Los Angeles’ Top High School Basketball Players

Goodrich’s basketball prowess was largely restricted to the Los Angeles region. He was a great captain at Poly High in the Valley and was well-known for his left-handed shooting ability. When Goodrich scored 29 points and fractured his ankle during his team’s 1961 Los Angeles City championship win, it was a scene that is still remembered today. Goodrich, Mr. Basketball for California in 1961, finally had his jersey retired by the institution. Following that, Goodrich is renowned for helping UCLA under John Wooden win its first two championships in 1964 and 1965. He also had his uniform retired. Later, he was a five-time NBA All-Star who contributed to the Los Angeles Lakers’ 1972 championship victory.

3) Edgar Lacy, Jefferson, 1963

Lacy, a 1963 NBA All-Star and graduate of Los Angeles’ Jefferson High School, was one of the best high school basketball players in the state. What’s more remarkable is that Lacy was twice selected for the first-team Parade All-American squad. As a prep star, Lacy was a brilliant all-around athlete who excelled on the floor. This ultimately brought him to UCLA. Later, he would help the Bruins win the 1965 national title. However, owing to a leg condition, Lacy was forced to forgo his senior year. He later made a comeback for the 1967–68 season but quit the team shortly after being benched against Houston in the “Game of the Century” in the Astrodome.

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4) Raymond Lewis, Verbum Dei, 1971

A genuine local legend in Los Angeles. Lewis, a native of Watts, frequently ranks among the “best that never was” when it comes to career achievement in basketball. At Verbum Dei, a Catholic school, Lewis was a street-court star who averaged 24 points and was a second-team Parade All-American. He was renowned for his exceptional ball-handling skills, which helped Verbum Dei win three California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section championships (before the state champions were recognised). Lewis was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA draught after attending Cal State Los Angeles. But as a result of a nasty contract dispute, he was never an NBA player. His life is chronicled in the documentary “Raymond Lewis: L.A., Legend.”

5) Marques Johnson, Crenshaw, 1973

Johnson was born in Louisiana but later emigrated to Los Angeles, where he became the illustrious Crenshaw High School’s first real celebrity. Johnson finished the 1972–73 campaign with an average of 26.4 points and 18 rebounds, earning him the title of Los Angeles City Section 4-A Division Player of the Year. During Johnson’s final two seasons, Crenshaw went 32-0 while playing for local hero Willie West. Johnson then proceeded to the neighbouring UCLA, where he played for the 1975 squad that won the national championship and won the national Player of the Year award in 1977. Johnson went on to win five NBA All-Star selections and the Milwaukee Bucks retired his No. 8 jersey.

6) Reggie Theus, Inglewood (Inglewood), 1975

When Theus was a standout at Inglewood High, a few streets from the renowned Great Western Forum (as it was once known), he appeared to be bound for greatness. In the 1974–75 season, when Inglewood advanced to the 4A CIF state tournament semifinals, he averaged 28.5 points and 15.5 rebounds per game while leading the Sentinels to Bay League crowns. When Theus transferred to UNLV, his number 23 was retired. The NBA followed when he played for the Chicago Bulls and was an All-Star twice (1981, 1982). Theus’s No. 24 was retired by Inglewood in 2014; he was also a head coach in college and the NBA.

7) Dwayne Polee, Manual Arts, 1981

Polee, who trained at Manual Arts in the shadow of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, was Mr. Basketball for California in 1981 and made the third team of Parade All-Americans. During Manual Arts’ 82-69 victory against Crenshaw in the City championship game that year, which allegedly drew more than 14,000 spectators to the neighbouring Los Angeles Sports Arena, Polee scored 43 points. It’s interesting to note that Polee attended the aforementioned Verbum Dei for his first year of prep school before moving to Manual Arts for his second year. Polee participated in collegiate sports at UNLV and Pepperdine, where he won the West Coast Player of the Year award twice (1985, 1986).

8) John Williams, Crenshaw, 1984

If we were to rank these prep athletes, Williams would likely come in top. Williams was a monster when he was a teenager, generating more at Crenshaw than the aforementioned Marques Johnson. He was over 230 pounds and 6-foot-8 when he received his high school diploma. In 1983 and 1984, Williams became the third basketball player in state history to be dubbed Mr. California. He dominated the game at this level and helped Crenshaw win the state championship in 1983. The first-team Parade All-American was chosen by Washington in the first round of the 1986 NBA Draught after spending two seasons at LSU.

9) Stevie Thompson, Crenshaw, 1986

Another Crenshaw legend, Thompson guided the Cougars to two state titles during his prep career, and the school retired his No. 32. He averaged 28.0 points as a junior and 34.0 during his outstanding senior campaign, which also earned him the titles of 4-A City Player of the Year and second-team Parade All-American. Thompson participated in college basketball at Syracuse, the CBA, and a brief NBA stint. In addition, he led Cal State Los Angeles as its head coach, and as of the 2022–23 year, he worked as an assistant coach at Oregon State.

