He was a four-year star for the Dons and capped his career with two state titles. His body control and command of the game were second to none en route to three CIF state titles. On the other, Aaron is higher. Dwight Slaughter 14. Caldwell was known as "Jumpin' Joe" on the playgrounds of L.A. and "Pogo Joe" in the pros. The 10-time NBA All-Star was also named the NBA Finals MVP in 2008. After being kicked off the team at Kentucky for allegedly taking payments from a booster, Mills landed at Arizona, where he was the Pac-10 Player of the Year in 1993. The unanimous best player was former St. Joseph-Alameda, Cal and NBA point guard Jason Kidd. Paul dont count. SportsLine. By the time he played one season for Jerry Tarkanian, he was already a legend at Rogers Park in Inglewood, and even turned out the Drew League one year playing left-handed because of a bum shoulder. 11. Predictions, analysis ahead of Warriors-Kings Game 7, Stanford preschool teacher held on suspicion of murder, Warriors crush Kings 120-100 as Steph Curry scores Game 7-record 50 points. He did see Crenshaws John Williams in the season before that. The best high school basketball teams of all time had some of the game's greatest players. Luckett holds the state record for non-prep school He can be reached atronlocc1977@gmail.com. He was so fast, could jump out of the building and just rip the ball away from other players. Feel free to add any Bear freshmen, NBA rookies, or California alumni missing from the list. Thank You! Michael Knight 22. Muirs Magic is the most exciting player weve seen the past 30 years and one of the brightest, too. (Richmond, CA), Southern California Academy Holiday, whose parents both played college basketball, had already proved himself to be a star prior to his senior campaign, for which he also was named Gatorade National Player of the Year and a first-team ParadeAll-American. 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. (Modesto, CA), Rancho Christian In the NBA, Miner's prowess for showmanship continued by twice winning the league's Slam Dunk Contest (1993, '95). He took his own life in 1994, at age 30, by jumping from a bridge. Guy "The Fly" Williams 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. Michael "The Exterminator" Tate He completely dominated the game at this level, and helped Crenshaw win the 1983 state championship. He has played for numerous teams in his career, the Beijing Ducks of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) being the latest. At Haas Pavilion, Cal. Rick Suter. Maurice "Mo" Spillers, Locke (Los Angeles) '92 At one time during the 1980s, the all-time leading scorer in the state was Brian Clark of Mililani with 1,093 points. For one list Stanley is higher. Chris Mills (Fairfax, Los Angeles) 88 19. Archbishop Mitty's Aaron Gordon, center, goes to the basket against Mater Dei at the CIF State Basketball Championships March 23, 2013 in Sacramento, California. There wasn't much Adams couldn't do on the basketball court. Kennedy went on to Nevada-Reno, but got his big break at L.A.'s Bel-Air Park when he tried out for the AND 1 Mix-Tape Tour in 2001. Brunner ran the point for 137 games at Dominguez, and the Dons won 123 of them. He regularly puts up 25 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks without even playing a full game.. By Scott Watkins. Right IconThis ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet. One year later, Harden averaged 18.8 points and nearly eight rebounds while leading Artesia to a 33-1 record and state championship. The key to his game is his ability to score from nearly any angle and spot on the floor. Ransom never lost that street flair to his game in the Pac-8 and was even offered a contract by the Harlem Globetrotters. Gerald Walker With Cal-Hi Sports having a history of more than 40 years and with these types of lists gaining in popularity during the current COVID-19 sports shutdown, we thought it would be fun to do it for our own years of covering California high school boys basketball. Dawand Jones weighed 8 pounds, 1 4. WebFinal MaxPreps Top 25: John Marshall No. Luke Walton (University, San Diego) 98 A star in eighth grade. Tayshaun Prince (Dominguez, Compton) 98 Klay Thompson (Santa