Central Section, CA – The first month of the high school basketball season has concluded and the holiday tournaments are starting this week. Therefore, I felt this was a good time to update my team rankings from the initial preseason team rankings before the next two weeks of hoops get fully underway. Although it is only a month of games, there are already some trends emerging in the early parts of the season. The top 3 teams seem to have already created some separation from the rest of the teams in the Section. St. Joseph, Clovis North, and San Joaquin Memorial look to be in a category of their own at the moment. The Knights and Broncos have proven this with quality wins over teams from outside the Central Section, if not the state. The Panthers have proven it with wins over teams within the Section, specifically the big win over Clovis West at the Eagle’s Nest last Friday.
After the top 3, there is a second tier of teams that I could have placed in any ranked order and it could be justified. Clovis East has wins over Bakersfield Christian, Bullard and Bakersfield, which puts them at the top of the 2nd tier of teams. Bakersfield Christian, Bullard, Clovis West, Buchanan, and Sanger are the teams I see in that next grouping of squads that appear to each be able to beat each other, but not good enough at the moment to take down one of the top 3. Bakersfield Christian plays Bullard in mid-January; Clovis West, Clovis East, and Buchanan will play each other in league; and Sanger will play Bullard and San Joaquin in league, so this will all play out.
The next group of teams are also relatively interchangeable at this point in the season, and are all from different divisions. Bakersfield is base Division 1, Fresno Christian is base D5, North Bakersfield is base D4 but as the defending D3 Champs will likely play up in D3, and Mission Prep could have a good enough season to play themselves out of the D2 playoffs and get moved up into D1, as it was two years ago.
Also, there are teams like Roosevelt, Frontier, South Bakersfield, Redwood, Kingsburg, and Dinuba that were all in my top 20 preseason team rankings that have struggled out of the gates this season. Frontier and South have played tough schedules but have lost games they should have won. Kingsburg has been close in some games that would have put them in the top 15 if it had won. Dinuba will get Erick Estrella cleared after December 31st to add some size and skill. Redwood and Roosevelt have struggled of late and league play will be much welcomed after the holiday events. I see this group of teams moving back into the top 20 with some success over the next month.
There has been a lot of action the first month of the season, but one thing remains clear to all, St. Joseph is the #1 team in the Section and we start this list of updated team rankings with the Knights from Santa Maria.
1. (1) St. Joseph Knights (Santa Maria CA) (8-0)
The Knights remain at the top of these updated team rankings starting off the season running through the teams it has played, led by the dominant play of Baylor-commit Tounde Yessoufou. St. Joseph started the year off playing overseas in the Philippines before taking down the Central Section D4 runner-ups in Corcoran, by a score of 91 to 43. At the Redondo Union Take Flight Challenge, the Knights defeated Kimball of Dallas, Texas by 13 points, which was followed by back to back 25+-point wins over two Oakland schools, in defending D2 State Champs Oakland Tech and the Fremont Tigers. At the time of this writing, St. Joseph is playing in the illustrious City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers, Florida, which is one of the top high school basketball events of the calendar year. St. Joseph will also play in the annual Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Massachusetts. The Knights are currently ranked #29 nationally in Ronnie Flores FAB50 team rankings and as high as #12 in MaxPreps national rankings. St. Joseph will not play any Central Section teams outside its league besides a match-up with Clovis West on January 8th, until the playoffs.
2. (2) Clovis North Broncos (Fresno CA) (8-1)
The Broncos hold steady at the #2 spot and have earned some big wins in the early going of the season. Clovis North has earned impressive wins over Weston Ranch of Stockton, Dougherty Valley, Clayton Valley Charter, and San Ramon Valley. In the Gridley Invitational, the Broncos lost by 2 points to eventual Champs Riodan of San Francisco for its only loss of the schedule. Clovis North won its own Valley Children’s Tip-Off Championship over Cardinal Newman and is one of the favorites to win the Mission Prep Holiday Hoops Classic starting this week. The Broncos will be in the top division at the Classic at Damien after Christmas, with a loaded bracket of teams from California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Florida and more. Despite lacking size in the post, the Broncos have continued to show it can hang with and defeat some of the top teams in California, which is what it did last year en route to a D1 Section Title.
