NorCal JC Tournament Brackets for Thanksgiving Weekend

The holiday weekend is full of great JC basketball featuring many NorCal programs.
Below are the brackets and teams featured for this weekends tournaments.

*Teams I consider NorCal related are in bold

Diablo Valley College Tournament 11/29-12/1
(Diablo Valley, Lassen, Contra Costa, Sac City, San Jose City, Solano, Feather River & Wayne Community)

Citrus College Tournament  11/29-12/1
(Citrus, San Diego, LA Pierce, Orange Coast, Sierra & Chaffey)

Bakersfield College Thanksgiving Tournament  11/29-30
(Allan Hancock, Reedley, Bakersfield & Merritt)

Butte College Tournament   11/29-30
(Umpqua, Simpson JV, Butte & Siskiyous)

Coach K's Northern California JC Rankings - Week 3

Week 3 included some grueling competition as well as giving us a peak at all of NorCals competition for the 2013-14 year, as all teams have now played this season.   One thing I can tell for sure, is that this is going to be one of the most competitive years for California JC ball in quite awhile!  Their is no clear runaway top team, as almost everyone seems to have raised their talent level from last year.  Looking at the Top 15 I feel that every team on the list can win on any given night against any team.  It's still early in the year, and some teams have a greater upside than others, while others could be considered 'early peakers', and others just need to play against better competition before we can decide where to rank them.

Here is Coach K's unscientific look at his Top 15 in Northern California JC Basketball
*Again, this is not an official ranking, this is only my opinion. This ranking is only as serious as you make it*
----Updated Rankings---- Coach K's Week 4 Rankings click here ------ Week 5 Rankings click here ---

1 - Yuba (4-1)    Massey ranking #2
    Still holding down the #1 spot in my opinion for this season.  Did not play this past week, but still holds the only victory over CCSF who Massey has ranked #1 in Northern California as well as in the State of California.
    Center High (Antelope) standout Chris Smith leads the way offensively posting 23 pts, 7 rebs & 5 assists per contest.
     Next game vs. Columbia on December 3rd @ 4pm in the 76th Modesto Tournament which features 16 teams.  I am going to come right out and say this ahead of time, whoever wins this tournament will be my automatic #1 bid for that week!   Take a look at the bracket here.


2 - Fresno City (8-1)   Massey ranking #3
     Has won 2 tournaments this year, the grueling San Francisco Tournament with key wins over Santa Rosa & Yuba, and also the El Camino Tournament this past weekend with wins over host El Camino (2-3), Moorpark (2-4) & Lassen (4-2) in the Championship.   So since they beat Yuba, who I currently still place #1, you're probably asking why I have FCC ranked #2.  Losing on their home court to Sierra is currently haunting FCC at this point in my ranking scale, but they still earn a spot ahead of San Francisco for winning 2 solid tournaments this year and starting out with an impressive 8-1 record.
    Bay Area product Dejon Budreaux (San Leandro High) averaged 12 pts after going scoreless in the opening game.  James O'Neal (Freedom High) averaged 9 pts and 5 assists over the final two games of the tournament.
    Next action Dec 3rd vs. De Anza @ 2pm in the 76th Modesto Tournament.  Not a bad afternoon of basketball.  Yuba plays at 2pm followed by FCC at 4pm.  More great games follow.  Might be worth taking an entire week off!

3 - San Francisco (5-1)    Massey ranking #1
     So I  knocked them down a spot for not playing this past week?  You're absolutely right, I'm a basketball fan and since FCC went and won another tournament while CCSF took a week off, I'm going to have to punish them a bit.  Actually it was a very tough decision but I felt that both Yuba and FCC had better arguments at this point for the #1 spot in my warped mind than CCSF so there you go.
    CCSF, however did win the Fresno City Tournament with victories over Allan Hancock (3-3), Santa Rosa (3-3) and Sierra (2-1).  They are still monsters on the glass and their size and athleticism will overwhelm most opponents.  Oh yeah, and they have this guy named Dulani Robinson.
    Next action at Hartnell (0-2) on 11/26 @ 7pm & Santa Rosa on 11/30 @ 7:30pm on the road.

4 - Ohlone (5-1)     Massey ranking #5
     Moves up from #14 in my ranking after a very impressive weekend winning the Championship of the Shasta Invitational Tournament.   Solid wins over Merritt (4-2) 97-83, Canada (1-6) 86-64 and Diablo Valley (2-1) 67-54 in the Championship give Ohlone enough clout to jump up to #4.  Only loss was opening game of the season to Delta (3-1) at home, which will haunt their memories for a little longer.  But with a showing like last weekend, that memory is fading fast.
   Newark Memorial product Casey Norris posted a double-double of 21 pts & 10 assists in the opening round over Merritt College.
    Next action is 11/30 vs West Valley (2-3) @ 5pm

5 - Sierra (2-1)     Massey ranking #4
     No games this past week.  Impressive win over Fresno City on the road in the opening round of the FCC tournament is what keeps them in the top 5.  Lost to San Francisco in the Championship.   I'm also biased because I've seen them play and they are arguably the best all-around team Sierra has had in a long time, which should make them contenders in conference and state this year.
    Next action is against Los Angeles Pierce in the Citrus College Tournament on 11/29 @ 6pm

6 - Cosumnes River (5-1)     Massey Ranking #12
      Jumps up seven spots to #6 after running off three wins in their own tournament this past weekend.  Solid wins over Columbia (4-3) 76-48, Portervillle (5-3) 86-68 & handing Chabot their first loss of the season (6-1) in the Championship game by a score of 81-74.  
      6'9 post Daiveon Leverett (Weston Ranch) is out with an injured finger, but CRC seemed to be playing just fine while they await the return of their freshman big man.  Jaycob Velasco, AJ Bridges and Rodney Cook seem to be a triple threat as they scored 55 of the 81 points in the Championship game.
      Next action vs Reedley (2-1) on December 3rd @ 8pm in the 76th Modesto Tournament.   *If CRC and Chabot can escape the first round, be on the lookout for a rematch between these two.

