SOUTHERN SECTION BOYS’ BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS

DIVISION II-AA

Defending champion: Inglewood, now in Division II-A.

Top teams: Riverside J.W. North (20-3), Pasadena (20-5), El Monte Arroyo (22-3), La Crescenta Crescenta Valley (24-1).

Dark horse: Trabuco Hills (16-10). The Mustangs finished second in the South Coast League, behind Mater Dei.

Top players: Josh Amstone (Arroyo), Frank Brown (Beverly Hills), Chris Burgess (Woodbridge), Mike Campuzano (Garden Grove), Marshall Freeman (Palm Desert), Mike Garrett (Santa Barbara), Derek Hodges (Pasadena), Brian Hooks (J.W. North), Brock Jacobsen (Crescenta Valley), Blake Jacobson (Crescenta Valley), Tyler Kalklosch (Mission Viejo), Dan McDonald (Ocean View), Dylan Pope (Riverside Poly), Gordon Scott (Pasadena).

Notes: Trabuco Hills and Huntington Beach meet in the first round. Last season, Tony Gonzalez, now at California, led Huntington Beach to a second-round 81-69 victory over Trabuco Hills. . . . Crescenta Valley lost to Long Beach Poly, 71-60, in the Division I-AA final last season. The Falcons defeated Santa Ana Valley in the semifinals. Crescenta Valley is led by guard Jacobsen, who averages 27 points, and 6-foot-9 center Jacobson. Jacobsen has signed with University of San Diego and Jacobson will play at Navy next season. . . . Crescenta Valley meets Beverly Hills and its talented center, Brown, who averages 22 points, in the first round. . . . Garden Grove (14-11), the co-champion of the Garden Grove League, has a tough draw, playing at Cerritos Gahr in the first round, then third-seeded Arroyo awaits in the second round.

DIVISION II-A

Defending champion: Bellflower St. John Bosco, now in Division I-AA.

Top teams: Tustin (24-1), Compton Dominguez (24-2), Inglewood (23-3), Santa Margarita(23-2).

Dark horse: La Puente Bishop Amat (14-12). The Lancers are young and could sneak into a quarterfinal meeting with Inglewood if they beat Brea Olinda and Katella or El Modena.

Top players: Dan Almquist (Foothill), Matt Bodiford (Brea Olinda), James Brown (Dominguez), Kenny Brunner (Dominguez), Eric Chenowith (Villa Park), LaByron Clayton (Katella), Duane Curtis (Pasadena Muir), Doug Gottlieb (Tustin), Rico Harris (Temple City), Allen Krist (Santa Margarita), David Lalazarian (Tustin), Dustin Miller (El Dorado), Paul Pierce (Inglewood), Thomas Prince (Dominguez), James Rivera (Valencia), Mike Scaglione (Laguna Hills), Jan Thomas (Inglewood), Ryan Villmer (El Modena), Dennis Washington (Brawley).

Notes: Jelani Gardner, now at California, led St. John Bosco to a 55-54 victory over Dominguez in last year’s Division II-A final. Dominguez reached the final by thrashing Tustin, 70-35. Top-seeded Tustin has been waiting a year for a rematch and could meet second-seeded Dominguez at The Pond if the draw holds to form. The Tillers won’t see a league champion until the semifinals. . . . Dominguez opens against neighborhood rival Compton and has a tougher draw than Tustin. The Dons most likely will have to beat Kansas-bound Paul Pierce and Inglewood to get to the final. Inglewood defeated Dominguez in a tournament in Las Vegas, but the Dons won a double-overtime rematch in the Best of the West tournament. . . . Santa Margarita, which won the Division III-AA title last season, is seeded fourth despite a loss Friday to Corona del Mar. . . . Harris, a 6-foot-8 senior from Temple City, averages 27 points and 14 rebounds and is being recruited by Long Beach State and Oregon, among others. Temple City could meet Tustin in the quarterfinals. . . . Muir’s Curtis, a 6-3 guard, is the division’s leading scorer at 28 points.

DIVISION V-AA

Defending champion: North Hollywood Campbell Hall.

Top teams: Pasadena Poly (20-2), Los Angeles Brentwood (20-3), Van Nuys Montclair Prep (20-4), St. Margaret’s (19-4).

Dark horse: Campbell Hall (10-13). Defending champions always deserve consideration.

Top players: Reed Berglund (Montclair Prep), Josh Cameron (Southern California Christian), Demetrius Ingram (Campbell Hall), Andrew Jennings (Capistrano Valley Christian), Ross Ketcham (San Luis Obispo Mission Prep), Steve Kimble (Huntington Beach Claremont), Teddy Miller (Brentwood), Damian Raibon (St. Margaret’s), Robert Reeder (Pasadena Poly).

Notes: SCC’s Josh Cameron, the county’s scoring average leader at 29 points, leads the Flames into a first-round game against Huntington Beach Claremont. . . . Other county teams in the bracket include Capistrano Valley Christian, which is playing host to Avalon in a wild-card game today, and fourth-seeded St. Margaret’s. . . . Raibon, a 6-4 swingman who averaged 22 points and shot 59% from the field, leads St. Margaret’s. He has signed a letter of intent with the University of San Francisco.

DIVISION V-A

Defending champion: Los Angeles Pacific Hills.

Top teams: Santa Maria Valley Christian (21-3), Los Angeles Pilgrim (18-4), Palos Verdes Rolling Hills Prep (19-1), Lee Vining (6-11).

Dark horse: Pacific Hills (12-11). A Delphic League at-large entry, the defending champion could challenge in the top half of the draw.

Top players: Majid Amorajabi (Rolling Hills Prep), Juan Barahona (Pacific Hills), Chad Bickley (Santa Maria Valley Christian), Phil Loya (Hemet Baptist Christian), Robert McClung (Liberty Christian), Ryan Potter (Apple Valley Christian), Jason Riley (Long Beach Praise Temple).

Notes: Orangewood Academy (14-6), in its first year of varsity competition, qualified for the playoffs as a free-lance team. The Spartans will play host to Long Beach Gethsemane Baptist in the first round. . . . Bickley, a 6-1 guard, averages 30 points and eight assists for Valley Christian. Bickley scored a section record 79 points in one game this season.