Roseville, CA – This past weekend the Bay Area Coaches Basketball Association hosted the 2nd Annual Boys California Scholastic Live event at the beautiful Roebbelen Center, a 12-court facility located at the Grounds in Roseville, CA. This year’s event featured 168 teams from California, as well as Nevada, Arizona, and Oregon. Each team was placed in a pool of four teams to make up 40 pools of teams. After two days of pool play games, Sunday featured match-ups between teams based on how they performed in pool play. For example, the top team in Pool 1 played the top team in Pool 2. The 2nd place teams in Pools 1 and 2 played each other, and so on. The showcase style format allowed coaches and scouts to schedule out what games, teams, and players to watch leading up to the event. The other upgrade from last year’s inaugural event was that this year it was all held under one roof, which made it much easier for college coaches and scouts to watch more teams and players, in comparison to last year when the event was held in Orange County at various high school gyms.
The event started on Friday, June 28th at noon and ended on Sunday, June 30th at approximately 6:00 p.m. The event featured a majority of the top teams from California, with this year seeing the addition of teams from a few surrounding states. On display were some of the nation’s best high school basketball prospects, some high level games, and some potential projected playoff match-ups for this upcoming season. I was in attendance for all of Day 1 and Day 2 but had to head home Sunday morning due to teaching Summer school early Monday morning with a long trip. I typically like to stat games but with the quantity of teams and games on deck for the two days I was in attendance, I decided to watch a half of each game I highlighted on the schedule before the event to get as much viewing as possible. Inevitably, I was not able to see all teams and all players but there were plenty of top tier scouts in attendance that led to nearly every team and player being watched. I recommend you look for post-event articles from Frank Burlison, Devin Ugland, Britt Wright, Ronnie Flores, Pro Insight, Aaron Burgin, and other top notch basketball eyes in attendance over the weekend.
This article focuses on 20 standout players from the Central Section of California from Days 1 and 2 at the California Live event. Below, I provide a brief description of how each player performed in the games I watched, any statistics I was able to get ahold of, a description of each player’s skill set, and all relevant information for each player. Although this is a list of my top performers, the names are listed in alphabetical order and not in ranked order. I will follow this article up with a broadened article that looks at 30 plus standout performers that I was able to see live from Days 1 and 2, which will be out by this weekend. I begin this article with rising junior guard McKae Amundsen.
5’9 McKae Amundsen | 2026 | Clovis North (Fresno CA)
Amundsen continues to provide the lead guard play that mimics that of his brother, Connor, and averaged 13.5 points per game at the event, with a high of 21 points against fellow Central Section rival Bakersfield Christian in a win to close out the weekend. Amundsen has shifty moves, keeps the ball on a string, has range on the deep ball, and is a creative finisher over size at the basket. Amundsen has good court vision, finds open teammates when on the attack, and is an underrated on-ball defender that looks to disrupt his opponent’s dribbling space and create turnovers that lead to transition buckets. Gritty player that leaves it all on the court, as was evident with his right eye-lid stitched up from an elbow to the face the week before at section 7 and still played his style of basketball.
6’2 Ja’Vance Coleman Jr. | 2025 | Bullard (Fresno CA)
Coleman is a true lead guard that can create his own buckets or make plays to get others open shots, as well as being a ball hawk on the defensive end. Coleman, who came back earlier this month from a foot injury back in January, displayed high level lead guard skills, as he kept relentless pressure on the defense and made plays all weekend long. Coleman has a strong handle on the ball, keeps his dribble to survey the floor, has a quick burst of speed off the dribble, constantly looks to get down hill and attack the paint, and is a creative finisher around the basket. Coleman has great court vision and finds teammates in tight windows off the drive and kick pass. He is effective with the 3-ball and can knock down shots when he heats up but is more effective when attacking the basket. Coleman is a solid on-ball defender, has strong hands to rip the ball from his opponent, turns defense to offense routinely, and plays with great pace and feel for the game, which is evident with his lightning quick crossover to get by his initial defender.
