Jayden Cecil, 6’4”, PG, 2028, Utah Prep
Cecil had a stellar tournament and cemented himself as one of my favorite prospects in high school basketball.
Cecil is a very talented playmaker who does a great job of keeping his eyes up while navigating pressure and is comfortable initiating physicality, balancing the need to keep his dribble alive with constantly scanning for open teammates. His ability to make one-handed, live-dribble reads was particularly outstanding, and he is already deceptive with his eyes and head as a passer, an impressive skill set for such a young prospect, but it speaks to his poise and overall feel.
Cecil is a legit shooter, with a quick release that allows him to get his shot off in tight spaces and against strong contests, especially in catch-and-shoot opportunities. Cecil caught fire from beyond the arc against St. Francis, continuing to prove himself after a strong stretch of FIBA performances this summer. At the 2026 FIBA U17 World Cup, he led the entire tournament at 29.9 points per game while shooting 38.3% from three on 13.4 attempts per game. His quick release, combined with his confidence, makes it easy to get excited about his long-term shooting projection.
Cecil’s combination of strength and size at 6’4”, along with his ball-handling, playmaking, and overall poise, makes me extremely confident that he will ascend the high school rankings this season and cement himself as one of high school basketball’s best point guards.
There is an intangible “IT” factor to Cecil. He carries himself with a poise that brings a calming presence to Utah Prep on both sides of the floor. He plays unselfishly, has a great motor, and doesn’t allow the ups and downs of a game to impact his emotions or composure.
DeMarcus Henry, 6’7”, SF, 2027, AZ Compass Prep
Few prospects, if any, have as omnipresent an impact on the game as DeMarcus Henry. He simply has his fingerprints on nearly every possession on both sides of the ball, fueled by a great motor and impressive physical tools. I specifically wanted to highlight his elite body control. At 6’7”, Henry is able to navigate tight spaces and work through multiple lines of defenders with remarkable control. He can change directions and attack from different angles in ways that few athletes of his caliber are capable of, constantly keeping defenses on their heels. That combination of fluidity, coordination, and body control is a major reason why he is such a dynamic downhill threat.
Evan Willis, 6’8”, PF, 2028, Utah Prep
Willis’s freak athleticism was constantly on display, with weak-side blocks and putbacks; he does an excellent job using his verticality to impact the game on both ends, which is the foundation of his elite defensive profile. He is incredibly versatile given his ability to guard in isolation and off the ball. He has a great motor as a rebounder and dominates the glass when he chooses to do so.
Despite his size and athleticism, he can struggle to self-generate quality looks and often settles for contested mid-range attempts. Still, he is very capable of stretching the floor but is at his best around the rim as a play finisher.
The version of Willis I’m most intrigued by is a supercharged 3-and-D wing who can rebound and shoot at a high level without being burdened by self-creation responsibilities. Still, I would love to see him placed in situations where he can continue developing as a ball handler and playmaker to fully round out his profile.
Jordan Mize, 6’7”, SG, 2028, Sierra Canyon
Mize’s combination of size, length, and smooth mechanics makes his ranking as a Top 3 player in California obvious. He defends and rebounds at a high level while playing with a strong motor and the ability to stretch the floor. Mize still has plenty of time to develop in his areas of growth, mainly taking on more ball-handling responsibilities and, in turn, creating for himself more frequently. He is a capable passer, but I would still like to see him placed in more situations where he is required to make decisions.
Few players with Mize’s size, length, and level of coordination also check the pass, dribble, and shoot boxes. Combine that with true defensive versatility and an elite motor, and the foundation of his profile is easy to buy into.
Houston Rolle, 6’6”, SG/SF, 2028, Sierra Canyon
Rolle’s ability to score through multiple play types has been impressive, leveraging both his speed on the perimeter and his length and touch around the rim. Defensively, his quickness and coordination when sliding laterally are special; that allows him to guard multiple positions at a high level. He also possesses outstanding verticality and is a true lob threat despite playing as a guard/wing.
JJ Sati-Grier, 6’1”, PG, 2028, Sierra Canyon
Watching Sati-Grier, it felt as if he never actually stopped moving. His speed and twitchiness immediately popped on both ends of the floor. Sierra Canyon had a smothering defense, and JJ played a large role in that by bouncing around all corners of the court, trapping players, and clogging passing lanes with his anticipation, speed, and impressive motor.
Offensively, JJ collapses defenses at an elite level and consistently looks to make plays for others once he gets downhill. He can create separation against almost any defender and does a great job of both handling ball pressure and initiating physicality. His downhill game is complemented by a strong outside shot that he clearly feels confident in, taking the occasional transition three or attempt from deep.
JJ can make a wide range of reads with the ball in his hands, but I would love to see him continue developing his ability to consistently generate high-quality shots for himself and others.
