Central Cali’s Top 20 Team Rankings (Updated 3.0)

As we enter the second week of holiday tournaments, I wanted to update my Top 20 Team Rankings. There is no movement in the top 5, but plenty of movement after that since the end of week 2 of season play with some teams making its debut on this list, and others following out of the Top 20. The Knights of St. Joseph hold strong at #1 but there is plenty of big tournament play over the next week and a half that will likely shake things up again the next time I update this list, in particular the top 5. This article takes a look at the Top 20 teams in the Section for this updated list and includes the following information: team name, its key players (only for those teams new to this list), its current rankings, its ranking from last round of team rankings in parentheses, and its current record.   1. (1) St. Joseph Knights (Santa Maria) (13-0)   The Knights hold strong at the top stop in these updated team rankings, as it has yet to lose a game after a month into play. The Knights won the tournament it attended in Australia, but the level of competition was not known by anyone from the States. Since coming home, the Knights hosted and won its own inaugural Elite 8 Tournament, with wins against Crespi of Encino and Riviera Prep of Florida in the title game. St. Joes would walk through the Mission Prep Christmas Classic this past week, with wins over Bishop Montgomery of Torrence and Destiny Christian of Sacramento, and average wins of nearly 39 points per game. The Knights will attend the Kings of Cotton Tournament in Tennessee this next week and have broken the Top 25 nationally per Rivals Top 25 National Team Rankings. [player_tooltip player_id='2436278' first='Malcolm' last='Price'] and Williams Sacre have been sensational for St. Joes, as well as senior leader [player_tooltip player_id='1956462' first='Julius' last='Price'], along with the sharp shooting Gunner Morinini, the Knights are poised to contend for a Section and a State title.    2. (2) San Joaquin Memorial Panthers (Fresno) (10-1)   The Panthers hold steady at the #2 spot in this updated list of team rankings and are coming off a strong week of play at the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas, with wins over Westminster Academy (FL), Mater Dei of Santa Ana, Springville (UT). The Panthers also won the annual Clovis West Nike Invitational, as it earned a big win over the host team in overtime. The Panthers dropped its only game to date at the Tark Classic in the quarterfinals to Democracy Prep of Las Vegas, who were the runner-ups in the Spalding Division (3rd highest). The Panthers have also earned wins over Bakersfield High, Clovis, and back-to-back Section D3 champs North Bakersfield. The Panthers will be playing in the second highest division this coming week/weekend at The Classic at Damien and if it were to win its division, and St. Joes not having the success its had at the Kings of Cotton tournament, that could lead to a potential shake-up at the top. These two teams play each other on the 17th of January at the Knight's house. Senior combo guard [player_tooltip player_id='3072422' first='Sajjin' last='Sidhu'] has been on a heater of late, as well as [player_tooltip player_id='2830146' first='Parker' last='Spees'], [player_tooltip player_id='2932601' first='Ty' last='Schalk'], and Domo Olanrewaju putting up outstanding numbers.    3. (3) Buchanan Bears (Clovis) (13-1)   The Bears stay in the #3 spot for this list of team rankings, as it has not lost since the last round of rankings and has earned some quality wins over Centennial of Bakersfield, Winward of Los Angeles, Oxnard, and Legacy Christian of Valencia. Buchanan will be taking part in the annual Modesto Christian Holiday Hoops Classic, which I plan to be at for the last two days of the event, and depending on how it comes out of the Holiday Classic, and how the two teams ahead of it does over the same period of time, we could see come movement for Buchanan. The Bears have been led by sophomore wing/guard [player_tooltip player_id='2915953' first='Rhead' last='Sweeney'] who continues to show he is one of the best shooters in the Section and a player to keep an eye on in the state of California.    