NEW Bay Area Basketball Rankings

Alec Raven from Montgomery of Santa Rosa works on the offensive end during game last Friday against Casa Grande while at right Berkeley’s Cheryl Draper coaches during recent CIF state final. Photos: Gregory Gardea & Willie Eashman.

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Boys: Avenging win helps lift Pitt

One week after Pittsburg knocked out Freedom of Oakley from the Cal-Hi Sports Bay Area Top 20, the Pirates are now in the top 20 themselves.

Pitt’s resurgence continued with a 74-65 triumph last Thursday over Heritage of Brentwood, which also avenged one of the team’s earlier losses. A 29-6 second quarter fueled the big win, which was led by Daniel Gonzales with 26 points and D.J. Kennedy with 20.

Watch highlights of the Bay Area’s best teams every Sunday at 6 p.m. on KOFY, Channel 20, San Francisco.

This week’s rankings also are highlighted by another reshuffling after No. 1 Bishop O’Dowd, No. 2 Monte Vista and No. 3 El Cerrito. This time, it’s Archbishop Mitty back up to No. 4 after winning the West Catholic Athletic League regular season crown with San Ramon Valley going up to No. 6 following a big win over previous No. 4 De La Salle.

Here are this week’s Bay Area boys’ top 20 (Compiled by Mark Tennis; previous ranking in parentheses; after games of Saturday, Feb. 15):

1. (1) Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland) 19-4

2. (2) Monte Vista (Danville) 23-1

3. (3) El Cerrito 24-2

4. (5) St. Joseph Notre Dame (Alameda) 21-5

5. (7) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) 20-4

6. (8) San Ramon Valley (Danville) 21-3

7. (9) Serra (San Mateo) 18-6

8. (4) De La Salle (Concord) 17-7

9. (6) St. Ignatius (San Francisco) 19-5

10. (10) Newark Memorial (Newark) 18-7

11. (11) Campolindo (Moraga) 18-6

12. (12) Archbishop Riordan (San Francisco) 16-8

13. (13) Leigh (San Jose) 23-1

14. (16) Half Moon Bay 22-2

15. (17) Burlingame 21-3

16. (20) Berkeley 22-3

17. (NR) Pittsburg 19-5

18. (NR) Montgomery (Santa Rosa) 21-5

19. (14) Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco) 15-9

20. (15) Moreau Catholic (Hayward) 18-6

Dropped Out: Previous No. 18 Salesian (Richmond); No. 19 Castro Valley.

Teams On The Bubble: Albany 22-4; Branson (Ross) 21-5; Castro Valley 17-7; Dougherty Valley (San Ramon) 18-7; Drake (San Anselmo) 21-5; Freedom (Oakley) 19-5; Marin Catholic (Kentfield) 16-10; Piedmont Hills (San Jose) 20-4; Pinole Valley (Pinole) 15-12; Salesian (Richmond) 15-12; San Leandro 14-10; Santa Cruz 17-7; St. Francis (Mountain View) 13-10; St. Mary’s (Berkeley) 18-9; St. Patrick-St. Vincent (Vallejo) 20-7.

Girls: Time for mostly yucky league playoffs

While some leagues in both the CIF North Coast Section and CIF Central Coast Section are still engaged in league play, a number of leagues in both sections are holding league playoffs, including the Tri-County – Rock Athletic League of which No. 1 Salesian and No. 3 St. Mary’s are members.

Some of these playoffs would seem superfluous because all it does is create additional times many top teams have to play each other, instead of new competition in section playoffs.

Watch highlights of the Bay Area’s best teams every Sunday at 6 p.m. on KOFY, Channel 20, San Francisco.

As much as the CIF Southern Section playoffs are flawed by trying to be over-fair by making tops seeds travel, at least those teams this week will already be into the section playoffs.

Top-ranked Salesian has already swept St. Mary’s twice. That should be enough.

Even St. Mary’s head coach Nate Fripp, who stands to gain if his Panthers can win the playoff title, had to admit he’s “not in favor” of league playoffs.

An exception to the negatives of having league playoffs could be in this year’s wild-and-wacky West Catholic Athletic League. Crosstown arch rivals St. Ignatius and Sacred Heart Cathedral tied at 10-2 in league play, but they split their two games and also split with 8-4 Archbishop Mitty.

Here are this week’s Bay Area girls’ top 20 (Compiled by Harold Abend; previous ranking in parentheses; after games of Saturday, Feb. 15):
(*Forfeits not included)

1. (1) Salesian (Richmond) 21-5

2. (2) Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland) 21-4

3. (3) St. Mary’s (Berkeley) 20-6

4. (4) Carondelet (Concord) 21-3

5. (5) Miramonte (Orinda) 23-1

6. (6) St. Ignatius (San Francisco) 21-3

7. (7) Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco) 17-6

8. (8) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) 15-9

9. (9) Pinewood (Los Altos Hills) 23-1

10. (10) Berkeley 17-7

11. (12) Monte Vista (Danville) 21-3

12. (11) Santa Rosa 24-2

13. (13) Deer Valley (Antioch) 19-5

14. (14) Wilcox (Santa Clara) 20-2

15. (15) Scotts Valley 21-3

16. (16) Presentation (San Jose) 15-9

17. (17) St. Francis (Mountain View) 14-10

18. (18) Piedmont 16-7

19. (19) Eastside College Prep (East Palo Alto) 16-8

20. (20) Valley Christian (Dublin) 23-3

Dropped Out: None.

Teams On the Bubble: Alameda 14-8, Campolindo (Moraga) 16-8, Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa) 20-6, Carlmont (Belmont) 22-2, Castro Valley 17-7, Clayton Valley (Concord) 18-6, Heritage (Brentwood) 14-10, Justin-Siena (Napa) 21-5, Lowell (San Francisco), 19-5, Lynbrook (San Jose) 14-8, Moreau Catholic (Hayward) 20-4, North Salinas (Salinas) 20-2, Pittsburg 16-8, Saratoga 18-4.

Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow him on Twitter: @CalHiSports

Harold Abend is the associate editor of CalHiSports.com and the vice president of the California Prep Sportswriters Association. He can be reached at marketingharoldabend@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow him on Twitter: @HaroldAbend