Javier Torres and the Dinuba Emperors are anticipating a fierce West Yosemite League battle against the rising Tigers of Lemoore High School.
By Gabe Camarillo
Where did the high school basketball season go?
It felt like not too long ago, I was back at the Save Mart Center, where I heard the excited chirping of fans and witnessed countless iPhone cameras fixated on the famous Bronny James and Sierra Canyon as they faced San Joaquin Memorial. What a great start to the season.
Since then, I’ve watched several fun, local tournaments and showcases, from the Clovis West Nike Invitational and Clovis Elks to the spectacular Super Saturday Showcase at Edison High School.
Now, I think, is the right time to rank these teams.
These rankings won’t be used to seed playoff teams – although I think they should, if I’m being honest.
The MaxPreps formula worries me, to some extent, because it does not account for a few things: transfers that arrive after the 30-day sit out period, impact players missing key games due to injury, and small schools being jumped into Division 1. The latter is more an issue with girls’ basketball this season, and we’ll cover that later this week
Playoffs is a relevant discussion now, because we have less than a month of regular season left. In fact, a month from today – February 17th – will be a Friday night full of high school boys’ basketball quarterfinals.
Again, where did the season go?
A lot of games between now and the season’s end, so expect these rankings to shuffle a bit. Also, expect similarly in-depth rankings for girls’ basketball later this week; there are several games Tuesday that will hold significant weight in the girls’ rankings (Clovis East at Clovis West; Buchanan at Central), so I’m holding off on those for now.
Without further ado, enjoy my first batch of ESPN Fresno Central Section boys’ basketball rankings.
1. St. Joseph (Santa Maria) Knights
Record: 13-5
A gut-wrenching 68-67 loss to state-ranked No. 7 Modesto Christian (according to Cal-Hi Sports) does provide one silver lining for the Knights: it proves they are the best in the Central Section. Modesto Christian beat a full-strength Clovis West team two weeks ago, 79-55. Yet against St. Joseph, the Crusaders needed a huge fourth quarter from their San Diego State commit BJ Davis to overcome St. Joseph.
Come to think of it, there’s not a single bad loss on their schedule: state No. 5 Sierra Canyon by six, state No. 3 Bishop Montgomery by two, Nevada’s No. 4 Arbor View on a buzzer-beating tip in, and Florida’s No. 3 Olympia by one. Considering all 13 wins have come by double digits, this is arguably the best resumé – and best team – in the Section. Oh yeah, and they have the best player in the Section in sophomore Tounde Yessoufou. Returners like senior Luis Marin, a three-year varsity starter, and Yessoufou have been aided by the emergence of freshman guard Julius Price and 6-foot-9 center Caedin Hamilton.
2. Clovis North Broncos
Record: 16-5
Clovis North defeated Clovis West in a very close, physical 68-66 win. For that, they are currently ranked ahead of the Golden Eagles. One sparkling Bronco has been 6-foot-8 senior Malik Musleh, who nearly posted a triple-double against Clovis East last Friday with 16 points, 12 rebounds, and eight blocks.
With the size of Musleh and Jaylen Bryant, the speed of McKae Amundsen, the crafty scoring of Loukas Jones, the two-way play of Jordan Espinoza, the shooting of Christian Calvillo and contributions from so many more, the Broncos have overcome the loss of star junior guard Connor Amundsen to injury and remained a championship contender.
3. Clovis West Golden Eagles
Record: 19-2
Clovis West, the reigning Open Division champion, will get another chance at Clovis North inside the “Eagles’ Nest” on January 27th, a must-watch for local high school basketball fans. Much like Clovis North, their strength is their depth. Issac Martinez is the leading returning scorer, capable of taking games over with his hot shooting stretches. Jackson Young is a reliable shooter from beyond the arc, and DJ Stickman is a sensational sophomore who gets it done on both ends.
More athleticism and scoring are provided by the Sanders brothers, Marshel and Markel, Skylarr Redwood and Zach Chauhan. Tytus Khajavi and Cooper Villi bring size and interior defense. So many Golden Eagles to mention, and so many reasons why I believe this team could defend their title.
4. Centennial Golden Hawks
Record: 15-3
The Golden Hawks have made steady progress during head coach Stephon Carter’s three years there. Last year, they narrowly lost to Bullard in the Division I playoffs after a 20-win regular season. With eight guys back from that team, it’s no surprise how good the G-Hawks have been in the 2022-23 campaign. Among the returners, Rippen Gill is a talented scorer who dropped 30 points against Central last Saturday, and Jaxton Santiago’s post presence and rebounding (13.5 boards per game) are invaluable. Get this – both are only juniors.
