SoCalHoops Playoff News

Boys D-V State Final Game Previews:
L.A. Price v. SF University--(Mar. 23, 2002)

The Los Angeles Times' Ben Bolch wrote three separate game previews for each of the boys' divisions, small capsule previews that are sadly available only in the print version of the Times' high school section. Even with the Times' greatly improved online prep coverage, these preview are not available online, so we thought we'd pass them along with what we were able to find from the local San Francisco paper, The SF Chronicle, which covers SF University HS.  We've also included the complete State playoff bracket below for those who can't remember how these teams got here today.   

Here's what we know:

Los Angeles Price (30-6) vs. San Francisco University (30-4) @ 11:15 a.m.

Price seeks its third consecutive state title, which would put it in elite company with Compton Dominugez as the only schools to accomplish that feat.  Price's strength is its balanced scoring.  Derrick Williams, Paul Simon, Darren Morrison and Kalief Washington are each capable of putting up double figures every game.  By contrast, University's John Ca;snocha is the team's lone star, averaging 24.5 points and 10 rebounds.  The 6-foot-5 forward is also the school's career three-point leader, making about three per game.  Guard Ontario Smith gives University some decent ballhandling skills, but Coach Colin Jones is concerned about whether his players can match Price's quickness.--Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times

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This is from the San Francisco Chronicle's online version, The Gate:

DIVISION V BOYS: Price of Los Angeles (Southern Section, 30-6) vs. University of San
Francisco (North Coast Section, 30-4), 11:15 a.m.

University will try to prevent history-making by Price, which is attempting to become the second boys team to win three straight titles (the other is Dominguez). As impressive as University has been in the postseason -- its average margin of victory is 17 points -- Price has topped it, winning its first three Southern Section playoff games 100-36, 105-32 and 113-49. It is led by 6-4 junior Oscar Edwards and 6-6 senior Kalief Washington, who combined for 26 points and 13 rebounds in last year's title game. University will need to show more balance to support 6-6 sharpshooter John Casnocha, who has averaged 28.5 points per game in the postseason.

Frankly, that's about all we could find from the two major metropolitan dailies for the two schools involved, each of which is smack in the heart of the circulation area for both of these papers.  And while we think Ben usually does a great job, we're kid of surprised that he forgot to mention Oscar Edwards, who is likely to be named one of the players of the year in division V-A of the CIF-SS.

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