All-State Boys BB: First Team Elites

We are proud to present the 36th annual Cal-Hi Sports all-state elite boys basketball teams. These are the teams selected regardless of CIF division or year in school. Every player is written up and profiled. It’s a group with 22 seniors, five juniors and three sophomores. And yes, we’re going to start releasing girls all-state teams on Monday.

Note: We’ll have an inside look at this year’s boys basketball all-state team posted after all of the teams are chosen, including names of other players who just missed. That post plus our various player rankings for the Class of 2014, Class of 2015 and Class of 2016 and Class of 2017 are for Gold Members only. To sign up for a Gold Club membership, CLICK HERE.

More All-State Boys Basketball Links: Mr. Basketball Player of the Year | More State Player of the Year Writeups | All-State Nominees-Part 1 | All-State Nominees-Part 2 (Gold Club) | State Coach of the Year | All-State Underclass| All-State By Divisions

Attention young athletes: To check out info and to sign up for the first-ever Cal-Hi Sports/Gold Medal Excellence All-Sports Speed Camp and All-State Football Combine, CLICK HERE for June 14 event in Tracy or CLICK HERE for June 22 event in Bakersfield.

2014 CAL-HI SPORTS ALL-STATE
ELITE BOYS BASKETBALL TEAMS

First Team Overall (10)

G – Lonzo Ball (Chino Hills) 6-4 Soph.
It’s rare when a sophomore in California earns elite team honors and it’s even rarer for a 10th-grader to make the first 10. In fact, we can count the number of times on two hands: Jason Kidd (St. Joseph) in 1990, Schea Cotton (Mater Dei) in 1995, Jason Thomas (Dominguez) in 1996, Renardo Sidney (Artesia) in 2007, Aaron Gordon (Mitty) in 2011 and now Ball. He averaged 13.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 3.3 steals per game and stats really don’t do him justice. His court awareness, rebounding ability and up tempo passing ability really has no peer anywhere in the state. A member of the L.A. Times’ 10-man all-tar team, our state sophomore of the year is already committed to UCLA.

G – Justin Bibbins (Bishop Montgomery, Torrance) 5-9 Sr.
No small guard in the state dominated games quite like this dynamo headed to Long Beach State. Bibbins improved each year in the program and capped his year off by leading Bishop Montgomery to the Division IV state title with a 12-point, 4-assist, 9-rebound performance in a rout of Moreau Catholic. His rebounding is indicative of his ability to dominate games and there was no one in the state better with the ball in his hands foul line to line. For the season, Bibbins averaged 21.3 points, 5.4 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 2.8 steals and was smartly put on the All-CIFSS Open Division team when a lot of deserving players were left off. Bibbins was also named the South Bay Daily Breeze Player of the Year as well as the CIFSS Division IV Wooden Award winner.

F – Daniel Hamilton (St. John Bosco, Bellflower) 6-7 Sr.
Another Hamilton family member makes our elite all-state team. It started with Daniel’s uncle Kevin Hamilton in 1982 at L.A. Crenshaw, continued with Jordan Hamilton at L.A. Dorsey in 2007 and Compton Dominguez in 2008 and with Isaac Hamilton in 2012 and 2013 at St. John Bosco. Like Isaac, Daniel is a divisional state player of the year after leading Bosco to the Division II state title with per game averages of 20.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game. Hamilton admitted to us this year was a learning experience of ups-and-downs, but when focused there arguably wasn’t a more talented scorer in the state. This CIFSS Division II Wooden Award winner is headed to UConn where he may or may not play for former Crenshaw all-state pick Kevin Ollie depending on Ollie going to the NBA.

G – Chandler Hutchison (Mission Viejo) 6-5 Sr.
He gets the title as the second best player in Orange County behind Mr. Basketball Stanley Johnson. This all-county selection averaged 19 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.6 steals per game for a 24-7 team that advanced to the CIFSS Div. I-AA final. Hutchinson continued to get better nearly every week and many local and respected recruiting analysts think his long-term potential is as great as many of the other first teamers who got more national acclaim. Bound for Boise State, Hutchinson was CIFSS Division I-AA co-Player of the Year with Long Beach Poly junior K.J. Feagin.

