Welcome to The Standard’s weekly high school basketball top 10. Rankings are usually released on Monday, but with games played on Monday at MLK showcases, this week’s rankings were pushed back to accommodate those results.

Please note that only schools within San Francisco are eligible. Other members of leagues that include San Francisco teams, such as the southern members of the West Catholic Athletic League (WCAL) and the Marin County members of the Bay Counties League (BCL), are not eligible.

The Crusaders now have sole possession of the top spot in the WCAL after a 60-50 win over Mitty, a game in which they led wire-to-wire and threw down nine dunks. Monday’s 63-52 loss to Jesuit at the De La Salle Martin Luther King Jr. Classic suddenly looks like a distant memory.

For the first time since the calendar changed to 2023, the Red Devils played a game decided by less than 20 points, defeating Grant 71-67 at the I Have a Dream Classic at Merritt College. Cole Boake scored 23 points, Gus Parsons added 17 and Joey Kennedy finished with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

A shorthanded Mustangs team barely survived Saturday, beating Mt. Eden 76-72 in overtime after squandering a 16-point lead. Both Jeremyah Aquino and Marvel Harris were nursing hip injuries, but Cortevious Taylor recorded another double-double (29 points, 16 rebounds) and Justin Aquino scored 26.

Since beating Sacred Heart Cathedral in the Bruce-Mahoney Game, things haven’t been quite so smooth for the Wildcats. They lost in double overtime on Friday night after leading St. Francis by 15, and beat Bellarmine by just five on Tuesday. Both games were played without Pepperdine commit John Squire, who injured his ankle late in the third quarter of the Bruce-Mahoney Game.

The Fightin’ Irish were smoked at Mitty on Friday, but got back on track with Tuesday’s win at Valley Christian. Sacred Heart Cathedral needed just four league games to match last season’s total of two WCAL wins.

The Blues got back on track with a nine-point win over Lick-Wilmerding and an eight-point win over Marin Academy.

Lowell enters Wednesday night’s showdown with Lincoln on a nine-game winning streak, though the Cardinals haven’t faced a team of the Mustangs’ caliber. The Cardinals’ four Academic Athletic Association (AAA) wins, all against teams with losing records, have come by an average of 37.25 points.

Saturday’s appearance at the Martin Luther King Jr.-John Lewis Memorial was one to forget for the Knights, who were throttled 82-47 by Sacred Heart Prep. A day earlier, they had played their most complete game of the season, beating Marin Academy 61-46.

Wallenberg transfer Paul Antoine scored 23 points in Friday’s 87-78 win over Mission, then dropped another 19 in Monday’s 63-54 non-league win over Casa Grande.

The Tigers have yet to win a BCL game, and they suffered a surprising 58-55 loss to Berean Christian on Monday.

Nationally ranked Mitty beat the Fightin’ Irish by 20 a week ago, but SHC bounced back by beating Valley Christian (57-50) and Menlo (66-44).

The Red Devils haven’t allowed more than 26 points in any of their five contests this month. Friday’s game against Lick-Wilmerding at Chase Center will offer a much tougher challenge than any of those, though.

Considering results against mutual opponent Valley Christian, the Crusaders enter Wednesday night’s game at St. Ignatius as the slight favorite.

The Wildcats lost a heartbreaker at Valley Christian last Wednesday, falling 52-51 in overtime. Warriors guard Synise Byrd sent the game to overtime and scored the winning basket late in the extra period.

Friday’s game against University at Chase Center will determine sole possession of first place in the BCL West.

The Eagles suddenly sit atop the AAA standings after a 48-31 win over Lincoln. Friday’s Battle of the Birds game against Lowell should help provide some clarification in the crowded race at the top.

Since beating Lowell in overtime, the Mustangs have dropped three straight, including non-league affairs against Mercy-Burlingame (45-39) and Lick-Wilmerding (59-42).

In their four games since a surprising overtime loss to Lincoln, the Cardinals haven’t allowed more than 26 points. They can reclaim a share of first place in the AAA with a Friday win over Washington.

Last Tuesday’s win over Waldorf leaves the Jaguars as the lone unbeaten team in the BCL Central. They’ll be heavy favorites today at Gateway before visiting Bay on Friday.

A two-point loss to International is the only thing separating the Wolverines from the top of the BCL Central.