Steve Harris, Villa Park’s second-year boys’ basketball...

Steve Harris, Villa Park’s second-year boys’ basketball coach, experienced the ecstasy and the agony of pairing day.

Harris, whose team was 3-20 a season ago, leaped into El Modena Coach Joe Rousel’s arms after learning the Spartans (13-11) had received an at-large spot in the Division II-A playoffs.

A half-hour later, it looked as if someone had run over Harris’ puppy. He learned that his team would play at Inglewood.

The Sentinels (23-3) are the third-seeded team and are led by 6-foot-6 Paul Pierce, who has orally committed to Kansas.