The new CIF tournament format that sends the top four teams from the Sac-Joaquin Section to the Northern California tournament makes Friday night's games in the boy's tournaments huge.

Tonight's winners guarantee that no longer what happens next week in the section semifinals and finals, they will play into the following week. More games means more practice time and preparation time for next year in addition to another shot on the court.

The second round matchups are impressive. The best game might be the one in Loomis, where third-seeded Del Oro hosts No. 6 Center. Center is a big, athletic and talented squad and they will not go easy.

The Golden Eagles won their opener without sharpshooter Aaron Hendricks, but they will definitely need him tonight, as he and Spencer Butterfield will need to step up big to keep Del Oro on course for the Division III semifinals.

Division II has three excellent contests on the slate, with the No. 4 vs. No. 5 battle at Oakmont promising to be a close, hard-fought battle. Jesuit comes calling and most of the area assumes the fifth-seeded Marauders will take care of a Viking team that is seeded one spot higher, but lacks playoff experience. This is the Vikings big chance to earn the respect they do not seem to be getting.

A lot will be riding on the ability of J.T. Adenrele and Tony Gill to dominate the paint, but this one may be decided on the perimeter. Jesuit is strong out there, and Oakmont's guards struggled in the opener against Bear Creek.

With starting guard Matt Daly not available, point guard Fred Mobley carries a big burden in handling the ball, and Oakmont needs Mobley and his sidekick, Alex Ford, to find the range from the outside to have a chance in this one.

Woodcreek is also on its home floor, where the second-seeded Timberwolves figure to handle No. 10 Inderkum to earn a semifinal spot Thursday at Arco Arena.

Woodcreek plays with a chip on its shoulder, and the team's deep rotation, combined with the leadership of Nik Milani, Mike Kurtz and Ryan Milat puts the Timberwolves in great shape.

Rocklin has won two straight section titles, with a team built around its ability to dominate the paint. This year's Thunder are strong on the perimeter behind Cody Kale and Tony Williams, and the No. 6 seed will be a tough matchup for a Yuba City team built around its inside game.

The Thunder need to get enough from their post players to keep the game close, allowing Kale and Williams to put the game away. As a No. 6 seed going on the road, this is likely the best matchup Rocklin could have hoped for.

In Division V play over at Valley Christian Academy, the Lions try to reach the semifinals, but they must first deal with Sacramento Waldorf Friday night. VCA likes to run and press and score a lot of points, while Sac Waldorf likes to slow it down a played a disciplined style. Who will win the battle of tempo?

Elsewhere, Lincoln is at Sacramento High for a second round game the second straight year. The Zebras will be hoping for a better result this time around.

Wherever you go, you won't want to miss out on this night of hoops. All games tip off at 7 p.m.