Long Beach, CA – As the high school season comes to an end in California this past Sunday I headed down to SoCal to watch Day 3 of the four-day Pangos Best of SoCal League hosted by Dinos Trigonis at McBride High School. The Best of SoCal League featured 8 teams comprised of high school players from around Southern California and beyond. The League featured players from the classes of 2023-2026 placing them on rosters that allowed some of the top players in the region to battle against each other. Although there was a lot of talent at every grade level, the majority of the talent was from the deep pool of underclass prospects in Southern California.
In this article, I take a look at the top underclass performers from Day 3 of the Best of SoCal League. There is no rank order to this list, as players are listed in alphabetical order. However, I do have a most outstanding performer that will be listed first. After the most outstanding player, the next 10 players will be my top 10 performers just not in ranked order. Below I provide the player information, school attended a brief discussion on how they performed, as well as an evaluation of the player’s skill set. Although there were plenty of players that had standout performances on Day 3, Brayden Burries was my top performer of the day and that is where I begin this article.
Most Outstanding Performer
2025 6’4 Brayden Burries (Roosevelt/Eastvale CA)
Burries has been putting up big scoring numbers throughout the Best of SoCal League, and this past Sunday was no different. The shifty and dynamic combination guard put up 31 points in his opening game and showed pure stroke from beyond the arc, as he connected on 5 threes. Burries has elite handles, the moves to shake his defender and create space, plays with a smooth flow and pace that keeps his opponent off balance, and a quick burst of speed to get downhill, and is a creative scorer around the basket. Burries is an efficient 3-level scorer that can create his own scoring opportunities off the dribble, has the court vision to find open teammates when the defense collapses on him, rebounds well to get into the open court and push the pace of play, and keeps the ball on a string while constantly surveying the floor and makes quality decisions. Burries has great body control when on the attack with the ability to stop on a dime and raise up from fifteen feet to the 3-point line extended.
Top 10 Performers
2026 6’6 Tajh Ariza (St. Bernard/Playa del Rey CA)
Ariza is one of the more intriguing long-term prospects that had a standout freshman season in a loaded 2026 class in California. Ariza has the build of a wing/forward but the skill set of a combination guard, as he is much more fluid and comfortable operating off the wing. Ariza hit some high-level shots in both of his League games this past Sunday that highlight why scouts speak so highly of the long and lengthy freshman. Ariza has a good handle on the ball, the perimeter moves to attack off the dribble, can rise up over most defenders for clean looks from the perimeter, and has a smooth stroke from the 3-point line. Ariza moves well off the ball, needs minimal space to get his shot off, and is a crafty finisher around the basket. Defensively, Ariza uses his length and active hands to create deflections and steals, as well as adequately alter shots on the perimeter and around the basket. As Ariza continues to grow as a basketball player and matches his motor to his already impressive skill set, he has the potential to rise up the national rankings.
2026 6’2 Kaiden Bailey (Crean Lutheran/Irvine CA)
Bailey had his elite scoring repertoire on display in both games at the Best of SoCal League, as he would put up 32 points and 30 points respectively in the two games he played in. Bailey is coming off a highly productive freshman campaign and has continued his red-hot shooting from the perimeter. Bailey has range with the 3-ball, has the moves and handles to create off the bounce, makes good use of the hesitation move to get by his defender, and has a deadly stop-and-pop mid-range jump shot. Bailey uses his length and solid build to finish through contact around the basket, with the ability to score with creativity over taller players. Bailey does a good job on the glass, which allows him to push the ball and initiate transition play where he can create his own or make plays for others. Bailey has solid court vision to make plays off the dribble drive and has good body control in the air to make tough shots.
2025 6’7 Kade Bonam (St. John Bosco/Bellfower CA)
Bonam had his full offensive arsenal on display at the Best of SoCal League, as he is able to operate from the perimeter as effectively as he does from the post. Bonam has great footwork, nice back-to-the-basket moves, and the physical build to score through contact around the basket. More impressive, Bonam has solid handles, the moves to create his own offense off the bounce, and is accurate from the 3-point line with range. Bonam had a few plays where he got his defender on his heels and then let it fly from deep, knocking down multiple threes. Bonam has solid court vision, makes great reads from the post to cutting teammates, and is really a play-making threat from the top of the key, as he has the height to see over most defenders. Bonam’s ability to create off the dribble makes him a tough defensive assignment, as he pulls bigger players away from the basket with his accuracy from the perimeter and opens up driving lanes and open looks around the basket. He is capable of playing nearly every position on the court on both ends.
2026 6’7 Christian Collins (St. Bernard/Playa del Rey CA)
Collins was at the top for me in regard to value as a long-term prospect and next-level projection. The wiry, lengthy, and athletic Collins showed he can shoot the 3-ball with accuracy, can defend guards and bigs, stays active on the boards, and flourished in transition. Collins has good handles to push the ball up the court, good moves combined with length to shake and get by his defender, the ability to score off the dribble, and has nice touch around the basket. Collins controls the boards and alters shots, with the footwork and agility to defend guards, as well as the length and height to make it tough on bigs. The room for growth in Collin’s game, along with the tangibles, make him one of the more intriguing long-term prospects in the freshman class.