3. (3) San Joaquin Memorial Panthers (Fresno CA) (8-2)
The Panthers keep hold of the #3 spot in this round of team rankings and are coming off an impressive couple of wins at the Clovis West Nike Invitational, as it defeated the host team, Clovis West, pretty easily last Friday night by a score of 68 to 53. San Joaquin ended the Nike Invitational with another solid win over Monterey Trail of Elk Grove in overtime. The Panthers only two losses have been by a total of 7 points, with a 1-point loss to Mojave of Las Vegas, Nevada and a 6-point loss to the tall and athletic Inderkum Tigers of Sacramento. The Panthers will play in the Torrey Pines Holiday Classic in the Senator’s Division, where it should be one of the favorites in that bracket. San Joaquin has been led by seniors Julius Olanrewaju and recent San Francisco State commit Abram Potts, as well as junior standout Parker Spees, who has taken his game to another level this season and emerging as the 3rd option for the Panthers.
4. (5) Clovis East Timberwolves (CA) (9-1)
Moving up one spot from the preseason rankings and coming in at #4 is Clovis East, who is coming off a strong week of play at the Clovis West Nike Invitational. The T-Wolves earned wins over Bullard of Fresno, Granite Bay, and Frontier of Bakersfield, with its only loss in that event to Inderkum of Sacramento on a buzzer beater from sophomore Siincere Hudson, 64 to 62. Clovis East has also earned quality wins over South Valley teams Bakersfield Christian and Bakersfield High, and will be playing in the Modesto Christian Holiday Hoops Classic before heading to Arizona for the Nike Tournament of Champions the first week of the New Year. The T-Wolves have added senior football standout and Fresno State commit Harold Duval to the roster, who has not played since his freshman year, and his impact on the glass and overall physicality were on display in the game against Inderkum. Freshman Tristan Beechler and Sophomore Asher Thompson have been impressive for Clovis East this season, along with the group of juniors led by Aidan Beechler and Lydell Farmer. The Timberwolves have depth, good size compared to most teams in the Section, and look to challenge Clovis North and Clovis West for the TRAC Title.
5. (6) Bakersfield Christian Eagles (CA) (5-4)
Rounding out the top 5 and moving up one spot is the Eagles of Bakersfield Christian at #5. The Eagles had a rough start to the season against some quality teams, with losses to Sheldon of Sacramento, Weston Ranch of Stockton, Crean Lutheran of Irvine, and Clovis East, as mentioned above. The Eagles took part in the annual Lloyd Williams Holiday Hoops Tournament at North High School in Bakersfield, and it took full advantage of an event it was predicted to win. Bakersfield Christian earned quality wins over Sanger in the semifinals before knocking off event host North Bakersfield in the Championship Game by a score of 60 to 51. The Eagles have been led by senior lead guard Gabe Gutierrez, who went for 35 points and 31 points to lead his team to the tournament win this past Saturday night. The Eagles will take part in the St. Francis of La Canada Tournament to end the calendar year, as well as playing in the annual BSN Showcase at Pacifica Christian in early December. The Eagles will take on Bullard of Fresno at the Super Saturday MLK Classic on January 18th, which could have big implications for playoff seeding.
6. (8) Buchanan Bears (Clovis CA) (11-0)
Moving up two spots and currently undefeated on the season is the Bears at #6 in these updated rankings. Buchanan has not played the most rigorous schedule to date, but has gotten wins over Kingsburg, Fremont of Oakland, and is currently playing in the Tark Classic in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Bears will get a good test at the end of the month, as it takes part in the annual Modesto Christian Holiday Hoops Classic. The Bears have been led by senior guard Conner Sheets, as well as a roster that is one of the taller all around groups of players in the Section. Buchanan will also look to give Clovis West and Clovis North a run for the TRAC Title. The Bears, according to their schedule on MaxPreps, are not set to play in any one-day Saturday showcases in the months of January and February, so their standing in the TRAC at the end of the season will be key in determining where Buchanan is seeded for the Section Playoffs.
