Buena Should Be No. 1, Not Oxnard

The Buena High girls and the Oxnard boys will take long winning streaks into the Southern Section basketball playoffs this week, but they’ll probably end up with vastly different seedings when playoff pairings are announced today.

Buena (25-0), the top-ranked girls’ team in the nation by USA Today, is expected to receive the No. 1 seeding in girls’ Division I-A. The Bulldogs are seeking their first section title since 1997 and seventh overall.

Oxnard (23-3), top-ranked boys’ team in the region by The Times, has won 13 consecutive games. But the Yellowjackets might not be seeded among the top eight teams in the Division I-AAA tournament.

Oxnard was 8-0 in Pacific View League play for the third consecutive season, but the Yellowjackets were ranked ninth in Division I-AAA at the start of last week.

Oxnard’s seeding won’t be helped by the Yellowjackets’ upset loss to Warren, 56-53, in the second round of the Division I-AA playoffs last year.

The boys’ playoffs start Wednesday and the girls’ begin Thursday.

In the girls’ playoffs, Ventura (19-5) is in line for a No. 4 seeding in Division I-A after finishing second to Buena in the Channel League.

Newbury Park (20-7) entered the week ranked No. 4 in Division II-A but will have to overcome powers Artesia, Redondo Union and Muir to capture its first section title since 1995.

Harvard-Westlake (22-5) figures to receive a No. 3 seeding in Division III-AA. The Wolverines had little trouble in the Mission League and are strong candidates to reach the state playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.

Oak Park (19-5), which finished Tri-Valley League play undefeated for the first time, is expected to receive either a No. 3 or 4 seeding in Division IV-AA.

Delphic League champion Montclair Prep (21-0), one of only two undefeated teams in the region, is ranked No. 3 in Division V-AA and must get past No. 1 Brethren Christian and No. 2 Pasadena Poly to secure its first section girls’ title.

Oaks Christian, a free-lance school in its first season, finished 17-7 despite having only freshmen and sophomores. The Lions, ranked No. 3 last week in Division V-A, should have little trouble securing an at-large berth.

Crespi, co-Mission League champion with Notre Dame, could be the only boys’ team from the region to receive a No. 1 seeding.

The Celts (19-6) were the top-ranked team in Division IV-AA at the start of last week and should retain that spot after beating Loyola on Wednesday and Alemany on Thursday to clinch a share of their first league title since 1992.

Thousand Oaks, Crescenta Valley, Notre Dame, Buckley, Kilpatrick, Antelope Valley Christian and Stoneridge Prep were ranked among the top four teams in their divisions at the start of last week. But Thousand Oaks and Crescenta Valley might drop from the No. 3 and 4 spots in Division I-AA after losing games.

Thousand Oaks (20-5) clinched the Marmonte League title with a 75-56 victory at Newbury Park on Friday. But the Lancers lost to Simi Valley, 73-65, on Wednesday.

Crescenta Valley finished the regular season 20-6, but a 63-48 loss to Pacific League champion Muir on Tuesday could cost the Falcons a top-four seeding.

Notre Dame (20-5) shouldn’t lose its No. 4 ranking in Division III-AA after beating Loyola and Harvard-Westlake last week, but Buckley (21-3) could fall from its No. 3 spot in Division V-AA after a 68-54 loss to unranked Yeshiva on Thursday.

Kilpatrick (22-1), ranked fourth in Division V-AA, and Antelope Valley Christian (18-6), second in Division V-A, should at least maintain those positions after each posted 2-0 records last week.

Stoneridge Prep, third in Division V-A, split two games last week, but the Tigers’ loss was a two-point decision to Shalhevet, a Division V-AA team.

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Staff Writer Dave Desmond contributed to this story.