MaxPreps Northern California Top 30 basketball rankings

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The CIF Northern California finals are set for Saturday, at long last. The season started and November and hits the final stretch now, capped by CIF State finals at Golden 1 Center on March 23-24.
The NorCal Open Division and Division I title games are at Santa Clara's Leavey Center. All other divisions are at home sites. For the first time, there is a new No. 1.

1. (Last week: 2) Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland), 27-5
Section: North Coast
League: West Alameda Foothill
Coach: Lou Richie
Update: The storied Dragons are on a 23-game winning streak and are back in a NorCal final, including their second in the Open Division, after downing Modesto Christian 61-58 in a semifinal at jam-packed Laney College. Washington-bound guard Elijah Hardy had 15 of his 21 points in the second half for the 18-time North Coast Section champions.

2. (3) Modesto Christian (Modesto), 29-4
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Modesto Metro
Coach: Brice Fantazia
Update: The Crusaders had their 16-game winning streak halted with a 61-58 loss to Bishop O'Dowd in the Open Division semifinals as Junior Ballard's half-court heave at the buzzer caromed off the rim. So ends the careers of Ballard, Gabe Murphy and Tyler Williams for a program that has won 19 section titles and has been a regular to the NorCal Open field.

3. (4) Sheldon (Sacramento), 28-5
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Delta
Coach: Joey Rollings
Update: The Huskies beat Folsom 64-55 in a thriller of a NorCal Open semifinal at overflow Cosumnes River College as Kaito Williams, Dale Currie and Xavion Brown led the charge with 22, 16 and 14 points, respectively, thus setting up a showdown with O'Dowd for the title. Sheldon is in a NorCal final for the fourth time since 2013, including three times in the Open. Sheldon is ranked below Modesto Christian since it had its 19-game winning streak snapped by MC in the section Division I finals, though this will change if the Huskies topple O'Dowd.

4. (6) Folsom, 26-6
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Coach: Mike Wall
Update: The Bulldogs lost in overtime to Sheldon in a Sac-Joaquin Section Division I semifinal, gained an 8-seed in the NorCal Open, stunned Salesian in overtime — and then fell against to Sheldon, this time in an Open semifinal. This closes out the terrific career for four-year starter Mason Forbes, who is headed to Harvard.

5. (1) Salesian College Preparatory (Richmond), 30-2
Section: North Coast
League: Tri-County Rock
Coach: Bill Mellis
Update: The Pride had their 22-game winning streak snapped 75-70 in overtime to Folsom, leaving them at 0-4 in NorCal Open games. This ends the terrific career of guard James Akinjo. Coach Mellis won his 500th game this season and returns a wealth of talent.

6. (7) Capital Christian (Sacramento), 22-8
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Golden Empire
Coach: McCall Wollman
Update: Seeded seventh in the NorCal Open field, the Cougars lost at No. 2-seeded O'Dowd 78-67. This closes out the career for senior guard stars Zachary Chappell and Rick Barros. First-year coach Wollman blended in seamlessly and is on the cusp of a nice career.

7. (5) San Joaquin Memorial (Fresno), 25-7
Section: Central
League: County/Metro
Coach: Brad Roznovsky
Update: Because Memorial was placed into the NorCal Open Division, they were ranked here (usually, the Fresno and Central Section teams are placed in the SoCal playoff brackets). Memorial lost to Sheldon in a NorCal Opener 67-65 in overtime. It will return dynamite guard Jalen Green, who averaged just under 30 points a game. This was the top ranked in the Central section all season, having split two games with Modesto Christian.

8. (6) Bellarmine College Prep (San Jose), 24-4
Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Coach: Patrick Schneider
Update: The Bells won their first Central Coast Section Open Division title and then fell at Modesto Christian in a NorCal Open opener, closing out the great career for Jake Wojcik.

9. (10) Las Lomas (Walnut Creek), 30-3
Section: North Coast
League: Diablo Foothill
Coach: Brian Dietschy
Update: The Knights lost to O'Dowd in a competitive North Coast Section Division II final, earned the No. 2 seed in the NorCal Division I field and have gone 3-0, including an 84-70 win over Mitty in the semifinals. Las Lomas plays Palo Alto for the D-I title on Saturday at Leavey Center.