7 - Delta  (3-1)       Massey Ranking #10
      No games this past week.  Previously ranked #10 by Coach K, but actually benefited from Ohlone jumping up so high in the rankings, since they gave Ohlone (6-1) their only loss of the season, at home, in the opening game of the Ohlone Tournament.  Delta also has a solid win over Cabrillo (4-2) as they took home the Championship of that tournament.   Could be ranked higher, but suffered a loss at home to Columbia (4-3).
    So far St. Mary's (Stockton) product Alex Simmons leads the way on the offensive end posting 16 pts per contest followed by Jerrel Green of Bear Creek who is averaging 14 pts & 9 rebs while shooting just under 60%.
     Next action is at Merced (0-6) on 11/26 @ 7pm.

8 - Los Medanos (5-0)        Massey Ranking #7
      NorCals sole undefeated team, comes off a weekend winning the Mendocino Tournament.   Wins over Modesto (3-3) 89-81, Siskiyous (4-2) 77-71, and Butte (3-3) in the Championship by a score of 86-75.   I am looking forward to seeing LMC go up against more worthy opponents in the Monterey Classic & Santa Rosa Tournaments in December.
     No stats are currently posted up for LMC so far for this season.
     Next action vs. Gavilan (1-4) in the opening round of the Monterey Classic on 12/5 @ 7pm.

9 - Lassen (4-2)       Massey Ranking #14
      Stays at the #9 spot after heading down to Southern California for the El Camino Tournament and finishing 2nd after falling to Fresno City (8-1) 63-80.   Actually held a 7 point halftime lead 41-34 over FCC before getting outscored 46-22 in the 2nd half.   Comes back home from SoCal with wins over Sequoias (2-6) 75-68 and Cuesta (3-3) 85-77.    Oakland  High prospect Meshawn Beard averaged 14 points & 5 assists in the tourney, and McClymonds standout Lawrence 'Steady' Otis averaged 10 points over the weekend.
      Next action Lassen faces Contra Costa (1-2) in the opening round of the DVC tourney on 11/29 @ 6pm.

10 - Chabot (6-1)       Massey Ranking #13
      Falls from last weeks #6 spot after losing to Cosumnes River (5-1) 74-81 in the Championship of the Cosumnes River Tournament.   Had wins over Merced (0-6) 96-49 and Napa (2-3) 78-64 in the first 2 rounds.  Unfortunately for Chabot, the Cosumnes River game was really their first against a top tier opponent, and by falling to the Hawks it is going to hurt their ranking at this point. Chabot has a chance at redemption in the Modesto Tournament where they could face Cosumnes River on a neutral court in the 2nd round, as well as other top tier opponents, if they can advance in the winners bracket.
  Chabot has an impressive roster, and if they can put it together, can compete with anyone.   Oakland Tech product, Leo Smith scored 17 points in the Championship game and averaged 13 pts & 3 assists over the weekend.   Skyline High prospect Paris Davis averaged 10 points & 4 rebounds while Sacred Heart Cathedral point guard Khalil James started all 3 games during the tourney.  Bay Area native & University of Memphis transfer Matt Simpkins is averaging close to a double-double to go with 4 blocks per game. Rumored to have dominated at times on the defensive end, Simpkins could be scary when he realizes he could also dominate on the offensive end by staying in the post
    Next up is Shasta (1-6) on 12/4 @ 2pm in the opening round of the 76th Modesto Tournament.

11 - Diablo Valley (2-1)     Massey Ranking #8
      DVC decided to unveil their 2013-14 squad 3 weeks into the season, and posted some solid wins over Cabrillo (4-2) 68-63 and Foothill (3-3) 69-60, before falling to Ohlone (6-1) 54-67 in the Championship of the Shasta Invitational Tournament.
    Bishop O'Dowd prospect Justin Yeargin scored 11 in the first game, while De La Salle product Joe McNiff had 6 treys on the way to 19 points.   Jermaine Edmonds of Salesian posted 18 points in the second victory, while A.B. Najee out of Berkeley scored 13.
      Next up DVC faces Solano (2-3) in the first round of the Diablo Valley Tournament on 11/29 @ 8pm.

12 - Cabrillo (4-2)      Massey Ranking #11
     Cabrillo drops one spot thanks to the emergence of DVC in the rankings.  Cabrillo took the Consolation Championship this weekend with a victory over American River (1-4) 67-62 & solid win over Merritt (4-2) 83-76.   Lost to DVC (2-1) in the opening round 63-68.
     Detroit product Warren Jackson leads the offense with 14 pts per game.
     Next up Cabrillo hosts the Cabrillo Tournament starting 12/6.  Bracket has yet to be posted

13 - Santa Rosa  (3-3)       Massey Ranking #6
     No games this past week.  But actually moves up a few spots to #13.   2 of their losses are to San Francisco, and the other to Fresno City.  Took San Francisco down to the buzzer in the second match.  Santa Rosa has weapons both inside and outside, and has a chance at revenge  when they face San Francisco again at home on 11/30 @ 7:30pm
     Northern Cali products Alec Kobre (Montgomery High) & Matt Hayes (Pleasant Grove) lead the way on the offensive end averaging 16 & 15 respectively.

14 - Merritt  (4-2)       Massey Ranking #9
     Drops all the way from last weeks #5 spot down to #14 after suffering 2 losses in the Shasta Invitational.  Won the San Jose Tournament in the opening weekend, but losing in the Consolation Game this past weekend is not something to brag about.   Lost in the opening round to Ohlone (6-1) 83-97 and Cabrillo (4-2) 76-83.  It's sole win over the weekend was over Shasta (1-6) 97-83.
    Oakland native Denzel Bellot averaged 15 pts & 4 rebs over the weekend.  El Camino product Anthony Knight averaged 19 pts & 6 rebs over 3 games.  San Jose State transfer, David Andoh, posted 19 pts & 10 rebs in the loss against Cabrillo.
    Up next Merritt faces Bakersfield (4-1) on 11/29 @ 5pm in the Bakersfield Tournament.

