BOD at #41

Ronne Flores and Company have BOD as the #41 in the high school pre-season rankings:

41. (NR) Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland, Calif.) 26-4

Key Players: PF Ivan Rabb 6-9 2015 (No. 4 Hoop Scoop Top 100, Student Sports Underclass All-American, CalHiSports.com State Sophomore of the Year), G Paris Austin 5-11 2015.

Why This Ranking: The Dragons get the nod as Northern California’s top-ranked team with the talented Rabb back in the fold. He continues to improve and could challenge for state player of the year honors if the Dragons live up to expectations. Austin is a playmaker who should be in line for post-season honors as well.

The Skinny: It was a tough call to put O’Dowd as the top ranked team in its region over Modesto Christian (Modesto, Calif.). After all, the Crusaders beat them when it mattered in the NorCal Open Division playoffs (57-42). We gave O’Dowd the nod because Rabb’s supporting cast, including junior forward Isaiah Thomas (6-7) and senior guard Juwan Anderson (5-11), is stronger than it’s given credit for. Besides, if Rabb is one of the nation’s best players as he’s ranked, O’Dowd should have some success in its big games this season.

The Dragons will be much higher at season's end.