2023 Who do you have in your NorCal top ten?

[M.C. fan]

No order but here are some talented squads that should be given some light on the top ten NorCal Teams.

Saint Joseph of Santa Maria
Riordan
Branson
De La Salle
Mitty
MC
Clovis West
Clovis North
San Ramon Valley
Vanden
Oakland
Sheldon


Let's go NorCal!!

 

[vukovich]

Salesian, Mitty and Riordan are IMO the clear top 3 with Branson probably being 4th.

 

[larry legend33]

Salesian, Mitty and Riordan are IMO the clear top 3 with Branson probably being 4th.

Agreed. MC lost a lot but they picked up 2 very good players off the 50 corridor with CC wing and Folsom PG.

 

[vukovich]

Agreed. MC lost a lot but they picked up 2 very good players off the 50 corridor with CC wing and Folsom PG.

When it’s all said and done MC will be very good as they finalize their roster.

 

[larry legend33]

When it’s all said and done MC will be very good as they finalize their roster.

I don’t doubt it.

 

[Streak One]

No order but here are some talented squads that should be given some light on the top ten NorCal Teams.

Saint Joseph of Santa Maria
Riordan
Branson
De La Salle
Mitty
MC
Clovis West
Clovis North
San Ramon Valley
Vanden
Oakland
Sheldon


Let's go NorCal!!

Good list. I agree with @vukovich with the top three. I think DLS will be in that second tier too along with MC and Branson.

Curious what Jesuit looks like post Andrej. Still like a lot of their returners. And Folsom could be interesting. They were a team last year that had too many mouths to feed IMO. Could be more of a 11-20 type team

 

[vukovich]

Good list. I agree with @vukovich with the top three. I think DLS will be in that second tier too along with MC and Branson.

Curious what Jesuit looks like post Andrej. Still like a lot of their returners. And Folsom could be interesting. They were a team last year that had too many mouths to feed IMO. Could be more of a 11-20 type team

I think Sheldon is coming in way under the radar. They have been I guess down for their standards but I think they will be a top 10 NorCal team for sure.

 

[Streak One]

I think Sheldon is coming in way under the radar. They have been I guess down for their standards but I think they will be a top 10 NorCal team for sure.

I agree. I was more adding some teams not on the first list. I think this could be one of those Sheldon teams they have been successful with (balanced production, good guard play, hard nose style)

 

[larry legend33]

Good list. I agree with @vukovich with the top three. I think DLS will be in that second tier too along with MC and Branson.

Curious what Jesuit looks like post Andrej. Still like a lot of their returners. And Folsom could be interesting. They were a team last year that had too many mouths to feed IMO. Could be more of a 11-20 type team

Jesuit not only lost Andrej but also a really good guard (Reed) can’t recall last name but he was often the unsung hero. Believe he’s playing at Claremont Mckenna. They have 3 starters back who will all likely play college basketball at D1-D2 level. Pretty good younger teams and I’m sure a kid or 2 that will surprise. I’m guessing they will be very solid and a tough out. Defensively and rebounding is a key concern for me. They can score.

 

[nobody209]

It's Still September.....??
Right?

 

[kiddman32]

It's Still September.....??
Right?

Yes, unfortunately…. For me, it’s like the month before Xmas for little kids…

Can’t wait for the hoops to arrive!

 

[kiddman32]

Can't disagree with the above choices at all...

The interesting thing to find out this season, is: Who will be the team that surprises almost everyone and puts up a gaudy record?

Last year, it was Rio Americano, who went a good ways in the playoffs after an amazing regular season, and the year before it was Ponderosa, who also had an amazing reg. season, but lost in the first round of SJS.

Anyone have any idea who are the surprise teams that might do it this year?

 

[larry legend33]

Can't disagree with the above choices at all...

The interesting thing to find out this season, is: Who will be the team that surprises almost everyone and puts up a gaudy record?

Last year, it was Rio Americano, who went a good ways in the playoffs after an amazing regular season, and the year before it was Ponderosa, who also had an amazing reg. season, but lost in the first round of SJS.

Anyone have any idea who are the surprise teams that might do it this year?

I will go with Montgomery out of NBL. Always a good program and they are coming off another 20 win season but return a lot of people and Newman /Windsor lost a bunch. Look for the Vikings to be tough in NCS D2.

