"If there would have been a 3-point line" Cherokee Parks (Marina, Huntington Beach) 91 Aaron Gordon (Archbishop Mitty, San Jose) 13 24. In the NBA, Miner's prowess for showmanship continued by twice winning the league's Slam Dunk Contest (1993, '95). With a rock solid physique and an unstoppable pull-up jumper, Williams is one of the greatest shooters in playground history. If a player isnt listed, its likely just because we didnt get to see that player in a game. At Compton High, DeRozan was a four-year varsity standout, hitting the ground running by averaging 26.1 points and 8.4 rebounds as a freshman. Many of our panelists had a hard time deciding on 10 players, and several re-voted a time or two before the story went to press. And besides all the great dunks, he also blocked shots and was one of the best rebounders in the state.. (Harbor City, CA), Rancho Verde Chris Ford Jrue Holiday (Campbell Hall, North Hollywood) 08 Paul Caldwell Edgar Lacey "He could catch and shoot, off the dribble and stop on a dime," said Reggie Morris, Sr., then a young Manual Arts assistant. 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). "He was such a physical presencea guard couldn't play him on the perimeter," said former Banning all-state guard Eric Cooper Sr. "It would be like a two guard matching up with LeBron James." Gerald Walker Changed the game with running one-handed shots. 25. Dont forget to follow him on Twitter:@RonMFlores, Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. His scoring averages were 34.1, 29.3, and 29.7 his final three years, leading the nation each season. 1. Stanley Johnson (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) 14 No Stais Boseman or Elden Campbell. Polytechnic Highschool is a really good school when it comes to giving school students a variety of opportunities. The three-time Chronicle Metro Player of the Year led Mitty to Division II state titles in 2011 and 2012 and a Northern California crown in 2013. 6-8 / 190. Central Sections best since the Pondexter brothers at San Joaquin Memorial, Stevenson was a man among boys well known since the 7th grade. Fabian Nixon The second-team Parade All-American then spent a single season at UCLA, where he averaged 11.6 points and 8.4 assists before embarking on an 18-year NBA career. An accomplished player on all levels, he's a legend at Rogers Park and Venice Beach. A six-time NBA All-Star, Paul George has been an important player in the NBA for the last decade or so. There were times the all-state guard got the best of pros, and he continued to flourish at Moorpark JC and New Mexico State, where he led the nation in assists as a senior. Yes, but he also was only a part-time starter as a sophomore at Canyon Springs. 2. He did see Crenshaws John Williams in the season before that. Lonzo Ball (Chino Hills) 16 All of our state class by class player rankings, final team rankings for more than 40 years and all of our recently updated all-time state records (team & individual) are for Gold Club members only. One of the best to ever play for the famed school was Brunner, who during the mid-to-late 1990s was considered to be the best point guard in the country. As a senior, Murray averaged a remarkable 44.3 points, and dropped 64 in a losing effort during the CIF Site D-II championship game. He left high school at 6-foot-8 and weighing more than 230 pounds. Davey Fortson That's what hoop gurus that watched Hudson play in high school. Earnest "Worm" Killum, Jr., Lynwood (Lynwood) '90 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 took his own life in 1994, at age 30, by jumping from a bridge. Muirs Magic is the most exciting player weve seen the past 30 years and one of the brightest, too. Taylor King beat him out for Mr. Basketball (career achievement), but Harden was as good an offensive playmaker as anyone to come down pike. O'Bannon never enjoyed extended success in the NBA, but the road getting there was pretty special. An all-around talented athlete, Lacy could do it all on the court as a prep star, and that ultimately led him to UCLA. Each year the California Mr. Basketball award is given to the person chosen as the best high school boys basketball player in the U.S. state of California. DeRozan is proof that great high school basketball players from Compton don't have to attend Dominguez. FeaturingAll-Americans, players in the NBA, and school legends who had their jerseys retired, the top players from University of California, Berkeleymen's basketball team history include Jason Kidd, Kevin Johnson, Jaylen Brown, and Ryan Anderson. 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. 