League play got under way for all teams, and it continues this week. Monday action includes the MaxPreps Martin Luther King Jr. Classic at Cal, hosted by De La Salle (Concord).
See Northern California basketball pro photo galleries1. Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland) (Last week 1) 7-2Section: North Coast
League: West Alameda County
Update: Top ranked by the San Francisco Chronicle, the defending NorCal Open Division champion Dragons rolled previous No. 7 Sacramento 82-54 as
Ivan Rabb went for 27 points and 13 rebounds and
Paris Austin had 20. O'Dowd now heads East for two national tournaments.
2. De La Salle (Concord) (4) 11-1Section: North Coast
League: East Bay
Update: The Spartans beat Livermore 66-21 and Granada (Livermore) 63-41 and cap this week with a game against defending CIF State Division III champion Chaminade (West Hills) at the MaxPreps Martin Luther King Jr. Classic at Cal on Monday. The loss was to defending CIF State Division IV champion Bishop Montgomery (Torrance) 61-55 in the finals of the SoCal Christmas Classic championship.
3. Folsom (2) 13-3Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Update: The Sacramento Bee No. 1-ranked Bulldogs lost a thriller to surging No. 7 Monte Vista in a game that came to the wire, 66-64. A big win was 62-59 over No. 4 Mitty. Coach Mike Wall won his 300th career game after a 2-0 start to league play.
4. Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) (3) 8-3Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Update: Top-ranked by the San Jose Mercury News, the Monarchs beat San Francisco powers Sacred Heart Cathedral 71-69 and St. Ignatius 56-44 in league play. Mitty plays No. 5 Moreau Catholic on Monday at the MaxPreps Martin Luther King Jr. Classic at Cal.
5. Moreau Catholic (Hayward) (5) 8-5Section: North Coast
League: Mission Valley
Update: The NorCal Division IV champions beat Newark Memorial 82-5 as
Oscar Frayer had 21 points. MC caps this week with a game against No. 3 Mitty in the MaxPreps Martin Luther King Jr. Classic at Cal on Monday.
6. Campolindo (Moraga) (6) 12-2Section: North Coast
League: Diablo Foothill
Update: The Cougars beat Acalanes (Lafayette) 75-53 and Alhambra (Martinez) 81-56 in conference play and topped previous No. 9 St. Mary's (Stockton) 79-72. Other ranked wins include Sacramento (66-65), El Cerrito (67-63), Modesto Christian 72-63 and previously ranked Salesian (66-51).
7. Monte Vista (Danville) (10) 12-2Section: North Coast
League: East Bay
Update: The defending Division I state champions had a mixed week, losing to Granada (Livermore) in league play but impressing with a 66-64 victory over No. 2 Folsom in the Father Kelly Tribute at Jesuit behind guard
Stefan Mitu.
8. El Cerrito (8) 12-2Section: North Coast
League: Tri-County Rock
Update: The Gauchos opened with league wins over St. Joseph (Alameda) 60-43 and St. Patrick/St. Vincent (Vallejo) 69-43 and over ranked Modesto Christian 66-61 in the Father Kelly Tribute at Jesuit. El Cerrito caps the week in the MaxPreps Martin Luther King Jr. Classic with a game against No. 22 Berkeley at Cal. An earlier win was over No. 9 Drake 58-53.
9. Drake (San Anselmo) (11) 11-2Section: North Coast
League: Marin County
Update: The defending NorCal Division III champions, led by
Jesse Hunt, have a 65-64 loss to No. 5 Moreau Catholic and a 58-53 setback to No. 7 El Cerrito, with a win over No. 6 Campolindo 59-49. Marin County League play starts this week.
10. Saint Francis (Mountain View) (12) 11-1Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic
Update: The Lancers beat Riordan (San Francisco) 52-43 and Serra (San Mateo) 62-50 in league play and have a three-game slate this week. An earlier win was 60-53 over ranked San Ramon Valley (Danville).
11. Sacramento (7) 11-4
Stephen Matthews, Sacramento
Photo by Jann Hendry
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Metropolitan
Update: The Dragons won conference games against Sacramento Bee-ranked Kennedy (Sacramento) 78-59 and Florin (Sacramento) 91-63 before falling hard to top-ranked O'Dowd 82-54. Sacramento caps this week at Cal in the MaxPreps Martin Luther King Jr. Classic on Monday, facing Sacred Heart Cathedral.
