SoCalHoops High School News

The Little Division That Could. . .  
D-V Southern Section Pool List--(Jan. 26, 1999)

We've gone from big (D-I & D-II) to very small (D-III and D-IV), and now we go back to the largest division of them all, D-V.  Ok, not the "largest" really, but the largest number of participating schools. Is it competitive?  You bet.  Could most of these teams compete against Division I schools?  Probably not.  Some are in leagues with D-III and D-IV schools, and they are extremely competitive.  There are 146 schools total in Division V, nearly 7.5 times as many as Division III.  The Division also has it's fair share of D-I college recruits, and there are a number of players who graduate from the smaller but academically elite schools who play at D-II, D-III and NAIA schools as well.

Division V is for schools with student enrollments in 10th through 12th grades of 300 or under as of January 6, 1999.  D-VAA is reserved for schools from 300 to 90 students, while DVA is for schools with 89 or fewer students.   

In Division V-AA we'd expect to see among the top part of the playoff bracket those teams already identified by SCIBCA, and a few others:   Milken, Bell-Jeff (which will make the playoffs in D-V regardless of how poorly they're doing in league against D-IV teams), Pasadena Poly, Campbell Hall, Santa Clara, Buckley, Windward, St. Anthony, Calvary Chapel, Pacific Hills, Bishop Diego, perhaps even Chadwick, or Apple Valley Christian.  It's also possible, but not probable that Montclair Prep, which made it to the semifinals last year, losing to Pacific Hills in triple overtime, might go, but that's pretty remote at this point:  They're 5-14 overall, 1-5 in league, and the Delphic League is fairly strong this year and will probably take Crossroads and Brentwood in D-IVA, Campbell Hall and Pacific Hills in D-V, and we just don't see the CIF seeding committee taking what would be a next to last place team (Whitney will in all likelihood finish last in the Delphic League).   But then you never know.  The favorites at this point to advance to the State Tournament have to be Poly and Pacific Hills though at this point Santa Clara might just sneak up on a few,  and Price should advance out of the lower bracket too. 

In D-VA, look for Price,Laguna Blanca and Rolling Hills Prep and Antelope Valley Christian, along with Orangewood Academy and maybe even Pilgrim (they're in a rebuilding year and while they might make the playoffs, they're not going to beat anyone like a Price, at least not this year--really, we've seen both teams play, and there's no way Pilgrim beats Price).  We haven't seen Rio Hondo Prep or Bethel Christian or Pioneer Baptist, but they've been ranked pretty high, as has Desert Christian and Heritage Christian.   From where we're sitting right now, we think it's going to be Price.

Here's the list for D-V

 
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