Preseason Boys BB Ranks (1-15)

It’s time to launch our winter basketball content on CalHiSports.com and we’ll do it with our preseason boys basketball state rankings. There are three big questions heading into the 2025-26 season, one being how good Sherman Oaks Notre Dame will be without Tyran Stokes? The second is how many spots did that team deserve to drop in the preseason without him and the fourth is can any two teams prevent a Mission League vs. Salesian of Richmond CIF open title game? Of course, it was another hectic off-season of player movement that greatly impacts these rankings. After all the dust has settled, Sierra Canyon of Chatsworth leads the pack dominated by Mission and Trinity League teams. Can the Trailblazers win both the CIFSS and CIF state open titles one year after winning the CIF D1 crown?

Note: We hope you enjoy this free post. During the season, all of our writeups, analysis and predictions of what’s coming next will be content for our Gold Club VIPs only. To become a member of our Gold Club so you can check out all of our boys basketball content, including player rankings in each class, and updated state records please CLICK HERE.

For a look at the teams we’ve ranked from No. 16 to No. 40, plus 15 more on the bubble, CLICK HERE.

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To see where California teams landed in the preseason FAB 50 National Team Rankings, CLICK HERE.

To see where transfers landed for the 2025-26 school year, CLICK HERE.

To see the list of major tournaments and showcases involving California’s best teams, CLICK HERE.

To see a list of our all-time preseason No. 1 teams (since 1979-80), CLICK HERE.

The world is rapidly changing and what happens in basketball at the higher levels usually trickles down to the high school game. CIF basketball is no different. The “players’ era” is entrenched in all levels of the game, as pros plot with their agents to form teams down the line, big amounts of money are thrown around to build college basketball rosters and NIL state laws affect NCAA and high school sports. People may not know the details or legalities, but do know the NCAA is getting sued left and right and many of its bylaws don’t hold up in court.

This mentality has trickled down to the high school level, where the top players, including those even as young as ninth and 10th grade, are perused by agents to secure their representation for Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals down the line. Some of it is selling a pipe dream, but it’s real to players and their parents.

College athletes are suing for fifth and sixth years of competition and plotting transfers right before the season starts or during the season before the semester break and, of course, high school players mimic plenty of what they see at the higher levels. Players at the high school level are transferring more than ever (check out our state transfer list HERE) and are even leaving right before the season starts or playing with more than one program in the summer and ending up somewhere else.

It’s not easy to keep up with all the movement.

For the second straight year, a high profile player has moved right on the eve of releasing our preseason 2025-26 Cal-Hi Sports State Boys Basketball Rankings and this time it had a big impact on the pecking order. That’s because the best player on the team we had penciled it to begin as preseason No. 1 in the state for the first time in program history withdrew from school on Nov. 5. The player we’re speaking about, of course, is Tyran Stokes, last year’s State Junior Player of the Year at Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks, the team that lost close games to preseason No. 1 and eventual CIF open champ Eastvale Roosevelt in both the CIFSS and SoCal open finals.

Stokes is now enrolled at Rainier Beach (Seattle, Wash.) for his senior campaign.

Notre Dame was going to be a strong No. 1 in the fashion Roosevelt was at the beginning of the 2024-25 season or fellow Mission League club Harvard-Westlake of Studio City in 2023-24. We’ve been naming a preseason No. 1 since 1979-80 (the season Inglewood wasn’t a difficult choice) and if Notre Dame had started No. 1, it would have created a first time scenario in state history. That unique scenario was going to be teams from the same league starting out 1-2-3 in the state for the first time with the Mission League’s Notre Dame, Chatsworth Sierra Canyon and Harvard-Westlake being the best bets to capture the 2026 CIF open crown.

That didn’t happen and with Stokes’ departure we had to decide how far to drop Notre Dame. Keep in mind, Notre Dame still has a fine team and it did win a major division title at Section 7 during the NCAA’s Live June Scholastic Period without Stokes. The Blue Knights now begin at No. 5 and still are a major contender for the CIFSS open and CIF state open crowns. Just as Roosevelt did in 2023-24, Notre Dame lost in both the CIFSS open and SoCal open final last season.

That naturally sends another Mission League team to No. 1 and today Sierra Canyon opens as the 2025-26 preseason No. 1 team in the state by Cal-Hi Sports.

