Boys Open Division: De La Salle in, Clayton Valley out
When the CIF launched its NorCal basketball brackets on Sunday, one resolution raised eyebrows: De La Salle was slotted into the Open Division, whereas Clayton Valley was despatched to Division I.
The twist got here even supposing each packages pushed eventual North Coast Part Open Division champion Salesian to the brink – Clayton Valley within the part ultimate and De La Salle within the semifinals – however the Spartans bought the nod to be within the state’s highest division.
“I suppose I’m a bit stunned,” De La Salle coach Marcus Schroeder informed the Bay Space Information Group on Sunday. “I really feel like we deserved an Open spot, however I’m a bit stunned Clayton Valley didn’t earn an Open seed as a result of they have been the runner-up within the NCS. However with that being mentioned, I do really feel like we’re an Open Division group, and we have now been taking part in as such.”
De La Salle has been to 5 consecutive NorCal Open Division playoffs, all below Schroeder. In that interval, the Spartans superior previous the semifinals simply as soon as, falling to a historic Archbishop Riordan group final yr.
CIF Affiliate Government Director Brian Seymour informed the Bay Space Information Group that De La Salle’s physique of labor together with its want to be an Open Division group was a giant think about giving the Spartans a spot within the state’s hardest division.
The Spartans have had a strong season to date, profitable the East Bay Athletic League common season title whereas notching wins over Oakland, Sacramento, Christian Brothers and Moreau Catholic, all of that are within the NorCal regionals.
Clayton Valley was not solely handed up on for the Open, however was additionally not given the highest seed in Division I. Buchanan earned the No. 1 seed because the Fresno faculty had a head-to-head win over Clayton Valley, which didn’t have star Vince Ellis on the time of the loss.
“I believe we earned the best to be within the Open, I don’t assume anybody would disagree with that,” Allocco Jr. informed the Bay Space Information Group. “However maybe the state is taking a look at it like ‘Hey, Clayton Valley hasn’t been within the Open earlier than.’ The system is sort of constructed to have these groups which can be in it yearly be poured in there.
“However the backside line for me is I don’t actually care. We’ve been in Division I and we’ve had occasions the place we received our part and misplaced the following recreation in NorCals. So at this level of the yr, we might actually care much less.”
Riordan earned the Open Division’s high seed, adopted by Salesian, St. Ignatius, Modesto Christian, De La Salle and Sheldon.
– Nathan Canilao
Mitty possible again in Open title recreation – who might the Monarchs play?
As soon as once more, Archbishop Mitty is the No. 1 seed within the ladies NorCal Open Division bracket and the overwhelming favourite to advance to the Open state championship recreation.
The Monarchs (26-2) have been challenged within the NorCal event final yr however have been with out injured five-star Iowa-bound ahead McKenna Woliczko. Nonetheless, Mitty managed to get previous McClatchy and Clovis West, the latter of which was a major problem.
The ceiling is far increased with Woliczko again for her senior yr, and the aim is evident: win the state Open title.
There was some information on that entrance within the CIF Southern Part this weekend. Ontario Christian, the No. 2 group within the nation in keeping with MaxPreps, misplaced the Open Division title to Sierra Canyon on Saturday evening.
Thus, Sierra Canyon pulled down the highest seed in SoCal Open. However their highway to the title didn’t get an entire lot simpler.
They’ll nonetheless should get by means of Sage Hill, the No. 16-ranked group nationally. In the event that they do, they’ll face both three-time defending Open state champion Etiwanda or get a rematch with Ontario Christian.
Whoever comes out of the south might be battle-tested and prepared for Mitty. However the Monarchs have purpose to be assured of their probabilities.
In January, Mitty managed most of its matchup with Ontario Christian, in the end dropping in double additional time. A rematch with Ontario or Etiwanda, each top-five groups nationally, might produce one other traditional.
– Christian Babcock
Who wins Division I?
The boys Division I bracket is loaded with the Bay Space’s high groups.
Together with Clayton Valley, Oakland, The King’s Academy, Bishop O’Dowd, Archbishop Mitty, Bellarmine, Moreau Catholic and Dougherty Valley are within the pool of groups vying for the possibility to play within the Division I state title recreation.
