The Huskies (31-1) look to
dethrone the two-time defending state Open Division champions for the
second straight year when it hosts the
star-studded Trailblazers (26-4) on Tuesday in a CIF Southern California Regional Open Division title game.
It's
the top match-up among the CIF's 13 regional boys finals throughout
California on Tuesday. Tip-offs are all at 6 p.m. with the winners
advancing to the state championships Friday and Saturday at Golden 1
Center in Sacramento, home of the NBA's Kings.
Centennial
is No. 2 in the national
MaxPreps Top 25, winners of 28 straight
including a 68-48 victory over Harvard-Westlake in the Southern Section
Open championship. Harvard-Westlake defeated Sierra Canyon 63-60 to
reach the section finals, but the Trailblazers turned that around on
Saturday with a 72-55 victory on the Wolverines' home court.
Centennial,
coached masterfully by Joshua Giles, averages 77 points a game while
allowing just 47, a staggering 30 points-per-game margin per victory. In
the highly competitive Southern California landscape, that's
remarkable. New Mexico-bound point guard
Donovan Dent leads a highly
balanced squad that includes junior guard
Jared McCain (No. 3 California recruit, Class of 2023),
Aaron McBride and 6-foot-10 junior power forward
Devin Williams (No. 18, 2023).
Jared McCain, Centennial
File photo by Louis Lopez
Sierra Canyon counters with at least nine Division I prospects that includes the nation's No. 2 senior recruit in UCLA-bound wing
Amari Bailey, who Saturday came off the bench to score 14 points. Other prospects including 6-3 junior
Bronny James, the son of LeBron James, who has been nursing a sore hip, 6-3 junior
Mike Price (team-high 15 points Saturday), 6-9 USC-signee
Kijani Wright Nebraska-bound guard
Ramel Lloyd Jr. and Colorado-signee
Shy Odom, a 6-6 forward.
Some think 6-5 sophomore shooting guard
Isaiah Elohim might have the highest ceiling of all the Trailblazers, who have lost their four games by a total of 21 points. Each team lost to Texas power Duncanville — Centennial (75-70) and Sierra Canyon (80-73).
Last spring during a COVID-shortened season, the Huskies pulled out an 80-72 victory at Sierra Canyon for the Southern Section crown. The Trailblazers are looking for redemption in back-to-back games.
In the Northern California Open final,
Campolindo (Moraga), winners of 22 straight and 46 of 47, go for their third straight regional championship when it hosts
Modesto Christian (29-5). The visiting Crusaders are led by one of the top sophomores in the state in
Jamari Phillips (23.8 points per game).
The host Cougars (28-1), whose only loss was to Oak Cliff Faith Family Academy (Dallas), is led by St. Mary's College-signee
Aidan Mahaney along with
Cade Bennett, the son of SMC coach Randy Bennett.
Campolindo is attempting to be the first North Coast Section public school to reach the Open state finals. The Cougars won the state Division II title in 2019, the NorCal Division I regional in 2020 and last season finished 15-0. NCS didn't have playoffs in 2021 due to COVID-19, which also canceled the 2020 state championships.
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