3 Long Beach State is still spoken of with detail as if it happened yesterday. Jair Fray Nicknamed the Claw for his amazing ball-hawking skills, Leonard is known for his quiet demeanor off-court. Ricky Price and Paul Pierce are not in the same class. Each voter selects first, second, and third place votes. State Junior of the Year for 2006 was on such a balanced team at Artesia that it kept his stats lower than they probably would have been elsewhere. In the 2017-18 NCAA Division I mens basketball season, the Cal Bears roster has the starting five: Darius McNeill, Juhwan Harris-Dyson, Justice Sueing, Marcus Lee, and Kingsley Okoroh.Vote up the ones you think are the greatest UC Berkeleybasketball players in Golden Bears history. Big shift in weather is headed to California. Jalen Green (San Joaquin Memorial, Fresno) 20 Like Pistol Pete, Ransom may have been a bit ahead of his time as a ball-handler and shot-maker, but he never forgot the object of the game: winning Johnson was born in Louisiana, but eventually moved to Los Angeles, where he was the first true superstar at mighty Crenshaw High School. The key to his game is his ability to score from nearly any angle and spot on the floor. Taylor King (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) 07 Saw him at least once in all four of his prep seasons and just so unique in his skills, body type and overall presence. In 1977, he helped the Portland Trail Blazers win an NBA championship and won another NBA championship in 1986 while playing for the Boston Celtics. Even though Mitchell spent quite a bit of the past 10 years incarcerated, his reputation is as big as any outside of New York City. After his NBA career, Williams put in work in various summer pro leagues and won multiple Drew League titles. Paul Pierce (Inglewood) 95 Emailed daily. Gilbert Arenas (Grant, Van Nuys) 99 J.C. Gipson Harold Miner (Inglewood) 89 Walter Ned 8. If this Elite 24 group was ranked based on high school dominance, Williams would be near the top. Kevin "Bean" Bradley He also served as head coach at Cal State L.A. and, as of the 2022-23 season, was an assistant coach at Oregon State. A teammate of the aforementioned Jacque Vaughn at Kansas, Pierce ended up in Lawrence thanks to a stellar career at Inglewood High, which retired his No. 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. Big weather shift headed to California. Paul dont count. Thompson played collegiately at Syracuse, then in the CBA and briefly in the NBA. Catalyst in making the Dons a national program sported 123-14 record and was never mentally beat by anyone. 24. 20. He was a one-man show, said Dave Newhouse, a longtime Oakland Tribune columnist and Bay Area sportswriter for 47 years. From there, Vaughn went to Kansas, where he won Big Eight Player of the Year in 1996, and had his No. If ODowd wins a state title, Id put Rabb right behind Kidd and Gordon based on his sheer dominance of the game for three years, said Mitch Stephens, a Chronicle correspondent who is a MaxPreps national columnist and has been covering Bay Area high schools for 30 years. 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? Here is our list of the best prep players from L.A. (Los Angeles County, to be more specific). William Theodore Walton III, popularly known as Bill Walton, is a former basketball player. Perhaps the least-known player on Cali's Elite 24 list, Works' basketball career is a bit of a mystery. This clearly was a list of guys weve seen play and not a list of great players. Both Ronnie and Mark do agree on one thing: Jason Kidd is the best player from California in the last 40 years. John Brodie was Bay Area through and through. Hank Luisetti .. of Galieo High School and Stanford has one of the most spectacular sites in the world, but its often Dynasty on the ropes? He loves music and has collaborated with the rapper MC Jin on the single "The First Opponent.". 11 retired. 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. We both saw that 1986 D1 state title team and loved what Stevie could do on the court. Oh, if it weren't for injury. (Modesto, CA), Rancho Christian Stunning his fans with his precise shooting abilities, 33 points per game average and five NBA All-Star selections, Damian Lillard has only kept rising in his career as a professional basketball player. 12. Reggie Theus This is our first mention of Southern California prep basketball powerhouse Dominguez High School, located in Compton. 10. By the time he had graduated, Davis was California's Mr. Basketball, first-team Parade All-American, the Gatorade National Player of the Year and a McDonald's All-American. Ivan Rabb has led Bishop O'Dowd to a second state Open Division title game. Drew Pagano (Webster Schroeder): The senior pole leads Section V with 37 takeaways and its not even close. He earned his nickname from his good friend and Chaffey College running mate Reggie Cotton because his moves, especially his "Rob K Cross," were so sick (meaning good). Teamed with Dane Suttle, Sr. to form one of the city's best backcourts ever. Teammate Greg Foster got a lot of honors as well, but Payton had those great hands. 4. 