THE PREPS : Boys’ Division II Regionals : Tustin Faces Versatile Madison

Tustin High School’s basketball team will have to contend with an opponent known for its quickness, rebounding and team balance when the Tillers play San Diego Madison in the first round of the Southern California Division II regional playoffs tonight at 7:30 at Torrey Pines High School.

Madison (26-2), which last Friday won the first San Diego Section championship (Division II) in its 26-year history by defeating Kearny, 54-53, is the second-seeded team in the eight-team tournament.

Tustin (24-6) is seeded seventh.

“I’ve only heard that they’re real quick and they like to run,” Tustin Coach Tom McCluskey said. “I guess we’ll have to get back on defense.”

Tustin will also have to work on its shooting. In its 58-54 overtime loss to Kennedy Saturday night in the Southern Section 3-A championship game, Tustin shot only 33% from the field.

Tustin will match 6-foot 6-inch center Leo Parker, who averages 20 points and 9 rebounds, against Madison’s 6-7 center, Jeff Alexander, who averages 11.4 points and 10 rebounds.

Madison also starts 6-3 forward Robby Robinson, 6-5 forward Andre Mitchell, 6-2 off-guard Jeff Harper and 5-11 point guard Wes Bertelson.

Robinson, Mitchell and Harper average about 15 points each. Robinson also averages 13 rebounds to lead a team strong on the boards. Friday night, Madison outrebounded Kearny, 43-25.

Bertelson, who averages 4 assists and 4 steals, leads the Madison defense.

“We’re not great in any one aspect,” Madison Coach Jim Thompson said. “But we’re great in overall team balance.”

Thompson said one of his team’s strengths is its ability to quickly adapt to different situations.

“We like to run, but we can slow it down,” he said. “Defensely, we’ll go man or zone, but we’ll press if the tempo needs to be picked up. And we’d try a box-and-one if we had to. . . . We’ve used them all before.

“Basically we’re able to adapt.”

Along with Parker, Tustin is led by forwards Brad Cantrell and Lunyon Maxwell and point guard B. LeSean London.