How to Watch: De La Salle at Riordan Northern California Open Division championship boys basketball game

In one of most anticipated Bay Area meetings in recent memory, De La Salle hopes to avenge season-ending defeat to Riordan in 2022

Riordan top recruit Jasir Rencher, a Texas A&M signee, helped lead the Crusaders to a Central Coast Section Open Division title here in 2024. Ten days ago they won their third CCS Open title in four years and Tuesday they host De La Salle for the NorCal Open championship. / Photo: Greg Jungferman

One of the most anticipated boys basketball games in recent — or perhaps longer — Bay Area history takes place Tuesday, when De La Salle travels to Riordan for the CIF Northern California Open Division championship.

Tipoff is at 7 p.m.

The two perennial powers were supposed to meet for the NorCal title in 2020 at Riordan but the pandemic struck and De La Salle instead played Campolindo. Two years later Riordan eliminated De La Salle 57-52 in a NorCal quarterfinal game in Concord.

Riordan coach Joey Curtin remembers vividely the bus drive home from that game, driving over the Bay Bridge. "Cle, crisp night. Big, bright lights. The city's landscape in view with the bay below after a big, bold win," he said that night. "It just doesn't get any better."

WHAT: CIF State Northern California Open Division boys basketball championship
TEAMS: De La Salle (28-4) at Riordan (28-1)
HOW TO WATCH: NFHS Network
WHEN: Tuesday, March 11, 7 p.m.
STATE RANKING: Riordan #4, De La Salle #8

Many are saying the same about this game, in particular about Riordan's 28-1 team, which features at least four player with Division I offers, including 6-foot-6 Texas A&M forward Jasir Rencher, the West Catholic Athletic League player of the year.

Andrew Hilman, a 6-4 point guard and third-year starter, has eight D1 offers including Cal and Washington. Nes Emeneke is a rapidly devleoping 6-10 senior post who is committed to Riverside. Ryder Bush, a 6-3 guard, is headed to Eastern Arizona.

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The Crusaders won the WCAL in the most lopsided fashion in the vaunted league's history, averaging better than 35 points per game margin. They continued that onto the post season with Central Coast Section victories by 50, 30 and 26 before recording perhaps their most impressive win Saturday in the NorCal semifinals with a 64-57 home win over Salesian.

In their first tight game in more than two months, Riordan executed beautifully in the fourth quarter, and made all 10 of their foul shots down the stretch to beat the defending NorCal champion. Riordan held a 45-20 edge on the boards.

“We weren’t our sharpest (Saturday), but I was proud of our relentlessness,” Curtin said. “We never backed down and we finished strong.” 

WATCH HERE: NFHS Network

They'll likely have to do much the same and execute seamlessly Tuesday against a 28-4 De La Salle squad (28-4) that has played its best basketball in the postseason, especially defensively, giving up just over 40 points per game in its last four games.

The Spartans, led by Oklahoma-bound do-everything 6-7 wing Alec Blair, have won six straight postseason games after a humbling 67-48 defeat to California to close the regular season. That apparently woke up the Spartans.

Alec Blair (33) with one of his big high jump shots from the midrange earlier this season against Serra. / Photo: Dennis Lee

For a comparitive score, De La Salle defeated Salesian 59-42 in the North Coast Section Open Division final, but Blair sprained his ankle early in the third quarter and never returned. He took a week off of practice, but returned Saturday to score a game-high 14 points in a 47-38 NorCal semifinal win over Folsom.

He clearly wasn't 100% and with just a couple days rest, figures to be hobbling somewhat on Tuesday.

The Spartans have plenty to make up for it, especially with a pair of 6-6 frontliners David Balogun and Braddock Kjellesvig, both of whom scored in double figures against Folsom. Guards Bryce Patton and Ibrahim Monawar have also been playing at a high level. 

"Riordan is very good defensively and they get steals which lead to a lot of easy baskets for them," De La Salle coach Marcus Schroeder said. "They have good players and each position and size at each position."

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