Central Section HS Hoops: Class of 2025 Player Rankings (Version 4.0)

The Class of 2025 is starting their senior year of high school and the Fall hoops season is fastly approaching. This class of seniors is coming off a club season that saw fewer Liver Period tournaments, as the NCAA Live Period in the Spring was moved from two in April to one in the middle of May. Most grassroots basketball experts liked the Live Period moving to May, as teams have had time to play multiple tournaments to build chemistry and get their rosters set by the time the May Live Period approached. Also, with the transfer portal, the reality is most college programs are sifting through the database of 1000s of players that entered the portal and not really focused on high school players outside the top 100 to 150 nationally. There were also the two Scholastic Live Periods in June, with Section 7 being held the 2nd to last weekend and Boys California Live held in Northern California the last weekend of June. July had two NCAA Live Periods on back-to-back weekends in the middle of July with the College Basketball Academy Camps as the last Live Period of the Summer, but were limited to players that attended this camp, and not open to certification for shoe company or independent events. In theory, there were plenty of Live weekends from May to July for players to showcase their skills and game in front of college coaches and scouts. 

Despite the number of live period events held from May through the end of July, not all players from the Central Section were privy to the same level of exposure or participation in Live Period events. Regarding the scholastic live events, only four teams from the Section received invites to the illustrious Section 7, being St. Joseph, Clovis North, Clovis West, and San Joaquin Memorial. That number could decline with California having its own Scholastic Live Showcase. However, that does not help the Central Section, as it only had 10 teams in the 168 team showcase this year, which was the same number of teams from the first year of the Boys California Live event. Therefore, there has been a limited number of players from the Central Section that have been able to benefit from the Scholastic Live Periods in June. If you were thinking, well at least there are the NCAA Live Periods during the club season. Although this is true in theory, the reality of this past Spring and Summer showed that unless you are playing on one of the shoe company circuits, you are not being seen by many coaches or programs. That does not include the lower level “circuits” like EYCL, Adidas, Gold, ProNXT, UA Rise, as these are not the events that coaches are prioritizing when deciding how to use program expenses. In particular, the NCAA Live Periods in July saw a majority of the tournaments to be at with D1 programs in attendance were all located from the Midwest to the East Coast. California saw one of its worst July Live Periods in the history of NCAA Certified Events, as SoCal was a relative ghost town for those back to back Live weekends, especially the 2nd weekend. 

All of this is to say, independent club programs need to make connections with college coaches and programs and let them know where their players will be participating and you need to have at least one D2-level prospect or higher on your roster in order to make it worth the time and money for coaches to come watch. The days of coaches popping in a gym and looking for that under the radar guy seem to be gone in this current climate. As for the Scholastic Live events, program success and next-level prospects on the roster will be key factors in who gets an invite to these types of events, which means that the number of players that will not have this platform is much larger than those that do. 

This is my fourth round of player rankings for the Class of 2025, and the list has expanded from 60 to 65 players. This list has been compiled over the past three and a half years, with the criteria for these rankings being based on a combination of potential to play at the collegiate level, as well as performance in the three arenas of prep hoops (high school team, club team, and individual events). Given that this is the senior class, more weight has been placed on next level projections, as these rankings are observed and sent out to college coaches to help boost interest in players from an under-recruited area. I received input from coaches, media, and other members of the high school basketball community in the Central Section on players in these rankings, but the order of the players is my own ranked order. This updated list puts an emphasis on player output from the end of the high school season/playoffs, club ball in the Spring, high school hoops in the month of June, and the Summer club session. I have seen all the players on this list in one of the basketball settings mentioned above.