 

[cd9723]

I will go with Montgomery out of NBL. Always a good program and they are coming off another 20 win season but return a lot of people and Newman /Windsor lost a bunch. Look for the Vikings to be tough in NCS D2.

North Bay teams do not have the talent and never win past 1 round of playoffs 2 max, sure they will win 20 games, but against North Bay teams, so many times they have been the 3 seed and lsot to a 14 seed whos just simply more athletic, they will never have the horses unfortunately. Throw them in a league down here they might be a .500 team at best maybe a little more. Good regular season team, but history is history, North Bay teams especially recently don't fair well .

 

[M.C. fan]

The Suprise teams are always fun to watch and support. Atwater made a good run-in last year regular season. Rio Americano made some noise in playoffs. Yes the underdog will rise again!

 

[Ninersfan916]

Weston Ranch and Inderkum are always fun to watch also

 

[vukovich]

Weston Ranch and Inderkum are always fun to watch also

Weston ranch is going to be very good this year. Definitely a top 20 NorCal team.

 

[kiddman32]

I saw Weston Ranch a couple times over the summer. I agree they will be excellent.

 

[ayalar09]

Health is always the most important thing….but IF they stay healthy Riordan will be head and shoulders above the next Norcal team….which I would guess would be De La Salle (Blair), Mitty (Ripp), and then Vanden (Thompson)?

I’ll say this due to his experience at Prolific Prep, playing his senior year now at Riordan. I think Zion Sensley is going to be the best non-Prep player in all of Norcal. But he’s just one of about 3-4 D1-caliber players (Sensley, Rencher, Emeneke, Hillman) that are on this team. No other team other than Riordan can say they have that much fire power.

 

[vukovich]

Health is always the most important thing….but IF they stay healthy Riordan will be head and shoulders above the next Norcal team….which I would guess would be De La Salle (Blair), Mitty (Ripp), and then Vanden (Thompson)?

I’ll say this due to his experience at Prolific Prep, playing his senior year now at Riordan. I think Zion Sensley is going to be the best non-Prep player in all of Norcal. But he’s just one of about 3-4 D1-caliber players (Sensley, Rencher, Emeneke, Hillman) that are on this team. No other team other than Riordan can say they have that much fire power.

I don’t disagree that they have the most talented roster and may be the best team in the north. Imo mitty and Salesian will be right there with them.

 

[jordan24]

Salesian and Mitty will be right in it with Riordan. Adding SI soph transfer Caedon Hutcherson was a huge addition for the Monarchs. (all the talk of Riordan's transfers, and Mitty's best players over the past few years have all been transfers.). Salesian has talented guards and wings galore. I really like Salesian's Claytor's game - he gets everyone involved and seems to be able to score at will when needed.

 

[iamgearyblvd]

Salesian and Mitty will be right in it with Riordan. Adding SI soph transfer Caedon Hutcherson was a huge addition for the Monarchs. (all the talk of Riordan's transfers, and Mitty's best players over the past few years have all been transfers.). Salesian has talented guards and wings galore. I really like Salesian's Claytor's game - he gets everyone involved and seems to be able to score at will when needed.

Wow, thats a big wow about Hutcherson. SI had the Labagh/Whitley/Hutcherson trio that looked solid for years to come. Hutcherson the best of that trio (IMO).

 

[padrewhipser]

Salesian and Mitty will be right in it with Riordan. Adding SI soph transfer Caedon Hutcherson was a huge addition for the Monarchs. (all the talk of Riordan's transfers, and Mitty's best players over the past few years have all been transfers.). Salesian has talented guards and wings galore. I really like Salesian's Claytor's game - he gets everyone involved and seems to be able to score at will when needed.

Getting 1-2 transfers a year now seems to be the new norm, but when you average around 6 per year just seems to be a little fishy.

 

[ArmchairGOAT]

Getting 1-2 transfers a year now seems to be the new norm, but when you average around 6 per year just seems to be a little fishy.

That’s a bit of an exaggeration. But agree this year has seen a high amount of transfers. The Tofi family returns back to the Bay Area thus the 2 brothers joining the squad. Sensley returns to the school he entered as a freshman. The big kid from Priory joins his fellow Cameroon teammate. Serra’s best basketball players have been transfers the past few years in Keyhani and Klapper although Pettis is going to have a monster senior season and has been at Serra all 4 years.

