Deja Vu relative to SoCal tops in 2019 class

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LAGUNA NIGUEL, Ca. – Southern California’s high school basketball Class of 2019 proved every bit impressive this past season as it did a year ago.

The likes of the Chino Hills High duo of Melo Ball and Onyeka Okongwu as well as guards Ethan Anderson (Fairfax), Cassius Stanley (Harvard-Westlake), Gianni Hunt (Bishop Montgomery and Jarod Lucas (Los Altos), along with forwards Jaime Jaquez (Camarillo) and Jake Kyman (Santa Margarita), each made strong impacts on their programs in 2015-16.

And, as the case a year ago when my choice for BurlisonOnBasketball’s top Southern California Freshman of the Year came from among Ball, Okongwu and Stanley, the same three lads were the top candidates this time around for Sophomore of the Year.

Each polished strong credentials while utilizing their individual skills to help Chino Hills win 31 games and Harvard-Westlake capture the CIF Southern Section’s 1A championship.

But, even with their well-advanced offensive repertoires and respective flairs for the spectacular (Stanley, vertically, and Ball, by way of his often-dazzling passing and head-shaking shot selection), neither Stanley nor Ball impacted games at both ends of the floor with the veracity that Okongwu did.

And that’s why Okongwu walks away with BurlisonOnBasketball Sophomore of the Year hardware – or, at least, he would get that hardware if I in fact provided “trophies” or “plaques” to my honorees.

He – like Clark Slajchert of Oak Park (my choice for top freshman) and my eventual choices for top Junior and Senior of 2016-17 in Southern California – will have to be satisfied with my deep-felt congratulations that go along with their honors.

As a refresher from the caveats I provided with the all-Freshmen selections (Class of 2020), players from the CIF Southern, L.A. City and San Diego Sections were eligible for the “all” selections, and each player should have been a starter or at least, if a reserve, often played something  approaching “starters’ minutes”.

And players were selected based upon their individual accomplishments coupled with their teams’ successes – not on “college potential” or “how many scholarships offers” they may have received at this point of their prep careers.

In preemptive explanation, L.A. Fairfax’s Robert McRae – an “all-freshman” BurlisonOnBasketball selection last year – didn’t land a spot on one of the following five “all-sophomore” teams because he missed such a large percent of the season with a broken hand bone.

 

Player of the Year

Onyeka Okongwu 6-8 Chino Hills

 

First Team

Ethan Anderson 6-1 L.A. Fairfax

Melo Ball 6-3 Chino Hills

Jaime Jaquez 6-6 Camarillo

Isaiah Mobley 6-9 Temecula Rancho Christian

Cassius Stanley 6-5 Studio City Harvard-Westlake

 

Second Team

Gianni Hunt 6-2 Torrance Bishop Montgomery

Jake Kyman 6-7 RSM Santa Margarita

Jarod Lucas 6-3 Hacienda Heights Los Altos

Jaden Shackelford 6-2 Hesperia Oak Hills

Boogie Ellis 6-2 San Diego Mission Bay

 

Third Team

Braelee Albert 6-5 L.A. Brentwood Academy

Kyle Owens 6-6 Encino Crespi

Wony’a Singleton 6-1 Rolling Hills Estates Peninsula

Jaxen Turner 6-2 Moreno Valley Rancho Verde

Makani Whiteside 6-2 Bellflower St. John Bosco

 

Fourth Team

Jordan Hilstock 6-3 Vista

Julien Franklin 6-6 Villa Park

Amani Harris 6-1 Playa Del Rey St. Bernard

K.J. Martin 6-6 West Hills Chaminade

Joseph Octave 6-2 San Pedro Mary Star of the Sea

 

Fifth Team

Jordan Brinson 6-2 L.A. Westchester

Phaquan Davis 5-11 Chino Hills

D.J. Rodman 6-5 Newport Beach Corona Del Mar

Josh Vazquez 6-3 Torrance Bishop Montgomery

Romelle Mansel 6-9 Playa Del Rey St. Bernard