4. (4) Clovis North Broncos (Fresno) (9-4)   The Broncos hold strong at #4, and had a chance to possibly move up into the #3 spot had it held its lead over Destiny Christian and advanced to the Mission Prep Christmas Classic title game against St. Joes, but the Lions from Sacramento in fact did comeback and get the win over Clovis North, which is why I have kept it at the fourth spot. The Broncos had a solid showing at the annual Gridley Invitational, where Clovis North would win the Consolation Game over Branson of Ross, after falling to Modesto Christian in the opening round of play. The Broncos earned wins over Village Christian of Sun Valley and Bishop Montgomery of Torrence to take 3rd place at the Mission Prep Christmas Classic. The Broncos have a rugged battled ahead this coming week, as it will be in the top division of The Classic at Damien and opens up with Redondo Union, who is coming off winning the top division of the Tark Classic in Las Vegas. But if you know Coach Amundsen and staff, they want to play the best at all times, and this will be a group of elite teams Clovis North will have a chance to play, and depending on how it does at the Damien, could also have an impact on where the team is on the next list of rankings. [player_tooltip player_id='2977779' first='Elias' last='Gish'] and McKae Amundsen have continued to lead the Broncos squad, and junior sharp shooter Miles Tucker has continued to elevate his play as the main floor spacer for the team.     5. (5) Bakersfield Christian Eagles (4-6)    Rounding out the top five and holding steady at #5 since the last round of team rankings is the Eagles of Bakersfield Christian. Unlike most teams, the Eagles did not play last week/weekend in any events. BCHS won its last two games against Sheldon of Sacramento and Oakland Tech at the Destiny Christian Showcase. The win over Sheldon had me considering moving the Eagles ahead of Clovis North, who lost its opener of the season to the Huskies in overtime, but given that it was the opener, and the quality wins the Broncos have had since the last round of these team rankings, I decided to leave the top five as is. Both lost to Destiny Christian, and the margin of separation between the two teams in miniscule at best. The Eagles will take part in The Classic at Damien this coming week/weekend in the second highest division, and, depending on how Bakersfield Christian plays in that event, it could see movement upward as well. The Eagles have continued to be led by [player_tooltip player_id='2646533' first='Taiwo' last='Daramola'], [player_tooltip player_id='2194700' first='Jeremias' last='Killebrew'], Braylen Smith, and Caiden Jackson, and will have one of its best three point shooters back in the mix this week in Owen Yurosek, who was playing in the state championship for football last time the Eagles were on the court.    6. (8) Bullard Knights (Fresno) (10-5)   The Knights move up two spots and come in at #6 in this updated list. Bullard went to the coast for the San Luis Obispo tournament, and earned wins over Atascadero, San Luis Obispo, and Arroyo Grande before falling to Mission Prep of San Luis Obispo in overtime. However, the Knights avenged that loss at Mission Prep's own Christmas Classic, as Bullard would take out the Royals on its home court, which is why I am not holding that loss against the Knights heavily against them. The Knights will open up with Clayton Valley Charter at the annual Modesto Christian Holiday Hoops Classic, which is a team that beat Clovis North early on at the Bishop O'Dowd Thanksgiving Showcase. The Knights have been led by Ja'Vance Coleman Jr. and a group of young and talented players. Big week of hoops for the Knights before it gets ready for CMAC play.    7. (6) Clovis Cougars (11-3)   The Cougars move down one spot but are coming off a great week of play at the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas. The Cougars would win the Orleans Division over George Washington of Colorado, which is the top ranked team in Colorado according to MaxPreps, along with wins over Eaglecrest (CO), Legacy (NV), and Timpanogos (UT) at the Tark. The Cougars will host its annual Clovis Elks Tournament this coming week/weekend, which I plan to be in attendance on Saturday, and should win all 4 of its games. The Cougars have been led by [player_tooltip player_id='2843567' first='Anthony' last='Smith'] (MVP at the Tark for its Division), [player_tooltip player_id='2954272' first='Sier' last='Harbin'], Roman Felix, Kaiden Lewis-Burnley, and Damon Jackson. Clovis is looking really good from what I have been hearing and should make a push for the TRAC and give Clovis North and Buchanan a run for their money. The talent has been there, and if the chemistry continues to develop, this is a team I would have as one of the favorites to win the D2 Section playoffs.    8. (11) Clovis West Golden Eagles (Fresno) (8-6)   The Golden Eagles have earned some solid wins this season, over San Luis Obispo, South Bakersfield, and Bakersfield High, but have also suffered some tough losses with Kingsburg being the most shocking, despite the Vikings playing quality basketball. The Golden Eagles earned a spot in its own Nike Invitational Tournament and took San Joaquin Memorial to overtime before falling short by a point, which is why I have Clovis West ranked at the #8 spot for this updated list and back into the top 10. Even though Clovis lost by significantly more to the Panthers at the Nike Invitational, Clovis West lost to 2 of the teams that Clovis defeated at the Tarkanian Classic, as both schools were in the same division. Given that Clovis won that division, I had to place the Golden Eagles behind the Cougars. Although Clovis West did lose to Kingsburg, I am giving the Golden Eagles the benefit of the doubt as it was the first weekend of play and Clovis West has gotten back senior Jace Kellogg, along with the surrounding players stepping up and making an impact. Clovis West will take part in the Clovis Elks Tournament this coming week/weekend and I plan to be in attendance for its game against Garza and Josiah Wilson.    