This updated list includes eighteen new players to these rankings, with Corcoran big man Javon Bragg at the highest spot and breaking into the top 10. There has been some movement in the top 10, but the top two spots remain the same from the first round of rankings for this class and that will not change unless something crazy happens, which I do not foresee occurring. Chris Baudreau played in the Central Section for one season and was in the top 10 in the last round of player rankings, but has returned to Bishop Gorman of Las Vegas for his senior season and was removed from this updated list. A few others that have decided to focus on their main sport, primarily football, have also been removed from this list. Players Micah Cole, Cole Gilcrest, Zach Garnett, Roman Benedetti, Colin Dodd, Caden Lloyd, and Matas Siskauskas are intriguing prospects that bring a lot of size to the court, which is what coaches are always looking for. Also, multiple players in the top 10 have already received offers, and some players will be making their decision to commit before the season starts in November. The remainder of this article provides an in-depth look at the top 10 players in these updated 2025 Top 65 Player Rankings and why they are slotted in their current rank. Below the written portion of this article is the complete list of players, which includes the following information: current rank, their previous rank in parentheses, the player’s name, height, player position, and current school attending. Below the written portion of this article is the updated rank of players.

Tounde Yessoufou of St. Joseph continues to keep a stranglehold on the top spot in the class of 2025 player rankings and continues to see his stock rise nationally, with offers coming from the likes of Kentucky, Connecticut, and Tennessee to go along with pre-existing offers from Arizona, USC, UCLA, Washington, and Arizona State. Yessoufou was stellar throughout the Nike EYBL Spring and Summer, coupled by dominant showings in the month of June at some of the nation’s most prestigious player camps. Yessoufou led the Knights to a runner-up finish in the Central Section Division 1 Playoffs, an Elite 8 run in the State Open Division Playoffs, was named to the CalHi Sports First Team All-Open/Division 1 roster, and averaged an impressive 30 points and 10 rebounds per game. After a great run with Team Why Not 17u in the Spring portion of the EYBL season, Yessoufou was named co-MVP of the illustrious Pangos All-American Camp Top 30 Game, put up some big scoring numbers at the NBPA Top 100, and showed out in Arizona at Section 7. Yessoufou led Team Why Not’s 17u squad to the QF of the Peach Jam Championships, was invited to the Nike Skills Academy at the Nike Headquarters in Oregon, and was invited to the Dame Lillard Formula Zero Elite Camp in Arizona. Yessoufou is an elite athlete with a physical build and the skill set to score the ball from various spots on the court. He has great body control on shots within 20 feet, can space the floor with the 3-ball off the dribble or off the catch, uses his wingspan and bounce to rebound over taller players, is an elite shot blocker in the interior and out on the wing, and continues to expand his perimeter arsenal to score from 3-levels. Yessoufou is currently ranked #19 nationally in the recently updated ESPN Top 100 Player Rankings for the 2025 Class. Yessoufou has multiple visits coming up with his focus on his recruiting at the moment, with Kentucky being one of those visits. He has stated that his dream school is Kentucky and with that offer and visit coming up, I would lean towards Yessoufou being a Wildcat, but he has plenty of other great offers to ponder.  

Julius Olanrewaju of San Joaquin Memorial holds firmly at the #2 spot in these updated player rankings, which is where he has been since my first round of 2025 player rankings. Olanrewaju is coming off a great Summer with Jalen Green Elite 17u squad on the 3SSB Circuit and had an MVP performance at the LV Big Time during the 2nd Live Period in July. Olanrewaju also had some great showings in the two Scholastic Live Period events in June, at Section 7 in Arizona and the Boys California Live Showcase in Northern California. Olanrewaju was the leading scorer last season for the Panthers and continued to carry that mantle into the June Live Periods. Olanrewaju can score the ball from 3-levels, has a smooth stop and pop mid-range jumper with the height to shoot over most perimeter defenders, moves fluidly off the ball to get open looks off the catch, has the moves and handles to create space off the bounce with the body control to hit tough shots after contract, and has the court vision to find open teammates from the top of the key. Efficient with the 3-ball, good size for a perimeter player, and has received an offer from Montana State. He will be the focal point for a deep and talented roster. 

