30 players to watch in California (CIF) State Division 2 boys basketball playoffs
The brackets for the 2022 California (CIF) State boys basketball playoffs have been finalized. First-round matchups for Divisions 1-5 tipped off March 1.
SBLive is taking a look at the top players to watch in every Division. Here's a closer look at the top 30 players in Division 2.
TOP 30 PLAYERS IN CIF STATE DIVISION 2 PLAYOFFS
(The players are listed in alphabetical order by region.)
SOUTHERN REGION
Kwabena Banahene - Rancho Cucamonga - Senior center
Banahene grabbed 11 rebounds and had five blocks to go along with his eight points in Rancho Cucamonga's Southern Section Division 3AA title win over Rancho Verde.
CJ Bellamy - Los Altos - Senior point guard
Bellamy scored 18 points in a Los Altos win over Hillcrest earlier this season. He's an impressive ball handler.
Kory Blunt - Birmingham - Senior shooting guard
Blunt scored 18 points in a loss to Southern Section Open Division runner-up Harvard-Westlake earlier this season.
Cruz Billings - Foothill - Senior point guard
Billings was the Crestview League MVP last season and he'll most likely win it again at the end of this season.
Erick Chaney - Bakersfield Christian - Senior shooting guard
Chaney scored 30 points in Bakersfield Christian's Division 1 Central Section championship win over Central Fresno.
Sidy Diallo - St. Paul - Senior center
Diallo stands at 7-foot-2. He's a tremendous defender and rebounder.
Jazz Gardner - Los Altos - Junior center
Gardner has received scholarship offers from Kansas, LSU, Pepperdine and USC.
Julien Gomez - La Mirada - Freshman shooting guard
Gomez was named the Suburban League MVP as a freshman.
Jake Hall - Carlsbad - Freshman shooting guard
Hall was the top freshman in San Diego this season. He led the Lancers to a Division 1 San Diego Section championship win over La Jolla Country Day.
AJ Johnson - Taft - Junior point guard
Johnson has received scholarship offers from Arizona State, New Mexico and San Diego State.
Shadale Knight - Rancho Cucamonga - Junior point guard
Knight scored 21 points in Rancho Cucamonga's 3AA Southern Section championship win over Rancho Verde.
Kalib LaCount - King/Drew - Senior point guard
LaCount averaged 35 points per game for King/Drew this season.
Camden McCormick – Francis Parker – Senior shooting guard
McCormick will be a first team All-CIF San Diego selection at the end of the season.
John McFadden - San Juan Hills - Senior small forward
McFadden scored 22 points in San Juan Hills' 2A Southern Section championship win over La Mirada last week.
Larry Olayinka - Birmingham - Senior center
Olayinka was the top big man in the LA City Section this season.
Jacob Simon - San Juan Hills - Senior shooting guard
Simon made of the defining plays of San Juan Hills season when he swatted a chase down block off of the backboard sparking a 12-0 run for the Stallions in their 59-49 Southern Section 2A championship win over La Mirada.
Jackson Tucker - Bakersfield Christian - Senior shooting guard
Tucker scored 25 points in Bakersfield Christian's Division 1 Central Section championship win over Central Fresno.
Trey Wilborn - Edison - Senior small forward
Wilborn has been Edison's top player all season. He led the Chargers to a Surf League championship.
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NORTHERN REGION
Ameere Britton - Elk Grove - Senior shooting guard
Britton scored 25 points in a 60-51 playoff win over Jesuit last month.
Cahal Connolly - Bishop O'Dowd - Senior center
Connolly is committed to Claremont McKenna.
Takai Emerson-Hardy - Vanden - Senior power forward
Hardy has scored over 1,200 points and grabbed over 1,000 rebounds in his high school career.
George Gale - Branson - Junior small forward
Gale scored 24 points to lead Branson to an 85-72 Division 3 North Coast Section championship win over St. Patrick-St. Vincent.
Marques Green - Central Fresno - Senior small forward
Green put in 19 points in Central's Division 1 Central Section championship loss to Bakersfield Christian.
Tyler Harris - Salesian - Junior shooting guard
Harris is being recruited by Butler and Utah. He helped lead the Pride to a Division 2 North Coast Section championship win over San Ramon Valley this season.
Amos Hodgson - Bishop O'Dowd - Junior shooting guard
Hodgson scored 24 points in a North Coast Section playoff loss to Clayton Valley Charter last month. He made six 3's in the game.
Austin Johnson - Salesian - Senior point guard
Johnson scored 12 points in Salesian's Division 2 North Coast Section championship win over San Ramon Valley last week.
Isaiah Kerr – St. Francis (Mountain View) – Senior point guard
Kerr is a Montana commit.
Dajon Lott - Elk Grove - Senior center
Lott has earned his nickname "Money." He's one of the top bigs in Northern California.
Nick Medeiros - St. Patrick- St. Vincent - Senior point guard
Medeiros scored 28 points for St. Patrick- St. Vincent in their Division 3 North Coast Section championship loss to Branson.
Yaqub Mir - Granite Bay - Junior point guard guard
Mir isn't only a standout point guard, he's a standout in the classroom too. The junior has a 4.5 GPA.
Mason Thomas - San Ramon Valley - Freshman shooting guard
Remember this name. Thomas is the top long term prospect on San Ramon Valley's roster.