Margarita, Rancho SM) 08 Former Boston Celtics basketball player Paul Pierce led his team to two NBA Finals and won one NBA championship. The moment that's still talked about came during his team's victorious 1961 Los Angeles City championship, when Goodrich scored 29 points and broke his ankle in the process. Dont forget to follow Mark on the Cal-Hi Sports Twitter handle: @CalHiSports. The girls, Asha Thomas and Aisia Robertson, were so good that they were starters with the Rabb and Austin for the Montera Middle School 8th grade boys basketball team. His career has been decorated with honors and championships. Andrew Gooden (El Cerrito) 99 Shaquille O'Neal named him The Truth.. Stanley Johnson (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) 14 Roy Hamilton (Verbum Dei, Los Angeles) 75 Gordon, the No. He had a great combination of being flashy but controlled while leading the Roadrunners to a state title. If we're ranking these prep players, Williams would likely top this list. Robinson also put in work on the playground and was the first-ever professional draft choice out of Long Beach State. However, a leg injury forced Lacy to redshirt his senior year. California has its fair share of all-time great leapers: Evric Gray (Bloomington), David Whitmore (St. Bernard), Corey Benjamin (Fontana) and (Castaic, CA), Jesuit 23. 1. 6. 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. Kevin Beal John Williams, Crenshaw (Los Angeles) '84 Golden State Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson has won three NBA championships with the team. Woody Sauldsberry Naming the 24 best playground legends from the Golden State didn't seem so difficult at first. Dane Suttle, Sr. This clearly was a list of guys weve seen play and not a list of great players. Was that player that good compared to the ones from just last year? Teamed with Dane Suttle, Sr. to form one of the city's best backcourts ever. Onyeka Okongwu (Chino Hills) 19 He was probably the Mr. Basketball favorite going in, but didnt even make first five all-state. Chuck Hayes (Modesto Christian) 01 Beats out his teammate John Staggers (who didnt play D) and his son Ethan Thompson by winning two CIF D1 crowns. Marco Fleming He was a better offensive player than Kidd who could hit three-pointers, but they didnt have them back then.. Tommie "Tank" Davis Stephon Davis Mike Brown 78 The Best SoCal Hoopers We've Seen w/ Eric Sondheimer, Stephen Thompson & Pooh Jeter. Four state titles in highest classification, he willed Monarchs to final one with skill and IQ. 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? Vote now. Its interesting how players performed or didnt perform after high school can affect this list. "Jumpin" Joey Johnson, Banning (Wilmington) '85 Gilbert Arenas (Grant, Van Nuys) 99 23. Web2023 High School Pos Rankings State Rankings Top247 247Sports Composite Rank Player Pos Ht / Wt Rating Team 1 4 AJ Johnson Southern California Academy (Castaic, Perhaps California's ultimate showman, Ransom thrilled crowds at the old NorCal Tournament of Champions and at Cal's Harmon gym. Unlike King, Cotton didn't develop in an NBA forward, but countless pros, both older and younger than him such as Kevin Garnett, Lamar Odom and Kobe Bryant, have all been subjects in those true tales. Listed in chronological order. Jair Fray Great, legendary players. 17. 21. 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. This list is different than the top 50 we just did of the best football players weve seen in our more than 40 years of doing Cal-Hi Sports in various platforms. Playing for local legend Willie West, Crenshaw went 32-0 during Johnson's final two seasons. That changed when he improved his game under the tutelage of legendary L.A. basketball figure Joe Weakley at L.A. Southwest College. Jason Kidd tops list of Bay Areas all-time basketball team Even though he didn't start for Crenshaw at times, he was city player of the year and averaged 23.8 ppg for a team that spent a majority of the 1987-88 season ranked No. He then averaged 13.3 points in two seasons at UCLA, before winning two NBA championships with his hometown Los Angeles Lakers. We both saw that 1986 D1 state title team and loved what Stevie could do on the court. That