For the 11th consecutive year, a team from the CIF Southern Section will open as preseason No. 1 in the state. For the Trailblazers, the team that captured the CIF D1 state crown last season, it’s now the fifth team in program history. Incredibly, Sierra Canyon opened as preseason No. 1 in the state four consecutive years between 2019 and 2022. It may not be a slam dunk choice like Notre Dame was projected to be, but rest assured Sierra Canyon will have a fine season if the history of our preseason rankings are any indication.

Last year, we were the only credible media outlet to have Roosevelt as preseason state No. 1 and in the 46 consecutive seasons we have chosen a preseason No. 1, only once has that team finished lower than No. 9 in the final rankings.

Over the years, there is only one preseason No. 1 choice we’d probably like to have back and that came in 1989-90 when we went with St. Monica’s of Santa Monica. The Mariners were coming off a season in which it advanced to the semifinals in the CIFSS’s largest division (5AA), had an excellent showing in the summer and returned four starters, but at the time the L.A. City Section’s top programs were dominating the CIF’s highest classification (D1) and our weekly state Top 25. Leo Klemm did a fine coaching job at the school, but it was a program with a small enrollment, hadn’t won in the SoCal regionals against bigger L.A. City Section schools and didn’t have that one star player like a Ivan Rabb or Jason Kidd that could carry it against perhaps a deeper team.

St. Monica lost in the 1990 CIFSS 5-AA semifinals for the second straight season. We probably should have went with one of the L.A. City Section powers then at No. 1. Nowadays, teams in the CIFSS’ Mission and Trinity Leagues dominate the state rankings just as the top L.A. City Sections teams did back then. As we said, the world changes, and now the L.A. City is barely represented in our preseason state rankings. It’s was hard to bet against one of those teams back then and this season, it’s hard to bet against a Mission League team representing SoCal in the 2026 CIF open title game.

The CIF is scheduled to crown its 2025-26 state champions on March 13-14, 2026 at Golden One Center in Sacramento.

2025-26 CAL-HI SPORTS PRESEASON
BOYS BASKETBALL STATE RANKINGS

(This is the 46th consecutive season that CalHiSports.com will provide state rankings; Last year’s final rating is in parentheses with 2024-25 won-loss record)
(Cal-Hi Sports co-founder and editor Mark Tennis contributed to these rankings)

1. (7) Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) 27-7

This program has a couple of incredible streaks going as it enters the 2025-26 season in the pole position of the California weekly state rankings that began 46 seasons ago. The Trailblazers have been preseason ranked since 2013-14 when their first crop of talented freshmen arrived and have never looked back. Before last year when it started off No. 15, Sierra Canyon was preseason top five every season from 2014-15 until 2023-24 and was in the Top 3 eight times, including four straight preseason No. 1 starts between 2019-2022. Since the advent of the CIF Southern Section open division in 2013-14, Sierra Canyon is the only team to participate each year and expect that streak to continue this year with two starters back off its CIF D1 title-winning club and a host of talented newcomers.

The returnees include veteran guard Stephen Kankole (6-4, Sr.) and Maxi Adams (6-7, Sr.), the latter the hero of last year’s state title game win over Lincoln of Stockton with 14 points and a clutch 3-pointer. Ironically, the co-MVPs of the powerful Trinity League in 2023-24 were sophomores and as seniors the duo will suit up for Sierra Canyon. Brandon McCoy (6-4, Sr.) was the state sophomore of the year for St. John Bosco two seasons ago and Brannon Martinsen (6-7, Sr.) wasn’t too far behind at Mater Dei of Santa Ana. Both have battled injuries and time away from the court and want to prove they are among the nation’s elite players. Especially for McCoy, he was once considered the best prospect in the national class of 2026 and now that Tyran Stokes is no longer at Notre Dame, he could develop into the state’s best player if he fits in seamlessly with this group.

Another veteran over from St. Francis of La Canada, New Mexico State-bound Delan Grant (6-2, Sr.), provides tough defense the way coach Andre Chevalier (207-40 at school, 456 wins all-time) likes. Jordan Askew (6-0, Sr.) is a dependable ball-handler and there is an influx of young talent with Josh Lowery (6-4, Soph.), Jordan Mize (6-6, Soph.) and J.J. Sati-Grier (6-1, Soph.) to keep the defensive intensity high and the big guns fresh.

