BOYS’ 5-AA, 5-A DIVISION BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS : Mater Dei Enjoys View From the Top

When sizing up the Southern Section 5-A division playoffs, only two words are necessary: Mater Dei.

Mater Dei High School (25-1), the top-seeded team in the division, has 17 consecutive victories since losing to Long Beach Poly in the Tournament of Champions title game in December.

And there are several reasons the Monarchs’ roll doesn’t seem likely to end in the playoffs.

Mater Dei’s five starters each average 9.7 points or better, but no one averages more than 15 points a game.

Mater Dei also has the memory of an upset, a 69-66 loss to St. Monica in the quarterfinals of the 5-AA division playoffs last season. Before that, the Monarchs had reached a divisional championship five consecutive years.

And Coach Gary McKnight’s team has too much height, too much depth and too much experience for anyone in the division.

“I don’t think there’s anybody in Mater Dei’s class,” Marina Coach Steve Popovich said. “They’ve got so much depth and size, you have to almost play a perfect game to beat them.”

Loyola (18-3), the second-seeded team in the division, is capable, with 21 consecutive victories at home and enough offensive power to score 44 points in one quarter earlier this season against St. Paul.

Center Ryan Jamison, a 6-foot-11 senior who has signed with California, averages 18.8 points and 10.7 rebounds. Forward Jamal Adams, 6-6, averages 15.4 points and 10.7 rebounds.

But Mater Dei’s biggest threat appears to be Capistrano Valley (17-8), the division’s defending champion and third-seeded team. Capistrano Valley defeated Loyola, 80-72, in the Tournament of Champions.

Forward Scott McCorkle and guard Chris Kostoff have led Capistrano Valley to two consecutive divisional title games. Capistrano Valley has compiled a 67-13 record the past three years with McCorkle and Kostoff in the lineup.

“Capo’s record with those two in the lineup over the past three years speaks for itself,” said Tom Reich, Dana Hills coach. “McCorkle tends to rise to the occasion in the playoffs, and when he’s on, they’re really tough.

“Everybody says they’re a two-man team, but I think they certainly have a good chance of getting to the final.”

Fourth-seeded Cajon (21-3) has the best array of athletes in the division, led by 6-5 forwards Manjue Sampson and Shaun Battle. Cajon enters the playoffs with the best record in the school’s history, but one of its losses came against a smaller Trabuco Hills team in December.

Looking for a dark horse? Marina (17-8), with 6-11 center Cherokee Parks, could be a factor but faces a tough second-round game against Cajon. El Toro (19-5), which made 35% of its 379 three-pointers, defeated Capistrano Valley in its league finale.

Santa Barbara (20-6) has talented athletes and a home-court advantage. Pasadena (20-5) advanced to the division’s semifinals last season and Bill Duwe is one of the most respected coaches in the Southern Section.

One thing is certain: The 5-A division is the toughest in the section with 29 schools having winning records and 22 having with at least 16 victories.

Coach Ron Palmer’s return after a five-year absence gives Long Beach Poly (21-2) the edge over Lynwood (26-1), the top-seeded team in the 5-AA division. Only three county schools qualified, with Fountain Valley and Saddleback earning at-large berths. Santa Ana also qualified.

Poly scored convincing victories over Mater Dei, 54-47, and Capistrano Valley, 71-60, in the Tournament of Champions.

Lynwood has the division’s top player, 6-4 forward Earnest Killum, who averages 30 points a game. Lynwood’s only loss came against Dunbar of Washington, D.C., in a Las Vegas tournament.

San Bernardino (24-2), the defending 4-AA champion, will be a factor with 6-7 forward Ray Owes averaging 26.7 points. Owes did an impressive job guarding Tracy Murray in the 4-AA title game last year.

Defending champion Long Beach Millikan (19-7) saw its chances of repeating dwindle when forward Ibn Maddred (16.2 points) broke his foot last week against Long Beach Wilson.

5-A PREVIEW

DEFENDING CHAMPION-- Capistrano Valley.

TOP TEAMS-- Mater Dei (25-1), Loyola (18-3), Capistrano Valley (17-8), Cajon (21-3).

DARK HORSES-- El Toro (19-5) and Santa Barbara (20-6).

BEST DRAW-- Ocean View (14-10) opens at home against Hart and could meet Moreno Valley in the second round.

WORST DRAW-- Marina (17-8) will meet a seeded team, Cajon, in the second round if it wins its opening-round game against Diamond Bar.

KEY PLAYERS-- Manjue Sampson (Cajon), Scott McCorkle (Capistrano Valley), Ryan Jamison (Loyola), David Boyle (Mater Dei) and Robert Conlisk (Los Alamitos).

NOTEWORTHY-- Mater Dei has won five sectional titles under Coach Gary McKnight in seven years. Capistrano Valley has reached the 5-A title game the past two years with McCorkle and guard Chris Kostoff in the starting lineup. Loyola has 21 consecutive victories at home.