from last year). So here's your chance to learn about the teams battling it out for California supremacy.
I probably don't know as much about "your" team as you do but this gives you the chance to learn at least a little about whoever you would like to know more about (such as the team your team is playing!).
I've mentioned the results of any games I saw the teams play, some prominent players and some overall observations. Remarks like "won, 75-70", "averaged 7.5 asts" or "scored 30 pts" refer to stats from the game or games I attended.
Regional Quarterfinals - Day 1(Friday 2/25:
South:
#5 Chaffey vs. #11 LA Trade Tech:
Chaffey: Chaffey won all 4 games I saw them play this season: blowout wins over Santa Ana and Victor Valley and close wins over Ventura and Barstow. PG Deondre Brodie (12.0 pts, 5.5 asts, 10 total threes, 6 total turnovers) is very skilled and smart with the ball, and he makes it all work. SG Naz Richardson (11 pts vs. Barstow), SF Donte Godlock (10.5 pts, 8 total threes), PF Steffon Neal (9.0 pts, 5.3 rebs) and Ctr Ryan Jefferson (9.3 pts, 7 total threes) round out the starting lineup. SG Erick Ellis (10.5 pts, 3.0 asts, 2.3 stls), 6-8 Ctr Mauricio Aldaba (4.5 pts, 3.5 rebs) and PG Eddie bowie (8 pts, 6 asts vs. Ventura) are the main reserves. In the Ventura game, Chaffey had a total of FIVE turnovers. This is a very different team - more ball control, not so much pressure, more emphasis on decision-making - than in previous years, and that has been they key to a masterful coaching job by head coach Jeff Klein and assistant Jon Keller.
LA Trade Tech: Beat Oxnard, 103-89, in November and Riverside, 67-65, in December. LATT is deep and talented, led by PF Martin Whitmore (13.5 pts, 9.5 rebs), Ctr Tyrone Lyons (15.5 pts, 8.5 rebs, 4.0 blks) and PG/SG Tim Johnson (10.5 pts, 4.0 rebs, 4.0 asts, 2.0 stls). But there is plenty of depth here as well, with PF Yashin Ali (9.0 pts, 4.0 rebs), SG Steven Archibald (12 pts, 7 rebs vs. RCC), SG Jeffrey Bryant (9 pts, 2 asts vs. RCC), SG Daundrekyc Parham (8 pts, 9 asts, 4 stls vs. Oxnard), SG Erik Dawson (12 pts vs. Oxnard), PF Olajuwon Anderson (10 pts, 4 rebs, 2 blks vs. Oxnard) and PG Randall Harris (4 pts, 5 asts vs. Oxnard). They play an up-tempo style and use a large rotation and are fun to watch.
Bottom Line: This is going to be a battle of pace - the newly-control-oriented Chaffey trying to hold back the running Trade Tech. Whoever imposes its will probably wins. Chaffey has had to deal with running teams such as Barstow, SBVC and Antelope Valley all season so they would figure to rate a small edge here. I'll head out to the IE to see who comes out on top.
#6 Riverside vs. #10 Mt. San Jacinto:
Riverside: Lost to Mt. San Jacinto and LA Trade Tech in tournaments in December but beat Cypress, 75-61, in OEC play in February. RCC has really come on in OEC play after a mediocre pre-conference season. A key to the turnaround has been the emergence of SG Andrew Fisk (16 pts, 10 rebs, 5 asts), who has long tantalized with his talent but is now playing to his ability. PG Corey Walker (3.7 pts, 4.3 asts) is a tall, solid, pass-first point guard, and SG Shawn Sawyer (10.3 pts, 3.3 rebs) is athletic and aggressive. PF Orion Palmer (8.0 pts, 8.0 rebs) is solid, and Ctr Davie Champagnie (15 pts, 12 rebs) has really come on lately. SG Larry Thompkins (3.7 pts. 2.7 asts) is good for a couple of spectacular plays per game. If UCR bounceback SF Derek Kaster (19.5 pts, 8.5 rebs per game in December but only cameo minutes in February) returns to form, RCC is that much more formidable.
