Mission League boys basketball tournament is set

It’s not quite ‘March Madness’, but maybe February Madness works?

I know — not as catchy. How about February Frenzy? Better, but still needs work …

The top boys basketball leagues in the CIF Southern Section have adopted a more fun, modern, next-level way to determine each team’s final position in their respective league with an end-of-year culminating tournament similar to a conference tournament in the NCAA ranks.

Instead of the traditional home-and-away schedule where each team plays each other twice, each team plays each other just one time to determine seeding in the league tournament before playing a knockout style tournament. The winner of the tournament is the league champion.

The Trinity, Baseline, Ocean, Big VIII, and of course, the Mission League will start their tournaments this week before concluding with championship games next Wednesday, Feb. 4 (the final day of the regular season).

Tuesday’s action was the last slate of Mission League pre-tournament games.

Harvard-Westlake beat St. Francis without 7-foot-4 star Cherif Millogo 90-56. Notre Dame, without star NaVorro Bowman Jr., beat Alemany 81-48. Sierra Canyon thumped Chaminade 79-28 and Crespi defeated Loyola 65-61 at home.

Those results produced the following final standings in the Mission League.

Sierra Canyon (7-0)

Notre Dame (5-2)

Harvard-Westlake (5-2)

Loyola (3-4)

St. Francis (3-4)

Crespi (3-4)

Chaminade (2-5)

Alemany (0-7)

That sets up the following Mission League tournament schedule starting Thursday. All top seeds will host the games, including the final. All games are scheduled for 7 p.m.

THURSDAY, JAN. 29

Game 1: Alemany at St. Francis

Game 2: Chaminade at Crespi

SATURDAY, JAN. 31

Game 3: Alemany/St. Francis winner at Loyola

Game 4: Alemany/St. Francis winner at Harvard-Westlake

MONDAY, FEB. 2

Game 5: Game 3 winner at Sierra Canyon

Game 6: Game 4 winner at Notre Dame

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 4

Championship game: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner

DETERMINATION OF FINAL LEAGUE STANDINGS

The Mission League has eight teams. The top four finishers are guaranteed an automatic playoff berth. In short, reaching the semifinals of the league tournament locks you into the postseason.

To clarify exactly how the eight teams will be seeded when looking for at-large playoff berths, here is how the league determines that:

Championship game determines 1st and 2nd place in league

3rd place is semifinal loser with higher seed

4th place is semifinal loser with lower seed

5th place is Round 2 loser with higher seed

6th place is Round 2 loser with lower seed

7th place is Round 1 loser with higher seed

8th place is Round 1 loser with lower seed