PREP PLAYOFF PREVIEWS

BOYS * SIMI VALLEY (20-5) vs. LONG BEACH POLY (17-9)

At Long Beach Poly High, 7:30 p.m.

Long Beach Poly is the No. 1-seeded team in Southern Section Division I-AA and the defending champion. Poly beat Crescenta Valley, 71-60, in the final last season for the 14th Southern Section title in school history. Top players are USC-bound senior swingman Damion Dawson, senior forward Josh Newburn and sophomore point guard Michael McDonald. Poly, the Moore League champion, had a bye in the first round. Simi Valley beat Arcadia, 63-53, in the first round. The Pioneers have not lost to a team outside the Marmonte League. Simi Valley’s leading scorers are Dan Van Etten (13.6 points per game) and Anthony Tauriello (12.5), who also averages 10 assists.

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* REDLANDS (20-7) vs. WESTLAKE (18-4)

At Westlake High, 7:30 p.m.

Redlands is led by all-league players Mike Allen and Nick Day. Junior forward Chris Harvey scored 30 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the Terriers’ 67-60 victory over San Gabriel in a Division I-AA opener Tuesday. Westlake will also have to worry about Redlands’ 6-foot-9 center Russ Bryden, particularly since Warrior 6-9 center Nick Alexander was kicked off the team for disciplinary reasons this week. Westlake, which had a first-round bye, is led by junior point guard Steve Aylsworth (16.5 points and 4.6 assists per game) and senior forward Matt Smiley (14.4 points).

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* CARSON (15-9) vs. CHATSWORTH (21-4)

At Chatsworth, 7:30 p.m.

This is a City Section Division 4-A opener. Carson handed Chatsworth its only non-tournament loss with a 81-77 victory in December. Since that game, Carson has added junior guard Mike Lewis, a transfer from Inglewood who averages 12 points a game. The Colts’ leading scorer is senior forward Bobby Terrell, who averaged 16 points and nine rebounds. Chatsworth was 11-0 in the Northwest Valley Conference and hasn’t lost since the Artesia tournament in December. Carson finished fourth in the Southern League.

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* NORTH HOLLYWOOD (14-9) vs. CRENSHAW (20-5)

At Crenshaw, 7:30 p.m.

Top-seeded Crenshaw is the two-time defending City 4-A and State Division I champion. The Cougars return only one starter, 6-6 swingman Ronnie Arch who is averaging 22 points. Crenshaw will have a distinct height advantage with Raymond Palmer (6-7), Corey Williams (6-5) and three other players who are 6-3. The Huskies will counter with 6-8 sophomore Shannon Johnson (12.3 points, 12.7 rebounds, 4.3 blocks a game) and senior Terry Smith-Harris (9.4 rebounds). North Hollywood guard Arthur Lee averages 23 points.

GIRLS

* GARFIELD (17-5) vs. TAFT (17-2)

At Taft, 7:30 p.m.

Taft, the West Valley League champion, enters the City 4-A opener led by guard Nyoki McKeith, who is averaging 14.9 points, six assists and five steals. Garfield, second in the Southeast League, is the only team to defeat No. 3-seeded Roosevelt (18-1). Freshman guard Karina Chavez is averaging 13.5 points for a team that has no player taller than 5 feet 6.

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* LOCKE (20-6) vs. NORTH HOLLYWOOD (19-2)

At North Hollywood, 7:30 p.m.

Despite a 16-game winning streak and its eighth league championship in nine seasons, North Hollywood is seeded seventh in the 16-team City 4-A playoffs. Locke, third in the Southeast League, features forward Shamekka Higgins, who is averaging 15 points, forward Tanisha Turner (12) and guard Donna Dumas (10.2). North Hollywood guard Anna Celaya is averaging 25.3 points. * Complete high school playoff schedule, Page 12.