The offense wasnt in his game yet, but he was a phenomenal defender/shot blocker and we were blown away how he handled everything he went through in his junior year. Golden State Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson has won three NBA championships with the team. 2. There wasn't much Adams couldn't do on the basketball court. Harold Miner (Inglewood) 89 (Simi Valley, CA), Heritage Christian Always talented, he took off at Pac Shores Tourney his junior year and never looked back. In stark contrast to many playground legends, Lee was obsessed with playing in the NBA. Arron Afflalo (Centennial, Compton) 04 Photo: lsusports.net. Paul Pierce (Inglewood) 95 2023 NFL Draft grades: Why Devon Witherspoon going to 2022 Top Basketball Recruits in California - 247Sports 15. Silas, meanwhile, was just plain strong. California has its fair share of all-time great leapers: Evric Gray (Bloomington), David Whitmore (St. Bernard), Corey Benjamin (Fontana) and His No. Some states, such as Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, etc., had state record books compiled by the state association. Chris Sandle (Poly, Long Beach) 84 Also Verbum Dei greats such as Cliff Pruit and Kenny Fields should be added to your list. May be greatest player ever to come out of S.F. (Harbor City, CA), Rancho Verde Despite an injury wiping out his freshman season, the 6-foo7 Murray still scored 3,053 points the most in California prep history at the time. The way he ran the floor and attacked the basket was special. We just want some real inglewood love. All-Time Best Baseball Teams (1 Katie Antony is the all-time leading scorer in high school girls basketball history for 5-on-5 basketball (girls used to play 6-on-6). 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 But as underclassmen, yes Ricky was more highly-regarded. Jerry "Money" Chambers Ricky Price and Paul Pierce are not in the same class. Wasnt Ricky Price a more highly regarded talent coming out of high school than Paul Pierce? Billy "The Hill" McGill Dont forget to follow Mark on the Cal-Hi Sports Twitter handle: @CalHiSports. Thank You! One of the nation's top high school players in a legendary class, Staggers is in a class by himself at Venice Beach. For one list Stanley is higher. Ronnie wasnt born yet and I was just starting high school when Marques was at Crenshaw. King, Riverside) 09 Trevor Ariza (Westchester, Los Angeles) 03 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. 21. The first-team ParadeAll-American then played two seasons at LSU and was a first-round pick of Washington in the 1986 NBA Draft. Gene Ransom, Berkeley (Berkeley) '75 Essentially all of Goodrich's basketball success was contained to the Los Angeles area. 23 was retired. Indiana high school basketball: IndyStar 2022-23 postseason (Sherman Oaks, CA), Prolific Prep Had very strong hands. 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. Teamed with Dane Suttle, Sr. to form one of the city's best backcourts ever. Dynamic wing player stays No. Walter Ned He was so fast, could jump out of the building and just rip the ball away from other players. The late Johnson, on the other hand, was a 6-footer who made his living inside the paint. Zach "Chestnuts" Fray (San Diego, CA), St. Bernard Another South Central product, Davis prepped at Crossroads, the prominent private high school in Santa Monica. Tyson Chandler (Dominguez, Compton) 01 All rights reserved. Dwight Slaughter Taylor King (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) 07 He attended six different schools in six years, ending up at UC-Irvine, where he did not finish the 1980-81 season. (San Jose, CA), George Washington Preparatory He wasn't L.A.'s best high school basketball during his years at Inglewood, but Miner certainly left an impression on his peers and area youth at the time. He went for 28 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists in the regional title game over archrival Banning. Marvin Bagley 3 ended up being one and done at Duke with big numbers and and the #2 NBA draft pick but only 2 years in California with no championships. Robin "Syk Wit It" Kennedy, Lynwood Aventist (Lynwood) '92 Killum's high school exploits were better known than his playground game, but there's a reason for that. Lawrence Williams Best "Wonderous" Willie Wise Then it was off to the NBA, where Pierce was a 10-time All-Star and helped the Boston Celtics win the 2008 championship. Goodrich, California's Mr. Basketball in 1961, would eventually have his jersey retired by the school. All rights reserved. 