15 - San Jose City (2-2)     Massey Ranking #18
    San Jose goes on a 2 game skid after suffering a loss to Reedley (2-1) at home 82-87.
     Next up San Jose City faces Sacramento City in the opening round of the DVC Tournament on 11/29 @ 2pm.
 



*** Feel free to chime in with comments about how you feel teams should or could be ranked, or what you may have noticed about any particular teams so far.  I have not seen most of these teams play, and am going off of rumors, numbers, traditions, rosters, and whatever other data I can pull up.  Be interesting to hear what other readers may have to say about NorCal teams!




 

NorCal JC Tournament Brackets for this week

Here are the brackets for this weeks Tournaments that feature NorCal Juco Men's Basketball teams:

*Click on tournament name to see bracket & gametimes

* Mendocino John Hogue Memorial Tournament
(Mendocino, Los Medanos, Modesto, Skyline, Siskiyous, Las Positas, Butte & Redwoods)

* Cosumnes River College James Clark Classic
(Cosumnes River, Merced, Chabot, Napa, Feather River, Alameda, Porterville & Columbia)

* Shasta College Invitational
(Shasta, Cabrillo, Diablo Valley, Foothill, American River, Ohlone, Merritt & Canada)

* El Camino College Tournament of Champions (SoCal Tournament featuring some NorCal teams)
(El Camino, Cuesta, San Diego City,  Lassen, West L.A., College of Sequoias, , Moorpark & Fresno City)

Flaws in the Massey Ratings

   Am I competitive? You betcha.  Are their flaws in my unscientific weekly ratings on Northern California JC Men's Basketball, absolutely.  I took a look at my current sole competitor ,the Massey Ratings, for California Community College Men's Basketball to see where our ratings compared.  To no surprise, I noticed some big differences in my ratings compared to the computerized ratings by Massey.  For this reason I decided to dig a little deeper into how everything is calculated by Massey. I've never looked at these ratings in such detail before, it was interesting to see all the various calculations and predictions.
   On thing that stood out to me was the 'Strength of Schedule - played games only' (SoS) and 'Strength of Schedule - including future games' (SSF).  These rankings based on Strength of Schedules seem to heavily influence where teams are rated.  I analyzed these numbers out of curiosity to see which teams had the toughest schedules ahead, when I realized something just didn't seem to fit.  When I clicked on a few teams to see their schedule I realized that some key match-ups where omitted and also noticed some other glaring defects to the calculations.

   San Francisco has the #1 ranking currently on Massey with a #3 based on (SoS) and #2 based on (SSF).  Therefore I would assume that most teams in their conference would have a pretty high (SSF) since they would have to face CCSF at least twice this year.   Looking at CCSF's schedule on Massey Ratings I realized that both their games against Chabot were omitted in the conference schedule.  I then went on Chabot's schedule and they also did not have these two match-ups scheduled.  Chabot's (SSF) is #70 currently, which I'm sure would be adversely affected if the two match-ups with the #1 team on this rating system were included. This also would benefit every team on Chabot's schedule.
    I then did some more searching around and noticed that in the Central Valley Conference some games were missing as well. West Hills, currently (4-0) has a (SSF) of #88, but their schedule is omitting the February 12th game between Fresno City College, the #3 team ranked in the North on the Massey Rating.  I looked on Fresno City College's schedule and they are missing this game as well.  I figure this match-up would benefit both these teams in their Massey Rating, as well as every team on their schedule.
   Lassen has a #87 for their (SSF), which is obviously affected by the fact they are playing in 7 tournaments. This is because the Massey system can only include the first match-up in these tournaments, until these tournaments begin.  Since Lassen's conference, The Golden Valley Conference, historically is one of the weaker conferences in the state, their conference schedule heavily influences this score for their Strength of Schedule.   This flaw not only affects Lassen, but every team they are scheduled to play.  Cosumnes River has a #82 based on (SoS). Their schedule consists of only 3 games, one against Lassen in the first game of the season.  Lassen's (SSF) has to have an impact on everyone they face based on this rating system until Lassen plays through these tournaments and all their opponents can be added to the calculations.
   DVC has a #2 rating based on 'Strength of Schedule - played games only', yet DVC hasn't played a single game this year.  This would have to be pretty advantageous to any teams scheduled to face DVC since this would obviously bolster their (SSF) having a team with such a high (SoS) on their schedule.
   I'm sure their are even more flaws to this system, most of which are because the season is just starting.  But the defects and omitted match-ups not only influence the score of the team involved, but it has a domino effect on every teams' rating. Just think of an algebra problem that has only one # wrong, it throws off the entire calculation and the answer will obviously not be correct.
   I still enjoy looking at these ratings and I think they are interesting and helpful to observe.  But I feel that nothing can make up for the 'human approach' to rating teams.  Their is something to be said for actually physically seeing these teams play and talking to other coaches/scouts about the different programs.  Knowing about the coaching styles and traditions of programs is also a factor that is always an added benefit to the 'human approach'.  Of course, in the 'human approach' their is always room for bias to influence the ratings.  
   I feel that the fans and athletic departments benefit from both types of ratings systems, and when using both systems we are able to experience a more reliable and true ranking overall.
   Now that I know where to find the Massey Ratings, I will definitely include them in my considerations for my weekly ratings.  I can also use them to calculate my own state rankings, since I probably won't see many teams from the South play this year.
   Overall, the Massey Ratings are a cool and beneficial system for the basketball world.  However, I am looking forward to a 'Coaches Poll' or other Poll where the 'human approach' is also a factor in the ratings.