They passed the first test against Stockdale in overtime, 67-63. Still to come – another home game against the Mustangs, and a massive matchup against fellow local heavyweight Bakersfield Christian on January 28th. Centennial hasn’t lost in over a month, currently riding a 10-game winning streak.
5. San Joaquin Memorial Panthers
Record: 12-7
San Joaquin Memorial is finding its groove again, but that hasn’t translated to the Panthers re-entering the Top 4 where they began the season – not yet at least. If Centennial loses again, it could propel Memorial into the Top 4… unless it’s Bakersfield Christian who beats the G-Hawks. Memorial makes a strong argument for the No. 4 spot with its recent 71-53 win over Edison, a team Centennial beat by a smaller margin, 52-46.
The 1-5 stretch from late December to early January is in the rearview mirror, thanks to a healthy Mike Davis Jr, the dynamic guard play of Armari Carraway, and promising sophomore Julius Olanrewaju. Other key players with important roles: rebounder and interior defender Dre Davis, knock-down shooters Abram Potts and Silas Rodriguez, and perimeter defender Gerald Perry Jr.
6. Bakersfield Christian Eagles
Record: 12-6
Bakersfield Christian was 5-6 to begin the season, but the Eagles received a nice Christmas gift: no more losses – so far. Since the holiday, they have won seven straight, the last two of which were the most impressive: road wins at Edison and Mission Prep, both of whom reside in the Top 10 of these rankings.
Head coach Garrett Brown anticipated that incoming transfer Gabe Gutierrez would make an immediate impact once he played, and he was right; Gutierrez made the game-winning shot over Edison. Louis Duarte, another transfer, was huge with 13 points against Mission Prep, and it was Bentley Waller who hit two clutch free throws to give BCHS the 61-60 win Monday. Their toughest remaining game is at home against Centennial; if they win that, it’ll be hard to keep them outside the Top 4.
7. Mission Prep Royals
Record: 11-7
Bakersfield Christian is just one point better than Mission Prep, so it’s fair to say the Royals are just one spot below them, too. JJ Howard is a special player to watch; he poured in 26 points Monday in a variety of ways: drives to the basket, one-handed pull up jumpers, and slam dunks. The Royals love to shoot 3-pointers, which makes them a dangerous team to face if they’re having a hot night.
They hold a common opponent with higher-ranked Clovis North; Mission Prep beat Salesian Prep by 13, whom the Broncos beat two days later by two. A base Division 2 team, the Royals not only deserve to be Division 1, but to host a playoff game in San Luis Obispo.
8. Stockdale Mustangs
Record: 18-2
Stockdale proved its mettle by nearly pulling off a 14-point comeback over Centennial last week. In fact, the Mustangs led by two with 40 seconds left in overtime, but the Golden Hawks capitalized on costly Stockdale mistakes and pulled it out. Still, the message was sent: Stockdale is for real.
Watching them defeat Hanford 69-47 at Edison’s Super Saturday Showcase, I noticed a few ingredients to their success: their transition offense operates quickly and efficiently, Jhace Boston is a capable scorer at all three levels, and Joaquin Rios can create shots around the rim. The Mustangs lead the Southwest Yosemite River League in offense (69.5 points per game) and have a key 63-51 win over Edison.
9. Edison Tigers
Record: 12-7
Edison has improved with every game, a promising sign of progress for first-year head coach Mike Fulford. The Tigers tested talented teams like Bakersfield Christian and Centennial for a full four quarters, losing those two games by a combined eight points. Also, they beat San Joaquin Memorial in overtime (without Mike Davis Jr.) and hung with a full-strength Memorial squad for three quarters last week.
Ray Brown could score from just about anywhere on the court, and Ya’J Vance makes an impact with his scoring and playmaking. These are two of several superb athletes for Edison; the average height on the team is 6-foot-3. Brown, Va’Ron Mitchell, Wendell Ware, and Kameron Bowen are part of an exciting junior class for E-City.
10. Bullard Knights
Record: 12-9
Bullard started the season 7-2 but faced adversity – and great competition – at the Mission Prep Holiday Classic and Modesto Christian tournament. It prepared the Knights well for CMAC play, which they began with a 62-55 win over Sanger. Nathaniel Vindiola, one of the senior Knights, scored 11 points in the effort.