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 6-8 Catchings, a Purdue recruit, is a core Indiana Junior All-Star who averaged 17.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals per "He could catch and shoot, off the dribble and stop on a dime," said Reggie Morris, Sr., then a young Manual Arts assistant. Just unbelievable to watch.. Featuring Hall of Fame greats, superstars, and active players, this list of basketball players who were born in California includes Kawhi Leonard, James 10. Marques Johnson, Crenshaw (Los Angeles) '73 The Iceman is not only the states all-time leading scorer, hes top 15 in rebounding and assists. Her 6,190 point-total includes six Dawand Jones weighed 8 pounds, 1 Gary Payton (Skyline, Oakland) 86 April 21, 2023 9:00 AM. 34. Derrick Martin (St. Anthony, Long Beach) 88 (Napa, CA), Centennial DeShawn Stevenson (Washington, Easton) 00 Kurt Rambis (Cupertino) 76 "Ray Lew" Raymond Lewis, Verbum Dei (Los Angeles) '71 Dwain Bradberry When it came time for college, Miner traveled just a few blocks east to USC, where he was a three-time, first-team All-Pac-10 performer, the league's player of the year in 1992 and had his No. Ware was a JUCO All-American and finished at Loyola Marymount, but his college accolades pale in comparison to his street credibility. Talented forward edges out Modesto Christians Chuck Hayes and St. Joes Ray Young as final NorCal player to make the cut. Web1. Scored 50 in semifinal, and won back-to-back CCS titles. 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. wine startup leaves customers with thousands of Two more S.F. Most would say Marques Johnson is the best player ever from Crenshaw, but neither Ronnie or myself were able to see him play. Schea Cotton is not on this list NOR Corey Benjamin and Olougimi Man. The 1988 Carlisle High team featured one of the greatest high 6-foot big man once received 10-minute standing ovation after Peninsula Invitational Tournament loss. Demetrius "Hook" Mitchell, McClymonds (Oakland) '86 14. 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. 13. best Spillers transferred to Utah State, where he developed as a brute forward with guard skills. You might not agree with the list, but there's no doubt all 24 are well-known and talented players on Califronia's vast playground scene. The streets are where Hook's game thrived, but unfortunately it's the place that has defined his life. Not only the best, but also the most anticipated. 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). Ryan T. Higgins ( ryanthiggins.com) is the author and illustrator of the New York Times best-selling Mother Bruce, which received the E. B. Surpassing the production of the aforementioned Marques Johnson at Crenshaw, Williams was a beast as a teen. He also frequently appears in commercials for brands like Air Jordan. Stanley Johnson dominated Aaron Gordon in the State Final. He was never the same player, but did help Vegas reach the 1987 NCAA Final Four. Best shooter of this group was underrated in other areas and earned everything that came his way after early injury scare. 2005-2023 CBS Interactive. Nathan Bittle Prolific Prep (Napa, CA) James Harden (Artesia, Lakewood) 07 best Caldwell was known as "Jumpin' Joe" on the playgrounds of L.A. and "Pogo Joe" in the pros. Dion Brown 9. Caldwell was the predecessor to Cali's great leapers such as, Darnell Hillman, Joey Johnson and Harold Miner, but his game was complete. Fabian Nixon With a rock solid physique and an unstoppable pull-up jumper, Williams is one of the greatest shooters in playground history. NBA & ABA Players Who Attended High School in California Show/Hide Locations List. Learn more about the author. 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. By Scott Watkins. photo ran 09/29/1982 A two-time prep All-American, Robinson had a reputation that stretched across the country, thanks to Sonny Vaccaro's Dapper Dan Roundball Classic in Pittsburgh, Pa. Back home, the sleek forward was two-time city player of the year and the ringleader of a team that averaged 110.9 points per game in '66, still a state record. (Carmichael, CA), San Ysidro S.F. William Theodore Walton III, popularly known as Bill Walton, is a former basketball player. (Richmond, CA), Southern California Academy Who was the Coasts best girls basketball player during the 2022-23 season? During his junior season, Farmar averaged 28.