Cameron Crenshaw, 6’9”, F/C, 2029, SoCal Academy
At 6’9”, Crenshaw is brimming with potential. His combination of height, length, and elite verticality already makes him a disruptive defender with legitimate versatility.
Crenshaw recently reclassified from 2028 to 2029, giving himself additional time to continue filling out his frame, which will be critical for his development. He already plays with a strong motor, particularly as a rebounder, and has great instincts as a shot blocker.
As an already impactful defender who produces in transition and as a play-finisher, Crenshaw’s development will be an exciting one to follow, given that there are very few prospects with his combination of size, fluidity, and verticality.
E.J. Popoola, 6’5”, SG, 2027, Palisades and O.J. Popoola, 6’5”, SF, 2027, Palisades
The Popoola twins remain some of the most underrated prospects on the West Coast. Both brothers have great positional size at 6’5”, which they pair with elite defensive tools and instincts.
They slide their feet well and have a knack for generating steals, while also providing strong rim protection. Their ability to wall up with verticality allows them to neutralize taller offensive players while completely overwhelming smaller ones.
While both brothers have the ability to toggle between playing as wings and guards, I think O.J.’s level of ball-handling and creation lends itself to him continuing to develop as a guard, while E.J. profiles more naturally as a wing who relies on his strength creation to generate opportunities.
Still, both are capable of scaling into either position when needed. I’m enamored with the pass-dribble-shoot potential of the twins when paired with their size and potent defensive instincts, and I expect their names to continue rising through the rankings this season.
Amoi Dut, 6’2”, PG, 2029, Bella Vista Prep
As a sophomore, Dut displayed a high level of poise and skill as a ball handler, regularly navigating full-court pressure while possessing a strong frame and great length.
Dut is a creative passer, particularly in transition, where he regularly fits passes into tight windows. In the halfcourt, he has excellent pacing as a ball-handler, which he pairs with a strong perimeter shot and true separating speed.
Dut plays relaxed, and it is clear that the game has already slowed down for him, a marker of a high-feel player and a rare skill at his age.
Austin Kirksey, 6’2”, SG, 2028, Bishop Montgomery
Kirksey is an impressive scorer with real craft and pacing as a ball handler. I was particularly impressed with his ability to score out of multiple play types as a guard, including transition, post-ups, isolation, and spot-ups.
He has a quick first step, great verticality, and a high feel as a playmaker. His ability to remain comfortable in such a wide range of offensive situations made him one of the more interesting guard prospects at the tournament.
Aidan Boker, 6’4”, SG, 2027, SoCal Academy
Boker just has a nose for the ball and is one of those players who simply finds ways to impact winning. He is an excellent rebounder, especially for his position, and regularly beats out bigger players for 50/50 balls, where his vertical athleticism consistently stands out.
He is capable of creating his own offense downhill and is a pest defensively, constantly rotating, jumping passing lanes, and providing strong contests around the rim. While Boker will need to add weight to his 6’4” frame, his ability to serve as a jack-of-all-trades should be sought after by collegiate programs.
Jerrell Copeland, 6’6”, SG/SF, 2029, SoCal Academy
At 6’6”, Copeland is able to do a little bit of everything and is already rebounding and defending at a high level. With nothing but time to continue developing, he will be an intriguing player to monitor given his obvious two-way upside and excellent positional size.
Zion Green, 6’9”, PF, 2027, AZ Compass Prep
At 6’9”, Green’s three-level scoring ability is incredibly intriguing, and while he has a slower release, he remains a legitimate floor spacer with the fluidity and skill to attack closeouts. Adding strength will be crucial for his development, as Green can struggle against stronger forwards and bigs. Still, the combination of size, shooting, and offensive versatility makes his long-term projection extremely interesting, and I’m a big-time believer in his shot continuing to translate at the collegiate level.
Chris Davis, 6’4”, SG/SF, 2028, Redondo Union
Davis has a great frame and impressive speed attacking downhill, where he is a powerful driver with a developing handle and the ability to stretch the floor. That combination gives him an intriguing foundation as a bigger perimeter creator.
Jordyn Houston, 6’7”, PF, 2027, La Mirada
Houston is a talented perimeter shooter, especially in catch-and-shoot opportunities, where his quick release consistently stands out. He fits his role perfectly as an efficient 3-and-D forward for a defensive-minded, high-motor La Mirada squad. His ability to space the floor without needing the ball gives him a very clean offensive role at the collegiate level, and he is a very capable rebounder as well.
Sadeek Noah, 6’7”, PF/SF, 2027, Bella Vista Prep
Noah has great size at 6’7” and combines it with the ability to defend multiple positions and stretch the floor. His shooting confidence really stood out, knocking down two deep, back-to-back threes off the catch. Noah remains an intriguing 3-and-D profile given his frame, defensive versatility, and perimeter shooting.