Moving up three spots from the last round of 2025 player rankings is DJ Stickman of Clovis West, landing at the #3. Stickman is coming off a great high school season from last year, where he was named co-TRAC League MVP as he helped the Golden Eagles split a League Title and a trip to the semifinals in the Central Section Division 1 playoffs. Stickman played on the 3SSB Circuit this past Spring and Summer with Jalen Green Elite 17s and he was the ideal glue guy for a loaded roster. Stickman was dominant for Clovis West in both June Scholastic Live Period Events in Section 7 and California Live and has received an offer from Fresno State. Stickman will be the leading catalyst for the Golden Eagles under the new regime of Coach Podesta and will look to repeat as TRAC MVP and add a few additional offers in the process. Stickman is an elite athlete, dynamic two-way player, controls the boards with the handles to push the pace in transition, has the court vision to find open teammates in the half court setting, and gets downhill with the physical build to absorb contact down the lane and can take flight at the rim. Stickman is an elite undersized shot blocker, jumps passing lanes to create steals, and continues to improve his jump shot. 

The next three players are somewhat interchangeable in their ranking for this updated round, and I placed them in their respective spots based on how well they translate to the next level and fitting a position. Holding steady at #4 is the dynamic lead guard Gabriel Gutierrez of Bakersfield Christian. Gutierrez had a great regular season this past year and earned his 2nd consecutive SYL-Valley co-MVP and had some big games in the Division 2 State Playoffs. Gutierrez played with Los Angeles Elite 17u that played mainly at the MADE Hoops West events during the Spring and Summer. Gutierrez had a monster showing at the California Scholastic Live Showcase, where he drew the attention of several D2 and some D1 coaches with his phenomenal game against Campbell Hall. Gutierrez keeps the ball on a string, has the court vision to make plays when on the attack, zips the ball around to find open teammates for catch and shoot looks, and plays with great pace and change of direction. Gutierrez has the moves to create off the bounce, generates separation from his opponents, takes and makes tough jumpers off balance when bumped by his defender, has a deadly stop and pop jumper, and is accurate with the 3-ball off the catch or the dribble. Tough minded player that leaves it all on the court each time he steps on the court. 

Rounding out the top 5 and keeping his spot from the previous round of rankings is Abram Potts of San Joaquin Memorial. Potts has been one of the best pure shooters in the Central Section the past few years and was one of the top scorers for the Panthers, and a key piece the year prior when San Joaquin won the Division 2 State Title. Potts had an impressive Spring and Summer playing club ball with the Fresno-based Wildcats Elite playing on the Adidas Gold West Circuit, MADE Hoops West in July, and LV Big Time, where he garnered attention from a list of Division 2 programs. Potts also had quality showings at Section 7 and the California Live Scholastic Period events. Potts moves fluidly off the ball to get open looks off the catch, has the moves and handles to shake his defender and create space, quick with the stop and pop mid-range jumper, and he is lights out from the 3-point line with range. Potts can play on the ball but is truly a threat when he is cutting off screens and staying on the move to get to his shot spots. He has a handful of visits coming up and will be a key piece for the Panthers, that have one of the top four teams on paper this coming season. 

Loukas Jones of Clovis North moves down a few spots and comes in at #6 in these updated rankings. Jones had an impressive Spring and Summer with Lakeshow Amundsen 17u that played on the Adidas Gold West Circuit in the Spring, MADE Hoops West and LV Big Time in the Summer. During the month of June, Jones took his offensive game to new heights, as he was the Broncos leading scorer in Scholastic Live Period events in Arizona and California, as well as at the Clovis West Nike Summer Shootout and the Modesto Christian Summer Classic. With Connor Amundsen and Jordan Espinoza both graduating from last year’s Central Section Division 1 Championship team, there is an evident void left in the scoring column and Jones showed he is ready to fill that void with some impressive scoring outputs throughout June. Jones has moves to create off the bounce, generates space from his defender to get open looks, moves fluidly off the ball for catch and shoot opportunities, and has range on the 3-ball. Jones is a solid on-ball defender, disrupts passing lanes, and has the court vision to find open teammates when cutting off screens or on back door cuts with precision. Jones has garnered plenty of attention from Division 2 and 3 coaches and the only reason I moved him below Potts and Gutierrez is he is more of a wing/guard and for next level projections, that could be a little more problematic when filling out a college roster. But again, as I stated above, there is really not much separation between the 4 through 6 spots. 

