best california high school basketball players of all time

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). 17. "Harold always played pick-up at Rogers, Bel-Air, wherever," said former Crenshaw center Danny Griffin. He was probably the Mr. Basketball favorite going in, but didnt even make first five all-state. Mick McCabe's journalism career at the Free Press turned 50 on Wednesday. Stevie Thompson (Crenshaw, Los Angeles) 86 Vaughn was star at Pasadena's Muir High School both on the court (averaging 21 points and 19 assists as a senior) and in classroom (3.9 grade-point average). However, following an ugly contract dispute, he never played in the NBA. Teams beat him up with double and triple teams but they still couldnt stop him. Who was the Coasts best girls basketball player during the 2022-23 season? One of the nation's top high school players in a legendary class, Staggers is in a class by himself at Venice Beach. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. You had to be there when Tracy hit for 64 points in a CIF state title game and his team lost. The magical run he led the Vikings on during that 2006 season (ending with a win over Mater Dei in the state final) wound up being repeated when he debuted in the NBA for the New York Knicks a few years later. Wish I had room for both. Also Verbum Dei greats such as Cliff Pruit and Kenny Fields should be added to your list. Chris Ford Shaun Pennington King, Riverside) 09 Orlando Magic forward was two-time state player of the year like Kidd. 22 on Slam Magazine's list of greatest dunkers. At Carson, he capped a memorable senior season by leading the Colts to the Div. The problem was Works seemed to care about basketball as much one does a pimple. From there, Johnson was off to nearby UCLA, where he was part of the Bruins' 1975 national title team and the national player of the year in '77. One of the true local L.A. legends. White Read-Aloud Award and the Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Honor, Hotel Bruce, BE QUIET!, and Bruce's Big Move. Similar to "The Goat" in New York City, his legacy lives on because of the court named in his honor at Watts' 109th Street Recreation Center. He was so talented." Listed in chronological order. Andrew Gooden (El Cerrito) 99 12. 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. Jair Fray Ryan Anderson (Oak Ridge, El Dorado Hills) 06 Clifford Allen "No one knew who he was, but he was great," said Reggie Morris, Sr., then a UC-Irvine assistant. Stories of his ability to sky to the top of the backboard are endless and nine years ago, Hillman was No. 2. Kanon Catchings, Brownsburg, Jr. He was the best player in Northern California for two, if not three, years, said Mark Tennis, the CalHiSports.com editor who keeps track of the state records. (San Diego, CA). 34 retired. Jumpin Joe Caldwell (Fremont), Billie The Hill McGill (Jefferson), Gail Goodrich (Polytechnic) for fun. Peyton Watson Long Beach Poly (Long Beach, CA) SF. John Williams (Crenshaw, Los Angeles) 84 Johnson went on to become a five-time NBA All-Star and had his No. California's answer to Jackie Jackson, Hillman is one of the game's greatest leapers on all levels. MB3 only played one year. 78 The Best SoCal Hoopers We've Seen w/ Eric Sondheimer, Stephen Thompson & Pooh Jeter. Onyeka Okongwu (Chino Hills) 19 Teammate Greg Foster got a lot of honors as well, but Payton had those great hands. 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. He also frequently appears in commercials for brands like Air Jordan. The 6-foot-11 Rabb also doesnt get into foul trouble and can make free throws. Lawrence "Camel" West Listed in chronological order. Photos: Cal-Hi Sports archives & BallisLife.com. "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". 17. The panel of 20 voters included former players, former and current high school and college coaches, and members of the media. 13. One of the states smoothest scorers ever, Mills had a NBA-ready game in high school. The epitome of a student-athlete. From there, Goodrich famously helped UCLA win its first two national championships under John Wooden in 1964 and '65, and also had his uniform retired. Carrick DeHart Ernest Lee (Kennedy, Sacramento) 82 Michael "The Exterminator" Tate 5. 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. The five-time NBA all-star nearly invented the point forward position with the Milwaukee Bucks. Gary Payton (Skyline, Oakland) 86 California basketball fans, were ranking the best California Bears of all-time. 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. WhatIs The Best Team In The NBA Right Now? 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). Eric Saulny Polee was already a street icon by the time he got a cup of coffee in the NBA. "He drove coaches nuts," said current Chapman College coach Mike Bokosky, who recruited Works to UC-Irvine out of LACC. Web1. 14. (Beaumont, CA), Dublin 5. He was part of the United States national team that won the gold medal at the London 2012 Summer Olympics. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Southern California Academy 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. 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. "But the thing is, he played in dockers, pants, under shorts, whatever. T.J. Walter "Chipper" Bentley Former Boston Celtics basketball player Paul Pierce led his team to two NBA Finals and won one NBA championship. 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. (Moreno Valley, CA), Crossroads School That ultimately proved to be his downfall when he wasn't selected in the 1987 NBA Draft. Allen attended segregated and now defunct Roosevelt (Palm Beach, Fla.). "He would take it in the key, hesitate and finger roll or tear-drop it in. Tommie "Tank" Davis Jason Kidd (St. Joseph, Alameda) 92 The late Johnson, on the other hand, was a 6-footer who made his living inside the paint. Jason Kapono (Artesia, Lakewood) 99 SportsLine. Michael "Mountain Man" Johnson Her 6,190 point-total includes six This is our first mention of Southern California prep basketball powerhouse Dominguez High School, located in Compton. His overall athleticism was obvious during his prep days, and opened the door for a successful run at UCLA, where he was twice selected a first-team All-PCC performer and consensus All-American. Francois Wise 2. Eric McWilliams 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. 8. #20 Best High Schools for Athletes in California. (San Ramon, CA), Etiwanda One of California's all-time late-bloomers, Spillers pumped in 21.3 ppg in his senior season. A slashing point guard, Gumby left Santa Monica JC as its all-time leading scorer. 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. "He could catch and shoot, off the dribble and stop on a dime," said Reggie Morris, Sr., then a young Manual Arts assistant. A Chicago native, Jeff Mezydlo has professionally written about sports, entertainment and pop culture for nearly 30 years. 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. With his zero-gravity dunks, Baby Jordan is one of the most influential SoCal players of all-time. The Iceman is not only the states all-time leading scorer, hes top 15 in rebounding and assists. John Williams, Crenshaw (Los Angeles) '84 Paul Pierce (Inglewood) 95 As a junior, the stellar point guard, complete with substance and splash, helped Crossroads win the Southern Section Division. (Stevenson Ranch, CA), Harvard Westlake Dwayne Polee, Sr., Manual Arts (Los Angeles) '81 He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. "There was nobody like Sam," said Reggie Morris, Sr. "He's one of the greatest to play high school ball in Los Angeles.". He got better and better each season. Thank You! He was so fast, could jump out of the building and just rip the ball away from other players. Teams. Ray Young (St. Joseph, Alameda) 98, Ronnie Flores is the managing editor of CalHiSports.com. (Harbor City, CA), Rancho Verde Jason Kidd (St. Joseph, Alameda) 92. Then during his senior campaign, Davis averaged 25 points while rarely playing the second half of games. 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 Asio Intelligence Officer Salary, Criminal Minds Fanfiction Reid Sick On Plane, Mcoc Psychic Resistance Champs, Possum Walking In Circles During The Day, Brian Shanahan Basketball, Articles B