Coach K's Northern California JC Rankings - Week 2

I felt that after the 2nd week it would be easier to rank the teams in Northern California, but I was wrong.  The results of games held at Fresno City College this weekend has put a monkey wrench in my already unscientific ranking system.  So again.....Don't take this ranking system too seriously.  But for the fun of it, here is how I would put the Northern California rankings so far. (Some teams have yet to play, so they will not be included in this ranking)

**I was able to narrow down a Top 6 at this point in the season (CCSF, FCC, Yuba, Sierra, Chabot & Merritt).  However, deciding how to rank them was pretty mind boggling.  But here is how I would place them so far, the Northern California Top 15 for Week 2

1 - Yuba (5-1)
     After many minutes scratching my head I had to place Yuba #1.  They beat CCSF in San Francisco, and also defeated a very good Mt San Antonio team from the south who is currently 4-2 and the defending State Champions.  These two wins are the best so far on any NorCal teams resume, which places them #1 on my list

     Last weeks results:  Wins over American River (1-2) by a score of 91-61 and also Sac City (2-3) by a score of 95-90.

     Next action isn't until December when they face Columbia (3-1) in the first round of the 16-team Modesto Tournament on Dec 3rd @ 4pm.

2 - CCSF (5-1)

     CCSF earns the #2 spot after winning the Fresno City Tournament. Victories over Allan Hancock (3-3) by a score 95-80; Santa Rosa (3-3) at the buzzer 78-76; and Sierra (2-1) in the Championship 90-77.  Since they lost to Yuba in San Francisco I had to give the #1 nod to Yuba for this week.  CCSF is a beast on the offensive glass and will continue to man-handle most teams with second chance buckets and athletic drives to the rim.

    Next action is at Hartnell (0-2) on 11/26 @ 7pm

3 - Sierra (2-1)

     With a big-time win over host Fresno City in the opening round of the FCC Tournament Sierra earns a #3 spot in Northern California from Coach K.  Very aggressive, organized and well rounded, this will be a team to lookout for in NorCal this year.  Impressive wins over Fresno (5-1) 81-71 and Modesto (1-2) 86-64 before falling to CCSF (5-1) 77-90 in the Championship of the FCC Tournament.

       Next action is against LA Pierce in the Citrus College Tournament on 11/29

4 - FCC (5-1)
     Coming off a high after winning the rugged San Francisco Tournament, Fresno placed themselves up against Sierra in the first round of their own tournament.  Never a good feeling to be in the consolation bracket on your home court, but Fresno turned it around with a victory over Feather River (0-4) 91-51 and a one point win over Allan Hancock (3-3) in the Consolation game.

     Next action is against El Camino in the El Camino Tournament on 11/22 @ 8pm.

5 - Merritt (3-0)
     Winning the San Jose City tournament with a 115-105 over host San Jose City (2-1) gives Merritt enough clout for a top 5 ranking so far.   Last week ranked #3, but no games this past week.  Their other victories were over Monterey (2-3) and Riverside (1-5). Riverside hasn't proven to be as quality of a win as I initially thought, with a starting record of (1-5).  This bumped down Merritt's ranking at this point until they face Ohlone (3-1) on 11/22 in the first round of the Shasta Tournament @ 8pm.  This will give both Merritt & Ohlone a chance to prove themselves against more top tier competition.
  
6 - Chabot (4-0)
     Totally dominated Hartnell (0-2) in a 97-60 romp at Chabot this week.  West Hills, previously ranked higher than Chabot, escaped Hartnell by only 4 points earlier in the week.  Since it's so early in the season I don't have much to go on, but this is a big difference in scores so this will bump Chabot up one spot ahead of West Hills.  Also, Matt Simpkins made his debut against Hartnell and looks to be showing he still can be an elite level player.

Previously Chabot won the Las Positas Tournament with victories over Contra Costa (1-2), Butte (1-2) and host team Las Positas (2-1).

    Next action is against Merced (0-4) in the opening round of the Cosumnes River Tournament at 4pm on 11/21.

7 - West Hills (4-0)
     Only one game this past week in a victory on the road against Hartnell (0-2) 67-63.  Previously won the Cuesta Tournament with wins over Santa Barbara (0-3), West Valley (2-2) and Allan Hancock (3-3) in the Championship game.

    With a chance to prove themselves, West Hills will next face Bakersfield (3-1) in Coalinga on 11/20 @ 6pm.

8 - San Jose City (2-1)
     No games this week.  Previously had a quality win against Lassen (2-1) at the San Jose City tournament.  The win against Merced (0-4) doesn't do much for their eventual RPI rating, but it's a W.   Have to also knock them down a spot for losing on their home court.

    Next up is Reedley (1-1) on 11/23 at 3pm in San Jose.

9 - Lassen  (2-1)
     No games this past week. Could be ranked higher with a quality win over Cosumnes River (2-1) and Riverside (1-5) in the San Jose City Tournament. But cannot have them ranked higher than San Jose City who beat them in the 2nd round of the Tournament.

    Next up is Sequoias (1-4) on 11/22 in the El Camino Tournament @ 4pm.

10 -  Delta (3-1)

     Previously ranked #6.  Lost momentum gained winning the Ohlone Tournament by losing at home to Columbia (3-1).  Get chance at redemption in their next match on the road against Merced (0-4) on 11/26 @ 7pm.

11 - Cabrillo  (2-1)
     No games this past week. Getting 2nd in the Ohlone Tournament gives them the 11th place nod.  Had victories over Shasta (1-4) and Sac City (2-3) and have to give them some respect for getting to the Championship of their first tournament this year.

     Next up Cabrillo gets to face off against Diablo Valley College (0-0) in the Shasta Invitational on 11/22 @ 2pm.  This game will definitely give us more insight on just how good Cabrillo is, and of course, DVC, who has yet to grace the court with their presence this season.

