Dwain Bradberry 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. Demetrius "Hook" Mitchell, McClymonds (Oakland) '86 One of three Holiday brothers in the NBA, Jrue clearly is the one who had the most impressive high school career. Jermoine "J-Boogey" Brantley By Scott Watkins. April 21, 2023 9:00 AM. DeRozan is proof that great high school basketball players from Compton don't have to attend Dominguez. Leaf (Foothill Christian, El Cajon) 16 Correct, Im not old enough to see Walton in HS and Mark didnt have a chance to as a teenager/kid. In the NBA, Miner's prowess for showmanship continued by twice winning the league's Slam Dunk Contest (1993, '95). How do you guys not have Gerald Walker (Hayward) on either of your lists?!? (Newport Beach, CA), Donda Academy The Menlo Park native attended Oakland Tech, Stanford and then quarterbacked for the 49ers. He loves music and has collaborated with the rapper MC Jin on the single "The First Opponent.". Each year the California Mr. Basketball award is given to the person chosen Just a delight to watch and a delight to coach for Tim Kennedy and NorCals most dominant talent since 2000. His career has been decorated with honors and championships. Dwayne Polee, Sr., Manual Arts (Los Angeles) '81 Taylor King (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) 07 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. Right IconThis ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet. All-Time Best Baseball Teams (1 Similar to New York's Albert King, Cotton was a basketball prodigy. His scoring averages were 34.1, 29.3, and 29.7 his final three years, leading the nation each season. A slashing point guard, Gumby left Santa Monica JC as its all-time leading scorer. High school basketball nears the end of the 2023 season, with many states already crowning champions. There would be huge crowds to see him. B5. Bernard Ward His two seasons at Contra Costa JC were dunk shows, as was the few games he played for Cal-St. Hayward. James Hardy This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. An all-around talented athlete, Lacy could do it all on the court as a prep star, and that ultimately led him to UCLA. 15. 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. (Carmichael, CA), San Ysidro "But that's what happens when you have to duck to get out of the rim's way." Ryan Anderson (Oak Ridge, El Dorado Hills) 06 However, a leg injury forced Lacy to redshirt his senior year. (Castaic, CA), Jesuit James Harden is a basketball player, widely regarded as the best shooting guard in the history of the NBA. That success translated to the NBA, where Naulls averaged 15.8 points and 9.1 rebounds for four teams while earning four All-Star nods and winning three league titles. He was a one-man show, said Dave Newhouse, a longtime Oakland Tribune columnist and Bay Area sportswriter for 47 years. 2. "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. Sure, but Jumpin' Joey is a legend because he could simply sky. Paul Pierce (Inglewood) 95 photo ran 09/29/1982 The documentary "Raymond Lewis: L.A, Legend" chronicles his life. 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. Silas scored 24 points in his first game as a sophomore and never looked back, averaging 30 points and about half that many rebounds. Eric "Spinmaster" Holmes Perhaps the best overall defender on this list, Prince was a four-time CIF Champion and helped Dominguez won back-to-back state titles in 1996 and '97. Killum's high school exploits were better known than his playground game, but there's a reason for that. Spillers transferred to Utah State, where he developed as a brute forward with guard skills. (Playa Del Rey, CA), Sierra Canyon CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Southern California Academy 14. (Long Beach, CA), Dougherty Valley Taylor King outplayed James Harden in their matches but Artesia beat Mater Dei twice in the same season and came home with the trophy. 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. The key to his game is his ability to score from nearly any angle and spot on the floor. Your email is never published nor shared. Best Polytechnic Highschool is a really good school when it comes to giving school students a variety of opportunities. 78 The Best SoCal Hoopers We've Seen w/ Eric Sondheimer, Stephen Thompson & Pooh Jeter. 11 retired. Carrick DeHart Reggie Theus Golden State Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson has won three NBA championships with the team. Kurt Rambis (Cupertino) 76 Then it was off to the NBA, where he was a two-time All-Star (1981, '82) with the Chicago Bulls. 