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 4.5 steals. This Drew League veteran is known nationwide and you can still catch him crossing over defenders up at Venice Beach in the summer. 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. 8. Drafted in the first round of the 1973 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers, Lewis in all likelihood is best player to never play in the NBA. Sam Martin 32 was retired by the school. Teams beat him up with double and triple teams but they still couldnt stop him. WebHere is our list of the best prep players from L.A. (Los Angeles County, to be more specific). 2005-2023 CBS Interactive. 1. (San Diego, CA). Baron "Too Easy" Davis Always free! It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. He went to 3 CIF finals and won 1. The documentary "Raymond Lewis: L.A, Legend" chronicles his life. Photo: Twitter.com. 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. Onyeka Okongwu (Chino Hills) 19 Sam Crawford, Westchester (Los Angeles) '89 14. A slashing point guard, Gumby left Santa Monica JC as its all-time leading scorer. Lee attended Clark (Atlanta, Ga.) when the coach at that Div. John Williams, Crenshaw (Los Angeles) '84 "He drove coaches nuts," said current Chapman College coach Mike Bokosky, who recruited Works to UC-Irvine out of LACC. James "Gumby" Gray, Westchester (Los Angeles) '92 CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Southern California Academy High school Mr. Basketball awards by state, https://web.archive.org/web/20091015072057/http://myespn.go.com/blogs/calhisports/0-6-77/Mr--Basketball-2009--Kawhi-Leonard.html, "Aaron Gordon Bio The University of Arizona Official Athletic Site", "Ryan Anderson Profile BCEAGLES.COM Boston College Official Athletic Site", "Allen Crabbe Profile The University of California Official Athletic Site", "Player Bio: Kawhi Leonard San Diego State University Official Athletic Site", "Player Bio: Jrue Holiday UCLA Official Athletic Site", "Player Bio: Taylor King Villanova University Official Athletic Site", "Player Bio: Chase Budinger University of Arizona Wildcats Official Athletic Site", "DeMarcus Nelson Duke University Blue Devils | Official Athletics Site", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=California_Mr._Basketball&oldid=1146640462, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, 1980 NBA Draft: 4th Rnd, 76th overall by the Indiana Pacers, This page was last edited on 26 March 2023, at 03:02. 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. Outfielder Cody Nowlin was the teams top all-state player (he batted .417), but sophomore Chris Patrick had the best batting average at .463. Accolades. Michael "Mountain Man" Johnson Reggie Theus While Rabb made the Chronicles second-team, Buckner also played against another person on his ballot Kidd. Walter "Chipper" Bentley We've listed the sources for the state record in parenthesis for each state when applicable. After starring at Crenshaw, John Williams went to LSU and in 1986 he led the Tigers to the Final Four. Catalyst in making the Dons a national program sported 123-14 record and was never mentally beat by anyone. Gerald Walker Hes Seen (As HS Talents) 1. "Once in the Best of Summer (AAU tournament), Alonzo Mourning was blocking everyone's shots, except John," said Danny Griffin, who played one year behind him at "The Shaw". Harold "Baby Jordan" Miner, Inglewood (Inglewood) '89 And its ridiculously hard to crack. The unanimous best player was former St. Joseph-Alameda, Cal and NBA point guard Jason Kidd. Some others that perhaps could have been on either list: Hassan Adams (Westchester, Los Angeles) 03` Former Berkeley High shooting guard Phil Chenier, Mitty forward Aaron Gordon, McClymonds Paul Silas and Sequoia-Redwood Citys Charles Johnson round out the starting five. Always wish I had gone with our magazine publisher to meet Paul for a photo shoot during his Inglewood High career. Edgar Lacey Charles OBannon (Artesia, Lakewood) 93 The Best NBA Players From California - Ranker Johnson went on to become a five-time NBA All-Star and had his No. Stevie Thompson (Crenshaw, Los Angeles) 86 Guy "The Fly" Williams Jalen Green (San Joaquin Memorial, Fresno) 20 6. 11. 