 

[ankleassassin]

all these transfers just to get ran out the gym by modesto christian

 

[jordan24]

Getting 1-2 transfers a year now seems to be the new norm, but when you average around 6 per year just seems to be a little fishy.

That’s a bit of an exaggeration. But agree this year has seen a high amount of transfers. The Tofi family returns back to the Bay Area thus the 2 brothers joining the squad. Sensley returns to the school he entered as a freshman. The big kid from Priory joins his fellow Cameroon teammate. Serra’s best basketball players have been transfers the past few years in Keyhani and Klapper although Pettis is going to have a monster senior season and has been at Serra all 4 years

all these transfers just to get ran out the gym by modesto christian

Last time Riordan played MC, in 2020, it was MC that got run out of the gym. Twice that year by 14 pts at the Valley Christian Tournament and 31 in the Norcal D1 Qtr Final. They've had some awesome teams recently. Unfortunately, they also lost a bunch of kids to transfers - Phillips, Itete and Sellers previously. They do get a kid from VC this year along with some others I understand that are now @ MC.

 

[M.C. fan]

That’s a bit of an exaggeration. But agree this year has seen a high amount of transfers. The Tofi family returns back to the Bay Area thus the 2 brothers joining the squad. Sensley returns to the school he entered as a freshman. The big kid from Priory joins his fellow Cameroon teammate. Serra’s best basketball players have been transfers the past few years in Keyhani and Klapper although Pettis is going to have a monster senior season and has been at Serra all 4 years

Last time Riordan played MC, in 2020, it was MC that got run out of the gym. Twice that year by 14 pts at the NorCal Tipoff and 31 in the Norcal D1 Qtr Final. They've had some awesome teams recently. Unfortunately, they also lost a bunch of kids to transfers - Phillips, Itete and Sellers previously. They do get a kid from VC this year along with some others I understand that are now @ MC.

2021 was when Riordan defeated us, twice as stated. Riordan has a stellar roster again this season. Our accomplishments speak for themselves. We are both Crusaders!!

 

[ankleassassin]

2021 was when Riordan defeated us, twice as stated. Riordan has a stellar roster again this season. Our accomplishments speak for themselves. We are both Crusaders!!

it was 2020 during the interrupted playoffs for covid.

 

[M.C. fan]

it was 2020 during the interrupted playoffs for covid.

correction 2020

 

[ayalar09]

all these transfers just to get ran out the gym by modesto christian

But has a Riordan team ever been this deep?

We know the starting five is going to be all D1, at the very least D2 caliber players. But it’s the next five that I look at and go, ok no other team in Norcal had the bench Riordan does. Riordan’s bench alone might be a top 25 Norcal team.

I know these comments will come back to me in a couple months, either good or bad. But I look at Riordan like the 2015/2016 Warriors. Should win it all, but nothing is guaranteed.

They are capable of going undefeated this year.

 

[vukovich]

But has a Riordan team ever been this deep?

We know the starting five is going to be all D1, at the very least D2 caliber players. But it’s the next five that I look at and go, ok no other team in Norcal had the bench Riordan does. Riordan’s bench alone might be a top 25 Norcal team.

I know these comments will come back to me in a couple months, either good or bad. But I look at Riordan like the 2015/2016 Warriors. Should win it all, but nothing is guaranteed.

They are capable of going undefeated this year.

There is zero chance they are going undefeated this year. What big travel tournies are they in?

 

[ankleassassin]

But has a Riordan team ever been this deep?

We know the starting five is going to be all D1, at the very least D2 caliber players. But it’s the next five that I look at and go, ok no other team in Norcal had the bench Riordan does. Riordan’s bench alone might be a top 25 Norcal team.

I know these comments will come back to me in a couple months, either good or bad. But I look at Riordan like the 2015/2016 Warriors. Should win it all, but nothing is guaranteed.

They are capable of going undefeated this year.

U mean the 2001 Lakers.

 

[ankleassassin]

But has a Riordan team ever been this deep?

We know the starting five is going to be all D1, at the very least D2 caliber players. But it’s the next five that I look at and go, ok no other team in Norcal had the bench Riordan does. Riordan’s bench alone might be a top 25 Norcal team.

