Here's something you might be interested in.
CIF San Diego Section Boys Basketball Finals
All games at University of San Diego’s Jenny Craig Pavilion
Division I
(1) La Costa Canyon (27-4) vs. (2) Torrey Pines (25-5) Saturday 8:05 p.m.
Section Titles Torrey Pines – 4 (last in 2001), La Costa Canyon – 1 (2006)
Though North County league realignment meant La Costa Canyon and Torrey Pines met only once in the 2010-11 regular season – a 51-50 LCC win – it seemed inevitable that the rivals would get together again in the postseason. The top two seeds in Division I, the Mavericks and Falcons will meet for a section title in the nightcap on Saturday.
La Costa Canyon earned the top seed by finishing tied for first in the Avocado West League, and the Mavericks were the only Division I team to beat Torrey Pines, Rancho Buena Vista and El Camino in the regular season. The Mavericks’ senior leader is 6’5” forward Drew Kitchens, and Kitchens is flanked by junior playmakers in 6’6” forward Matt Shrigley and 6’1” point guard David Travers. La Costa Canyon plays solid, sound basketball and the Mavericks are tough to beat when their outside shots are falling.
Without a player taller than 6’5”, Torrey Pines has succeeded this season by turning up the tempo on offense and continuing to play relentless defense. Senior 5’9” guard Max Heller runs the show for the Falcons, and guards Nick Kerr (6’3” Sr.) and Joe Rahon (6’2” Jr.) are the team’s primary scoring options. Torrey Pines will be the shorter of the two teams, but a lack of height hasn’t held the Falcons back against taller opponents all season. Torrey Pines has only lost one game to a San Diego opponent this season, and that loss came to La Costa Canyon. Expect a close game between the district rivals.
Division II
(1) Lincoln (28-1) vs. (2) Hoover (26-6) Friday 8:05 p.m.
Section Titles Lincoln – 10 (2010), Hoover – 5 (2009)
A rematch of last year’s Division II title game finds Lincoln and Hoover back at USD, but with the Hornets as favorites. Top-seeded Lincoln has gained state and national acclaim this season, only losing to Long Beach Poly in the Holiday Classic in December. Led by UCLA bound 6’3” senior guard Norman Powell (20 points per game), 6’6” senior forward Rasean Simpson and 6’4” sophomore twins Tyree and Tyrell Robinson, the Hornets haven’t lost to a San Diego team since the 2008-09 season.
Hoover won Division II titles in 2008 and 2009 before being dethroned by Lincoln in last year’s championship game – and the Cardinals will have revenge on their minds on Friday night. Recently committed to Arizona, Hoover 6’9” senior forward Angelo Chol (23 points, 15 rebounds per game) is the team’s leader and has the biggest low post presence in the section.
This game has the biggest star power out of the five and will likely be filled with highlight-reel material. It should be fast, fun and entertaining.
Division III
(2) Mission Bay (16-10) vs. (5) University City (15-13) Saturday 2:45 p.m.
Section Titles Mission Bay – 1 (2007), University City – None
Four the fourth time in five seasons, the Division III title will be decided in an all-Western League affair. After Mission Bay and University City finished in the middle of the pack in league play, they have risen to the top in the playoffs.
The second-seeded Buccaneers ousted defending champion Mount Miguel in the semifinals, and have a big frontcourt led by 6’7” senior forward C.J. Rayford. Fifth-seeded University City is the lowest seeded of the 10 finalists, arriving at USD with upsets of fourth-seeded Cathedral Catholic and top-seeded St. Augustine. Senior 6’4” guard Tim Patrick leads the team in both points and rebounds.
There will be no secrets on Saturday afternoon, as Mission Bay and University City will be meeting for the fourth time this season. The Centurions beat the Buccaneers in a preseason tournament and the teams split their league matchups.
Division IV
(1) Francis Parker (21-7) vs. (3) Bishop’s (15-14) Saturday 11:15 a.m.
Section Titles Francis Parker – 5 (2010), Bishop’s – 5 (2009)
Saturday’s action gets started with a rematch of the 2009 Division IV finals, which Bishop’s won 46-30. Two seasons later, top-seeded Francis Parker comes in looking for back-to-back section titles. The Lancers are led by 6’9” senior forward Eric Norman and 6-foot guard Dalante Dunklin, both fixtures on last year’s squad that made it to the regional finals.
Under first year head coach Matt Niehues, third-seeded Bishop’s is in the finals for the second time in three years after upsetting rival La Jolla Country Day in the semifinals. The Knights played a difficult preseason schedule that included wins over Division I finalist La Costa Canyon and Poway, and are led by 6’3” junior guard Dominique Love, averaging 16 points per game. In Coastal League play, Francis Parker won both meetings between the two teams – by three at Bishop’s and by 10 at home.
(1) Horizon (17-11) vs. (2) Foothills Christian (19-10) Friday 4 p.m.
Section Titles Horizon – 13 (2008), Foothills Christian – 4 (2010)
Top-seeded Horizon is back in Division V for the first time since the 1997-98 season, when the Panthers won their fourth straight section title in the midst of six titles in a row. After nine championships in 12 seasons Division IV, Horizon hasn’t missed a beat in the move down. The Panthers have rolled through the playoffs led by senior guard Tyler Cross, averaging 17 points and 13 rebounds per game.
After losing the section’s leading career scorer Troy Leaf to graduation, Foothills Christian seemed like a long shot to win a fifth-straight Division V title at the beginning of the season. But after a slow start, the second-seeded Knights have won 14 in a row to return to the title game. Foothills Christian leans on 6’6” sophomore forward Jamal Aytes, who averages 21 points and 10 rebounds per game.