6’8 Taiwo Daramola | 2027 | Bakersfield Christian (CA)
Daramola has made some major strides in his game since last season and that was evident from the jump in the Eagles opening game against Liberty of Arizona. Daramola runs the floor well from end to end, has good touch around the basket, can hit the mid-post shot with an improved form, has a long wingspan to be a rim protector and shot blocker, and is a quick leaper to control the boards and get easy points on putbacks. Daramola looks more fluid in his movement, has good court awareness, and was looking to dunk anything around the basket. There is a lot to like about the young, athletic prospect with his ceiling being Division 1 if he continues to expand his shooting range and moves to create off the perimeter.
6’9 Godson Eyita | 2027 | St. Joseph (Santa Maria CA)
Eyita was one of the more dominant underclass bigs at the event and his continued development since last season was evident on both ends of the court. Eyita dominates the boards, provides the Knights with multiple looks on the offensive glass, protects the rim and alters shots in the paint, and does an excellent job of keeping the ball high and away from smaller defenders with the frame and size to finish through contact at the basket. Eyita has enough handle to put the ball on the deck and attack the basket, has good hands and touch around the basket, and nice footwork with back to the basket moves. Eyita runs the floor well, gets the ball out to his guards off the defensive rebound, and has good feel and court awareness for a younger big. Eyita was solid in pick and roll plays and has soft hands to receive entry passes in the post.
6’2 Dalen Felder | 2026 | Bullard (Fresno CA)
The reigning CMAC MVP made his Spring/Summer debut at the event after being sidelined for a few months and it did not take him long to start hitting those tough shots and showing off the range to give the Knights the needed offensive spark it had been missing throughout June. Felder has a nice shooting form, has a good release on his jumper, is effective scoring from the perimeter off the dribble or the catch and shoot, and moves well off the ball to get open looks off the catch. Felder does a solid job on the boards, looks to push the pace of play in transition with the vision to find players up the court, and is becoming a tough on-ball perimeter defender that looks to create turnovers and get out and run. Felder keeps the ball on a string, makes good use of the hesitation and change of direction to keep his defender on skates, has a smooth stop and pop jumper, the moves to create space from his defender, and is capable of taking and making tough shots off the bounce from the mid-range to the 3-point line. Felder is an elite scorer and when he starts cooking there are not many shots he cannot make.
6’6 Elias Gish | 2026 | Clovis North (Fresno CA)
Gish has been another player who has seen his role expand with the departure of seniors Connor Amundsen and Jordan Espinoza, as Gish, being the tallest player on the core roster, has had to defend the opponent’s bigs and provide a punch on the boards. Despite being the tallest player, Clovis North’s system allows Gish to play on the wing frequently and opens him up for perimeter shots that he hits with accuracy. Gish has good handles, makes nice use of the crossover to create separation from his defender, has the length and height to rise up over most perimeter defenders, and has the moves and wiggle to blow by bigger opponents that have to step out and respect his shooting efficiency. Gish moves well off the ball, gets to his spots for catch and shoot looks, and makes nice use of the pump fake to get his defender in the air so he can attack driving lanes with creative finishes around the basket. Gish makes good reads from the high-post and can find teammates in tight windows off back cuts and ball screens. Gish will be relied upon to be a rim protector for the Broncos, as well as a primary sorcerer.
6’4 Elias Griffin | 2025 | North Bakersfield (CA)
Griffin is a rangy and lengthy wing/slahser that impacts the game in a variety of ways on both ends. Griffin has the wingspan and athleticism to defend the 1 through 3 positions at a high level, finds holes in the defense to get open to receive passes for open looks, does a solid job on the boards, can push the ball up the court, and is a creative finisher at the basket. Griffin runs the floor well in the open court, alters shots on the wing, and has enough handle to put the ball on the deck and attack off the perimeter. Griffin caught the attention of some quality D3 programs at the event and his upside is big time with continued work on his shot creation and shot making, while already being an effective shooter to space the floor.
