Boys basketball preview: Mission League teams

If you assume Trinity League soccer is the best in the nation, then the Mission League is likely to be its equal in boys’ basketball this season.

“It’s off the charts,” Harvard-Wesltake coach David Rebibo said in describing the expertise of the eight Mission League 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 the development of younger gamers has set the stage for a league schedule in January that will permit followers to see gamers who is likely to be soon showing on weekend TV for faculty basketball teams or on NBA rosters.

Harvard-Westlake has received seven consecutive league titles and stays in the title combine. The teaching is so good in the league and the expertise so plentiful that it might be no shock if a number of teams win Southern Section titles relying on what divisions in which they’re positioned.

It’s not as if the league didn’t have expertise before this season, but Cantwell identified, “There’s just more on all of the teams.”

Every staff besides Harvard-Westlake added switch college students this season. The largest had been St. John Bosco senior Brandon McCoy going to Sierra Canyon, 7-foot-3 Cherif Millogo arriving at St. Francis from Boston and 6-9 Sam Mbingazo returning to Bishop Alemany after taking part in at Iowa Prep last season.

One big loss, though, has been suffered at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, where 6-7 Tyran Stokes, ranked No. 1 by many in the category of 2026, received’t be taking part in for the Knights. He withdrew from faculty last week. There are others prepared to help exchange him.

Zachary White has dedicated to San Diego State and NaVorro Bowman has gotten so good that he’s turn out to be one of the best prospects from the category of 2027.

Sierra Canyon may start a lineup solely of transfers, with Maximo Adams in his second season with the Trailblazers and one of the best gamers in the category of 2026. Brannon Martinsen, a 6-6 senior, arrived from JSerra.

Harvard-Westlake isn’t going wherever, with the return of standout senior guard Joe Sterling, a Texas commit, senior middle Dominique Bentho and guards Pierce Thompson, Amir Jones and Cole Holden. Crespi returns the Barnes twins, Isaiah and Carter.

“There are anywhere between three and five Division 1 players on every 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’s been in a very long time.”

As if expertise weren’t enough of a draw, there’s the teaching. Former Lakers star Derek Fisher, who used to coach the New York Knicks, is in his third season at Crespi and no one is intimidated teaching against him. Chaminade’s Bryan Cantwell, St. Francis’ Todd Wolfson and Sierra Canyon’s Andre Chevalier are veteran coaches who’ve all received part championships. Loyola has a first-year coach, Cam Joyce, from Ohio, and Mike DuLaney guided Bishop Alemany to a Division III state title in 2024.

“It’s going to be really competitive and really fun,” Cantwell said.

Throughout Southern California, there are lots of elite prospects. There’s Missouri-bound Jason Crowe Jr. of Inglewood; Kansas-bound Luke Barnett of Mater Dei; high-scoring junior guard Gene Roebuck of La Mirada; Georgia Tech commit Kaiden Bailey of Santa Margarita; top sophomore transfers Evan Willis and Shalen Sheppard of Crossroads; closely 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 has dedicated to Texas A&M; 6-6 rising junior Kevin Keshishyan of Los Altos.

As far as teams, Sierra Canyon, Santa Margarita, St. John Bosco, Redondo Union, Rolling Hills Prep, Harvard-Westlake, Corona Centennial and Damien all seem headed to top teams standing.

Unfortunately, the City Section has seen most of its top gamers switch or graduate. Palisades is the preseason favourite with the arrival of the 6-6 Popoola twins, Elijah and Olujimi, juniors from Las Vegas.