California's CIF high school boys basketball playoff results and schedules for the state's top teams
California's CIF high school boys basketball playoff results and schedules for the state's top teams originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
California's CIF Southern Section Open Division pool play came to a close Tuesday night, and now the top eight teams advance to the section quarterfinals.
That includes five teams still ranked in the Top 50 of the latest edition of The Sporting News high school boys basketball rankings, although it's not the same five that were ranked in last week's list. Instead, the Harvard-Westlake [Studio City, CA] Wolverines took the place of the St. John Bosco [Bellflower, CA] Braves heading into last night's games, and the Wolverines looked good in their return to the Top 50, dismantling the Santa Margarita [Rancho Santa Margarita, CA] Eagles, 83-62, to win Pool B.
Harvard-Westlake will take on the runner-up from Pool A in Friday night's quarterfinals as they play host to the Crespi [Encino, CA] Celts. The Pool A champion, meanwhile, is the national No. 9 Sierra Canyon [Chatsworth, CA] Trailblazers, and they get that Santa Margarita squad that Harvard-Westlake overwhelmed at home.
Two other Southern Section squads ranked in the national Top 50 will also entertain visitors Friday evening as the Pool C champion Redondo Union [Redondo Beach, CA] Sea Hawks take on the Pool D runner-up La Mirada [CA] Matadores while the Pool D winning Notre Dame SO [Sherman Oaks, CA] Knights take on the Pool C second-place finishers in the Centennial [Corona, CA] Huskies.
Meanwhile, in the CIF Central Section Division I playoffs, the St. Joseph [Santa Maria, CA] Knights destroyed the Centennial [Bakersfield, CA] Golden Hawks, 100-45, on Tuesday night. Next up is a date with Centennial's neighbors, the Bakersfield [CA] Christian Eagles, on Thursday evening in the Division I semifinals.
Finally, up in Northern California, the Archbishop Riordan [San Francisco, CA] Crusaders get their postseason journey under way in the CIF's Central Coast Section pool play with games on Friday versus the Junipero Serra [San Mateo, CA] Padres and Monday against the King's Academy [Sunnyvale, CA] Knights. They'll wrap up pool play next week with a game against the Bellarmine College Prep [San Jose, CA] Bells.
- Check out the official CIF Southern Section Open Division bracket
- Check out the official CIF Central Coast Section bracket
California's CIF national Top 50 schedule
Thursday, February 19, 2026
CIF CENTRAL SECTION DIVISION I SEMIFINALS
- Top 50 St. Joseph [Santa Maria, CA] Knights vs. Bakersfield [CA] Christian Eagles
Friday, February 20, 2026
CIF SOUTHERN SECTION OPEN DIVISION QUARTERFINALS
- No. 9 Sierra Canyon [Chatsworth, CA] Trailblazers vs. Top 50 Santa Margarita [Rancho Santa Margarita, CA] Eagles
- Top 50 Harvard-Westlake [Studio City, CA] Wolverines vs. Crespi [Encino, CA] Celts
- Top 50 Redondo Union [Redondo Beach, CA] Sea Hawks vs. La Mirada [CA] Matadores
- Top 50 Notre Dame SO [Sherman Oaks, CA] Knights vs. Centennial [Corona, CA] Huskies
CIF CENTRAL COAST SECTION POOL PLAY
- Top 50 Archbishop Riordan [San Francisco, CA] Crusaders vs. Junipero Serra [San Mateo, CA] Padres
Monday, February 23, 2026
CIF CENTRAL COAST SECTION POOL PLAY
- Top 50 Archbishop Riordan [San Francisco, CA] Crusaders vs. King's Academy [Sunnyvale, CA] Knights
CIF Southern Section Open Division Pool Play Results
Pool A
Sierra Canyon wins Pool A, Crespi finishes second
- Sierra Canyon [Chatsworth, CA] Trailblazers 71, Crespi [Encino, CA] Celts 54
- Crespi [Encino, CA] Celts 82, Corona del Mar [Newport Beach, CA] Sea Kings 70
- Sierra Canyon [Chatsworth, CA] Trailblazers 95, Corona del Mar [Newport Beach, CA] Sea Kings 65
Pool B
Harvard-Westlake wins Pool B, Santa Margarita finishes second
- Santa Margarita [Rancho Santa Margarita, CA] Eagles 81, Damien [La Verne, CA] Spartans 71
- Harvard-Westlake [Studio City, CA] Wolverines 67, Damien [La Verne, CA] Spartans 62
- Harvard-Westlake [Studio City, CA] Wolverines 83, Santa Margarita [Rancho Santa Margarita, CA] Eagles vs. 62
Pool C
Redondo Union wins Pool C, Centennial finishes second
Results
- Redondo Union [Redondo Beach, CA] Sea Hawks 74, Etiwanda [CA] Eagles 31
- Centennial [Corona, CA] Huskies 74, Etiwanda [CA] Eagles 48
- Redondo Union [Redondo Beach, CA] Sea Hawks 69, Centennial [Corona, CA] Huskies 57
Pool D
Notre Dame SO wins Pool D, La Mirada finishes second
Results
- Notre Dame SO [Sherman Oaks, CA] Knights 76, La Mirada [CA] Matadores 60
- La Mirada [CA] Matadores 56, St. John Bosco [Bellflower, CA] Braves 53
- Notre Dame SO [Sherman Oaks, CA] Knights 69, St. John Bosco [Bellflower, CA] Braves 60
STREAM: Watch California's CIF boys basketball playoffs on the NFHS Network
Key dates and information for California's CIF Top 50 boys basketball teams
No. 9 Sierra Canyon [Chatsworth, CA] Trailblazers
- 2025-26 record: 24-1
- Next game: Friday, February 20
Top 50 Archbishop Riordan [San Francisco, CA] Crusaders
- 2025-26 record: 23-1
- Next game: Friday, February 20
Top 50 Harvard-Westlake [Studio City, CA] Wolverines
- 2025-26 record: 24-5
- Next game: Friday, February 20
Top 50 Notre Dame SO [Sherman Oaks, CA] Knights
- 2025-26 record: 21-6
- Next game: Friday, February 20
Top 50 Redondo Union [Redondo Beach, CA] Sea Hawks
- 2025-26 record: 27-3
- Next game: Friday, February 20
Top 50 Salesian College Prep [Richmond, CA] Pride
- 2025-26 record: 25-3
- Next game: Wednesday, February 25
Top 50 Santa Margarita [Rancho Santa Margarita, CA] Eagles
- 2025-26 record: 27-4
- Next game: Friday, February 20
Top 50 St. Joseph [Santa Maria, CA] Knights
- 2025-26 record: 28-2
- Next game: Thursday, February 19
MORE HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
Tennessee pulls away from Oklahoma late 89-66
The Tennessee Volunteers defeated the Oklahoma Sooners on Wednesday night by the score of 89-66 at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center. But at times, it certainly didn’t feel like a blowout on the court.
Nate Ament led Tennessee with 29 points and six rebounds. Ja’Kobi Gillespie was a force on both ends of the floor. In addition to 16 points, he added eight assists and eight steals.
Tennessee didn’t have any problems on the offensive end, particularly in the first half. Three pointers by Ament and Gillespie pushed the Vols out to a double digit lead at 21-11, 26-14, and 31-19. But Oklahoma managed to keep the game relatively close with runs to keep the game just inside single digits going late into the first half. But as the final seconds ticked down, Bishop Biswell took in an offensive board and dished to Felix Okpara for a slam and an and one to make the score 45-36 at the half.
Ament and Gillespie helped take the game by the throat early in the second half. After Gillespie knocked down a long lead to give the Vols a 15-point lead, Ament put one up between the two n’s in Tennessee on the floor for a swish that gave the Vols a 56-38 lead and sent the crowd into a frenzy.
A 9-0 Oklahoma run brought the game back into shouting range for Oklahoma, and the game would go back and forth until Tennessee held a 68-62 lead with around six minutes left.
And that’s when Tennessee finished with an absolutely flurry. DeWayne Brown II hit a cutting Ament down the lane for a thunderous jam. The next time down, Ament found Okpara for a nifty hook shot. The next time down, Ament drive, pulled up inside the free throw line, was fouled, and got the shot to bounce around and in for an and one. He made the free throw, and suddenly, Tennessee was up 75-62 with under five minutes to go and in complete control. They’d finish the game on a 21-4 run to close it out.
Next up for Tennessee is Vanderbilt on Saturday in Nashville at 2:00 pm ET on ESPN.
Former MMA fighter Tiki Ghosn and Deen the Great get in altercation
Retired MMA fighter Tiki Ghosn was seen on video getting into an altercation with Nurideen Shabazz, an influencer-turned-boxer known as Deen the Great. The video has gone viral.
Ghosn was seen landing a strike to the face of Shabazz, punching him out at a party following a confrontation that appeared to be started by the influencer. Shabazz could be heard questioning why Ghosn would deny knowing who he was.
"You do know who I am," Shabazz was heard saying during the exchange.
"I don't know you," Ghosn told Shabazz. "Nice to meet you, though."
Things would escalate further after Shabazz continued his questioning of Ghosn. The men were quickly separated.
Shabazz was also seen being slapped by powerlifter Larry Wheels in a separate video from earlier in the week. That incident was referenced by Ghosn in the viral video during the exchange with Shabazz.
Both incidents can be found on Shabazz’s KICK stream. Former MMA fighter Quinton “Rampage” Jackson was seen in both videos. Ghosn is Jackson’s manager.
Who is Tiki Ghosn?
Ghosn produced a 10-7-0 record as a fighter, winning his last fight in March 2008 while snapping a streak of five consecutive losses.
The Southern California native was previously managed by current UFC president Dana White. Ghosn has worked as a coach on the Ultimate Fighter and worked with several notable names in the MMA world, including Tito Ortiz, Ken Shamrock and Michael Bisping.
Who is Deen the Great?
Shabazz won his first seven boxing fights; his second win was the only non-exhibition fight he's competed in.
He suffered his first loss to Amado Vargas in an exhibition fight in December 2025.
Shabszz has also served as a YouTube streamer since 2013 and has more than 528K subscribers.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tiki Ghosn, Deen the Great get in altercation in viral video