Mt. San Jacinto: Beat Riverside, 75-68, in December. Mt. San Jacinto has a very strong strarting lineup. Ctr Dakota Downs (15 pts, 8 rebs, 3 asts), PF Jammall Clark (14 pts, 5 rebs, 3 blks), SF Jaree Crawford (14 pts, 8 rebs, 2 stls) and former SD State signee SG Eric Lawton (11 pts, 4 rebs, 4 asts) are the scorers, with ultra-solid PG Darren May (5 pts, 3 asts, no turnovers) directs the offense. SF Zach Ngawaka (4 pts, 3 rebs), PF John Pressley (4 pts, 3 rebs) and PG Taylor Bell (3 pts, one three) are the key reserves.
Bottom Line: Few teams are going better than Riverside at this point; after a rough pre-conference season RCC ended up atop the tough OEC, ahead of defending state champion Saddleback. Mt. San Jacinto is a talented team, but Riverside would figure to advance here, especially since they'll be playing on the tiny HS court at North HS (which makes RCC's defense that much better).
#7 Saddleback vs. #10 Barstow:
Saddleback: Lost, 69-58, to Irvine Valley in January. The defending champs are tough, led by Ctr Wendell Faines (21 pts, 8 rebs, 4 blks) and D-1 bounceback PF Myron Green (11 pts, 8 rebs, 4 asts, 3 stls) and JC transfer SF Prince Obasi (13 pts, 5 rebs, 3 asts, 3 stls). SG Johnel Gray (6 pts, 5 rebs) is underrated and a very strong defender, SG Marquis Green (5 pts) is a 3-point threat and SF Terrell Mack (2 pts, 3 rebs) is an excellent athlete. The Gauchos will, however, need more from their point guards, Vonchae Richardson (0 pts, 4 asts) and Taylor Cunningham (0 pts). Coach Andy Ground is a master of getting key contributions from role players, so keep an eye out for shooter SG Donovan Poole and extra bigs PF Jahmal McQueen and Ctr Vincent Hatter-Rolland.
Barstow: Beat Antelope Valley, 78-77, on a last-second basket and lost to Chaffey, 68-60, last week. It's been an amazing turnaround for Barstow under coach Reggie Howard; the Vikings were 0-27 just two years ago. Now they're deep and talented. PG Jeffery Legree (9.5 pts, 3.5 asts), SG LaVanne Pennington (15.0 pts) and PF Daquan Brown (14.0 pts, 6.0 rebs) are the top producers, all D-1 talents. But there is depth with SF Lamine Diame (5.5 pts, 7.5 rebs), SG Darrius Batts (4.0 pts, 2.5 rebs), Ctr Cheikh Fall (7.5 pts, 3.0 rebs), SF Lonnie Pearson (8.0 pts, 2.0 rebs, 2.5 asts) and PF Wesley White (3.0 pts, 2.0 rebs). They're tall - Legree was the only starter smaller than 6-4 against Chaffey - and athletic.
Bottom Line: Barstow has had a great season with 22 wins. But they came up short against Chaffey with the conference crown on the line, and these days Chaffey plays a lot like...Saddleback. Give the defending champs the edge, especially at home.
#8 Irvine Valley vs. #9 San Bernardino Valley:
Irvine Valley: Beat Glendale, 70-67, in December and Saddleback, 69-58, in January. The Lasers’ top players are clearly PF Travis Fulton (20.5 pts, 7.5 rebs, 2.0 asts) and SF Joe Eberhard (10.5 pts, 5.0 rebs, 4.0 asts). Ctr Ephraim Ekanem (9.0 pts, 8.5 rebs) is vastly improved and did a good job against Saddleback’s Wendell Faines. PGs Christian Mack (4.5 pts, 2.5 asts) and Kalob Hatcher (4.0 pts, 4.0 asts) are a good tandem, and SF Sean Donovan (2.5 pts, 2.5 rebs, 2.5 asts) is versatile and plays with energy. But the key may be freshman SG Ramon Mejia (12.5 pts, 8/15 fgs with 7 threes total); when he’s hitting his shots, IVC is all but unbeatable.
