I have to admit, that weeks 10 & 11 had some exciting match ups that really shook up my rankings. Week 10, in fact, was so frantic, that I actually decided to take an extra week to see how things played out in Week 11 before updating my rankings.
Ohlone & DVC, both ranked in my rankings #3 & #4 respectively, both took two losses in their first two weeks in conference. Downside in being in some of the toughest conferences the state has to offer, you can lose on any given night. We knew Cosumnes River was going to be a challenge for DVC, but Foothill overtaking Ohlone on the road... that was a bit of a surprise. But then again, it's easy to forget why they call your schedule prior to conference the 'preseason'. Everything seems to change when you're facing familiar opponents whom know your tendencies, offensive & defensive sets, etc. Rivalries flare up and competition takes on another level. Cabrillo proved, at least for the first half of the Coast-South Conference, that they are better than San Jose City. Butte shook things up by defeating last years Golden Valley Champs on opening night. Modesto has emerged out of mediocrity into Big 8 contention. Yuba & Merritt, at no surpise, have dominated the Bay Valley. All while Los Medanos & Skyline have totally vanished from my Top 15 after being rattled in conference play and starting 3-4 and 0-3 respectively.
Top 4 was pretty easy to determine, with Fresno, CCSF, Chabot & Cosumnes River taking the top spots this week. However, with CCSF & Chabot set to face off this Friday in 'The City', this looks like another epic week in Northern California Juco hoops.
In other big games, Yuba & Merritt will face off on Wednesday. A Merritt victory is the only shot at any team knocking Yuba off it's pedestal in the Bay Valley Conference this year. Merritt is 6-1 so far and seems to be the only team capable of putting the 49ers to the test.
Cosumnes River has their hands full this week when they face both Delta & Modesto, before they face Santa Rosa next week. One game at a time fellas..
Also, the Coaches Poll seems to be coming out weekly now on the cccaastats.org website. Conferences with more teams seem to have an advantage in the Coaches Poll, I wonder if they can publish which teams put in the vote, and which teams did not. See some obvious skewing in favor of the larger conferences....not that these polls really matter much....put as a fan in bothers me when I ask coaches if they put in their vote and their response is, "I don't know how, I guess I should find out"... yikes
Here is Coach K's unscientific look at his Top 15 in Northern California JC Basketball for Week 11
*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 (20-1) Conference (3-0) (-)
Fresno maintains the #1 spot in my rankings after running off 3 more wins in the Central Valley Conference. Took wins over Sequoias 78-64, Porterville 79-55 & West Hills 67-54 to start off the CVC (3-0).
As long as FCC suffers no miraculous upsets in conference play, they should have home court advantage in playoffs with one of the Top 2 seeds, thanks to their strong preseason schedule.
KEY WINS: West Hills (10-7), Chabot (17-3), Saddleback (16-4), Lassen (15-10), Yuba (13-4), Santa Rosa (10-7), Cuesta (15-7) twice, Allan Hancock (10-10), & Sacramento City (9-9).
LOSSES: Sierra (6-12)
Up next FCC is Reedley (9-8; 3-1)on 1/22 @ 7pm in Fresno.
2 - San Francisco (18-1) Conference (3-0) (-)
Holding solid @ #2 after starting Coast-North Conference with a 3-0 record. Took wins against Canada 108-65, Skyline 98-65 & Foothill 80-48.
Still dominant in transition & on the glass CCSF is also a great defensive team.
Finishing 1st in their conference should give CCSF a Top 2 seed come playoffs, and home court advantage. A 2nd place finish in Coast-North Conference play should grant them at worst a Top 4 seed in playoffs.
Will secretly be rooting for Santa Rosa to win the Big 8 to boost any necessary playoff seeding wiggle room.
KEY WINS: Skyline (9-7), Foothill (10-8), Mt. San Antonio (8-8), San Jose City (12-8), Cabrillo (12-6), Santa Rosa (10-7) 3x's, Butte (14-7), Delta (8-8)
LOSSES: Yuba (13-4)
Next up San Francisco faces Las Positas (9-10; 1-2) on 1/22 @ 5pm in Livermore.
