It's that time of year again... as the high school basketball scene is already underway. Plenty of potential to be shown out of the San Pedro, Port Of Los Angeles and Mary Star Of The Sea High boys and girls programs as they are in full swing for the 2016-2017 season.

Who will make the biggest shot of them all?

BOYS

SAN PEDRO (13-16 overall in  2015-2016) - Coach John Bobich is now in his 15th season coaching the Pirates, who now due to competitive equity in the CIF-Los Angeles City Section, is now competing in Division II, a division they won a championship in during the 2009-2010 season.

San Pedro is guard heavy with All-Marine League junior Cole Turner leading the way, along with returning seniors Jose Regalado and Juan Palma, both being four-year veterans in the program, and two years on the varsity scene for a program that last year lost in the first round of the CIF-LACS Division 1 playoffs to Palisades.

Losing 6'6'' junior center Malik Muhammad (transfer to Verbum Dei) will sting and make the Pirates undersized, but they also have vibrant and determined newcomers like senior 6'4'' center Tahj Frison and 6'3'' sophomore forward Rodney Patrick ready to step in, along with sophomore 6'3'' center Anson Patton. Senior 6'1'' guard Cha'ron Porter is another returning player.

San Pedro, who went 5-7 in a fourth place Marine League finish last season, will battle the likes of three-time defending champion Narbonne, Washington Prep and Gardena for the Marine League championship.

MARY STAR (17-10 in 2015-2016) - Marc Vuoso stepped down as coach to be a full-time athletic director at Mary Star, and he enlisted the services of former San Pedro High All-City standout Mike Sestich to take over. Right now the Stars are currently 5-1 and made the finals of the Milken Tournament.

Sophomore guard Joseph Octave, last year's San Pedro News Pilot Prep Boys Basketball MVP and All-Santa Fe League returner, is back after averaging 19 points a game last season. Octave and All-Santa Fe League senior point guard, four-year veteran Nick Billings, both anchor a deep backcourt.

Senior 6'5'' center Noah Prince, senior shooting guard Nathan Linayao, junior guard D'Andrew Lopez and junior guard Don Grondin also returns for the Stars, who will battle St. Paul and Verbum Dei for Santa Fe League supremacy, placing third in league last year and reaching the CIF-Southern Section Division 4 playoffs.

POLA (10-13 in 2015-2016) - The Polar Bears have a new coach in Marshall Johnson, with an extensive basketball background, and that's exactly what the youth POLA team needs as it takes on the likes of defending Crosstown League champion Animo South Los Angeles, and CIF-LACS D-3 semifinalist Harbor Teacher Prep in an improving league that POLA went 6-6 in and placed third a season ago.

Senior forward Issac Perez, junior guard Mycah Serdenia, junior center Joseph Magana, junior guard Timothy Oloimooja and senior forward Nehemiah Pele all returns for POLA, who made the CIF-LACS Division 4 playoffs last season, losing to Hawkins of Los Angeles in the opening round.

GIRLS

SAN PEDRO (19-11 in 2015-2016) - It's a new era for the Lady Pirates. Eric Parker is now the new head coach, and All-Marine League senior forward Natalia Vasquez is the only returning starter. On top of that, a huge loss occurred when last year's SPNP Prep Girls Basketball Co-Player Of The Year in senior guard/forward Deanna Valverde transferred to defending Marine League champion Carson.

Even so, there's still talent on San Pedro's squad, as they advanced to the quarterfinals of the CIF-Los Angeles City Section Division 1 playoffs last season and broke ground with a victory over Narbonne for the first time in 25 years.

Senior point guard Kyerstin Galloway is ready to break out in her first full season after missing all but the end of the regular season and playoffs due to her transfer from POLA, and an injury while practicing during her month off. Galloway is a former All-City Division 4 player from her sophomore season at POLA.

Normally backbones of the bench last season, senior forward Erinn Edwards, senior guards Raeven Hayes and Rory Healy along with junior guard Abygail Paez are all looking to step into more prohibitive roles for San Pedro, who also got another transfer from POLA in junior forward Mariah Gonzalez to add more team depth.

Carson and Narbonne again are the teams to beat in the Marine League, but King-Drew and Washington Prep have improved as well. San Pedro placed third in league at 7-5 last season.

MARY STAR (14-10 in 2015-2016) - Victor Tuberosi returns his fourth season as the Stars' coach, and this team will be fully motivated after a 5-5 Santa Fe League finish left them out of the CIF-SS Division 4 playoffs despite posting a winning record and winning the Firebaugh Tournament over Christmas break last season.

Returning for a fourth and final year is the 2015 SPNP Prep Girls Basketball Co-MVP, and three-time All-Santa Fe League selection in senior guard Angela Pisano, one of the most dynamic players in town. Pisano and All-SFL junior point guard Hanalei Emnace forms a pesky defensive backcourt.

Mary Star has talented rebounders who can provide scoring help in senior center Kaitlyn Martinez (another four-year veteran), junior forwards Miranda Marquez and Melanie Meza, while senior guard Mary Ramos adds more veteran leadership off the bench. Sophomore forward Lorraine Medina provides stellar post play for the Stars, and junior guard Jillian Duran provides even more pop for the Stars.

Bell-Jeff, La Salle and Pomona Catholic are teams to be wary of in the Santa Fe League as Mary Star makes their playoff push.

POLA (8-13 in 2015-2016) - Third-year coach Elspeth Carden will inherit a young team for the Polar Bears, who still made the CIF-LACS Division III playoffs a season ago, finishing third in the Crosstown League at 5-5.

Senior forward, and four-year veteran Mariam Moreno returns for POLA, and will pace a team that also features a mixture of youth and experience. Junior guards Sachi Verner and Ardent Almazon are the other returners, but freshman guard Kiara Jones has shown some promise early on. The Polar Bears also added senior forward Valerie Hernandez and junior center Areelle Navarro from the girls volleyball team.

POLA will continue to do what they can in the Crosstown League as the top teams to watch are defending champion Middle College (an Open Division playoff team a season ago), and CIF-LACS Division 4 semifinalist Harbor Teacher Prep also boasting strong teams again.

San Pedro will host their eighth annual San Pedro Pirate Shootout boys basketball tournament, with the Pirates and Mary Star both representing. The tournament starts on Monday, December 26 and will run through Thursday, December 29.