2013: Playoffs Picture Coming Into Focus

Polls are great, but what do they mean come playoff time?

First things first:

Cathedral hung on to first place in the UT-San Diego basketball poll, but for the first time since the 2013 calendar the Dons were not  unanimous choices.

Cathedral received 8 first-place votes after an uneven week in which it was surprised by Army-Navy 67-61 and needed an overtime before subduing St. Augustine 62-59.

Cathedral, Army-Navy, and El Camino each received first-place votes.

Teams are in the second round of league play, with  playoffs scheduled to begin Feb. 19.

After roughly 20 games, division playoff favorites are shaping up.

Coming out of the backstretch toward the turn for home:

I–El Camino.  The Wildcats are under the radar on a state level, ranking 39th in the computer-based view of CalPreps, but rate a slight edge locally over Mission Hills.

II–San Diego Section’s most loaded division. La Costa Canyon, San Marcos,  and Hoover  stand out. Morse and  San Ysidro are demanding respect.  La Costa is fifth, Hoover 10th, San Marcos 12th, and Morse 20th in CalPreps.

III–Cathedral is 3-0 against St. Augustie this season and is third in its division and 19th overall in California.  St. Augustine is fifth in D-3.  Unless a New York Jets-Balitmore Colts, Super Bowl III upset occurs, these two teams will meet in the Section finals.

IV–But for a confounding loss to La Jolla Country Day (9-8), Army-Navy (17-4) would be San Diego’s No. 1-ranked team.  The Warriors are seventh in the state in D-4 but could make a deep playoff run.

V–Dialing Tri-City Christian, 18-1 and 12th as seen by CalPreps.

First-place votes in parenthesis:

Also receiving votes:  Santa Fe Christian, 15-6 (6 points); Torrey Pines, 13-8 (6); Tri-City Christian, 18-1 (2); Westview, 15-6 (2).