3 - Chabot (17-3) Conference (3-0) (+2)
Jumps up 2 spots after an impressive showing in the first two weeks of conference. Defeated Las Positas 94-67, Ohlone 80-75 & Canada 107-91. The Ohlone victory was obviously huge for the Gladiators in many ways. Ohlone has been ranked higher all year over Chabot, and this now gives Chabot a 2 game advantage over Ohlone in conference play.
Chabot has the talent & athletes to compete with anyone in the state, however, allowing Canada to score 91 points shows that Chabot can still put in work on the defensive end.
Their match against CCSF scheduled for this Friday will be the game of the week. A Top 2 finish in the Coast-North Conference should earn Chabot a Top 4 seed come playoff seedings. Chabot will probably be rooting for Cosumnes River, Butte & Cabrillo to win their conferences as this will also help their playoff seedings after Chabot took victories over these 3 schools earlier in the season. Well, maybe not rooting for Butte, since Head Coach Denny Aye's son is the Head Coach for Lassen.....but you see what I'm getting at. With a strong conference finish Chabot has a good argument come playoff time.....which is still a long way from now.
KEY WINS: Cosumnes River (16-4) twice, Ohlone (15-4), Cabrillo (12-6), Butte (14-7), Las Positas (9-10) twice
LOSSES: Fresno City (20-1), Cosumnes River (16-4) & San Jose City (12-8)
Next for Chabot is Skyline (9-7; 0-3) on 1/22 @ 7pm in San Bruno
4 - Cosumnes River (16-4) Conference (4-0) (+2)
Has ran off 4 straight conference wins in the Big 8. Results of the past 2 weeks include wins over DVC 72-64, American River 75-68, Sacramento City 98-89 & Sierra 85-69. The win on the road against previously highly ranked DVC was a huge booster for the Hawks who face even more challenges this week. Has a chance to distance themselves as 2 of their next 3 opponents are tied for 2nd in the Big 8 Conference chase.
Winning the Big 8 should put CRC comfortably in a Top 4 seed come playoff action.
Will be rooting for Lassen & Cuesta to win their conferences, and be elated if Chabot can upend CCSF as these will boost their playoff seeding arguments.
KEY WINS: Chabot (17-3), DVC (14-4), Sacramento (9-9), Lassen (15-10), Las Positas (9-10), Cuesta (15-7)
LOSSES: Chabot (17-3) twice, Lassen (15-10) twice
Up Next CRC faces a dangerous Delta (9-9; 2-2) on 1/21 @ 5:30pm
5 - Santa Rosa (10-7) Conference (3-1) (+2)
The Top 4 was a lot easier for me than ranking teams from this point on. I have to give Santa Rosa the nod at this point since the other teams in question either lost 2 conference games already (Ohlone & DVC), or already lost to Santa Rosa in head-to-head competition (Yuba)
Started the Big 8 with an impressive (3-1) record. Took wins over Modesto 72-66, Delta 76-72 & Sierra 78-54 before falling to Sacramento City 48-52.
Has had the toughest preseason schedule in the state. They are better than their record, and have a solid inside-outside game. They have seen the best competition the state has to offer. Next weeks match against Cosumnes River will really give Santa Rosa a chance to make a statement, but first they need to get through this weeks match ups which feature American River & DVC.
Will be rooting for Yuba to repeat as Bay Valley Champions. Unfortunately won't have any other benefits in this particular playoff seeding category.
KEY WINS: Yuba (13-4), Los Medanos (12-6), Modesto (10-9) twice, Delta (9-9) & Marin (9-9)
LOSSES: San Francisco (18-1) 3x's, Fresno (20-1), Antelope Valley (17-4) & San Bernardino (19-6)
Up Next SRJC faces American River (3-13; 0-4) on 1/21 @ 730pm
6 - Ohlone (15-4) Conference (1-2) (-3)
Falls 3 spots after losing 2 of 3 in the opening weeks of the Coast-North Conference. Considered dropping them even further but could not come up with a valid argument for placing any other team ahead of them. Their preseason wins are just too solid at this point, and it's still early in the conference race, so no need to panic.
