Modesto Christian High School Holiday Tournament info

The 16 team Modesto Christian Holiday Tournamet started up this week.  Here are some good links to stay in touch with all the action.

Brian Vanderbeek reports via the Modesto Bee

Also, the webpage for the tournament can be found here

The 2nd Annual Catholic School Winter Classic

Kevin McCarthy has the details on the upcoming high school tournament featuring a great lineup of games.
Saturday Dec 21st at Cal State East Bay

This weeks Northern California JC Tournament Brackets & Previews

I know I am very much excited for this weeks tournaments.  I feel this will be an opportunity for several teams to show what they are made of, and at what level they can compete.  Nothing like starting the holiday break with great some great JC basketball.

*Click on Tournament Title for Bracket*

* Santa Rosa Kris Kringle Invitational  12/19-21     Santa Rosa, Ca
(Santa Rosa (3-6), Shasta (2-10), Los Medanos (7-1), Redwoods (8-4), Marin (5-3), Yuba (4-3), American River (2-7), & Feather River (3-9))

    I predict that Santa Rosa is going to get the opportunity to pick up some W's this weekend and show that they are a top 10 team in the North.
    Yuba also has a lot to prove over the weekend.  With a long conference schedule they do not have many preseason opportunities to fill their schedule with quality games.  Currently (4-3) and on a 2 game losing streak they need this weekend to go well in order to gain back the respect they were garnering a couple weeks ago.
    Los Medanos, Marin & Redwoods should be seeking an opportunity to earn more respect to go with their current impressive records.


* West Valley Holiday Classic  12/19-21      Saratoga, Ca
(West Valley (4-7), Alameda (0-5), Diablo Valley (7-2), Foothill (6-4), Lassen (10-6), Ohlone (11-1), Monterey Peninsula (6-6) & Modesto (5-6))

     With 4 teams in my top 15 Northern California rankings for this week, this tournament is definitely another one to look forward to.  (Ohlone #2, Diablo Valley #5, Lassen #8 & Monterey Peninsula #13)
     Very good well matched first round competition.    The Lassen vs Ohlone game should be incredible and the DVC vs Foothill one should be a great match up as well.  Monterey Peninsula vs a hot Modesto team should also be another first round nail-biter.
     Curious if the same person is doing the scheduling for Ohlone & DVC.  They have the opportunity to face each other again, for the 3rd time this year, if they both can reach the finals.


* Delta Holiday Tournament  12/20-22       Stockton, Ca
(Delta (4-4), San Francisco (10-1), Butte (5-5), Merced (0-8) , Reedley (3-5), Cuesta (6-5), Sierra (3-5) & Columba (6-6).

      San Francisco is the obvious favorite to win this tournament, but anything can happen with the solid teams paired up this weekend in Stockton.   Curious why Delta would impose themselves upon CCSF in the first round of their own tournament, either they were very confident coming into this year, or maybe none of the other teams wanted to face CCSF in the first round.  Either way, Delta has an opportunity for serious redemption if they can pull off a W in the first round and advance in the winners bracket.   It's never fun being in the Consolation of your own tournament.
       Best first round games would be the Delta vs CCSF match up & Sierra vs Columbia match up.  Reedley has shown to be quite inconsistent this year, with good wins to go with bad losses you seem to never know what to expect from them.
      Sierra has a shot to turn things around and come out looking like they did when they opened the season handing Fresno City their only loss to date, if they can come out this weekend above .500.
      Overall, this looks to be a solid tournament if you must stay in the Central Valley over the weekend.

* College of Sequoias Kirby Mannon Pepsi/Holiday Tournament   12/20-22     Visalia, Ca
(Sequoias (3-9), Contra Costa (4-5), El Camino (2-4), Allan Hancock (7-4), Ventura (6-6), Cerritos (4-5), San Bernardino (13-3) & Porterville (6-5)

     Last, but definitely not least, is the Sequoias Tournament in Visalia.  Featuring more Southern California Teams than Northern this tournament looks very exciting for those that can take the trip down the 99 to take in the action.
    Looking at the bracket it appears that every first round game is well matched making every game from 2pm-8pm watchable.  San Bernardino comes in as the favorite ranked #8 in the State in this weeks poll, but Allan Hancock has just as much right to claim the same, being ranked #13 statewide.  Cerritos is stocked with talent, maybe too much talent, as they were highly touted in the preseason with a couple of NBA caliber prospects on their roster, but struggling with a (4-5) record.    Ventura is historically a state powerhouse, so don't expect their (6-6) record to speak for them either.    Host team COS has talent, but also has a tough match up with a hot Contra Costa team that is coming off a 3rd place finish in the Modesto Tournament.
   

    With 4 great 8-team tournaments this weekend, I have somewhat of an early March Madness feeling taking over me, as it's almost too much of a good thing, and not enough time to take in every game.  A good thing about the scheduling is that 2 of the tournaments start on the 19th while the other 2 start on the 20th, making it a bit easier to see more of the games over the weekend.
     So don't get into 'Holiday Mode' too early, their is plenty of 'don't miss' action going on this weekend to stay at home!
       *If you do have to stay at home, check out Ohlone's facebook page, as they do have capabilities to broadcast some of their games online if their is internet access in the gymnasiums.   I know I will be checking in on the Lassen match-up Thursday evening via internet feed if it is available.   I'm sure that some of the other teams over the weekend will be broadcasting via internet, so do your research and plan ahead to maximize the excitement.

