Top 5 CIF Southern Section boys basketball second-round playoff storylines, matchups

Big-time matchups, top scorers and other headlines to keep tabs on as we head into the second round of the playoffs.

Crespi boys basketball coach Derek Fisher pleads with an official during a game against Alemany at the Intuit Dome. / Heston Quan

The CIF Southern Section high school basketball playoffs are here.

Of course, the lede story into the 2024-25 postseason in boys basketball is the new-look, 10-team Open Division playoffs, which boasts a field more than eight teams for the first time since 2018.

OPEN DIVISION: Notre Dame, Sierra Canyon edge out victory in first round

"I like that teams have something to fight for until the end," Roosevelt coach Stephen Singleton said of the new Open Division format, which makes teams compete for a berth to the CIF State playoffs. "The field is stacked."

But after the Open Division comes the gauntlet of the Division 1 field and beyond, which are littered with big-time players and appealing storylines to keep an eye on.

• CIF basketball playoff first-round recap

Here's a look at the top storylines and matchups in the second round of the playoffs on Friday night.

TOP 5 STORYLINES, MATCHUPS

1. No. 8 JSerra at No. 4 Santa Margarita, OPEN

JSerra Catholic senior G BJ Davis-Ray at Torrey Pines Holiday Classic / Photo: Rudy Schmoke

Each round of pool play in the Open Division serves up a 'tossup'. Wednesday's was Redondo Union vs. Sierra Canyon, which landed in overtime before Sierra Canyon earned the victory. JSerra at Notre Dame was tight, too — finishing 71-68 in ND's favor.

Friday night's tossup is JSerra at Santa Margarita. It will be the third time the two teams have played this season. SM is 2-0 against JSerra, but to chalk up win number three for the Eagles would be foolish.

JSerra is looking to bounce back after a close loss and Santa Margarita is coming off a bye.

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2. Former NBA and college coach go at it

Crespi coach Derek Fisher during a timeout against Alemany at the Intuit Dome. / Heston Quan

The Division 1 second-round matchup between Crespi and Campbell Hall won't just be about talented players like Peyton White (Nevada commit) and Isaiah Johnson (Colorado).

The coaching matchup is good, too.

Celts are led by former NBA player and coach Derek Fisher. Former high-major college assistant David Grace is at the helm for Campbell Hall. Grace has been at UCLA, Cal and was an associate HC at Vanderbilt.

Both took their posts at the same time and have been at it for two years, but on Friday night, one will go home.

Campbell Hall coach David Grace looks on as Isaiah Johnson handles the ball against Brentwood on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025 at the Intuit Dome. / Greg Fiore

3. Big player matchups

Santa Barbara High School senior Mike Zuffelato averaged better than 27 points per game last season and is over 23 points and 12 rebounds a game in 2024-25 / Photo: Mike Bouffard

The second round of the playoffs possess some great player matchups:

Brandon Benjamin, Canyon vs. Luke Zuffelato, Santa Barbara, D1
Jeremiah Hampton, Windward vs. Jason Crowe Jr., Inglewood, D1
Trent Minter, Los Alamitos vs. Jovani Ruff, LB Poly, D1
Ashton McCullough, Oak Hills vs. Isaiah Rogers, Centennial, D2AA
Cooper Stearns, Irvine vs. Josh Irving, Pasadena, D2A

4. Oak Park started 0-12

Oak Park boys basketball will compete in the Division 2A playoffs. / Mike Bouffard

The Eagles started the season 0-12, but earned an automatic qualifier out of the Coastal Canyon League with a second-place finish thanks to going 5-3.

Oak Park, led by savvy, veteran coach Aaron Shaw, used to be a Division 1 playoff mainstay with players like Wes and Clark Slajchert and Riley Battin. Times of changed, but clearly the Eagles have figured things out. Jadon Holmes has been the team's go-to player in big games.

Oak Park is one win away from the quarterfinals after that 0-12 start.

5. Hunter Caplan vs. old team

Crean Lutheran sophomore Hunter Caplan at Orange County boys basketball media day. / Crean Lutheran Athletics

Chalk this one up to the basketball gods. Hunter Caplan, who was a standout freshman for Brentwood last season is now a top scorer for Crean Lutheran in Irvine as a sophomore.

Of course, fate would have it that Caplan will now face his old teammates in the second round of the Division 1 playoffs.

Crean will travel to Brentwood Friday night. Brentwood is led by freshman Shalen Sheppard.

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