In the opening weeks of conference play Ohlone lost to Foothill 63-66 & Chabot 75-80. Their only win was against Las Positas 85-54.
Yuba could have earned a spot this high, but the obvious mutiny placed by the Bay Valley Conference in this weeks Coaches Poll made me decide otherwise. (will explain this in Yuba's summary)
Needs to really pick things up and fast. A win against CCSF can change things quickly, but this is a tall order. If can finish in Top 2 in conference, may still have an argument for Top 4 seed. But is starting to look more like a Top 6-8 seed at the moment, until they prove otherwise with a stronger showing in conference.
KEY WINS: DVC (14-4) twice, Lassen (15-10), San Jose (12-8), Merritt (12-6) twice, Modesto (10-9), & Las Positas (9-10)
LOSSES: Chabot (17-3), Foothill (10-8), Delta (9-9) & DVC (14-4)
Has a chance to get back to their winning ways with their next 2 games against the current bottom dwellers of the Coast-North Conference.
Up next Ohlone is @ Canada (5-14; 1-3) on 1/22 @ 7pm.
7 - Yuba (13-4) Conference (7-0) (+4)
Started the Bay Valley Conference with an unsurprising 7-0 start. Last weeks wins were over Napa 82-70, Mendocino 58-43, Los Medanos 90-79 & Marin 74-53.
Impressive as 7-0 sounds it was over teams with a combined record of 51-74. The only team in the conference they have yet to face is Merritt, who is the only team in the conference within striking distance of Yuba.
Yuba is a very talented group, and can easily rely on their talent over most opponents. They are the only team to beat CCSF this year, but they also have only 1 other win against a team with a record above .500.
With a win over Merritt this week, they should have the Bay Valley Conference all but tied up.
** In regards to my previous statement of mutiny in this weeks State Coaches Poll. Yuba was ranked #3 in the Northern California rankings ahead of Chabot & Cosumnes River. Their is just no valid argument for this. Along with Merritt being ranked higher than DVC, this looks like the power of a 9 team conference trying to bring relevancy to a sub par BVC. I do feel Yuba & Merritt do deserve some credit, and are both good teams this year. But their is no way Yuba is ranked that high at this moment. Chabot beat 3 ranked teams with their 7 game winning steak compared to 0 ranked teams for Yuba in their current 7 game streak. The combined record for Chabot's last 7 opponents (not counting JV teams because their is no data on this) is 69-63 vs Yuba's 51-74. Cosumnes River's last 7 games were against teams with a combined record of 73-61, in which they won 6 of 7, only losing to Chabot. Also, I feel that being first in the Big 8 & undefeated in the Coast-North hold a lot more weight at this moment than being first in the Bay Valley Conference, especially with the results for these teams in preseason competition.
I'm not condemning Yuba for being in a lackluster conference, I just don't understand why it's perceived so high that they are 7-0 in this conference at this point over teams still undefeated in much tougher conferences and better preseason showings.
----Please by all means leave comments on why you feel that I may be wrong, and why Yuba should be ranked ahead of these two teams at this moment in the season.
KEY WINS: San Francisco (18-1), Los Medanos (12-6), Mt. San Antonio (8-8), Sacramento City (9-9) & Marin (9-9)
LOSSES: Fresno City (20-1), Lassen (15-10), Santa Rosa (10-7) & Columbia (9-10)
Up Next Yuba faces Alameda (0-10) on 1/9 @ 7:30pm
8 - Diablo Valley (14-4) Conference (2-2) (-5)
Falls 5 spots & is really hurting right now. Are leaving lots of room for arguments to not be ranked this high. In their first 4 conference games their only wins were against teams without a win in conference (Sierra & American River), while falling to Cosumnes River & Delta. They are leaving themselves exposed right now as they now must face Sacramento (who just beat Santa Rosa), Santa Rosa & Modesto who are both 3-1 in Big 8 Conference games. And this is all before they go on the road to Cosumnes River to start the 2nd half of conference play! This can be a chance for them to prove again they are one of the top teams in the North this year, or a chance for them to fall into obscurity.
