CIF-SS Open Division Championship Primer
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It’s the best time to be a high school basketball fan, coach, parent, reporter, scout or zealot in Southern California as Divisional Championship games will tip off tonight across the Southland. In this capsule we take a closer look at…
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Continue ReadingIt’s the best time to be a high school basketball fan, coach, parent, reporter, scout or zealot in Southern California as Divisional Championship games will tip off tonight across the Southland. In this capsule we take a closer look at the top division – the Open Division – with a heavyweight matchup between Harvard-Westlake and Corona Centennial.
Harvard-Westlake at Corona Centennial
Key Storyline: Over the last few seasons, Harvard-Westlake and Centennial have met five times with the Wolverines coming away with victories in all five of those contests. Will Harvard-Westlake continue its recent dominance over the Huskies or will Centennial’s talented group and fast-paced style overwhelm the Wolverines this time around?
Key Matchup: There will be a lot of good guard-play on the floor tonight for each team, but the interior battle could be the deciding factor in this game. For Harvard-Westlake, the defensive presence of Jacob Huggins Jacob Huggins 6'7" | PF Harvard-Westlake | 2023 State #281 Nation CA-S and Landon Lewis Landon Lewis 6'6" | PF Harvard-Westlake | 2022 State CA-S will be imperative to try to make the night difficult for Centennial point guard Donovan Dent Donovan Dent 6'1" | PG Corona Centennial | 2022 State CA-S . Dent, a dynamic 6-foot-1 guard heading to New Mexico, is one of the best finishers around the basket on the west coast and his speed and quickness allow him to get unlimited paint touches. The bigs for Centennial will have a similar impact defensively, but the keys for Devin Williams Devin Williams 6'10" | PF Corona Centennial | 2023 State #86 Nation CA-S and Aaron McBride Aaron McBride 6'7" | PF Corona Centennial | 2023 State CA-S will be how they compete on the offensive and defensive boards. Limiting Harvard-Westlake to one shot and snapping quick outlet passes to start the break will allow Centennial to dictate the pace of the game.
X-Factors: The x-factors for Harvard-Westlake, like they were in the win over Sierra Canyon, are Brady Dunlap Brady Dunlap 6'7" | SF Harvard-Westlake | 2023 State #100 Nation CA-S and Cameron Thrower Cameron Thrower 6'3" | SG Harvard-Westlake | 2022 State CA-S . Dunlap, a 6-foot-7 swingman is a lethal offensive player whose ability to stretch the floor to the three-point line and knockdown smooth pull-up jumpers off the bounce present a matchup nightmare for just about any team at the high school level. Thrower will have a lot of responsibility as a primary ball-handler against a good pressure defensive team. Him taking care of the ball, and knocking down three-pointers as he normally does, will be a huge lift for the Wolverines. For Centennial, shooting guard Jared McCain Jared McCain 6'3" | PG Centennial | 2023 State #24 Nation CA-S will be the key piece to its victory. The 6-foot-3 highly-ranked junior is one of the best shooters you can find at the high school level and, when he has his shot going early, it gives the Huskies’ entire team a boost of confidence and ups their pace of play.