Some states did not have any definitive sources, but we did the best we could to find the all-time leader. (Long Beach, CA), Dougherty Valley Always free! Newhouse may never get over his exclusion of 5-8 dunking guard Joe Gardere, who once scored 51 points for McClymonds in 1956. Perhaps the least-known player on Cali's Elite 24 list, Works' basketball career is a bit of a mystery. 6-8 / 190. Not only the best, but also the most anticipated. We saw all four of the state title games in which Stanley played and he stepped up in each one of them. Each voter selects first, second, and third place votes. Michael "The Exterminator" Tate Changed the game with running one-handed shots. Are there better players among Cali's Elite 24? 1. After failing to make the varsity team as a freshman and sophomore, Pierce quickly blossomed into a prep star during his junior campaign. Required fields are marked *. Photos Courtesy of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame * Greg Oden, Lawrence North (Indianapolis) 2002-2006 One of the country's best prep post players 25. Another candidate for the greatest high school player to come out of the city and Los Angeles County. Williams is the only ESPNHS National Player of the Year pick from SoCal in the last 40 years. An accomplished player on all levels, he's a legend at Rogers Park and Venice Beach. USA Today also has never been much of a source weve ever agreed that much with and we think our picks over the years have proven to be superior. photo ran 09/29/1982 Ernest Killum (Lynwood) 90 Killum's high school exploits were better known than his playground game, but there's a reason for that. (San Ramon, CA), Etiwanda 2. Adams then averaged 14.0 points on 49.9-percent shooting, 5.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.8 steals in four seasons at Arizona. high school basketball "Fillmore" Phil Smith Kawai Leonard had the big senior season averaging 27 points and 15 boards a game while bringing home the trophy. He and Stephen Curry were known as the Splash Brothers for setting an NBA record of combined three-pointers, in 2014. 1 of 25 Willie Naulls, San Pedro, 1952 UCLA Athletic He lives in Maine with his wife and kids and lots of pets. In 2017, his family's sports apparel company Big Baller Brand released a signature shoe for Ball, making him the youngest sportsperson to own a signature shoe. An Indiana All-Star and Marion County player of the year, Jones helped lead Ben Davis to the basketball state finals as a senior. His sad story is well-known in Sacramento, but not many outside the city saw how explosive and how creative he was on the court. Find out how you can get access to more exclusive content, one-of-a-kind California high school sports content! He still puts in work overseas and when he's ballin' at Venice, HAX, or the Drew League, people know who he is now. At Kansas, Pierce was an All-American, who had his No. LeRon Ellis (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) 87 Davis went on to be named Pac-10 Freshman of the Year at UCLA and was a two-time NBA All-Star for the Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets. Though his numbers were slightly down as a senior (27.5 ppg, 6.5 apg), Farmar was still among the country's best, and earned McDonald's All-American and second-team ParadeAll-American honors. Lightning-quick, Ware was a three-time all-city performer and could bomb from NBA 3-point range even though the shot was only worth two. 2022 Top Basketball Recruits in California - 247Sports One of the greatest athletes to come out of the San Fernando Valley, Farmar attended Taft High, where he scored more than 2,000 points in just two varsity seasons. 20. Tayshaun Prince (Dominguez, Compton) 98 Was that player that good compared to the ones from just last year? A street-court star, Lewis averaged 24 points and was a second-team ParadeAll-American at Verbum Dei, the Catholic school where he was known for his tremendous ball-handling abilities that helped it win three California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section titles (before the state champions were recognized). "I can't give him enough credit," said former Manual Arts coach Reggie Morris, Sr. "He lingered in the Drew League for years.". His career has been decorated with honors and championships. April 21, 2023 9:00 AM. His scoring averages were 34.1, 29.3, and 29.7 his final three years, leading the nation each season. In stark contrast to many playground legends, Lee was obsessed with playing in the NBA. Ed OBannon (Artesia, Lakewood) 90 High school basketball nears the end of the 2023 season, with many states already crowning champions. Top 6 California high school basketball players of all time Explosive guard didnt play his last year for CIF program, but did enough in first three years to knock off Brandon Jennings (who went out of state two years). Big weather shift headed to California. 