Prep basketball preview: Catch SI’s Toboni while you can

SAN FRANCISCO (Map, News) - See Paul Toboni on the court while you can. When St. Ignatius’ 6-foot-3 guard leaps across the Bay to Cal next year, he plans to play exclusively for the Bears’ baseball team.

So while you’ll have plenty of chances to see Toboni’s baseball skills over the next four years, this season may be the last chance to catch him in a basketball uniform.

Toboni returns as the leading scorer from a Wildcats team that won last year’s Central Coast Section Division III title and reached the NorCal semifinals. His 23 points in the CCS championship game helped St. Ignatius recover from a 14-0 deficit and defeat Riordan 51-48. This year, he has led the way as the Wildcats (9-2) raced out to an 8-0 start before losing twice in last week’s Leo LaRocca Sand Dune Classic.

But even on a bad night, as in a

Dec. 28 loss to St. Joseph/Notre Dame of Alameda in which St. Ignatius managed but 28 points as a team, Toboni revealed himself as a scrapper, trying to do whatever it takes to win. Toboni connected from the field just twice, but continued seeking openings and hauled up shot after shot while trying to break the Pilots’ zone.

“I was forcing it,” Toboni admitted — but the point is he kept looking for an edge.

That competitiveness, combined with a strong jumper, the ability to beat people off the dribble and find open teammates, and a near-perfect GPA made Toboni an attractive choice for colleges — reportedly some in the Ivy League. And Toboni’s closeness with his teammates translates to a smooth conversation on the floor.

Toboni wears No. 22 and the rest of St. Ignatius’ starters also wear double numerals: 11, 33, 44 and 55. It is a unique way of showing unity in a game that won’t let them all be the same. Toboni said three of them happened to have those jerseys, so together they agreed to make it standard.

No. 55 is Vince Legarza, who has played with Toboni since childhood. In the SJND game, Toboni, pinned between two defenders, found the 6-foot-9 center wide open for a 3-point attempt.

“We know each other so [well] that any given play, we might know where the other one [is] going to be,” Toboni said.

Legarza is going to be in Ohio next year, playing basketball at Miami University. In the meantime, the two seniors have one last year on the hardwood in the Sunset.

West Catholic Athletic League » Team-by-Team Capsules

Bellarmine Bells

» This season: 8-2

» Last season: 13-16 (lost 61-48 to Oak Grove in CCS Division I semifinals)

» Coach: Patrick Schneider

» Scouting report: A team heavy with seniors gets much of its production from a junior, 6-foot-8 Niyi Harrison, who has a Division I commitment and big-time skills. Guard Ricky Bose is back after averaging 11 points a game last year.

Mitty Monarchs

» This season: 10-0

» Last season: 29-6 (lost 69-64 in OT to Mater Dei in CIF Division II final)

» Coach: Brian Eagleson

» Scouting report: The team to beat, with 6-foot-9 UCLA-bound post player Drew Gordon serving as an athletic and intimidating interior presence. Senior teammates John Adams (Lehigh), Enoch Andoh (Bucknell) and Collin Chiverton (St. Mary’s) have also earned Division I scholarships.

Riordan Crusaders

» This season: 7-3

» Last season: 28-5 (lost 58-52 to Sacramento in first round of NorCal Division III playoffs)

» Coach: Rich Buckner

» Scouting report: After sharing the crown last year, Riordan lost some of its best talent, including two-time Examiner Player of the Year Rob Jones’ 16 points and 11 rebounds per game. Six-foot-6 center Jorge Camacho has stepped into the leading-man role this year with encouraging results thus far, as the senior averaged 18 points and 14.7 rebounds throughout nonleague play.

Sacred Heart Cathedral Irish

» This season: 8-4

» Last season: 11-14

» Coach: Darrell Barbour

» Scouting report: Talent has never been an issue on Ellis St., and Division I prospects Jerry Brown (11.5 points per game last year), Kevin Greene (WCAL-leading 12.5 rebounds) and Teandre Hubbard all return. New coach Darrell Barbour takes control as the Irish look to bounce back from a disappointing season and regain the form that took them to the 2006 Division IV state championship game.

St. Francis Lancers

» This season: 11-0

» Last season: 12-16 (lost 68-59 to Palo Alto in CCS Division II quarterfinals)

» Coach: Steve Filios

» Scouting report: The Lancers struggled defensively last year, allowing a league-worst average of 69.3 points per game in WCAL play. This year’s team has cut that total by nearly 12 points per game thus far during a perfect nonleague run.

St. Ignatius Wildcats

» This season: 9-2

» Last season: 24-8 (lost 44-42 to Bishop O’Dowd in second round of NorCal Division III playoffs)

» Coach: Tim Reardon

» Scouting report: Six-foot-9 senior center Vince Legarza has accepted a scholarship to play at Miami (Ohio) next year and should be one of the league’s most improved players. Swingman Kiyoshi Smith is up from the junior varsity and can score both from the outside and with his back to the basket.

Serra Padres

» This season: 9-2

» Last season: 17-11 (lost 54-51 to Mills in CCS Division II semifinals)

» Coach: Chuck Rapp

» Scouting report: Last season, 6-foot-9 American University-bound forward Stephen Lumpkins finished top three in WCAL scoring (14.2) and rebounding (9.5). Coach Chuck Rapp’s teams always work hard on the defensive end, and the Padres allowed an average of just 44.1 points per game during nonconference play.

Valley Christian Warriors » This season: 7-4

» Last season: 10-19 (lost 53-51 to Pacific Grove in CCS Division IV quarterfinals)

» Coach: Steve Cotton

» Scouting report: The Warriors have been hot and cold thus far, with a three-game losing skid stuck in between win streaks of three and four. Guard Tim Harris impressed on the varsity last year as a sophomore and is Valley’s top returning scorer.