9. (15) Bakersfield Drillers (5-5)   After a rough start to the season against some quality teams, the Drillers won its last four games and the Lloyd Williams Shootout title against Centennial of Bakersfield, and looked dominant in the process. Bakersfield comes in at #9 in this updated list and back into the top 10 behind the stellar play of senior [player_tooltip player_id='2700921' first='Kade' last='Johnson']. The Drillers have not played since the 13th of December and will head to The Classic at Damien this coming week/weekend and are playing in the Emerald Division and have a chance to make a run in the 5th highest division of the Damien. The presence of sophomore lead guard RJ Shehee has put players in their respective positions and Kamren Owens seems to be a huge beneficiary, as he would light it up from beyond the arc for the Drillers at the Lloyd Williams Shootout now that he can play off the ball at the shooting guard position.    10. (13) Centennial Golden Hawks (Bakersfield) (8-3)   The Golden Hawks round out the top 10 and have been impressive to start the season. At the time of the last round of these team rankings, Centennial had yet to play its first game, and after 10 games, I have seen the G-Hawks in 4 of those games. Centennial looked good at the Lloyd Williams Shootout, despite a near loss to host team North Bakersfield after being up by 19 points in the 3rd quarter. The G-Hawks lost to Bakersfield in the Championship Game at the Lloyd, but followed that up with a comeback win over South Bakersfield at their house less than a week later. The G-Hawks lost to Oxnard by one point on the 23rd of December, 69 to 68, and I do not see anything scheduled until the 2nd and 3rd of January. Centennial has been led by standout sophomores Ryan Shaw and [player_tooltip player_id='3069019' first='Drake' last='Jimenez'], along with junior [player_tooltip player_id='2932172' first='Giovanni' last='Fomusoh'] and will be the front-runners to win the SYRL. As a base D1 program, the G-Hawks currently sit at the #8 spot, but that could change with how Clovis East and Bullard play the remainder of the season.    11. (14) North Bakersfield Stars (11-4)   The Stars have continued to stay hot to start the season and move up three spots to land at #11. North left the mainland for the Hawaiian Islands to compete in the Moanalua Basketball Invitational, going 2-1, before returning home to host its annual Lloyd Williams Shootout, where it would fall short by a point to Centennial of Bakersfield in the semifinals and taking 3rd Place. The Stars are currently competing in the Polly Tourney in Visalia and will take on Kingsburg in the semifinals this evening. The defending back-to-back Polly champs are looking for the 3-peat and have been led by the stellar play of 2023 Polly MVP Ethan Saenz and younger brother Cam Saenz. If the Stars win the Polly, it is likely it would move up and possibly break the top 10 by the next round of team rankings.    12. (17) Tulare Union The Tribe (13-1)   The Tribe are off to a hot start again this season and its only hiccup has been in a rather shocking loss to Madera. The Tribe move up five spots and come in at #12. Tulare Union will also be taking part in the Polly Tournament's semifinals this evening against Sanger, and are poised to get to the title game. The Tribe got a big win over Kingsburg, who it could face in the Polly title game if the Vikings can take down the defending champs. Tulare Union has been led by senior Brayden Stevenson and junior Demaje Riley, both putting up about 15 points per game each and are tough to defend in the open court. The Tribe do not have the greatest strength of schedule, but it continues to stack wins and will look to get a high seed in the D3 Section playoffs.     13. (10) Kingsburg Vikings (12-2)   The Vikings are off and running this season and earned an early season win over D1 powerhouse Clovis West in the opening week of play. However, despite the early upset win, the Vikings move down 3 spots and out of the top 10, coming in at #13. The loss to Tulare Union in the Dinuba Tournament championship is one reason I moved Kingsburg down a bit, but it will have a chance to move back up with wins over the two teams ranked about them in this updated list, and wins the Polly. The Vikings have been led by seniors Jensen Hirschkorn and Peyton Swiney, as well as junior Alex Hanzak and freshman Izayah Perez. Big next few days for the Vikings.    