Presently, their win over Cabrillo in head-to-head competition is keeping them above the Coast-South Conference's #1 team, but only for a moment.
KEY WINS: Ohlone (15-4), Santa Monica (12-5), San Jose (12-8), Skyline (9-7), Cabrillo (12-6), Wayne CC (6-2), Foothill (10-8) twice
LOSSES: Ohlone (13-2) twice, Cosumnes River (16-4) & Delta (8-8)
Up next DVC faces a dangerous Sacramento City team (9-9; 2-2) on the road on 1/21 @ 7:30pm.
9 - Cabrillo (12-6) Conference (3-0) (+2)
Taking out their Coast-South counterpart San Jose City last week has helped propel Cabrillo into the Top 10 in my rankings as well as #1 in the Coast-South Conference (tied with De Anza). Has had wins over Hartnell 103-66, Monterey 63-44 & San Jose City 74-67.
With some solid preseason victories Cabrillo has arguments to be ranked even higher. Unfortunately the Coast-South Conference is extremely lopsided this year with with only 2 teams with records above .500. Even worse, the conference features two teams with only 1 win on the season (Gavilan & Hartnell). If they split with San Jose in conference it hurts their arguments to get a Top 8 seed come playoff time. No pressure Cabrillo, but you have no wins against any teams that I have ranked ahead of you, so to hold your ground and fight for a Top 8 seed, you need to go undefeated in conference....just a prediction by yours truly. On the other hand, if DVC continues to slip, your wins over Sac City, Modesto, Foothill & Merritt will really benefit as they could be fighting for similar positions come seeding time.
KEY WINS: San Jose City (12-8), Las Positas (9-10), Merritt (12-6), Sacramento City (9-9), Modesto (10-9) & Foothill (10-8)
LOSSES: San Francisco (18-1), DVC (14-4), Chabot (17-3), Butte (14-7), Skyline (9-7) & Delta (8-8)
Up Next Cabrillo travels to West Valley (7-12; 2-2) on 1/22 @ 7pm.
10 - San Jose City (12-8) Conference (3-1) (-2)
The worst thing about being in a lopsided or mediocre conference is that any loss is going to hurt, even if it's to the #1 team. To start conference play they have wins over Gavilan 83-46, Hartnell 92-47 & Monterey 88-72 before falling to Cabrillo 63-74.
Another physical and talented basketball team, San Jose is a team that can win on any given night.
SJCC cannot afford to get another loss in conference if they want to have any arguments come playoff seeding time for a top 8-10 seed. Their conference is just not strong enough to give them credit for a higher ranking from this point on, and can only hurt their ranking with anymore losses. Based on CCCAA seeding rules, you cannot have a playoff seeding higher than a team that finishes ahead of you in your own conference. This can be disastrous if San Jose finishes behind Cabrillo, who I feel has, at best, a chance to get seeded as high as 8. Lots of things can happen from this point on, some teams can completely fall off the radar as others can emerge out of nowhere. But one thing is for certain, with anymore conference losses 'Speed City' will be wearing their dark jerseys come playoffs.
KEY WINS: Chabot (17-3), Lassen (15-10) twice, Las Positas (9-10), & Sacramento City (9-9)
LOSSES: Fresno (20-1), DVC (14-4), Ohlone (15-4), Santa Monica (12-5), Merritt (12-6) & Reedley (9-8)
Up next San Jose City takes on West Valley (7-12; 2-2) on 1/25 @ 3pm.
11 - Butte (14-7) Conference (4-0) (+4)
Butte earned a spot in my rankings for the first time in Week 9, and has continued to jump up as they are riding an 8 game winning streak along with an impressive start in Golden Valley Conference play. In the first two weeks of conference action Butte had wins over Lassen 99-88, Siskiyous 81-71, Shasta 72-59 & Redwoods 66-65. This gives them a leg up on their competition, as three of these teams are going to challenge them for the conference championship.
The Golden Valley Conference championship is going to hold more weight this year. They aren't top heavy with any 'big-hitters', but they are not lopsided or full of 'duds' either. This is a solid conference who will have just as much argument for teams getting in the playoffs as the Bay Valley, Coast-South & Central Valley. Not sure how high teams from this conference will be seeded come playoff time, but I have a feeling at least 2 teams will earn bids to the postseason, if not 3.
