We took in each days on the Ron Massey Memorial Fall Hoops Basic at McBride (Lengthy Seaside, Calif.) and overview what we realized from the occasion. CIF Southern Part powers Centennial of Corona and St. John Bosco of Bellflower ended up within the title sport every group used for participant growth with Centennial profitable the ultimate, 62-48.
1. California’s 2026 Class Can Be Particular
Over the previous 50 years, California has produced some particular lessons that dominated faculty with most of the prime gamers in every happening to NBA careers. The newest stellar class was in 2020, which produced NBA 2021 NBA No. 2 choose Jalen Inexperienced out of Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) by way of San Joaquin Memorial (Fresno, Calif.) and No. 3 choose Evan Mobley of Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.). That class additionally produced 2021 No. 10 choose Ziarie Williams of Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) and a fourth first spherical choose in No. 24 Josh Christopher of Mayfair (Lakewood, Calif.). This present crop of sophomores-to-be might have that sort of affect on the 2027 NBA Draft, in the event that they proceed to work laborious and develop.
Even if you happen to did not embrace the nation’s two two prospects within the class who are actually at Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.), 6-foot-7 wing A.J. Dybansta and 6-foot-7 ahead Tyran Stokes, that is nonetheless a terrific group. It is led by level guards Jason Crowe of Lynwood (Calif.) and Brandon McCoy Jr. of St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.), each who participated at Ron Massey within the Problem of Champions bracket reserved for eight excellent groups. Crowe, final yr’s Cal-Hello Sports activities State Freshman of the Yr, continues to progress and is getting stronger, whereas McCoy is a uncommon all-around prospect who defends the ball, has fast explosion off vertical or off the dribble horizontally and the ball abilities that places him in uncommon firm on this area of the nation. Not many excessive stage prospects from California over time have that mixture. Three of the gamers within the subsequent tier of the 2026 class have been at Massey: Tajh Ariza of St. Bernard. (Playa Del Rey, Calif.), Kaiden Bailey of Crean Lutheran (Irvine, Calif.) and Brayden Kyman of Santa Margarita (Calif.). That does not embrace Brannon Martinsen of Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), who was nursing a minor damage and didn’t play within the Problem of Champions. Ariza is the one expertise who might push and even perhaps move some within the prime group along with his mixture of measurement, really feel and ability. He’s beginning to really feel snug taking pictures the 3-ball off the dribble and catch. As soon as Ariza will get some consistency, be careful. 5 gamers who’ve entered the dialogue to affix that second group of 4 are led by Isaiah “Slim” Rogers of Centennial (Corona, Calif.), who has improved by leaps and bounds over the summer time and helped Centennial attain the Ron Massey title sport. The opposite 4 knocking on the door are Ariza’s teammate Malachi Collins, Julius Worth of St. Joseph (Santa Maria, Calif.), Kyman’s teammate at Santa Margarita Drew Anderson, and Caleb Newton of Birmingham (Van Nuys, Calif.). Two 2026 large man who displayed fast enchancment at Massey are 6-foot-8 Jacob Majok of Crean Lutheran (Irvine, Calif.) and 6-foot-9 Abdoul Naked of St. Joseph (Santa Maria, Calif.). We’ve not even talked about Alijah Arenas of Chatsworth (Calif.), who some have pegged greater ranked than all count on the Prolific Prep duo, however whom we’re slow-playing a bit as a result of he merely hasn’t dominated elite competitors simply but.
California’s greatest class, by the way in which, is the 1975 class led by Mr. Basketball USA Invoice Cartwright of Elk Grove (Calif.) and two different first 5 All-People in Verbum Dei (Los Angeles) teammates Roy Hamilton and David Greenwood. All three made the NBA together with 5 different gamers from the famed California class: ahead James Hardy, guards Reggie Theus and Brad Holland and facilities Invoice Laimbeer and Paul Mokeski. That core of gamers twice performed a legit United States all-star group and beat them each instances, as soon as in Sacramento in entrance of Cartwright’s large NorCal following and as soon as on the Lengthy Seaside Sports activities Enviornment in entrance of the SoCal contingent. That class had the whole lot (by way of measurement and ability), another nice lessons have been outlined by prime prospects on the prime (1986, 2008) whereas others have been outlined by depth (1993). The 1997 class was imagined to rival the 1975 class, nevertheless it peaked early and a few flamed out so nothing is assured for this 2026 class.
