city section predictions

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SoCalHoops High School News

LA City Section: High School
Season Predictions--(Nov. 24, 1999)

Ok, let's have some fun. It's Thanksgiving Eve, and that means we're sitting here watching tape-delay showings of the Maui Invitational from today, writing previews, and in general trying to get some stuff accomplished so that we can do other things this weekend besides just write, and write and then write some more. Hey, we've got to watch some hoops too. So in this idle moment, let's make some outrageous predictions. Remember, none of this is going to happen. We don't know what we're talking about. So if you can't take the stupidity of what we're about to say, don't read this. Stop right now. Really. This is going to be completely non-meritorious stuff.

We haven't checked in with all of the City Section coaches yet in the process of doing our team previews and profiles, and we haven't even done all of the the previews of those teams we had intended to profile in advance of the beginning of the season, which actually started today with a series of scheduled practice games; the real season, i.e., league play, starts for some of the City Section schools as early as December 8, when some of the Western League teams will start to go at it. We really have no idea who is going to do what in their respective leagues, but as they say, a little bit of knowledge can be a dangerous thing, but then so can making wildass guesses. Again, remember: None of this will happen. We're making it up. Purely fictional. Make-believe.

Prediction No. 1: Fairfax will win the City Title in the City Championship Division
Prediction No. 2 Crenshaw will finish second.
Prediction No. 3: A complete unknown will be named Player of the Year by the LA Times.
Prediction No. 4: Harvey Kitani will be named Coach of the Year.
Prediction No. 5: We have absolutely no clue who will win the "Invitational Championship."

There, that was the easy part. Now for the really hard stuff. . .

Since we're making outlandish predictions, let's talk about the Top 16 teams and how we think the City Championship Playoffs would look if they were picked today. Remember, the top 16 teams in the City Section will be picked to participate in the "City Championship" tournament for the City Title; the next 16 (i.e., Nos. 17-32) will play for the "Invitational Championship" (which used to be called last year, the "Division Championship" and which was formerly called the "3-A Championship") and the winner of that gets a nice trophy and a doorprize for the parting contestants, but no trip to the State Tournament. How unfair.

Actually, we're not sure how they're going to pick the finalists for the City Championship this year. There is talk that it will be done the way the football playoffs were constructed, which only sent the top two teams in each league to the playoffs for the title; historically, playoff spots and seedings have been determined by a seeding committee who votes the top 16 teams into place in a raucous, contentious and often nasty meeting which takes place the Saturday after the regular season ends. Assuming that the latter method still is the operative one, here's what we think the City Championship Bracket would look like if it were picked today:

