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Ok, the big showdown. Many will say that the "big showdown" already occurred last week between Crenshaw and Westchester, that this week's game between The Comets and The Toilers is nothing much to write home about, that it's just a "second-best" contest, forced just because LA High was lucky enough to beat Crenshaw during the regular season, forcing them into a No. 4 seeding which set up the semifinal match last week.

This is the game featuring the best teams in Los Angeles City Section. And even if it's not, it's certainly the last in this Division, and it's for all the marbles. And we're about to tell you why.

Manual just doesn't get any respect. We're not sure why. The Toilers are 26-4. Their only losses have come at the hands of Westchester, LA High, and Hamilton. We're not sure about the fourth loss. The previous matchup between Westchester and Manual was attended by Jason Day, and it's probably still a pretty valid take on both of these teams. You can read it here.

Probable Manual Starters Curtis Millage, 5-10 JR PG James Wright, 5-11 JR PG Ricky Duff, 6-6 SR SF Brandon Moore, 6-7 JR PF Johnny Hardwick, 6-9 JR PF/C	Probable Westchester Starters David Bluthenthal (6'-7" Sr. C/F) Tony Bland (6'-5" Sr. SG) Albert Miller (6'-3" Sr. F) Chris Osborne (6'-9" Jr. C) Brandon Granville (5'-10 Sr. PG)
Manual Reserves Glen Peters, 6-1 SR PG Larry Dillingham, 6-1 JR SG/SF Roy Williams, 6-2 JR SG Otis Belise, 6-2 JR SG/SF Ronald Cass, 6-3 JR SG/SF Tomas Spain, 6-4 SR SG Cuentin Witherspoon, 6-4 SR SF/PF	Westchester Reserves CJ Williams (6'-1" Sr. G) Ben Davis (6'-3" Sr. G) Mackenzie Dent (6'-6" Jr. F) Jacobe Durrett (6'-2" Sr. G) Eric Knight (6'-2" Jr. G) Jamal Sampson (6'-9" Fr. C) Lou Wright (6'-5" So. SG/SF)

We've watched Manual a lot this year, as has Jason Day, and we've also seen Westchester steadily improve this season, from their so-so start in Vegas to the Best in the West Championship battle with Artesia, which Westchester won by 10 points 61-51 over arguably the best Division I-AA school in the Southern Section, which is playing tomorrow night at the Pond in its own Championship game. . . but that's another story. . . to the defeat suffered at the hands of Dominguez in the MLK , a nine point loss 71-62, in a game in which David Bluthenthal just seemed to disappear in the second half completely. But if last week's contest against Crenshaw was any indication of the form that Westchester has achieved since it's loss to Dominguez, then this will be a phenomenal game. David Bluthenthal is now stronger, quicker, less foul prone, and can put down the monster-slam dunks like nobody's business. Against Crenshaw, he had 31 points and was virtually unstoppable, scoring 31 points. Bluthenthal had 18 rebounds, and Osborne 13. Bluthenthal was, according to Westchester Comets coach Ed Azzam "almost 100% " last Friday night, and we if he's 100 % tonight, it's hard to imagine just how well he'll play. Last Friday Bluthenthal had 4 steals, and at least 5 alley-oop slams off of unbelievably quick, pretty and long Brandon Granville passes right over the top of at least three and sometimes four Crenshaw defenders. David, as most know, is headed for USC, the Arizona-slayers, and he'll make a major impact immediately in Bibby's program. Look for him and Chris Osborne to make things happen tonight up front, along with Albert Miller's slashing to the hoop, and Granville and Williams out on the perimeter. And if Tony Bland is on tonight, look for Westchester to run, run, and then run some more. And Westchester will press, press and press some more, which is what just broke Crenshaw's back in the semifinals.

Manual will not want to play that type of running game. At least not if they hope to have a chance of winning this one. In the games we've seen in which they tried to establish a running game, or rather in which they've tried to keep up with the other team's running game, they've gotten smoked. Look for the Toilers to try to establish the slower tempo and control the game in a half-court set, a strategy which Dominguez employed at the MLK and it seemed to work. Matching up against Granville and Miller will be Curtis Millage and James Wright, who both alternate at the point. Curtis is a fine ball handler, and Wright can jack it up from outside and slash to the hole with great success, but Miller is bigger, stronger, and Granville's passing and ball movement is just a step above from what we've seen this year. Manual's big men are not as physical nor as strong inside as the Westchester big men, and it will be interesting to see if Johnny Hardwick, Brandon Moore, and Ricky Duff, the undisputed go-to guy for Manual or Cuentin Witherspoon off the bench, can energize the offense enough and contain the explosive power of Westchester.

We're not making any predictions about this one, except that if you don't go to the Sports Arena tonight, you'll really regret it. We'll be there, as will Jason Day, and we will have a report on the game later tonight (hopefully). See you there