Tag: California high school basketball

Move over, Gilbert: Arenas’ son Alijah Arenas beat dad’s high-school record with 53 points

Alijah Arenas, a five-star prospect and son of Gilbert Arenas, scored 53 points for Chatsworth High School in a playoff game.

Alijah Arenas is already a five-star prospect in the class of 2026, and he continues to show why he just may be as good as his dad, Gilbert Arenas.

Archived Los Angeles Times records show the elder Arenas was considered the top prospect in the LA area around 1998 as he entered his senior high school season. His high-school best of 50 points cemented his status as an elite prospect, and he went on to be an All-Pac-10 player at the University of Arizona, leading the Wildcats to a championship appearance before rising to NBA stardom.

Those 50 points in a high school game? His son just broke that mark.

Arenas scored 53 points this weekend, leading Chatsworth High School (Calif.) to a 74-69 regional semifinal win over Washington Prep. He added 11 rebounds in the victory.

Los Angeles Times reporter Eric Sondheimer posted a clip of Arenas:

See full game highlights from The Hoop Spill’s YouTube page:

Arenas is ranked on the 247Sports Composite as the third-best player in the class of 2026 and the top shooting guard. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 180 pounds, he already has 16 offers as a sophomore, according to the recruiting outlet.

How to watch California high school basketball playoffs

Don’t miss a moment of the CIF sectional championships.

The CIF postseason action has tipped off across the state, featuring some of the best teams in the country —both boys and girls—that have rosters filled with top recruits and the stars of tomorrow.

Sectional championship games are slated for this weekend before the state title runs begin, so there are plenty of hardcourt matchups to watch live.

For fans looking to watch CIF basketball games, check out the games available on the NFHS Network.

Find more teams in other states here.

NFHS Games of the Week

(USA TODAY Network)

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Pair of Long Beach high school coaches resigned in January due to parental treatment

Two head coaches from Long Beach high schools, Erin Carey and Curtis Boyer, described parental harassment that led to their resignations.

A pair of high school basketball head coaches in Long Beach, Calif., announced resignations last month due to what they described as harassment from parents.

In early January, Wilson High School girls basketball head coach Erin Carey told The562 she was stepping down due to “relentless criticism on my integrity and character based on decisions I made within the program.” Assistant coaches DJ Butler and Samantha McComb also resigned from the program during winter break.

On Jan. 25, Millikan High School boys basketball coach Curtis Boyer told The562 he was leaving his role in the wake of parents yelling at players during in-game huddles to not listen to Boyer, as well as challenging him about playing time during games and following him to the team bus.

“The way it’s gotten is that the last few weeks I’ve been stressed, I’m not sleeping, it’s really been getting to me,” Boyer said to the outlet. “I don’t need it — I poured everything into this program, blood, sweat and tears for eight or 10 hours a day.”

Both head coaches led their respective programs to success during their tenure. Carey helped lead Wilson to a CIF-SS Div. 3A championship in 2020, and the team maintained a record over .500 the next two years. Last season, the Bruins went 11-12 and, as of Feb. 4, are 9-13 this year.

According to The562, Boyers in 2022 helped Millikan get its first-ever state playoff win, as the team advanced to the regional semifinals. This season, after two important players transferred, the team is 6-18.

Both former head coaches spoke to NBC Los Angeles over the past week.

“I’m hoping it’s a wake-up call. Just cheer your kid on, just be a parent,” Carey told the outlet.

“You let the coaches coach, and the players play, and just be a parent. It’s not happening anymore,” Boyer said.

Clippers plan to display California high school basketball jerseys in new stadium

The Los Angeles Clippers announced the plan to display California high school basketball jerseys in Intuit Dome when it opens in 2024.

The Los Angeles Clippers will finally be getting some jerseys in the rafters.

The team announced this week that they plan to display California high school jerseys from across California in its new stadium, Intuit Dome when it opens this year ahead of next season. The Clippers wrote on their website that the symbol will “honor the state’s rich history of youth basketball” and posted instructions for application.

