Modesto Christian boys basketball ranked seventh in state, No. 1 in NorCal

The Modesto Christian and Manteca boys basketball teams have been rewarded for their past and potential.

Now comes the hard part: living up to lofty state rankings.

Modesto Christian debuted at No. 7 in Cal-Hi Sports’ preseason poll. Chino Hills is ranked No. 1 followed by a strong contingent of Southern California teams: Sierra Canyon, Mater Dei, Bishop Montgomery, Centennial and Foothills Christian.

The Crusaders are Northern California’s No. 1-ranked team, edging No. 9 De La Salle and No. 11 Moreau Catholic.

Head coach Richard Midgley isn’t sure when the last time the Crusaders, who finished the 2014-15 season 10th in the state, appeared so high in the preseason poll.

Cal-Hi Sports editor Mark Tennis said Modesto Christian was also the preseason NorCal No. 1 in 2001 when the Crusaders featured Chuck Hayes, David Paris, Marc Pratt and Midgley, and reached the Division I state final.

“Within the state? I don’t think we’ve been this high since I was probably in high school,” said Midgley, who graduated in 2002. “Preseason rankings don’t mean a lot. It’s someone’s opinion, but for us, it shows a respect for the program. It represents the success we’ve had over the last few years. As a program, we’re excited to be looked at that highly.”

The Buffaloes are ranked 35th, also believed to be the highest in the program’s long history.

Manteca returns three potential Division I athletes in senior center Anand Hundal, junior guard Tydus Verhoeven and Nevada commit Kenny Wooten, a senior who sat out all of last season after transferring from Stagg in Stockton.

The 6-foot-9 Hundal was second in the state with 5 1/2 blocked shots per game, while Verhoeven’s combination of size (6-7), wingspan (7-1  1/2 ) and guard skills has intrigued several West Coast programs. He recently took an unofficial trip to Stanford.

Wooten, a 6-foot-8 forward, signed a national letter of intent to play for former Kings coach Eric Musselman at Nevada.

“It’s a huge honor for us to even be in this conversation and to be named along with the other great programs also on the list,” Manteca coach Brett Lewis said. “It shows that our guys are getting noticed by many people around the state and are representing our school and program well. Besides Modesto Christian, I don’t think I have ever heard of another school in our area close to this top 35, and we’re very honored to be in it.”

Life among the upper crust isn’t without its challenges. Lewis is finding it hard to control external expectations cast upon his program. Fortunately, his locker room remains humble and hungry.

Playing without Wooten, Manteca reached the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III semifinal round and hosted a NorCal first-round game.

“My coaching staff and I are a little worried about the target on our backs getting even bigger, but when we talked to the guys about it their response was: ‘Coach, can we just start practice?’ ” Lewis said. “I thought that was pretty cool; they aren’t getting big heads. They just want to play.”

Modesto Christian finished 30-4 and reached the Northern California Open Division final, where the Crusaders were beaten by eventual state champ Bishop O’Dowd and national recruit Ivan Rabb, 56-47.

The Crusaders return a veteran cast. There are seven seniors on Midgley’s roster, providing a luxury he hasn’t enjoyed since becoming a co-coach with the now retired Gary Porter in 2012.

Among those seniors is the usual cast of college-caliber talent: rising big man Robinson Idehen (6-10, 205) and guards Christian Ellis (6-3, 190) and Jordan Hollins-Buckner (6-2, 196) combined to average more than 30 points and 20 rebounds last season.

Midgley said his seniors are motivated by the experiences of yesteryear, both good and bad. Modesto Christian won’t have to wait long for a rematch with Bishop O’Dowd, either. The NorCal Open Division finalists will meet Dec. 5 at Modesto Christian.

The Crusaders open the season against Folsom at the Prep2Prep All-Star Classic at Newark Memorial High School Nov. 28.

“We were happy with our year, but when you end with a loss you’re stuck with that feeling of losing,” Midgley said. “The next day, those returning players were in the weight room. They’ve been working hard since last season until now.

“I feel good about the way we’ve prepared over the spring and summer. The success of last year has given us confidence. The experience was a great experience. We had some high-level matchups.”

This story was originally published November 20, 2015 at 5:34 PM with the headline "Modesto Christian boys basketball ranked seventh in state, No. 1 in NorCal."