The next two players in these updated rankings were not included in the last round of the 2025 class rankings, but for different reasons. Coming in at #7 and debuting in these rankings is Javon Bragg of Corcoran. Being from a smaller school in an area that is on the outskirts of the Central Section, I had minimal knowledge of and had not seen Bragg live, and therefore, I had not included him in previous rounds of 2025 rankings. I have seen him now with his high school team, during the club season with Fresno-based Wildcats Elite, where he put up big numbers in the Spring and Summer portions of the club season and averaged a double-double. I did not see him during the month of June, as his school does not play in some of the bigger events I attend that month, but he was named East Sequoia League MVP with averages of 22 points and 12 rebounds per game. Bragg is dominant on the glass, has nice touch on shots and finishes around the basket, has a nice jumper from the high-post, has enough handle to put the ball on the deck and attack down the lane, and has the frame to absorb contact at the rim. Bragg can space the floor with the 3-ball, has nice footwork and post moves to score amongst the bigs. 

The other player that is making his debut in these player rankings, and also cracking the top 10 at #8 is Connor Sheets of Buchanan. Sheets moved to the Central Section last Summer from Reno and I had barely heard about him when I compiled the last round of player rankings for this class and simply did not have enough information about his game to include him at the time, but what a difference a year can make. Sheets was great for the Bears last season and was a key reason it surprised everyone and tied Clovis East for 3rd place in the TRAC League. Sheets did the heavy lifting in the first round of the Division 1 Central Section Playoffs, where the Bears kept it uncomfortably close against the home team Bakersfield Christian. During the Boys California Scholastic Live Period Showcase, Sheets had his full offensive arsenal on display. On Saturday night in Buchanan’s third game, Sheets put up over 30 points in a win over Chula Vista. He followed that up with a monster 40-point outing in the Bear’s final game against Alemany, and left the event on the list of numerous D2 programs, as well as some D1 programs. Sheets has elite handles, a great burst of speed off the bounce, body control to absorb and finish shots through contact at the basket or on the jumper, and the court vision to find open teammates moving off the ball. Sheets has limitless range from beyond the arc, gets great lift on his jumper, and is a solid on-ball defender. Really good athlete that makes quality decisions with the ball in hand. 

Remy Barnes of Hanford moves down a few spots and comes in at #9. In the post-Jaden Haire era, Barnes became the focal point of the team and he put up great numbers last year and averaged nearly a double-double. Barnes played with Jalen Green Elite Central Valley 17u squad this past Spring and Summer on the MADE Hoops West Circuit and was one of the top players featured on the roster. Barnes has also transferred to Hanford from Hanford West for his senior season and will be the missing scorer and versatile defender the Bullpups needed last season. Barnes is one of the top two-way players in the Section, has the moves and handles to create space from his defender, gets good lift on his jumper, with accuracy from the mid-range to the 3-point line, and excels in the open court. Barnes has the length to switch on bigger players, as well as the lateral quickness and wingspan to defend on the perimeter and jump passing lanes that lead to easy transition points. I expect a big year from Barnes and have interest from some 4-year programs that he will look to solidify this season. 

Rounding out the top 10 and holding steady at that spot from the last round of rankings is Zach Garnett of Frontier. Garnett had a great season last year, as he let the Titans in scoring and rebounding with a double-double per game. Garnett would play with the Fresno-based Wildcats Elite 17 squad that played on the Adidas Gold West Circuit in the Spring, and MADE Hoops West and LV Big Time events in July. Garnett’s level of play really took off midway through the Spring and he was one of the better shot makers during the month of July. Garnett has garnered interest from NAIA programs, as well as D3 schools. Garnett has a smooth jumper from the mid-post, can space the floor with the 3-ball, has enough handle to put the ball on the deck and get to the basket, with nice touch around the rim. Garnett is a good rim protector, controls the boards, can push the ball up the court if needed or find the outlet guy, and is looking to have a big senior season. I have him a preseason favor to win the SYL-River MVP and the Titans as the favorite to win its league.