The top two teams in Santa Barbara High’s CIF-SS division for boys basketball were chosen to play in the inaugural Open Division for the postseason.
Cathedral and Chaminade, the top-two ranked teams in Division 3A, were among the 16 teams picked for the Open Division. That move could vault fourth-ranked Santa Barbara to the No. 1 or 2 seed in the 3A bracket when the playoff pairings are announced on Sunday. The Dons have a 22-2 record, with their only losses coming against Division 4A top-ranked Sierra Canyon — also picked to the Open Division — and Newbury Park, No. 9 in Division 2AA.
St. Francis was ranked third in the final 3A poll. The Knights went 15-11 but they play in the tough Mission League, which includes Chaminade and Loyola. They finished sixth with a 4-8 record.
The other boys teams selected for the Open Division are Bishop Montgomery, Cantwell-Sacred Heart, Centennial/Corona, Chino Hills, Compton, Etiwanda, J.W. North, Loyola, Mater Dei, Mayfair, Redondo Union, Serra, Sierra Canyon and St. John Bosco.
Twelved teams were chosen for the Open Division for girls. They are Alemany, Canyon Springs, Chaminade, Etiwanda, Lynwood, Mark Keppel, Mater Dei, Long Beach Poly, Serra, Sierra Canyon, Troy and Windward.
A Blue Ribbon committee, made up of current and former CIF-SS coaches as well as school administrators and members of the media, picked the Open Division teams. The selections were based on a 10-point criteria list:
1. Any team who is ranked in Top Ten of their division in the Final Poll was eligible for Open Division consideration
2. Strength of schedule
3. Overall Record
4. Freeman/Max Preps rankings
5. Strength at end of season (including roster additions/eligibility changes/winning/losing streak/etc.)
6. Head to Head vs. Open Division Entries
7. Overall Record vs. Open Division Entries
8. Victory vs. Quality opponents
9. Quality loss
10. Unexpected loss