season, Polee scored 43 points during Manual Arts' 82-69 victory over Crenshaw in the City championship game that reportedly drew more than 14,000 at the nearby Los Angeles Sports Arena. USA Today also ranked Westchester the country's No. DeShawn Stevenson (Washington, Easton) 00 Kenny Brunner (Dominguez, Compton) 97 Then, he was a five-time NBA All-Star and helped the Los Angeles Lakers win the 1972 title. Freeman Williams, Manual Arts (Los Angeles) '74 (Napa, CA), Centennial WebNBA & ABA Players Who Attended High School in California. (San Juan Capistrano, CA), Monterey Trail Kanon Catchings, Brownsburg, Jr. 10 of 10. Miner could score with finesse and dunk with breath-taking power. We hope you enjoy this free post on CalHiSports.com. 2. (Los Angeles, CA), West Ranch Killum's high school exploits were better known than his playground game, but there's a reason for that. Edgar Lacey Another Crenshaw superstar, Thompson led the Cougars to a pair of state championships during his prep career, and his No. Theus seemed destined for greatness while starring at Inglewood High, just blocks from the famous Great Western Forum (as it was formerly known). "I consider myself 1A with Ray Lew (Raymond Lewis)." Chris Ford The whole list is a farce without Marques Johnson anywhere in sight!!! Ryan Anderson (Oak Ridge, El Dorado Hills) 06 Hey sports fans please dont forget about the greatest shooter of all time in the great Raymond Lewis from Verbum Dei. SMH DO BETTER!!!! Who is the best California Golden Bear ever? Silas scored 24 points in his first game as a sophomore and never looked back, averaging 30 points and about half that many rebounds. John CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Southern California Academy At Carson, he capped a memorable senior season by leading the Colts to the Div. 18. Phil Chenier Dominguez went 123-14 during Brunner's prep tenure, which included third-team ParadeAll-American honors. Gary Payton (Skyline, Oakland) 86 Ronnie wasnt born yet and I was just starting high school when Marques was at Crenshaw. (Los Angeles, CA), Capistrano Valley Christian School Sam Robinson, Jefferson (Los Angeles) '66 That same season, Vaughn dished out 13 assists to earn MVP honors at the McDonald's All-American game. One of the states smoothest scorers ever, Mills had a NBA-ready game in high school. 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. 17. Tommie Lipsey Lawrence "Camel" West Sam Martin Other states, like Texas, California and Florida, etc., had state record books compiled by independent sources. Photos: Cal-Hi Sports archives & BallisLife.com. 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. 22. One of the few players who was an all-star in the ABA and NBA, Caldwell led Fremont to back-to-back city titles and was the city player of the year in 1960, pumping in 24.8 ppg. Best shooter of this group was underrated in other areas and earned everything that came his way after early injury scare. Mick McCabe's journalism career at the Free Press turned 50 on Wednesday. Got it done by leading the Dragons to NorCals only CIF crown in the Open Division era. 19. Ivan Rabb has led Bishop O'Dowd to a second state Open Division title game. He was part of the United States national team that won the gold medal at the London 2012 Summer Olympics. 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. Wasnt Ricky Price a more highly regarded talent coming out of high school than Paul Pierce? Wish I had room for both. 1 football player, D.J. For my last spot it was between the Big O and Ivan Rabb of Bishop ODowd. Scored 50 in semifinal, and won back-to-back CCS titles. 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. MaxPreps is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. E-mail: vtafur@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @VicTafur. I thought Paul Pierce was better in high school than Ricky Price. photo ran 09/29/1982 "No one knew who he was, but he was great," said Reggie Morris, Sr., then a UC-Irvine assistant. A prep teammate of Hassan Adams at Westchester, Ariza was California's Mr. Basketball in 2003, marking the first time since 1971 and '72 that different players from the same school San Joaquin Memorial's Cliff and Roscoe Pondexter took home the honor in back-to-back seasons. Cleveland "Pete" McKinney Mark goes back to Bill Cartwright of Elk Grove in the 1974-75 school year and remembers going to an all-star game at Memorial Auditorium in Sacramento in 1975 in which many of those from the states legendary Class of 1975 played. The 1988 Carlisle High team featured one of the greatest high Dynamic wing player stays No. Jacque Vaughn (Muir, Pasadena) 93 And besides all the great dunks, he also blocked shots and was one of the best rebounders in the state.. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Jason Kapono (Artesia, Lakewood) 99 7. Tyson Chandler (Dominguez, Compton) 01 Copyright 2023 YB Media, LLC. Jason Kidd (St. Joseph, Alameda) 92. 1 for me from CIF Central Section, but this wouldnt count Jalen Greens year at Prolific Prep. Arkansas School for the Deaf (Little Rock), Devils Lake/North Dakota School for the Deaf, Top 50 high school quarterbacks of all time, Top 50 high school football dynasties of all time, Top 50 high school running backs of all time, Top 50 high school football defensive players of all time, Five most dominant high school athletes in New Jersey history, Five most dominant high school athletes in Michigan history, Five most dominant high school athletes in California history, Five most dominant high school athletes in Utah history. (Stevenson Ranch, CA), Harvard Westlake Shaun Pennington To compile the All-Time Bay Area High School Basketball Team, The Chronicle surveyed a wide range of sports experts (some who requested anonymity), including former NBA players Jason Kidd, Greg Foster, Gary Payton and Antonio Davis, Cal-Hi Sports founder Mark Tennis, MaxPreps national high school columnist Mitch Stephens, bayareasportsstars.com editor Chris Rogers and longtime journalist Dave Newhouse. Baron Davis (Crossroads, Santa Monica) 97 Eldridge Hudson (Carson) 82 Lew Alcindor, Power Memorial, Manhattan, NY. 5. Hes just smooth, said Riordan coach Rich Buckner, whose team lost to ODowd 59-41 this season. I guess nobody saw Walton. After his NBA career, Williams put in work in various summer pro leagues and won multiple Drew League titles. From there, Vaughn went to Kansas, where he won Big Eight Player of the Year in 1996, and had his No. Jason Kidd (St. Joseph, Alameda) 92 A slashing point guard, Gumby left Santa Monica JC as its all-time leading scorer. He was a star captain, known for his left-handed shooting touch, and earned legendary status at Poly High in the Valley. (Riverside, CA), Notre Dame 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. Just a delight to watch and a delight to coach for Tim Kennedy and NorCals most dominant talent since 2000. He was a two-time ParadeAll-American, including a first-team selection as a senior in 1992-93. A cinch Mr. Basketball pick if not for Lonzo Ball, the talented forward might be San Diegos best since Bill Walton. The Register's 50 greatest Iowa high school volleyball players of all time LISA BECKER, C.R. Bishop ODowd-Oakland center/power forward Ivan Rabb made a late run, and is still making it as he plays for a state title Saturday night at Cals Haas Pavilion. Payton was a near-miss on the first- and second-team ballots, as voters focused exclusively on high school accomplishments and not what players went on to do. Harold "Baby Jordan" Miner, Inglewood (Inglewood) '89 Sean Higgins (Fairfax, Los Angeles) 87 While Rabb made the Chronicles second-team, Buckner also played against another person on his ballot Kidd. WebHere is our list of the best prep players from L.A. (Los Angeles County, to be more specific). He later also played for teams such as the Los Angeles Clippers. All rights reserved. In addition to Cartwright playing for a group of California all-stars vs. all-stars from the rest of the nation were Roy Hamilton, David Greenwood, Reggie Theus, James Hardy & Bill Laimbeer. He left high school at 6-foot-8 and weighing more than 230 pounds. I state title as a sophomore. 14. 23. Taylor King was named Mr. Basketball over James. Leaf (Foothill Christian, El Cajon) 16 T.J. The best part about writing up a list of the best players to have been seen in a long period of time is that the only debate is with ones own memory.
