Francisco’s Takes: CIFSS Open Division: On the bubble
Francisco’s Takes: CIFSS Open Division: On the bubble
Oak Park Eagles
Head Coach Aaron Shaw has a boat load of experience coming back including one of the best power forwards in Southern California in 6-foot-8 senior Riley Battin. The ultra-skilled and fundamentally sound Battin is an inside-out threat with a high motor. The glue of the team falls under the guidance of 6-foot-4 senior Wes Slajchert who controls the offense and is an astute passer. The best perimeter scorer on the team is 6-foot-1 sophomore Clark Slajchert who plays with a fearless stoicism. The key figure will be 6-foot-10 senior Ezekiel Richards. If he can provide consistent rim protection and scoring punch in the paint, this could take some of the pressure off of Battin from having to make every interior play. Every team needs a glue-guy and 6-foot-4 Josh Jeong is that guy. The Eagles have two freshman—6-foot-7 Justin Ebor and 6-foot-2 Jack Zhao— who will provide depth due to their savvy and budding skills.
Rancho Christian Eagles
The Eagles may have the best brother combination since the Wear Twins (David and Travis) roamed the courts at Mater Dei. Isaiah Mobley and Evan Mobley are heading into their junior and sophomore seasons, respectively, and their talent continues to rise each and every year. Isaiah possesses ball skills and an improved post game at 6-foot-9 while the 6-foot-10 Evan has remarkably quick feet and innate passing skills. Jordan Montgomery, a 6-foot junior thinks score before pass and he plays hard at both ends of the floor. Montgomery’s backcourt mate, 6-foot-3 senior Isaiah Knox, can knock in the deep ball and his motor runs hot while attacking the defense. The future looks even more brighter for the Eagles with the addition of 6-foot-7 freshman Luke Turner. The rangy wing-type has solid ball skills and he can stroke the deep jump shot.
Santa Margarita Eagles
Is there a team in Southern California that can put the kind of size on the court as Jeff Reinert’s Santa Margarita club? From my standpoint I highly doubt it. Boston University signee 6-foot-7 Jordan Guest leads the way due to his inside-out skill set as well as the physicality he brings to the table. The Eagles also have two of the better juniors in Southern California in 6-foot-7 Jake Kyman and 6-foot-8 Max Agbonkpolo. Kyman plays like a point forward and he can really shoot it while Agbonkpolo is blossoming into an athletic wing-type for the Division 1 level. With the loss of Pearson Parker, the Eagles are left without a lead guard, but Kyman and 6-foot-2 sophomore Ryan Evans help in that department. Evans is at his best launching jump shots from the corners while 6-foot-3 Brenden Cormie is the glue guy who does a bit everything for the Eagles. In January, Reinart will have to find time for 6-foot-11 junior Shengzhe Li—a physical center who carves out space and adds yet another “big” to the Eagle line-up. If the Eagles can handle (press-oriented) going forward, they will be a formidable match-up for any team come playoff time.
Alemany Warriors
Head Coach Tray Meeks has to be excited heading into the season with arguably the most prolific shot blocker in the West in Fred Odhiambo. The 6-foot-11 senior has mind boggling quickness and anticipation and his offense is on the come and he sprints the floor as well as any other big in the So-Cal region. Leading the backcourt will be incumbent starter DJ McDonald. The 5-foot-10 senior has a feathery jump shot and he has improved his facilitating skills. Brandon Whitney, a 6-foot sophomore with solid ball skills and savvy, will free up McDonald to focus on scoring when the team needs it. Helping Odhiambo on the interior will be 6-foot-7 junior Chigozie Achara—an unpolished offensive player with a good instincts, length, and a solid motor. It will be interesting to see how they navigate the always-tough Mission League. This will give the Warriors a true litmus test heading into the playoffs.
Pasadena Bulldogs
The Bulldogs are coming off an impressive 27-7 record and all their important pieces are back—led by UNLV signee Bryce Hamilton. The 6-foot-4; senior has the ability to pass and create offense, but he is first and foremost a scorer. His running mate 6-foot senior Darius Brown II is a scoring point guard who can nail deep jump shots or attack the rim. The position-less Bulldogs also have versatile athletes 6-foot-4 Darius Mason (rim attacker) and slashing wing-type Tavian Percy. The Bulldogs, under the leadership of Head Coach Tony Brooks, play at a suffocating pace and overwhelm opponents with their length and athleticism.
Corona Centennial Huskies
The losses are significant as Josh Giles and the Huskies say goodbye to four significant players in Jalen Hill (UCLA), Isom Butler, Gio Nelson, and Paul Vilela. However, the future is bright led by one of the elite players in the 2020 class in Jaylen Clark. The 6-foot-5 sophomore is a point guard type that has terrific ball skills and excellent vision. His backcourt mate 5-foot-11 sophomore DJ Davis is a lights-out shooter with unlimited range. The interior will be manned by 6-foot-4 junior Allen McBride (blue collar/productive) and 6-foot-5 sophomore Dennis Cash (raw but has length and possesses a high motor.). Providing depth in the back court will be 6-foot-1 sophomore Paris Dawson who has a knack for putting the ball in the basket.