D’Ari Bruce of Oakland High rounds out an excellent Top 5 in our initial Class of 2029 Top 25 player rankings. Bruce was the MVP of the OAL and has shined so far on the travel basketball grassroots circuit. Photo: Ronnie Flores / Cal-Hi Sports.
Our boys basketball coverage for Gold Club VIPs continues with a first look at the state’s top ninth-graders. The freshman (2029) class got off to a roaring start during its first season, but it’s still not easy for first-year players to impact the CIF’s open division. This class shows excellent promise down the line, but it’s too early to tell if the players at the top will live up to the terrific group of seniors that just graduated that were also high-regarded coming in. Some in this group are already mature and it’s important to keep that in mind when projecting future success, especially for post players who often develop later. There is also a solid crop of players eager to break into this list once it expands to a Top 65.
Related: California’s Top 8th Graders Since 1982 | NEW HOT 100 FOR CLASS OF 2026 | NEW HOT 100 FOR CLASS OF 2027 | NEW TOP 65 FOR CLASS OF 2028
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The first Class of 2029 Cal-Hi Sports Top 25 for the 2025-26 school year in boys hoops is based on evaluations from previous middle school events and last summer’s NCAA viewing periods, non-viewing showcases since August, and through the completed high school season.
The baseline of where we begin with each prospect begins with high school basketball, so keep that in mind when you view the initial rankings for the 2029 class because they have played one season of regulation varsity basketball. These rankings will expand as we see this group in more varsity games and will change over time as players develop and new ones emerge in the next six months. Cal-Hi Sports realizes some talented ninth graders sat behind talented upperclassmen, while a select few remained in junior high this school year. We also realize not every 2029 prospect participated in showcase events the past year, in last summer’s NCAA viewing periods or with their high school team this season and we might not have yet had an opportunity to evaluate them in equal doses. That’s why we limit this list to 25 players.
