Simi Valley’s Meza on the verge of a breakout year

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Opponents might have heard of the name Mike Meza, maybe seen him play basketball on tape once or twice, but they really don’t understand, don’t fully grasp, how talented the senior from Simi Valley is. Bye the end of the game, well, that’s a different story. An entirely different story.

It’s safe to say Meza has left a lasting impression on more than a few teams this season. Renaissance Academy had no answer for him in the championship game of the Winter Slam Jam tournament when he scored 36 points in an 81-68 victory. Then there was a 25-point outburst against Agoura and a 26-point effort against Knight.

‘Let me tell you something, Mike Meza has flown underneath the radar for a while now,’’ Simi Valley Coach Christian Aurand said. ‘This kid is the real deal though. He’s a unique player, a well-rounded player that can do a little bit of everything. Teams usually figure that out by the end of the first quarter and have to make adjustments.’’

Guess that explains, in part, why the Pioneers, No. 21 in The Times’ preseason rankings, are still undefeated. Simi Valley heads south to San Diego County this week for Torrey Pines tournament. And considering the way he’s playing, it’s reasonable to expect coaches having their players better prepared for Meza this time around. If not, we know what could happen.

-- Sean Ceglinsky