Wild-Card Matchups Get Playoffs Rolling

The Southern Section boys’ basketball playoffs begin today with wild-card games in divisions I-A, I-AA, II-A and II-AA and first-round games in the remaining divisions.

Defending section champions include Los Angeles Verbum Dei in Division IV-A, Palos Verdes Estates Rolling Hills Prep in Division V-AA and L.A. Price in Division V-A. None of the No. 1-seeded teams in the top three divisions won section titles last year.

Among the top-seeded teams, only Etiwanda, Oxnard, Compton Centennial and Riverside King have never won section titles, but only Oxnard has never played in a championship game.

Compton Centennial will try to end a three-game losing streak in the division finals.

A division-by-division look at the playoffs:

DIVISION I-AA

Defending champion: Rialto Eisenhower

Seeded teams: 1. Etiwanda (25-1); 2. Long Beach Poly (23-3); 3. Palmdale Highland (23-3); 4. Fontana Miller (20-4).

Dark horse: Lynwood has played a very tough schedule, defeating Reseda Cleveland and Fresno Central and losing two close games to Compton Dominguez and another to Compton Centennial, both seeded No. 1 in their respective divisions.

Outlook: Etiwanda and Long Beach Poly should survive to meet in one of the more evenly matched championship games. If there are obstacles along the way, look for them to come from one of the battle-tested San Gabriel Valley League teams, Lynwood or Downey.

DIVISION I-A

Defending champion: Los Angeles Loyola

Seeded teams: 1. Oxnard (25-1); 2. Glendora (27-1); 3. Lake Forest El Toro (21-5); 4. Mission Viejo (21-5).

Dark horse: San Bernardino Arroyo Valley has emerged as an Inland Empire power in only its second varsity season. The Hawks lost to Glendora by six points last month, one of only three losses this season. Among their victories is a one-point win over Downey on Dec. 30.

Outlook: While Glendora and Oxnard have impressive records, El Toro and Mission Viejo have gone head-to-head against better opponents -- twice against each other.

Unless fatigue becomes a factor, one of these South Coast League teams should reach the final.

DIVISION II-AA

Defending champion: Bellflower St. John Bosco

Seeded teams: 1. Riverside King (23-4); 2. Mission Viejo Capistrano Valley (23-3); 3. Loyola (18-7); 4. Cathedral City (24-2).

Dark horse: Don’t overlook Santa Barbara. Among its four losses are a six-point setback to City Section power L.A. Dorsey and an eight-point loss to Oxnard, the top-seeded team in Division I-A. Taylor Rochestie, a 6-foot-1 senior guard, is averaging 22.2 points for the Dons and has been held to single digits only once.

Outlook: Capistrano Valley Coach Brian Mulligan was worried how two losses in the final week of the regular season would affect his team in the playoffs. On the other end of the bracket, top-seeded Riverside King has won 15 in a row since losing to Loyola on Dec. 30.

DIVISION II-A

Defending champion: Santa Ana Mater Dei

Seeded teams: 1. Compton Dominguez (22-5); 2. Mater Dei (21-4); 3. Lakewood Mayfair (23-3); 4. Irvine Woodbridge (21-6).

Dark horse: It will take a yeoman’s effort to knock off either of the top two teams before the final. If any team has the personnel to cause them problem, it’s Fullerton. The Indians’ frontcourt includes Darren Fells, a 6-7, 250-pound forward who has signed with UC Irvine, and 6-11 junior center Brett Hoerner.

Outlook: If Dominguez and Mater Dei play to their potential, they should meet in a classic final. Mater Dei defeated the Dons, 91-88, in mid-December, but has shown chinks in its armor lately, particularly when it comes to making three-point shots. Dominguez has added 6-7 forward LaMar Roberson to its roster since it last played the Monarchs, and he has emerged as an offensive threat.

DIVISION III-AA

Defending champion: Lakewood Artesia

Seeded teams: 1. Santa Margarita (23-3); 2. Huntington Beach Ocean View (21-6); 3. Calabasas (22-4); 4. Atascadero (22-2).

Dark horse: Palm Desert reached the Division III-AA final two years ago and last week upset Cathedral City, seeded fourth in Division II-AA. The Aztecs would face Santa Margarita in the quarterfinals, but that might be a good time to catch the Eagles napping.

