With Tuesday night’s results taken into account, here’s an updated look at projected seedings for the CCS Boys Basketball Playoffs:
Open Division
It’s win-and-get in for Mitty. A win on Friday would likely land the #6 seed for the Monarchs, who would have the edge over Serra. The Padres would drop to #7, while Sacred Heart Cathedral would fall to the Division III field.
Sequoia currently holds the #8 seed, but Half Moon Bay could surpass the Cherokees by winning the PAL Tournament. Should another team end up winning, Piedmont Hills could find itself back in the picture. Mills still has an outside shot as well and would need a tournament title to earn consideration.
If St. Ignatius beats Bellarmine on Friday, the Wildcats would surpass St. Francis.
1. Bellarmine
2. Menlo
3. St. Francis
4. St. Ignatius
5. Palo Alto
6. Serra
7. Sacred Heart Cathedral
8. Sequoia
Division I
Not much has changed in Division I, though the order of the bottom six spots are anyone’s guess. Most of the field has similar overall records, so perceived strength of records will be a factor in determining the order of those bottom spots.
Menlo-Atherton opens the PAL Tournament with Half Moon Bay. A win would likely secure the Bears a top three seed, while a loss could play in favor of Alisal to finish in that third spot.
Santa Teresa currently has the edge over Evergreen Valley due to positioning in the BVAL Mt. Hamilton standings.
Piedmont Hills could end up in the Open Division should Sequoia and Half Moon Bay not win the PAL Tournament.
1. Piedmont Hills
2. Los Gatos
3. Menlo-Atherton
4. Alisal
5. Los Altos
6. Cupertino
7. Salinas
8. Santa Clara
9. Santa Teresa
10. Evergreen Valley
11. Milpitas
12. Alvarez
Carlmont (vs. Evergreen Valley), Independence (vs. Alvarez), North Salinas (vs. Santa Teresa), Silver Creek (vs. Milpitas)
Division II
Seven straight wins have pushed Aragon all the way up to the third seed, and the Dons, who host the Division II quarterfinals and semifinals, could continue to climb with a good showing at the PAL Tournament.
The order of Leigh, Leland and Willow Glen will be based on the final BVAL Mt. Hamilton standings, while everything past the top five seeds is very tightly packed. One big lynchpin will be how the committee views Gunn, SCVAL El Camino champions.
1. Valley Christian
2. Leigh
3. Aragon
4. Leland
5. Willow Glen
6. Mountain View
7. San Mateo
8. Branham
9. Pioneer
10. Wilcox
11. Gunn
12. Woodside
Christopher (vs. Pioneer), Hill (vs. Wilcox), Lynbrook (vs. Woodside), Overfelt (vs. Gunn)
Division III
Mitty’s uncertain fate has huge implications on Division III, as Sacred Heart Cathedral is currently projected in the Open Division. However, should the Monarchs beat the Fightin’ Irish on Friday, SHC will be in Division III as a top seed.
Past Aptos and Soquel, things get a bit murky. Teams like Hillsdale and Sobrato fattened up on wins in December but struggled in league play. Sobrato’s head-to-head win over Saratoga may be the Bulldogs’ saving grace.
Del Mar needs to win either tonight or Friday to secure a playoff berth.
1. Riordan
2. Mills
3. Monterey
4. Aptos
5. Soquel
6. Hillsdale
7. Sobrato
8. Saratoga
9. Prospect
10. Soledad
11. Capuchino
12. Pajaro Valley
Del Mar (vs. Capuchino), Live Oak (vs. Pajaro Valley), North Monterey County (vs. Soledad)
Division IV
The order of the top four seeds will be a subject of much discussion as Half Moon Bay and Jefferson split the PAL North title, while Santa Cruz won the SCCAL and Carmel took the MTAL. League tournaments could provide some clarity, though. If HMB wins the PAL Tournament, the Cougars could find themselves in the Open Division. Jefferson and Santa Cruz’s performance in league tournaments will also be a major factor. Carmel does not have a league tournament and lost to Half Moon Bay on Saturday. While the Padres do have a strong record, the MTAL isn’t a particularly deep league, which could be detrimental to Carmel’s seeding.
Sacred Heart Prep could take a hit after Tuesday’s loss to Eastside College Prep, though the Gators still have second place in the WBAL secured.
1. Half Moon Bay
2. Jefferson
3. Santa Cruz
4. Carmel
5. Pacific Grove
6. Sacred Heart Prep
7. Monte Vista Christian
8. Palma
9. King’s Academy
10. Terra Nova
11. Harker
12. Seaside
Gonzales (vs. Harker), King City (vs. Terra Nova), Marina (vs. King’s Academy), Scotts Valley (vs. Seaside)
Division V
Seeds 2-4 are still up in the air between a trio of Panthers from the WBAL. Woodside Priory sits a game ahead of Pinewood and Eastside, but will play league champion Menlo on Thursday. Eastside upset Sacred Heart Prep on Tuesday and faces last-place Crystal Springs Uplands to close out the season, while Pinewood will travel to King’s Academy.
Eastside was swept by both teams, so being seeded above third would be impossible, but surpassing Pinewood is definitely possible should King’s Academy get the win on Thursday night.
Summit Prep secured a spot in the field over the past week. Anzar and York are currently on the bubble, and KIPP San Jose would need to beat University Prep Academy to qualify. UPA won the first meeting between the teams, 65-47.
1. St. Francis SCP
2. Woodside Priory
3. Pinewood
4. Eastside College Prep
5. Alma Heights
6. Stevenson
7. Mountain View Academy
8. Nueva
9. Oakwood
10. More
11. North Valley Baptist
12. University Prep Academy
Kehillah Jewish (vs. Oakwood), Summit Prep (vs. More), Summit Shasta (vs. University Prep Academy), York (vs. Nueva)