7. (7) Bullard Knights (Fresno CA) (6-3)
The Knights of Bullard hold steady at #7 in this round of team rankings and have earned wins over Grant of Sacramento, Frontier of Bakersfield, and Santa Barbara. The Knights have had some tough losses to Clovis East, Inderkum of Sacramento, and Cardinal Newman. The Knights will play in the Mission Prep Christmas Classic this week and will head up to Modesto after Christmas for the Crusaders Holiday Hoops Classic before starting league play. As mentioned above, the Knights have a big match-up against Bakersfield Christian in the Super Saturday MLK Classic in mid-January that could have big playoff seeding implications and will definitely impact my team rankings for late January. Bullard has been led by juniors Ja’Vance Coleman and Dalen Felder, as well as senior James Miranda. The defending CMAC champs will have a tough time repeating this season, as the Panthers of San Joaquin are looking really good at the moment, but with the firepower of Felder and Coleman, the Knights always have the chance to knock off any Section opponent.
8. (4) Clovis West Golden Eagles (Fresno CA) (2-7)
Clovis West moves down four spots to come in at #8 for this round of team rankings. The Golden Eagles have played one of the most rigorous schedules in the Section through the first month of the season and that has resulted in more losses than usual for one of the Section powers. The Golden Eagles have suffered losses to Inglewood, Santa Margarita, De La Salle, Clayton Valley Charter, Inderkum of Sacramento, San Joaquin Memorial of Fresno, and Parish Episcopal of Dallas, Texas. That is a gauntlet of a schedule and it doesn’t get easier, as Clovis West is currently playing in the Tark Classic in Las Vegas, NV, which will be followed by a trip to Modesto for their Holiday Hoops Classic. The Golden Eagles have games against Sheldon of Sacramento and Section rival St. Joseph the first week of the New Year, which should prepare it for TRAC league play. Despite the losses, Clovis West is still one of the top teams in the Section and it will do its part to defend its TRAC Title. Senior DJ Stickman, junior Jace Kellogg, and sophomore Spencer Kubit have led the team thus far and Kellogg has started to assert himself as the teams best pure scorer, going for 45 points against Inderkum to close out its own event this past weekend.
9. (14) Sanger Apaches (CA) (10-2)
The Apaches move up five spots and jump into the Top 10 at #9 in this round of team rankings. The Apaches have earned solid wins over Kingsburg, Central of Fresno, Hanford, Bakersfield, and got a huge comeback win in the 3rd Place Game against Paralcete at the Lloyd Williams Holiday Hoops Tournament last week at North Bakersfield High School, coming back from a 40-25 deficit in the 3rd quarter. Sanger is playing in the annual Hoover HIT event currently, which is down a bit this year, and will play in the annual Clovis Elks Tournament to cap off 2024. Sanger will be in the 2nd tier of the newly aligned CMAC/NYL leagues and should be the favorite to win that league. The Apaches have been led by seniors Micah Cole and Caleb Ramirez, with sophomore Luke Ramirez starting to step up his level of play this season. Senior guard Andy Villarreal will be the x-factor for Sanger this season, as he is the team’s best 3-point shooter, as was evident with the six he knocked down in the win over Bakersfield High.
10. (NR) Mission College Prep Royals (San Luis Obispo CA) (6-1)
Rounding out the Top 10 and making its debut in this round of team rankings is the Royals of Mission Prep. The Royals return key starters in seniors Roman Beneditti and Jayden Nozil and have earned wins over Roosevelt of Fresno, Central Valley Christian of Visalia, and South Bakersfield. The only loss for the Royals thus far was by 2-points to defending D2 State Champs, Oakland Tech. The Royals are hosting their annual Christmas Classic and will have a chance to face some of the teams in these rankings and possibly move up these rankings next go-around. The Royals will look to take 2nd place in league play, as St. Joseph will likely run away with the Mountain League.
