inside thewestcoastjamboree By clay kallum | Contributor
It’s back. The massive girls basketball tournament returns to the East Bay, with play beginning Dec. 27 and wrapping up Dec. 30. As usual, Jamboree tournament director Dave Jackson has put together a very competitive Platinum Division — headlined this year by MaxPreps’ No. 3 in the nation Long Beach Poly — but there’s a lot more to the WCJ than just the elite teams. One of the things that makes the tournament so special is that small schools have an opportunity to play in a big event, and not get blown out by 40 every night. In addition, some of the most competitive games are played in the Garnet and Agate divisions. In fact, the sheer number of teams (100-plus) allows for all the divisions to be created with competitive equity in mind – and Jackson’s perfect bracket is one in which every game is decided by 10 or fewer points. SportStars gets you ready for the girls hoops onslaught.
Platinum means, well, platinum Long Beach Poly is loaded with talent, but they’re not the only highlight in the Platinum field: Georgetown from Texas has Krystal Forthan, a 6-4 center who’s one of the best in the nation, and Carondelet, of course, has Stanford-bound Erica Payne.
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Then there are the usual suspects — Berkeley, St. Mary’s, Bishop O’Dowd, Sacramento, Modesto Christian and of, course, host Deer Valley — all with loaded rosters and college prospects on the court and waiting to check in. Also keep an eye on Eastside College Prep-Palo Alto, a Division V (enrollment of 201 students) team that could give Poly a pretty good run in the opener.
Science at work Lots of effort went into these predicted champions. It takes a long time to flip all those coins ... Platinum: Long Beach Poly. Gold: Sonora-La Habra. Sapphire: Acalanes. Diamond: Mission Prep-San Luis Obispo. Ruby: Liberty. Agate: Encinal. Amber: Albany. Emerald: Miramonte. Garnet: Drew-S.F. Jade: Florin. Onyx: Drake-San Anselmo. Opal: Corning. Pearl: Fresno Christian.Quartz: Dublin. Tanzanite: San Ramon Valley. Topaz: Dougherty Valley
which looked as if it was lit by someone who skimped on the candles, but it’s just part of a huge renovation of the campus. Also, look for the girls basketball team to be reinvigorated under new coach Matt Lane (formerly of Castlemont).
On the road If you wanted to see all the sites, you’d put some serious miles on your car — and spend a lot of time in traffic. This year, the Jamboree has boldly gone where it has never ventured before. Jesse Bethel-Vallejo, Alhambra and Las Positas in Livermore are three brand-new locales for the WCJ, and Miramonte in Orinda will be used for the second time. The goal is to make it more convenient for teams and fans, and also make it almost impossible to stop by a gym after Christmas without stumbling across a girls’ basketball game.
Pittsburg’s palace
Worth a body scan or two
Despite the fact the Gold Division has some very good teams — Clovis West, Narbonne-Harbor City, VandenTravis AFB, Terra Nova-Pacifica — the star of the show will be the brand-new Pittsburg High School gymnasium. Well, calling it a gym is really doing the new, um, arena a disservice. It’s a welcome change from the old Pirate gym,
Crater High of Oregon has made the trip to the Jamboree before, but John Oliver of British Columbia is a first-timer. However, St. Mary’s Academy of New Orleans gets the ring for the longest trip to the Jamboree — though in the past teams have come from as far away as New York. ✪
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