1 in the nation. Jason Kidd tops list of Bay Areas all-time basketball team Bishop O'Dowd basketball phenoms, Ivan Rabb, left and Paris Austin, right, stretching at the school's gym in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, March 19, 2015. Robin "Syk Wit It" Kennedy, Lynwood Aventist (Lynwood) '92 As a junior, he averaged 28.0 points, then 34.0 during another stellar season as a senior, when he was also named 4-A City Player of the Year and was a second-team ParadeAll-American selection. Scattered showers, thunderstorms and steam fog. DeShon Brown Complete package of talent, skill and the burning desire to win, with results. The Greatest California Basketball Players of All Time. Norman "Doc" Shavers 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. Killum's high school exploits were better known than his playground game, but there's a reason for that. We hope you enjoy this free post on CalHiSports.com. Russell Brown (Sudan, SUDA), St. Augustine "I can't give him enough credit," said former Manual Arts coach Reggie Morris, Sr. "He lingered in the Drew League for years.". Ricky Hawthorne Paul had a terrific senior year and left no doubt he was the best player on the West Coast. These lists feature the best college basketball programs, as well as some that are knocking on the door of earning college basketball blue blood status. From the heart of Los Angeles and Jefferson High School, Lacy was the city's top player and California's Mr. Basketball in 1963. 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. The legend of "Hook" first grew at Mack, where he teamed up with Antonio Davis in OAL battles with Skyline's Gary Payton and Greg Foster. Winters Patterson Robinson also put in work on the playground and was the first-ever professional draft choice out of Long Beach State. Woody Sauldsberry 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. 13. Another South Central product, Davis prepped at Crossroads, the prominent private high school in Santa Monica. Eric Saulny SoCals best all-around player ever. Honors. His body control and command of the game were second to none en route to three CIF state titles. The 1988 Carlisle High team featured one of the greatest high Gene Ransom, Berkeley (Berkeley) '75 He had a quiet 20 and 12 against us.. Accolades. Chris Hernandez (Clovis West, Fresno) 01 (Santa Monica, CA), Fairfax Senior Listed in chronological order. Lee attended Clark (Atlanta, Ga.) when the coach at that Div. Biloxis Shaneal Corpuz By clicking "Accept," you agree to our use of cookies and our, Ep. For subscription info, CLICK HERE. 7. Ransom never lost that street flair to his game in the Pac-8 and was even offered a contract by the Harlem Globetrotters. Silas, meanwhile, was just plain strong. I called up some buddies of mine to get their list, and were going to be talking about it for a while., Vic Tafur is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Harold "Baby Jordan" Miner, Inglewood (Inglewood) '89 California basketball fans, were ranking the best California Bears of all-time. These include Russell Westbrook, Damian Lillard, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, LaMelo Ball and others. His No. Jumpin Joe Caldwell (Fremont), Billie The Hill McGill (Jefferson), Gail Goodrich (Polytechnic) for fun. Caldwell was known as "Jumpin' Joe" on the playgrounds of L.A. and "Pogo Joe" in the pros. The panel of 20 voters included former players, former and current high school and college coaches, and members of the media. John Wooden (Martinsville), Oscar Robertson (Indianapolis Crispus Attucks), Steve Alford (New Castle Chrysler) and Rick Mount (Lebanon) rank among Indiana's best prep players ever. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. He still puts in work overseas and when he's ballin' at Venice, HAX, or the Drew League, people know who he is now. By then, stories told of his performances on playgrounds and gyms across the country were already legendary. By Johnson's admission, Lee was the superior talent. Kind of the boys hoops version of our No. Tracy Murray (Glendora) 89 Averaged 30 points a game, won three Tournament of Champions titles from 1958-60. The 1972-73 season concluded with Johnson averaging 26.4 points and 18 rebounds to be named Los Angeles City Section 4-A Division Player of the Year. Ernest Killum (Lynwood) 90 The 6-foot-11 Rabb also doesnt get into foul trouble and can make free throws. 20. 4 NBA draft pick whos a rookie for the Orlando Magic, could play in any era. Are there better players among Cali's Elite 24? 21 retired by Dominguez in January 2023. John Williams (Crenshaw, Los Angeles) 84 Yes, those were two awesome freshmen on that Chino Hills team, but Lonzos senior year play on that squad was unforgettable. Ed OBannon (Artesia, Lakewood) 90 Freeman Williams, Manual Arts (Los Angeles) '74 Mick McCabe's journalism career at the Free Press turned 50 on Wednesday. By Scott Watkins. Phil Chenier A player receives five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote, and one point for a third-place vote. Kevin Johnson (Sacramento) 83 United States. Then, he was a five-time NBA All-Star and helped the Los Angeles Lakers win the 1972 title. He was a better offensive player than Kidd who could hit three-pointers, but they didnt have them back then.. Gray wasn't always eligible to play for the Comets, but he capped his prep career with a 27-point, 16-rebound performance in a 4A city title win over Crenshaw. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Beats out his teammate John Staggers (who didnt play D) and his son Ethan Thompson by winning two CIF D1 crowns. 2022: Consensus All-American (School's first-ever DB to do so) 2022: Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year 2022: Jim Thorpe Award finalist (best DB in FBS) You can now join for one-month rate of just $3.99. California has produced a number of Basketball Players who have made it big.
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