KEY WINS: Cabrillo (12-6), Lassen (15-10), Siskiyous (13-9), Redwoods (12-7), Las Positas (9-10), Lane-Oregon (7-4) & Sac City (9-9).
LOSSES: CCSF (18-1), Chabot (17-3), Los Medanos (12-6), Siskiyous (13-9), Cuesta (15-7), Sierra (6-12) & Umpqua
Up next Butte faces Feather River (4-14; 1-3) on 1/22 @ 7:30pm
12 - Lassen (13-9) (-)
Was stung by Butte in the opening round of GVC play, but has won their last 2 to start off 2-1.
The Cougars are a talented group and are another team that can win on any given night. They beat Feather River 100-92 & Shasta 78-57 after falling to Butte 88-99. They still have to go up against Siskiyous & Redwoods who are going to play a part in the battle for this years GVC title.
I predicted Lassen to repeat this year as GVC Champs, but can still earn a playoff spot if they finish in the Top 2. Has some great wins under their belt in preseason, but also lots of losses. But their should be no way a team that beat Cosumnes River twice & Yuba should be excluded during playoffs unless the Cougars just crumble in conference action.
Their next 2 games are 'must wins' as they face Siskiyous & Redwoods. They need these to distance themselves from the pack and still be within striking distance of Butte.
Will be rooting for CRC, Cuesta & Yuba to win their conferences as this will boost their playoff arguments dramatically.
KEY WINS: Cosumnes River (16-4) twice, Cuesta (15-7), Contra Costa (9-10), Yuba (13-4), Siskiyous (13-9), Modesto (10-9), & Foothill (10-8)
LOSSES: Fresno (20-1), Ohlone (15-4), San Jose City (12-8) twice, Cosumnes River (16-4), Mt. Hood (11-1), Sierra (6-12), Sacramento City (9-9) & Wayne CC (6-2)
Up Next Lassen faces Siskiyous (13-9; 2-2) on 1/22 @ 7:30pm in Susanville.
Was stung by Butte in the opening round of GVC play, but has won their last 2 to start off 2-1.
The Cougars are a talented group and are another team that can win on any given night. They beat Feather River 100-92 & Shasta 78-57 after falling to Butte 88-99. They still have to go up against Siskiyous & Redwoods who are going to play a part in the battle for this years GVC title.
I predicted Lassen to repeat this year as GVC Champs, but can still earn a playoff spot if they finish in the Top 2. Has some great wins under their belt in preseason, but also lots of losses. But their should be no way a team that beat Cosumnes River twice & Yuba should be excluded during playoffs unless the Cougars just crumble in conference action.
Their next 2 games are 'must wins' as they face Siskiyous & Redwoods. They need these to distance themselves from the pack and still be within striking distance of Butte.
Will be rooting for CRC, Cuesta & Yuba to win their conferences as this will boost their playoff arguments dramatically.
KEY WINS: Cosumnes River (16-4) twice, Cuesta (15-7), Contra Costa (9-10), Yuba (13-4), Siskiyous (13-9), Modesto (10-9), & Foothill (10-8)
LOSSES: Fresno (20-1), Ohlone (15-4), San Jose City (12-8) twice, Cosumnes River (16-4), Mt. Hood (11-1), Sierra (6-12), Sacramento City (9-9) & Wayne CC (6-2)
Up Next Lassen faces Siskiyous (13-9; 2-2) on 1/22 @ 7:30pm in Susanville.
13 - Merritt (12-6) Conference (6-1) (NR)
Merritt earns a spot in the Top 15 after a nice start in Bay Valley Conference play. In the last 2 weeks they have had wins over Los Medanos 91-90, Marin 78-62, Solano 93-81 & Contra Costa 96-93.
Merritt has the talent to make another nice run this season. Is the only true challenger to Yuba in the Bay Valley Conference. Needs to get a win against Yuba in order to have a chance at a Conference Championship, since Merritt already suffered a conference loss to Napa, and no other team seems to be able to get within striking distance with Yuba.