12. San Ramon Valley (Danville) (13) 12-2Section: North Coast
League: East Bay
Update: The Wolves started league play with wins over Amador Valley (Pleasanton) 51-42 and Livermore 79-25. A big win early was over ranked Berkeley, 67-56, with a 60-52 setback to No. 10 St. Francis.
13. Woodcreek (Roseville) (14) 12-3Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Update: The Timberwolves opened league play with wins over Rocklin 89-78 and Del Oro (Loomis) 74-68. One loss was to No. 2 Folsom 59-47 as star 6-foot-9 freshman forward
Jordan Brown sat with a bad ankle, and there was a 45-44 setback to No. 7 Monte Vista.
14. Sheldon (Sacramento) (17) 6-3Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Delta
Update: The Huskies opened league play with impressive wins over Monterey Trail (Elk Grove) 70-57 and Franklin (Elk Grove) 66-45 and capped the week with a win over Cantwell-Sacred Heart (Montebello) 48-46. This is one of the fastest, most balanced teams in NorCal.
15. Modesto Christian (11) 10-3Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Modesto Metro
Update: The Crusaders opened league play with wins over Modesto 81-44 and Gregori (Modesto) 66-26 before falling to No. 8 El Cerrito at the Father Kelly Tribute at Jesuit.
16. St. Mary's (Stockton) (15) 10-5Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Tri-City
Update: The Rams opened league play with an 84-58 rout of Weston Ranch (Stockton) before falling to No. 6 Campolindo 78-72 in league play. An early loss included 75-66 to No. 4 Mitty.
17. Archbishop Riordan (San Francisco) (16) 9-3Section: Central Coast
Outlook: The Crusaders lost to No. 10 Saint Francis 52-43 in league play and topped Valley Christian (San Jose) 51-30. An early loss was to top-ranked O'Dowd (59-41).
18. Kennedy (Sacramento) (18) 11-3Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Metropolitan
Update: The Cougars lost to No. 11 Sacramento 78-59 in league play and capped the week with a 57-51 win over Newark Memorial in the Father Kelly Tribute as Austin Alexander had another big game.
19. Capital Christian (Sacramento) (19) 8-7Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Golden Empire
Update: The Cougars are off to a quick start in the Golden Empire League as heavy favorites as football stars
Justice Shelton-Mosely and
Edward Ware round into hoops shape. The losses include No. 13 Woodcreek (58-47) and No. 17 Kennedy (66-62).
20. Half Moon Bay (22) 13-0Section: Central Coast
League: Peninsula North
Update: The Cougars roll on with league wins over Jefferson (Daly City) 64-44 and South San Francisco 62-25 behind
Austin Hilton.
21. Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove) (24) 10-4Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Delta
Update: The Eagles opened with league wins over Jesuit (Carmichael) 81-71 and Monterey Trail (Elk Grove) 69-54 and then a win over previous No. 20 Berkeley 59-56 in the Father Kelly Tribute as
Marquese Chriss has led the way.
22. Berkeley (20) 9-4Section: North Coast
League: West Alameda County
Update: The Yellowjackets opened league play with a win over Hayward 69-43 before falling to No. 20 Pleasant Grove 59-56 in the Father Kelly Tribute. Berkeley caps the week at the MaxPreps Martin Luther King Jr. Classic at Cal on Monday, facing No. 8 El Cerrito.
23. Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa) (NR) 13-0Section: North Coast
League: North Bay
Update: The Cardinals, sharing the ball and playing strong defense, opened league play by beating Montgomery (Santa Rosa) 55-35 as
Connor Rubattino had 28 points, and then Rancho Cotate (Rohnert Park) 72-35.
24. Serra (San Mateo) (21) 9-3Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic
Update: The Padres opened league play with a 45-33 win over Valley Christian (San Jose) before falling to No. 10 Saint Francis 62-50.
25. Liberty Ranch (Galt) (NR) 15-1Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Sierra Valley
Update: The Hawks are rolling, thanks to terrific coaching by Josh Williams and the all-around efforts of 6-foot-6 guard/wing
DeAndre Stallings. An early big win was over previously NorCal-ranked Cosumnes Oaks (Elk Grove) 62-52.
The Sacramento Bee on themes and trends to shape the regional basketball sceneThe Sacramento Bee Preps Show forecasts area basketballJoe Davidson has covered high school sports for The Sacramento Bee
since 1988. He co-hosts with Mike Finnerty the weekly Bee Preps Show
that airs on ComcastSportsNet California and can be found on sacbee.com. Follow him on Twitter: @SacBee_JoeD and through facebook.com/sacbeepreps.