The state clearly favored groups which have been of their part’s Open Division, even when these groups didn’t make the championship recreation. TKA, Mitty, Moreau Catholic and Dougherty Valley every didn’t get previous the semifinals however got seeds no decrease than eleventh.
O’Dowd was the NCS’ Division I champion, however was given the No. 12 seed. The Dragons will hit the highway on Tuesday to play Clovis North.
However whereas the Bay Space groups have confirmed to be potent this season, packages from the Sac-Joaquin and Central sections will current a troublesome problem.
No. 14 Bellarmine will make the two-hour trek to Folsom, which is 25-6 and made the Sac-Joaquin Part semifinals. No. 11 Moreau Catholic travels to Elk Grove for its first-round matchup with Franklin, a group that went 27-4 and has a number of wins over high quality Sac-Joaquin Part groups.
– Nathan Canilao
SRV-Carondelet set for an additional bout
The grudge match will occur in a couple of brief days.
San Ramon Valley and Carondelet have already performed one another thrice this season. The East Bay Athletic League rivals met twice within the common season, with SRV profitable each video games decisively.
Carondelet flipped the script on Saturday, beating SRV 50-49 to win its first NCS Open Division title since 2022 and snap a nine-game dropping streak to the Wolves.
It was a consequence that stunned many across the Bay Space.
SRV didn’t like that very a lot. Now with an opportunity to advance and face Mitty within the NorCal Open semifinals, SRV coach John Cristiano sounded assured in his group’s means to proper the ship.
“We’ll play them once more subsequent week,” Cristiano informed the Bay Space Information Group after the sport. “So we’ll be at their fitness center. We’ve received lots of occasions there. Will probably be one other nice recreation.”
With SRV motivated to bounce again and Carondelet decided to not let go of the rope, it must be an excellent rematch. The final one lived as much as the billing after which some.
The East Bay traditional ensures that Mitty will face a Bay Space opponent in NorCal, which the Monarchs missed out on that yr.
SRV almost bought there, however the Wolves misplaced 69-62 within the semis at Clovis West.
– Christian Babcock
Can Mission San Jose win a state title?
Mission San Jose’s run to an NCS Division IV part title was a Cinderella story that nobody might have predicted.
However now, the Warriors received’t be the underdogs going into the NorCal regionals.
MSJ was given the highest seed in Division V and has a bye within the first spherical.
The Division V NorCal regionals will run by means of Fremont.
The Warriors’ inconceivable run by means of the part playoffs began with wins over Tamalpais and Bethel. MSJ then defeated top-seeded San Marin within the semifinals and Rancho Cotate within the championship recreation to win the part’s Division IV title.
“Coming from Mission San Jose, we’re all the time neglected, all the time counted out, all the time seen as a bunch of frail nerds who can’t hoop,” MSJ star Joseph Standfield informed the Bay Space Information Group in a textual content on Saturday. “However profitable final evening was proof that we’re greater than only a stereotype, and we’re so proud to characterize our faculty on this stage.”
MSJ will play the winner of Oroville-Drew on Thursday at residence. The Division V bracket additionally consists of San Marin and Rancho Cotate, although a rematch is not going to occur except the groups make it to the NorCal finals.
– Nathan Canilao
5-team Open?
It’s an odd sight to see a five-team Open Division.
However that’s what the CIF got here up with for the ladies Open event this season. As an alternative of byes for the highest two seeds, they created an unbalanced bracket that provides solely Mitty a free go to the second spherical.
Why? Enable Seymour to elucidate.
“We didn’t assume that there can be a sixth group,” Seymour mentioned. “Didn’t.”
There have been six groups within the Open final season. Seymour additionally informed the Bay Space Information Group that CIF would have most popular to separate up SRV and Carondelet, however with no sixth group, that was considerably unavoidable.
“We strive each time attainable (to keep away from rematches),” he mentioned. “Actually within the first spherical. There are some occasions the place it’s not attainable. That wouldn’t be our desire. However we didn’t really feel as if there have been some other faculties that have been worthy. I don’t wish to use the phrase worthy, as a result of they’re all good. Nevertheless it appeared like after we analyzed all the things, it was simply going to be these faculties which can be within the Open.”
The Southern California Open Division has solely 4 groups, so clearly, the Open bracket has loads of room for variance from yr to yr.
– Christian Babcock
