Also receiving votes: Deer Valley (18-6, 7 points), Castlemont (13-7, 1). The East Bay Prep Boys Basketball Poll is voted on by the prep sports staff of Bay Area News Group-East Bay. Records are through Saturday.

Also receiving votes: Castlemont (15-7, 1 vote). The East Bay Prep Girls Basketball Poll is voted on by the prep sports staff of Bay Area News Group-East Bay. Records are through Saturday.

Let me preface this posting by saying that I think every team is a fine team and deserves to be in the playoffs. However, I have to give my thoughts, praises and criticisms of the seeding. Please, don’t take it personally if I don’t agree with where a school is seeded.
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Alright, here are my official seeding projections.
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North Coast Section commissioner Gil Lemmon reversed six of Salesian’s 16 forfeit losses Friday.
The wins that were returned to Salesian were games against Inderkum-Sacramento, Miramonte, Redwood-Larkspur, St. Patrick-St. Vincent, Kennedy-Richmond and John Swett. Wins against Jesse Bethel, Pinole Valley and St. Mary’s were not returned.
Salesian’s record is now 14-11 overall and 9-2 in the Bay Shore Athletic League entering Friday’s season-finale against Albany. A win would force a three-way tie for first place with St. Mary’s (18-8, 10-2) and St. Joseph Notre Dame (19-7, 10-2).
Salesian originally forfeited 16 victories for playing with an ineligible player, Jabari Bird. Bird was later reinstated and Salesian appealed nine of the 16 forfeit losses on the basis that it would’ve won those games without Bird.
Forfeit losses to Sacramento and Gridley could not be overturned because the games were not played within the NCS. Salesian did not appeal its forfeit losses to San Marin, Jesuit-Carmichael, Clovis East, Rodriguez-Fairfield and Castro Valley, all games that were relatively close.

Schools could be held responsible for a lack of administrative oversight affecting ineligible athletes if an item passes in a state Federated Council vote in April, California Interscholastic Federation Executive Director Marie Ishida said Wednesday in a press conference call.
The item deals with administrative errors such as the failure of the school administration to submit the proper CIF Section eligibility application or form which, if it had been submitted in a timely manner and reviewed by the section, would have resulted in no eligibility limitations.
The penalty on a school’s first offense would be either a forfeiture of the initial game won or tied in which the ineligible athlete played (and only that game) or a fine. On a school’s second offense, both penalties would be applied.
If the item is passed, it will be incorporated the next school year, Ishida said. The meeting is scheduled for April 29 in Milpitas.
Ishida said that there are no changes planned to CIF Bylaw 510, which has been at the heart of recent ineligibility cases involving Salesian High boys basketball player Jabari Bird and Berkeley student Khristina Hunter, a girls basketball player.
“If we can make it clearer for schools, we will look at that,” Ishida said.
A regional state football format will also be voted on in April, Ishida said. If passed, the North and South regional games in each division would begin in December 2012.

I was sent a link to this Washington Post story on Easter Faafiti, a partially-deaf basketball player who graduated from Pittsburg High, and thought it was worth passing along. Easter is now at Gallaudet University, a Division III school in Washington for deaf and partially-deaf students, where she is leading the resurgent women’s basketball team. It’s a good read.

She was also featured in last week’s Sports Illustrated “Faces in the Crowd” section.

Part deux? The rematch? Whatever you want to call it, the most anticipated boys basketball game of the regular season is likely the round two Hayward Area Athletic League showdown between Bishop O’Dowd and Castro Valley on Thursday, Feb. 17. It’s the final game of the HAAL season for both teams and, assuming neither team loses another game, it will decide the league title and automatic berth to the NCS playoffs. That’s significant moreso for earning home games than making the playoffs (both will be among the top seeds regardless).

The good news is the game has been moved from Chabot College to Cal State East Bay to accommodate an even larger crowd. The schools are still anticipating a sellout and are currently conducting a presale for tickets to the games. The girls play at 6 p.m., followed by the boys at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the Castro Valley High student union and finance office or through the Bishop O’Dowd athletic website. Tickets will not be sold at Cal State East Bay on the day of the game. Passes will not be honored for this game. General admission cost is $6, students, children and seniors are $4. Attendees must also purchase a parking pass upon arrival at CSUEB at the parking meters.

Also receiving votes: Hercules (14-8, 1 point), Heritage (15-7, 1), Monte Vista (14-7, 1), Oakland Tech (11-7, 1). The East Bay Prep Girls Basketball Poll is voted on by the prep sports staff of Bay Area News Group-East Bay. Records are through Saturday.