CIF-SS Playoff Capsule: Division 3AA

<p>The regular season came to an end on Saturday for CIF Southern Section teams, signaling the end to the 2019-20 campaign for some programs and the beginning of the postseason for others. Coaches and players must now change gears and focus their energy to a win or go home scenario.</p> <p>The CIF-SS breaks its playoff teams into ten divisions: The highest being the Open Division which is made up of the eight best programs and down through 5A. Teams are sorted into their respective divisions based on the competitive equity format which takes into account a program’s success over the last two years, resulting in an average score, and then divisional placement.</p> <p>In these capsules, we’ll take a look at the favorites, darkhorses and highlight some of the players to watch. Here is our Division 3AA capsule.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>The Favorite(s)</strong></span></p> <p><strong>Providence (Burbank)</strong></p> <p>The Pioneers have a nice trio of seniors with<strong> A'Jahni Levias</strong>, <strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jordan-shelley/">Jordan Shelley</a></strong> and <strong>Bryce Whitaker</strong> who make up 36.8 of the 64 points that Providence averages this season. Providence has won 15 of its last 16 games, including an 8-0 record in the Prep League, with its only loss coming to Santa Clarita Christian, a team which holds the top spot in the loaded Division 2AA field. Look for junior sharpshooter <strong>Collin Ferrell</strong> to be a key piece to a potentially deep playoff run.</p> <p><strong>Hillcrest (Riverside)</strong></p> <p>Coach Jackson Wood has a nice all-around group led by San Jose State-commit <strong>Sebastian Mendoza</strong>. The 6-foot-3 senior is a big time playmaker and scorer on the offensive end and can guard multiple spots defensively. Outside of Mendoza, the Trojans have some versatile wings in <strong>Chris Anderson</strong>, <strong>Jayson Wiltz</strong> and <strong>Keith Hall, Jr.</strong>, all of whom can score in a variety of ways. Six-foot-11 freshman <strong>Dennis Evans</strong> is a luxury to have at this level as his size and mobility can serve as a game changer on the defensive end. Hillcrest heads into the postseason with a 20-8 overall record, including a 10-0 mark in the River Valley League.</p> <p><strong>Westlake</strong></p> <p>We haven't got many eyes on Westlake's games as it's been tormenting much of the valley competition this season, but the Warriors have a senior shooter with a familiar name in <strong>Kyle MacLean</strong>. MacLean is the son of Simi Valley High and UCLA legend Don MacLean and can stroke the 3-point shot with consistency as his father did. Westlake has won 13 of its last 14 games, including 10 straight en route to a Marmonte League championship.</p> <p><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The Spoiler(s)</span></strong></p> <p><strong>Laguna Beach</strong></p> <p>The Wave League champions are one of the more difficult teams to play against because of the way they share the basketball and run an offense predicated on ball movement and player movement. The Breakers will back-cut you to death, reverse the ball, skip opposite for open 3-point shots and run it over and over again until they get a good look. <strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/nolan-naess/">Nolan Naess</a></strong> (19 points per game) is the go-to guy for Laguna Beach and the skilled 6-foot-8 forward does a little bit of everything. Look for <strong>Lucas Kravitz</strong> and <strong>Willie Rounaghi</strong> to knock down their fair share of triples.</p> <p><strong>Cerritos</strong></p> <p>The Dons ran through the 605 League, it's closest margin being a 64-51 win over Artesia, and the rest were pretty much 20-plus point blowouts. Will that be something that helps the Dons from a confidence standpoint entering the playoffs? That remains to be seen, but Cerritos' roster definitely got plenty of rest during most of its league games. Six-foot-4 junior guard <strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/alex-archer/">Alex Archer</a></strong> has his hands in a little bit of everything for the Dons and will be the key cog, along with fellow guard <strong>Jagger Uy</strong>, if Cerritos is to make some noise in the postseason.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Seven Players to Watch</strong></span></p> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/alex-archer/">Alex Archer</a></strong>, Cerritos - A versatile all-around guard with good size who fills up the stat sheet. Archer plays with good pace and knows how to manage the flow of a game.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jordan-shelley/">Jordan Shelley</a></strong>, Providence - Shelley is a high motor guard who uses his combination of speed and strength to push the break and finish in transition. The senior is averaging 12.3 points and just under two steals a game.</p> <p><strong>Laird Anderson, Jr.</strong>, Mark Keppel - A strong and high IQ guard who does a nice job of changing speed and direction when probing the lane. Anderson can finish with either hand through contact and hit the pull-up jumper.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/nolan-naess/">Nolan Naess</a></strong>, Laguna Beach - The 6-foot-8 junior is skilled and fundamental in the high post. Naess can score on the block with either hand and hit the open catch-and-shoot 3-point shot. One of his best attributes is his passing ability from either elbow.</p> <p><strong>Kyle MacLean</strong>, Westlake - MacLean broke Westlake's single-season scoring record back in early February and is still building upon his 615 points scored this season.</p> <p><strong>Sebastian Mendoza</strong>, Hillcrest - Mendoza is a do-it-all type wing who is averaging 16 points and nine rebounds per game this season. His combination of size, strength and athleticism makes him a tough cover in this division.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/rudy-suarez/">Rudy Suarez</a></strong>, Covina - The 6-footer is averaging an eye-popping 26.4 points per game this season. He has scored over 30 points on 12 different occasions this season.</p>