10. (11) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose), 13-16
Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Coach: Tim Kennedy
Update: The Monarchs surged late and fell to Bellarmine in the Central Coast Section Open finals and then regrouped to beat Jesuit 73-54 and St. Ignatius 60-50 before falling to Las Lomas 84-70 in the semifinals. Mitty is ranked ahead of Palo Alto because of a 73-61 CCS playoff win.

11. (10) Palo Alto, 26-3
Section: Central Coast
League: DeAnza
Coach: Peter Diepenbrock
Update: The 21-game winning streak came to an end against Mitty in the Central Coast Section Open Division playoffs, but as a No. 8 seed, the Vikings are in the NorCal Division I finals after beating Menlo School 54-47, setting up a showdown against Las Lomas at Leavey Center.

12. (9) Heritage (Brentwood), 29-3
Section: North Coast
League: Bay Valley
Coach: Pat Cruickshank
Update: The winning streak ended at 17 for the Patriots with a 59-49 loss to Palo Alto in the NorCal Division I playoffs. Heritage won the North Coast Section Division I title.

13. (16) Dublin, 26-6
Section: North Coast
League: East Bay
Coach: Tom Costello
Update: The Gaels beat Serra 62-58 in a NorCal Division I opener then fell to Las Lomas 69-66 in a second-round game. Dublin lost 100-98 in double overtime to Heritage in the North Coast Section Division I playoffs.

14. (16) Pleasant Valley (Chico), 30-2
Section: Northern
League: Eastern
Coach: Tim Keating
Update: The winning streak is 17 for the Vikings, who, as the No. 2 seed in the NorCal Division III race, reached the finals with a 74-56 win over University. Pleasant Valley hosts Central Catholic for the title in Chico on Saturday night. This is a school that recently won a NorCal football championship.

15. (20) Central Catholic (Modesto), 31-2
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Valley Oak
Coach: Mike Wilson
Update: The winning streak is 23 after the Raiders beat Valley Christian of San Jose 59-55 in a NorCal Division III semifinal. Central Catholic heads to Chico on Saturday to play at second-seeded Pleasant Valley.

16. (19) St. Mary's (Stockton), 26-8
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Tri-City
Coach: Ken Green
Update: The Rams seek their second NorCal title under coach Green when they play Division II top-seeded Alameda in the Bay Area on Saturday. St. Mary's beat Campolindo 67-65 in a semifinal. The Rams have been NorCal champions in recent years in football as well.

17. (21) Alameda, 27-5
Section: North Coast
League: Shoreline
Coach: Cameron Quick
Update: The Hornets lost to O'Dowd by 12 in a North Coast Section Division III playoff and have since gone 3-0 in the NorCal Division II field as the top seed, including beating Grant of Sacramento 66-60 in a semifinal. Next is a home game against St. Mary's for the title. Alameda went 6-22 in 2015 and 8-18 in 2014.

18. (17) St. Ignatius (San Francisco), 18-10
Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Coach: Rob Marcaletti
Update: The Wildcats opened NorCal Divison I play with a 71-54 win at Berkeley and then lost to league rival Mitty 60-50 in a second round game. Earlier playoff losses were to Bellarmine and Palo Alto in the Central Coast Section Open Division playoffs.

19. (NR) Menlo School (Atherton), 25-4
Section: Central Coast
League: West Bay
Coach: Keith Larsen
Update: The Knights lost to St. Ignatius in the Central Coast Section Open playoffs then beat Clayton Valley Charter and Central in the NorCal Division I scramble before falling to Palo Alto 54-47 in a semifinal.

20. (11) Clayton Valley Charter (Concord), 26-4
Section: North Coast
League: Diablo Foothill
Coach: Eric Bamberger
Update: The Ugly Eagles had their dream season end in a NorCal Division I opener to Menlo School, 65-61. They lost to Heritage in the North Coast Section Division I finals.

Next 10
Berkeley — 24-7
Campolindo (Moraga) — 21-11
De La Salle (Concord) — 21-8
Serra (San Mateo) — 16-11
Saint Francis (Mountain View) — 19-8
Valley Christian (San Jose) — 16-14
Half Moon Bay — 25-6
Branson (Ross) — 30-4
University (San Francisco) — 30-4
Argonaut (Jackson) — 28-5

The Sacramento Bee on a NorCal Open semifinal instant classic ... click here

The Sacramento Bee on the joy of a small-school power playing big for all the small schools ... click here

Joe Davidson has covered high school sports for The Sacramento Bee since 1988. Follow him on Twitter: @SacBee_JoeD and at sacbee.com