12 - Las Positas (2-1)
     No games this past week. Something to be said for making it to the Championship of a tournament.   Has victories over Gavilan (1-4) and Siskiyous (2-1) to start the season before falling to district rival Chabot in the Championship.

    Next up is Butte (1-2) in the Mendocino Tournament at 6pm on 11/21

13 - Cosumnes River (2-1)
     No games this past week.  Consolation Championship in the San Jose City Tournament.  Lost to Lassen (2-1) in the first round, but picked up wins over Merced (0-4) and Monterey (2-3).

     Next up is Columbia (3-1) in the Cosumnes River Tournament on 11/21 @ 6pm.

14 - Ohlone (3-1)
      Looked through my rankings and realized I left Ohlone out.  Holding down the 14th spot after another blowout victory, this time over Gavilan (1-4) by a score of 95-44.  Previously won Consolation bracket of Ohlone Tournament.  Other wins consist of blowouts over Feather River (0-4) and Shasta (1-4).  To bring their ranking up from 14 Ohlone gets a chance to prove themselves against Merritt (3-0) on 11/22 in the first round of the Shasta Tournament @ 8pm.

15 - Columbia (3-1)

      Coming on strong with a 3 game winning streak that includes the most recent victory on the road against San Joaquin Delta (3-1) by a score of 80-72.  Previous victories included Gavilan (1-4) and Contra Costa (1-2) in the Consolation bracket of the Las Positas Tournament.  

16 - Santa Rosa (3-3)

      I just don't feel right for punishing SRJC for it's 3 losses, so added an extra spot in the top 15 for SRJC.  2 losses were against #2 CCSF, and the other against #4 Fresno City.  And they took CCSF down to the wire in the second game losing at the buzzer.  They have some weapons both inside and outside and I feel they are the type of team nobody looks forward to facing.  Wins so far against Modesto (1-2), Marin (1-2) and Sequoias (1-4).  They will face CCSF one more time at SRJC on November 30th @ 7:30pm to see if they can get their revenge.

Others worth considering

Los Medanos (2-0)

Skyline (2-0)

Porterville (3-1)

Siskiyous (2-1)

Redwoods (2-1)

NorCal JC Tournament Results for Week 2

Northern California JC Tournament results for Week 2

Fresno City Tournament
Champions:  San Francisco
2nd Place: Sierra
3rd Place: Santa Rosa
4th Place: Modesto
Consolation: Fresno City


American River ARC Classic
Champions: Yuba
2nd Place: Sac City
Consolation: American River

NorCal JC Scores from Sunday

Northern California JC results for Sunday, November 17th, 2013

Reedley 73 - Redwoods 71

Porterville 73 - Southwestern 65

Fresno 78 - Allan Hancock 77

Skyline 58 - Solano 42

Santa Rosa 77 - Modesto 68

San Francisco 90 - Sierra 77

Sierra drops Fresno City in opening round of FCC tournament

Sierra College Men's Basketball opened the season yesterday with an impressive victory over Fresno City College in the opening round of the Fresno City Tournament (81-71).  Coach K had Fresno ranked #1 in the Northern California prior to the game after FCC took the championship crown at the tough San Francisco Tournament.
Sierra came out aggressive and proved that this might be the best Sierra squad yet under the tutelage of Coach Fusano.  This victory definitely shakes things up early in the NorCal JC world.  This is looking like this could be one of the best years of JC ball in quite a while.  More to come on this weekends tournaments and rankings by Coach K.

Norcal JC Scores from Saturday night

Scores for Saturday, November 16, 2013

Yuba 95 - Sac City 90

Fresno 91 - Feather River 51

Ohlone 95 - Gavilan 44

American River 71 - Shasta 68

Porterville 69 - Grossmont

Allan Hancock 63 - Sequoias 55

Skyline 93 - Reedley 74

West Valley 75 - Canada 74

De Anza 84 - Cuesta 81

Sierra 86 - Modesto 64

Redwoods 81 - Solano 79

Chabot 97 - Hartnell 60

San Francisco 78 - Santa Rosa 76

NorCal JC Scores from Friday

Plenty of NorCal JC action was underway Friday night

Here are the results:

San Diego 85 - Porterville 65

Modesto 82 - Feather River 74

San Francisco 85 - Allan Hancock

Los Medanos 90 - Alameda 73

Columbia 82 - Delta 72

Bakersfield 63 - Monterey Peninsula 62

Sac City 88 - Shasta 73

Sierra 81 - Fresno 71

Yuba 91 - American River 61

Santa Rosa 64 - Sequoias 49

MJC Season preview

The Modesto Bee posts an in depth article on the upcoming MJC Men's Basketball season
Click here for story

NorCal JC games for 11-13-13

Northern California JC Men's Basketball action for 11-13-13
Looking at the records, it looks like a couple teams are guaranteed to get their first win of the season.

West Hills College (3-0) @ Hartnell College (0-0) 5pm

El Camino-Compton Center (0-3) @ Porterville College (0-0) 6pm

Foothill College (0-2) @ De Anza College (0-2) 7pm


*Also last night Gavilan (1-2) got it's first win of the season with a 70-65 victory over Merced (0-3)

Monterey Peninsula over Canada College in 3 point barrage

From the MPC facebook fan page, "Great win tonight at Canada College. Lobos pulled out the win in a shoot out 107-96. We lit the building up going 16-20 from 3!! Next is our first home of the season against Bakersfield on Friday."
MPC moves on to a (2-2) record and Canada starts the season off (0-3). Tough to beat any opponent when they are bombing from beyond the arc at 80%.

Coach K Northern California JC rankings - Week 1

Don't take this ranking system too seriously, it is virtually impossible to have seen all the necessary basketball action this past weekend in Northern California JC ball.  But for the fun of it, here is how I would put the Northern California rankings so far. (Several teams have yet to play, so they will not be included in this ranking)


1 - Fresno City (3-0)
      Have to give them the #1 nod after taking the Championship in the grueling San Francisco Tournament.  With wins over Napa (58-35), Santa Rosa (70-56) and Yuba (81-70) the Rams showed they are again ready to compete with the best in the state.