F – Stanley Johnson (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) 6-7 Sr.
Perhaps the most amazing aspect of Mater Dei’s season is that many coaches felt this year’s Mater Dei team was “more beatable” in terms of their overall talent and personnel compared to recent teams. There was also an overwhelming feeling among many coaches and media scribes that Mater Dei would find a way to go unbeaten and that’s a direct testament to Johnson’s ability. In addition to earning Cal-Hi Sports Mr. Basketball honors, Johnson was the unofficial runner-up to Cliff Alexander of Chicago for Mr. Basketball USA and was a two-time Division I State Player of the Year and Orange County Register Player of the Year.

G – Jordan McLaughlin (Etiwanda) 6-1 Sr.
As the floor and emotional leader for the state’s second best team, McLaughlin is a cinch to be on this elite overall all-state squad. He led by example and by giving it his all for a coach (Dave Kleckner) who is known for getting the best out of his players. On a defensive-oriented team that likes to keep the score low, McLaughlin averaged 17 ppg and was the team’s best distributor. After tearing his labrum in the CIFSS Open Division playoffs, this USC recruit could have shut it down, but he showed what he’s made of by helping the Eagles advance to the regional semifinal where they lost in overtime to Mater Dei. An all-CIFSS Open Division choice and two-time Inland Valley Daily Bulletin Player of the Year, McLaughlin has already been named a Student Sports All-American second teamer along with Ivan Rabb, Daniel Hamilton and Tom Welsh.

F – Deontae North (Centennial, Corona) 6-5 Sr.
The Huskies were full of athletic guard-types who could really defend, but the player that could do the most for the SoCal Division I champions was this sweet-shooting small forward. North made 49 3-pointers and it seemed as if half of those were daggers against top teams such as Capital Christian, Loyola and Chino Hills. North also had a knack for keeping plays alive with an offensive rebound or coming up with a timely steal. The Riverside Press Enterprise Player of the Year averaged 18.8 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.6 steals and 2.1 assists for a 29-4 team that was nationally-ranked in the Student Sports FAB 50. North is headed for Long Beach State along with fellow All-State pick Temidayo Yussuf.

C – Ivan Rabb (Bishop O¹Dowd, Oakland) 6-10 Jr.
Already named the Division III and State Junior of the Year, Rabb enters the summer evaluation period as the consensus No. 1 prospect in the state and is a top five national prospect. Rabb has garnered some All-America acclaim and a plethora of local honors, including Contra Costa Times and San Francisco Chronicle All-Metro Player of the Year. Rabb averaged 25 points, 16 rebounds and five blocks for the NorCal Open Division champions. Rabb’s 10 point, 16-rebound, 3-block performance in the state open division title game wasn’t bad, but we have a feeling that performance will offer plenty of motivation going into the summer and next season.

G – Elijah Stewart (Westchester, Los Angeles) 6-4 Sr.
There was no doubt Westchester was going to field one of the best teams in the state, but there wasn’t a clear cut No. 1 player from an individual honors standpoint because last season the Comets employed a two-platoon system for a 29-7 team. That all changed as Stewart developed into one of the state’s best shooters and into the Comets’ go-to player. He averaged 19.2 points, 5.1 rebounds 3.2 apg 2.1 blocks for a 30-7 team. He made the 10-man L.A. Times All-Star team and was a cinch pick for L.A. City Section Division I Player of the Year honors. Signed to LMU in the early period, Stewart asked for a release from his LOI and will sign with a school from a larger conference.

C – Thomas Welsh (Loyola, Los Angeles) 7-0 Sr.
He hoined Stanley Johnson as the lone Californian in this year’s McDonald’s All-American Game. He struggled in the game, but made a more favorable impression in practice with his patience and smarts around the basket. Undoubtedly SoCal’s top post player, Welsh led Loyola to a 27-4 mark by averaging 15.3 points, 11.2 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game. More importantly, he helped the Cubs remain among the state’s elite after losing point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright toward the end of the regular season. Welch, the Mission League MVP, is headed to UCLA.

