LA Daily News preseason top 10 boys basketball rankings
Check out the top basketball teams in the area heading into the 2022-23 season

It’s November. Basketball season is here.

The high school season doesn’t officially kick off until Nov. 14, but with teams starting official practice, it’s fair to say basketball season is upon us. The Daily News area is known for its deep pool of teams and players, but this year’s talent pool might be the deepest and widest ever. We’ll have to wait and see, but for now, here is the boys basketball preseason rankings for the 2022-23 season.

DAILY NEWS PRESEASON TOP 10 

1. Harvard-Westlake: The Wolverines return Brady Dunlap, Jacob Huggins and Trent Perry from a team that reached the CIF Southern Section Open Division final last year. Robert Hinton, Nikolas Khamenia, Christian Horry and freshman Dominique Bentho will be key role players.

2. Sierra Canyon: The Trailblazers will be led by seniors Bronny James, Ashton Hardaway and Dylan Metoyer, but the team’s success will be dependent on the scoring of star junior Isaiah Elohim. Newcomers Jimmy Oladokun (transfer from Damien), Bryce Cofield (West Ranch), Noah Williams (Village Christian), and Osiris Nalls Jr. (Viewpoint) will add depth.

3. Notre Dame: The nickname is set: “Run DMC.” Dusty Stromer, Mercy Miller and Caleb Foster might be the best 1-2-3 starting trio on the West Coast, and maybe the country. Foster, a Duke commit, is the most highly-touted recruit in the area. The Knights also have Jayden Harper, Dante Ogbu and Angelino Mark.

4. West Ranch: On paper, the Wildcats might have the most talented team in California, and that’s not hyperbole. James Evans, Andrew Meadow and Jaqari Miles return. Jazz Gardner (7-foot transfer from Los Altos), Darrell Morris (Crean Lutheran), Isaiah Fields (Santa Clarita Christian), and Jai Gardner (Los Altos) have joined the team.

 
5. Oak Park: It’s Isaiah Sherrard’s world and Oak Park High students are all just living in it. Sherrard has been a standout player the past two years and is primed for a huge senior season. Guards Seshsha Henderson and newcomer Trey McDonald will complement Sherrard well.

6. Village Christian: The Crusaders are coming off a Division 2AA championship and return the Player of the Year in Immanuel Taylor, who will be a four-year starter, Thomas Luczak and guard Jaylin Grant. They lost their top player, Noah Williams, to transfer, but Village Christian added some talent, too. Will Overton (St. Genevieve) and TJ Lumpkin (Burbank Burroughs) will contribute.

7. Heritage Christian: The Warriors will have a new look after seeing Barrington Hargress (UC Riverside) and Malik Moore (Pepperdine) graduate. Transfers Giovanni Goree (Viewpoint), Seven Bahati (Donda Academy) and Josiah Johnson (Sacramento Sheldon) will lead the way along with sophomores Tae Simmons and Roman Fisher.

8. Birmingham Charter: The Patriots return arguably the best point guard in the City Section in Tyson Jackson and fellow guard Kory Blunt, who was an All-City selection last year. The team will get better after Christmas when transfers Marques Graham (Sun Valley Poly) and Ashton Carraway (Valencia) become eligible after serving the sit-out period.

9. Crespi: Young, but talented. Peyton White is a sophomore, Roman Stewart is a junior, and promising guard Joe Sterling is a freshman. Seniors Alex Munzon and international transfer Ivan Belkin will have significant roles to play in the locker room. Crespi will get better each game under coach Andrew Moore and his staff.

10. St. Francis: The quote of the year might’ve come from coach Todd Wolfson at Mission League media day when he said, “If you’re looking for an easy game, you are the easy game.” He’ll always have his team ready and has shown that for years. Jackson Mosley, Mazi Mosley and Luke McGrath are the Golden Knights’ three-headed monster.

BUBBLE TEAMS – TEAMS TO WATCH

AGBU: A program that moved from Division 5 to Division 2 in just three seasons. Avand Dorian is the team’s go-to player.

Calabasas: Senior guard Gavin Murphy can score with the best of them.

Campbell Hall: Aaron Powell, Tanner Jones and Isaiah Brewington make for a “Big 3.”

Knight: Malik Larane, the Golden League Player of the Year, is back, and Darrius Freeman is a top point guard in the area.

Valley Torah: Valley Torah won 30 games last year and returns its entire starting five, including Johny Dan, who is a two-time CIF Player of the Year and Jewish schools National Player of the Year.

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