Loyola Puzzled by Its Seeding

Los Angeles Loyola Coach Jim Williamson thought strength of schedule would carry some weight when it came time to place teams in the bracket for the Southern Section Division II-AA boys’ basketball playoffs.

However, when the pairings were announced Sunday at the section office in Los Alamitos, the Cubs (20-6) were seeded fourth and will begin the playoffs on Friday with a first-round home game against the winner of Wednesday’s wild-card game involving Fullerton Troy and host La Palma Kennedy.

Compton Dominguez received the division’s No. 1 seeding, followed by Villa Park and Pasadena.

“I don’t know if it was helpful or hurtful to have as tough a schedule as we had,” Williamson said.

Five of Loyola’s losses came against some of the top teams in the Southland: Etiwanda, Los Angeles Fairfax, Lynwood, Reseda Cleveland and North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake.

But the Cubs also defeated Harvard-Westlake twice, including a 70-63 victory 12 days ago that gave them a share of the Mission League title.

Loyola depends on 6-foot-10 center Jordan Wilkes, who has signed with California, and 6-3 senior guard Buchi Awaji, but Williamson said senior point guard Justin Thomas, out since breaking his hand in December, recently had his cast removed and is close to returning.

Other top-seeded teams include Etiwanda in Division I-AA; Lake Forest El Toro in Division I-A; Santa Ana Mater Dei in Division II-A; Lakewood Artesia in Division III-AA, and Compton Centennial in Division III-A.

Dan Arritt

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In one of the deepest, and largest, divisions in Southern Section girls’ basketball history, Long Beach Poly is the top-seeded team in Division I-AA.

The Moore League champion Jackrabbits (22-3), ranked No. 2 in the state by Cal High Sports, must navigate a division that has four teams ranked among the state’s best, including fourth-seeded Etiwanda, which is ranked No. 14 in the state.

Second-seeded Norco (26-0), led by Erika Arriaran, is ranked third in the state and is on the same side of the playoff bracket as third-seeded Lynwood, which is No. 13 in the state.

With 44 qualified teams in Division I-AA, there are 12 wild-card games on Thursday. Division III-AA and the four smallest divisions play first-round games on Thursday, while all others begin first-round play on Saturday.

Other top-seeded teams include Moreno Valley Canyon Springs in Division I-A; Fullerton Troy in Division II-AA; Redondo in Division II-A; Santa Margarita in Division III-AA, and La Puente Bishop Amat in Division III-A.

-- Martin Henderson