As long as Merritt finishes in the Top 2 in the BVC, they should earn a playoff spot. If they fall off lower than this, however, they could be in danger of their season ending early.
Will definitely be rooting for San Jose to win their conference, and hope that Bakersfield can emerge from last place in their conference to make these wins hold more weight come seeding time.
KEY WINS: San Jose City (12-8) twice, Los Medanos (12-6) & Bakersfield (10-9)
LOSSES: Ohlone (15-4) twice, Cabrillo (12-6), Allan Hancock (10-10), Monterey (8-10) & Napa (6-11)
Up next Merritt travels toYuba (13-4; 7-0) on 1/22 with a tip-off scheduled for 7:30pm.
14 - Foothill (10-8) Conference (3-1) (NR)
Emerges in my rankings for the first time this year as they have started out strong in Coast-North Conference action. In the first two weeks of conference, they had wins over Ohlone 66-63, Canada 95-72 & Skyline 72-64 before falling to CCSF 48-80.
Foothill did have a decent preseason schedule, unfortunately, they did not accumulate any exciting victories during that span. They are in desperate need of their continued momentum in conference play. It is my prediction that 4 teams will earn postseason berths in the Coast-North Conference this year. Foothill looks to eliminate Skyline, Canada & Las Positas from this category, and challenge the rest for the top spot in Coast-North contention. Still has to face Chabot & Las Positas, so the tide can turn very quickly in Los Altos Hills.
KEY WINS: Ohlone (15-4), Skyline (9-7), De Anza (8-8)
LOSSES: Riverside (8-13), Monterey (8-10), DVC (14-4)twice, LA Harbor (14-4), Lassen (15-10), Cabrillo (12-6)
Up next Foothill faces Las Positas (9-10; 1-2) on 1/24 @ 5pm
15 - Modesto (10-9) Conference (3-1) (NR)
The Pirates started Big 8 Conference action in a Big way with an impressive 3-1 showing that has them tied for 2nd place, currently. They have wins against Sacramento City 79-77, Delta 68-63 & American River 95-87 after falling to Santa Rosa 66-72 in the opening game.
Modesto has some pieces this year, and are another team in the Big 8 that can win on any given night. Still has to face DVC & Cosumnes River, which could be a chance for them to make a bigger splash.
If finishes in the Top 4 of the Big 8 Modesto will have a spot in the postseason. Any finish worse than that, they are at the hands of the seeding committee. But it is rumored that the Big 8 can have an argument for up to 6 teams earning postseason berths this year, a tough order for their conference rep, but a beneficial rumor for those in the Big 8. But based on MJC's preseason outcomes, if they are to finish 5th or 6th they could be bumped out. Losing to teams like Los Medanos, Reedley & Contra Costa could be disastrous if those teams are on 'the bubble' for playoff contention and it comes down to head-to-head results.
KEY WINS: Sacramento City (9-9), Delta (8-8), Skyline (9-7), Redwoods 12-7),
LOSSES: Sierra (6-12), Santa Rosa (10-7) twice, Los Medanos (12-6), Reedley (9-8), Contra Costa (9-10), Lassen (15-10), Ohlone (15-4), & Cabrillo (12-6)
Honorable Mention
3-0 looks impressive, but then again, 2 of those wins were against teams that have only 1 victory for the entire season. De Anza showed strides last year at this time, so am not counting them out until I see them go up against SJCC & Cabrillo. Must get in top 2 to have a shot at playoffs. However, their win against West Hills could propel them into one of last playoff spots should it come down to those two teams. I just don't see the Central Valley having any argument for two teams, but their is always a chance to squeeze another team in based on other teams completely bottoming out in conference play.
West Hills (10-7) Central Valley Conference (2-1)
Has a slight chance of earning a playoff bid if they can go 10-2 in conference play with a 2nd place finish. But they are plagued with such a weak conference they have left themselves with very little room for mistakes at this point. Can guarantee a spot in playoffs if they can pull out a 'W' over Fresno, but they only have one more chance at that. If Delta finishes 5th or 6th in the Big 8 & West Hills finishes 2nd in the CVC, then they have a strong argument to be given a playoff berth over Delta, since they have the advantage here in head-to-head competition. I also feel that their schedule against so many Southern California teams will plague them, since they don't have the head-to-head victories or 'like opponents' to give them leverage at the seeding committee bargaining table.