Coach K's Northern California JC Rankings - Week 6

Week 6 was another eventful week as we had the fortune of numerous tournaments across Northern California.  The San Jose Classic saw Ohlone barrel it's way to the Championship.  Skyline, making it's first appearance of the season in a tournament, won its own tourney in impressive fashion.  The Lassen Classic saw Mt Hood, from Oregon, come away with hardware while the Foothill Tournament let a Southern California team escape 3-0 (LA Harbor).  Several teams saw a significant jump in my rankings.  I can honestly say the Top 5 was the easiest part of this weeks rankings, after that it was tough figuring out where to place teams after the outcome of several games & tournaments this past week.

Here is Coach K's unscientific look at his Top 15 in Northern California JC Basketball for Week 6
*Again, this is not an official ranking, this is only my opinion. This ranking is only as serious as you make it*



1 - Fresno City (12-1)      (-)
      No games this past week after winning the 16 team Modesto Tournament.  Maintains the #1 spot
       Key wins this year include Chabot (9-2), Cuesta (6-5), Sac City (6-6), Santa Rosa (3-6), Yuba (4-3), Allan Hancock(7-4) & Lassen (10-6).
      FCC is benefiting from an entire week off, since leading scorers Chris Ashanti & Dejon Budreaux both suffered injuries in the MJC Tournament.  Not sure how long these two will be out.
      Next up Fresno faces Riverside (4-8) at home on Dec 18th @ 5pm.
      Not much competition left for FCC.  They will face tough opponents in the Allan Hancock Tournament and a single game scheduled with Saddleback (12-1) on 1/4/14 will definitely be their toughest competition until playoffs start, with the Central Valley conference historically not offering much of a challenge for the Rams.

 2 - Ohlone (11-1)      (+1)
      Ohlone moves up another spot after running through the San Jose City Classic Tournament with 3 big wins; Merritt (6-5), San Jose (5-5) & DVC (7-2).   Ohlone is riding an 11 game winning streak & looking to put a stop to the dominance imposed by CCSF in the Coast-North Conference.
      Key wins this year include San Jose (5-5), Merritt (6-5) twice & Diablo Valley (7-2) twice
      Next up is Lassen (10-6) in the West Valley Tournament on 12/19 @ 8pm

3 - San Francisco (10-1)    (-1)
       CCSF drops 1 spot after Ohlone picked up it's 11th win in a row over the weekend with 3 key victories.  Still dominant in transition & on the glass, CCSF is still a contender for conference as well as state this year.  But they have Ohlone, Chabot & Skyline ambitiously breathing down their necks this year in conference contention.
       Key wins include Mt San Antonio (7-3), Allan Hancock (7-4), Sierra (3-5), & 3 over Santa Rosa (3-6)
       Next up San Francisco competes in the Delta Tournament opening up with host team Delta (4-4) @ 6pm on Dec 20th.

 4 - Chabot (9-2)   (+1)
     Chabot jumps up one spot after an idle week.  Previously Chabot took 2nd in the Modesto Tournament that featured 16 teams.  They were given a forfeit for their appearance in the Championship game against Fresno City when Coach Aye took his team to the locker room with 40 seconds on the clock.  This was after his team was just called for it's 5th technical and one of his players received an ejection for getting his second T of the night.  (figured I'd clear that up after reading they forfeited the game with 6 minutes to go in another poll)
CCCAA rules regarding Technical Fouls: 
2 Techs for a game = ejection. 
1 ejection = at least a 1 game suspension.  
2 ejections for the season = that player is done for the year.
      I guess Coach Aye was concerned that other players were at risk of being suspended based on how that game was going.  So I'm not going to punish them for the walk out with 40 seconds remaining, but I would put in my scouting report that if you can draw 5 technicals against them, you have good odds at winning.
      Key wins this year include Cosumnes River (10-3), Las Positas (6-4), Butte (5-5) & 2 over Contra Costa (4-5).
      Next up Chabot travels to face San Jose City (5-5) on December 18th @ 7pm.

5 - Diablo Valley  (7-2)    (-1)
      Came in 2nd place over the weekend in the San Jose City Classic Tournament.  Picked up wins over Monterey Peninsula (6-6) & Santa Monica (10-2) before falling again to Ohlone (11-1) in the Championship.  I would say right now that DVC is the favorite to win the Big 8.  However that conference is very well rounded, with several teams including Sierra & Santa Rosa that could make a turn around very quickly.
      Other key victories this year are Cabrillo (7-4), Foothill (6-4), San Jose City (5-5) & Wayne Community College (4-2) from Michigan.
       Next up for DVC is Foothill (6-4) in the West Valley Tournament on 12/19 @ 2pm

6 - Skyline (7-2)    (+10)
     Making it's first appearance in my rankings this year and jumping all the way to #6?  Yes, they are hot right now winning 5 in a row and taking the Championship of their own tourney with wins over Marin (5-3), Sikisyious (8-6) & Cabrillo (7-4) in the Championship.   This was their first appearance in a tournament this year, giving them a chance to face tougher opponents & get better exposure.  The Coast-North is shaping up to be the toughest conference in the North this year, and arguably the State with 4 of the top 6 teams in my rankings & leaving out 2 more teams with winning records currently.
     Next up for Skyline is at De Anza (4-6) on 12/20 @ 5pm

