Defending state champ Orange Coast tops CCCWBCA State Top 25 Pre-Season Poll

Orange Coast tops the 2023 Pre-Season Top 25 Poll.
Orange Coast tops the 2023 Pre-Season Top 25 Poll.
October 31, 2023

 

 

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Last season, Orange Coast College captured its first state title in 20 years. It's more than appropriate that on Halloween, the Pirates continue to bask in the glow of that championship as they top the California Community College Women's Basketball Coaches Association (CCCWBCA) State Pre-Season Top 25 Coaches Poll. The 2023-2024 season begins this week.

OCC garnered seven of the 15 first-place votes in the pre-season prognostication by state coaches. 

Palomar had its perfect season and 31-game win streak snapped by state finalist Butte in the semifinals, and the Comets, who have never won a state title, will have major incentive in its hopes to complete its mission this season. The Comets stand at #2 with four first-place votes while Butte comes in at #3. Eight-time state champ Mt. San Antonio rolls in at #4 while perennial North power San Joaquin Delta (#5) and Moorpark (#6) each joined Butte with one first-place vote each.

Note: Player mentions based on current rosters listed on college's websites

  1. Orange Coast (32-1 last season): The Pirates will have the proverbial target on their backs for opponents and graduated the entire 5-player starting lineup they had in the championship finals, including tourney MVP and All-State player Meghan McIntyre, now at NAIA Southern Oregon University. The only returning player who played in the title game is guard Jade Quinonez.
  2. Palomar (31-1): The Comets also will have to move on without 2-time, SoCal Player of the Year and WBCA All-American Deajanae Harvey, now at Fresno State. Palomar went undefeated in winning the last Pacific Coast Athletic Conference titles in 2022 and 2023.
  3. Butte (28-4): As the North's top squad for '22-23, the Roadrunners lost NorCal Player of the Year Meghan Weinrich to graduation (at D1 Oral Roberts), but do return three players who saw minutes in the championship finals, including starting guard Sarah Tait, an All-State Tourney selection.
  4. Mt. San Antonio (23-8): The Mounties last were on top as back-to-back state champs in 2016 and 2017, but always are in the thick of the upper echelon. They made it to the Elite 8 last season and return South Coast Conference Freshman of the Year in Dailani Richardson. Mt. SAC and the SCC are the host of the 2024 3C2A State Championships.
  5. San Joaquin Delta (23-7): The Mustangs were a state finalist in 2022 and starting guard Maya Chelini returns from that squad as Delta, a 3-time state runner-up in the 2000s, hopes to return to the state tourney after missing out last season.
  6. Moorpark (24-6): The Raiders won the Western State Conference North Division title last year at 12-0. They made it to the '22 state tourney and had an 18-game winning streak before being eliminated by Cypress in a SoCal Regional Final last season. Conference MVP/All-State Sabrina Belquist is now playing at Azusa Pacific.
  7. Santa Rosa JC (29-3): A state semifinalist last season, the Bear Cubs have two returning starters who pushed Orange Coast into overtime before losing. They bring back All-State Tourney guard Lucca Lowenberg, who scored 25 points in the semis. SRJC won state titles in 1988 and 2011.
  8. Sierra (20-12): The Wolverines, the '22 state champs, have made it to the state tourney each of the last three seasons. Returning All-Big 8 player Julianne Cotterill scored a team-high 19 points in the team's '23 quarterfinals loss to OCC.
  9. Fresno City (24-5): The Rams return All-Central Valley Conference guard Briajanae Wade, one of nine sophomores listed on their '23-24 roster.
  10. Sequoias (28-3): The Giants were a state quarterfinalist last season and the defending CVC champions. They return All-CVC First Teamer Geizzle Jones. Sequoias was a state champ back in 1987.
  11. CC San Francisco (24-5): The Rams have won a remarkable seven straight Coast Conference North Division titles and reached the NorCal Regional Finals in both 2022 and 2023.
  12. Laney (23-6): The Eagles last lost a Bay Valley Conference game in 2020 and were undefeated champions in 2022 and 2023. They had two key players move on in All-State selection Amira Brown (U. Tulsa) and Kya Pearson (Alaska Anchorage).
  13. Mt. San Jacinto (27-3): The Eagles won a state title in 2018, but after 418 wins, 16 straight playoff appearances, and 10 conference titles, head coach Chris Mozga stepped down as head coach after 17 seasons.
  14. Long Beach CC (21-7): The Vikings have won three straight South Coast South Division titles. They return All-SCC player Chioma Okenwa.
  15. Cypress (23-8): The Chargers made it to the state quarterfinals this past season as All-State guard Ashley Hawkins has moved on to D1 Gardner-Webb (North Carolina). They last won the state title in 2005 and the MVP from that team, Brittany Imaku is in her second year as head coach. Margeret Mohr stepped down as HC after 30 years, 438 victories, and seven Orange Empire Conference titles but still is an assistant with the program (note re-edited version to correct what year Imaku is in at Cypress)
  16. Ventura (20-9): The Pirates have won seven state titles, the last in 2014. Two-time, All-State selection Kenya Edelhart is now at Humboldt U.
  17. Irvine Valley (21-9): The Lasers top player from last season, Trasara Alexander, has moved on to Biola.
  18. Folsom Lake (23-7): The Falcons return two All-Big 8 selections in Alysa Lopez and Corrie Harrison.
  19. Glendale (24-6): The Vaqueros have won four straight WSC South Division titles, but four All-WSC First Team selections graduated, including All-State player and conference MVP Maile Yamada.
  20. Riverside CC (21-10): The Tigers reached a SoCal Regional Final last season and returning sophomore N'Dya Parks averaged 15 points a game in three postseason contests.
  21. East Los Angeles (6-22): Trying to rebound from a rare off year for the Huskies in 2022-23. They have a potential big-game player in 2021-22 state-leading scorer Lupe Vazquez, a transfer from Pasadena City.
  22. San Jose CC (22-7): The Jaguars won the state title in 1998. They return All-Coast guard Zara Dumatol.
  23. Allan Hancock (21-9): The Bulldogs return 3-point specialist Mallory Branum.
  24. Chabot (11-18): The Gladiators won the state title back in 2015. The MVP from that team, Morgan Green, signed earlier this year with the WNBA's New York Liberty and played during their exhibition games.
  25. Victor Valley (20-9): The Rams take the final pre-season spot. Their All-State, 6-foot-3 star center Jordan Brooks is now at Cal State Bakersfield.

Release by Robert Lewis, CCCWBCA Publicist

Rankings produced by CCCWBCA Statistician Greg Murphy through voting by association head coaches