Southern California Regional State Basketball Tournament : McKnight Irked at Seedings

Mater Dei High School, which traveled to Cincinnati, Atlantic City and Philadelphia for preseason games this season, drew an opening round game in Fresno on Tuesday night in the Southern California Division I regional basketball playoffs.

As far as Gary McKnight, Mater Dei coach, is concerned, that’s one trip too many for his team after the Monarchs won their fourth straight Southern Section 5-A division title on Saturday night.

Mater Dei (21-7) will meet Central Section 4-A division champion Fresno Hoover (26-1) in the first round of the eight-team division. The winner will likely meet the state’s top-ranked team, Crenshaw, in the second round on Thursday night. Crenshaw opens against Los Angeles Jordan.

Perennial 4-A City power Crenshaw (26-0) is the top-seeded team, followed by 4-A division champion Simi Valley (27-3), City runnerup Manual Arts (23-3) and Hoover (26-1). Mater Dei, unseeded in the Southern Section playoffs, was seeded fifth in the regionals.

“We win the 5-A division and go on the road?” McKnight said. “Look at our record. We went to Cincinnati to play Purcell Marian. We went to Philadelphia to play St. Nicholas. We put our tails on the line against Capistrano Valley and Ocean View and played Bishop Amat twice in league.

Dean Crowley, the Southern Section’s associate commissioner, said representatives from the Southern, Central, San Diego and City sections met on Sunday morning to determine the seedings.

“We decided the top four seeds in each division deserved a home game,” he said. “Mater Dei was not among the top four, so they travel for the first round.”

McKnight was not convinced: “Who did Hoover play in the preseason? I don’t mind the prospect of playing Crenshaw in the second round if we win Tuesday night. But still, we win the 5-A title and have to travel? That’s not right.”

Mater Dei and Kennedy, seeded fourth in Division II, have more losses (seven) than any other boys team in the top two divisions. But Kennedy drew a home game against Torrey Pines (28-2) in the first round.

Every Southern Section champion and runnerup drew a berth in the regionals with the exception of Capistrano Valley (26-5). Simi Valley defeated Capistrano Valley, 70-64, in overtime in the 4-A title game.

Three county teams--Kennedy (22-7), Woodbridge (22-6) and Tustin (24-6)--earned berths in Division II play but only Kennedy drew a home game. Defending state champion Woodbridge travels to San Diego Kearny (24-5). Tustin, runnerup in the 3-A division, travels to San Diego Madison (26-2).

Woodbridge’s girls team also will participate in the regionals. Woodbridge (25-6) travels to Fresno Sanger (25-6) in the first round.