Last season was the first time since 2013-14 that Sierra Canyon wasn’t preseason FAB 50 nationally ranked, but Chevalier might have done his best coaching job as the team went on to capture his third CIF state title. This is a group that could get him CIF open crown No. 3. The Trailblazers face No. 17 JSerra at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion as part of the Mission-Trinity League Challenge (Nov. 22) and play No. 11 Crean Lutheran (Dec. 20). They could face Mission League foe Notre Dame at the Les Schwab Invitational in Portland (Dec. 27-30) and could potentially face the Blue Knights five times this season.

2. (3) Harvard-Westlake (Studio City) 31-3

The Wolverines started No. 3 last season and finished in that spot, as they defended their back-to-back CIF open title valiantly before falling to eventual champion Roosevelt in the SoCal open semifinals. Harvard-Westlake may not be as strong without Isaiah Carroll doing work inside and minus the fine all-around play of Nik Khamenia (Duke), but the Wolverines actually start out one spot higher in the preseason for a couple of reasons.

One, this is a different crop of teams and there isn’t a slam-dunk, clear-cut No. 1. Of course, last year we were the only credible rankings outlet to have eventual CIF open champ Roosevelt state No. 1, but with Tyran Stokes leaving Notre Dame on the eve of the season, there are many teams that have a legitimate shot to capture the 2026 CIF open crown. Another factor is the strength of the Mission League and coach Dave Rebibo (380-131) and his staff deserve rankings credit for winning or tying for the league crown for seven consecutive seasons.

The top returnee is all-state guard Joe Sterling (6-4, Sr.), a terrific shooter and clutch performer who averaged 18 ppg, 5 rpg and 4 apg as a junior. He’s bound for Texas, while Amir Jones (6-2, Sr.) is bound for Georgia St. Jones is an honors candidate (10 ppg) who is hard to stay in front of and can get in a stance and slow down the opposition. The play of Dominique Bentho (6-8, Sr.) will be key to Harvard Westlake’s chances of winning a third CIF open crown in four years because not too many CIF programs have a true big that is skilled and experienced. This program usually builds up from its JV club, as Cole Holden (6-3, Jr.) and Pierce Thompson (6-3, Jr.) compliment Jones and are future D1 guards after starring on the JV team as ninth-graders. The Wolverines take on No. 7 St. John Bosco and host highly-regarded Bishop Gorman and Coronado of Nevada in their own Winter Showcase over Thanksgiving weekend. They also face No. 14 La Mirada before participating in the Iolani Classic in Hawaii (Dec. 16-20).

3. (10) Salesian (Richmond) 27-4

There is a clear-cut favorite to win this year’s CIF NorCal Open Division title and reach the CIF open title game and that team is the Pride. They have been a mainstay in the NorCal open playoffs since its inception. With the CIF Central Section eligible to play in either region, St. Joseph of Santa Maria was slotted South last season even though it was a better team in 2024-25 than The Pride or Riordan, the top two teams in the Bay Area. Salesian began at No. 6, but it was Riordan that beat The Pride twice, including in the NorCal open semifinals. In 2023-24, it was Riordan in the preseason pole position, but The Pride that made it to the CIF open title game.

The last time Salesian was preseason No. 1 in NorCal was 2016-17 and it gets the nod this season because of the presence of four players with starting experience, plus a capable bench. Stanford-bound Elias Obenyah (6-4, Sr.) is a go-to player who nearly willed Salesian to a state title as a sophomore and is the returning leading scorer (13.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.2 apg). He’s complemented by another all-state candidate in Carlton Perrilliat (6-5, Sr.), a relentless downhill attacker who Salesian went to many times down the stretch when it won titles at both Section 7 and Cali Live ’25 during the NCAA’s June Scholastic Live Period. Perrilliat (12.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg) may be concentrating on football on the next level, but on this level he’s a complete stud. The other two returning starters are Isaiah Davis (5-10, Sr.) and Leon Powe Jr. (6-6, Sr.) and both are battle-tested and bring something to the table Salesian needs in order to reach its lofty goals.

Asante Johnson (6-0, Jr.) may not start, but it doesn’t matter because his shooting will be key for The Pride in their big games. Jahlil Lindsey (6-6, Sr.) is another cog who can bang and defend and brings that football toughness, while Tayshaun Bozeman (6-2, Soph.) is a welcome addition. He gives this team an element of speed and explosiveness it didn’t have prior and is a nice change of pace off a bench that lost two pieces since the summer. Salesian will participate in the long-running Gridley Invitational (Dec. 11-13) and enter the strong field at The Classic at Damien (Dec. 26-30). The next day The Pride will travel to Arizona and on New Year’s Day morning, meet FAB 50 title contender Wheeler of Georgia in the eight-team bracket at Hoophall West.

