CIF-SS Championships: Open Division Preview

We've reached championship week in the CIF Southern Section boys basketball playoffs and the game that everyone across the Southland has their eye on is the Open Division matchup between the top two teams in the region: Harvard-Westlake and Eastvale Roosevelt. Below we take a closer look at how each of these teams got here, their key players, and what they need to do to take home the Southern Section Open crown.   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Harvard-Westlake | 29-3 | Mission League Champions</h4>   How They Got Here: The Wolverines won Pool A of the Open Division with wins over Corona Centennial (61-51), Sierra Canyon (72-38) and St. John Bosco (64-40).   Major Non-Playoff Wins: St. Pius X-St. Matthias (72-71); Perry (AZ) twice (61-53, 78-56); McEachern (GA) (60-59)   Key Players: [player_tooltip player_id='1502769' first='Trent' last='Perry'] | 6-3 | PG | the USC-bound McDonald's All-American has the ability to control a game both as a primary scorer and playmaker; [player_tooltip player_id='1630618' first='Nik' last='Khamenia'] | 6-8 | F | one of the top juniors in the country is a difficult cover for most teams as his inside-out offensive skill-set, combined with his size and basketball IQ lend to his versatility; [player_tooltip player_id='1188984' first='Robert' last='Hinton'] | 6-4 | WF | a dynamic slasher and finisher who also has a lethal mid-range pull-up jumper. Hinton, a Harvard-signee, is the glue-guy that ties up the loose ends and defends and rebounds at a high level. [player_tooltip player_id='1502826' first='Christian' last='Horry'] | 6-3 | SG | your prototypical "three-and-D" high school player who can knock down open shots in big moments and is a solid team and individual defensive player; [player_tooltip player_id='1956502' first='Dominique' last='Bentho'] | 6-8 | C | the sophomore big man has made positive strides all season. His presence on the glass will be a crucial component of this game; [player_tooltip player_id='1630659' first='Isaiah' last='Carroll'] | 6-5 | F | the junior wing has grown into a sixth-man type of role and could see some time defending [player_tooltip player_id='1630617' first='Brayden' last='Burries']. Any type of scoring punch - especially from three-point range - will be an added bonus for Harvard-Westlake.   How They Win: The key for Harvard-Westlake will be to limit Roosevelt's transition opportunities - Good offense will be their best defense. The Mustangs are at their best when forcing turnovers which turns into easy points on the other end because of their ability to score in a variety of ways in the open floor. Burries and [player_tooltip player_id='1630660' first='Myles' last='Walker'] are elite slashers and finishers, [player_tooltip player_id='1630629' first='Isaac' last='Williamson'] has the green light from three-point range and the volume in which he can make shots can really deflate an opponent and [player_tooltip player_id='1502796' first='Darnez' last='Slater'] can do both of those things.   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Roosevelt | 30-2 | Big VIII League Champions</h4>   How They Got Here: The Mustangs won Pool B of the Open Division with wins over JSerra (64-51), St. Pius X-St. Matthias (64-59) and Mater Dei (80-76 in OT)   Major Non-Playoff Wins: Archbishop Riordan (77-72); Branson (68-64); Owyhee (ID) (71-66); Damien (76-71); St. John Bosco (68-65); St. Joseph (62-61); St. Pius X-St. Matthias (59-54); Coronado (NV) (75-51); Corona Centennial (63-50)   Key Players: [player_tooltip player_id='1630617' first='Brayden' last='Burries'] | 6-5 | WF | the top junior in the state is one of the more dynamic athletes and scorers on the west coast. His combination of explosiveness, physicality and skill make him an extremely difficult cover at the high school level; [player_tooltip player_id='1502796' first='Darnez' last='Slater'] | 6-3 | CG | the Colorado State-commit not only has the ability to be a solid decision-maker and creator for others with the ball in his hands but he can also take over as a primary scorer when needed | [player_tooltip player_id='1630629' first='Isaac' last='Williamson'] | 6-2 | CG | the junior guard is a high level shot-maker from three-point range both off the catch and off the bounce. Williamson has also proved that has elite on-ball defensive instincts and competitiveness; [player_tooltip player_id='1630660' first='Myles' last='Walker'] | 5-9 | PG | Walker might not get the credit he deserves playing alongside the guys we mentioned above but his two-way impact will be key for the Mustangs to pull out a win. He's on the smaller side but is still an elite defender whose quick hands and smarts create turnovers and is a crafty finisher who can knock down mid-range jumpers; [player_tooltip player_id='1502830' first='Tochi' last='Anigbogu'] | 6-10 | C | the senior center is a physical interior defender and rim protecting presence. If he can be impactful on the offensive boards, and earn a few second-chance opportunities for his team, it would be a huge boost.   How They Win: Harvard-Westlake is a team that thrives in their structure and tempo and it is difficult to get them out of it because of how well-balanced the team is. Roosevelt needs to find a way to make the Wolverines uncomfortable - whether it's speeding them up with full-court pressure or ball-pressure in the half-court. Turning the Wolverines over and getting out in transition will be a big tone setter for the Mustangs.

We've reached championship week in the CIF Southern Section boys basketball playoffs and the game that everyone across the Southland has their eye on is the Open Division matchup between the top two teams in the region: Harvard-Westlake and Eastvale Roosevelt. Below we take a closer look at how each of these teams got here, their key players, and what they need to do to take home the Southern Section Open crown.