Ware was a JUCO All-American and finished at Loyola Marymount, but his college accolades pale in comparison to his street credibility. 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. For one list Stanley is higher. "I can't give him enough credit," said former Manual Arts coach Reggie Morris, Sr. "He lingered in the Drew League for years.". Kenny Brunner (Dominguez, Compton) 97 WebNBA & ABA Players Who Attended High School in California. 18. SportsLine. (Los Angeles, CA), West Ranch One of three Holiday brothers in the NBA, Jrue clearly is the one who had the most impressive high school career. (Northridge, CA), Southern California Academy Third-team All-American shooting guard went on to Cal, left early for NBA. Eric Saulny Some others that perhaps could have been on either list: Hassan Adams (Westchester, Los Angeles) 03` Taylor King outplayed James Harden in their matches but Artesia beat Mater Dei twice in the same season and came home with the trophy. (Long Beach, CA), Dougherty Valley At Carson, he capped a memorable senior season by leading the Colts to the Div. 11. Miner was a first-team all-state selection, All-American at USC and a two-time NBA Slam Dunk Champion. He completely dominated the game at this level, and helped Crenshaw win the 1983 state championship. At the 2008 McDonald's All-American game, Holiday posted 14 points, five rebounds and five steals. 20. 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. High school basketball: Every national player of the year since 1922 From Chet Holmgren to Bobby Thompson, MaxPreps names each year's top player. Biloxis Shaneal Corpuz Casper Ware, Fremont (Los Angeles) '79 One of California's all-time late-bloomers, Spillers pumped in 21.3 ppg in his senior season. California basketball fans, were ranking the best California Bears of all-time. 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. Demetrius "Hook" Mitchell, McClymonds (Oakland) '86 April 21, 2023 9:00 AM. Playing for local legend Willie West, Crenshaw went 32-0 during Johnson's final two seasons. "He was a born-again Christian that would take the bible on road trips just one of those different cats." Ed OBannon (Artesia, Lakewood) 90 If he could do it again, he'd attend Degrassi Junior High, Ampipe High and Grand Lakes University. Paul Pierce (Inglewood) 95 Didnt he graduate in 92 as the #2 All Time leading scorer in CA HS history?!?! Peyton Watson Long Beach Poly (Long Beach, CA) SF. Top 6 California high school basketball players of all time Jason Kidd (St. Joseph, Alameda) 92. These include Russell Westbrook, Damian Lillard, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, LaMelo Ball and others. Goodrich, California's Mr. Basketball in 1961, would eventually have his jersey retired by the school. Scott Williams (Wilson, Hacienda Heights) 86 Michael "The Exterminator" Tate Dominguez also won three state titles (1999, 2000, 2001) during Chandler's high school run, where he averaged 20 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and three blocks as a junior, then 26 points, 15 boards and eight blocks during his senior campaign. Mainly because of the video showing him doing amazing feats, such as jumping over people, motorcycles, and cars. 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 Featuring Hall of Fame greats, superstars, and active players, this list of basketball players who were born in California includes Kawhi Leonard, James Her 6,190 point-total includes six 7. Dominic Ellison He was so fast, could jump out of the building and just rip the ball away from other players. Woody Sauldsberry He had a quiet 20 and 12 against us.. James Harden (Artesia, Lakewood) 07 2 Grizzlies, Bayern back in charge, Yamal makes history, Napoli's party spoiled: Weekend Review, Man City go top of Premier League as Haaland scores 50th goal in win at Fulham, Man United end Villa's run, take step towards top-four finish against backdrop of fan protests, Legacy pick: Cardinals take great-great-nephew of team's first-ever draft pick, The story of the Cowboys scout and prospect son Dallas just drafted, UFC 288: Why Burns and Muhammad are taking the biggest fight of their careers on short notice, Transfer Talk: Man Utd, PSG to battle for Abraham's signature. His basketball IQ was off the charts by the eighth grade everybody knew who he was by then and he could win games without shooting the basketball.. The 10 Best High School Basketball Players of All Time. James Harden (Artesia, Lakewood) 07 Steve Thompson (Crenshaw, Los Angeles) 86 Stanley Johnson dominated Aaron Gordon in the State Final. Tyson Chandler (Dominguez, Compton) 01 We just want some real inglewood love. DeShon Brown Aron "Hooky" Carmichael "He drove coaches nuts," said current Chapman College coach Mike Bokosky, who recruited Works to UC-Irvine out of LACC. 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. California has its fair share of all-time great leapers: Evric Gray (Bloomington), David Whitmore (St. Bernard), Corey Benjamin (Fontana) and Shaun Pennington (Hayward) come to mind among players not on the Elite 24 list and more recently, Dwayne Polee, Jr. (Westchester). So I would give Stanley the edge. Tracy Murray (Glendora) 89 Photo: Twitter.com. best Chuck Hayes (Modesto Christian) 01 Hank Luisetti .. of Galieo High School and Stanford Williams is the only ESPNHS National Player of the Year pick from SoCal in the last 40 years. Honors. 