http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/zewing/39288 See girls rankings below or at this link. BOYS 1. Clovis East (11-4, Division I, last year: D-I champion) — All of the Timberwolves' losses have been out of the section, and they've beaten Liberty, Porterville-Monache and East in winning the Kern Schools Federal Credit Union Lloyd Williams tournament. LAST WEEK: W 92-83 vs. East, L 70-68 vs. Sacramento-Sheldon. THIS WEEK: Wednesday vs. Modesto Christian, Friday vs. No. 6 Fresno-Edison 2. Liberty (11-2, Division II, last year: lost in D-II first round) — Clovis West has played a better schedule, but for now I'm giving this spot to the Central Section team you just have to see play if you're a fan of team basketball. Every player, from leading scorer Westin Hill to the last man on the bench, is on the same page, and it showed in wins against L.A.-Crenshaw, Stockdale, Centennial and Garces. LAST WEEK: no games THIS WEEK: Tuesday vs. East, Friday at Stockdale 3. Clovis West (8-3, Division I, last year: D-I runner-up) — Three close wins against good Southern Cal teams at a tournament in Santa Barbara this week shows you this team will be a championship contender. Wins against Visalia-Central Valley Christian and Fresno-Edison are their only results against Central Section teams. LAST WEEK: W 77-72 vs. Pacific Palisades-Palisades, W 59-56 vs. Agoura THIS WEEK: Friday vs. Stockton-St. Mary's 4. Garces (8-5, Division II, last year: D-IV champion) — That this team is good is obvious just from watching for five minutes. What the Rams lack, at least at this early junction, is the consistency that could make them the section's best. LAST WEEK: no games THIS WEEK: Tuesday at Golden Valley, Thursday vs. No. 10 Bakersfield 5. Clovis (11-7, Division I, last year: lost in D-I quarterfinals) — Six of those losses are against out-of-section competition, the other against Garces by six in the second game of the season. The Cougars, who are getting it done without a player taller than 6-foot-6, have comfortable wins against Visalia-Redwood, Hanford, Ridgeview and Edison. LAST WEEK: L 83-76 vs. El Cerrito, W 80-65 vs. Cerritos-Gahr THIS WEEK: Wednesday at Fresno-Hoover, Friday at No. 9 Fresno-SJ Memorial 6. Fresno-Edison (11-4, Division I, last year: D-II champion) — The Tigers surely wish they still had Greg Smith, the section's best big man last year who transferred to Phoenix-Westwind Prep. But they're doing all right without him. LAST WEEK: W 75-73 vs. San Diego-Hoover, L 64-36 vs. Oakland-McClymonds, W 60-59 vs. El Cerrito THIS WEEK: Tuesday at No. 11 Fresno-Central, Friday at No. 1 Clovis East 7. Centennial (10-3, Division I, last year: D-II runner-up) — One of a few teams taking the week off after the Garces tournament, the Golden Hawks finds themselves in Division I after losing D-II title game last year. But how has Liberty, which beat Centennial and won the Garces tourney, not joined them? LAST WEEK: no games THIS WEEK: Tuesday at Fresno-Bullard, Friday at West 8. Fresno-Sunnyside (10-4, Division II, last year: lost in D-I quarterfinals) — The Central Section, flashing one of its illogical bouts, has just 10 teams in Division I boy basketball. Div. II, though, will be a nice consolation prize for Liberty, Garces, Sunnyside, Memorial and Lemoore to fight over. LAST WEEK: L 65-50 vs. Oakland-McClymonds, L 73-44 vs. San Diego-Hoover THIS WEEK: Wednesday vs. Sanger 9. Fresno-San Joaquin Memorial (10-5, Division II, last year: D-IV runner-up) — A bit of an ugly stretch in which the Panthers lost four of six was erased with wins against Bakersfield and Clovis-Buchanan in the Clovis Elks Tournament. LAST WEEK: W 61-59 vs. No. 10 Bakersfield, W 58-53 vs. Clovis-Buchanan THIS WEEK: Wednesday at Kingsburg, Friday vs. No. 5 Clovis 10. Bakersfield (9-3, Division I, last year: lost in D-I quarterfinals) — The Drillers have a nice young corps, but they'll rise and fall with the performance of Dijon Henry inside. This is a big, big week. LAST WEEK: L 61-59 vs. No. 9 Fresno-SJ Memorial, W vs. Fresno-Hoover THIS WEEK: Tuesday at Stockdale, Thursday at Garces 11. Fresno-Central (9-4, Division I, last year: lost in D-I semifinals) — Not a great Clovis Elks tourney for the Grizzlies, who finished with a squeaker against Bullard and before that