11. (19) Bakersfield Drillers (CA) (9-3)
The Drillers have become relevant again in hoops this season with its first winning season this far into play since 2020 and have moved up 8 spots to #11, and the 2nd best team in the South Valley to date. Bakersfield has gotten wins over South Bakersfield and Birmingham of Lake Balboa. The Drillers have fallen to Inglewood, Sanger, and Clovis East but will have a few good tests down the road to see if the Drillers are truly back to being one of the best teams in the Section. In particular, Bakersfield has two games against Bakersfield Christian in league, and two games against Centennial of Bakersfield in non-league competition. Juniors Kade Johnson and Keshawn Black, as well as senior Dom Contreras have been key to the Driller success, but it has been the stellar play of freshman lead guard RJ Shehee that has really moved the needle for Bakersfield this year.
12. (13) Fresno Christian Eagles (CA) (9-2)
The Eagles move up one spot to #12 and are coming off a pretty successful week of basketball playing in the Clovis West Nike Invitational, going 3-1 and getting wins over Clovis, South Bakersfield, and Hoover of Fresno. The Eagles also have two wins over Redwood of Visalia and have a talented roster with size, guard play, and multiple guys that can give you 20+ points in a game and earn the team wins. Fresno Christian is playing in the Mission Prep Christmas Classic this week and has a big test in mid-January against Section power San Joaquin Memorial. This is a team to keep an eye on as the team to beat in the D4 Section Playoffs.
13. (11) North Bakersfield Stars (CA) (8-4)
The Stars move down a few spots, but this has more to do with the play of a few teams ahead of it, as North has been playing solid ball and come in at #13. The Stars lost to Bakersfield High in the 58 Freeway Shootout Championship to start the season, and last Saturday fell short to Bakersfield Christian in an entertaining Championship Game of its own tournament, the Lloyd Williams Holiday Hoops event. The Stars have wins over Paraclete of Lancaster, Central Valley Christian of Visalia, and Porterville. The Stars will play in the Polly Wilhelmsen Tournament after Christmas and will look to repeat as defending champs from a year ago, which really put them on a track to make the run to the D3 Section Title and D5 State Semifinals. The Stars are playing some quality hoops and its game against Bakersfield Christian was a testament to how much this program has come along the last five years or so under coaches AJ Shearon and Ruben Hill.
14. (NR) Centennial Golden Hawks (Bakersfield CA) (9-2)
Making its debut to this year’s Central Section team rankings is the Golden Hawks of Centennial, who made a run to the D2 State Title Game last year before falling to Oakland Tech. I did not have Centennial in my preseason team rankings, as it graduated 3-time league MVP Rippen Gill and this year’s roster seemed to lack some depth and scoring. However, with the recent transfer of the Jimenez brothers (Derek and Drake), as well as Acen Zuniga from Liberty of Bakersfield, and the solid play of freshman wing/forward Ryan Shaw, Centennial is looking much more formidable than I had previously expected. The G-Hawks have wins over Hanford, two against Kingsburg, Tulare Western, and it’s only two losses came from SoCal schools in Heritage Christian of Northridge and Westlake. Centennial plays South Bakersfield this Friday, which will give a better gauge of where the team stands in the South Valley, as well as participating in the Clovis Elks Tournament, which it won last year against Sanger. The style of play that I saw from Centennial could be problematic for the SYL-River favorites, the Frontier Titans, who have played a tough schedule so far but have struggled to get wins.
15. (NR) Tulare Union Tribe (CA) (10-0)
Rounding out the Top 15 and making its debut in these team rankings have been the surprising Tribe of Tulare Union, who have yet to lose a game this season. The Tribe have wins over Central Valley Christian of Visalia, Monache of Porterville, Sunnyside of Fresno, and Redwood of Visalia. Tulare Union won the annual Dinuba Tournament and will be taking part in the Polly Wilhelmsen Tournament that starts next week, which will give me a better understanding of where this team truly stands in the Section. The Tribe have been an intriguing story early but will have to keep up its winning ways to stay in the Top 15 of these rankings, as it does not play anyone ranked ahead of it after the start of the New Year.
Honorable Mention:
Central Valley Christian Cavaliers (Visalia CA) (8-4)
Clovis Cougars (CA) (5-5)
Corcoran Panthers (CA) (6-1)
Hanford Bullpups (5-2)
Sunnyside Wildcats (6-2)
