The combination of Xavier Johnson and Stanley Johnson has allowed Mater Dei to eat up the glass thus far in the 2012 CIF State Playoffs. The Monarchs go into Saturday's matchup vs. Mission Viejo (3/10/12) with an extreme height advantage. Mater Dei suits up 8 guys that stand 6'5" and above, while the Diablos' tallest player checks in at 6 feet 7 inches.

Consider the fact that Mater Dei neutralized the dynamic duo of Long Beach Poly juniors Jordan Bell and Roschon Prince, who stand 6'8" and 6'5", respectively. The advantage is clearly in favor of the Monarchs in terms of athleticism.

However, the Diablos will be the first to tell you that the size of the fight in a team will never be measured in terms of height. Mission Viejo knows this all too well, and they nearly knocked off CIF Southern Section Champions Orange Lutheran before entering the California State High School Basketball Tournament.

UNLV commit Katin Reinhardt failed to score in Mater Dei's previous matchup, however, the Monarchs' deep bench stepped up with junior Elijah Brown contributing to a balanced attack in the win over Crescenta Valley.

Watch for Mission Viejo 6'1" 225 pound senior forward Jahleel Pinner to consume space in the paint for the Diablos. Pinner is also a star on the gridiron, and recently signed a National Letter of Intent to play football at USC next season. Also, 6'3" junior forward Evan Zeller is extremely versatile has the ability to lead the fast break for the Diablos, drop dimes and finish at the rim.

CLA predicts that the size, speed and strength of Gary McKnight's team will be too much to handle for the Diablos. Look for Mater Dei to continue their undefeated season against California high schools and advance to the next round.