MaxPreps Northern California Top 25 High School Basketball Rankings

Video: MaxPreps Sacramento powered by SMUD

The real season has arrived. The playoffs are here.

Top-ranked De La Salle is the favorite in the North Coast Section Division I race, while No. 4 Folsom, No. 5 Modesto Christian and No. 6 Sheldon make for a nifty 1-2-3 race for Sac-Joaquin Section D-I honors. The Central Coast Section is the only NorCal section to field an Open Division, and No. 7 Saint Francis is the favorite there.


1. De La Salle (Concord) (Last week: 1) (24-2)
Section: North Coast
League: East Bay
Coach: A.J. Kuhle
Update: Top ranked in the Bay Area, the Spartans bound into the North Coast Section Division I playoffs as the No. 1 seed, making for a nice rookie season for coach A.J. Kuhle, who replaced the enormously successful Frank Allocco, now an assistant at USF. The Spartans open against College Park (Pleasant Hill) on Tuesday. The losses were to state power Centennial (Corona) 50-46 in the Nike Extravaganza and to Bishop Gorman (Nevada) 71-59 in the MaxPreps Holiday Classic. Nikhil Peters, Jordan Ratinho and Nick Macarchuk are the leaders.

2. Moreau Catholic (Hayward) (2) (12-4)
Section: North Coast
League: Mission Valley
Coach: Frank Knight
Update: The Mariners earned the top seed in the North Coast Section D-III playoffs and open against the winner of the Analy-Encinal opener on Friday. Moreau Catholic is a load with Damari Milstead (18 points per game), Terrell Brown (14.9), Oscar Frayer (14.5) and Brandon Lawrence (13.0). A big recent win was beating previous No. 1 Sacramento, 77-67, in the MaxPreps Martin Luther King Classic at Cal.

3. Sacramento (3) (25-1)
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Metro
Coach: Derek Swafford
Outlook: Top-ranked by The Sacramento Bee, the Dragons are the top seed in the Sac-Joaquin Section D-II playoffs. The lone loss was to No. 2 Moreau Catholic, 77-67. Unsung performers flanking senior cornerstones Christian Terrell and Solomon Young include Andrew Williams (12.5 points a game), Sayvon Hines (12.1) and Raphael "Cinco" Durr (9.8).

4. Folsom (4) (24-3)
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Coach: Mike Wall
Update: The Bulldogs are the top seed in the Sac-Joaquin Section D-I field, just ahead of Modesto Christian and Sheldon due to head-to-head victories. The defending section champions are led by Jordan Ford (19 points per game) and key cogs Tre Finch (11.4), Jared Wall (10) and Mason Forbes (11).

5. Modesto Christian (5) (26-1)
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Modesto Metro
Coach: Richard Midgley
Update: Top ranked by The Modesto Bee, the Crusaders have the longest upper-division winning streak in Northern California at 26, losing only their opener to Folsom, 53-51. Christian Ellis (11.4 points per game) and center Robinson Idehen (16.9 points, 8.7 rebounds) lead the way for a powerhouse program that seeks its 17th section title, spanning different divisions.

6. Sheldon (Sacramento) (6) (20-4)
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Delta
Coach: Joey Rollings
Update: The Huskies are the 3-seed in the Sac-Joaquin Section D-I playoffs, having lost 79-78 to top-seeded Folsom early, which beat second-seeded Modesto Christian 53-51 early. Sheldon is led by guards Isaiah Brooks (15.1), Elishja Duplechan (14.3) and Devin Greene (8.4). Defensive-stopper guard/forward Drew Cobb, versatile wing Matthew Manning (20.1 points, 6.1 rebounds) and steady post Blake Mason are also vital cogs.

7. Saint Francis (Mountain View) (7) (22-2)
Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Coach: Mike Motil
Update: Top ranked by the San Jose Mercury News, the Lancers are the top seed in the Central Coast Section Open Division field. Curtis Witt, a guard, is the leader. The losses were to No. 4 Folsom, 57-53, in the Father Kelly Tribute at Jesuit, and to No. 3 Sacramento, 73-53.

