Prep basketball: Section nearing regular-season wire with playoffs two weeks away
It’s stretch time in Central Section basketball with playoffs two weeks away.
Seedings for the section’s five divisions in boys and girls will be determined Feb. 20 in the Porterville office of commissioner Jim Crichlow.
Favored to repeat titles and top-ranked by The Fresno Bee in their divisions are Immanuel’s boys (D-IV) and Clovis West (D-I) and Mission Oak (D-III) in the girls.
Others maneuvering into strong contention to retain their crowns are Caruthers’ boys (D-IV) and Indendendence (D-II), Immanuel (D-IV) and Caruthers (D-V) in the girls.
What remains in question if Kern County will deliver a boys D-I finalist for the first time in the 12-year history of the section’s two-day, 10-game bonanza at Selland Arena March 4-5.
Centennial, while ranked a modest No. 9 in The Bee’s overall boys rankings, does lead the Southwest Yosemite League at 7-0 and appears to have as good as shot as any in a wide-open D-I.
Andy Boogaard: 559-441-6400, @beepreps
Central Section basketball rankings
Records through Feb. 9
BOYS TOP 20
- 1. Ridgeview (SYL, 22-1)
- 2. Immanuel (CSL, 19-5)
- 3. Lemoore (WYL, 21-2)
- 4. Central (TRAC, 19-4)
- 5. Clovis North (TRAC, 16-8)
- 6. Memorial (CMAC, 22-4)
- 7. Buchanan (TRAC, 13-13)
- 8. Clovis East (TRAC, 18-8)
- 9. Centennial (SWYL, 15-11)
- 10. Clovis West (TRAC, 15-8)
- 11. Roosevelt (NYL, 20-7)
- 12. Fresno (NYL, 23-4)
- 13. Mission Oak (EYL, 18-6)
- 14. Hanford (WYL, 16-7)
- 15. Hanford West (WYL, 19-8
- 16. Edison (CMAC, 14-13)
- 17. Bakersfield (SWYL, 14-9)
- 18. Liberty-Bakersfield (SWYL, 15-9)
- 19. Independence (SYL, 16-6)
- 20. Golden West (WYL, 23-2)
DIVISIONAL RANKINGS
- Division I: 1. Central; 2. Clovis North; 3. Buchanan
- Division II: 1. Ridgeview; 2. Lemoore; 3. Memorial
- Division III: 1. Roosevelt; 2. West (SYL, 18-8); 3. Selma (CSL, 20-6)
- Division IV: 1. Immanuel; 2. Granite Hills (E. Sequoia, 23-2); 3. Rosamond (HDL, 18-3)
- Division V: 1. Kern Valley (HDL, 15-2); 2. Caruthers (W. Sequoia, 15-8). 3. Tranquillity (W. Sierra, 17-8)
GIRLS TOP 20
- 1. Clovis West (TRAC, 23-3)
- 2. Edison (CMAC, 22-3)
- 3. Garces (SWYL, 13-8)
- 4. Central (TRAC, 18-6)
- 5. Redwood (WYL, 20-4)
- 6. Hanford (WYL, 19-6)
- 7. Mission Oak (EYL, 20-6)
- 8. Clovis (TRAC, 17-9)
- 9. Centennial (SWYL, 12-11)
- 10. Orosi (E. Sierra, 22-4)
- 11. Independence (SYL, 17-6)
- 12. Ridgeview (SYL, 21-5)
- 13. Clovis North (TRAC, 10-11)
- 14. Buchanan (TRAC, 15-10)
- 15. Lemoore (WYL, 14-8)
- 16. Kingsburg (CSL, 20-6)
- 17. Immanuel (CSL, 15-7)
- 18. Golden West (WYL, 15-6)
- 19. Tulare Western (EYL, 18-7)
- 20. Madera (CMAC, 15-10)
DIVISIONAL RANKINGS
- Division I: 1. Clovis West; 2. Edison; 3. Garces
- Division II: 1. Redwood; 2. Independence; 3. Lemoore
- Division III: 1. Mission Oak; 2. Golden West; 3. Exeter (CSL, 19-7)
- Division IV: 1. Orosi; 2. Kingsburg; 3. Immanuel
- Division V: 1. Memorial (CMAC, 14-6); 2. Caruthers (W. Sequoia, 15-7); 3. Minarets (W. Sequoia 14-5) ✔
This story was originally published February 9, 2016 at 6:46 PM with the headline "Prep basketball: Section nearing regular-season wire with playoffs two weeks away."