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. He was on USA Todays 1st team. We saw all four of the state title games in which Stanley played and he stepped up in each one of them. WebTotal number of sports 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. Ryan T. Higgins ( ryanthiggins.com) is the author and illustrator of the New York Times best-selling Mother Bruce, which received the E. B. Darius McNeill, Juhwan Harris-Dyson, Justice Sueing, Marcus Lee, Cliff Robinson (Castlemont, Oakland) 77 14. S.F. 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. No player has dominated there quite like him. He can be reached atronlocc1977@gmail.com. Rick Suter. Henry Johnson If a player isnt listed, its likely just because we didnt get to see that player in a game. 32 was retired the same night as Prince's jersey. best Obviously, this is a ranking list of the best players weve seen in person during a game or an all-star game. Standing under 6 feet, Brunner was a master playmaker and a wizard with the ball who possessed excellent court vision. 12. Those that saw him play, or played against him, still marvel at just how good he was individually. 12. 2. 6. Right IconThis ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet. 1 Justices went 28-0, captured Class 2 state title and notched big wins over Columbus and Wheeler. Without further delay, heres our best of the best boys hoops players weve seen from California high schools (listed with senior season): 1. Don McLean (Simi Valley) 88 In the ABA or on the playground, Hillman is remembered just as much for his prodigious dunks as his Afro. wine startup leaves customers with thousands of Two more S.F. Best shooter of this group was underrated in other areas and earned everything that came his way after early injury scare. (Modesto, CA), Rancho Christian Keith "Ice Cream" Harris Each voter selects first, second, and third place votes. Simply put, a man amongst boys. Wish I had room for both. Raymond "Circus" King (Richmond, CA), Southern California Academy 4. Listed in chronological order. 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. Sam Robinson, Jefferson (Los Angeles) '66 The players all walk to the baseline to get picked for a historical run down the hardwood. Most likely candidates include three-time state Player of the Year Derrick Low of 'Iolani or Alika Smith of Kalaheo. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. There were so many great players out of Oakland alone, when you include the whole Bay Area, thats a serious list, former Skyline-Oakland guard and nine-time NBA All-Star Gary Payton said. Gary Payton (Skyline, Oakland) 86 Photo: lsusports.net. Edgar Lacey II school saw him playing in an Atlanta summer league after failing to qualify academically at Washington. (Santa Monica, CA), Fairfax Senior He loves music and has collaborated with the rapper MC Jin on the single "The First Opponent.". John Williams (Crenshaw, Los Angeles) 84 James did help Artesia get those two big wins, but Artesia clearly had a better supporting cast. Why? You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Then, he was a five-time NBA All-Star and helped the Los Angeles Lakers win the 1972 title. Elite 24: Cali playground legends - ESPN Ricky was considered, but he had a poor senior campaign at Serra. He then enjoyed a 12-year NBA career, during which he won a championship with San Antonio. (Temecula, CA), Balboa City School The second team list, honorable mentions, voters and the schedule for this weekends state basketball championships. The way he ran the floor and attacked the basket was special. James Harden is a basketball player, widely regarded as the best shooting guard in the history of the NBA. Gerald Walker "No one knew who he was, but he was great," said Reggie Morris, Sr., then a UC-Irvine assistant. Paul dont count. SoCals best all-around player ever. Take Bill Russell, who went on to lead USF to consecutive national titles and the Boston Celtics to 11 NBA Championships. Bill Cartwright (Elk Grove) 75 24. 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. 11 retired. Walter Ned 16. Norman "Doc" Shavers California's Mr. Basketball during his senior season of 2007-08, Holiday averaged 25.9 points, 11.2 rebounds and nearly seven assists with five steals to help Studio City's Campbell Hall win the Division IV state championship. Leon Powe (Oakland Tech) 03 "But that's what happens when you have to duck to get out of the rim's way." The player who garners the most points receives the award. After playing at Cal State Los Angeles, Lewis was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers. Always talented, he took off at Pac Shores Tourney his junior year and never looked back. WebFinal MaxPreps Top 25: John Marshall No. 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. Charles OBannon (Artesia, Lakewood) 93 1 for me from CIF Central Section, but this wouldnt count Jalen Greens year at Prolific Prep. One of the true local L.A. legends. I thought Paul Pierce was better in high school than Ricky Price. Collegiately, Polee played at UNLV, then Pepperdine, where he was twice named West Coast Player of the Year (1985, '86). Find out how you can get access to more exclusive content, one-of-a-kind California high school sports content! basketball player Each year the California Mr. Basketball award is given to the person chosen Scored 50 in semifinal, and won back-to-back CCS titles. An Indiana All-Star and Marion County player of the year, Jones helped lead Ben Davis to the basketball state finals as a senior.