8. Jesuit (Carmichael) (8) (23-4)
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Delta
Coach: Jon Rotz
Update: The Marauders earned the 4-seed in the Sac-Joaquin Section D-I playoffs and open against No. 13 Chavez of Stockton on Wednesday. First-year coach Jon Rotz lived the playoff madness and fun as a key Jesuit player in the early 1990s. Malik Duffy leads this Big Red group in scoring (15.9) with Ethan Pangelinan (11.1), Matt Ehrlich (10.6) and Jake Virga (9.1) all contributing regularly.

9. Serra (San Mateo) (10) (20-4)
Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Coach: Chuck Rapp
Update: The Padres were second in the WCAL to Saint Francis, earning the 2-seed in the Central Coast Section Open playoffs behind the Lancers. A longtime power, Serra opens against MaxPreps NorCal No. 11 Palma on Friday.

10. Salesian College Preparatory (Richmond) (14) (21-4)
Section: North Coast
League: Tri-County Rock
Coach: Bill Mellis
Update: The Pride have won 17 successive games since falling to No. 5 Modesto Christian, 68-56, and earned the top seed in the North Coast Section D-IV field. They open Wednesday against Roseland University Prep (Santa Rosa). This is a storied program with state championship pedigree.

11. Palma (Salinas) (15) (22-2)
Section: Central Coast
League: Monterey Bay
Coach: Kelley Lopez
Update: The Chieftains earned a 7-seed in the Central Coast Section Open Division playoffs, which seems a bit low given that the losses were to top-seeded Saint Francis and there was a split with MaxPreps NorCal No. 13 Half Moon Bay. But the Monterey Bay League is not generally viewed as an overall powerhouse. Still, Palma can do something about its seed: win.

12. Bellarmine College Prep (San Jose) (17) (16-7)
Section: Central Coast
League: West Coast Athletic
Coach: Patrick Schneider
Update: The Bells are the 3-seed in the Central Coast Section Open Division playoffs and open against MaxPreps NorCal No. 13 Half Moon Bay, a team they lost to earlier 41-35. The Bells are battle-tested from the rigorous WCAL.

13. Half Moon Bay (9) (25-2)
Section: Central Coast
League: Peninsula
Coach: Rich Forslund
Update: The Cougars are the 6-seed in the Central Coast Section Open Division scramble and open against a familiar foe in MaxPreps NorCal No. 12 Bellarmine, the 3-seed. Half Moon Bay beat Bellarmine 41-35 earlier this season. The leaders are Austin Hilton (14.5 points per game), Tommy Nuno (12.4), Andrew Saffold (8.5) and Jake Salinero (8.4).

14. Weston Ranch (Stockton) (16) (23-4)
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Valley Oak
Coach: Chris Teevan
Update: Top-ranked by the Stockton Record, the Cougars are the top seed in the Sac-Joaquin Section D-III playoffs and open against Cordova on Wednesday. Jaelen Ragsdale (20 points per game), Fred Lavender (15.8) and D'Angelo Finley (14.4) lead the way. This is the best team in school history, and a section title would cement that.

15. Woodcreek (Roseville) (18) (19-8)
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Coach: Paul Hayes
Outlook: The Timberwolves split with No. 4 Folsom in league play and earned a No. 5 seed in the Sac-Joaquin Section D-I field. They open against Bella Vista (Fair Oaks). Jordan Brown is the section's top recruit, a 6-foot-10 skilled big who is averaging 26.3 points and 15 rebounds. He led Woodcreek to the NorCal D-I finals last season, after beating host De La Salle.

16. Freedom (Oakley) (17) (22-4)
Section: North Coast
League: Bay Valley
Coach: Drew Torres
Update: The Falcons are the 2-seed in the North Coast Section D-I race behind MaxPreps NorCal No. 1 De La Salle and open with Amador Valley (Pleasanton) on Tuesday. An early win was an 83-81 triple-overtime effort over MaxPreps NorCal No. 4 Folsom with close early season losses to ranked Granite Bay and ranked Manteca.

