Bay Area News Group high school basketball predictions: Feb. 20, 2026
It’s officially playoff time as the Bay Area News Group’s high school basketball predictions roll on.
All in fun, of course.
This week, the prep crew of Christian Babcock, Nathan Canilao and Darren Sabedra picks six games across the Central Coast Section and North Coast Section playoff brackets.
Sabedra took the lead with a strong 7-1 record last week, picking every game correctly except Dougherty Valley’s big win over De La Salle in the East Bay Athletic League tournament championship.
This week, he went out on a limb with Bellarmine. He thinks the fourth-seeded Bells will take down No. 5 The King’s Academy in the opening game of CCS Open Division pool play.
“I’m actually going against you guys,” Sabedra said. “I think Will Corbett’s going to have a big game and Bellarmine, the battle-tested team out of the WCAL, is going to get the W at home. So I’m going Bellarmine.”
Babcock was the only prognosticator to pick Menlo-Atherton to beat Valley Christian in what will be both teams’ final game of CCS Open pool play next Wednesday.
“My initial lean was Valley,” Babcock said. “But when I looked a little more at M-A, I mean, they’ve been really good this year. They have been undefeated in league. They’ve just had a really solid, excellent season, and I know they’re always well coached. I saw them against VC last year, and that was a game VC won, but I think they might be a little better this year.”
Canilao highlighted the NCS Open bracket in the guys’ parting shots segment at the end of the broadcast and also spotlighted an intracity matchup on Saturday.
“Really cool matchup in Division IV of the NCS girls that will happen on Saturday, got Northgate versus Las Lomas, battle of Walnut Creek in a playoff game,” Canilao said. “Two really interesting teams in that bracket.”
The guys broke down the Open brackets in both sections early in the show. They also took a brief detour to discuss fighting through colds during playoff time and the virtues of fleece-lined beanies.
Yes, really.
Be sure to check out the video below.
On to the picks:
PICKS FOR WEEK OF FEB. 20, 2026
BOYS
Friday
No. 5 The King’s Academy (21-3) at No. 4 Bellarmine (16-8), 7 p.m.
Babcock: TKA
Canilao: TKA
Sabedra: Bell
No. 5 Dublin (19-8) at No. 4 Liberty (24-3), 7 p.m.
Babcock: Dublin
Canilao: Dublin
Sabedra: Dublin
Wednesday
No. 7 Menlo-Atherton at No. 6 Valley Christian, 7 p.m.
Babcock: M-A
Canilao: VC
Sabedra: VC
GIRLS
Friday
No. 6 Pinewood (20-4) at No. 3 Archbishop Riordan (15-7), 6 p.m.
Babcock: Riordan
Canilao: Riordan
Sabedra: Riordan
No. 5 Alameda (18-9) at No. 4 Acalanes (20-8), 7 p.m.
Babcock: Acalanes
Canilao: Acalanes
Sabedra: Acalanes
No. 7 Heritage (21-6) at No. 2 Dublin (21-7), 7 p.m.
Babcock: Dublin
Canilao: Dublin
Sabedra: Dublin
RESULTS FOR WEEK OF FEB. 11, 2026
BOYS
Thursday
King’s Academy 84, Priory 64
Babcock: TKA (W)
Canilao: TKA (W)
Sabedra: TKA (W)
Friday
EBAL championship TBD, 7 p.m.
Babcock: De La Salle (L)
Canilao: Dougherty Valley (W)
Sabedra: De La Salle (L)
Bishop O’Dowd 65, Berkeley 56
Babcock: O’Dowd (W)
Canilao: O’Dowd (W)
Sabedra: O’Dowd (W)
St. Ignatius 74, Bellarmine 45
Babcock: St. Ignatius (W)
Canilao: Bellarmine (L)
Sabedra: St. Ignatius (W)
GIRLS
Wednesday
Los Gatos 43, Los Altos 42
Babcock: Los Altos (L)
Canilao: Los Gatos (W)
Sabedra: Los Gatos (W)
Thursday
Piedmont 44, Bishop O’Dowd 40
Babcock: Piedmont (W)
Canilao: Piedmont (W)
Sabedra: Piedmont (W)
Friday
Half Moon Bay 52, Menlo-Atherton 44
Babcock: Menlo-Atherton (L)
Canilao: Menlo-Atherton (L)
Sabedra: Half Moon Bay (W)
EBAL championship TBD, 7 p.m.
Babcock: San Ramon Valley (W)
Canilao: San Ramon Valley (W)
Sabedra: San Ramon Valley (W)
Feb. 11 standings
Sabedra: 7-1
Canilao: 5-3
Babcock: 5-3
Season standings
Sabedra: 19-12
Canilao: 17-14
Babcock: 16-15