14,123 people were at that game, but thousands more claim to have witnessed it. Tyson Chandler (Dominguez, Compton) 01 Stephon Davis 16. Cleveland "Pete" McKinney Ed OBannon (Artesia, Lakewood) 90 He regularly puts up 25 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks without even playing a full game.. He wasnt tough at first, but the lanky 6-foot-7 kid got bigger and tougher thanks to the Oakland parks, where he would watch the older Robinson and Russell play and then take his lumps. Davey Fortson He was a four-year star for the Dons and capped his career with two state titles. Paul had a terrific senior year and left no doubt he was the best player on the West Coast. "If there would have been a 3-point line" 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) VIEW MORE Top Performers View All Leaders Murray earned McDonald's All-American honors and then went on to star at UCLA , where he was a two-time, first-team All-Pac-10 performer, before embarking on a 12-season NBA career. "No one knew who he was, but he was great," said Reggie Morris, Sr., then a UC-Irvine assistant. Jerry "The Assassin" Dupree One of the states smoothest scorers ever, Mills had a NBA-ready game in high school. Lee attended Clark (Atlanta, Ga.) when the coach at that Div. The whole list is a farce without Marques Johnson anywhere in sight!!! 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. (Los Angeles, CA), Narbonne Henry Johnson For subscription info, CLICK HERE. 12. Michael "Mountain Man" Johnson document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. (Modesto, CA), Rancho Christian Michael Knight 1. The Register's 50 greatest Iowa high school volleyball players of all time LISA BECKER, C.R. Los Angeles County has produced some of the greatest basketball players in the history of the game. Roy Hamilton (Verbum Dei, Los Angeles) 75 Featuring Hall of Fame greats, superstars, and active players, this list of basketball players who were born in California includes Kawhi Leonard, James 13. McClymonds won six TOCs over a span from 1957-1963 that started with Silas and saw it go 110-1. Winters Patterson Dubbed "Baby Jordan" for his leaping and dunking ability, Miner was a true showman. Players used to come at me and beat the hell out of me, Silas told Grantland.com. Marques Johnson, Crenshaw (Los Angeles) '73 Less than two years later, he passed away at age 20 following an acute stroke. The player who garners the most points receives the award. As he matured, he became a complete player, one that younger players emulated because of his great scoring, jumping and defensive ability. (Simi Valley, CA), Heritage Christian Wun "The Shot" Versher (San Diego, CA), St. Bernard After his NBA career, Williams put in work in various summer pro leagues and won multiple Drew League titles. 2023 NFL Draft grades: Why Devon Witherspoon going to Francois Wise 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. Kenny "Bad Santa" Brunner, Dominguez (Compton) '97 Accolades. O'Bannon won another championship, of the national variety, at UCLA in 1995, when he was the Wooden Award winner and Final Four Most Outstanding Player. The 7-foot Chandler went from the halls of Dominguez right to the NBA, as the second overall pick in 2001 draft. Baron Davis (Crossroads, Santa Monica) 97 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. 20. Dominic Ellison View California Basketball ranking list. At Carson, he capped a memorable senior season by leading the Colts to the Div. (Los Angeles, CA), Capistrano Valley Christian School However, following an ugly contract dispute, he never played in the NBA. 22 on Slam Magazine's list of greatest dunkers. 23 was retired. He left high school at 6-foot-8 and weighing more than 230 pounds. 8. He was a smooth jump shooter who could get to the rim effortlessly. Another candidate for the greatest high school player to come out of the city and Los Angeles County. 4. They have pathways designated to your future interest such as the medical pathway. View nearby homes. He also helped John Wooden win his final NCAA title, but he was also an up-and-coming playground star in the late 1960s during the formative years of L.A.'s streetball scene. 99. Jumpin Joe Caldwell (Fremont), Billie The Hill McGill (Jefferson), Gail Goodrich (Polytechnic) for fun. 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). 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. Stanley Johnson dominated Aaron Gordon in the State Final. (San Jose, CA), George Washington Preparatory Stacy Augmon (Muir, Pasadena) 86 Hands down the best player ever in the Bay Area, Buckner said. By Scott Watkins. In 2017, his family's sports apparel company Big Baller Brand released a signature shoe for Ball, making him the youngest sportsperson to own a signature shoe. Willie Thomas Stevie Thompson (Crenshaw, Los Angeles) 86 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.