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. Accolades. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. (Studio City, CA), Modesto Christian Darnell "Dr. Dunk" Hillman, Johnson (Sacramento, Calif.) '67 players "Harold always played pick-up at Rogers, Bel-Air, wherever," said former Crenshaw center Danny Griffin. The epitome of a student-athlete. Don McLean (Simi Valley) 88 Ricky "Tex" Walker (Playa Del Rey, CA), Sierra Canyon Averaged 30 points a game, won three Tournament of Champions titles from 1958-60. Mick McCabe's journalism career at the Free Press turned 50 on Wednesday. United States. Perhaps California's ultimate showman, Ransom thrilled crowds at the old NorCal Tournament of Champions and at Cal's Harmon gym. "Free" averaged 24.6 ppg as a senior for "The Arts", but he turned it out at Portland State, leading the nation in scoring (35.9) as a senior in '78 over some guy named Larry Bird. 4. 19. The first player from Los Angeles, and third overall, to win California Mr. Basketball in 1952. One of the states smoothest scorers ever, Mills had a NBA-ready game in high school. 1 for me from CIF Central Section, but this wouldnt count Jalen Greens year at Prolific Prep. 19. How do you guys not have Gerald Walker (Hayward) on either of your lists?!? Tony Jackson (Bishop ODowd, Oakland) 82 17. Williams is the only ESPNHS National Player of the Year pick from SoCal in the last 40 years. How much did home with views in one of S.F. Honors. 2. He was three-time all-city at Manual Arts and the watershed moment of his career came when he scored 43 points in a 82-69 championship game victory that ended Crenshaw's three-year stranglehold on the title. [1] Many have gone on to play in the NBA. Tommie Lipsey "I consider myself 1A with Ray Lew (Raymond Lewis)." As could all of the players on the second team and the honorable mention list. However, following an ugly contract dispute, he never played in the NBA. Those that saw him play, or played against him, still marvel at just how good he was individually. Killum grew up on the tough streets of Watts, but he won over teammates with his leadership and classmates with his wit. 7. There would be huge crowds to see him. 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. 1 of 25 Willie Naulls, San Pedro, 1952 UCLA Athletic Vernon "Schea" Cotton, St. John Bosco (Bellflower) '97 Top 25 Boys Hoops Players Weve Seen - Cal-Hi Sports Elite 24: Cali playground legends - ESPN Emailed daily. He later also played for teams such as the Los Angeles Clippers. MaxPreps. Jordan Farmar (Taft, Woodland Hills) 04 As a senior, he led the Knights to a 31-3 record and was named Cal-Hi Sports Div. Just a delight to watch and a delight to coach for Tim Kennedy and NorCals most dominant talent since 2000. With his zero-gravity dunks, Baby Jordan is one of the most influential SoCal players of all-time. 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. 0:36. (Modesto, CA), Rancho Christian Brunner ran the point for 137 games at Dominguez, and the Dons won 123 of them. Max Whittaker/Prime / Special to The Chronicle. He led the Sentinels to Bay League championships in 1974 and '75, and averaged 28.5 points and 15.5 boards during his 1974-75 season, when Inglewood reached the semifinals of the 4A CIF state tournament. Meteorologist Gerry Daz provides a timeline-centered outlook for Mays upcoming weather patterns across California, along with some insights into High-flying Jason Kidd (in air) led St. Joseph-Alameda to state championships in 1991 and 92. TK is like in the top 5 in scoring and rebounding all time I believe. Jason Kidd tops list of Bay Areas all-time basketball team The Menlo Park native attended Oakland Tech, Stanford and then quarterbacked for the 49ers. Ricky Hawthorne California has produced a number of Basketball Players who have made it big. Ransom never lost that street flair to his game in the Pac-8 and was even offered a contract by the Harlem Globetrotters. (Beaumont, CA), Dublin WhatIs The Best Team In The NBA Right Now? 2. 22. At Johnson, Hillman was an All-Superior California selection, pumping in 21.1 ppg, but he developed into a valuable defender and shot-blocker in the pros. Ivan Rabb (Bishop ODowd, Oakland) 15 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. Eric "Spinmaster" Holmes At Haas Pavilion, Cal. His two seasons at Contra Costa JC were dunk shows, as was the few games he played for Cal-St. Hayward. Shop. Hey sports fans please dont forget about the greatest shooter of all time in the great Raymond Lewis from Verbum Dei. Taylor King was named Mr. Basketball over James. