Basketball: For once, there will be a public school winning a state title

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For first time since 2010, there will be a public school state champion in basketball. That’s one of the outcomes from adding the new Open Division to the basketball playoffs. It removed several top private schools from Division I and Division II in Southern California and Northern California.

The Division II boys’ final matches two public schools _ Redondo and Pleasant Hill College Park. Ditto for the Division I boys’ final between Santa Monica and Elk Grove Pleasant Grove. Also, in Division I girls, Long Beach Poly and Berkeley are playing, guaranteeing another public school champion.

CIF officials were not openly saying that the reason the Open Division was created was to offer more opportunities for public schools, but that was what many had hoped would happen after private schools swept the state titles in boys’ and girls’ basketball the last two seasons.

-- Eric Sondheimer