17. Capital Christian (Sacramento) (18) (18-9)
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Golden Empire
Coach: Devon Jones
Update: The Cougars are battle-tested, with a murderous schedule that is perhaps the most daunting in all of NorCal. Capital Christian earned the No. 2 seed in the Sac-Joaquin Section D-III playoffs behind MaxPreps NorCal No. 14 Weston Ranch. The floor leader is Tiegen Jones, son of the coach. The ranked wins include Newark Memorial and Salesian, and the ranked losses include Moreau Catholic (69-48), Sacramento (75-59), Folsom (80-53), Sheldon (85-68) and Modesto Christian (89-60).

18. Newark Memorial (Newark) (19) (18-8)
Section: North Coast
League: Mission Valley
Coach: Craig Ash
Update: The Cougars are the 5-seed in the North Coast Section D-II playoffs, having played a much more difficult schedule than some of the higher seeds. Newak Memorial split with MaxPreps NorCal No. 2 Moreau Catholic in league play. This is a proven, state-level program.

19. Dublin (21) (23-3)
Section: North Coast
League: Diablo Foothill
Coach: Tom Costello
Update: The Gaels have won 10 consecutive games, including over MaxPreps NorCal No. 22 Dougherty Valley, 55-51, to avenge an earlier loss. Dublin is the 5-seed in the North Coast Section D-I playoffs and open against Liberty (Brentwood) on Wednesday.

20. Dougherty Valley (San Ramon) (22) (25-2)
Section: North Coast
League: Diablo Foothill
Coach: Mike Hansen
Update: The Wildcats split with MaxPreps NorCal No. 21 Dublin and earned the No. 2 seed in the North Coast Section D-I playoffs, opening against California (San Ramon) on Tuesday.

21. Granite Bay (16) (19-8)
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Coach: Jason Sitterud
Update: The Grizzlies are the 6-seed in the Sac-Joaquin Section D-I field and open with Edison (Stockton) with a potential second round game against MaxPreps NorCal No. 5 Sheldon. The leaders here are guard Charlie Tooley and center Darren Nelson. An early win was 63-56 over No. 22 Monte Vista.

22. Monte Vista (Danville) (11) (20-6)
Section: North Coast
League: East Bay
Coach: Nick Jones
Update: The Mustangs are the 6-seed in the North Coast Section D-I playoffs, and don't be the least surprised if they make a run at defending the title. A title showdown with top-seeded and MaxPreps NorCal No. 1 De La Salle would seem almost too fitting.

23. Manteca (17) (22-5)
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Valley Oak
Coach: Brett Lewis
Update: The Buffaloes are the 3-seed in the Sac-Joaquin Section D-III playoffs and open against El Capitan (Merced) on Wednesday. Anand Hundal leads the team in scoring (16.2 points), followed by Kenny Wooten Jr. (13.4) and Dwight Young (12.1).

24. Menlo-Atherton (Atherton) (24) (24-2)
Section: Central Coast
League: Peninsula South
Coach: Mike Molieri
Update: The Bears are rolling and will be tested in the Central Coast Section Open playoffs, opening against longtime power Mitty (San Jose) on Friday. Menlo Atherton has balanced scoring with Blake Henry (12 points per game), Eric Norton (11.5), Lucas Fioretti (10.7) and Christian Fioretti (10.1). The losses were to ranked Bellarmine (58-57) and ranked Half Moon Bay (55-49).

25. Oakland Tech (25) (25-1)
Section: Oakland
League: Oakland
Coach: Karega Hart
Update: The Bulldogs are the top seed in the Oakland Section playoffs and earned an opening bye. The loss was to once-ranked Pittsburg, a threat in the D-I North Coast Section field. Souley Boum, Dejon Davis and Will Campbell lead the way as the Oakland Section playoffs loom.

The Sacramento Bee on a NorCal team that has already survived five overtime games

The Sacramento Bee on what to look for in the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs

Joe Davidson has covered high school sports in Northern California since 1984, including since 1988 for The Sacramento Bee. Follow him on Twitter: @SacBee_JoeD and on Facebook: www.facebook.com/sacbeepreps