5’11 Gabe Gutierrez | 2025 | Bakersfield Christian (CA)
Gutierrez is a shifty and crafty lead guard that can make plays for others, but is at his best when he is looking to score the ball with 3-level scoring capabilities. Gutierrez had his breakout moment in a match-up on Day 2 against Campbell Hall and rising senior Isaiah Johnson, who has been on an absolute tear as of late. Gutierrez took advantage of the amount of eyes on the court and went to work early, knocking down the 3-ball, getting to the mid-range jumper, and some flashy but creative finishes at the basket. Gutierrez would make the most of the weekend and nearly led his team to a win over the Vikings. Gutierrez keeps the ball on a string, has the balance and ball handling skill to change direction on a dime without missing a step, and has a deadly pop and stop mid-range jumper. Gutierrez has good court vision, keeps his head on a swivel to make sensational passes to open teammates, and can score in volume from various spots on the floor. What stands out about Gutierrez’s game is the way he approaches each game, as he is a relentless dog on the court that refuses to take plays off. Solid on-ball defender that was one of the top stock risers from the weekend and put his name on plenty of radars.
6’8 Brayden Harris | 2026 | Buchanan (Clovis CA)
Harris is coming off a solid showing at the UCSD team camp a week ago and kept up that dominant level of play in the post. Harris has good footwork in the paint, nice back to the basket moves to create space to score around the basket, is effective with the mid-post shot, has enough handle to put the ball on the deck and attack from the high-post, and has good hands around the basket. Harris controls the glass on both ends, is a solid rim protector and shot blocker, makes good outlet passes off the rebound to his ball handlers, and has the strength to finish through contact at the basket. Harris runs the floor well, works well in pick and roll action, and has a good old school big man skill set with the ability to space the floor on occasion to show his potential as a stretch 4. Harris was a key factor for the Bears, who went 4-0 on the weekend and will be a factor in TRAC league play this upcoming season.
6’3 Loukas Jones | 2025 | Clovis North (Fresno CA)
Jones has truly asserted himself as the leading scoring threat for the Broncos and that continued into this past weekend, as he would have games of 27 points, 25 points, and a pair of 18 point games and continued to show his value as a 3-level scoring threat. Jones has good moves and handles to create off the dribble, creates space from his defender to get open looks, moves fluidly off the ball to get open catch and shoot opportunities, has a smooth stop and pop jumper, and is a creative finisher at the basket. Jones is a solid on-ball defender, has good timing and instincts to deflect passes and jump passing lanes, which lead to turnovers and open court buckets. Jones plays with good pace and control, has range on the 3-ball, and has solid court vision to make the right pass off the drive and kick. A player that continues to evolve and adapt to whatever his team needs from him, and this coming season it will be scoring.
6’5 Julius Olanrewaju | 2025 | San Joaquin Memorial (Fresno CA)
Olanrewaju is a wing/guard that can score the ball efficiently from all 3-levels and continues to improve as a playmaker when the defense over pursues him in the half court setting. Olanrewaju has a solid frame, good handles to create off the dribble, a smooth stroke on the jumper, and can knock down shots effectively from the mid-range to the 3-point line. Olanrewaju has good body control when attacking down the lane or pulling up for the jumper, the court awareness and vision to find open teammates with the drive and kick pass to open teammates, gets to his shot spots for catch and shoot opportunities, and has a nice mid-range fadeaway shot. Olanrewaju does a solid job on the boards, can push the ball off the glass, and is a mismatch for most defenders, as he has the size to shoot over or bully smaller players, and the moves to get by slower bigger defenders off the bounce.