7 - Los Medanos (7-1)   (+7)
     Had the week off and jumps 7 spots in my rankings.  Pretty good week right?  Well I decided that the loss to Monterey Pensinsula doesn't look so bad now that Monterey is currently (6-6) with some key wins over other opponents as well.  Plus Los Medanos won the Mendocino Tournament and has some victories over teams that others in my rankings have struggled with.  I have not seen them in action yet, but plan on seeing what LMC is all about very soon.   LMC is looking to knock Yuba off the top of the Bay Valley Conference totem pole.
     Key wins this year include Siskiyous (8-6) & Butte (5-5).
     Up next LMC faces Redwoods (8-4) on December 19th @ 6pm in the first round of the Santa Rosa Tournament.   *Redwoods is another team I'm anxious to learn more about since they have faced many Oregon teams and JV teams I do not know how to currently rank them*

8 - Lassen (10-6)    (+4)
      I can finally feel comfortable ranking Lassen ahead of San Jose, being I don't think it's right to punish Lassen and banish them from the rankings now that San Jose is (5-5) and barely making the Top 15.  Lassen suffered 2 of their losses to San Jose, but also has 2 victories over Cosumnes River (10-3) after this weekends tournament in Susanville.
      Lassen also comes off a solid week previously where they went 3-1 in the Modesto Tournament taking home the Consolation Championship.  Took wins over Yuba (4-3), Siskiyous (8-6) & Modesto (5-6).
      Other key wins this year include Cosumnes River (10-3), Contra Costa (4-5) & Cuesta (6-5)
      Up next for Lassen is a big one, as they face Ohlone (11-1) in the opening round of the West Valley Tournament on 12/19 @ 8pm

9 - Cosumnes River (8-2)     (-3)
      CRC stays in the Top 10, but falls a few spots in my rankings after suffering it's second loss this season to Lassen.  They did go 2-1 over the weekend in Susanville, but the wins over Feather River (3-9) & Simpson JV don't do much other than skew the margin of victory average for the Hawks (they won those two games by an average of 50 points).
      Previously CRC stayed in the Top 10 after finishing 5th in the Modesto Tournament with victories over Reedley (3-5), Mendocino (2-6) & Cuesta (6-5) .
      Key wins this year for Cosumnes River include Chabot (9-2), Cuesta (6-5) & Columbia (6-6)
      Next up Cosumnes River faces Lassen (10-6) again in the opening round of the Chabot Tournament on 12/28 @ 5pm.

10 - Cabrillo (7-4)     (-2)
     Not so much punished for getting 2nd in the Skyline Tournament, just falls a couple spots with the advancement of Los Medanos, Lassen & Skyline in the rankings.
     Had victories over Napa (4-6) & Las Positas (6-4) before falling to host Skyline (7-2) in the Championship of the Skyline Tournament this weekend.
     Key wins for Cabrillo this year include Sac City (6-6), Las Positas (6-4), Sierra (3-5) & Merritt (5-3)
     Up next for Cabrillo is a taste of what it would feel like to be in the Coast-North Conference.  They face Chabot (9-2) on 12/20 @ 7pm, Then CCSF (10-1) on 12/28 & Foothill (6-4) on 12/30.....all these games are on the road!

 11 - Yuba  (4-3)    (-1)
     2 weeks ago was my #1 ranked team.  Fell all the way from the #1 spot after a disappointing 0-2 showing in the Modesto Tournament that sent them home early.  Yuba lost to Columbia (6-6) in overtime, and lost to Lassen (10-6) in the Consolation bracket.
     Key wins this year include San Francisco (10-1), Mt San Antonio (7-3) & Sac City (6-6).  The win over San Francisco would normally still propel Yuba higher in my rankings, however, losing 2 games in a row in a tournament at this point in the season has me concerned about their teams progression.
     Next for Yuba is Feather River (3-9) on December 19th @ 4pm in the Santa Rosa Tournament.

12 - Las Positas (6-4)    (+1)
      Jumps up another spot after going 2-1 over the weekend en route to 3rd place in the Skyline Tournament.  Scored victories over West Valley (4-7) & Siskiyous (8-6) while suffering a loss to Cabrillo (7-4)
      Key wins include Siskiyous (7-4) & Delta (4-4)
      Up next Las Positas faces San Jose City (5-5) on 12/21 @ 3pm

13 - Monterey Peninsula  (6-6)    (+3)
      Breaks my rankings for the first time this year after going 2-1 over the weekend en route to the Consolation Championship in the San Jose City Tournament.   Lost to DVC (7-2) in the opening round before picking up victories over Hartnell (0-8) & Merritt (6-5)
      Other key wins include Foothill (6-4) & Los Medanos (7-1)
      Up next for MPC is Modesto (5-6) in the opening round of the West Valley Tournament on 12/19 @ 6pm

