If there was a point in the season where Alvarez might have felt rattled, or had its confidence shaken, it came during a stretch that included a setback to Pacific Grove.
A stunning loss to close non-league play, followed by a league opening loss left the Eagles searching for their identity.
What has transpired since is four consecutive wins and a share of first place in the Mission Division going into Tuesday's rematch with Pacific Grove.
No question, Alvarez missed Devin Foster, who was out with a sprained ankle in the loss to Pacific Grove. But what was really missing was leadership on the court.
"Losing Devin set us back a little," Alvarez coach Mark Haddan said. "We had to have players step up their games. Our guards began to provide the missing offense."
Among them is Efrain Perez, who has come alive in the last four games for the Eagles, providing a scoring punch along with defense that gets contagious.
"Efrain took over the leadership on both offense and defense and is the heart and sole of this team," Haddan said.
The Eagles are in a position to take command of the Mission Division after Pacific Grove suffered a 10-point loss to St. Francis of Watsonville.
Two nights later Alvarez beat St. Francis by 29 points.
Drawing comparisons, though, would be foolish.
You can make the argument that Alvarez is the best offensive team in the Mission Division while the Breakers are the best defensive team.
Of course, this might be the most balanced offensive team Pacific Grove has possessed with Jack Sendell averaging 13.8 points a game, burying 38 shots from beyond the 3-point arc.
Josh Cryns has seen his scoring average improve to 11.2 points while Tyler Christianson is coming off a 20-point effort in a win over Christopher.
Don't discount Keith Ray, who has made a big impact since returning to the team seven games ago.
While Foster has worked his way back into the lineup for the Eagles, his absence gave Edgar Corona and Jimmy Martinez a chance to show the teams depth.
Since giving up 59 points in the loss to Pacific Grove, the Eagles defense is allowing the rest of the league nine less points a game.
Pacific Grove gave up 54 points in its lone league loss. That number drops to 41 points a game in its four league wins.
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