4. (9) Redondo Union (Redondo Beach) 28-6

The Sea Hawks come in as the No. 3 team in SoCal and are a major contender to win their first ever CIFSS open title. It was a close call over Notre Dame for this spot for a team that lost in the SoCal D1 final in a road game to Sierra Canyon. If those two meet up again in the state semifinals, coach Reggie Morris Jr. (179-51 in two stints at Redondo) is hoping it is in the SoCal open final.

Nevada-bound S.J. Madison (6-5, Sr.) is the leading contender for Bay League MVP and will be counted on in the big games. He averaged 14 ppg, 5.5 rpg, and 2 spg and is stronger and more explosive going into his senior campaign. Another all-state underclass choice was Chris Sanders (6-5, Jr.) a rugged forward who will have to neutralize other top team’s interior weapons. Devin Wright (6-5, Sr.) and Chace Holley (6-2, Sr.) bring plenty of experience to the fold and in order for the Sea Hawks to play for the CIF open crown this duo must take their games to the next level.

Morris has one one of the deeper teams in the CIFSS with players such as Chris Davis (6-4, Soph.), Zach Khatib (6-6, Sr.) and Joey Albala (5-7, Jr.) taking on prominent roles. The Sea Hawks will host the Take Flight Challenge (Dec. 5-6) and are extremely motivated to perform well at both the Tarkanian Classic (Dec. 19-23) and The Classic at Damien (Dec. 26-30). The field at Tark includes at least four teams ranked higher than them nationally, including Timpview of Utah, Atascocita and Dallas Carter of Texas and Riviera Prep of Florida, while The Classic at Damien includes FAB 50 ranked Sunnyslope of Arizona, No. 3 Salesian, No. 7 St. John Bosco, No. 10 Crean Lutheran, No. 12 Centennial and No. 13 Crepsi.

5. (2) Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) 28-8

This is the third time in four years that the Blue Knights are opening up in this exact position in the preseason state rankings. The first time was in 2022-23, and that team went on to capture the CIF D1 state title and finish No. 4. Notre Dame was the top ranked team from California in the preseason 2025-26 FAB 50 National Rankings, but after release 2024-25 State Junior Player of the Year Tyran Stokes withdrew from school. It’s definitely a big loss as he was the most physically dominant player in the state. Make no mistake, however, Notre Dame is still going to field a fine team and is still a major CIF open contender.

Keep in mind, this unit captured a major division title at the Section 7 June Scholastic Live Period event without Stokes, and that includes convincing wins over No. 12 Centennial and No. 6 Santa Margarita. During the summer and fall, NaVorro Bowman Jr. (6-2 Jr.) showed why he’s one of the best guards the country regardless of class. In reality, Bowman (14 ppg, 4 apg) had a monster second half of his sophomore season and can control games with his tempo, change of speed and shot making ability around the rim. Zach White (6-6, Sr.) is a four-year standout who battles nightly with bigger players and does the little things that it takes to win, and has steadily improved his offensive game (12 ppg, 5 rpg). Other veterans for coach Matt Sargeant (245-132) include Caleb Ogbu (6-2, Sr.) and Josiah Nance (6-4, Jr.), the latter an all-state underclass choice.

Ilan Nikolov (6-5, Jr.) comes over from Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) and adds nice scoring pop and a change of pace off a bench that knows more than ever it needs to step up in Stokes’ absence. Notre Dame takes on No. 14 La Mirada (Nov. 20) and No. 6 Santa Margarita (Nov. 22) at the Trinity-Mission League Showcase at UCLA before playing at the Tarkanian Classic (Dec. 19-22) and Les Schwab Invitational in Oregon (Dec. 26-30) where top-rated Sierra Canyon also is going to play in.

6. (17) Santa Margarita (Rancho SM) 23-9

Since the shortened 2021 CIF spring season, the Eagles have been preseason ranked every season thereafter with higher expectations each passing year. This could be head coach Justin Bell’s (113-53) finest team in his seven years at the helm, as the Eagles have a terrific blend of talent, experience and size.