2. Corona Centennial Will Be In The Combine
The Huskies graduated a terrific senior class, together with 2023 Cal-Hello Sports activities Mr. Basketball Jared McCain (Duke), that made up a core that completed No. 1 within the state in 2021 and 2022 and gained three consecutive CIF Southern Part open championships. At first look it might appear coach Josh Giles’ membership is simply too decimated by commencement, however suppose once more. We talked concerning the Golden State’s terrific 2026 class and the Huskies have three sophomore starters led by Slim Rodgers. The 6-foot-3 level guard has grown a lot within the final yr and is gaining confidence at each occasion we see him at. Rogers has a terrific change of tempo and is now extra constant along with his shot-making. The sophomore that really noticed essentially the most enjoying time on the 2022-23 Centennial varsity was 5-foot-10 Justice Griffith, a bodily play-maker who can terrorize groups on the defensive finish and makes profitable performs. He scored the game-winning basket proper in entrance of the rim within the Huskies’ 68-66 semifinal win over St. Joseph (Santa Maria, Calif.) within the Pangos Elite 8 (Problem of Champions) bracket. The third tremendous soph is Markee White Jr., a 6-foot-6 athlete who’s a key rebounder and defender. He starred on the JayVee group as a freshman and has made loads of strides in his offensive sport. UCLA-bound Eric Freeny is the groups’ go-to participant and as soon as Arizona-bound ahead Carter Bryant turns into accustomed to the Huskies’ system, this group could possibly be proper there to problem defending CIF state open champ Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.) and St. John Bosco for the CIF Southern Part open crown. Some really feel Bryant is the state’s greatest senior prospect, so if he meshes with Freeny and the sophomores proceed to enhance, this younger membership could possibly be FAB 50 ranked in some unspecified time in the future throughout the season and extra importantly, will likely be a harmful group in February and March.
3. Mater Dei’s Brandon Benjamin is a Distinction-Maker
Among the many groups on this occasion and the most effective ones in SoCal, the pecking order within the 2025 class is well-established. St. John Bosco’s Elzie Harrington and Brayden Burries of Roosevelt (Eastvale, Calif.), each large guards, lead the pack together with wing Nikolas Khamenia of Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.) and taking pictures guard Jovani Ruff of Poly (Lengthy Seaside, Calif.). After Roosevelt defeated St. Bernard (Playa del Rey, Calif.) in a highly-charged opening spherical sport of the Elite 8 bracket, 54-51, Burries didn’t play in Sunday’s two video games, together with Roosevelt’s 61-60 semifinal loss to St. John Bosco. The occasion’s most prolific scorer over the previous two years, Tounde Yessoufou of St. Joseph, leads the 2025 group from a statewide perspective and he is the one whose expertise stage is on par with Harrington and Burries. The one participant who could possibly be knocking on the door down the road is 6-foot-5 small ahead Brandon Benjamin of Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), who performed final season at Canyon (Anaheim, Calif.). Benjamin suits in with the Monarchs’ returning expertise seamlessly not solely as a result of he is proficient, but in addition as a result of he is what the physician ordered by way of his unselfishness and I.Q. Benjamin is robust across the rim and by no means rattled or off steadiness. He is also affected person in letting performs develop and and is a wonderful passer, particularly from the excessive put up or elbow prolonged. Mater Dei’s teaching employees loves what they see out final yr’s Orange County Register Participant of the Yr, particularly when the group is at full power. On this occasion, the Monarchs performed with out sophomores Brannon Martinsen and Luke Barnett, plus senior Brady Karich. Benjamin and Martinsen will likely be key cogs in main Mater Dei again into the CIF Southern Part open playoffs, which they missed for the primary time final season because it started in 2013-14. Different rising juniors who had good outings at Ron Massey embrace guard Julien Gomez of La Mirada (Calif.) and energy ahead Doug Langford of Pius X-St. Matthias (Downey, Calif.).
After averaging 33.7 ppg in three Problem of Champion video games final yr, Yessoufou was as soon as once more scoring and taking pictures at a excessive clip at this yr’s Ron Massey. He went for 27 factors in a 80-69 first spherical win over Mater Dei, then got here again with 35 within the two-point loss to Centennial within the semifinals. He completed up with 28 factors in a 69-67 St. Joe’s victory over Roosevelt for third place. Yessoufou completed with a 30 ppg averaging whereas nailing 11 3-pointers. Within the championship sport, St. John Bosco’s Harrington and the remainder of the Braves’ regulars didn’t go well with up whereas Centennial’s starters didn’t begin. Bosco simply downed Windward (Los Angeles) in its opening spherical sport, 66-44, whereas Centennial zoomed previous Crean Lutheran (Irvine, Calif.), 67-38, in its opening spherical sport.
Ronnie Flores is the nationwide Grassroots editor of Ballislife.com. He may be reached at ronnie@ballislife.com. Remember to observe him on Twitter: @RonMFlores
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