San Bernardino Valley: Lost to Ventura, 65-60, in December but beat Antelope Valley, 83-73, in January. The key guys are SG Keon Pledger (16.5 pts, 5.5 rebs, 6.0 asts, 2.5 stls) and SF Aaron Moore (23 pts, 7 rebs vs. AVC); that Moore missed the Ventura game with an injury explains how SBVC lost that one. PG Derrick Thompson (5 pts, 5 rebs vs. AVC), SG David Rawlinson (9.0 pts, 4.5 rebs, 7.0 asts), PF Tevin Harris (7.5 pts, 5.0 rebs, 1.5 blks) and Ctr Thair Heath (9.5 pts, 7.5 rebs) provide great support, and PG Kirby Gardner had an amazing game vs. AVC (15 pts, 5/5 fgs, 2 asts).
Bottom Line: These are both good teams that are really struggling right now; IVC lost its last 3 games of the regular season while SBVC lost one and barely beat a Desert team that had 5 wins all season in the last week. Word is that Moore also missed some time in that final week, and his availability will be a huge factor. If he plays, this one could go either way, but without him SBVC just doesn't seem to have enough firepower.
North:
#5 Santa Rosa vs. #12 Sequoias:
Santa Rosa: Beat Yuba, 66-63, in December. That was a great win, coming from 14 points behind to beat one of the top teams in California. PG Lorenzo McCloud, who played at Artesia HS in SoCal alongside McDonald’s All-Americans Renardo Sidney (Mississippi State) and James Harden (Arizona State/Oklahoma City Thunder) was the key with 29 pts, 7 rebs and 4 asts. SG Sama Taku (13 pts, 7 rebs, 5 asts) and Ctr Henry Gill (10 pts, 6 rebs, 2 blks) were solid as well. SF Tim Oswald (3 pts, 5 rebs, 2 asts, 4 stls) had a rough night shooting (1-for-9) but is a solid-all-around player, and PF Jordan Salley was a D-1 signee out of La Verne Lutheran though he missed the game vs. Yuba due to family illness.
Sequoias: Beat West Hills, 63-54, in January. As usual, COS is tall, well-coached and solid defensively. Ctr Rob Walters (19 pts, 16 rebs, 4 asts) had a huge night against West Hills, and PF Ross Rivera (17 pts, 3 rebs, 3 asts) was excellent as well. But they were the only two scorers to reach double figures. SF Chris Dixon came off the bench for 9 pts and SG Lance Reeves (6 pts) is a 3-pt specialist. LA import PG Jermaine Dansby had a solid game off the bench with 7 pts, 2 asts and a steal.
Bottom Line: These are two excellent programs. But Santa Rosa has long been able to dominate on its home court, and Sequoias has about a 5-hour drive up from Visalia to deal with. Sequoias needs to limit McCloud and take advantage of Walters and Rivera inside. But Santa Rosa deserves to be the favorite here.
#6 Chabot vs. #11 Cabrillo:
Chabot: Beat Redwoods, 69-57, in December. The Gladiators are a very athletic team. SF Jourdan DeMuynck (17 pts, 7 rebs, 6 stls) and SG Joshua De La Torre (12 pts, 3 asts) led the offense, while PF Jacob Noisat (10 pts on 5-for-5) and SF Tobias Royal (7 pts, 4 rebs, 3 stls) did well also. But the key is 7-foot Ctr Kyle Luckett. He can score in close (9 pts, 4-6 from the floor) but is absolutely dominant on the defensive end (10 rebs, 6 blocks) as Chabot held COR to less than 30% from the floor. PG Randy Newell had 4 asts and SG Howie Manzo had 7 pts but each can contribute more than that.
Cabrillo: Lost to Las Positas, 64-60, in December. That was Cabrillo’s last loss before running off a long winning streak to seize control of the Coast-South. SG Markus Duran, touted by Foothill Coach Shanan Rosenberg as perhaps the best shooter in the state, had 19 pts (4 threes), 5 rebs, 2 asts and 2 stls, and he’s the main guy. SF Aaron Short (13 pts, 10 rebs, 3 stls) and Ctr Bertram Hall (13 pts, 12 rebs) both came up big vs. Las Positas, and PG Tyler Velasquez (2 pts, 4 asts) is more of a scorer than he showed that night. PF Daniel Johnston (5 pts, 3 asts, 3 stls) is a hustler and Ctr Justyn Searle (6 pts, 5 rebs) had a nice game off the bench.