It begins with Georgia Tech-bound guard Kaiden Bailey (6-4, Sr.), a big shot-maker who earned co-Trinity League Player of the Year honors alongside graduated St. John Bosco star Elzie Harrington (San Diego State). Bailey averaged 19 ppg, 3.8 rpg and 3.9 apg and even if his numbers don’t go up this season, it’s likely because there is improved talent around him. Washington State-bound Brayden Kyman (6-9, Sr.) is a four-year standout and a terrific shooter who has improved other aspects of his game. Making the biggest leap over the past year is Oregon State-bound Drew Anderson, who can play on the perimeter or dominate around the basket with equal fervor. Rodney Westmoreland (6-0, Sr.) is a veteran guard, while interior depth is provided by center Jackson Bradley (6-8, Sr.), a terrific student.

Markee White (6-6, Sr.), a transfer who returns to SoCal after a year at Williams Field in Arizona, is a load to guard who puts pressure on defenses with his strong downhill attack. Santa Margarita split the Trinity League title with No. 7 St. John Bosco and is the slight league favorite going into the season. It hopes to have a good showing in the loaded Tarkanian Classic, which includes three FAB 50 ranked clubs, plus No. 4 Redondo Union, No. 5 Notre Dame, No. 12 Corona Centennial, plus Riviera Prep of Florida, Rangeview of Colorado, Basha of Arizona, Coronado of Nevada and host Bishop Gorman.

7. (5) St. John Bosco (Bellflower) 26-7

In the first year under head coach Matt Dunn (501-198), Bosco was unranked in the preseason (2015-16), but has been a steadying force ever since, winning or sharing the Trinity League title two of the past three years. Bosco opened up No. 2 in the state the past two seasons and could have been right back in that same spot this year, but some off-season moves drops them down a notch right behind the Santa Margarita club it split the 2024-25 league crown with.

Bosco’s team was looked at three ways this off-season: with Tahj Ariza transferring in and Brandon McCoy staying put, Ariza joining mainstay Christian Collins (6-9, Sr.) after McCoy left for Sierra Canyon and now the reality of only Collins being on the roster after Ariza left late in the fall to Link Academy of Missouri. All eyes will be on the live-legged senior and if he has a big season statistically, could be in line for Mr. Basketball honors.

This team has some size and experience and one of the keys will be Gavin Dean-Moss (6-1, Sr.) manning the controls in crunch time. Dominic Perfetti (6-7, Sr.) and Max Ellis (6-6, Sr.) are veterans up front, while Leon Shingo (6-4, Sr.) and Chase Patterson (6-2, Soph.) will have more prominent roles. Bosco has a national schedule so the improvement of Howie Wu (7-0, Sr.) will be key, while Tariq Iscandari (6-5, Sr.) adds physicality. Bosco will compete at the prestigious City of Palms Classic in Florida (Dec. 18-23) and the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions in Missouri (Jan, 15-17), along with The Classic at Damien (Dec. 26-30).

8. (6) Archbishop Riordan (San Francisco) 29-2

In 2023-24, Riordan opened as the NorCal open favorite, but it was Salesian that downed the Crusaders in the NorCal open final. In 2024-25, Salesian was ranked higher in the preseason, but it was Riordan that made it through. Head coach Joey Curtin is hoping the trend continues of the lower ranked Bay Area team getting it done when it matters in the NoCal open regional.

Curtin has a near embarrassment of riches, led by USF-bound wing Andrew Hilman (6-4, Sr.) and big man J.P. Pihtovs (6-9, Sr.). D.J. Armstrong (6-3, Sr.) is another cagy veteran, while Sean Porter (6-7, Jr.), Jack Loevner (6-4, Soph.), Andre Carter (6-3, Soph.) and Cole White (6-1, Jr.) add to the depth.

After the 30-day sit-out period, this team will be even stronger with the additions of DeMarco Hunter (6-7, Sr.), who was all-state underclass at Santa Cruz, plus foreign-born Gabrielius Kerys (6-3, Jr.) and Emmanuel Ahamefule (6-9, Jr.). Curtin will not be afraid to insert the sit out guys into the starting lineup and that will help keep the practices intense as Riordan looks to stay unbeaten in the West Catholic Athletic League and repeat as NorCal open champs.

9. (24) Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 22-9

For the second consecutive season, the Monarchs are projected to finish in third place in the Trinity League, but the difference this time around is they are not the defending league champs. Mater Dei finished in a tie for third place with No. 17 JSerra, as the Monarchs were not quite as good as projected and missed the CIFSS open playoffs for the first time. Once again, it will be hard for three Trinity League teams to make the CIFSS open playoffs because the vast section will once again employ two pools for its competitive post-season showcase.

