Open Division teams, representing the elite of San Diego Section basketball as determined by the power ratings system, don’t get under way in the  playoffs until Friday (Girls) and Saturday (Boys).
Divisions I-V begin play tonight (Girls) and tomorrow (Boys).
Several factors go into the power ratings, administered by assistant commissioner John LaBeta, who heard some complaints regarding North County teams, which receive the majority of coverage in The San Diego Union-Tribune.
.El Camino boys coach Tom Tarantino thought the Wildcats should have been in the Open Division.  His team defeated Open No. 5 seed Army-Navy, 64-53.
In defense of the ratings, Army-Navy was 7-3 in intersectional play. Â El Camino was 2-5. In Max Preps’ extended, computerized ratings, Army-Navy is ranked 63rd in California, El Camino 84th.
One of El Camino’s out-of-section losses was 65-52 to Temecula Valley, a team Army-Navy defeated 77-71.
The Mission Hills girls, ranked sixth in the state by Cal Hi-Sports, were seeded fourth in the open division.
The Grizzlies are 5-1 against the best girls’ teams in the area, La Jolla Country Day (state No. 7, according to Cal-Hi Sports), The Bishop’s (16th), and Torrey Pines (on bubble).
Working against Mission Hills were its opponents in the  Avocado East, in which the Grizzlies played multiple games against weaklings.
Unsolicited advice to unhappy coaches: Â Play a good, tough nonleague schedule. Â You can’t control your league competition.
Boys poll and records through Monday, Feb. 22:
*Forfeited 57-37 victory Dec. 5 over Horizon. **Forfeited 73-64 victory over Manhattan Beach Mira Costa Dec. 26. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Points awarded on basis of 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â NR–Not ranked. Others receiving votes, including record: Â La Jolla Country Day (24-5, 13), San Marcos (20-6, 9), Escondido (17-9, 3), West Hills (20-6, 2), Rancho Bernardo (19-8, 2). |
Eleven media representatives vote, including John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune; Steve Brand (San Diego Hall of Champions), Terry Monahan, Jim Lindgren, Union-Tribune correspondents; Bill Dickens, Adam Paul, EastCountySports.com; Rick Willis, KUSI-TV; Rick Smith, partletonsports.com; Bodie DeSilva, sandiegopreps.com; Lisa Lane, San Diego Preps Insider; Aaron Burgin, fulltimehoops.com.