6’3 James Miranda | 2025 | Bullard (Fresno CA)
Miranda impacts the game in countless ways on both ends of the court, as was evident at the event this past weekend. MIranda is a lock-up defender, assigned with defending the opposition’s top player every game, solid on the boards, has the handles to push the ball up the court, and has good acceleration off the dribble. Miranda has a strong, physical frame with a good size wingspan that allows him to defend taller players in the post when needed, as well as absorb contact through traffic when attacking down the lane. Miranda can hit the perimeter shot with enough consistency to space the floor and opens up driving lanes. The thing that stood out to me the most was that Miranda plays within his skill set and is an invaluable asset to the Knight’s roster.
6’ Gunner Morinini | 2026 | St. Joseph (Santa Maria CA)
Another player that made the most of standout rising senior Tounde Yessoufou not being present for the weekend was rising junior spot-up shooter Gunner Morinini. Morinini showed improved confidence and accuracy with the 3-ball, moved fluidly off the ball to get open for catch and shoot looks, made good use of the pump fake to get his defender off his feet, and made good decisions attacking the basket once he got his defender off his feet. Morinini will be relied upon to be a floor spacer for the Knights, which will free up the interior for Yessoufou and the twin towers to dominate the paint. Morinini helps the depth and dependability of the roster, which looks to be about 7-8 deep this upcoming season and makes the Knights prime for a run at the Open Division State Championship Game.
6’3 Abram Potts | 2025 | San Joaquin Memorial (Fresno CA)
Potts has been known as one of the best pure shooters in the Central Section for some time now, and he had that on display in the Panther’s opening game against Riverside Poly. Potts has nice shot mechanics, gets the ball off his hand quickly but with efficiency, and can light it up in volume from the mid-range to the 3-point line with range on the 3-ball. Potts makes good use of the hesitation to get his defender off balance, is fluid with the crossover into a jump shot, is a creative finisher around the basket, and continues to improve as a facilitator. Potts can shoot it off the dribble, as well as moving without the ball to get open catch and shoot looks. He has shifty moves to create space and when he starts hitting, there are not many shots he cannot make regardless of degree of difficulty.
6’3 Julius Price | 2026 | St. Joseph (Santa Maria CA)
The Knights were without nationally ranked top 20 rising senior Tounde Yessoufou this past weekend, which allowed nationally ranked top 150 rising junior Julius Price to assert the role of team leader and the driving force for St. Joe’s. Price controlled the pace of play for the Knights and was communicating with some of the younger players on the roster, showing his ability to lead and help others learn along the way. Price keeps the ball on a string, has the tight handles to weave through the defense, the court vision to make difficult passes in tight spaces routinely to open teammates, and is a lock-up on ball defender with good footwork and a solid frame to stay in front of opposing perimeter players. Price has the moves to create space from his defender, gets great lift on the stop and pop jumper, and has a nice burst of speed off the dribble with the physical build to finish through contact down the lane. Price moves well off the ball, reads the defense nicely in ball screens, is deadly with the 3-ball running off screens or creating his own shots off the bounce, and makes great use of the hesitation and redirection to keep his defender off balance. Lights out shooter with next level range and accuracy from beyond the arc. Makes smart, winning basketball plays.
6’1 Malcolm Price | 2027 | St. Joseph (Santa Maria CA)
Malcolm, the younger brother of Julius, had a monster weekend and took full advantage of Yessoufou not being in attendance, as he had a breakout showing and displayed the progress in his game over the 3-day event. Malcolm has dynamic handles, the shifty moves to create separation off the dribble, the body control on the pull-up mid-range jumper to take contact and still get his shot off, and is a creative finisher around the basket over or around height. Malcolm is accurate with the 3-ball off the bounce or the catch and shoot, has the court vision to find teammates on the drive and kick pass, and has active hands on defense to generate turnovers and get out in the open court. The younger Price displayed a stronger frame, improved confidence with the ball in his hands, the ability to make tough shots from 3-levels, and capped his improved level of play with a transition dunk that showed the bounce and athleticism his older brother possesses. Malcolm has emerged on the scene and will provide the Knights with a dynamic backcourt duo with the Price brothers.