Delta (8-8) Big 8 Conference (2-2)
Is in danger of falling out of playoff contention if they don't finish 5th or better in the Big 8. Their will be a lot of arguments against any conference having more than 4 teams in the playoffs, and you don't want to put your team in that predicament. Has great wins over Ohlone, Cabrillo & DVC which are great bargaining chips. Unfortunately these chips can be drowned out by the losses to Columbia, Canada, West Hills, Reedley & Modesto.
Sacramento City (9-9) Big 8 Conference (2-2)
The win over Santa Rosa was huge for Sac City. Prior to that, their only win against a team above .500 was to Lassen. Sac City is a talented group, but with their preseason results, they need some more big wins and a finish above .500 in conference to have a strong argument for a postseason berth.
Los Medanos (12-6) Bay Valley Conference (3-4)
Came into conference with a 10-2 record, but is falling and falling fast. They cannot get a playoff seed higher than a team who finishes above them in their conference. So this means, if they can't finish ahead of Mendocino, Marin, Solano & Contra Costa (all whom they are either tied with in conference or are behind currently) then LMC will be a spectator during postseason. The Bay Valley will be hard pressed to get more than 2 teams in the playoff picture. LMC must finish 2nd or 3rd to have a shot.
Skyline (9-7) Coast-North Conference (0-3)
Losing to Las Positas is going to be giving Skyline nightmares for a long time. They are now 0-3 in conference, and still have to face Chabot & Ohlone this week! I cannot think up a metaphor to explain how fast Skyline is falling. The wins over Cabrillo & Siskiyous can only help Skyline in the playoff picture if they finish 4th or 5th in conference. Otherwise their season is set to end early.
Redwoods (12-7) Golden Valley Conference (2-1)
Good thing for Redwoods & the rest of the GVC crew, is that this years conference could get as many as 3 teams in the playoff picture. Butte, Lassen, Redwoods & Siskiyous all had a decent preseason and are worthy of the postseason talks. However, to guarantee a playoff berth, I would say these teams need to focus on a top 2 finish in conference play, otherwise it's in the hands of the seeding committee at that point.
Especially for Redwoods, who has 3 JV teams on their schedule and several other teams from out of state. This will really hurt arguments in their favor.
Siskiyous (13-9) Golden Valley Conference (2-2)
Is in the danger zone right now being in 4th place in the GVC. Had a decent preseason and has a good argument for postseason, but not if they can't improve their standing in conference. GVC will not get 4 teams into the postseason. Losing to Redwoods will haunt Siskiyous for awhile until they can redeem themselves.
Las Positas (9-10) Coast-North Conference (1-2)
Beating Skyline was big for LPC, who seemed to have doomed themselves after losing to Canada. They beat Siskiyous twice and Delta during preseason play. This could be big if LPC is in postseason discussions.
Sierra (6-12) Big 8 conference (0-4)
Why am I mentioning Sierra? I don't know, I guess because I believe they are far better than their record and with a number of big wins could turn their entire season around. Maybe their team isn't built for their high pressure defense? It's not leading to points on their end, since they are only averaging 54 points per game, and giving up 74 points per game isn't proving their defense is very effective. It's not leading to turnovers either, as Sierra is only getting 3 steals per game. Well, I haven't seen them play in awhile, but I was there to witness them give Frenso their only loss of the season. And I saw them give Chabot a scare. Not sure how they are getting outrebounded by 11 on a nightly basis either. Lots of holes. For a team ranked in the preseason at #3 and quoted by Coach Fusano "this could be my best team ever" I can't help but feel some disappointment. It's still early in conference play, but if they don't turn it around quickly, the opening game of the season will be the highlight of the year for Sierra.
On top of the Fresno win, they do have wins over Butte, Cuesta & Lassen. So, just like the Jim Carrey quote from Dumb & Dumber, "So you're saying there's a chance!"
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