Final NorCal Boys Basketball Rankings | 2021-22

Modesto Christian’s 30-Win Season, Regional Open Title Secure Crusaders The Top Spot In Our Final NorCal Boys Basketball Rankings •

PICTURED ABOVE: Div. II State Champions, No. 12 Elk Grove . (David Gershon photo)

Final NorCal Boys Basketball Rankings. Previous rank in parenthesis

1. (1) Modesto Christian (30-6)

Crusaders solidified their final No. 1 ranking by winning the NorCal Open Div. title in most impressive fashion. They traveled to Campolindo and became the first NorCal team to defeat the Cougars since Feb. 2020. Set to graduate just three seniors, the program is the odds on favorite to being the 2022-23 season at the top as well.

2. (2) Campolindo-Moraga (28-2)

Led by Aidan Mahaney, the Cougars senior class closed out an incredible run that included one Div. II state championship, one co-state Div. I championship, an undefeated 2021 spring season, and a NorCal Open finals appearance.

3. (3) Riordan-S.F. (21-9)

Playing its best basketball at the end of the season, Riordan defeated Archbishop Mitty-San Jose for the Central Coast Section Open Div. title and knocked off De La Salle-Concord in the first round of the CIF Open tournament.

4. (4) De La Salle-Concord (22-6)

Spartans came within one point of knocking off Campolindo in the NCS Open Div. championship. They finished as champions of an East Bay Athletic League that landed four other teams in this Top 30.

5. (5) Archbishop Mitty-San Jose (23-6)

Monarchs lost just three games to NorCal opponents this season, two of them were to Riordan (CCS final) and Modesto Christian (CIF Open first round). Mitty had two regular season wins, and three wins over the next team on this list, St. Ignatius-S.F.

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6. (6) St. Ignatius-S.F. (23-8)

The senior-driven roster took the Wildcats all the way to the NorCal Div. I final where Clovis North-Fresno clipped them by just two points. The team’s regional run included wins over three teams that finish inside the Top 15 of our Final NorCal Boys Basketball Rankings.

7. (7) Inderkum-Sacramento (28-3)

Tigers climbed as high as No. 3 in our rankings this season and could’ve easily been a CIF Open Division team if commissioners had placed an eighth team in the field. One of only two NorCal teams to defeat Modesto Christian this season.

8. (8) Sheldon-Sacramento (22-11)

Though the Huskies weren’t the overly dominant Sac-Joaquin Section team we’ve seen in previous seasons, their 22 wins still included two state champions (Elk Grove and Pleasant Valley-Chico) as well as Inderkum and No. 9 Lincoln-Stockton. Lost to Modesto Christian by 10 in the SJS Div. I final.

9. (9) Lincoln-Stockton (26-6)

The Trojans are the other NorCal team that can claim a victory over Modesto Christian this season. Lincoln topped the Crusaders 66-62 in the final week of the regular season. We knocked out of CIF Div. I tournament on a loss to St. Ignatius.

10. (10) Sacred Heart Prep-Atherton (25-5)

Gators had just two losses to NorCal teams this season while picking up wins over Inderkum, Riordan, No. 20 Oakland Tech and No. 22 Dougherty Valley-San Ramon.

11. (11) Miramonte-Orinda (24-6)

One of the teams behind a major Diablo Athletic League resurgence in 2021-22. The Matadors lost to Campolindo twice by single digits, and also lost to De La Salle by just two. Ousted from CIF Div. I tourney by OT loss to eventual regional champ Clovis North-Fresno.

12. (12) Elk Grove (28-6)

An excellent core of seniors who’ve played together since middle school were able to close their careers as CIF Div. I state champions. The Thundering Herd split two games with No. 8 Sheldon and had wins over three other Top 30 teams.

13. (13) Clayton Valley-Concord (21-10)

The Ugly Eagles’ season ended in a tough CIF Div. I first-round matchup at No. 6 St. Ignatius. But prior to that, the program won its first NCS title with a 76-71 win over No. 22 Dougherty Valley.

14. (14) Ponderosa-Shingle Springs (27-1)

The Bruins’ first-round SJS Div. I playoff loss to St. Mary’s-Stockton (69-63 in OT) was one of the biggest shockers of the season. They still hang on to a Top 15 spot in these Final NorCal Boys Basketball Rankings thanks to double-digit wins over Elk Glove and No. 15 Folsom.

15. (15) Folsom (24-7)

Bulldogs ended the season of No. 24 Dublin in the opening round of the CIF Div. I tournament before falling just two point shy of Clovis North in the quarterfinals. The future is bright for this team that graduates just five.

16. (16) Granada-Livermore (17-9)

Perhaps no team did more for its final ranking during the postseason than the Matadors. Granada stormed its way to the EBAL championship game as the No. 5 seed, then rebounded from an NCS Open Div. loss by upsetting SJS Div. II champion Grant-Sacramento in the first round of regionals.

17. (18) Grant-Sacramento (25-4)

The Pacers finished with four wins over Top 30 teams, including a 62-55 OT defeat of Elk Grove in the SJS Div. II semifinals. They went on to defeat Granite Bay in the championship game. The program also topped No. 3 Riordan in an early-season tilt.

18. (19) Pleasant Valley-Chico (31-3)

The Vikings stormed their way to the program’s second Div. III state title in four years, but Pleasant Valley is more than just a mid-size power. Among their 31 wins, the Vikings topped CIF Open Div. semifinalist Clovis West-Fresno 72-56.

19. (17) Northgate-Walnut Creek (20-9)

Though the Broncos seemed to run out of gas over the last few weeks of the season, the NCS Open semifinalists still built a very impressive resume. Wins over No. 11 Miramonte and No. 14 Clayton Valley were highlights.

20. (20) Oakland Tech (23-5)

The Oakland Section champions had an early season win over No. 14 Clayton Valley and nearly knocked off No. 10 Sacred Heart Prep in the Div. I regional quarterfinals.

THE NEXT 10

21. (21) Branson-Ross (28-6)

22. (22) Dougherty Valley-San Ramon (21-7)

23. (23) Vanden-Fairfield (21-13)

24. (24) Dublin (16-8)

25. (25) San Ramon Valley-Danville (18-10)

26. (NR) Oakland (27-4)

27. (NR) Serra-San Mateo (16-11)

28. (NR) Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland (18-7)

29. (NR) St. Patrick-St. Vincent-Vallejo (24-3)

30. (NR) Salesian-Richmond (13-9)