Boys’ basketball preview: Mission League teams loaded with talent
If you think Trinity League football is the best in the country, then the Mission League might be its equivalent in men’s basketball this season.
“It’s off the charts,” Harvard-Wesltake coach David Rebibo said, describing the talent on the Mission League’s eight teams.
“It’s absolutely ridiculous,” Chaminade coach Bryan Cantwell said. “We could have all eight teams potentially in the top 30 in Southern California.”
Transfers, promising freshmen and young player development have paved the way for a championship schedule in January that will allow fans to see players who could soon appear on weekend television for college basketball teams or on NBA rosters.
Harvard-Westlake has won seven consecutive league titles and remains on the title list. The coaching is so good in the league and the talent so plentiful that it wouldn’t be surprising if several teams won Southern Section titles based on the divisions they are placed in.
It’s not like the league didn’t have talent before this season, but Cantwell pointed out, “There’s just more of it on every team.” »
Every team except Harvard-Westlake added transfer students this season. The tallest were St. John Bosco senior Brandon McCoy heading to Sierra Canyon, 7-foot-3 Cherif Millogo coming to St. Francis from Boston and 6-9 Sam Mbingazo returning to Bishop Alemany after playing at Iowa Prep last season.
A big loss, however, was suffered at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, where Tyran Stokes (6-7), ranked No. 1 by many in the class of 2026, will not play for the Knights. He left school last week. There are others ready to replace him.
Zachary White committed to San Diego State and NaVorro Bowman got so good that he became one of the top prospects in the 2027 class.
Sierra Canyon could start a transfer-only lineup, with Maximo Adams in his second season with the Trailblazers and one of the best players in the 2026 class. Brannon Martinsen, a 6-6 senior, arrived from JSerra.
Sierra Canyon’s Maximo Adams hugs coach Andre Chevalier.
(Steve Galluzzo / For Time)
Harvard-Westlake isn’t going anywhere, with the return of standout senior guard Joe Sterling, a Texas commit, senior center Dominique Bentho and guards Pierce Thompson, Amir Jones and Cole Holden. Crespi returns the Barnes twins, Isaiah and Carter.
“There are between three and five Division 1 players on each team with D1 potential between the sophomores and juniors,” Rebibo said. “The senior class in this league is unreal. It makes the league as competitive as it has been in a very long time.”
As if talent wasn’t enough, there’s coaching. Former Lakers star Derek Fisher, who coached the New York Knicks, is in his third season at Crespi and no one is intimidated by coaching against him. Bryan Cantwell of Chaminade, Todd Wolfson of St. Francis and Andre Chevalier of Sierra Canyon are veteran coaches who have all won sectional championships. Loyola has a first-year coach, Cam Joyce, from Ohio, and Mike DuLaney guided Bishop Alemany to a 2024 Division III state title.
“It’s going to be really competitive and really fun,” Cantwell said.
Throughout Southern California, there are many elite prospects. There’s Missouri-bound Jason Crowe Jr. of Inglewood; Luke Barnett of Mater Dei, bound for Kansas; high-scoring junior guard Gene Roebuck of La Mirada; Georgia Tech commits Kaiden Bailey from Santa Margarita; top transfers sophomores Evan Willis and Shalen Sheppard from Crossroads; heavily recruited Christian Collins of St. John Bosco; dynamic senior guard Josiah Johnson of Mayfair; standout senior guard Isaiah Rogers of Corona Centennial; 6-11 Josh Irving of Pasadena, who is committed to Texas A&M; Kevin Keshishyan, 6-6 rising junior from Los Altos.
As for teams, Sierra Canyon, Santa Margarita, St. John Bosco, Redondo Union, Rolling Hills Prep, Harvard-Westlake, Corona Centennial and Damien all appear to be headed toward premier team status.
Unfortunately, the City Section has seen most of its best players transfer or graduate. Palisades is the preseason favorite with the arrival of 6-6 Popoola twins Elijah and Olujimi, juniors from Las Vegas.
