Southern California high school basketball has produced the likes of Bill Walton, Reggie Miller, Paul Pierce, and Baron Davis. With a nod to previous greats I have complied a list (top 25) of today’s top SoCal high school ballers. This is meant to focus on current play/impact as opposed to a ranking based on projected next level (NCAA) performance. As always, comments/feedback/criticism, are invited and welcomed.
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- PG/SG Isaac Hamilton St. John’s Bosco – Hamilton impacts the stat sheet (and his team) as few others. At 26.7 (’11-’12), Hamilton was 3rd in the state in scoring. Mix in 11.1 rebounds, and 5.8 assists, and it’s no surprise the 5-star recruit has the likes of Florida, UConn, and Arizona, angling for his commitment. The additions of F Darien Williams, and PG Tyler Dorsey, coupled with the return of Daniel Hamilton, has the Bosco squad primed for a run at the State Championship.
- PG Marcus LoVett Providence High – The score first Point Guard just so happened to rank first in scoring (’11-’12, California). LoVett averaged a ridiculous 31.7 points while shooting 57% from the field and 84% from the line. Few high school PG’s match his poise under pressure or ability to command the floor, and the young man is just now entering his sophomore season. As ’15 rankings begin to shape it’s not a stretch to project Mr. LoVett in the top 5. ESPNU currently has the 5’11 PG ranked #9, but the word is out and a spot in the top 5 is certainly in the cards.
- SF Stanley Johnson Mater Dei – The ’11-’12 Monarchs squad was stocked to the hilt, but lost Katin Reinhardt (UNLV) and Xavier Johnson (Colorado) to graduation. The return of Stanley Johnson, Elijah Brown, and Jordan Strawberry however, have Mater Dei faithful claiming “reload” rather than “rebuild”. As a sophomore (’11-’12) Johnson averaged 13.4 points and 7.5 rebounds and was often the team’s third option. The ’12-’13 campaign will cement Johnson as Mater Dei’s go-to scoring option and it’s no stretch to expect him to average 20+ a game. His recruitment already carries a national flavor and should only continue to ramp up after Johnson’s stellar summer/AAU play.
- SF Daniel Hamilton St John’s Bosco – The younger brother of the aforementioned Isaac Hamilton (ranked #1), Daniel has more than earned his rep as one of SoCal’s finest hoopers. Similar to his older brother, Daniel impacts multiple statistical categories. For ’11-’12 he went for 18.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game. The 6’7 Forward is the more athletic of the two, but portions of his game remain raw. Daniel shot just 27% from beyond the arc, and 65% from the free throw line. Assuming those areas are addressed, a 5-star rating and top 10 ranking are in the offing.
- PG Jordan McLaughlin Etiwanda High – McLaughlin register 17.8 point per game in ’11-’12 in leading the Etiwanda Eagles to a 30-3 mark. The 4-star PG is considered the top ’14 recruit of UCLA’s Ben Howland and San Diego State’s Steve Fisher. mclaughlin is hyper-athletic, a quality finisher, and display next level court awareness. He is explosive to the rim and may prove the top West coast PG in the class of ’14. Slight of frame (5’11 160lbs), McLaughlin could prove almost unstoppable with added strength (175-180lb range)
- PG Parker Jackson-Cartwright Loyola High – The diminutive (5’7 140lbs) Point guard is a hyper-quick floor general whom employs laser-accurate passing and next level court vision to overwhelm opponents. Jackson-Cartwright went for 12.5 points, 4.2 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game in ’11-’12. His handles and quicks are D1 caliber, but he must improve his strength, develop more consistency from 3pt (34% ’11-’12), and address his struggles from the free throw line (59% ’11-’12). Already a handful, should Jackson-Cartwright reach 6’0…..watch out.
- PG Tyler Dorsey Ribet Academy – What Jackson-Cartwright lacks in size, Dorsey brings (6’4 175lbs). The gap, if any, between the two is at best negligible as both command ultimate on-court respect. Dorsey went for 22.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 5.9 assists in ’11-’12, and has since transferred to the crazy-talented St. John’s Bosco program. As Isaac and Daniel Hamilton shoulder much of the Bosco scoring load, there may be a ’12-’13 decline in points for Dorsey, but the increased assist opportunity should prove significant. Dorsey is inconsistent from 3pt (33% ’11-’12), must improve from the charity stripe (69% ’11-’12), and cut down his Fouls (4 DQ’s ’11’-12), but Dorsey’s upside is undeniable.
- SF Roschon Prince Long Beach Poly – There are questions regarding Prince’s game translating to the D1 level, but there is no doubt concerning his impact on the Poly program. The Jackrabbits are 88-10 with Prince on the roster and ’12-13 should generate more of the same. The USC bound Forward bullied his way to 21.7 points and 7.6 rebounds in ’11-’12. Prince is working to improve consistency from 3 (just 27%’11-’12) and must get right from the free throw line (69% ’11–’12). He led then nation last season in free throws attempted (384) and is relentless in pressuring opponents to defend/offset his physicality. Stellar defender, possibly one of the top on-ball defenders in his class.
- SG/SF Jordan Mathews Santa Monica High Mathews experienced an evolution of sorts over the summer as he ramped up his scoring game and earned a 4-star via Rivals. The 6’4 Shooting guard will shoulder much of SAMO’s scoring load this season and he should prove up to the task. Mathews is a skilled scorer from outside and is effective on the dribble-drive. He holds offers from Cal, Colorado and San Diego State among others, and Indiana and Kansas have shown interest.
- PG/SG Brandon Randolph High school – Undecided – Randolph played last season for St. Bernard’s and remains in the process of selecting a new school. He is a score-first Point guard and put up nearly 20 points (19.3) per game in ’11-’12. Originally committed to Pepperdine, Randolph recently decommitted and reopened his recruitment. Randolph is deadly in the open-court and thrives when slashing to the hoop. His outside game remains a work in progress, and it’s further development may ultimately determine his next level potential.
- SG Aaron Holiday Campbell Hall
- PF Brodricks Jones St. Bernard
- SG Tyree Robinson Lincoln High
- F Jordan Bell Long Beach Poly
- SF Kameron Chatman Long Beach Poly
- C Mamadou Ndiaye Brethren Christian
- F Razhaun “Bear” Henderson Bishop Alemany
- PG London Perrantes Crespi Carmelite
- PG Devin Watson Army and Navy Academy
- SG Elijah Brown Mater Dei
- PF Derrick Newton Harvard-Westlake
- SG Tyrell Robinson Lincoln High
- PG Marc Rodgers High School – Undecided
- PG Jordan Strawberry Mater Dei
- PG/SG Kris Yanku Taft High
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