10) Chris Mills, Fairfax, 1988

Another contender for the title of best high school basketball players to emerge from the metro area and Los Angeles County. The 6-7 Mills was the Los Angeles City 4-1 Player of the Year for Fairfax High, where he ruled the court. In addition, Mills was recognised as Mr. Basketball for California, a McDonald’s All-American, and a Parade All-American twice (first team in 1988). For Mills, life after high school turned out to be quite the experience. Mills left Kentucky’s squad after being accused of receiving bribes from a booster, and he eventually ended himself at Arizona, where he won the Pac-10 Player of the Year award in 1993. After that, he played in the NBA for just under ten years.

11) Harold Miner, Inglewood (Inglewood), 1989

Miner, who was known as “Baby Jordan” for his dunking and jumping skills, was a great showman. Although Miner wasn’t one of the finest high school basketball players in Los Angeles during his time at Inglewood, he left a lasting influence on his friends and the local kids at the time. In each of Miner’s last two seasons at Inglewood, he averaged 27.5 points. When it was time for Miner to attend college, he just had to travel a little distance to the east to USC, where he earned three first-team Pac-10 selections, won the league’s Player of the Year award in 1992, and had his number 23 retired. In the NBA, Miner continued to excel in theatrics by winning the Slam Dunk Contest twice (1993, 1995).

12) Tracy Murray, Glendora (Glendora), 1989

Murray was king of the hill while attending Glendora High School at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. The 6-foot-7 Murray scored 3,053 points despite having his rookie season destroyed by an injury, which was at the time the most in California prep history. Murray scored 64 points in a losing effort during the CIF Site D-II championship game as a senior, averaging an astounding 44.3 points per game. After receiving McDonald’s All-American recognition, Murray went on to flourish at UCLA, where he was twice named to the first team of the Pac-10, before beginning a 12-season NBA career.

13) Ed O’Bannon, Artesia (Lakewood), 1990

O’Bannon never had sustained success in the NBA, but his journey there was rather extraordinary. The South Central Los Angeles native was a two-time McDonald’s All-American and first-team Parade All-American. The versatile O’Bannon averaged 29.6 points and 9.7 rebounds as a senior at Artesia High after transferring from Verbum Dei, helping his team win the CIF Division II state championship. When he was the Wooden Award winner and Final Four Most Outstanding Player in 1995, O’Bannon won another title, this time of the national kind, while playing for UCLA.

14) Jacque Vaughn, Muir (Pasadena), 1993

The ideal student-athlete. As a senior, Vaughn averaged 21 points and 19 assists at Muir High School in Pasadena. In the classroom, he maintained a 3.9 grade-point average. He earned a first-team pick as a senior in 1992-1993 and was a two-time Parade All-American. In the same year, Vaughn handed out 13 assists to win the McDonald’s All-American Game MVP award. From there, Vaughn moved to Kansas, where he was awarded the 1996 Big Eight Player of the Year award and had his number 11 retired. The following 12 years of his NBA career were spent with San Antonio, where he won a championship.

15) Paul Pierce, Inglewood (Inglewood), 1995

Jacque Vaughn’s teammate at Kansas, Pierce arrived at Lawrence as a result of a successful career at Inglewood High, which retired his No. 34. When Pierce was a junior, he had already failed to make the varsity squad as a freshman and a sophomore. However, in his junior year, he suddenly developed into a prep star. After his senior year, Pierce averaged 27 points and 11 assists, won the title of Mr Basketball for California, and was recognised as a McDonald’s All-American. Pierce was an All-American at Kansas and had his number 34 retired. Then it was off to the NBA, where Pierce helped the Boston Celtics win the 2008 title and was a 10-time All-Star.

16) Kenny Brunner, Dominguez (Compton), 1997

This is the first time we’ve mentioned Compton’s Dominguez High School, one of the prep high school basketball players powerhouse in Southern California. Brunner, who was regarded as the greatest point guard in the nation in the mid-to-late 1990s, was among the best players to ever suit up for the illustrious institution. Brunner, who was under 6 feet tall, was a superb playmaker, and ball magician, and possessed outstanding court vision. During Brunner’s time as a prep coach, Dominguez posted a 123-14 record and earned third-team Parade All-American recognition. Despite several problems throughout his collegiate years at Georgetown and Fresno State, Brunner finally had small success in the ABA.

17) Baron Davis, Crossroads (Santa Monica), 1997

Davis, a South Central alum, prepped at Santa Monica’s renowned private high school Crossroads. The outstanding point guard, who possessed both substance and flash, assisted Crossroads in winning the Southern Section Division as a junior. Then, Davis averaged 25 points during his senior season despite seldom appearing in the second half of games. Davis had already won several awards by the time he graduated, including Mr. Basketball for California, first-team Parade All-American, Gatorade National Player of the Year, and McDonald’s All-American. After graduating from UCLA, Davis was voted Pac-10 Freshman of the Year. He later played for the Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets and was a two-time NBA All-Star.