No.	Team	Notes
1	Fairfax	Potentially the deepest team in the city; returns almost everyone from City Championship runner-up team except Joe Shipp (Cal) and Stan Thorne (LMU). Returns Jason Morrissette (6'-4" Sr. SG) who signed with Santa Clara, Evan Burns (6'-6" So. SF), Craig Smith (6'-6" Jr. PF), Fowzi Abdelsadad (6'-2" Sr. SG/PG), Scottie Stern (6'-4" Sr. SG), Ismael Torres (6'-2" Sr. SG), Marqui Jones (6'-5" Sr. SG/SF), Alex Bausley (6'-6" Fr. F) and Kevin Bell (5'-5" Fr. PG).
2	Crenshaw	Willie West reloads every year; and this year he can be expected to do the same. Top shooting guard Tommie Johnson (6'-4" Sr. SG) who recently signed with Washington State, point guard E.J. Harris (6'-4" Sr. PG) who signed with Kansas State, Chris Davis (6'-7" Sr. PF) and other top players coming up will make the 'Shaw tough to beat.
3.	Westchester	Ed Azzam may not be knocking on the door of the State Title this year, or then again, he might. With guys like Chad Bell (7'-0" Jr. C), Jason Breland (6'-4" Sr. SG/SF), Terrence Lawson (6'-5" Sr, F), Kevin Brown (6'-2" Sr. SG/PG), and newcomers to varsity in sophomore sensations Jason McKinney (5'-10" So. PG), Brandon Heath (6'-3" So. SG) Keith Everage (6'-5 So. SG/SF), and a couple of others, this could be a tough team this year.
4.	Palisades	Coach Paleno has got Steve McMaryion (6'-4" Sr. SG) Marko Mihailovic, Rasheed Oliver (6'-7" Jr. F), Darnell Jones (6'-3" Sr. SG/SF), James Matthews (6'-7" So. F) and a bunch of other good guys. So what if they lost point guard Eric Alvarez to Compton Centennial, they picked up some good players during the summer, including sharpshooting wing Steven Brown (6'-5" Sr. SG/SF) who transferred in from Venice.
5.	Manual Arts	The defending City Champs lost a lot of players to graduation including City Player of the Year James Wright, and Curtis Millage, Johnny Hardwick and Brandon Moorer, all originally D-I signees, but they do return Mario Roberts (6'-1" Sr. PG/SG), Deandre Morris (6'-4" Jr. F), and Jason Crow (6'-4" Jr. F), and a bunch of other very good players. No telling how far Randolph Simpson can get them to go, but Manual always does fine.
6.	Fremont	Seeded No. 4 last season in the playoffs; they were a mystery at the beginning of last season and they were a mystery at the end of the year. Still, they always tend to reload; the only question is who will be eligible on this team, a real problem last season.
7	Washington	Andy Davis' team will be not as deep as last year, but with guards like Antoine Parker, David Warsaw, Julian Taylor and inside players like Wayne Chamberlain and Eugene Moore, and Oakland Fremont transfer Corey Lowe, the Generals will be able to challenge. Washington was the No. 7 seed in last year's Championship division, and they will be back again this year.
8	Cleveland	Despite the recent resignation of one of the co-coaches, and reports of dissension on the team, there are some very talented players on this team, and provided they can get their chemistry together and remain eligible, Cleveland should be tough with guys like Larry Knox, Leveil Palmer, Grant Pledger, David Franklin, and one of the best shooters in the City or anywhere else, Anthony Davis who transferred from Locke. Davis racked up 42 points in a RSL game in April. He can be the X-Factor.
9	Chatsworth	Chatsworth was ranked at the end of last season as the 10th seed in the City finals, and they've got almost everyone returning.except Richard Harrison and Mark Cannon who graduated. Ronald Ruffin, Adam Drell, Shane Berry, a transfer from Taft, and others will be there, and even if they have a new coach, Fluke Fluker is still involved in the program and they are solid.
10.	Sylmar	Go ahead and say it: "Everyone graduated, they can't be that good." But you'd be wrong. They have John Valdez at the point, George O'Garra, Texas transfer Brandon Robinson, Earnest Williams, and newcomer Jeff Morse, a big man who will surprise some opponents.
11.	Venice	Ranked No. 16 going into the City Championships last year, they finished one and out after losing to Fairfax, last year's City Section runner- up. Third year coach Dave Goosen returns super shooter Kyle Morrison, solid point guards Lyman Edwards and Kevin Eleby, and solid wing player Montel Duhon (6'-5" Sr. SG/SF). Venice has also reportedly received transfers in: Marius Davis (6'-3" So. SG) from Manual Arts and Jonathan Gulley (6'-3" So. SG) from Gardena, and the Gondoliers also picked up Darrick Martin (6'-0" So PG) from Fairfax, freshman Brent Miles, a talented point guard, and Yancy Clark (6'-5" Fr. F).
12.	Hollywood	Hollywood should be returning Orville Allen, Gerald Collins, Richard Wright, Leon Robbins, Eric Smith and Keilon Maddox, among others. A very well-coached team from last year which did well to make the "Division" Championship tournament, but which should be ready to step up this year to the .
13	LA High	Didn't make it to the playoffs last year in either division, but new head coach Hernando Plannels is ready to turn the program around and should be successful. LA lost Scottie Stern, who returned to Fairfax, but they will still have a good base to work from this season, including some new young players. Could get a big boost if Leroy Dawson is ruled eligible
14.	Dorsey	They went into last year's playoffs ranked No. 15 in the City Championship Division, and came out losing to Manual Arts in the first round. Still they should return some of their top players from last year, including Chaz Bey (6'-2' Jr. SG), Da'Shawn Good (6'-0" Jr. SG), Eric Flournoy (5'-7" So. PG), Julian Blake (6'-5" Sr. SF), Dominic Dix (6'-5" Sr. SF), and they should have some newcomers too.
15	North Hollywood	Coach Rob Bloom returns a strong nucleus from a team that finished in contention last season for a league title and which has played together all summer and in fall league play. Top players include Eric Roller, Kenny Hauser, and some quick and solid shooting guard play. Solid coaching here will make up for a lack of athleticism overall.
16.	LACES	Second year head coach Ernest Baskerville returns a solid group of players who will dominate the Magnet conference. Jason Lee (6'-3'' Sr. PG/SG), Jamal Johnson (6'-1'' Jr. PG), Brishen Bagley-Foley (6'-6'' Jr. F/C), are all solid players and potential college prospects, Keion Millsaps (6'-4" Jr. F), Kasim Macavley (6'-1" Sr. SG/SF), and Dejaun Ghoston (5'-8" Sr. PG) are all tough competitors. They may not be considered a real threat to take a City Title, but they'll make some noise.
Others	San Pedro	Malik Rahh, Warren Watts, and Steve Fausto are all capable scorers; Lloyaal Thomas and Wynell Lewis, are important rebounders, and Robert Ellett, a backup point, Terry Dyson, and Brian Gilic, a 6'-9" player, the real question is these guys can put together a run to win the crowded Marine league race or come in at least second. Not overly athletic, but well coached.
Others	Carson	We hear that they have almost everyone back, but we're just not sure. Actually, others tell us they're good, but we don't have a clue.
Others	Jordan	Ditto. Not a clue who they have, but they were No. 14 in last year's seeding, so how bad could they be?.
Others	Grant	Ok, so Gilbert Arenas is gone. But they have some good players left, and others coming up: Mike Charleston (6'-6" Jr. SG/SF), Krishna Evans (6'-5" Jr. F), Ryan Logan (5'-8' Sr. PG).
Others	Franklin	We know that they graduated their two star players last season, Gabriel Chipe and Brian Berumen, but maybe they've got some guys to take their places.

And since we're going waayyyy out on a limb, here's our wild guesses as to the order of finish in the City Section leagues this year. It will be interesting to look back and see just how wrong we were when the season is over. . . . Anyone got a saw?

Projected League Order of Finish: Preseason As Of 11/23/99

Coliseum League Crenshaw Manual Arts Fremont Locke Dorsey Jefferson	Eastern League South Gate Jordan Bell Roosevelt Garfield Huntington Park	Marine League Washington San Pedro Carson Banning Gardena Narbonne	West Valley League Chatsworth Cleveland Taft Granada Hills Birmingham El Camino Real
Northern League Franklin Eagle Rock Wilson Belmont Lincoln Marshall	Sunset Six League Hollywood North Hollywood Grant Canoga Park Polytechnic Verdugo Hills	Valley Mission League Sylmar San Fernando Reseda Kennedy Monroe Van Nuys	Western League Fairfax Westchester Palisades Venice Hamilton Los Angeles University
Magnet Conference Too many to even guess, we'll go with LACES