2 - Yuba (2-1)
     Toughest schedule over the weekend. Victories over last years State Champions, Mt. San Antonio & the pre-season #1 ranked CCSF are the most impressive wins for any team so far this year.  I have a hard time putting any of the other teams over them this early in the year, and don't feel right punishing them for starting off 2-1 with those quality wins already under their belt.

3 - Merritt (3-0)
     Winning the San Jose City tournament with a 115-105 over host San Jose City gives Merritt enough clout for a top 3 ranking so far.   Other victories over Monterey (94-75) and Riverside (81-63) give them more credibility this early in the season.

4 - CCSF (2-1)
     Pre-Season ranked #1 in the state and the fact that Dulani Robinson is still sporting a Rams uniform give CCSF a top 4 ranking at this point.  Had to knock them down a few spots also for losing on their home court.

5 - West Hills (3-0)
     Yes, you read that right, West Hills College out of Coalinga.  Went 3-0 over the weekend at the Cuesta Tournament with wins over Santa Barbara (75-69), West Valley (71-70) and Allan Hancock (84-76) in the Championship game.

6 - Delta (3-0)
    Winning the Ohlone Tournament with a victory over Cabrillo (69-65) gives Delta a top 6 spot.  They also posted a quality victory over host team Ohlone (67-63) to open the season, and over Solano (74-61)
 
7 - Chabot (3-0)
     Winning the Las Positas Tournament isn't going to give as much credibility as some of the other tournaments, but still some decent victories over Contra Costa (88-78), Butte (79-64) and host team Las Positas (86-78) are enough to give the Gladiators a top 7 spot at this point.

8 - San Jose City (2-1)
     A quality win against Lassen (102-77) at the San Jose City tournament gives 'speed city' enough clout for a top 8 ranking at this point.   The win against Merced doesn't do much for their eventual RPI rating, but it's a W.   Have to also knock them down a spot for losing on their home court.

9 - Lassen (2-1)
     Could be ranked higher with quality wins over Cosumnes River (97-94) and Riverside (82-65) in the San Jose City Tournament. But can not have them ranked higher than San Jose City who beat them in the 2nd round of the Tournament

10 - Cabrillo  (2-1)
     Getting 2nd in the Ohlone Tournament gives them the 10th place nod.  Not sure if the victories over Shasta and Sac City will hold much weight, but have to give them some respect for getting to the Championship of their first tournament this year

11 - Las Positas (2-1)
     Something to be said for making it to the Championship of a tournament.   Has victories over Gavilan and Siskiyous to start the season before falling to district rival Chabot in the Championship.

12 - Cosumnes River (2-1)
     Consolation Championship in the San Jose City Tournament.  Lost to Lassen (97-94) in the first round, but picked up wins over Merced (104-50) and Monterey (87-86 in OT).

13 - Santa Rosa (1-2)
    Not going to punish them too bad for losing to CCSF and Fresno.  Beat Marin (65-57) in the opening round and had to face two top tier opponents in the winners bracket of the San Francisco Tournament.  Loses to Fresno (56-70) and CCSF (68-74) put SRJC at 1-2 to start the season.

14 - Ohlone (2-1)
    Consolation in their own tournament, Ouch.  But it's early.  And they lost to eventual tournament Champion Delta in the opening round.  So Kudos for not putting themselves up against a weak opponent to start the season, but their victories consist of blowouts over Feather River (102-59) and Shasta (89-43), which could mean a lot, or not much at all.  Time will tell.

15 - Solano (2-1)
     Since many teams have left to play a game this year, Solano makes the top 15 ranking after getting 3rd place in the Ohlone Tournament.  With victories over Feather River (73-64) and Sac City in the 3rd place game (87-82) Solano breaks the top 15 spot.


This weekend, starting Friday more tournaments will be under way!

Fresno City Tournament
Friday - Sunday
    Featuring:  Fresno City, Allan Hancock, CCSF, Modesto, Feather River, Sierra, Sequoias & Santa Rosa

American River ARC Classic
Friday - Saturday
    Featuring:  American River, Yuba, Sac City & Shasta

Falcon Classic @ Solano
Saturday - Sunday
    Featuring: Reedley, Solano, Skyline & Redwoods

NorCal JC Tournament results from opening weekend

Opening weekend of California Junior College basketball was definitely an exciting one.  With 5 tournaments featuring 8 teams each, the weekend was filled with some big time competition.
Results of the Tournaments are listed below

Cuesta Tournament
    Champions - West Hills
    2nd Place - Allan Hancock
    3rd Place - Bakersfield
    4th Place - West Valley
    Consolation - Cuesta

San Francisco Tournament
    Champions - Fresno
     2nd Place - Yuba
     3rd Place - San Francisco
     4th Place - Santa Rosa

Las Positas Costello Memorial Tournament
    Champions - Chabot
    2nd Place - Las Positas
    3rd Place - Siskiyous
    Consolation - Columbia

Ohlone Jon Wallace Memorial Tournament
   Champions - San Joaquin Delta
   2nd Place - Cabrillo
   3rd Place - Solano
   4th Place - Sac City
   Consolation - Ohlone

San Jose City Tip-Off Tournament
   Champions - Merritt
    2nd Place - San Jose City
    3rd Place - Lassen
    4th Place - Riverside
    Consolation - Cosumnes River

Merritt defeats San Jose City to take San Jose City Tournament Championship

Final score 115 - 105!
Kevin McCarthy reports in more detail here

Chabot College wins Las Positas Tip-Off Tournament

photo courtesy of the Chabot Men's Basketball facebook fan page

-Livermore, CA

It was a match-up between district and conference rivals on Saturday afternoon as the Gladiators from Chabot took on the Hawks from Las Positas.  Chabot came out aggressive, with an alley oop dunk to Cortez Barrett to start the game.  Las Positas would not fold, however, as they battled back to tie the game at 60 in the second half.  Chabot rallied back when Paris Davis drew a foul.  Davis made the first and missed the second, which was rebounded by teammate Cortez Barrett who finished with a power layup making it a 3 point possession.  One more stop on the defensive end led to a fast break layup by point guard Leo Smith that put Chabot back up by 5 and resulted in a timeout by Las Positas.  Las Positas, a great 3 point shooting team, kept within striking distance but seemingly ran out of gas as they had a chance to come close in the final minute with open 3 point attempts that air balled or missed badly.  Chabot won by 8 with a final score 86-78.  In the end the district rival Chabot takes home the Championship trophy and bragging rights until the two meet again in conference play on January 8th in Hayward.

