This week’s Daily News boys basketball rankings.
DAILY NEWS BOYS BASKETBALL TOP 10
(Records through Sunday, Dec. 22)
1. Harvard-Westlake (12-1): The Wolverines rebounded from their first loss of the season by winning their next three games, including an impressive 65-50 victory over JSerra on Saturday. Nikolas Khamenia nearly racked up a triple-double with 26 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in the victory. Harvard-Westlake will have a couple of days off before playing Bellevue (Washington) on Friday to kick off the Desert Holiday Classic in the Palm Springs area.
2. Heritage Christian (12-0): The Warriors move up a spot in the rankings after back-to-back wins against Valencia and Oakwood over the weekend. Tae Simmons totaled 52 points and 21 rebounds in the two victories, including a perfect shooting night (15 of 15) from the field against Oakwood. Dillan Shaw added 17 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists. Heritage Christian has been dominant so far, beating its opponents by an average of 32 points. Next up is a matchup with Corona Centennial on Thursday in The Classic at Damien.
3. Notre Dame (12-1): The Knights won three in a row, against Basha (Arizona), Timpview (Utah) and Layton Christian Academy (Utah), in the Tarkanian Classic, but fell to Roosevelt 76-58 in the final. Rutgers commit Lino Mark played just four minutes in the loss due to an injury. Junior Tyran Stokes has had a handful of 20-point performances since joining the lineup less than two weeks ago. Notre Dame has a Friday night matchup with Sierra Vista (Nevada).
4. Sierra Canyon (9-2): It was a quiet week for Sierra Canyon after traveling to New York and Las Vegas the previous week. The Trailblazers played one game and showcased their scoring depth in an 87-33 victory over Millikan on Saturday. Chris Nwuli had 15 points, Jayden Alexander had 13 points and Bryce James and Jaden Nickens scored eight points apiece.
5. Alemany (9-1): The Warriors have played one game since coming off their tournament win in the Rose City Classic, defeating Eagle Rock 67-53 last week. Tyler Vuille scored 21 points to lead Alemany. Vuille, Paris Lassiter and Bourgeois Tshilobo continue to steer the ship for Alemany along with major contributions from senior Marc Chefran and freshman Houston Rolle. The Warriors have a Thursday morning game against Glendale.
6. Chaminade (13-2): Jonus Thurman continues to impress, finishing with 14 points and 24 points in wins against Ventura and Frontier, respectively, last week. The senior is averaging a double-double this season (23.4 points, 10 rebounds per game). The Eagles will travel to San Diego to play Linfield Christian in the Holiday Classic on Thursday.
7. Westlake (10-4): Coming off a loss to Camarillo, Westlake rebounded with a 76-57 victory against Shalhevet over the weekend. Axel Ostergard scored 26 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Austin Maziasz added 20 points, six rebounds and five assists. Westlake will face Saugus in the St. Francis Holiday Hoopfest on Thursday.
8. Crespi (9-4): After falling to Chatsworth a little over a week ago, Crespi returned to playing inspired ball with a 76-56 win over St. Anthony and a 64-43 victory over Thousand Oaks. Peyton White scored 24 points against St. Anthony and 17 points against Thousand Oaks. Isaiah Barnes had 16 and 15 points, respectively, in the back-to-back games. Oak Park transfer Preston Cole scored 18 points in his second contest since becoming eligible. Crespi will square off against Liberty (Arizona) in the first round of The Classic at Damien.
9. Chatsworth (8-1): The Chancellors suffered their first loss of the season against Western Christian 70-60 on Thursday in the Capitol City Classic in Oregon, but won their next two against West Albany and Wilsonville. Chatsworth reached the consolation championship game Monday, Dec. 23, against Sherwood. It will take on Inglewood on Thursday in The Classic at Damien in a highly-anticipated matchup between Alijah Arenas and Jason Crowe Jr.
10. Canyon (10-3): The Cowboys break into the Top 10 after their best start in recent years, including victories over Foothill League rivals Saugus and West Ranch. Canyon is led by senior Eric Kubel, who joined the 1,000-point club in a 64-39 win over Little Rock on Thursday. He also made eight 3-pointers, a Canyon record. The Cowboys were set to play Saugus Monday, dec. 23, in the championship game of the Winter Slam Jam Tournament.