CIF San Diego Section Boys Basketball Finals
All games at University of San Diego’s Jenny Craig Pavilion
Division I
(1) La Costa Canyon (27-4) vs. (2) Torrey Pines (25-5) Saturday 8:05 p.m.
Section Titles Torrey Pines – 4 (last in 2001), La Costa Canyon – 1 (2006)
Though North County league realignment meant La Costa Canyon and Torrey Pines met only once in the 2010-11 regular season – a 51-50 LCC win – it seemed inevitable that the rivals would get together again in the postseason. The top two seeds in Division I, the Mavericks and Falcons will meet for a section title in the nightcap on Saturday.
La Costa Canyon earned the top seed by finishing tied for first in the Avocado West League, and the Mavericks were the only Division I team to beat Torrey Pines, Rancho Buena Vista and El Camino in the regular season. The Mavericks’ senior leader is 6’5” forward Drew Kitchens, and Kitchens is flanked by junior playmakers in 6’6” forward Matt Shrigley and 6’1” point guard David Travers. La Costa Canyon plays solid, sound basketball and the Mavericks are tough to beat when their outside shots are falling.
Without a player taller than 6’5”, Torrey Pines has succeeded this season by turning up the tempo on offense and continuing to play relentless defense. Senior 5’9” guard Max Heller runs the show for the Falcons, and guards Nick Kerr (6’3” Sr.) and Joe Rahon (6’2” Jr.) are the team’s primary scoring options. Torrey Pines will be the shorter of the two teams, but a lack of height hasn’t held the Falcons back against taller opponents all season. Torrey Pines has only lost one game to a San Diego opponent this season, and that loss came to La Costa Canyon. Expect a close game between the district rivals.
Division II
(1) Lincoln (28-1) vs. (2) Hoover (26-6) Friday 8:05 p.m.
Section Titles Lincoln – 10 (2010), Hoover – 5 (2009)
A rematch of last year’s Division II title game finds Lincoln and Hoover back at USD, but with the Hornets as favorites. Top-seeded Lincoln has gained state and national acclaim this season, only losing to Long Beach Poly in the Holiday Classic in December. Led by UCLA bound 6’3” senior guard Norman Powell (20 points per game), 6’6” senior forward Rasean Simpson and 6’4” sophomore twins Tyree and Tyrell Robinson, the Hornets haven’t lost to a San Diego team since the 2008-09 season.
Hoover won Division II titles in 2008 and 2009 before being dethroned by Lincoln in last year’s championship game – and the Cardinals will have revenge on their minds on Friday night. Recently committed to Arizona, Hoover 6’9” senior forward Angelo Chol (23 points, 15 rebounds per game) is the team’s leader and has the biggest low post presence in the section.
This game has the biggest star power out of the five and will likely be filled with highlight-reel material. It should be fast, fun and entertaining.
Division III
(2) Mission Bay (16-10) vs. (5) University City (15-13) Saturday 2:45 p.m.
Section Titles Mission Bay – 1 (2007), University City – None
Four the fourth time in five seasons, the Division III title will be decided in an all-Western League affair. After Mission Bay and University City finished in the middle of the pack in league play, they have risen to the top in the playoffs.
The second-seeded Buccaneers ousted defending champion Mount Miguel in the semifinals, and have a big frontcourt led by 6’7” senior forward C.J. Rayford. Fifth-seeded University City is the lowest seeded of the 10 finalists, arriving at USD with upsets of fourth-seeded Cathedral Catholic and top-seeded St. Augustine. Senior 6’4” guard Tim Patrick leads the team in both points and rebounds.
There will be no secrets on Saturday afternoon, as Mission Bay and University City will be meeting for the fourth time this season. The Centurions beat the Buccaneers in a preseason tournament and the teams split their league matchups.
Division IV
(1) Francis Parker (21-7) vs. (3) Bishop’s (15-14) Saturday 11:15 a.m.
Section Titles Francis Parker – 5 (2010), Bishop’s – 5 (2009)
Saturday’s action gets started with a rematch of the 2009 Division IV finals, which Bishop’s won 46-30. Two seasons later, top-seeded Francis Parker comes in looking for back-to-back section titles. The Lancers are led by 6’9” senior forward Eric Norman and 6-foot guard Dalante Dunklin, both fixtures on last year’s squad that made it to the regional finals.
Under first year head coach Matt Niehues, third-seeded Bishop’s is in the finals for the second time in three years after upsetting rival La Jolla Country Day in the semifinals. The Knights played a difficult preseason schedule that included wins over Division I finalist La Costa Canyon and Poway, and are led by 6’3” junior guard Dominique Love, averaging 16 points per game. In Coastal League play, Francis Parker won both meetings between the two teams – by three at Bishop’s and by 10 at home.
(1) Horizon (17-11) vs. (2) Foothills Christian (19-10) Friday 4 p.m.
Section Titles Horizon – 13 (2008), Foothills Christian – 4 (2010)
Top-seeded Horizon is back in Division V for the first time since the 1997-98 season, when the Panthers won their fourth straight section title in the midst of six titles in a row. After nine championships in 12 seasons Division IV, Horizon hasn’t missed a beat in the move down. The Panthers have rolled through the playoffs led by senior guard Tyler Cross, averaging 17 points and 13 rebounds per game.
After losing the section’s leading career scorer Troy Leaf to graduation, Foothills Christian seemed like a long shot to win a fifth-straight Division V title at the beginning of the season. But after a slow start, the second-seeded Knights have won 14 in a row to return to the title game. Foothills Christian leans on 6’6” sophomore forward Jamal Aytes, who averages 21 points and 10 rebounds per game.