California has a deep history of prep basketball, with Hall of Fame-caliber NBA players like Reggie Miller, Bill Walton, James Harden, and Jason Kidd coming from the Golden State, and others like Raymond Lewis and Tracy Murray who built lasting legacies solely off high school play. WNBA legends like Lisa Leslie and Diana Taurasi have also hailed from California high schools.

Intuit Dome, in Inglewood about 10 miles away from current home Crypto.com Arena, is what Bloomberg describes as a $2 billion passion project for owner Steve Ballmer. The billionaire told Bloomberg that “We can’t establish a sense of identity” around Crytpo.com arena, which is also home of the Los Angeles Lakers and hockey Los Angeles Kings.

Among chief issues of the team’s place at Crypto, where they moved under former owner Donald Sterling in 1984, is that the Clippers are one of just two teams (Toronto Raptors) who do not have any jerseys retired in a Ring of Honor-like setting. That, along with a dearth of championships, is in stark contrast to the Lakers, whose retired numbers and championship banners the Clippers cover with pictures of active players during games. Ballmer, worth $120 billion, can model this stadium to his vision.

How and where the high school jerseys will be displayed is not yet clear, though it will almost certainly not be in the rafters like a Ring of Honor. The most expensive basketball stadium ever will presumably have plenty of room for other museum-like experiences.

California high school basketball coach fired after alleged racist tortilla throwing incident

A high school basketball coach in California was fired in wake of a racist tortilla throwing incident that took place after a championship.

A high school basketball coach in California was fired just three days after winning a state championship in wake of a racist tortilla throwing incident that took place at the title game.

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Coronado Unified School Board voted unanimously Tuesday to relieve veteran Coronado High School head coach JD Laaperi of his duties. Coronado defeated Orange Glen High School in the CIF Division 4-A championship when at least two people threw tortillas at the team from Orange Glen.

Orange Glen High School features a prominent latino population.

Laaperi took to social media after the game to address the incident, tweeting “”Unfortunately a community member brought tortillas and distributed them which was unacceptable and racist in nature. …. I do not condone this behavior. Coronado High School does not condone this behavior and is already taking appropriate action.”

Coronado’s school board ultimately decided removing Laaperi from his position as head basketball coach was among the action that needed to be taken. Laaperi reportedly cursed at an Orange Glen coach after the game, which played a role in his firing.

Coronado team captain Wayne McKinney said at Tuesday’s board meeting that his team did not know people brought tortillas to the game and those who did had no ties with the team. McKinney also told the Union-Tribune that Coronado players and coaches had been receiving death threats since the incident.

“It was not based on race or class; it was simply a great game between two teams,” McKinney said. “I think many people are making Saturday out to be something it was not.”

The CIF released a statement last weekend addressing the incident, stating “We are therefore working with the administration of both high schools in addressing this matter and upon receipt and review of incident reports from both schools, the CIF will determine the appropriate next steps.”

In 12 years as Coronado’s head coach, Laaperi posted a 215-121 record, including a 24-5 mark in this year’s COVID-19 pandemic-shortened season.

RELATED: Pepper Johnson named new IMG Academy football coach

Bronny James debuts at No. 30 in 247Sports’ 2023 Top 50 rankings

Bronny James is ranked 30th in 247Sports’ initial class of 2023 top 50 rankings, which were released on Wednesday.

Bronny James is one of the most recognizable names in the class of 2023, but he still has plenty of work to do to ascend to the top of 247Sports’ rankings.

247Sports released its initial class of 2023 top 50 rankings on Wednesday, with James coming in at No. 30. He is also the No. 4 combo guard in his class. DaJuan Wagner Jr., son of former NBA player DaJuan Wagner, claimed the top overall spot in the rankings.

“Athletically, James is impressive, and he’s continued to become more athletic over the last year,” 247Sports’ Evan Daniels said in James’ scouting report. “Where he impresses the most is with his feel for the game, vision and passing. While he’s projecting as an off guard/combo for now, the passing ability makes you wonder if he could eventually slide over to full-time point guard with development.

