CIF-SS Championship Preview: Division 1

We've reached championship week in the CIF Southern Section boys basketball playoffs and the Division 1 matchup between Sherman Oaks Notre Dame and Windward is one of the more intriguing ones on the schedule. The two programs were among the finalists to be selected to the Open Division but instead ended up as two of the top seeds in D1 and will feature a handful of talented, high-scoring guards. Below we take a closer look at how each team got here, their major wins, top players and what each team needs to do to win.   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Notre Dame | 28-3 | Mission League </h4>   How They Got Here: The Knights defeated Crean Lutheran (74-64), Riverside Poly (65-53), Santa Margarita (63-50) and Redondo Union (67-60) to reach the Division 1 final.   Major Non-Playoff Wins: De La Salle (74-70), Harvard-Westlake (59-54)   Key Players: [player_tooltip player_id='1502768' first='Mercy' last='Miller'] | 6-3 | G | the Houston-bound guard is one of the premier scorers in the country. Miller can fill up the scoring column in every way imaginable and makes the difficult shots look like a walk in the park. If there's one guy whose offensive output might not be affected by the arena atmosphere, it's Miller; [player_tooltip player_id='1630643' first='Angelino' last='Mark'] | 6-2 | PG | the junior is among the most dynamic athletes in the state - and probably the country - and his combination of speed and explosive leaping ability makes him a high level transition playmaker for himself and teammates. [player_tooltip player_id='1956483' first='Zachary' last='White'] | 6-5 | F | the sophomore has continued to improve and produce on both ends of the floor this season. White made his name as a glue-guy who defends multiple positions and rebounds in and out of his area on both ends of the floor but he has come a long way offensively. White can slash and finish around the basket and knock down open three's off the catch. Mark Lewis | 6-6 | F | the junior has come up big during this playoff run in the absence of senior center Bronson Schmidt-Uili. Lewis is a capable defender and solid offensive player who can score with touch both inside and outside; [player_tooltip player_id='2131810' first='Caleb' last='Ogbu'] | 6-1 | SG | the sophomore is an important piece on the offensive end because of his ability to shoot the three-ball. Ogbu's floor stretching presence keeps defenses honest and forces them away from loading up to Miller.   How They Win: Notre Dame always seems to get out to a good start offensively because of how versatile Miller and Mark are on that end of the floor, but moving into that arena atmosphere will only heighten the need to get good looks at the rim early and then work out to the three-point line. Defensively against Windward, it's important to limit transition offense as that is where this team excels. Good offense and taking care of the basketball will be key components to keeping the Windward offense at bay.   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Windward | 28-3 | Gold Coast League champions</h4>   How They Got Here: The Wildcats defeated St. Francis (73-66), Los Alamitos (77-75 2OT) and Damien (67-60) to reach the Division 1 final.   Major Non-Playoff Wins: Basha (AZ) (68-55), Clovis North (71-66), Branson (70-61), Etiwanda (55-44)   Key Players: [player_tooltip player_id='1630623' first='Gavin' last='Hightower'] | 6-0 | PG | the junior is an elite transition finisher and playmaker for teammates. Hightower's speed, ability to change direction and crafty finishing ability in the lane makes him one of the best open court players in the state; [player_tooltip player_id='2323686' first='JJ' last='Harris'] | 6-5 | WF | Harris' impact is of the two-way variety because, at 6-feet-5, he's normally the tallest player on the floor for Windward in any lineup they put out there and his switchable defensive presence and rebounding abilities are highly important for the Wildcats. Harris is also a very good slasher and finisher and hits open three's with consistency; [player_tooltip player_id='1630647' first='Jeremiah' last='Hampton'] | 6-3 | SG | the junior closed the season strong and has carried that momentum over into the postseason. Hampton is a physical driver and scorer to his left hand who can also stretch the floor out to the three-point line; Louis Bond | 6-4 | WF | Bond does a nice job of fitting in and finding his role on a game-by-game basis. Sometimes he's needed to defend a bigger or smaller player, other times he has to step up offensively. No matter what, Windward can rely on something positive out of the junior; Nasir Luna | 6-4 | G/F | Luna is much like Bond where his role changes depending on what the team needs. What we like most about the senior is his willingness to compete and do the dirty work on both ends of the floor.   How They Win: There are two keys to the game that I see for Windward: First, find a way to slow down [player_tooltip player_id='1502768' first='Mercy' last='Miller'] and turn him into a high volume, low percentage scorer. If Miller is scoring 20 or more points on 15 or more shots, the Wildcats will likely chalk that up as a win. Secondly, find a way to speed Notre Dame up, force live ball turnovers and get out on the break where their offense is most effective.

We've reached championship week in the CIF Southern Section boys basketball playoffs and the Division 1 matchup between Sherman Oaks Notre Dame and Windward is one of the more intriguing ones on the schedule. The two programs were among the finalists to be selected to the Open Division but instead ended up as two of the top seeds in D1 and will feature a handful of talented, high-scoring guards. Below we take a closer look at how each team got here, their major wins, top players and what each team needs to do to win.