5’10 Ethan Saenz | 2027 | North Bakersfield (CA)
Saenz was one of the key pieces that led last year’s squad to its first school Section title (D3) and made a run to the Division 5 State Final 4. His role has somewhat expanded, but, as a key player last year, Saenz has already been the point guard that runs the offense and controls the pace of play. Saenz lead guard skills were on display early on Day 2 in a match-up against Rio Americano, as he controlled the pace of play and the flow of the game to help lead the Stars to a win. Saenz has solid handles, keeps the ball on a string, surveys the floor well to find open players moving off the ball, and makes nice use of the hesitation to keep his defender back peddling and guessing. Saenz has a smooth stroke from the perimeter, can create his own shot off the dribble, has nice touch on the floater, and is accurate with the 3-ball off the bounce or the catch and shoot.
6’1 Connor Sheets | 2025 | Buchanan (Clovis CA)
The great thing about an event like this is that it gives players from smaller markets or under the radar prospects a chance to play in front of college coaches that typically do not make it to their high school or club games due to lack of knowledge of players in these situations. However, the player still has to perform when given opportunities like this past weekend in Roseville and Connor Sheets of Buchanan may have been the player that took advantage of this setting more than anyone and put his name on countless radars after his stellar play. Sheets had close to 30 points Saturday night in a win over Corona Del Mar, which was followed by a 41-point outburst to close out the weekend in a win over Alemany (last year’s D3 state champs) connecting on 8 threes. Sheets has elite handles, keeps the ball on a string to survey the floor, has the court vision to find open teammates on the drive and kick out pass, moves fluidly off the ball to get open catch and shoot looks from the perimeter. Sheets has shifty moves to shake his defender, gets great acceleration off the dribble to blow by his defender, makes nice use of the hesitation and redirection to keep his opponent off balance, is a creative finisher at the rim, can stop and pop the jumper on a dime, and is lights out from beyond the arc. Sheets plays with great pace and feel for the game but when he is in go mode as a scorer, he is tough to defend with 3-level scoring abilities. Bouncy and athletic lead guard that can create his own or for others and a name that needs to be on all D2 programs list of rising seniors to target for next year with D1s also taking some notice.
6’8 Parker Spees | 2026 | San Joaquin Memorial (Fresno CA)
Spees is a lengthy and rangy forward that can stretch the floor with the 3-ball and leaves his mark on both sides of play, as he is an underrated defender and rim protector. Spees controls the boards, has the handles to push the ball off the glass, good court vision to facilitate and find open players cutting off the ball, and can create off the perimeter along with the moves to operate and score in the post. Spees moves well off the ball to get open catch and shoot looks, has nice touch on shots within 10 feet of the rim, can raise up and shoot over most perimeter defenders, and tough to guard on the mid-range jumper. Spees is an asset as a rim protector around the basket, moves well enough laterally to close out on perimeter shooters, and just has a great overall feel for the game and fills up a stat sheet. Also underrated for his toughness and relentless effort on the court. 4.0+ GPA and would be an intriguing high academic D1 prospect with continued growth in his game.
6’2 DJ Stickman | 2025 | Clovis West (Fresno CA)
Stickman was one of the most athletic and physically imposing guards at the event, as he made his presence felt on both ends of the court as one of the top two-way players in the facility. Stickman has a large wingspan and elite bounce that allows him to play much taller than his actual height, is a tenacious on-ball defender with active hands and quick feet to stay in front of most perimeter players, generates steals and gets into the open court routinely, and is a high-level shot blocker at the rim or on the wing. Stickman has great court vision, keeps the ball on a string to survey the floor, and makes accurate, pin-point passes to teammates moving off the ball. Stickman makes nice use of the crossover to create space, gets a good burst of speed when attacking off the dribble, and is very creative on finishes around the basket with the ability to take flight in a moment’s notice. Stickman can switch on and defend bigger players, is improving his accuracy with the jump shot, and does things on the basketball court that you cannot teach but just God-given talent and athleticism.