Tournament Honors:

MVP - Raymond Baldwin (Chabot)
All Tournament honors:  Paris Davis (Chabot)
Cortez Barrett (Chabot)
Davis Kimble (Las Positas)
Steve Cazares (Las Positas)
Jacob Contreras (Las Positas)
Tige Wingo (Columbia)
Lavar Moore (Sikiyous)

More story visit Las Positas website here

Northern California JC scores from Saturday November 9, 2013

Ohlone 89 - Shasta 43
     @Ohlone College Tournament

Columbia 70 - Contra Costa 58
     @ Las Positas Costello Memorial Tournament Consolation Final

Cosumnes River 87 - Monterey Peninsula 86
     @ San Jose City Tip-Off Tournament Consolation Final

Sequoias 64 - Mendocino 46
     @Cuesta College Tournament

Marin 51 - Napa 38
     @San Francisco Tournament

Siskiyous 76 - Butte 73
    @Las Positas Costello Memorial Tournament 3rd Place Game

Lassen 82 - Riverside 65
     @San Jose Tournament

Cuesta 70 - Santa Barbara 64
     @Cuesta Tournament

Chabot 86 - Las Positas 78
     @Las Positas Costello Memorial Tournament Championship

San Joaquin Delta 69 - Cabrillo 65
    @Ohlone Tournament

Merritt 115 - San Jose City 105
    @San Jose City Tournament Championship

Fresno 70 - Santa Rosa 56
    @San Francisco Tournament

Allan Hancock 67 - Bakersfield 54
     @Cuesta Tournament

Yuba 81 - San Francisco 78
     @San Francisco Tournament

West Hills 71 - West Valley 70
     @Cuesta Tournament
    

Yuba drops CCSF in San Francisco Tournament

Yuba held a 34-29 lead at the half and was able to pull out a victory despite the onslaught of 31 points by Dulani Robinson of CCSF.  Yuba won the game by 3 points and moves on to play Fresno City in the Championship of the San Francisco Tournament.  CCSF moves on to face Santa Rosa in the 3rd place game.
Highlights of the Yuba vs. CCSF game are provided here thanks to Who Got Next 

Allan Hancock defeats College of Sequoias to open the season

Allan Hancock College defeated College of Sequoias 74-54 to open the season at the Rabobank Classic hosted by Cuesta College.  Full story click here

Butte College over De Anza in Costello Memorial Tournament

Butte College defeated De Anza 74-58 in the first round of the Las Positas Costello Memorial Tournament.  For article click here

The Most In Depth California Juco Preseason Poll with team profiles

Thanks to Kevin McCarthy & Mel Grussing, we have at our disposal the most in-depth CCCAA Preseason Poll available.  Robert Schmidts poll can be viewed here.

Jermaine Edmonds (DVC) getting some early D1 interest

photo courtesy of sfgate.com

Jermaine Edmonds, totally overlooked on a loaded Salesian squad last year, is reportedly getting plenty of looks pre-season from Division 1 programs.  Kevin McCarthy reports via Derrick Jones twitter account

Butte College season outlook 2013-14

Excerpt from the Roadrunners website featuring an in-depth outlook for the upcoming 2013-14 season.
Full story click here

"Returning for the Runners are five vastly improved players who will be counted upon to provide solid contributions to the team. Led by front-linersMichael Oloya (6’5”), and Justin Gavard (6’5”), each should establish a much needed inside presence. In the back-court are Jamaal Davis (6’0”), a part-time starter last season, Nathaniel Hurd (5’9”), and Chris Downs (5’9”). They are talented, clever, exciting and improved players who will definitely see the court. Additional returners playing in their first season are two outstanding red-shirts at the wing position. Making their debut for the Roadrunners in the 2013-2014 are local products Will Sevdy (6’4”) and Dominic Parisi (6’3”), two very versatile players with a great deal of potential.

The incoming freshman class is very talented and will provide some much needed depth to the Roadrunners personnel. Led by sharpshooting guardJud Sailsbery (“6’0”) out of Orland High School, and talented swingmanArthur Caldwell (6’5”) out of Salinas High School, the Runners have landed two very outstanding young players. Each will be counted upon to significantly help the Roadrunners this year. Rounding out this talented freshmen class are some outstanding guards led by Nikolas Petruk (6’4”), a very clever and exciting player out of Brazil. Marcus Booker (5’10”), combo-guard and a jet out of Mount Miguel High School in Spring Valley, and Kyler Joaquin (6’2”), an off guard out of Rio Americano High School in Sacramento. Up front the Runners have a surprise addition in Conner Morningstar (6’8”), a versatile post man out of Summerville High School in Tuolumne."

Chabot College Men's Basketball 2013-14

Thanks to Kevin McCarthy for bringing us to the attention of the Chabot Men's Basketball facebook fanpage where we can find info on the 2013-14 Chabot Gladiators

Chabot Men's Basketball 2013-14 profiles

*Today we would like to introduce the Chabot fans to James 'JP' Potts. JP was discovered in a Men's League last year on campus. The 6'5 shooting guard comes in as a non-traditional freshman

* Today we would like to introduce Cortez Barrett to the Chabot fans. Cortez earned 1st Team All-State in Missouri his senior year @ Center High. He is a transfer from Hutchinson Community College in Kansas. The 6'3" athletic guard will be an exciting player to watch this season.