Mater Dei will manufacture wins behind the terrific shooting talents of Kansas-bound Luke Barnett (6-3, Sr.), who will need to have a big season for Mater Dei to earn a section open berth. Malloy Smith (6-5, Sr.) is steadily improving and will be counted on as well, while new point guard Richie Ramirez (6-0, Jr.) will make an impact with his play-making. Trey Price (6-2, Jr.) adds talent and depth. Mater Dei lost plenty up front to graduation and transfer, so Lucas Gaspar (6-6, Jr.) will be a key cog, while the production of Zain Majeed (6-7, Jr.) could be a difference maker.

Legendary head coach Gary McKnight (1,294-149 since 1982-83) has plenty of able bodies and loves the fact his top seven in the rotation can play multiple positions. It’s just a matter of finding the right combination in order for this team to play to the maximum of its capabilities. Mater Dei opens vs. No. 13 Crespi on Nov. 22 in the Trinity-Mission League Showcase and hopes to peak around the time of the Trinity League Tournament, which begins Feb. 2.

10. (4) St. Joseph (Santa Maria) 31-2

The Knights were FAB 50 ranked to begin the 2024-25 season, but their chances of becoming the first CIF Central Section team in 110 plus years of CIF basketball to be named Cal-Hi Sports State Team of the Year drastically dwindled when they were placed South for the regional. Still, it was a successful season for the Knights. Even though St. Joe’s might take a step back with Tounde Yessoufou (state’s all-time scoring leader) now at Baylor and quickly on his way to the NBA, it has a good shot to qualify for the open regional playoffs for the fifth consecutive season.

For coach Tom Mott (517-206), it starts with a trio of terrific guards led by Julius Price (6-3, Sr.), a prime all-state candidate who averaged 18.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg and 6.0 apg as a junior. His younger brother Malcolm Price (6-1, Jr.) had a breakthrough season, averaging 11.3 ppg and 3.8 apg, while Gunner Morinini (6-1, Sr.) is a three-year regular who does a bit more than his stats (9.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg) indicate.

How far this team goes will depend on its front court, as Godson Eyita (6-9, Jr.), Williams Sacre (6-8, Soph.), and Elijah Ormond (6-5, Jr.) must step up and push each other while Abdoul Bare (6-9, Sr.) looks to bounce back from a sub-par junior campaign. Once again, St. Joseph will travel the world, as it goes to Bangkok, Thailand and Australia to open the season before hosting its own Elite 8 Tournament (Dec. 11-13) that includes No. 8 Riordan, No. 11 Crean Lutheran, No. 13 Crespi and No. 18 Inglewood, along with Edgewater and Riviera Prep of Florida, and Eagle Academy of New York.

11. (33) Crean Lutheran (Irvine) 18-13

The Saints got hot at the right time last year and qualified for the 2025 SoCal D1 regional playoffs and this unit is more potent. Crean Lutheran also captured a division title at Section 7 in Arizona during the June Scholastic Live Period and has a nice combination of size and shooting. The shooting is provided by underclass all-state choice Hunter Caplan (6-3, Jr.) while the muscle is led by Minnesota-bound Chadrick Mpoyi (6-11, Sr.), who did not play last season and has few peers in the state when it comes to physicality and competitiveness. He’s complemented by Jacob Majok (6-7, Sr.) and Will Malual (6-8, Sr.). Backcourt depth is provided by Nick Giarrusso (6-4, Sr.), a transfer from Oaks Christian, Grid-Hoop stud Caden Jones (6-3, Jr.) and all-state underclass choice Jordan Ceballos (6-2, Soph.). Crean Lutheran has a major test right away vs. No. 4 Redondo Union on Nov. 19 and also plays at No. 1 Sierra Canyon on Dec. 20.

