*After a great opening weekend of California Junior College basketball we have some surprises and we have teams that have made statements. The CCSF tournament saw Marin College come out of the shadows with huge wins over host CCSF and San Diego City college before suffering to Mt San Antonio in the Championship game. Getting 2nd in that tournament is nothing to hang your head about! Columbia College came out and shocked DVC and went on to win the Las Positas tournament to start the season 3-0. The San Jose City Tournament was full of exciting games with Lassen taking the crown after taking out former top team Merrit in the Championship game. Canada made serious noise by taking home the Ohlone Tournament championship after beating host Ohlone. Most of the state's top teams have played, so here is how I put things in my weekly unofficial Northern California state rankings, Week 1.
*Please remember that these rankings are my personal opinion based on limited information, and therefore are very unofficial rankings. I do hope you enjoy the information.
CP = coaches poll ranking
1 - Lassen (4-0) CP #10
Had them ranked Pre Season #5, and the coaches poll had them ranked Pre Season #10. After winning a very loaded SJCC tournament with wins over Merced, Monterey and Merritt (who was coaches poll ranked #1) I feel Lassen deserves the huge jump. Also because all the teams I had ranked ahead of them lost a game, with the exception of Chabot who has yet to play. So I don't want to move a team that is 0-0 into the #1 spot after Lassen battled it out last weekend. And I thought it would be nice to have them ranked #1 alongside Chabot at #2 since they will be facing each other in the Chabot Tip Off on Saturday at 4pm. One of only two tournaments in Northern California this weekend, this should surely be the game of the day on Saturday.
2 - Chabot (0-0) CP #2
Opens up the season this week on Thursday in the Chabot Tip Off tournament. They will face two current undefeated teams as they face Feather River (3-0) on Friday and Lassen (4-0) on Saturday. The tournament is more of a round robin, with 6 teams, so the games are scheduled in advance. We will see if the Gladiators have what it takes to take the top spot.
3 - Fresno City (2-1) CP #3
Since a Southern California team took the CCSF tournament crown, and most of my previously top ranked teams suffered at least 1 loss, it looks like Fresno City will hold tight at #3, for now. Had a solid showing in the CCSF tournament by beating Yuba and SoCal #10 ranked San Diego City. Have another tough weekend ahead of them, as they host the Fresno City tournament that shows a loaded bracket. FCC opens up against Sierra, who shocked the Rams last year in the first round.
4 - Merritt (2-1) CP#1
My main concern about their roster missing more players seems to be a non issue. Looks like the same team we saw in the Fall Showcase. So we will write that up to the Summer Showcases having no bearing on regular season. Merritt had a tough road this weekend as they squeaked by Foothill, took down SJCC on their own court, before losing to Lassen in the SJCC Tip Off Tournament. With their team intact, they will look to end Yuba's streak in the Bay Valley Conference.
5 - San Jose City (2-1) CP#9
Drops only one spot in my rankings to make room for Merritt, who beat them for the 2nd year in a row on their home court in the Tip Off Tournament. Very deep and will pester the opposition for the entire 40 minutes. Had victories over Cosumnes River and Monterey to take home 3rd place.
6 - Canada (3-0) CP NR
Came out almost nowhere to win the Ohlone Jon Wallace Memorial Tournament with wins over Delta, #11 SoCal Mt San Jacinto, and host Ohlone in the Championship. Looks to have a variety of scorers and is on a roll. Feels weird to place them so far up in the rankings, but they have earned it, so far.
7 - Marin (2-1) CP NR
Another team that made some serious noise this weekend, when they opened up the season by slamming CCSF on their own court, by 22! They also scored another key victory after beating SoCal ranked #10 San Diego City. The blow out loss in the Championship game to Mt San Antonio is a little concerning, but they definitely earned this ranking in my book with their successes in the 1st two nights of the season.
8 - Columbia (3-0) CP NR
The Claim Jumpers look like they might be back to their glory days as they start the season 3-0 after taking home the Las Positas tournament crown. Had wins over DVC, Butte and Sacramento City in a very solid string of victories. It is still very early in the season, but at this point Columbia deserves to be in the Top 10.
9 - City College of San Francisco (2-1) CP#4
Has to fall a few spots after taking home the consolation in their own tournament. Lost badly to Marin in the first round, but scored victories over Napa Valley and Santa Rosa, which shows that CCSF is still formidable. They head to another loaded tournament this weekend, as they head to Fresno and open up with West Hills-Coalinga.
10 - College of Sequoias (2-1) CP#8
Took 3rd place in the Cuesta Tournament with wins over Mendocino and West Hills-Coalinga. Their only loss came to a tough Chaffey team who headed back to Southern California with the tourney crown.
11 - Butte (2-1) CP#12
Had solid wins over Contra Costa and Las Positas on their way to 3rd place in the Las Positas tournament. Lost to Columbia who was the eventual tourney champ.
12 - Santa Rosa (1-2) CP#6
I am not going to be fooled again by SJRC. Started off the season last year in dismal fashion, before taking the State Title. Lost to CCSF and Mt San Antonio, who are no slouches. Had a nice victory over Yuba who went 0-2 in the stacked tournament. Will head to Fresno this weekend for the equally vigorous Fresno City Tournament.
13 - Ohlone (2-1) CP NR
Losing to Canada by 18 in the Championship game had to hurt, especially in their own tournament, but Ohlone still had wins over Shasta and Cabrillo to start the season with a winning record.
14 - Contra Costa (2-1) CP NR
Lost to Butte in a close one to head to the consolation bracket at Las Positas. Won the next two over DVC and Siskiyous. The Bay Valley Conference is looking much more balanced so far this year, with several teams looking to challenge Yuba's dominance and nearly double-digit conference championship streak.
15 - TIE
Feather River (3-0) CP NR
Beat Sierra and Solano to win the Sierra Tournament and start the season perfect. Heads to Chabot this weekend where they will face some tougher competition, but deserves the recognition as Sierra was ranked #11 in the Coaches Poll, and #10 by Coach K in the Pre Season rankings.
Foothill (1-2) CP NR
I didn't get to see everyone play this weekend, but Foothill took Merritt to the brink in the opening game of the SJCC Tournament. They defeated Cosumnes River before suffering another loss to Riverside City. Foothill looks like one of those teams that can beat anyone on any given night.
Monterey Peninsula (1-2) CP NR
We should change their name from the 'Lobos' to the 'Nail-Biters'. Their first three games of the season had an average margin of victory of 1.67 points. They took out the SoCal #5 Ranked Riverside City by 1 point before losing to Lassen by 1 point, and then suffered a larger margin of only 3 points in the loss to San Jose City. Devin Koeplin is out with an injury, so I feel this says enough to keep them in the Top 15, for now.
OUT OF TOP 15 from last week
DVC, went 0-2 at Las Positas
Yuba, went 0-2 at CCSF
Cosumnes River, went 0-2 at the SJCC tourney
Sierra, lost to Feather River at home starting off 1-1
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