14. (NR)Clovis East Timberwolves (7-6)   The Timberwolves have had an up and down season so far when it comes to wins and losses, but have earned some key wins over Section opponents and make its debut in the Top 20 at #14. The Timberwolves have wins over McLane of Fresno and South Bakersfield convincingly, and have won games with a true team effort this season, with the hopes of getting back senior combo guard Aidan Beechler before the end of the regular season. The Timberwolves will be playing in the Modesto Christian Holiday Hoop Classic this week/weekend and it will have a chance to get some key wins that could help it move up on this list. Clovis East is likely a borderline D1 playoff team but if it ends up in D2, this could be a team to keep an eye on, as it will be battle tested and always well coached.    15. (7 )South Bakersfield Spartans (10-3)   Moving out of the Top 10 for the first time this season and rounding out the top 15 is the Spartans of South Bakersfield. The Spartans got off to a hot 10-0 start with wins over Roosevelt of Fresno, and were cruising through the Clovis West Nike Invitational before hitting a strength of base-D1 teams in Clovis West, Clovis East, and Centennial of Bakersfield, and dropped all three games to those teams.    16. (9) Justin Garza Guardians (Fresno) (7-4)   The Guardians move out of the Top 10 and move down 7 spots to come in at #16. Although the Guardians did get a win over Kingsburg, Atascadero, and Mission Prep of San Luis Obispo, but also had a loss to Central Valley Christian, along with a loss to Buchanan of Clovis and the Yuba City Tournament champs Casa Roble of Orangevale. The Guardians have been led by sophomore Josiah Wilson and will have a chance to move back up this list if it gets significant wins at the Clovis Elks Tournament, in a big match-up with Clovis West Saturday night.    17. (18) Fresno Christian Eagles (8-1)   The Eagles move up one spot to #17 and have won all but one of its games to Selma, which is a tough loss. The Eagles have not played a rugged schedule but it has won most of its games by 20 points or more and showing it has the team to make a run at the D5 Section Title. The schedule does not get much harder and I would expect the Eagles to collect at least 20 wins this season and a high seed in the Section Playoffs.    18. (12) Mission Prep Royals (San Luis Obispo) (5-5)   The Royals have been a reflection of its record this season, as it has earned wins over Bullard and Central East of Fresno, but also have losses to Justin Garza and Bullard with the revenge win to even the score. The Royals will be getting a big time addition with sophomore transfer [player_tooltip player_id='3035416' first='Kason' last='Niko'] coming on board after the start of the new calendar year. The Royals are a team to watch and will likely get a high seed in D2 Section Playoffs if it can go undefeated in league, outside of its two games against St. Joes.    19. (NR) Atascadero Greyhounds (9-4)   The Greyhounds got a big win right after I updated my last round of team rankings against Clovis High. Atascadero got wins over Central East of Fresno and Porterville, but lost to Bullard, Justin Garza of Fresno, and Buchanan of Clovis. The Greyhounds have been led by standout senior [player_tooltip player_id='2920237' first='Shea' last='Buckley'], who is averaging about 24 points per game and is a sleeper in the Section. The Greyhounds will contend for 2nd place in league with the likes of San Luis Obispo and Mission Prep, but have shown it can take down some of the better teams in the Section.    20. (NR) Sanger West Hornets (Fresno) (10-1)   Rounding out the Top 20 and making its debut in these team rankings is the Hornets, coming in at #20. Similar to Fresno Christian and Tulare Union, Sanger West has not played a treacherous schedule thus far, but it keeps on winning and that is the key, beat the teams on your schedule. I have not seen the Hornets live but I have heard good things about this team and it can contend for a D4 Section Title.

As we enter the second week of holiday tournaments, I wanted to update my Top 20 Team Rankings. There is no movement in the top 5, but plenty of movement after that since the end of week 2 of season play with some teams making its debut on this list, and others following out of the Top 20. The Knights of St. Joseph hold strong at #1 but there is plenty of big tournament play over the next week and a half that will likely shake things up again the next time I update this list, in particular the top 5. This article takes a look at the Top 20 teams in the Section for this updated list and includes the following information: team name, its key players (only for those teams new to this list), its current rankings, its ranking from last round of team rankings in parentheses, and its current record.