SOUTHERN SECTION BOYS’ BASKETBALL PREVIEW : Glendora Will Have Guards Up Against Tustin

Cameron Murray and Adam Jacobsen, two of the best shooting guards in the Southern Section, will lead undefeated Glendora High School against Tustin at 7:30 tonight in the Southern Section II-AA semifinals at Ocean View High in Huntington Beach.

Murray, the sophomore brother of UCLA standout Tracy Murray, averages 20.6 points and 4.6 assists per game. He is rated as the best sophomore in the state by most college scouts and recruiters.

Jacobsen, a three-point specialist, averages 19.6 points and is hitting 42% of his three-pointers. Glendora has won 29 consecutive games and is the only undefeated team in the section.

“They’re obviously doing something right, they’re 29-0,” said Tustin Coach Tom McCluskey. “We’re going to have to play our best game of the year just to stay close to them. We need to be better on the offensive end of the floor than we’ve been in any of our playoff games or it’s going to be a long night.”

Tustin (22-7) has won two very close playoff games to reach the semifinals, coming back from a nine-point deficit in the last three minutes to beat Cerritos Gahr, 50-48, and then upsetting fourth-seeded Pasadena Muir, 62-60, in the quarterfinals.

Glendora hasn’t been tested in postseason play, winning three games by an average margin of 40 points.

“Glendora’s guards are well-publicized and rightfully so,” McCluskey said. “But we’re going to have a real problem matching up with their two big guys (6-foot-8 center David Mitchell and 6-6 forward Brandon Lee).

“They’re as well coached as any team in the state. They never beat themselves and defend awfully well.”

Glendora Coach Mike LeDuc has mutual admiration for Tustin, the defending State Division II champion.

“Tustin is as well coached as any team we’ll play this year,” LeDuc said. “They have experience in tournament play and are as mentally tough as any team we’ve played this year.

“They have the talent to go along with the experience. I think this game is a great challenge for both of us.”

Glendora and Tustin met in a summer league game at Westmont College, but Murray was hurt and Lee had yet to join the team. LeDuc said Glendora won big.

“It was a low-key, up-tempo game where very little defense was played,” LeDuc said. “I’m sure it won’t be anything like this game.”

In Division I-AA:

Long Beach Jordan (22-6) vs. Capistrano Valley (26-3) at Saddleback College: Everett Ratleff, the most valuable player in the Moore League, leads Jordan with a 16.6 scoring average. Guard Keon Fontenot (10.5 points) and center Deandrae Smith (9.9 points, 7.9 rebounds) are returning starters for the division’s defending champions. Cougar guard Tom Airey continues to close in on former Rolling Hills star Steve Clover’s section career record of 266 three-point shots. Airey has 250 three-pointers in three seasons, including 119 this year. Forward Matt Moore has received medical clearance to play after suffering from an ear infection.

In Division I-A:

Ventura Buena (22-5) vs. Mater Dei (29-1) at Bren Center: Buena averaged 78.7 points per game in Channel League play and has increased its offensive production to 84.6 points in three playoff games. Guard Lance Fay is the section’s leading scorer, averaging 30.3 points and 6.9 assists per game. Reggie Geary will draw the assignment of trying to contain Fay. Mater Dei needed all of sophomore Miles Simon’s 24 points to defeat Dominguez, 54-46, in the quarterfinals. Mater Dei has defeated Capistrano Valley, Servite, Santa Margarita and Bishop Amat in the Bren Center.

In Division II-A:

Trabuco Hills (23-5) vs. Ridgecrest Burroughs (17-6) at Trona High: It’s a four-hour bus trip to Trona for Trabuco Hills. Coach Rainer Wulf said his team played so poorly in a 53-41 quarterfinal victory over Mission Viejo that he gave player-of-the-game honors to the student who videotapes the Mustangs’ games. “They’ll have a tremendous home-court advantage, which is an intangible, but we have a front line of 6-10, 6-7, 6-6, which is a tangible,” Wulf said. Burroughs’ tallest player, 6-6 Travis McCollum, is only 170 pounds and should be no match for Trabuco Hills’ Gavin Vanderputten.

Kennedy (22-6) vs. San Marcos (23-5) at Santa Barbara City College: Two of the section’s best big men, Jermaine Galloway of Kennedy and Rob Ramaker of San Marcos, will be featured. Galloway, who has signed with DePaul, averages 20.4 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. Ramaker, who has signed with UC Santa Barbara, averages 22.4 points and 12.2 rebounds per game. Ramaker is the school’s career scoring and rebounding leader.

In Division III-AA:

Morningside (19-6) vs. Servite (16-11) at Valencia High: This is a rematch of last year’s Division III-A championship game that Servite won, 49-46. Junior guard Stais Boseman leads Morningside with a 17.7 scoring average and is closely followed by teammate Dominic Ellison at 17.3. Morningside’s 6-foot-9 center, Pauliasi Taulava, could create problems for Servite. Forward Adam Anderson is attempting to add a second consecutive sectional title to state championship he won as a sophomore.

Estancia (22-6) vs. Compton Centennial (19-8) at Compton College: Estancia will have a decided height advantage with 6-7 forwards Matt Fuerbringer and Jeff Byrne and center Jim Faulkner (6-4) in the lineup. Centennial relies on the quickness of guard Levi Watson (16.5 points) and forward Len Walton (11.7 points). Centennial lost to El Dorado, a team that Estancia beat in the second round of the playoffs.

In Division V-AA:

Brethren Christian (26-2) vs. North Hollywood Campbell Hall (19-7) at Westlake-Harvard: Brethren Christian, the division’s top-seeded team, is led by forward Chiron Hart. Hart averages 17.4 points, seven rebounds and 3.5 assists. Center Alexander Lopez, a 6-10 sophomore, averages 12.2 points and 6.6 rebounds per game and for Campbell Hall.