Second Team Overall (10)

G – Tyler Dorsey (St. John Bosco, Bellflower) 6-5 Jr.
A bit of an enigma, Dorsey is one of the state’s most talked about players on social media. Is he a point guard or shooting guard? Where does he fit on on a college roster? One thing is certain and that Dorsey is a major talent. The Arizona commit helped the Braves win the Division II state title with his scoring and rebounding ability. In fact, there might not have been a better rebounder from the perimeter in the state than Dorsey. He led Bosco in scoring (21.4 ppg) and also chipped in 6.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists. Dorsey, who made the L.A. Times All-Star squad and the Long Beach Press Telegram Dream Team, was consistent in the scoring department, going over 20 points in 16 games.

G – Aaron Holiday (Campbell Hall, North Hollywood) 6-2 Jr.
Holiday didn’t have the team success of some of the other top CIF Division IV players on this elite team, but his individual talent is undeniable. He was named CIFSS Div. IV-A Player of the Year over talents such as Village Christian’s Benny Boatwright and Brentwood’s Tra Holder even though his team didn’t win the section title. He was also named the Alpha League Player of the Year, which included Brentwood, Windward and Sierra Canyon, as well as earning top honors from the L.A. Daily News. A couple of coaches in the Alpha League told us he’s deserving of all honors because he did whatever he could to try and help his team win. The younger brother of 2008 Mr. Basketball Jrue Holiday (now in the NBA), Aaron averaged 28.9 points, 8.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists and had a 42-point performance in a playoff loss to Village Christian. Similar to his older brother, he’ll play at UCLA.

G – Braxton Huggins (Mira Monte, Bakersfield) 6-4 Sr.
He doesn’t get much exposure, but to the mid-major college coaches we’ve talked to about him they have two words: “big-time.” Mira Monte struggled to a 10-13 mark, but Braxton’s work ethic helped him develop into a Division I player after entering high school on lower level squads. No elite player had more defensive attention on him on a nightly basis, but Huggins responded with 32.2 points per game and 5.2 rebounds. The Bakersfield Californian Player of the Year shot 36 percent from 3-point range and scored 30 or more points 14 times and 40 or more five times.

G — Trey Kell (St. Augustine, San Diego) 6-5 Sr.
Kell made the 30-player elite roster last year because of his playoff performances in leading St. Aug to the Division III state title. This year he moves up from the third team (and to be honest almost was first team) after averaging 25.6 points and 11 rebounds per game for a 28-4 team. One of the best pure shooters on the West Coast, Kell is a strong rebounder who uses good instincts and feel for the game to make up for a lack of elite athleticism. The CIF San Diego Section Player of the Year will stay home and play for Steve Fisher at San Diego State.

F – Malik Marquetti (Millikan, Long Beach) 6-6 Sr.
There is more social media attention, more media outlets and more video of basketball prospects than ever before, but one thing hasn’t changed. In a area with the abundance of talent like the L.A. basin possesses, there is bound to be players that slip through the cracks and Marquetti is one of them. He was just another all-league candidate until blowing up on the fall league circuit after last year’s summer evaluation period. Within two months, he had a scholarship offer to USC. Besides one bad league game versus Long Beach Poly, Marquetti delivered during the season, averaging 22.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2.0 blocks for a 21-9 team. He was named all-area by the Long Beach Press-Telegram, all-CIFSS Div. I-AA and the Moore League MVP over Poly’s K.J. Feagin.

G – Kendall Small (Mayfair, Lakewood) 6-0 Jr.
While Bishop Montgomery’s Justin Bibbins dominates in the open court, Small is a smaller guard who can actually dominate in a half court setting. Small excels at keeping plays alive with hustle and tenacity underneath the basket. Small isn’t a role player, either, as he can lead a team and score. He led Mayfair to the Suburban League title and a 25-7 mark against good competition with averages of 21.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 3.4 steals per game. Small was named to the L.A. Times’ All-Star team, all-CIFSS Open Division and the Long Beach Press Telegram Dream Team Player of the Year in a circulation area that includes players from St. John Bosco, Compton and Long Beach Poly.

G – Stephen Thompson Jr. (Bishop Montgomery, Torrance) 6-2 Jr.
On various underclass honor squads, Thompson has been a big omission. We’re going to give him his proper due here. Thompson also was a big miss on the all-CIFSS Open Division team, but he got his redemption by scoring big in Bishop Montgomery’s drive to the CIF Division IV state title. He netted 32 points against Oak Christian in the regional opener, 13 against league rival Serra of Gardena, 26 against Cantwell Sacred Heart in the regional final and 20 in the state title victory over Moreau Catholic. Blessed with a feathery jump shot and incredible instincts to find open gaps on the floor, Thompson averaged 22.0 points and 2.1 steals per game.

