CIF-SS Divisional Previews: Open Teams to Watch (Pt. 2)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With first contests scheduled to tip-off on Nov. 14, there's no better time to take a dive into the upcoming boys high school basketball season in Southern California. As always, there's a number of teams vying for a coveted spot in the Southern Section Open Division playoff field, which accepts the eight best teams in the region as identified by the Open Division Selection Committee. Which teams should SoCal basketball fans keep an eye on to earn one of those spots? We tell you below.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>Bishop Montgomery</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It seems like the Knights have been written off in the preseason since Ethan and Stephen Thompson and Jordan Schakel graduated, but the Doug Mitchell-led squad always finds a way to make it into that top eight conversation. This season will be no different as the Knights feature a veteran-laden group led by Portland State-signee Kelcy Phipps, underrated guard [player_tooltip player_id='1436322' first='Christian' last='Jones'] and the skilled 6-foot-8 man in the middle Xavier Edmunds. The trio of Phipps, Jones and Edmunds have been playing together for three seasons now and are knowledgeable in the execution and toughness that coach Mitchell requires, which makes Bishop Montgomery a tough out for any team it faces. The Knights added a transfer from Gardena Serra, senior guard LaQwon Cole who will likely round out the starting lineup, and senior center [player_tooltip player_id='1434798' first='Will' last='Brenner'] will spell Edmunds when he needs a break, but the seventh and eighth guys off the bench are still a bit of a mystery and something to watch as the season progresses.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>Rancho Christian</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Outside of Sierra Canyon, Rancho Christian was one of the top beneficiaries from the transfer portal over the summer. The Eagles added skilled 6-foot-8 swingman Kevin Patton, Jr. and his junior class brother, 6-foot-4 [player_tooltip player_id='1062311' first='Kallai' last='Patton'], along with local transfers [player_tooltip player_id='994955' first='Kollen' last='Murphy'] (from Colony) and [player_tooltip player_id='994921' first='Titus' last='Davis'] (from Murrieta Valley) to form a deep group of guards and wings who are all of the dribble-pass-shoot variety. The key returners for Rancho Christian are important ones, as well, in 6-foot-6 guard [player_tooltip player_id='1434418' first='Rodney' last='Brown'] - who committed to Cal - and 6-foot-11 Pepperdine-signee [player_tooltip player_id='994931' first='Martin' last='Gumwel']. Brown looks to be fully healthy after struggling through some injuries over the spring and summer and Gumwel continues to improve his offensive repertoire to go along with his elite defensive presence. Rancho Christian has played quite a few games during the fall, which is smart on the part of head coach Ray Barefield, as he needs to get a pulse for what to expect with so many new faces coming together. We've already seen what we're going to get from the likes of Brown, Patton, Jr., Gumwel, Murphy and Davis, which will likely be the Eagles starting lineup, but Rancho Christian will need some solid bench production from guys like 6-1 guard Bailey Chambers, 6-3 guard Austin Nassar and 6-9 junior [player_tooltip player_id='1502835' first='Samuel' last='Galindo'] to jump into that top eight conversation.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>Rancho Verde</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Coach Johnny Dukes has an energetic, athletic, and physical squad that really competes on both ends of the floor. Defense is the name of the game for the Mustangs who have the size, length, speed and quickness to pressure ball-handlers, anticipate passing lanes, create turnovers and, if all else fails, they funnel drivers into the shot blocker at the rim in 6-foot-10 Houston-bound center [player_tooltip player_id='1434424' first='Jacob' last='McFarland']. McFarland is one of the premier rim protectors on the west coast with his ability to get off the floor quickly, stay vertical on contest and discipline when staying down on shot fakes in the lane. Aside from McFarland, Rancho Verde has a good group of guards who all complement one another well. Junior Jermaine Washington, Jr. is an aggressive transition scorer who has a good pull-up jump shot, senior Anthony Smith is an athletic slasher and finisher and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1630656' first='Justyce' last='Lucero'] is a consistent three-point shooter off the catch. Like many others we've discussed in these Open Division capsules, the Mustangs will need a fifth and sixth guy to step up and be a consistent contributor. Could it be [player_tooltip player_id='998475' first='Jordan' last='Coleman'] and Caelin Anderson?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>St. John Bosco</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Braves have been noted for their young talent over the last couple of seasons, and now that those same young players have matured into legitimate next-level prospects, will Bosco put it all together on the floor? Six-foot-5 sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1630620' first='Elzie' last='Harrington'] is the premier name for SJB and his feel for the game, poise as a ball handler and distributor, and size and athleticism at the position give the Braves something few other teams have in the area. Harrington's classmate, 6-foot-7 forward [player_tooltip player_id='1630622' first='Kade' last='Bonam'], is one of the more versatile players in the area, while 6-foot-3 shooting guard [player_tooltip player_id='1502781' first='Jack' last='Turner'], a Loyola-Chicago commit, can knock down perimeter jumpers in flurries when he has it going. The Braves bolstered up their interior with the addition of 6-foot-9 Wasatch Academy transfer Xinyi Li and added guard [player_tooltip player_id='1436326' first='DJ' last='Harrington'] from Valley Christian into the fold. The consistency of the supporting cast will be crucial for Bosco, especially if it can get big contributions from 6-foot-7 sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1630653' first='Jaison' last='Joyce'], 6-foot-2 backup guard DJ Holt and 6-foot-1 sharpshooting senior [player_tooltip player_id='994923' first='Mateo' last='Duran'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>West Ranch</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Wildcats are another team that, on paper, should be one of the eight teams moving into the Open Division field come playoff time, but things don't always workout how that way. The talent is there without a doubt for West Ranch led by 7-foot center [player_tooltip player_id='992478' first='Jazz' last='Gardner'] (a transfer from Los Altos), 6-foot-4 scoring guard [player_tooltip player_id='1434421' first='Jaqari' last='Miles'], 6-foot-6 wing [player_tooltip player_id='1502770' first='James' last='Evans'], 6-foot-7 Boise State-commit [player_tooltip player_id='1222500' first='Andrew' last='Meadow'], 5-foot-10 Crean Lutheran transfer [player_tooltip player_id='1502802' first='Darrell' last='Morris'] and 6-foot-4 senior Isaiah Fields. The names mentioned carry a lot of weight, high level experience and immense talent at a variety of different positions, but can coach Jeff Bryant put all the pieces together and have his Wildcats running as a cohesive unit? If he does, West Ranch will be a dangerous group in the postseason.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->