17. A former Drew League MVP, Brunner also won L.A. NBA Summer Pro League honors in '05 and will tell you exactly what his status is as a Cali legend. Baron Davis (Crossroads, Santa Monica) 97 The younger brother of two-time first-team All-Metro player Drew Gordon, the 6-foot-7 forward was best known for highlight-reel dunks that didnt tell the whole story. Donald Strong Sean Higgins (Fairfax, Los Angeles) 87 So I would give Stanley the edge. The problem was Works seemed to care about basketball as much one does a pimple. Dont forget to follow Mark on the Cal-Hi Sports Twitter handle: @CalHiSports. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Hank Luisetti .. of Galieo High School and Stanford James Hardy Apart from making his presence felt in the NBA, Paul George also played a key role in helping the United States men's national basketball team win Olympic gold in the 2016 Summer Olympics held at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Beaumont, CA), Dublin Considered the best high school guard in SoCal over the past 40 years, Lewis was the youngest player ever drafted and signed when he left Cal-St. LA after his sophomore season. United States. Kevin Johnson (Sacramento) 83 3. Why? Johnson went on to become a five-time NBA All-Star and had his No. Goodrich, California's Mr. Basketball in 1961, would eventually have his jersey retired by the school. The seniors once played for the same middle school team, with two Bishop O'Dowd girls basketball stars and all will be playing college ball. Ranking McDonald's top 35 - ESPN 18. William Theodore Walton III, popularly known as Bill Walton, is a former basketball player. Jason Kapono (Artesia, Lakewood) 99 Roy Hamilton (Verbum Dei, Los Angeles) 75 MaxPreps is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. California's top high school boys basketball players: Meet the In addition to playing for Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA, Lillard is devoted to music and has been creating life-inspired songs under his rap persona, Dame D.O.L.L.A. "No one knew who he was, but he was great," said Reggie Morris, Sr., then a UC-Irvine assistant. Another South Central product, Davis prepped at Crossroads, the prominent private high school in Santa Monica. We didnt have to wonder about him going to the NBA straight from high school because the two-time Mr. Basketball was the No. Find out where your Steve Thompson (Crenshaw, Los Angeles) 86 , This list is so flawed!!! It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Our experts predict every series, Liverpool rescue three points, chase top-four finish after surviving epic Spurs comeback, Jets' Aaron Rodgers expects a 'heaven' and 'hell' relationship with Zach Wilson, XFL semifinals: Defenders roll Sea Dragons, set up title showdown with Renegades, Song punishes Simon in one-sided TKO victory, Memphis wasn't 'fine in the West' -- getting there hinges on massive culture questions, Why the Lakers' real test begins now, after dispatching the No. basketball player March 9, 2023 7:11 pm ET. Correct, Im not old enough to see Walton in HS and Mark didnt have a chance to as a teenager/kid. When Pierce's senior season concluded, he averaged 27 points and 11 assists, was named California's Mr. Basketball and honored as a McDonald's All-American. He was probably the Mr. Basketball favorite going in, but didnt even make first five all-state. Eugene Wright, 'It's going to be epic': Stephen Curry and LeBron James face off -- again, Panthers in awe after ousting 'unbelievable' Bruins, Kraken win 1st playoff series, oust champion Avs, Curry sets G7 record with 50 as Dubs move on, Bergeron undecided on future after B's stunner, Harper may return Tue., 160 days post-TJ surgery, Grizz's Brooks doesn't regret verbal jab at LeBron, LB Barrett's 2-year-old daughter drowns in pool, Griner: 1st practice 'everything I wanted it to be', Which teams will reach the NBA conference finals? The 10-time NBA All-Star was also named the NBA Finals MVP in 2008. O'Bannon won another championship, of the national variety, at UCLA in 1995, when he was the Wooden Award winner and Final Four Most Outstanding Player. For my last spot it was between the Big O and Ivan Rabb of Bishop ODowd. From the San Pedro projects, Naulls was a standout football player at San Pedro High School, but basketball would be his future. Jeremy Lin (Palo Alto) 06 Jalen Green (San Joaquin Memorial, Fresno) 20 Ernest Lee (Kennedy, Sacramento) 82 If a player isnt listed, its likely just because we didnt get to see that player in a game. Outfielder Cody Nowlin was the teams top all-state player (he batted .417), but sophomore Chris Patrick had the best batting average at .463. Prepping in the shadows of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum at Manual Arts, Polee was California's Mr. Basketball and a third-team ParadeAll-American in 1981. Who was the Coasts best girls basketball player during the 2022-23 season? Im sure if Id have seen those guys play in person, theyd be on the list. 9 3 1. Gordon was also a big winner in high school. Davey Fortson (Northridge, CA), Southern California Academy Arron Afflalo (Centennial, Compton) 04 Naturally gifted, it seemed Miner could do anything on the court. Matt Beauswaert ( (Notre Dame) was McKnight first star. Ware was a JUCO All-American and finished at Loyola Marymount, but his college accolades pale in comparison to his street credibility. Wasnt Ricky Price a more highly regarded talent coming out of high school than Paul Pierce? Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. USA Today also ranked Westchester the country's No. High school basketball: Every national player Russell graduated from McClymonds-Oakland in 1952 after playing only a year and a half. There wasn't much Adams couldn't do on the basketball court. 10 of 10. Hes Seen (As HS Talents) 1. Marco Fleming A first-team ParadeAll-American and McDonald's All-American, DeRozan starred at USC, then the NBA, where he earned a sixth All-Star nod with the Chicago Bulls in 2023. "If there would have been a 3-point line" Derrick Martin (St. Anthony, Long Beach) 88 DeRozan is proof that great high school basketball players from Compton don't have to attend Dominguez. But as underclassmen, yes Ricky was more highly-regarded. At the 2008 McDonald's All-American game, Holiday posted 14 points, five rebounds and five steals. As a junior, the stellar point guard, complete with substance and splash, helped Crossroads win the Southern Section Division. Edgar Lacey A four-time All-Star and six-time All-Defensive Team member, Kawhi Leonard has helped two teams win NBA championships while earning the Finals Most Valuable Player award on both THE occasions. He has played for numerous teams in his career, the Beijing Ducks of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) being the latest. 23 retired. DeMar DeRozan is an American basketball player who currently plays for the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA. 1 Justices went 28-0, captured Class 2 state title and notched big wins over Columbus and Wheeler. 1. Dwain Bradberry "I consider myself 1A with Ray Lew (Raymond Lewis)." (Stevenson Ranch, CA), Harvard Westlake "Jumpin" Joe Caldwell, Fremont (Los Angeles) '60 Johnson was all-city for the Pilots and finished at Arizona State, in between winning a JUCO national title at College of Southern Idaho, where locals still marvel at his legendary leaping feats. This clearly was a list of guys weve seen play and not a list of great players. Back of photo has date 03/21/1934. Essentially all of Goodrich's basketball success was contained to the Los Angeles area. Some might not rank Klay that high as a high school player, but for a lot of us in NorCal we didnt see him play until that state final vs. Sac High when he set a state title game record with seven 3-pointers and scored 37 points. Ryan Anderson (Oak Ridge, El Dorado Hills) 06 After three quarters of the 1992 D1 state final, Jason had outscored the other team by himself and that team was Mater Dei (Santa Ana). O'Bannon never enjoyed extended success in the NBA, but the road getting there was pretty special. (Corona, CA), Sierra Canyon (Carmichael, CA), San Ysidro Most would say Marques Johnson is the best player ever from Crenshaw, but neither Ronnie or myself were able to see him play. John Williams (Crenshaw, Los Angeles) 84 wine startup leaves customers with thousands of Two more S.F. Photo: Twitter.com. 22. Klay Thompson (Santa Margarita, Rancho SM) 08 Photo: lsusports.net. Follow your favorite high school teams and players, Explore and purchase photos of your local teams, See top plays & highlights of the best high school sports, Top 10 Basketball Plays of the Week // Week 2. 7. One of the nation's top high school players in a legendary class, Staggers is in a class by himself at Venice Beach. One year later, Harden averaged 18.8 points and nearly eight rebounds while leading Artesia to a 33-1 record and state championship. During his junior season, Farmar averaged 28.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 4.5 steals. They all take a backseat to the father of Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) standout Nick Johnson and younger brother of NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Johnson. There would be huge crowds to see him. Demetrius "Hook" Mitchell, McClymonds (Oakland) '86 As he matured, he became a complete player, one that younger players emulated because of his great scoring, jumping and defensive ability. Reggie Theus 22 on Slam Magazine's list of greatest dunkers. That changed when he improved his game under the tutelage of legendary L.A. basketball figure Joe Weakley at L.A. Southwest College. Killum grew up on the tough streets of Watts, but he won over teammates with his leadership and classmates with his wit. WebFinal MaxPreps Top 25: John Marshall No. Beats out a few at the bottom of this list because his defense complimented his offense so well. Gilbert Arenas (Grant, Van Nuys) 99 Jerry "The Assassin" Dupree I thought Paul Pierce was better in high school than Ricky Price. Central Sections best since the Pondexter brothers at San Joaquin Memorial, Stevenson was a man among boys well known since the 7th grade. A six-time NBA All-Star, Paul George has been an important player in the NBA for the last decade or so. Freeman Williams, Manual Arts (Los Angeles) '74 Stanley Johnson (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) 14 How do you guys not have Gerald Walker (Hayward) on either of your lists?!? One of the states smoothest scorers ever, Mills had a NBA-ready game in high school.

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