Breaking down the 2015 California State Basketball Championships

BERKELEY, Calif. — For the first time in 20 years, the CIF California Basketball Championships return to the San Francisco Bay Area.

With Garth Brooks taking over Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, the usual state basketball locale, the CIF moved its 12 title games to Haas Pavilion, on the campus of Cal.

The last time the basketball state championship were held in the Bay Area was 1995, when the Oakland Coliseum Arena hosted the games.

Here are brief thumbnails with predictions on each game. The championships last over two days and are culminated with the state's Open Division boys title game, which features a pair of nationally ranked teams, No. 13 Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland) and No. 19 Mater Dei (Santa Ana).

The girls Open Division game also pits two nationally ranked squads in No. 7 Mater Dei and No. 3 St. Mary's (Stockton).

CIF State Basketball Championships
Finals
At Haas Pavilion, Cal
FRIDAY

10 a.m.
Division V girls
La Jolla Country Day (La Jolla) (17-11) vs. Eastside College Prep (East Palo Alto.) (25-5)

Terrific trios: La Jolla Country Day — Mai-loni Henson (17.0 points per game,), Alaysia Styles (9.6), Mariana Ecija (9.3). Eastside Prep — Destiny Graham (16.2), Brije Byers (14.4), Kayla Tahaafe (10.7).
State record: LJCD 3-4, Eastside Prep 0-0.
Key points: Eastside Prep has just six players so pace, pressure and foul trouble key.
Predicted winner: La Jolla Country Day.

Noon
Division V boys
Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) (25-4) vs. University (San Francisco, Calif.) (28-7)

Terrific Trios: Sierra Canyon — Cody Riley (15.5), Devearl Ramsey (13.4), Adam Seiko (11.4). University — Brandon Lew, Naod Sebhatleab, Brian Palmigiano.
State record: SC 0-0, U 0-3.
Key points: Both teams average 67 ppg. … Sierra Canyon is ranked 19th nationally by MaxPreps.com.
Winner: Sierra Canyon.

2 p.m.
Division III girls
Brea Olinda (26-4) vs. Bishop O'Dowd (24-9)

Terrific trios: Brea Olinda — Reili Richardson, Shaylissa Jarrett, Sierra Bononi. O'Dowd — Asha Thomas, Myah Pace, Aisia Robertson.
State record: BO 9-2, BOD 2-1.
Key points: Brea Olinda is the winningest girls team in state history. … Brea Olinda lost to Vanden (80-68), which BOD beat in NorCal finals 72-55.
Winner: O'Dowd.

Jeremy Hemsley, Damien

File photo by David Hood

4 p.m.
Division III boys, Damien (La Verne) (28-5) vs. Campolindo (Moraga) (28-4)

Terrific trios: Damien — Jeremy Hemsley, Malik Fitts, Bryce Peters. Campolindo — Chris Hansen, Austin Clarke, Sean Smith. s
State records: Damien 0-0, Campolindo 0-0.
Key points: Campolindo has terrific inside game with 6-6, 235-pound Hansen, and outside game with three-point specialists Smith and Clark. San Diego State-bound Hemsley leads Damien.
Winner: Damien.

6 p.m.
Division I girls
Serra (Gardena) (23-10) vs. McClatchy (Sacramento) (26-7)

Terrific trios: Serra — Briana Johnson (13.7), Nautica Morrow (12.6), Camille Hailey (8.8). McClatchy — Gigi Garcia (14.5), Jordan Cruz (9.6), Lauren Nubla (8.6).
State records: Serra 1-0, McClatchy 0-0. Winner: Serra.

8 p.m.
Division I boys
Chino Hills (17-14) vs. San Ramon Valley (Danville) (26-6)

Terrific trios: Chino Hills — Lonzo Ball, LiAngelo Ball, Jared Nyivih. SRV — Keith Smith, Christian Fuca, Gregg Polosky.
State records: Chino Hills 0-0, SRV 0-2.
Key points: The Ball brothers combined for 47 points in SoCal regional final. … SRV lost back-to-back state title games in 1991-92. … Neither team won league or section titles.
Winner: Chino Hills.

SATURDAY
10 a.m
Division IV girls
Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) (24-5) vs. Brookside Christian (Stockton) (27-3)

Terrific trios: Sierra Canyon —Kennedy Burke, Cheyanne Wallace, Spencer Vinson Brookside — Aarion Mcdonald (26.3), Ariana Vaughn (13.4), Ra'kyra Gabriell (11.6).
State records: SC 2-0, BC 1-0.
Winner: Sierra Canyon.

Noon
Division IV boys
Crespi (Encino) (28-7) vs. Capital Christian (Sacramento) (27-8)

Terrific trios: Crespi — De'Anthony Melton (15.5), Mitch Mykhaylov (10.3), Mike Krkeyan (8.0). Capital Christian — Tiegen Jones (12.9), Justice Shelton-Mosely (12.3), Zachary Chappell (10.6).
State records: 0-0, Capital Christian 0-0.
Winner: Crespi.

2 p.m.
Division II girls
Mark Keppel (Alhambra) (26-7) vs. Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.) (24-6)

Terrific trios: Keppel — Lauren Saiki, Sophia Song, Kylie Fujioka. Mitty — Jahny Anderson, Madeline Holland, Heleyna Hill.
State record: Keppel 0-0, Mitty 5-4.
Key points: Anderson, Holland and Hill accounted 56 of 63 points in Mitty's regional final. … Saiki was point guard for top AAU squad Team Taurasi.
Winner: Mitty.

4 p.m.
Division II boys
La Mirada (30-5) vs. Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) (20-10)

Terrific trios: La Mirada — Kendall Lauderdale (18.4), Vittorio Reynoso-avila (12.6), Anthony Newman (10.2). Mitty — Ben Kone, Sebastian Much, Dakari Monroe
State record: La Mirada 0-0, Mitty 2-3.
Key points: Should be great battle below with 6-8 Lauderdale and 6-7 Dezmon Murphy against 6-9 Kone and 6-6 Much.
Winner: Mitty

6 p.m.
Open Division girls
Mater Dei-Santa Ana (30-2) vs. St. Mary's-Stockton (33-1)

Terrific trios: Mater Dei — Katie Lou Samuelson, Ally Rosenblum, Bianca Velasco. St. Mary's — Kat Tudor (13.8) Aquira Decosta (12.8), Mi'Cole Cayton (11.8).
State record: Mater Dei 4-1, St. Mary's 7-2.
Winner: Mater Dei.

8 p.m.
Open Division boys
Mater Dei (29-4) vs. Bishop O'Dowd (27-4)

Terrific trios: Mater Dei — Rex Pflueger (16.9 ppg), La'vette Parker (16.2), MJ Cage (13.4). BOD — Ivan Rabb, Paris Austin, Isaiah Thomas.
State records: Mater Dei 11-4, Bishop O'Dowd 1-8.
Key points: Mater Dei has won four straight large division state titles, including 71-61 over Bishop O'Dowd last season. … Match-up between McDonald's All-American Rabb, a 6-10 post, versus Cage, a 6-10 post and son of former NBA standout is key.
Winner: Bishop O'Dowd.