Lopez: Basketball teams to watch during the 2019-20 Stanislaus District season
With the high school football season finally over — Escalon and Ripon won CIF State titles on Saturday — it’s time to take a peek at the area’s basketball teams.
Never mind that we’re a month into the season. In a few weeks, we’ll be talking about league matchups and the full integration of football players blending with new teammates on the hardcourt.
Some basketball teams, like Ripon, have had few available players for games due to the myriad divisions and subsequent playoff games now a part of the football scenery.
To catch you up basketball, here’s a cheat sheet of sorts, with teams to watch below:
— In case you missed it, Gregori is off to the best start in the area. The Jaguars won the Mark Gallo Invitational with 68-62 victory over Vanden on Saturday. The Jaguars also won the Modesto City Classic earlier this month.
— Modesto Christian, which lost to Sheldon in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I Championship last year and CIF State NorCal Open Division Final, is off to a 3-3 start. The Crusaders return a player who has signed with a Big West school.
— Gregori is one of the local teams which will be participating in the Modesto Christian Holiday Hoops Classic, which begins Dec. 26. Beyer, Ripon, and Sonora are also entered in the tournament along with the host Crusaders.
— League play has begun in the Western Athletic Conference, and other conferences will follow in January.
Here are some teams to watch:
Boys
Beyer (5-3, 1-0): Coach Kyle McKim said the Patriots are young with only three seniors on the roster. Beyer graduated seven last year. Eespite an inexperienced team, the Patriots will be one of the top teams in the Western Athletic Conference. They play relentless defense.
Central Catholic (3-2): Central Catholic lost to Weston Ranch in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division III Championship last year but the Cougars moved up to Division I after competing in the CIF State Open Division playoffs last year. Senior point guard Dayton Magana is a scoring machine and the Raiders return senior Nic Sani (6 feet, 6 inches), who missed the entire season last year with a shoulder injury.
Gregori (10-0): The Jaguars are off to a sizzling start and are the defending Central California Athletic League champions. Coach Ryan Green said recently he liked how balanced his team is. Four players average over 11 points per game, led by seniors Luke McClellan (16.4) and Julian Brown (15). Sophomore Kyle Monk has made 50% of his 3-point attempts. Gregori will be challenged by Pitman and Turlock in the CCAL. Gregori is ranked No. 11 in NorCalPreps’ recent rankings.
Modesto Christian (3-3): Another year, another talented team in Salida. Senior forward Alex Merkviladze (committed to Cal State Northridge) has great range for a post-player (6 feet, 8 inches) and senior guard Michael Pearson, who led the Crusaders in scoring last year, returns. It was a rough offseason for MC as sophomore guard Devin Day suffered a torn ACL in July and is likely out for the entire season and junior forward Myles Clayton, a transfer from Central Catholic, was ruled ineligible for the entire season. MC got some good news recently when junior guard Jaden Phillips, who averaged nearly 16 points in two years at Foothill High School in Bakersfield, was ruled eligible. Modesto Christian is ranked No. 10 in NorCalPreps recent rankings.
Ripon (2-3) : When the Indians get seniors Troy Brogan, Danny Hernandez, and Nico Ilardi back, all of whom were on the state champion Indians football team, watch out for Ripon. Bronson Burrow, a talented sophomore from Modesto Christian, has to sit out for part of the season due to transferring but will help the Indians with his size (6 feet, 7 inches). The Indians will be challenged by Ripon Christian in the Trans-Valley League.
Sonora (6-2): The defending CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV champions return senior guard Austin Patterson, who averaged nearly 24 points per game last year and is one of the best players in the area. Patterson had a school-record 48 points in the Wildcats’ 80-65 win over Central Catholic on Dec. 13.
Girls
Modesto Christian (4-2): Coach Robb Spencer has scheduled a tough non-conference for the Crusaders with Modesto Christian’s two losses coming against two of the top teams (Clovis North, Clovis West) in the state. The Crusaders travel to Las Vegas this week to play in the Tarkanian Classic and Modesto Christian is in the diamond division, which features the top teams from around the country. The Crusaders only graduated three from last year’s 15-15 team. Seniors Nia Boston and Dominique White both return.
Pitman (6-3): Pitman coach Dustin Curtiss recently won his 100th career game. Senior guard Sydney Smith is a four-year varsity player who leads the Pride with 10.7 points per game.