2025 6’9 Jackson Cryst (Millikan/Long Beach CA)
Cryst was a force in the paint and controlled the glass and protected the rim at the Best of SoCal League. Cryst showed nice touch around the basket, has good post moves to create scoring opportunities, and did a solid job of finding the outlet man off the defensive rebounds. Cryst runs the floor well, was effective on pick and rolls, and accurate enough with the mid-range shot to pop after setting screens. Cryst is a true forward at this stage of his development but with work on his perimeter shot and ball handling, he could progress into a wing/forward that would garner significant attention at the next level. Cryst was one of the better performers I had not heard of before seeing him at the League.
2026 6’ Izaiah Fiallos (Centennial/Corona CA)
Fiallos had his dynamic handles, court vision, and shot-making on display at the Best of SoCal League. Fiallos plays with great pace, makes good use of the hesitation move to get his defender off balance, and has the strength to finish through contact around the basket with creativity. Fiallos has the moves to create off the dribble, can score it effectively from 3-levels, and has the court vision to find open teammates when on the attack. Defensively, Fiallos has the footwork and agility to stay in front of elite guards, and gets into his defenders’ dribbling space to create turnovers. Given the depth of the Huskies, Fiallos did not play varsity this season but will likely be a key piece as soon as next year. The ability to make plays and keep the ball on a string while surveying the floor was impressive.
2026 6’7 Brayden Kyman (Santa Margarita Catholic/RSM CA)
Kyman was in his bag at the Best of SoCal League, as he was making plays, scoring from everywhere, and was locked in on the defensive end. Not sure how many points he had in the two games he played but I would say at least 30 in the second one and made countless plays. Kyman has impressive court vision and the size to make pin-point passes out of the high post or the top of the key to find open teammates. Kyman has a solid handle, the moves to create off the perimeter, the size to shoot over most perimeter defenders, and has a smooth mid-range jumper. Kyman has nice touch around the basket, the post moves to play with his back to the basket, and controls the boards, which allows him to get out and go in the open court. Kyman’s presence on the defensive end looks much improved, as he altered shots, used his length to get steals, and showed versatility defending guards and forwards. He was also lights out from the 3-point line and hit some shots from deep. A lot to like about the wing/forward with guard skills as the club season is getting underway.
2026 6’8 Brannon Martinsen (Mater Dei/Santa Ana CA)
Martinsen is another freshman coming off a productive first season of high school basketball for the Monarchs and his offensive skill set was on full display at the Best of SoCal League. Martinsen knocked down some difficult shots from the perimeter, as he and sophomore Dallas Washington went at each other in the opening game on Court 2. Martinsen makes good use of the crossover and with his length, he can generate space from most perimeter defenders, which gives him the room needed to rise up and shoot over opponents. Martinsen has the handles and the moves to put the ball on the floor and attack open lanes created by defenders over pursuing due to his accuracy from beyond the arc. Martinsen controls the boards, alters shots around the basket and on the wing, and has the skill to push the ball up the court. He has a nice touch on his floater and on finishes around the basket.
2026 6’4 Brandon McCoy (St. John Bosco/Bellflower CA)
McCoy displayed an impressive all-around two-way skill set at the Best of SoCal League, as he was active on the glass, blocking shots in transition, scoring in a variety of ways, and forcing opponents to make bad decisions with his length and tenacity. McCoy was one of the top scorers on Day 3 of the League with 26 points in his opening game. McCoy has active hands on defense to generate turnovers, cause deflections, and alter/block shots around the basket and on the perimeter. Offensively, McCoy is accurate with the 3-ball, has the handles to create off the dribble, the moves to get by his defender, and the shot-making ability to score it from 3-levels. McCoy has good court vision and finds open players when he is attacking the basket. He does a solid job on the boards, which allows him to get out into the open court and put pressure on the defense in transition. Plays with a great motor.
2025 6’9 Dallas Washington (Santa Margarita Catholic/RSM CA)
Washington knocked down an array of threes off the dribble at the League, en route to a 26-point showing in one of his games on Sunday connecting on 4 threes. Washington showed growth in his overall ability to create his own offense, as well as being an impact guy in various ways on the defensive end. Washington has good handles for a wing/forward, improved body control when attacking off the perimeter, the length and height to raise up over any perimeter defender with accuracy from the 3-point line, and the ability to put the ball on the deck and attack the basket. Washington has the agility and length to defend on the perimeter, with the size and wingspan to protect the rim and control the boards. Washington is at his best when he is pushing the ball up the court off the glass and looking to score in transition. The progression of his game over the last year along with his size and athleticism reminds me of Zion Sensley of Prolific Prep.