12. (NR) Centennial (Corona) 17-18

When this current senior class began as freshmen, there were high hopes for the Huskies. Some of those players are no longer with the program and the Huskies have lost 32 games in the past two seasons. That does not sit well with head coach Josh Giles (520-168), who endured his first losing season since taking over the program in 2003-04, and he feels this unit will get Centennial back among the state’s elite. The Huskies defend at a high clip and are a close-knit bunch with a go-to player in Isaiah “Slim” Rogers (6-3, Sr.). Last season, Rogers was second team all-state underclass and all-CIFSS 2AA and is primed to lead this team to the level it played at when Slim was a freshman and it opened up No. 1 and captured the CIFSS Open crown. Another mainstay is Jaidyn Smith (6-7, Sr.), while Giles is bullish on his current group of sophomores that includes Karter Butler (6-1, Soph.), Kai Patton (6-2, Soph.) and Josh Agbo (6-4, Soph.). The Huskies open the season with No. 35 Bakersfield Christian, travel to play two regional level opponents at the Thanksgiving Hoopfest in Dallas (Nov. 28-29) and will get tested in the main division of the Tarkanian Classic (Dec. 19-23).

13. (NR) Crespi (Encino) 21-9

The Celts had a terrific summer and hope to avoid the injury bug that plagued them in the off-season. Sure, the Celts have finished in fourth place in the rugged Mission League the past two seasons, but keep in mind this year the league nearly had a 1-2-3 start in the state rankings. The league is that good. Coach Derek Fisher hopes to battle the big three behind the play of Isaiah Barnes (6-3, Jr.), a good play-maker who also helps the Celts win by rebounding. His brother Carter Barnes (6-2, Jr.) and Malakai Perrantes (6-0, Sr.) were oft-injured this summer when Crespi won its division at Section 7 for the second consecutive year and lost at Cali Live in a championship final to No. 7 St. John Bosco. The Celts have added firepower in Cayman Martin (6-5, Jr.), who sat out last year, Rodney Mukendi (6-8, Jr.), a transfer from St. Monica who bolsters the inside, and Jasiah Williams, a transfer from Hesperia who can do a bit of everything and was the unofficial MVP of Section 7. The Celts will play at the Elite 8 in Santa Maria and in the top division at The Classic at Damien along with eight other ranked CIFSS clubs.

14. (11) La Mirada 26-7

When event organizers and governing bodies set tie-breaker rules, in the very first year, they have to go to the last of four tie-breakers to determine which team advances and which ones turn in uniforms. It’s probably not a great system. That was the scenario for the Matadores, who did not advance to the SoCal regional because of ridiculous tie-breakers in the CIFSS open pool play playoffs that expanded from eight to 10 teams last season. The Mats won their final game of the season and are hoping they can win their last game of the season once again but with a CIF title in tow after being one of the best teams in the state to not to make the regional playoffs for two consecutive seasons. Gene Roebuck (6-5, Jr.) is one of the best scorers in the state (19.1 ppg) and head coach Randy Oronoz has a nice blend of returnees and newcomers to make his best player a more dangerous all-around threat. King Riley Owens (6-1, Sr.) should average double digits in scoring and Santiago Lopez (6-7, Jr.) is going to take on a bigger role inside. The most talented newcomer is Jordyn Houston (6-7, Jr.), a player capable of double-doubles, while Lamek Kifle (6-8, Jr.), Cisco Munoz (5-11, Jr.), Isaiah Durazo (6-5, Jr.) and Kael Gabourel (6-2, Jr.) provide depth. The Mats are in the second division at The Tarkanian Classic and the first division of The Classic at Damien, and open up with No. 5 Notre Dame on Nov. 20.

15. (NR) Amador Valley (Pleasanton) 21-11

The Dons are the new kids on the block when it comes to teams who will make a statewide splash this season, as head coach Willis Gardner has a group that will improve heavily on its 3-7 mark in East Bay Athletic League (EBAL) play. The Dons are led by Jaylen Smith (6-0, Jr.), who is the answer to Novorro Bowman in SoCal in terms of top-notch junior point guards. He’s being heavily recruited after his performance at Cali Live in Orange County after he led the Dons to a division title over No. 19 San Gabriel Academy. He’s joined in the backcourt by Cade Krueger (6-2. Sr.), but what could take this team to the next level is its bevy of newcomers. That includes all-state underclass choice Cam Anderson (6-7, Sr.) from Dublin, Elijah Stanley (6-2, Sr.) from Salesian and Arman Mahavni (6-5, Sr.) from American of Fremont. We’ll see right away what this team is made of when it takes on FAB 50 ranked Sunnyslope of Phoenix at the NorCal Tip-Off Classic (Nov. 29).

For a look at the teams we’ve ranked from No. 16 to No. 40, plus 15 more on the bubble, CLICK HERE.

Ronnie Flores is the managing editor of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at ronlocc1977@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores