2024 Rankings: Top Newcomers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After a long but productive spring and summer spent watching high school and club basketball games, it was time to put a fresh update on the class of 2024 rankings in Southern California. In this piece we break down the top new additions, including a couple from a new region of the state, Bakersfield.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">No. 36 [player_tooltip player_id='2102485' first='Bentley' last='Waller']: Bakersfield Christian</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In addition some players from the Bakersfield area the first guy that jumped on our radar was the 6-foot-4 Waller. The long, wiry and crafty combo guard has great feel and ability to create for himself off the bounce. Waller has battled a few injuries over the last couple of years that limited his court time but if he stays healthy this season his recruitment could skyrocket.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">No. 60 [player_tooltip player_id='2102486' first='Rippen' last='Gil']l: Bakersfield Centennial</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gill debuts at No. 60 and impressed all spring and summer with his versatility, high motor and defensive prowess. The 6-foot-5 wing is a jack-of-all-trades on the offensive end. He can score at the rim on straight-line drives, crashes the offensive boards for second-chance points and showed he can stretch the floor with the catch and shoot three ball.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">No. 70 [player_tooltip player_id='2102979' first='Nile' last='Ebi']: Fairfax</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ebi is a freakish athlete with a combination of size, fluidity, length and explosiveness that made him a guy who excelled in the up and down pace that summer basketball provides. Ebi is a multi-positional defender whose length and lateral mobility allow him to defend all five positions at the high school level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">No. 77 [player_tooltip player_id='2102484' first='Tracy' last='Bryden']: West Ranch</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bryden is one of few traditional post players in SoCal's 2024 class. At 6-feet-9 with big-bodied frame, the rising senior showed flashes of a physical and hard-nosed interior presence on both ends of the floor. Offensively, Bryden sets a strong ball-screen and isn't afraid to mix it up inside on the offensive glass. Defensively, he's a good positional defender against other low block players.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">No. 130 [player_tooltip player_id='1652460' first='Jordan' last='Dollar']: Arcadia</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dollar is one of those players who appears on the scouting report as a guy you must close out to. The 6-foot-2 shooting guard is a consistent three-point threat from multiple spots and ranges of the floor. His fundamental and repeatable shooting mechanics, along with his quick release, make him a player you must run off the line.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->