14 - Merritt  (6-5)      (-4)
      Drops 4 spots in my rankings after a disappointing 1-2 showing in the San Jose City Tournament where they lost in the Consolation Bracket Championship.  It also doesn't help that the only victory over the weekend was to (0-5) Alameda.
      Key wins this year include San Jose City (5-5) & Bakersfield (8-3)
   
15 - San Jose City (5-5)     (-4)
     Similar to Merritt, SJCC suffers in the rankings after going 1-2 in their own tournament, and picked up their only victory over Alameda (0-5) over the weekend.  Suffered losses to Ohlone (11-1) & Santa Monica (10-2).   4 of SJCC losses have been on their home floor this year (Merritt, Reedley, Ohlone & Santa Monica)
     Key wins this year include Lassen (10-6) twice & Sac City (6-6).
     Up next for 'Speed City' is Chabot (9-2) on 12/18 @ 7pm


Honorable Mention


Sacramento City (6-6)
     Came home from the Modesto Tournament 2-2 after taking 4th place in the 16 Team Tournament.  Had wins against Lassen (10-6) & Columbia (6-6) before falling to Fresno City (12-1) & Contra Costa (4-5).
      Sac City remains a team that can compete with anybody on any given night.  Key wins this year include Lassen (10-6) & Contra Costa (4-5)
     Up next Sac City faces Lane College (Oregon) in the first round of the Siskiyous Tournament on December 28th @ 4pm

Santa Rosa (3-6)
     Only one win over a team with a winning record this year, Marin (5-3).  Brutal schedule has them suffering 6 losses, 3 of which they suffered to San Francisco (10-1), and one loss each to Fresno City (12-1), San Bernardino Valley (13-3) & Antelope Valley  (11-3).   Has to get some victories before I can place them back in the Top 15.  Has the toughest schedule in the entire state, but their is no virtue in suffering losses to some of the state's best teams, especially if it's over and over and over again.
     Up next SRJC faces Shasta (2-10) in the first round of the Santa Rosa Kris Kringle Tournament on 12/19 @ 8pm.  This is SRJC chance to gain some momentum with some W's

Delta (4-4)
     Dropped completely out of the Top 15 after being ranked #7 in Week 5.  This is due to them going 0-2 over the weekend in the Foothill Tournament.  Losing to West Hills (7-4) doesn't look too bad, but losing to Canada (3-11) isn't going to help much in their arguments for a higher ranking.

West Hills (7-4)

Foothill (6-4)

Sierra (3-5)

Redwoods (8-4)

Contra Costa (4-5)

Modesto (5-6)

Butte (5-5)

Columbia (6-6)

Marin (5-3)


*Feel free to chime in with any comments or suggestions.*

Coach K's Northern California JC Rankings - Week 5

Week 5 was a busy week.  Some teams made a statement, while others showed signs of weakness or inconsistency.   The 76th Modesto Tournament, which featured 16 Teams, gave teams the opportunity for better exposure and better competition.  We saw the previously #1 ranked team in my rankings go 0-2 in this tournament, while others jumped up in the rankings with their showing in Modesto.  Some teams traveled to Southern California to face some different faces while other teams took the entire week off preparing for their next tournament.   Here are my Week 5 Rankings

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*


1 - Fresno City (12-1)
      As promised, I gave an automatic #1 bid to the team who won the 16 Team Modesto Tournament that spanned 5 days in the Central Valley.  Fresno pulled out 4 more victories on the way to their 11th MJC Tournament title.  Victories included;  DeAnza (2-5) 75-60, Cuesta (6-5) 61-52, Sac City (6-6) 78-55 & Chabot (9-2) in the Championship by a score of 73-57.
      Other key wins this year include Santa Rosa (3-4), Yuba (4-3), Allan Hancock(5-3) & Lassen (8-5).
      Chris Ashanti & Dejon Budreaux both suffered injuries in the MJC Tournament, not sure how long these two will be out.
      Next up Fresno faces Riverside (2-6) at home on Dec 18th @ 5pm.

 2 - San Francisco (10-1)
       CCSF holds solid at #2 after winning the Mt San Antonio Tournament over the weekend.  Victories included; Imperial Valley (4-5) 84-54, Pacifica (95-80) & host team Mt San Antonio (6-3) 76-64.
       Other key wins include 3 over Santa Rosa (3-4), Allan Hancock (5-3) & Sierra (3-5)
       Next up San Francisco competes in the Delta Tournament opening up with host team Delta (4-2) @ 6pm on Dec 20th.

 3 - Ohlone (8-1)
      Ohlone moves up a spot after Yuba went "2 & bbq" in the MJC Tournament.  After opening the season with a loss to Delta, Ohlone has ran off 8 victories in a row with a margin of victory averaging 30 points.  Most recent victory was over Sequoias (2-7) by a score of 74-48.
      Key wins this year include Merritt (5-3) & Diablo Valley (5-1)
      Next up is Merritt (5-3) on December 12th @ 8pm in the San Jose City Tournament

4 - Diablo Valley  (5-1)
      No games but also moves up due to other teams slipping in the rankings.  Hasn't played many games this year, but has some key victories over Cabrillo (5-3), Foothill (4-3), San Jose City (4-3) & Wayne Community College (4-2) from Michigan.
       Next up for DVC is Monterey Peninsula (4-5) in the opening round of the San Jose City Classic on December 12th @ 4pm.

