Boys’ basketball: Gold Coast League begins with huge games

One of the best leagues in Southern California is the Gold Coast. It’s loaded with ambitious small school private school basketball programs, led by No. 2-ranked Sierra Canyon.

League play begins on Wednesday with Sierra Canyon playing at Crossroads. Unfortunately, Crossroads will not be at full strength. Former Sierra Canyon standout Ira Lee, coming back from off-season shoulder surgery, is not expected to make his season debut until Friday against Brentwood. Shareef O’Neal, who missed games last week, is day to day.

That doesn’t mean Crossroads will be a pushover. The team has been playing very good defense, led by Jacob Ray.

There are no weak teams in a league that incluees Sierra Canyon (10-1), Paraclete (13-1), Brentwood (10-2), Windward (13-3), Crossroads (11-4), McAuliffe (6-3), Viewpoint (10-5) and Campbell Hall (4-6).

At the end of the season, there’s a conference tournament.

The league is also known for its outstanding girls’ teams.

Sierra Canyon (11-1) and Windward (8-2) are scheduled to meet on Jan. 17 at Windward.

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