lost games to Bakersfield, 6-11 Oakland and to McClymonds by 42 (!). LAST WEEK: L 73-70 vs. Oakland, W 72-71 vs. Bullard THIS WEEK: Tuesday vs. No. 6 Fresno-Edison, Friday vs. Fresno 12. Lemoore (14-4, Division II, last year: lost in D-II quarterfinals) — This is like the Bakersfield High of basketball: The Tigers can beat anybody (Sunnyside, Memorial) or lose to anyone (Visalia-Redwood, Porterville-Monache). LAST WEEK: W 96-47 vs. Delano, L 55-52 vs. Monache, W 84-44 vs. Porterville-Granite HIlls, W 81-66 vs. Visalia-Golden West THIS WEEK: Wednesday at Hanford West, Friday vs. Porterville 13. Hanford (11-5, Division II, last year: D-III champion) — Football standout Cougar Williams might be even better in basketball, and the Bullpups won't shy away from anyone now that they're up in Division II. LAST WEEK: W 64-55 vs. El Cerrito, W 75-69 vs. Cerritos-Gahr, L 72-40 vs. Oakland-McClymonds THIS WEEK: Wednesday vs. Visalia-Redwood, Friday at Visalia-Golden West 14. San Luis Obispo-Mission Prep (10-8, Division V, last year: lost in D-V semifinals) — It's hard to get a read on a team that has played most of its games out of the section, but a victory against CVC is good enough for me. With Bakersfield Christian and Reedley-Immanuel out of the way, it'd be a surprise if the two didn't meet again for the D-V championship. LAST WEEK: L 69-59 vs. Lake Balboa-Birmingham, L 54-39 vs. Tucson (Ariz)-Catalina Foothills, W 59-53 vs. No. 15 Visalia-Central Valley Christian, W 52-33 vs. Fresno Christian THIS WEEK: Tuesday vs. Arroyo Grande-Coastal Christian, Friday vs. Fowler 15. Visalia-Central Valley Christian (12-4, Division V, last year: lost in D-V semifinals) — This year's CVC team announced its intentions with a one-point loss at Clovis West in an early tournament. They've stayed relevant with wins against East, Redwood and El Diamante. LAST WEEK: L 59-53 at No. 14 SLO-Mission Prep, W 66-27 at Cambria-Coast Union THIS WEEK: Tuesday vs. Coalinga, Friday vs. Reedley-Immanuel Waiting (in order): Stockdale, Visalia-Redwood, Clovis-Buchanan, Bakersfield Christian, Hanford West, Visalia-El Diamante, Porterville-Monache, Ridgeview, Fresno-Bullard, East See girls rankings below or at this link. BOYS 1. Clovis East (11-4, Division I, last year: D-I champion) — All of the Timberwolves' losses have been out of the section, and they've beaten Liberty, Porterville-Monache and East in winning the Kern Schools Federal Credit Union Lloyd Williams tournament. LAST WEEK: W 92-83 vs. East, L 70-68 vs. Sacramento-Sheldon. THIS WEEK: Wednesday vs. Modesto Christian, Friday vs. No. 6 Fresno-Edison 2. Liberty (11-2, Division II, last year: lost in D-II first round) — Clovis West has played a better schedule, but for now I'm giving this spot to the Central Section team you just have to see play if you're a fan of team basketball. Every player, from leading scorer Westin Hill to the last man on the bench, is on the same page, and it showed in wins against L.A.-Crenshaw, Stockdale, Centennial and Garces. LAST WEEK: no games THIS WEEK: Tuesday vs. East, Friday at Stockdale 3. Clovis West (8-3, Division I, last year: D-I runner-up) — Three close wins against good Southern Cal teams at a tournament in Santa Barbara this week shows you this team will be a championship contender. Wins against Visalia-Central Valley Christian and Fresno-Edison are their only results against Central Section teams. LAST WEEK: W 77-72 vs. Pacific Palisades-Palisades, W 59-56 vs. Agoura THIS WEEK: Friday vs. Stockton-St. Mary's 4. Garces (8-5, Division II, last year: D-IV champion) — That this team is good is obvious just from watching for five minutes. What the Rams lack, at least at this early junction, is the consistency that could make them the section's best. LAST WEEK: no games THIS WEEK: Tuesday at Golden Valley, Thursday vs. No. 10 Bakersfield 5. Clovis (11-7, Division I, last year: lost in D-I quarterfinals) — Six of those losses are against out-of-section competition, the other against Garces by six in the second game of the season. The Cougars, who are getting it done without a player taller than 6-foot-6, have comfortable wins against Visalia-Redwood, Hanford, Ridgeview and Edison. LAST WEEK: L 83-76 vs. El Cerrito, W 80-65 vs. Cerritos-Gahr THIS WEEK: Wednesday at Fresno-Hoover, Friday