* Today we would like to introduce Matt Simpkins to the Chabot fans. Matt is a Bay Area native and played his first year of college under Coach Calipari at the University of Memphis. The 6'9" forward was a top 80 prospect out of high school.

* Today we would like to introduce Paris Davis to the Chabot fans. Paris was named MVP of the Oakland Athletic League after averaging 22 pts & 8 rebs during his senior year at Skyline High in Oakland.

* Today we would like to re-introduce Greg Brown to the Chabot fans. Last year, Greg earned 1st Team All-Conference as a freshman. He averaged 14 pts a game and shot 72% while getting to the free throw line 157 times. The 5'10 guard is out of San Pedro, California.

* Today we would like to introduce Raymond Baldwin out of Surrattsville High School.
Raymond averaged 12.5 pts, 7.5 rebounds & 1.3 blocks per game his senior year. He redshirted at Barton County Community College last year and comes to Chabot as a freshman on the basketball court. The 6'5" wing can play almost every position on the court. 

* Today we would like to introduce Leo Smith out of Oakland Tech High School. Leo was a 2-time 1st Team Oakland Athletic League honoree. The 5'10" point guard knows how to run a team. His senior year he averaged 18.5 pts, 7.4 assists, 5.4 steals, and 5 rebounds per game.

* Today we would like to introduce Adrian Crump to the Chabot fans. The athletic 6'7" guard/forward comes to Hayward from Dunbar High School. 

* Today we would like to introduce Andrew Rice to the Chabot fans. The 6'9" post comes to Gladiator nation from Ontario High.

* Today we'd like to introduce the Chabot fans to Khalil James. Khalil comes to Hayward from Sacred Heart Cathedral. The speedy 5'8" point guard helped guide the Fightin' Irish to two consecutive state championship appearances at the Division III level. He earned 2nd team WCAL All League as a senior.

* Today we would like to introduce Rodney Owens to the Chabot fans. Rodney is an athletic 6'3" guard and comes to Hayward from Quakerdale Prep. He is a freshman and will be an exciting player to watch. 

* Today we would like to re-introduce Jalan Rodgers to the Chabot fans. Jalan played a solid role as a freshman last year averaging 5 pts per game and had the highest free throw percentage on the team at 87%. He played his prep ball at Newark Memorial

* Today we'd like to introduce the Chabot fans to Davon Stewart. Davon comes to Hayward from San Lorenzo High where he averaged 17 pts per game. Davon redshirted last season at Chabot.

*Today we would like to introduce Damien Coleman to the Chabot fans. The 6'8 true freshman comes to Hayward from Freedom High School in Oakley, California.

CCSF Men's Basketball Roster 2013-14

Courtesy of Kevin McCarthy @ Norcalbasketball.blogspot.com

City College of San Francisco 2013-14 Men's Basketball Roster

* Dulani Robinson 5-foot-9 SO guard McClymonds High
    
* Chuks Iroegbu 6-foot-3 SO guard Franklin High

* Kori Babineaux 6-foot-5 SO guard Folsom HS 

* Gemeny Givens 6-foot-0 FR guard St. Joseph Notre Dame High

* Vincent Golson 5-foot-7 FR guard Skyline High

* Josh Fox 6-foot-6 SO forward Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep
    
* Travante Williams 6-foot-3 SO guard Save High School (Alaska)

* Donny Wilder 6-foot-7 FR forward Castlemont High

* Gabe Bealer 6-foot-6 FR forward Antelope High

* Jamil Brown 6-foot-7 FR forward Oakland High

* Maxime Bindiz  6-foot FR guard France
   
* Kanu Aja 6-foot-9 SO Center Cardinal Gibbons High (Maryland)
    
* Danny Orengo 6-foot FR guard Riordan High

* Sami Eleraky 7-foot-0 Redshirt FR center (Denmark)

* Patrick Cooks 6-foot-2 sophomore guard Pierce JC/Curtis High (Tacoma) 

Lassen Cougars Men's Basketball 2013-14

Coach Devin Aye has his roster up for his 2nd season at Lassen College in Susaville, Ca.

#	NAME	HT	WT	YR	HOMETOWN	HIGH SCHOOL
0	Meshawn Beard	5’11”	175	FR	Oakland, CA	Oakland HS
1	TJ McCauley	6'7"	205	FR	Reno, NV	Spanish Springs HS
3	Marvin White	6’2”	175	FR	Fort Worth, TX	Paschal HS
4	LJ Melton	6’1”	195	SO	San Francisco, CA	Thurgood Marshall HS
5	Denzal Henderson	5'8"	150	FR	Las Vegas, NV	Canyon Springs HS
10	Josh Faughn	6’3”	180	SO	Elk Grove, CA	Elk Grove HS
11	Jake McCoy	6’0”	185	FR	Medford, OR	South Medford HS
12	Denzel Famble	6’6”	175	FR	Savannah, GA	Savannah HS
20	Benson Arogbo	6’4”	175	FR	Nottingham, UK
22	Juandrico Walker	6’8”	200	FR	Chesapeake, VA	Indian River HS
23	Lawrence Otis	6’3”	200	SO	Vallejo, CA	McClymonds HS
24	Tyler Watts	6’2”	170	FR	Las Vegas, NV	Durango HS
32	Deontay Holloman	6’2”	160	FR	St. Louis, MO	Northwest Academy of Law HS
33	Dashun Johnson	6’5”	175	FR	St. Louis, MO	Northwest Academy of Law HS
	Redshirts:
	Juwan Davis-Parks	5’10”	165	FR	Delaware
	Sean Millikan	6’6”	250	SO	Winnemucca, NV