5 - Chabot (9-2)
     Chabot jumps up several spots after taking 2nd in the Modesto Tournament that featured 16 teams.  Last week Chabot had victories over Shasta (2-8) 95-75, Cosumnes River (8-2) 75-58, & Contra Costa (4-5) 73-57 before falling to Fresno City (12-1) in the Championship 57-73.    Starter Cortez Barrett has been out the last 7 games with an injury and center Matt Simpkins did not suit up during the MJC Tournament.
      Key wins this year include Cosumnes River (8-2), Las Positas (4-3) & 2 over Contra Costa (4-5).
      Next up Chabot travels to face San Jose City (4-3) on December 18th @ 7pm.

 6 - Cosumnes River (8-2)
      CRC stays in the top 6 after finishing 5th in the Modesto Tournament with victories over Reedley (3-5) 82-74 , Mendocino (2-6) 82-70 & Cuesta (6-5) 80-76 .  CRC lost to Chabot (9-2) in the 2nd round but came away from the tournament with a solid 3-1 record.    Starting center Daiveon Leverett still has not suited up since the opening weekend for CRC.
      Key wins this year for Cosumnes River include Chabot (9-2), Cuesta (6-5) & Columbia (6-6)
      Next up Cosumnes River faces Lassen (8-5) on the road in the opening round of the Lassen College Classic.  This is a rematch of the opening game of the season between the two, where Lassen came out victorious.

7 - Delta  (4-2)
      Lost to Las Positas (4-3) at home, but with Yuba dropping out of the rankings and only Chabot making a jump, Delta still holds the #7 spot in my rankings.
      Key wins this year Delta include Ohlone (8-1) & Cabrillo (5-3).  These two victories keep Delta in the top 7 despite lossing two games at home, to Columbia (6-6) & Las Positas (4-3).
      Next up is Canada (2-7) on December 13th @2pm in the Foothill College Tournament.

8 - Cabrillo (5-3)
     Cabrillo actually jumps up a couple spots after a mediocre week finishing 1-1.  They were victorious over Sierra (3-5) while falling to Butte (5-5).
     Key wins for Cabrillo this year include Sac City (6-6) & Merritt (5-3)
     Next up for Cabrillo is Napa (3-4) on 12/13 @ 4pm in the Skyline College Tournament

 9 - Yuba (4-3)
     Falls all the way from the #1 spot after a disappointing 0-2 showing in the Modesto Tournament that sent them home early.  Yuba lost to Columbia (6-6) in overtime, and lost to Lassen (8-5) in the Consolation bracket.
     Key wins this year include San Francisco (10-1), Mt San Antonio (6-3) & Sac City (6-6).  The win over San Francisco would normally still propel Yuba higher in my rankings, however, losing 2 games in a row in a tournament at this point in the season has me concerned about their teams progression.
     Next for Yuba is Feather River (2-7) on December 19th @ 4pm in the Santa Rosa Tournament.

10 - Merritt  (5-3)
      Merritt took the week off but still moves up a spot to #10 since Los Medanos slipped in the rankings.  Merritt has a very talented group, and is looking to end Yuba's dominance in the Bay Valley Conference this year.
      Key wins this year include San Jose City (4-3) & Bakersfield (6-2)
      Up next for Merritt is a tough one, where they face Ohlone (8-1) in the first round of the San Jose City Tournament on December 12th @ 8pm

11 - San Jose City (4-3)
     San Jose also took the week off last week, but capitalizes on other teams moving out of the rankings.  SJCC has a talented group and can outscore any opponent on any given night.
     Key wins this year include Lassen (8-5) twice & Sac City (6-6).  The loss at home to Reedley (3-5) will hurt for awhile.
     Up next for 'Speed City' is Alameda (0-3) on December 12th @ 6pm as they host their own San Jose City Tournament.

12 - Lassen (8-5)
      Lassen comes off a solid week where they went 3-1 in the Modesto Tournament taking home the Consolation Championship.  Took wins over Yuba (4-3) 63-61, Siskiyous (7-4) 76-74 & Modesto (5-6) 89-88.   Could be ranked higher but it's difficult the place them ahead of San Jose right now since they suffered 2 losses to SJCC so far this year.
      Other key wins this year include Cosumnes River (8-2), Contra Costa (4-5) & Cuesta (6-5)
      Up next Lassen hosts it's 1st Annual Lassen College Classic where they will face Cosumnes River (8-2) in the first round on December 13th @ 6pm

13 - Las Positas (4-3)
      Breaks my Top 15 for the first time this year after beating #7 Delta on the road by a score of 78-74.  After a 3 game losing streak the Hawks are showing some promise.
      Other key wins include Siskiyous (7-4)
      Up next Las Positas faces West Valley (4-5) in the Skyline Tournament on December 13th @ 2pm

14 - Los Medanos (7-1)
     Drops from the #8 spot after suffering a loss to Monterey Peninsula (4-5) in the 2nd round of the Monterey Tournament.  Took home 3rd place in the tourney with wins over Gavilan (1-5) & Canada (2-7).
     Key wins this year include Siskiyous (7-4).  The loss to Monterey almost took them completely out of my Top 15, but they have had wins over teams like Butte (5-5) & Modesto (5-6) that other teams have struggled with.
     Up next LMC faces Redwoods (6-3) on December 19th @ 6pm in the first round of the Santa Rosa Tournament.