18) Tayshaun Prince, Dominguez (Compton), 1998

At Compton powerhouse Dominguez, Prince refined his outstanding two-way abilities. Prince was a four-time CIF Champion who helped Dominguez win back-to-back state championships in 1996 and 1997. He is arguably the finest overall defender on this list. The slender yet powerful Prince was Mr. Basketball for California and a McDonald’s All-American in 1998. Prince, who won the Olympic gold medal in the 2008 Summer Games, was the SEC Player of the Year at Kentucky in 2011, an NBA champion with Detroit in 2004, and Dominguez retired his No. 21 in January 2023.

19) Tyson Chandler, Dominguez (Compton), 2001

As the second overall choice in the 2001 draught, the 7-foot Chandler moved straight from the Dominguez hallways to the NBA. With the aforementioned Prince, he participated in one season of varsity basketball for the Dons in 1997–98, the first of the school’s four CIF championships under Chandler’s tenure. During Chandler’s time in high school, Dominguez also won three state championships (1999, 2000, 2001), averaging 20 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, and three blocks as a junior and 26 points, 15 boards, and eight blocks as a senior. Chandler won the title of Mr. Basketball for California twice (in 2000 and 2001). He was also a McDonald’s All-American and two-time Parade All-American. In the same game when Prince’s jersey was retired, his No. 32 was also.

20) Hassan Adams, Westchester, 2002

On the basketball floor, Adams could pretty much do anything. Adams scored 18 points per game as Westchester won the California State Division I-A Championship in 2002, and his general athleticism and capacity to take charge of a game helped him earn California Mr Basketball that year. Adams received McDonald’s All-American recognition that season and Westchester was named No. 1 by USA Today. In four seasons at Arizona, Adams averaged 14.0 points on 49.9% shooting, 5.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.8 steals.

21) Trevor Ariza, Westchester, 2003

Since Cliff and Roscoe Pondexter from San Joaquin Memorial High School earned the honour in back-to-back years in 1971 and 1972, Ariza was California’s Mr Basketball in 2003, the state’s first year since then. Hassan Adams shared the Westchester Prep team with Ariza. Westchester’s standout power forward Ariza, who combines strength and grace on the court, was an impressive sight. The second-team Parade All-American began an 18-year NBA career after one season at UCLA, when he averaged 11.6 points and 8.4 assists per game.

22) Jordan Farmar, Taft, 2004

One of the finest athletes to come out of the San Fernando Valley, Farmar attended Taft High. Over 2,000 points were scored by him throughout his two varsity seasons there. In his junior season, Farmar averaged 28.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 4.5 steals. Farmar received McDonald’s All-American and second-team Parade All-American honours despite somewhat lower averages as a senior (27.5 ppg, 6.5 apg), ranking among the top players in the country. He later played at UCLA for two seasons, scoring 13.3 points per game on average, before joining the Los Angeles Lakers of his birthplace, where he won two NBA championships.

23) James Harden, Artesia (Lakewood), 2007

One of the greatest NBA players of all time, Harden will be remembered. His career truly got started at Artesia, when he averaged 13.2 points per game as a sophomore varsity starter. He has since been selected to 10 All-Star games, won three MVP awards, and won the scoring title. A year later, Harden averaged 18.8 points and more over 8 rebounds per contest as he steered Artesia to a 33-1 record and the state title. Similar statistics were recorded as a senior, and Harden was chosen for the second team of Parade and McDonald’s All-Americans. Despite the fact that Harden wasn’t a star in high school, he was destined to become one.

24) DeMar DeRozan, Compton (Compton), 2008

Great high school basketball players from Compton don’t necessarily have to attend Dominguez, as DeRozan is evidence of. DeRozan excelled on the varsity team at Compton High for four years, starting the season by averaging 26.1 points and 8.4 rebounds. He scored more than 22 points on average each of the following two seasons before establishing himself as one of the finest players in the country during his senior year when DeRozan averaged 29.2 points and eight rebounds while guiding Compton to its second consecutive Moore League championship. DeRozan, a first-team Parade and McDonald’s All-American excelled at USC before moving to the NBA, where he was selected to his sixth All-Star game in 2023 while playing for the Chicago Bulls.

25) Jrue Holiday, Campbell Hall, 2008

Mr California Holiday, a basketball player who averaged 25.9 points, 11.2 rebounds, almost seven assists, and five steals per game during his senior season in 2007–08, contributed to Campbell Hall of Studio City winning the Division IV state title. Holiday, whose parents were also collegiate basketball players, had already made a name for himself before his senior year when he was also chosen as the Gatorade National Player of the Year and a first-team Parade also-American. At the 2008 McDonald’s All-American game, Holiday finished with 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 steals.

So these are the Los Angeles’ Top High School Basketball Players. Let us know your views in the comment section below.