AT A GLANCE

lpha League

Favorite: Pasadena Marshall isn’t as strong as usual, but should be good enough to win the league title again.

Contenders: L.A. Baptist is explosive with center Mike Madigan and three-sport star Andrew Petersen. Kilpatrick finished second last season after an 0-8 league finish in 1999.

Longshot: Village Christian is led by three-year starter Daryl Ellis, the only returning player with significant experience.

Channel League

Favorite: Santa Barbara, defending league champion, is 9-7 because of injuries, disciplinary suspensions and a tough schedule. But the Dons have the league’s best player--Michigan-bound Dominic Ingerson and 6-7 forward Trey Putnam.

Contenders: Dos Pueblos (9-3) appears vastly improved after an uncharacteristic 11-15 finish last season. Ventura (8-7) should be improved with the addition of football star Tyler Ebell, a three-point marksman who is expected to play for the first time tonight at Channel Islands. Ryan Cobos could lead Buena (11-5) to its first winning league record since 1996.

Longshot: San Marcos (4-7) is much better than the team that was 0-8 in league play last season, but the Royals could be headed for a losing league record for the sixth time in seven years.

Delphic League

Favorite: Crossroads Coach Daryl Roper never loses league titles, especially when he has a player the caliber of Arizona-bound Isaiah Fox, a 6-9 senior.

Contenders: Campbell Hall sophomores Robert Locke and Derrick Williams have picked up their play for first-year Coach Cleveland Jackson, making the Vikings a strong playoff threat.

Longshot: Montclair Prep has hopes behind Derrell Daniels.

Foothill League

Favorite: Canyon finished last in league play last season, but could win the title behind sharp-shooting Matt Nelsen and talented Jeremy Haggerty.

Contenders: Saugus relies on team speed and strong guard play from Marc Holmquist and Chad Krogh, making up for a lack of height. Burbank also has a strong guard tandem, Frank Reed and Trent Cleveland, and should again finish in the top half of the standings.

Longshot: Keith Jarbo, the league most valuable player last year, makes Burroughs dangerous on any night, but a lack of frontcourt size and suspect outside shooting are potential problems.

Frontier League

Favorite: Santa Paula gets the edge in a competitive league because it has two quality shooters, Ryan Frutos and Ernesto Lopez.

Contenders: Nordhoff has the league’s best big man, center Eric Bensley, who has increased his production this season, scoring a career-high 34 points last week against Antelope Valley in the Ventura tournament. Albert Soria of Santa Clara is the league’s best three-point shooter, making eight in one game and seven in another.

Longshot: Can a team that defeated Agoura, arguably the Marmonte League’s best team, really be considered a longshot? Calabasas has Sky Holm, an interior scoring threat, but the Coyotes don’t have much firepower beyond him.

Golden League

Favorite: Lancaster, with returning all-league guards Teddy Myers and Aaron James, has a shot at its first league title.

Contenders: At Highland, first-year Coach Jeff Smith is orchestrating an up-tempo offense that accentuates the talents of brothers Gabriel and Mike Stevenson. Quartz Hill has all-league guard Tony Johnson, one of the best players in school history, but the Rebels lack size after the graduation of twin towers Jared Corpening and Sahael Almuallem.

Longshot: Antelope Valley was 0-10 in league play last year, but first-year Coach Tom Hegre and all-league swingman Ollie Bradley could turn things around.

Liberty League

Favorite: Defending champion Buckley went 11-1 in nonleague games, led by Colin Ward-Henninger, the league’s most valuable player last season.

Contenders: Oakwood, with 6-8 Nick Mark, could give Buckley a challenge.

Longshot: Providence boasts Derek Jones, a 6-6 senior, and guard Eric Vaca, two Liberty League veterans who helped the Pioneers finish 19-6 last season.

Mission League

Favorite: Notre Dame is led by Cody Pearson and Michael Luderer, the best one-two combination in the region. But the Knights aren’t invincible in a league where any game could produce an upset.

Contenders: Loyola is recognized as the team of the future, but the Cubs finished 9-3 in nonleague competition, including a victory over Artesia en route to the Redondo tournament championship. Sophomore Omar Wilkes is a future college player. Chaminade has the league’s most imposing player, 6-9 Scott Borchart. Crespi is playing well, which is crucial in a league that figures to have lots of close games.

Longshot: Harvard-Westlake, defending league champion, could be a threat late in the season when numerous freshmen and sophomores mature.

Pacific League

Favorite: Muir’s strong returning cast of players should help ease memories of last year’s third-place finish that ended a run of three consecutive league titles.

Contenders: Crescenta Valley has reached the playoffs 15 of the last 16 seasons, a trend that should continue with 6-6 forward James Jenkins. Pasadena, defending league champion, was weakened by graduation but could cause trouble for Muir and Crescenta Valley.

Longshot: Bryan Fasola is the only returning player for Glendale, but a solid junior class should help.

Pacific View League

Favorite: Oxnard, two-time defending champion, is led by center Nicholas Curtis, the best player in the league. He’s complemented by several quick, athletic teammates who employ an effective full-court press.

Contenders: Camarillo was 1-7 in league play last year, but Jared Jungwirth and Ian Caldwell have led the Scorpions to a 9-6 record. Rio Mesa was 0-8 in league play two years ago, but the Spartans improved to 3-5 last year and Tunde Alonge has led them to a 7-6 start and a victory over Ventura in the championship game of the Ventura tournament.

Longshot: Hueneme was Oxnard’s toughest challenger during the first two years of the Pacific View League, but the Vikings (3-5) have struggled this season and are mourning the loss of assistant coach Mitch Ruiz, who died of double-pneumonia last week.

Rio Hondo League

Favorite: La Canada has size up front and skill in the backcourt. The Spartans could win their 12th league title in 15 seasons.

Contenders: Monrovia is led by 6-7 forward Brian Markson, the league most valuable player last season.

Longshot: Blair has Darryl Strawberry Jr., a talented sophomore guard.

Santa Fe League

Favorite: Murphy finished 14-14 last season but has played well in tournaments.

Contenders: Bell-Jeff’s Casey Markovic has size (6-5) and a good shooting eye. Cathedral, like Murphy, is expected to improve after a mediocre season.

Longshot: La Salle, defending league champion, was hurt by graduation losses.

Tri-Valley League

Favorite: Oak Park is battle-tested after finishing 8-6 against a demanding nonleague schedule. The Eagles have the league’s best post player, Jeremy Murphy, and good depth with guards Daniel Jensen and Monte McNair, and three-point specialist Grant Smith.

Contenders: St. Bonaventure has a chance to be more than a one-man team. Guard Chris Saunders averaged 17 points last season and is again the centerpiece, but the emergence of center Wade DeSmidt has given the Seraphs much-needed post presence. Sophomore guard Whitney Lewis could be a big scorer.

Longshot: Fillmore has Jorge Herrera, among the league’s best shooters.