Outlook: Santa Margarita and Ocean View would make for an evenly matched final. Both have size up front, high-scoring shooting guards and very experienced coaches. They’ve also fared well against the state’s best. Santa Margarita beat Mater Dei last week and Ocean View lost in double overtime to L.A. Fairfax last month.

DIVISION III-A

Defending champion: North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake

Seeded teams: 1. Compton Centennial (24-2); 2. Harvard-Westlake (17-7); 3. Torrance Bishop Montgomery (22-3); 4. La Canada (24-2)

Dark horse: Pasadena Marshall has a victory over La Canada this season and a legitimate scorer in Rawlston Charles, who can single-handedly win a game if he’s hot. Charles, a senior forward, is averaging 27 points.

Outlook: Compton Centennial and UCLA-bound guard Arron Afflalo are on a mission to bring home a section title after losing in the final the last three years. Harvard-Westlake has the talent and big-game experience to get in the way, but the Wolverines need to win four games to get that chance.

DIVISION IV-AA

Defending champion: Westlake Village Oaks Christian

Seeded teams: 1. Santa Maria St. Joseph (23-3); 2. Brentwood (21-5); 3. North Hollywood Campbell Hall (24-2); 4. Pasadena La Salle (20-5).

Dark horse: When the coach of Oaks Christian resigned midway through the season, the Lions lost their next game to Gardena Serra; however, they have since reeled off 10 consecutive victories, including a 64-57 win over La Canada Flintridge Prep, the second-seeded team in Division IV-A.

Outlook: St. Joseph has a good chance to reach the final, mainly because it won’t have to deal with Brentwood or Campbell Hall until then. Brentwood has played a much tougher schedule, including a season-opening loss to the state’s No. 1 team, Westchester. Campbell Hall has perhaps the hottest player in Joe Ford, who is averaging 22.7 points and has scored more than 30 points in each of the last three games.

DIVISION IV-A

Defending champion: Los Angeles Verbum Dei

Seeded teams: 1. Verbum Dei (14-9); 2. La Canada Flintridge Prep (16-8); 3. San Juan Capistrano St. Margaret’s (22-2); 4. Huntington Beach Brethren Christian (22-4).

Dark horse: San Pedro Mary Star finished second in the Camino Real League and has won five of its last six games, including two against Long Beach St. Anthony, the fourth-seeded team in Division V-AA.

Outlook: Verbum Dei has taken on some of the Southland’s biggest powerhouses, including Mater Dei, Woodland Hills Taft and Long Beach Poly. Although the Eagles did not win any of those games, they did prepare them for what should be another easy run to the title.

DIVISION V-AA

Defending champion: Palos Verdes Estates Rolling Hills Prep.

Seeded teams: 1. Rolling Hills Prep (13-7); 2. Santa Monica New Roads (18-4); 3. Granada Hills Hillcrest Christian (18-7); 4. Long Beach St. Anthony (12-14).

Dark horse: Canoga Park Armenian General Benevolent Union has come together nicely under first-year Coach George Wrighster. The Titans have won 11 of their last 12, including victories this month over San Gabriel Academy and L.A. Pilobos, which had defeated AGBU in the first round of Valley League play.

Outlook: New Roads split its two Harbor League games with Rolling Hills Prep this season, and actually played L.A. Price tougher than the Huskies did.

The Jaguars lost by 13 points in both their games against Price; Rolling Hills Prep lost both by an average of nearly 35 points.

DIVISION V-A

Defending champion: Los Angeles Price

Seeded teams: 1. Price (17-7); 2. Palm Springs Desert Chapel (19-3); 3. Lancaster Antelope Valley Christian (17-6); 4. La Ca- nada Renaissance Academy (18-5).

Dark horse: Big Pine has won 12 in a row -- all but one by 20 points or more -- heading into the playoffs. The Warriors have a lineup that can cause match-up problems. Zack Hunt, a 6-3, 240-pound junior forward, is one of four players averaging double figures in scoring.

Outlook: It’s likely not a matter of which teams will make the final, but who will be Price’s opponent. Desert Chapel is riding a 13-game winning streak, which it started against Garden Grove on Dec. 30. Antelope Valley Christian enters the playoffs with a loss in its last game to Hesperia Christian to finish in a three-way tie for first place in the Agape League.