15 - Sacramento City (6-6)
     Came home from the Modesto Tournament 2-2 after taking 4th place in the 16 Team Tournament.  Had wins against Lassen (8-5) 83-76 & Columbia (6-6) 75-54 before falling to Fresno City (12-1) & Contra Costa (4-5).
      Sac City remains a team that can compete with anybody on any given night.  Key wins this year include Lassen (8-5) & Contra Costa (4-5)
     Up next Sac City faces Lane College (Oregon) in the first round of the Siskiyous Tournament on December 28th @ 4pm


Honorable Mention
Santa Rosa (3-4)
     Only one win over a team with a winning record this year, Marin (3-2).  Otherwise has 4 losses, 3 of which they suffered to San Francisco (10-1), and the other to Fresno City (12-1).   Has to get some victories before I can place them back in the Top 15.  Has the toughest schedule in the entire state, but their is no virtue in suffering losses to some of the state's best teams, especially if it's over and over and over again.  Must get some W's, but is up next against San Bernardino(7-2) in the tough Riverside Holiday Tournament on 12/11 @ 3pm.

West Hills (5-3)

Foothill (4-3)

Sierra (3-5)

Skyline (4-2)

Redwoods (6-3)

Contra Costa (4-5)

Modesto (5-6)

Butte (5-5)

Columbia (6-6)

Marin (3-2)

76th Modesto Tournament Final Results

Day 4 - Final Results

Championship Game - Fresno City (12-1) 73 - Chabot (9-2) 57

3rd Place Game - Contra Costa (4-5) 79 - Sac City (6-6) 74

5th Place Game - Cosumnes River (8-2) 80 - Cuesta (6-5) 76   Box Score

Consolation Game - Lassen (8-5)  89 - Modesto (5-6) 88    Box Score

All-Tournament Honors:

MVP   Rich Tesmer - Fresno City
All-Tournament Team:  Paris Davis (Chabot), Davion Mize (Contra Costa), Jaycob Velasco (Cosumnes River), Colton Hafey (Fresno) and Marvin White (Lassen)

Read more here: http://www.modbee.com/2013/12/07/3076684/mjc-drops-thrilling-consolation.html#storylink=cpy

 

76th Modesto Junior College Tournament - Round 3 Results

RESULTS OF ROUND 3 OF THE 16 TEAM MODESTO JUNIOR COLLEGE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT


Consolation Bracket

10am - Modesto 87 - Shasta 77

12pm - Lassen 76 - Siskiyous 74

5th Place Bracket

2pm - Cuesta 84 -  Columba 72

4pm - Cosumnes River 82 - Mendocino 70

Winners Bracket

6pm - Fresno City 78 - Sac City 55

8pm - Chabot 73 - Contra Costa 57

76th Modesto Junior College Tournament - Round 2

76th Modesto Junior College Tournament - Round 2

Round 2 of the 76th MJC Tournament was a great day of basketball featuring 8 exciting games.   Below are the results

Consolation Bracket

8am Game:    Shasta (2-7) over Reedley (3-5) by a score of 72-70

10am Game:  Modesto (4-5) over Merced (0-8) by a score of 95-66   Box Score

12pm Game:  Lassen (6-5) over Yuba (4-3) by a score of 63-61

2pm Game:  Sikisyous (7-3) over DeAnza (2-5) by a score of 72-68

Winners Bracket

4pm Game: Fresno City (10-1) over Cuesta (5-4) by a score of 61-52

6pm Game:  Sac City (6-4) over Columbia (6-5) by a score of 75-54

8pm Game:  Contra Costa (3-4) over Mendocino (2-5) by a score of 82-64    Box Score

10pm Game:  Chabot (8-1) over Cosumnes River (6-2) by a score of 75-58     Box Score


Todays game schedule can be found here

Winners Bracket games feature Fresno City vs. Sac City @ 6pm  & Chabot vs. Contra Costa @ 8pm

December Madness @ the 76th MJC Tournament

*Rankings posted are non-official rankings made by Coach K each week.  To see this weeks rankings click here

Day 1 of the 76th Annual Modesto Tournament had an early taste of some 'March Madness' on Tuesday.  The 16 team tournament has the first round games spread out over two days.  Tuesdays games started with a shocker, Columbia (6-4) over #1 Yuba (5-2) in OT by a score of 83-82 in favor of the Claim Jumpers.

The 2 o'clock game featured #3 Fresno City (9-1) defeating DeAnza (2-4) 75-60.
The 6pm game featured host team Modesto (3-5) vs Contra Costa (2-4).  Contra Costa came out victorious 86-70.
The night cap featured #5 Cosumnes River (6-1) vs. Reedley College (3-4).  The CRC Hawks advance to the second round after a 72-64 final score.

Below is the active bracket for the Modesto Tournament

Nice Promotion for the 76th Modesto Tournament

The Modesto Bee reports a nice article on the 16 Team Tournament that tips of Tuesday and ends Saturday evening.