Bullard features a nice blend of youthful talent and veteran experience; for the former, look no further than freshman Ja’Vance Coleman, the son of the former Washington Union and Fresno State standout. Mark Williams and Jaleel Jackson bring similar athleticism and rebounding. Bullard led Clovis North after three quarters but fell short, 66-52. For that closer effort against Clovis North, Bullard gets the higher ranking than Clovis East, along with their bigger win over Sanger.
11. Clovis East Timberwolves
Record: 11-8
Clovis East followed a similar trajectory to Bullard this season: a 5-2 start preluded difficult tournaments in Las Vegas and Modesto prior to TRAC play. Also, in similar fashion to the Knights, the Timberwolves have been guided by a mix of underclassmen and veterans.
The T’Wolves start three freshmen in the lineup, the talented trio of Trenell Emerson, Dalen Felder and Lydell Farmer. Then, there are frontcourt forces McKay Olson and Carlos Craig, along with 6-foot-5 junior wing Jeremy Pierro. The future is bright for this young, fun and athletic bunch of T’Wolves.
12. Dinuba Emperors
Record: 18-2
Dinuba is off to its best start since, well, last year. Head coach Jeff Schofield has built a consistent winner in the new-look West Yosemite League. Their only losses came by one to Central Valley Christian and to WYL foe Hanford on the road. Quality wins over Lemoore, El Diamante, and Liberty are sprinkled in their first 20 games, too.
Javier Torres has posted big scoring totals nightly; he contributed 22 points in the latest win over Tulare Western. Outside of Torres, it seems like a new Emperor steps up every game, whether it be sophomore Josiah Ochoa or steady seniors Keine Prendez and Anthony Harp.
13. Lemoore Tigers
Record: 12-6
Lemoore enjoyed success on the football field, and the confidence that comes with a Division 2 championship and state playoff appearance has translated to solid basketball play for a team full of dual-sport athletes. Cal Poly football commit Demel Turner is skilled at getting inside the paint or setting up his teammates. Ty Chambers is the quarterback on the gridiron and acts as such on the hardwood. Kobe Green is another Tiger with a nice shot.
Head coach Joel Sligh did not have his football players available for the first four games, part of an 0-4 start, but since then, Lemoore has gone 12-2. They could avenge one of those losses Wednesday when they host Dinuba.
14. Arroyo Grande Eagles
Record: 13-5
Arroyo Grande owns a 78-31 win over Lemoore, yet that came without Lemoore’s best players, so with that in consideration, the Eagles check in right behind the Tigers. If Arroyo Grande keeps the wins coming (eight in a row), the Eagles will soar even higher in these rankings.
They beat a solid Frontier team by 16 (whom Selma beat 53-45 earlier this month) and suffered close losses to Clovis East and strong out-of-town teams Oxnard and Atwater (their combined record: 38-2). AG features eight juniors, meaning head coach Ryan Glanville is building for something even better next season. But his team is already talented enough in 2023 to either contend for a Division 2 title or sneak into the Division 1 playoffs, depending on how the rankings shake out.
15. Selma Bears
Record: 15-3
Selma has won nine of its last 10 games, the only loss during that stretch against 20-0 Atwater. The Bears’ point guard Nic Esparza, who recently reached the 1,000 career points milestone earlier this season, posted back-to-back games of 29 and 24 points last week, respectively, and fellow team captain Roshan Dail is a rock inside the paint. Much like AG, the junior class for Selma is special, so watch out for the Bears next year, too!
The next five:
- El Diamante (13-5)
El Diamante is 2-0 in East Yosemite League play, and they have been dominating Central Section competition for the most part. Among their losses, they fell to ranked Lemoore and Dinuba by a combined eight points.
- Sanger (12-8)
Sanger is fun to watch, thanks to big man Kaleb Cole and a deep cast of shooters, defenders and role players. They are slightly ahead of Clovis because of their 62-40 win over the Cougars.
- Clovis (12-8)
Clovis is slotted below El Diamante because of comparative scores with common opponent Lemoore. 6-foot-8 Jackson Scarborough is a freshman phenom to watch, and Treyvonn Sanderson paces the team with 13 points per game.
- Ridgeview (12-6)
Ridgeview impressed with a gritty effort against Bakersfield Christian last week that fell barely short of a win. The Wolfpack rank behind Clovis because of a head-to-head loss.
- Liberty-Bakersfield (9-10)
The Patriots looked good against Lemoore last Saturday, overcoming a sluggish start but falling, 61-54. Deshawn Osochu is the Patriot to watch. They land here with a head-to-head win over Santa Ynez and 1-1 record against Ridgeview.
On the bubble: Santa Ynez (12-3), Sierra (14-4)