Bottom Line: Chabot beat Cabrillo, 70-65, at Cabrillo early in the season. This one figures to be another close one, with Cabrillo's perimeter game going up against Chabot's athleticism and, of course, Luckett guarding the interior. It will come down to whether Cabrillo (and, specifically, Duran) makes enough shots to win.
#7 Yuba vs. #10 Las Positas:
Yuba: Lost at Santa Rosa, 66-63, in December. Touted as one of the top JC teams in the nation by The Sporting News, the 49ers endured a series of injuries before the conference season started. Still, they only lost 5 games despite a challenging schedule. SG Julian Welch (12 pts,8 asts), the 2010 Big West Freshman of the Year at UC Davis, and SF Spencer Butterfield (20 pts, 4 threes, 4 rebs, 3 asts) were Yuba’s top performers. Ctr Julian Scott (3 pts) had a slow night but he and PF Ante Olah (2 pts, 8 rebs) and Ctr Shola Diop (2 pts, 2 rebs, 4 blks) make for a formidable front line. SG Jhonte Simpson (9 pts, 3 threes) and SG Tyler Fry (6 pts, 2 threes) can shoot, and PG Carl Dorn is solid.
Las Positas: Beat Cabrillo, 64-60, in December. LPCC is a well-balanced team, with SG Dwight Abad (16 pts, 4 asts), SF Dylan Heath (12 pts, 5 rebs) and PF Ryan Hebebrand (11 pts, 16 rebs) leading the way. PG Jordan Knox (3 pts, 2 asts) is solid and PF Brandon Tatum (5 pts, 4 rebs) is athletic and Ctr Tim Thomas (6 pts, 8 rebs) is strong inside. SG Damarr Eagles (9 pts, 3 threes, 3 asts) provided spark off the bench. LPCC used a tight 7-man rotation in a tournamant game so I'd expect to see that again.
Bottom Line: Yuba was nationally ranked entering the season and has yet to lose in 2011. LPCC is a solid team, but they beat the teams they were supposed to and lost to the teams ranked above them in conference play. Yuba rates a significant edge here.
#8 Reedley vs. #9 Ohlone:
Reedley: I didn’t see the Tigers during the regular season, but I saw them beat Butte, 49-38, in the Las Positas Shootout and lose to LA Harbor, 45-41, in the Southern California CC Showcase. SF Nile Finney (11 pts, 6 rebs. 2 asts) was Reedley’s top player in the summer. PG Darryl Stevenson (7 pts, 6 rebs, 4 asts, 4 stls vs. Harbor) was solid, and Ctr Delvon Henderson (9 pts, 7 rebs) is an athletic presence in the middle. SG Colin Stover had 8 pts in each game and is a 3-pt threat (3 total threes).
Ohlone: Beat Siskiyous, 77-68, and lost to Cosumes River, 85-80, both in December. PF Lavon Gray (15.0 pts, 9.5 rebs, 2.5 asts) was the team’s most productive player, capturing tourney MVP honors in that win vs. COS. SF Geoff Hartman had a huge game with 24 pts (4 threes) vs. COS, and SF Scott Kenny had an amazing final minute-plus, scoring 15 of his 20 pts vs. CRC in the final 1:03. PG Travis DeShazior (8.5 pts, 3.0 asts, 3.0 stls) is a good point guard, and Ctr Shondell Lee (5.0 pts, 3.5 rebs, 2.5 asts) and PF Cyleb Burton (8.5 pts) are talented in the frontcourt. Coach John Peterson’s teams always play hard, though this year’s edition is a little less athletic and a little more skilled than some of his recent teams.
Bottom Line: Another battle of pace, though maybe not so much as it would have been last year. Ohlone seems to have the edge in talent; Reedley plays a solid, controlled game that allows its opponents to do themselves in with mistakes. It probably comes down to how well Ohlone plays - at their best, the Renegades should take this, but Reedley is the type of team that will allow Ohlone to beat itself.
