SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFF PREVIEWS

Division I-AA

Simi Valley center Pero Vasiljevic leads the Pioneers (17-8) at Jordan (24-3), champion of the Moore League. Vasiljevic, a 6-foot-9 senior, averages 24.7 points and 11.7 rebounds. He had 28 points and 14 rebounds Wednesday in a 77-66 victory over Rialto in a wild-card game. . . . Palmdale (17-9), third in the Golden League, plays at Victor Valley (23-2), champion of the Citrus Belt League. Steve Eernisse averages 20 points for Palmdale and Markus Carr averages 15. Both are juniors. . . . Area scoring leader John Burrell, who averages 30 points, leads Golden League champion Highland (16-9), which plays host to Santa Ana Valley (10-15), the third-place team from the Century League. . . . Antelope Valley (18-7), loser of two of its past four games, plays host to Lynwood (15-9), second in the San Gabriel Valley League. Tony Walker averages 14.4 points, while Le’tre Kelly averages 12.3 rebounds and Milton Wynn averages 10.2 rebounds. . . . Agoura (14-8), third in the Marmonte League, plays at Hoover (15-9), which won the Pacific League title after going 0-10 in league play last season. Both teams have four players averaging double figures in scoring. Sophomore Marc Hull (12.3) leads Hoover, senior Brian Laibow (18.2) leads Agoura.

Division I-A

Tenacious defense helped Canyon (17-8) to a second-place finish in the Foothill League. The Cowboys play host to Oxnard (14-9), third in the Channel League. Canyon’s offense depends on Ruben Castaneda (14.3 scoring average), Brian Wallace (11.2) and Louis Moore (10.2). Oxnard’s top scorer is Dan Sweeney (14.2), who also averages 6.8 rebounds. . . . Crescenta Valley (18-7), an at-large team from the Pacific League, plays at Damien (12-14), third in the Baseline League. Crescenta Valley finished fourth in league play, but don’t be fooled. The Falcons, in the playoffs for the 11th consecutive year, have the best overall record of any Pacific League team. Senior forward Nathan Sinning averages 21.2 points and senior center Mike Greco averages 10.4 rebounds. . . . Saugus (11-13), an at-large entry from the Foothill League, plays at Westminster (11-14), second in the Golden West League. The Centurions have lost six of their last seven since beginning league play with three consecutive victories. Major Sherard (15.2 scoring average) leads the Centurions. . . . Rio Mesa (13-11), an at-large entry from the Channel League, travels to Valencia High to face Foothill League champion Hart (19-7), winner of six in a row. The Indians are led by Cory Johnson, who is averaging 17 points. . . . Burbank (14-10), third in the Foothill League, plays at Buena (15-9) second in the Channel League. Don Allado, Juni Williams and Matt Baker each average more than 13 points for Burbank. Ceneka Shaw of Buena averages 15.7 points and 11.3 rebounds.

Division II-AA

Burroughs (13-11), at-large entry from the Foothill League, plays at Santa Barbara (18-7), champion of the Channel League. Jorge Sotomayor and J.K. Scott each average 16.1 points for Burroughs.

Division II-A

Ventura (14-9), which squeezed in as the Channel League’s fourth-place entry, plays at Paso Robles (13-9), champion of the Los Padres League. Charles Dixon leads the Cougars with 17.4 and eight rebounds a game. Donte Lincoln, who averages 14.5 points, and Christian Gallagher, who averages 10.7, are major contributors. . . . Marmonte League champion Westlake (19-8), with four players scoring in double figures, plays host to Katella (17-7), third in the Empire League. Steve Aylsworth leads the Warriors with averages of 17.7 points and four assists. . . . Alemany (15-11), which rallied to finish second to top-ranked Harvard-Westlake in the Mission League, plays at Troy (17-8), second-place entry from the Freeway League. Adrian Pantoja (14.6) leads Alemany in scoring and Mario Thompson leads the region with 153 steals.

Division III-AA

Moorpark (17-10), second in the Frontier League, plays host to Dos Pueblos. Sophomore center Kevin Lawrence averages 16.8 points and 8.2 rebounds for the Musketeers. Calabasas (15-11), an at-large entry from the Frontier League, defeated Pacifica, 60-58, Wednesday and plays at Sonora, second in the Freeway League. Guard Ryan Coleman averages 17.9 points for Calabasas.

Division III-A

Defending champion Harvard-Westlake (22-2), which plays host to Covina, is the team to beat. The Wolverines, whose only losses came in December tournaments in Florida and Delaware, breezed to a second consecutive Mission League title behind the play of 6-11 twins Jason and Jarron Collins. Jason averages 17.7 points and 11.7 rebounds. . . . Corona del Mar, a 52-46 winner over Chaminade in a wild-card game Wednesday, plays at La Canada (22-4), which capped the season with its 51st consecutive Rio Hondo League victory and ninth consecutive league title. Danny Bush averages 19.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.8 steals for the Spartans.

Division IV-AA

Oak Park (16-7), three-time Tri-Valley League champion and a section quarterfinalist the past three seasons, plays host to Laguna Beach (10-12), an at-large team from the Pacific Coast League. Junior guard Randy Gastwirt averages 16.9 for the Eagles. . . . Paraclete (11-11), High Desert runner-up, plays host to St. Bernard, an at-large entry from the Del Rey League. Danny Stephens averages 12.2 for Paraclete.

Division IV-A

Alpha League champion L.A. Baptist (19-5) plays host to Mojave (11-13), third in the High Desert League. Four players average more than 11 points for L.A. Baptist, which averages 25 steals. . . . Village Christian (13-12), third in the Alpha League, plays at Verbum Dei (14-9), champion of the Camino Real League. Village Christian is led by guards Kiko Banos (17.4 points) and Aaron Kendrick (13.3). . . . Sherman Indian, third in the Arrowhead League, plays at Bell-Jeff (19-5), champion of the Santa Fe League. The Guards, winners of 11 in a row, are led by Ruben Douglas (20.3) and 6-5 center Elihu Cobb (15.5). . . . Brian Fay (24.8) and Providence (15-8), second in the Liberty League, play host to Cantwell Sacred Heart, second in the Camino Real League. . . . Frontier League champion Santa Clara (20-4) plays host to Brethren Christian (7-14), third in the Olympic League. Santa Clara is led by Lukman Dotson (17.5) and Adam Lopez (17.4).

Division V-AA

Don’t expect top-seeded Montclair Prep (21-3) to be challenged by Le Lycee (8-12), which finished fourth in the Westside League. . . . Boron (17-2), second in the Desert Mountain League, plays at Campbell Hall (14-11), second in the Delphic League. Demetrius Ingram averages 15 points to lead Campbell Hall. . . . Valley Torah (10-6), second in the Valley League, plays at Milken Community (15-3), second in the Westside League. Ep Mooris (11.4) is one of three scorers averaging in double figures for Valley Torah. . . . Holy Martyrs (10-11), third in the Liberty League, plays at Capistrano Valley Christian (17-7), champion of the Academy League.

Division V-A

Cornerstone Christian, fourth in the Condor League, plays at Maricopa, second in the Coast Valley League. . . . First Lutheran (13-8), third in the Heritage League, plays at Antelope Valley Christian (20-0), Agape League champion.