Coach K's Northern California JC Rankings - Week 4

Week 4 was a light week, for most teams, due to the Thanksgiving Holiday.   However, their still was plenty of action over the past 7 days and Coach K's rankings have been shaken up.  It's still pretty early in the season, but some teams are showing strides while others are riding purely on their athletic ability or talent at the moment.  Still, in looking at the Top 15, I feel that every team can win on any given night against anyone in the State of California.  This is a critical point in the pre-season, as some teams seem to find themselves, while others seem to lack chemistry or identity.    In addition, we have some BIG TIME Tournaments during Week 5 that could make the first week of December an epic week in the 2013-14 season.  (The Modesto Tournament alone has 7 of the Top 15 teams in Coach K's ranking)
You will notice that the Top 4 remains unchanged from Week 3, but many teams are starting to work their way up the ladder as some 'big hitters' have fallen out of the rankings completely.

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*


1 - Yuba (4-1)    Massey rating #2
    Still holding down the #1 spot in my opinion for this season.  Did not play the past two weeks, but still holds the only victory over CCSF who Massey has ranked #1 in Northern California.  Another key victory was over defending state champs Mt San Antonio (4-2).
     Next game vs. Columbia (5-4) 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! The tournament features 3 of my top 5 teams!    Take a look at the bracket here.

2 - San Francisco (7-1)    Massey rating #1
     After a week off San Francisco went on a road trip to Hartnell (0-4) & Santa Rosa (3-4) and came home with 2 more wins.  Although San Francisco is stacked with talent again I still feel that Yuba has a better argument for the #1 spot at this point since they won the head-to-head battle with San Francisco on the road.
    San Francisco, however, did win the Fresno City Tournament with victories over Allan Hancock (5-3), Santa Rosa (3-4) and Sierra (2-4).  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 vs Imperial Valley (2-5) on December 6th @5pm in the Mt San Antonio Tournament.

3 - Fresno City (8-1)   Massey rating #4
     No games this past week.  The loss at home to Sierra is starting to plague the Rams even more since Sierra has gone on a 4 game losing streak starting the season (2-4).  For this reason I have slid San Francisco ahead of FCC this week.   Fresno has had a solid start to the season.  They have won 2 tournaments this year; the grueling San Francisco Tournament with key wins over Santa Rosa (3-4) & Yuba (4-1), and also the El Camino Tournament with wins over host El Camino (2-4), Moorpark (2-5) & Lassen (5-4) in the Championship.
    Next action Dec 3rd vs. De Anza (2-3) @ 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!

4 - Ohlone (7-1)     Massey rating #3
     Holds solid at #4.  Defeated West Valley (2-4) 80-61 to bring their winning streak to 7 games.  Previously had a very impressive weekend winning the Championship of the Shasta Invitational Tournament.   Solid wins over Merritt (5-3) 97-83, Canada (1-7) 86-64 and Diablo Valley (4-1) 67-54 in the Championship give Ohlone enough clout to keep their ground at #4.  Only loss was opening game of the season to Delta (4-1) at home, which will haunt their memories for a little longer.  But with their current run of 7 games in a row, that memory is fading fast.
    Next action is 12/6 vs. Sequoias (2-6) at in Fremont @ 5pm.

5 - Cosumnes River (5-1)     Massey Rating #12
      No games this past week, but jumps up one spot from #6 after Sierra gave up the #5 spot by going 0-3 in Southern California over the weekend.   Previously CRC jumped up several spots in the ranking after running off three wins in their own tournament.  Solid wins over Columbia (5-4) 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.  
      Next action vs Reedley (3-3) 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.

6 - Diablo Valley (5-1)     Massey Rating #5
     DVC ran off 3 straight wins over the holiday weekend on track to winning the Diablo Valley Invitational Tournament.  Wins over Solano (3-5) 70-40, Wayne CCC-Michigan (4-2)  86-78, and San Jose City (4-3) 69-67 in the Championship.  Previously posted some solid wins over Cabrillo (4-2) 68-63 and Foothill (4-3) 69-60, before falling to Ohlone (7-1) 54-67 in the Championship of the Shasta Invitational Tournament.
     DVC definitely has come back with a very talented squad after failing to make the playoffs last year.  From what I saw over the weekend they are a very well balanced team who can compete with anyone in the state.
     Next action is 12/12 vs. Monterey Peninsula (2-4) @ 4pm in the San Jose Classic Tourney.
   
7 - Delta  (4-1)       Massey Rating #10
      Week included one game, a victory over Merced (0-6) 73-47.   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 (5-4).
     Next action is at home against Las Positas (3-3) on 12/5 @5pm.

8 - Los Medanos (5-0)        Massey Rating #7
      NorCals sole undefeated team.  Took this past week off.  Previously won the Mendocino Tournament with wins over Modesto (3-4) 89-81, Siskiyous (6-2) 77-71, and Butte (4-4) 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.
     Next action vs. Gavilan (1-4) in the opening round of the Monterey Classic on 12/5 @ 7pm.

9 - Chabot (6-1)       Massey Rating #13
      No games this past week.  Fell a few spots 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.  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 athletically can compete with anyone.
    Next up is Shasta (1-6) on 12/4 @ 2pm in the opening round of the 76th Modesto Tournament.

