City League

1. Allderdice (19-9) — The Dice continues to roll. Winners of four consecutive City League titles and seven of the past eight, Allderdice is the heavy favorite again as it brings back most of its top players. Four starters return for coach Buddy Valinsky: junior guards Bobby Clifford and Jackson Blaufeld, junior forward Terrell Childs and 6-5 senior center Shaun Morris. Clifford averaged 9.5 points per game and made the allCity League team. Another key player is senior guard Tyler Williams. Allderdice beat Obama, 71-70, in three overtimes to win last year’s title.

2. Westinghouse (13-10) — Westinghouse has high hopes, partly because it has one of the area’s tallest players. James Ellis isn’t only tall, though, he’s very good. Ellis, a 611 senior center, averaged 14 points, 11 rebounds and 7 blocked shots per game last season. Troy Lanier is a 6-4 sophomore forward and Cam Gloster a 6-3 senior guard, so Westinghouse will have a size advantage against just about any team it plays. The Bulldogs have reached the City League championship only once in the past 19 years, winning the title in 2013.

3. Obama Academy (13-10) — Obama has become a staple in the City League championship game, reaching the final five times in six years since the program began in 2011. Returning to the championship — and perhaps winning their first title — won’t be an easy task for the Eagles after graduating four starters, among them City League leading scorer Dana Strothers. Junior guard Derek Gordon is the lone returning starter. The Eagles won the regular-season title a season ago before losing to Allderdice in the title game for the fourth year in a row.