I know these comments will come back to me in a couple months, either good or bad. But I look at Riordan like the 2015/2016 Warriors. Should win it all, but nothing is guaranteed.

They are capable of going undefeated this year.

Or the 96 bulls

 

[iamgearyblvd]

But has a Riordan team ever been this deep?

We know the starting five is going to be all D1, at the very least D2 caliber players. But it’s the next five that I look at and go, ok no other team in Norcal had the bench Riordan does. Riordan’s bench alone might be a top 25 Norcal team.

I know these comments will come back to me in a couple months, either good or bad. But I look at Riordan like the 2015/2016 Warriors. Should win it all, but nothing is guaranteed.

They are capable of going undefeated this year.

Riordan's issue is not depth. They've had depth going back to the Monroe/Clark years.

 

[ArmchairGOAT]

But has a Riordan team ever been this deep?

We know the starting five is going to be all D1, at the very least D2 caliber players. But it’s the next five that I look at and go, ok no other team in Norcal had the bench Riordan does. Riordan’s bench alone might be a top 25 Norcal team.

I know these comments will come back to me in a couple months, either good or bad. But I look at Riordan like the 2015/2016 Warriors. Should win it all, but nothing is guaranteed.

They are capable of going undefeated this year.

@ayalar09 , agree. Who would be your starting 5? Coach Curtin has a lot of options he can go to given the opponent. He can even go small ball with Sensley and Rencher as part of that 5. Big difference from the past are these kids have played a lot of high level basketball with the possible exception of Kuminga. That 2020 team had a lot of talented players but with very little team basketball experience in Riiny, Chan and Seck.

 

[larry legend33]

But has a Riordan team ever been this deep?

We know the starting five is going to be all D1, at the very least D2 caliber players. But it’s the next five that I look at and go, ok no other team in Norcal had the bench Riordan does. Riordan’s bench alone might be a top 25 Norcal team.

I know these comments will come back to me in a couple months, either good or bad. But I look at Riordan like the 2015/2016 Warriors. Should win it all, but nothing is guaranteed.

They are capable of going undefeated this year.

Crusader nation correct me if I’m wrong but 1990 was arguably greatest Riordan squad ever. Lost in what is now open State game to MD.

 

[jordan24]

Crusader nation correct me if I’m wrong but 1990 was arguably greatest Riordan squad ever. Lost in what is now open State game to MD.

I would have to go with the 2001-02 team that took State D3 that had Marquise Kately and John Tofi going up against a loaded Centennial-Compton squad.
That 1990 team was special considering they were not the tallest team but everyone could ball. Dwayne Fontana, Dorian Manigo, Rich Buckner, Jaha Wilson. I recall it was only a 1 or 2 point win for MD. Riordan had a 6-9 kid but left after non-league.
The other team that comes to mind is the 1985 team that had Erik Newman, Chris Munk, and Terrence Mullins. Mullins twisted an ankle and couldn't play against Fremont-Oakland at the Norcals.

 

[ankleassassin]

ayalar where are you coaching this season?

 

[larry legend33]

I would have to go with the 2001-02 team that took State D3 that had Marquise Kately and John Tofi going up against a loaded Centennial-Compton squad.
That 1990 team was special considering they were not the tallest team but everyone could ball. Dwayne Fontana, Dorian Manigo, Rich Buckner, Jaha Wilson. I recall it was only a 1 or 2 point win for MD. Riordan had a 6-9 kid but left after non-league.
The other team that comes to mind is the 1985 team that had Erik Newman, Chris Munk, and Terrence Mullins. Mullins twisted an ankle and couldn't play against Fremont-Oakland at the Norcals.

I was sitting next to the late Rick Majerus in norcal to watch kately. Gosh he was funny.

I loved the 1990 team. Great chemistry.
Maningo was terrific and Fontana is one of greatest 6”5 forwards of all time in norcal.

 

[padrewhipser]

That’s a bit of an exaggeration. But agree this year has seen a high amount of transfers. The Tofi family returns back to the Bay Area thus the 2 brothers joining the squad. Sensley returns to the school he entered as a freshman. The big kid from Priory joins his fellow Cameroon teammate. Serra’s best basketball players have been transfers the past few years in Keyhani and Klapper although Pettis is going to have a monster senior season and has been at Serra all 4 years.

They had 5 last year and have 7 this year not including sensely