10 - Cabrillo (4-2)      Massey Rating #9
     No games this past week. Moves up two spots after Sierra and Lassen fell in my rankings.  Cabrillo took the Consolation Championship in the Shasta Invitational with a victory over American River (1-4) 67-62 & a solid win over Merritt (5-3) 83-76.   Lost to DVC (5-1) in the opening round 63-68.  Also opened the season getting 2nd in the Ohlone Tournament.
     Next up Cabrillo hosts the Cabrillo Tournament starting 12/6.  Bracket has yet to be posted

11 - Merritt  (5-3)       Massey Rating #7
     Moves up a few spots from last weeks ranking of #14 which resulted from suffering 2 losses in the Shasta Invitational.  But over the Thanksgiving break they had a quality win on the road in the Bakersfield Tournament over host Bakersfield College (5-2) by a score of 78-54.  Lost to Allan Hancock (5-3) in the Championship 82-79.   Won the San Jose Tournament in the opening weekend and since they defeated SJCC in Silicon Valley, they are placed ahead of San Jose in my rankings.
    Up next Merritt faces Ohlone (7-1) on 12/12 in the San Jose City Tournament @ 8pm.

12 - San Jose City (4-3)     Massey Rating #14
    San Jose ran off a couple key victories over the weekend on their way to getting 2nd in the Diablo Valley College Invitational Tournament.  Wins over Sacramento City (4-4) 90-79, Lassen (5-4) 85-64 before falling to host DVC (5-1) at the buzzer in the Championship 69-67.  Got 2nd place in their own tournament to start the season.  The loss at home to Reedley (3-3) is hurting them in my rankings right now.
    SJCC has lots of fire power from both inside & outside.  They can outscore anyone on any given night.  Another team that has stepped up the talent level and can compete with anyone this year.
    Next action is vs. Alameda (0-3) on 12/12 @ 6pm in the San Jose City Classic Tournament.

13 - Lassen (5-4)       Massey Rating #15
      Drops a few spots from #9 after suffering two losses in the DVC Tournament over the weekend.  Defeated Contra Costa (1-4) 67-62 before falling to San Jose (4-3) 64-85 & Wayne CCC-Michigan (4-2) 73-78. Previously traveled to Southern California to compete in the El Camino Tournament. Finished 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.   Came back home to the North with wins over Sequoias (2-6) 75-68 and Cuesta (4-3) 85-77.  Also helping boost Lassens ranking is the fact they are the only team to defeat Cosumnes River (5-1) this season.
      From what I have seen Lassen is more talented than last years 23-8 team.  However, on-court leadership & chemistry is lacking on this squad, which hurts them against the better opponents.
      Next action Lassen faces Sacramento City (4-4) in the opening round of the Modesto Tournament on 12/4 @ 6pm.

14 - Siskiyous (6-2)       Massey Rating #19
      Edging their way into the rankings for the first time this year, Siskiyous starts the season with an impressive record. Best wins this year so far have been over Columbia (5-4) & Butte (4-4).  Opting for the high energy offense, Siskiyous is always fun to watch.   Look for them to face tougher competition this week in the 16 team Modesto Tournament.  They open with Cuesta (4-3) on 12/4 @ 8pm.

15 - Sacramento City (4-4)     Massey Rating #16
      Makes the top 15 for the first time this year.  So far they have beaten the teams they are supposed to, but have lost to the better competition.  Lost to #1 Yuba, #10 Cabrillo & #12 San Jose.  The loss that almost kept them out of the Top 15 was to Solano (3-5) in the 3rd Place game of the Ohlone Tournament.  Sac City redeemed themselves over the weekend getting their revenge in a 92-76 victory over Solano in the Consolation Championship of the DVC Tournament.
      Sac City has a talented team and will be another team that can give anyone a tough game this season.
      Next action is vs. Lassen (5-4) in the opening round of the Modesto Tournament on 12/4 @ 6pm.

Honorable Mention
Santa Rosa (3-4)   Massey Rating #6
     Only one win over a team with a winning record this year, Marin (3-2).  Otherwise has 4 losses, 3 of which they suffered to San Francisco (7-1), and the other to Fresno City (8-1).   Has to get some victories before I can place them back in the Top 15.  Has the toughest schedule in the entire state, but their is no virtue in suffering losses to some of the state's best teams, especially if it's over and over and over again.  Must get some W's, but is up next against San Bernardino(7-2) in the tough Riverside Holiday Tournament on 12/11 @ 3pm.

Sierra (2-4)     Massey Rating #11
     I don't even know what happened here.  Not sure if they have had injuries or if they just surprised Fresno City in the opening game of the year.  Started strong with a victory on the road against #3 Fresno City (8-1), but has suffered 4 straight losses, some to top notch programs, and some to well, not-so-top-notch programs....  LA Pierce (2-7).  Unless the cccaa website is incorrect of course.   Other losses were to San Francisco (7-1), Citrus (4-2) & San Diego (5-4)
     Has chance at redemption in the Cabrillo Tournament on 12/6

West Hills  (5-2)      Massey Rating #21
       Up next vs San Diego Mesa at home on 12/7 @ 6pm

Foothill  (4-3)      Massey Rating #17
       Up next vs Solano in the Foothill College Invitational on 12/13 @6pm


*** 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!

Results of Diablo Valley College Invitational Tournament