CIF-Southern Section Open Division boys basketball playoffs feature largest field since 2017, with 10 teams contending for crown and Harvard-Westlake seeking repeat title

For the first time since 2017, the field for the CIF-Southern Section Open Division boys basketball playoffs included more than eight schools, with 10 teams being divided among two pools and each program receiving a bye during the five-day schedule.

Games are scheduled for Wednesday and Friday, followed by Feb. 18, Feb. 21 and Feb. 25, with the winner of each pool squaring off March 1 in the Open Division final at the Toyota Arena in Ontario.

In the event of a tie at the top of either pool, as many as six tiebreakers could be used to determine the Open Division finalists.

Harvard-Westlake (27-1), which captured the Mission League title Feb. 5 with a 67-64 victory against Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (22-6), earned the top seed in the Open Division for the second year in a row.

The Wolverines, led by McDonald’s All-American game selection and Duke-bound Nik Khamenia, are looking to secure back-to-back Open Division titles after Corona Centennial won three in a row from 2021-23.

Harvard-Westlake’s pool also includes No. 4 Santa Margarita (22-5), No. 5 Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, No. 8 JSerra (21-7) and No. 9 La Mirada (24-4).

Eastvale Roosevelt earned the No. 2 seed and is looking to return to the Open Division final after suffering a 54-47 setback last year against Harvard-Westlake.

The Mustangs, led by McDonald’s All-American game honoree Brayden Burries, are paired with No. 3 St. John Bosco (24-4), No. 6 Sierra Canyon (20-5), No. 7 Redondo Union (23-3) and No. 10 Heritage Christian (25-3).

The Open Division was a 16-team bracket during the first four years of its existence from 2014-17.

Since 2018, the Open Division boys basketball playoffs have included only eight schools, with pool play being used to determine the finalists for the past six years.

Harvard-Westlake, Eastvale Roosevelt, St. John Bosco, Sierra Canyon and JSerra are returning from the Open Division playoffs last year.

There are nine additional divisions in the Southern Section boys basketball playoffs, with Crespi (20-8) receiving the top seed in the 32-team Division 1 bracket.

Camarillo (26-2) captured the No. 1 seed in Division 2-AA, Canyon Country Canyon (19-9) was selected the top seed in Division 2-A, Temecula Linfield Christian (15-12) earned the No. 1 seed in Division 3-AA, Fontana Summit (18-10) secured the top seed in Division 3-A, Elsinore (18-10) was awarded the No. 1 seed in Division 4-AA, Garden Grove (15-13) grabbed the top seed in Division 4-A, Sequoyah School of Pasadena (10-2) achieved the No. 1 seed in Division 5-AA and Anaheim Western (10-15) was named the top seed in Division 5-A.

Championship games in the remaining divisions are scheduled for Feb. 28 or March 1.