at No. 9 Fresno-SJ Memorial 6. Fresno-Edison (11-4, Division I, last year: D-II champion) — The Tigers surely wish they still had Greg Smith, the section's best big man last year who transferred to Phoenix-Westwind Prep. But they're doing all right without him. LAST WEEK: W 75-73 vs. San Diego-Hoover, L 64-36 vs. Oakland-McClymonds, W 60-59 vs. El Cerrito THIS WEEK: Tuesday at No. 11 Fresno-Central, Friday at No. 1 Clovis East 7. Centennial (10-3, Division I, last year: D-II runner-up) — One of a few teams taking the week off after the Garces tournament, the Golden Hawks finds themselves in Division I after losing D-II title game last year. But how has Liberty, which beat Centennial and won the Garces tourney, not joined them? LAST WEEK: no games THIS WEEK: Tuesday at Fresno-Bullard, Friday at West 8. Fresno-Sunnyside (10-4, Division II, last year: lost in D-I quarterfinals) — The Central Section, flashing one of its illogical bouts, has just 10 teams in Division I boy basketball. Div. II, though, will be a nice consolation prize for Liberty, Garces, Sunnyside, Memorial and Lemoore to fight over. LAST WEEK: L 65-50 vs. Oakland-McClymonds, L 73-44 vs. San Diego-Hoover THIS WEEK: Wednesday vs. Sanger 9. Fresno-San Joaquin Memorial (10-5, Division II, last year: D-IV runner-up) — A bit of an ugly stretch in which the Panthers lost four of six was erased with wins against Bakersfield and Clovis-Buchanan in the Clovis Elks Tournament. LAST WEEK: W 61-59 vs. No. 10 Bakersfield, W 58-53 vs. Clovis-Buchanan THIS WEEK: Wednesday at Kingsburg, Friday vs. No. 5 Clovis 10. Bakersfield (9-3, Division I, last year: lost in D-I quarterfinals) — The Drillers have a nice young corps, but they'll rise and fall with the performance of Dijon Henry inside. This is a big, big week. LAST WEEK: L 61-59 vs. No. 9 Fresno-SJ Memorial, W vs. Fresno-Hoover THIS WEEK: Tuesday at Stockdale, Thursday at Garces 11. Fresno-Central (9-4, Division I, last year: lost in D-I semifinals) — Not a great Clovis Elks tourney for the Grizzlies, who finished with a squeaker against Bullard and before that lost games to Bakersfield, 6-11 Oakland and to McClymonds by 42 (!). LAST WEEK: L 73-70 vs. Oakland, W 72-71 vs. Bullard THIS WEEK: Tuesday vs. No. 6 Fresno-Edison, Friday vs. Fresno 12. Lemoore (14-4, Division II, last year: lost in D-II quarterfinals) — This is like the Bakersfield High of basketball: The Tigers can beat anybody (Sunnyside, Memorial) or lose to anyone (Visalia-Redwood, Porterville-Monache). LAST WEEK: W 96-47 vs. Delano, L 55-52 vs. Monache, W 84-44 vs. Porterville-Granite HIlls, W 81-66 vs. Visalia-Golden West THIS WEEK: Wednesday at Hanford West, Friday vs. Porterville 13. Hanford (11-5, Division II, last year: D-III champion) — Football standout Cougar Williams might be even better in basketball, and the Bullpups won't shy away from anyone now that they're up in Division II. LAST WEEK: W 64-55 vs. El Cerrito, W 75-69 vs. Cerritos-Gahr, L 72-40 vs. Oakland-McClymonds THIS WEEK: Wednesday vs. Visalia-Redwood, Friday at Visalia-Golden West 14. San Luis Obispo-Mission Prep (10-8, Division V, last year: lost in D-V semifinals) — It's hard to get a read on a team that has played most of its games out of the section, but a victory against CVC is good enough for me. With Bakersfield Christian and Reedley-Immanuel out of the way, it'd be a surprise if the two didn't meet again for the D-V championship. LAST WEEK: L 69-59 vs. Lake Balboa-Birmingham, L 54-39 vs. Tucson (Ariz)-Catalina Foothills, W 59-53 vs. No. 15 Visalia-Central Valley Christian, W 52-33 vs. Fresno Christian THIS WEEK: Tuesday vs. Arroyo Grande-Coastal Christian, Friday vs. Fowler 15. Visalia-Central Valley Christian (12-4, Division V, last year: lost in D-V semifinals) — This year's CVC team announced its intentions with a one-point loss at Clovis West in an early tournament. They've stayed relevant with wins against East, Redwood and El Diamante. LAST WEEK: L 59-53 at No. 14 SLO-Mission Prep, W 66-27 at Cambria-Coast Union THIS WEEK: Tuesday vs. Coalinga, Friday vs. Reedley-Immanuel Waiting (in order): Stockdale, Visalia-Redwood, Clovis-Buchanan, Bakersfield Christian, Hanford West, Visalia-El Diamante, Porterville-Monache, Ridgeview, Fresno-Bullard, East en-us Sun, 04 Jan 2009 21:39:53 PST