“James is also an impressive shooter with good shot mechanics. He’s comfortable pulling up for one- and two-dribble pull-ups, and has a lot of potential as a long-range shooter. It’s still early in the process, and ultimately his upside will be determined by his physical and skill growth.”

James, the son of Lakers star LeBron James, has garnered plenty of attention early in his basketball career. Not only does the spotlight shine on him because of his father, but he also plays at Sierra Canyon where, in 2019-20, he played alongside Kentucky recruit BJ Boston, Stanford recruit Ziaire Williams, and Zaire Wade, son of former NBA star Dwayne Wade.

James appeared for 34 games in Sierra Canyon as a freshman, averaging 4.1 points in 15 minutes per game. In December, James scored 15 points and earned game MVP honors after hitting a game-winning layup late in the game against his father’s alma mater, St. Vincent-St. Mary high school. ESPN aired 15 of Sierra Canyon’s games during James’ first high school season.

Unlike his father, James might not have the option of bypassing college and going straight to the NBA. Duke is the favorite to secure a commitment from James, as his 247Sports’ Crystal Ball currently reads 100% in favor of the Blue Devils.

Bronny James and Sierra Canyon defeat Mater Dei to win Open Division championship

Bronny James and Sierra Canyon defeat Mater Dei to win Open Division championship as Ziaire Williams and Brandon Boston Jr. show out for Trailblazers.

Bronny James’ Sierra Canyon Trailblazers are led by two seniors who will be playing in the 2020 McDonald’s All-American game on April 1 at the Toyota Center in Houston. Both of these young superstars—Brandon Boston Jr. and Ziaire Williams–showed out in a big way on Friday to help their team win the Open Division title against California powerhouse Mater Dei.

Williams, who is currently undecided on which collegiate program he will play for next year, scored a game-high 25 points to help deliver a 59-48 victory. Meanwhile, Boston–who will be attending Kentucky next season–added 16 points of his own. Fellow Kentucky commit, Devin Askew, scored 15 for Mater Dei while Wilhelm Breidenbach led the Monarchs with 18 points and 14 rebounds.

Bronny James did not score in the contest but he did compete defensively and provide energy off the bench as evidenced in the clip below shared by L.A. Daily News reporter, Tarek Fattal.

Sierra Canyon will now move on to the Southern California regional playoffs that begin on Wednesday as the high school basketball postseason continues to heat up.

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‘Racist’ chant mars of ‘Where’s your passport?’ mars California hoops game

The end of a basketball game in California turned ugly this week as the visiting student section took to chanting “Where’s your passport?” St. Joseph faced Righetti and earned a 74-57 road win Tuesday. That wasn’t the news, however, as the Righetti …

The end of a basketball game in California turned ugly this week as the visiting student section took to chanting “Where’s your passport?”

St. Joseph faced Righetti and earned a 74-57 road win Tuesday. That wasn’t the news, however, as the Righetti High student section began the chant apparently directed at the St. Joseph athletes. St. Joseph has one player from France on its roster and three players from Puerto Rico.

Per the Santa Maria Times:

St. Joseph principal Erinn Dougherty confronted the Righetti students after hearing the chant and then exchanged words with Righetti High assistant principal Ted Lyon, who was standing near the Righetti bench.

“Kids are going to do whatever they’re going to do and our guys enjoy playing in great atmospheres like this,” said coach Tom Mott, who’s also St. Joseph’s athletic director, when asked about the chant. “Anything our crowd or their crowd does is just part of the game.”

Mott said he did not feel accusations were racist but understood how people would feel that way.

“I honestly think they were unaware they said a racist thing,” Mott said. “They did not intend for it to be racist.

“… It’s just sad that kids who are 15-, 16- or 17-years-old are called out for what they look like or where they’re from,” Mott said.

Mott told the Santa Maria Times he did believe Righetti coach Kevin Barbarick tried to get the chant stopped.

“I talked to Kevin this morning and, after watching the video, I saw as soon as they started the chant that Kevin turned around and told them to be quiet and that’s exactly what you want your administrator to do,” Mott said.