25 players to watch in 2022 CIF State boys basketball championship games
For the first time since 2019, true California state high school basketball champions will be crowned in Sacramento this weekend.
The 2020 CIF State Championships were canceled just days before tip-off because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and last year's abbreviated season concluded with regional championships in Southern California and Section championships in Northern California.
With 12 state championship games - six boys games and six girls games - scheduled to take place over the next two days in Sacramento, SBLive is taking a closer look at the top players.
Here's a breakdown of the Top 25 boys basketball players to watch in this weekend's CIF State Championship games:
TOP 25 BOYS BASKETBALL PLAYERS TO WATCH
Open Division: No. 1 Corona Centennial (32-1) vs. No. 3 Modesto Christian (30-5) - Saturday, March 12 - 8 p.m.
Donovan Dent – Corona Centennial – Senior point guard
Dent is a New Mexico signee. He scored 18 points in Corona Centennial's 83-59 CIF State Open Division Southern regional championship win over Sierra Canyon.
BJ Davis – Modesto Christian – Junior point guard
Davis averages 17 points per game for Modesto Christian.
Ramsey Huff - Corona Centennial - Senior shooting guard
Corona Centennial head coach Josh Giles called Huff "overlooked" after the senior scored 20 points to lead his Huskies team to an 83-59 CIF State Open Division Southern regional championship win over Sierra Canyon.
Manasse Itete - Modesto Christian - Sophomore power forward
Itete leads Modesto Christian in rebounding averaging 7 per game.
Aaron McBride - Corona Centennial - Junior power forward
McBride scored 13 points and played exceptional defense in Corona Centennial's 83-59 CIF State Open Division Southern regional championship win over Sierra Canyon.
Jared McCain – Corona Centennial – Junior shooting guard
McCain has received scholarship offers from some of the top college teams in the country including Duke and Gonzaga.
Prince Oseya - Modesto Christian - Junior center
Oseya is one of the top bigs in California high school basketball. He's a talented rim protector.
Jamari Phillips – Modesto Christian – Sophomore shooting guard
Phillips scored 20 points - including 9 in the fourth quarter - to lead Modesto Christian to a 56-53 victory over Campolindo in the CIF NorCal Open Division Boys Basketball Championship on Tuesday.
Devin Williams - Corona Centennial - Junior center
Photo by Nick Koza
Williams' stock has risen exponentially this season. He's an explosive athlete who scores and defends well for the Huskies. The junior received a scholarship offer from Texas Tech last month.
Division 1: No. 1 Damien (31-4) vs. No. 13 Clovis North (22-11) - Friday, March 11 - 8 p.m
Connor Amundsen - Clovis North - Sophomore point guard
Amundsen scored a team high 21 points in Clovis North's 58-56 Division 1 CIF State Northern regional championship win over St. Ignatius.
Kaleb Smith - Damien - Senior small forward
Smith is committed to UC Riverside. He scored a team high 16 points in Damien's 58-53 win over Crean Lutheran in the Division 1 CIF State Southern regional championship game.
RJ Smith - Damien - Senior point guard
Smith is committed to Colorado. He scored 14 points in Damien's 58-53 win over Crean Lutheran in the Division 1 CIF State Southern regional championship game.
Division 2: No. 1 Santa Ana Foothill (31-3) vs. No. 1 Elk Grove (27-6) - Saturday, March 12 - 4 p.m.
Cruz Billings - Foothill - Senior point guard
Billings averages 13.2 points per game and 4.5 assists per game for Foothill. He was the Crestview League MVP last season and he'll most likely win it again at the end of this season.
Ameere Britton - Elk Grove - Senior shooting guard
Britton averages 18.2 points per game for Elk Grove.
Jacob Horton - Foothill - Senior shooting guard
Horton averages 12 points per game, 4 rebounds per game and 1.8 steals per game for Foothill.
Dajon Lott - Elk Grove - Senior center
Lott has earned his nickname "Money." He's one of the top bigs in Northern California averaging 10.8 rebounds per game.
Division 3: No. 5 Venice (21-9) vs. No. 1 Pleasant Valley (31-3) - Friday, March 11 - 4:00 p.m.
Tyler Hunt - Venice - Sophomore shooting guard
Hunt scored 18 points in a league win over Palisades earlier this season. After the game Venice head coach David Galley called Hunt "ahead of his time." He's Venice's leading scorer this year.
Luke Kremer - Pleasant Valley - Junior small forward
Kremer led Pleasant Valley in rebounding this season averaging 7.5 per game.
Devyn Johnson - Venice - Senior point guard
Johnson has battled a knee injury all year long, but he's been healthy for Venice's playoff push and a big factor for their success. The Gondoliers will try and become the first LAUSD non-charter school to win a boys basketball state championship since Westchester in 2010 this weekend.
Noah Thomas - Pleasant Valley - Senior point guard
Thomas led Pleasant Valley in scoring this year averaging 16.1 points per game.
Division 4: No. 2 Scripps Ranch (25-11) vs. No. 4 Justin-Siena (21-11) - Saturday, March 12 - Noon
Caden Flint - Scripps Ranch - Senior shooting guard
Flint averages 13.5 points per game and 8.9 rebounds per game for Scripps Ranch.
Travis Hightower - Justin-Siena - Junior power forward
Hightower averages 12.6 points per game and 8.3 rebounds per game for Justin-Siena.
Division 5: No. 6 Chaffey (24-12) vs. No. 3 Stuart Hall (21-12) - Friday, March 11 - Noon
Dejon Clark - Chaffey - Senior small forward
Clark finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks in Chaffey's 63-53 Division 5 Southern Regional championship win over La Quinta.
Jackson Jung - Stuart Hall - Senior point guard
Jung scored 15 points on five 3-pointers in Stuart Hall's 45-41 playoff win over St. Joseph Notre Dame on Feb. 19.
Brandon Lum - Stuart Hall - Senior shooting guard
Lum scored 21 points in Stuart Hall's 44-37 Division 5 Northern Regional championship win over Priory.