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. 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. One of the true local L.A. legends. As a standout power forward for Westchester, Ariza delivered a mix of power and grace on the floor. Carl Ray Harris Will Alexander Stacy Augmon (Muir, Pasadena) 86 He then averaged 13.3 points in two seasons at UCLA, before winning two NBA championships with his hometown Los Angeles Lakers. Was that player that good compared to the ones from just last year? California's top high school boys basketball players: Meet the Ed OBannon (Artesia, Lakewood) 90 Chris Hernandez (Clovis West, Fresno) 01 He completely dominated the game at this level, and helped Crenshaw win the 1983 state championship. Johnson was born in Louisiana, but eventually moved to Los Angeles, where he was the first true superstar at mighty Crenshaw High School. 4 NBA draft pick whos a rookie for the Orlando Magic, could play in any era. 17. After his NBA career, Williams put in work in various summer pro leagues and won multiple Drew League titles. Drew Pagano (Webster Schroeder): The senior pole leads Section V with 37 takeaways and its not even close. The college basketball blue bloods are the most elite teams in college basketball. The California Mr. Basketball award is the second oldest such award in the nation; only Indiana Mr. Basketball, which was first awarded in 1939, predates it.[2][3]. At the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains, Murray was king of the hill while attending Glendora High. Paul had a terrific senior year and left no doubt he was the best player on the West Coast. Most likely candidates include three-time state Player of the Year Derrick Low of 'Iolani or Alika Smith of Kalaheo. Russell couldnt even make the honorable mention list. Former Boston Celtics basketball player Paul Pierce led his team to two NBA Finals and won one NBA championship. April 21, 2023 9:00 AM. That changed when he improved his game under the tutelage of legendary L.A. basketball figure Joe Weakley at L.A. Southwest College. Jermoine "J-Boogey" Brantley basketball player He left high school at 6-foot-8 and weighing more than 230 pounds. Cliff Robinson (Castlemont, Oakland) 77 By clicking "Accept," you agree to our use of cookies and our, Ep. (San Juan Capistrano, CA), Monterey Trail Less than two years later, he passed away at age 20 following an acute stroke. B5. Shaun Pennington Kanon Catchings, Brownsburg, Jr. John Williams (Crenshaw, Los Angeles) 84 "Fillmore" Phil Smith "But the thing is, he played in dockers, pants, under shorts, whatever. Ed OBannon (Artesia, Lakewood) 90 1 team that season, which also saw Adams earn McDonald's All-American honors. The player who garners the most points receives the award. One of three Holiday brothers in the NBA, Jrue clearly is the one who had the most impressive high school career. I state title as a sophomore. Lew Alcindor, Power Memorial, Manhattan, NY. That same season, Vaughn dished out 13 assists to earn MVP honors at the McDonald's All-American game. He then enjoyed a 12-year NBA career, during which he won a championship with San Antonio. Michael Knight 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. Dominic Ellison 4. 6. Known as the Godfather to his playing peers, his impact on the court was just as great as arguably SoCals most explosive PG. From the heart of Los Angeles and Jefferson High School, Lacy was the city's top player and California's Mr. Basketball in 1963. 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. John Williams (Crenshaw, Los Angeles) 84 Correct, Im not old enough to see Walton in HS and Mark didnt have a chance to as a teenager/kid. (Temecula, CA), Balboa City School Ricky was considered, but he had a poor senior campaign at Serra. 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. Tom Lewis (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) 85 21. Chris Ford Greatest High School Basketball Teams of All Time - Stadium Talk Kevin Johnson (Sacramento) 83 California High School Basketball Find out where your 25. 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.
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best california high school basketball players of all time