G – Gabriel Vincent (St. Mary’s, Stockton) 6-3 Sr.
One of the state’s best shooters, Vincent is a physically strong guard who makes up for his lack of elite jumping ability with smarts and by moving well without the ball. Vincent is also lauded for his unselfishness and respect for the game. Vincent led St. Mary’s to a 27-3 mark and in nearly every statistical category: points (23.0) rebounds (6.1), assists (3.9) and steals (3.0). Even in defeat, he was spectacular, scoring 40 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in a 76-74 loss to Cosumnes Oaks of Elk Grove in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II playoffs. He also had a 47-point game against Campolindo of Moraga. The Stockton Record Player of the Year is headed to UC Santa Barbara.

F – D.J. Wilson (Capital Christian, Sacramento) 6-9 Sr.
This talented forward with oozing potential came through with an outstanding senior season for the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section D-V champions and NorCal Open Division runner-up. Wilson used his length and timing to average 16 points, 12 rebound and six blocks per game for a 28-4 team that fell to Ivan Rabb and Bishop O’Dowd in the NorCal Open Division regional final. NorCal’s most highly-ranked college-bound senior, Wilson was a Sacramento Bee All-Metro selection and is headed for Michigan in the fall.

C – Temidayo Yussuf (St. Joseph Notre Dame, Alameda) 6-7 Sr.
Nobody who saw Yussuf break down after St. Joe’s lost the 2013 CIF Division V state title game on a buzzer-beater will ever forget it, nor will those who saw how happy and relieved he was after the Pilots won this year’s Division V title. Yussuf wasn’t going to be denied, as he went for 21 points and 16 rebounds in the title game win over Renaissance Academy of La Canada. For the season, Yussuf averaged 18 points and 16 rebounds per game as was chosen first team All-Metro by the San Francisco Chronicle and First Team All-East Bay by the Contra Costa Times. The Division V State Player of the Year is bound for Long Beach State.

Third Team Overall (10)

C – Michael Cage Jr. (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) 6-10 Soph.
With some interior losses in the preseason, the Monarchs needed someone to step up and help Stanley Johnson if they were going to win the CIF Open Division state title. Senior Isaiah Juarez did the dirty work, junior La’Vette Parker made big shots and Cage patrolled the middle. Cage, the son of the former NBA rebounding champion, was Mater Dei’s second leading scorer (14.9) and leading rebounder (10.6) and blocked 3.6 shots per game. More importantly, he showed marked improvement as the season went along and was lauded for his composure and contributions in big games. Cage earned a spot on the all-CIFSS Open Division team and pushed Lonzo Ball for state sophomore of the year honors. He joined Johnson and Parker on the divisional all-state teams and joined teammate Rex Pflueger on the underclass all-state teams. Mater Dei is the only team that had four all-state players this season, which is only fair considering the Monarchs went 35-0.

G – Joey Covarrubias (Cantwell-Sacred Heart, Montebello) 6-2 Sr.
The player that made everything go for a Cardinals’ team that advanced to the SoCal Division IV regional final, Covarrubias was versatile enough to run the point, play shooting guard or defend and bang down low with players much bigger. Early in the season, Covarrubias scored at near a 20 ppg clip as he was MVP of the Rose City Classic after the Cardinals defeated Lonzo Ball and Chino Hills and later earned all-tourney honors at the Beverly Hills and Torrey Pines Holiday Classic events. Later in the year, he became more of a distributor and drew the assignment on the opposition’s toughest check such as Mater Dei’s Stanley Johnson. The Whittier Daily News Player of the Year finished the season with averages of 15.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.4 steals per game.

C – Idrissa Diallo (Cathedral, Los Angeles) 6-11 Sr.
He helped lead the Phantoms to the CIFSS Open Division playoffs with his defense, presence and timely inside baskets. Stats don’t do Diallo justice for how much he impacted games because Cathedral was a deep team and head coach Williams Middlebrooks substituted liberally in games his club had a big lead in. Diallo averaged 10.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game for a 24-6 team. He was named the Camino Real League MVP over fellow third teamer Joey Covarrubias. Diallo was committed to Cal, but with Mike Montgomery retired he decided to re-open his recruitment.

G – Frankie Ferrari (Burlingame) 6-0 Sr.
After transferring from Archbishop Riordan of San Francisco, Ferrari had the type of season befitting someone with the same name of a legendary race car. He led the Panthers to a 26-5 record and was named the San Jose Mercury-News Player of the Year. A magnificent 46-point outing against Leigh of San Jose in the CIF Central Coast Section Open Division game on a sprained ankle was important for that honor, but Ferrari’s overall consistency also shined. He averaged 22 points, seven assists, five rebounds and three steals per game. Ferrari will play next at USF.

G – Jordan Ford (Folsom) 6-0 Soph.
After leading Folsom to a runner-up finish behind St. John Bosco in the CIF Division II state playoffs, Ford was chosen as the Sacramento Bee’s Player of the Year in what was probably a close call involving Capital Christian’s D.J. Wilson. Now, he’s one of just three sophomores to be picked to the overall all-state squad. Ford had a 33-point outing against Cosumnes Oaks of Elk Grove in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section D1 final and for the season averaged 22.6 points with 3.6 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game.

G – Ian Fox (Redondo Union, Redondo Beach) 6-0 Sr.
He may not be getting the recruiting attention of some of the other guards on these elite teams, but Fox is the epitome of a productive high school player who helped his team win big games. Fox was the leader and clutch player for a team that won last year’s Division II state title and advanced to the semifinals of this year’s CIFSS Open Division playoffs. Fox averaged 13.3 points per game and shot 40 percent on 3-pointers. He was named first team all-area by the South Bay Daily Breeze and to the all-CIFSS Open Division team.

G – Tra Holder (Brentwood, Los Angeles) 6-1 Sr.
The Alpha League (Windward, Sierra Canyon, Pacific Hills, etc.) and the CIFSS Division IV playoff teams are filled with an abundance of talent that was seriously considered for the third team. Not every deserving player could fit, but Holder was an indispensable player for an 18-11 team. Similar to all-stater Leland King last season, coach Ryan Bailey couldn’t do without this all-CIFSS Division IV-A choice. Holder averaged 22.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 2.4 steals per game. He excels at putting pressure on the defense all 84 feet and similar to Mayfair’s Kendall Small is not afraid to challenge inside. Holder is headed to Arizona State.

G – Trevor John (Monte Vista, Danville) 6-3 Sr.
We obviously had to have some representation from the CIF Division I state champions in addition to head coach Nick Jones previously being announced as the Division I State Coach of the Year. Trevor ended up being a selection for this elite squad with both himself and teammate Spencer Rust earning positions on the Division I all-state squad. John, a Cal Poly San Luis Obisbo commit, rifled in an amazing six 3-pointers in the first half to tie a CIF title game record and finished with 23 points when Monte Vista defeated Centennial of Corona in the state final. He already has been accorded post-season honors from the Contra Costa Times and San Francisco Chronicle.

G – Deshon Taylor (J.W. North, Riverside) 6-1 Sr.
The Huskies had an excellent season, going 26-2 and losing only to Westchester and Mater Dei on the court, and Taylor was the big reason why. Not only was he a consistent scorer, he was unafraid to take the big shot. His shooting ability and confidence allowed him to average 24.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.6 steals and 2.3 assists per game while making 88 percent of his free throws. Taylor was named Inland Valley League MVP, first team all-county by the Riverside Press-Enterprise and all-CIFSS Open Division. Taylor hasn’t yet signed with a college.

F – Jack Williams (Chaminade, West Hills) 6-8 Sr.
One of the state’s best rebounders, Williams averaged 16.4 caroms per game as a junior and this year averaged 11.5 in addition to 16.5 points per game. Although his rebounding averages diminished this season, the team stepped up around him and went on to win the CIF Division III state title. Similar to Stephen Thompson, Joey Covarrubias and Daniel Hamilton, Williams deserved a spot on the all-CIFSS Open Division team. He did earn all-area honors from the L.A. Daily News and was the John Wooden Award Winner as the player of the year among all CIFSS Division III schools. He’ll join first teamers Justin Bibbins and Deontae North and second teamer Temidayo Yussuf next year at Long Beach State.

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