2027 Rankings Update: New Additions in Top 50

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With the spring and summer high school and club basketball seasons firmly in the rearview, we dug deep into our evaluations of the 2027 class in Southern California and put a fresh update on our rankings. There was a lot of movement among the top 50 prospects and six brand new additions to the mix. Below we break down those new names in the top 50.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2915701' first='Olujimi' last='Popoola'] | Palisades | No. 17</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One half of the Popoola twins who made their way to SoCal via Las Vegas, "OJ" is a dynamic athlete in transition and half-court settings who uses his combination of size, length and body control at 6-feet-5 to slash his way to the rim and finish in a variety of ways. Popoola has smooth scoring ability in the painted area and soft touch around the rim but also has a pop of vertical athleticism that allows him to elevate and score over rim protectors. The rising junior also flashed rebound, push and playmaking ability as a primary ball handler.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2915705' first='Julian' last='Cunningham'] | Palisades | No. 22</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cunningham has emerged as one of the more intriguing big men in SoCal's 2027 class. The 6-foot-10 center has a mix of traditional and modern skills that allow him to be an efficient offensive player. Cunningham is effective with his back to the basket, especially when turning to his left shoulder and finish with a jump hook. Throughout the spring and summer, Cunningham also showed the ability to step out to the the perimeter and knock down face-up shots off the catch.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1965274' first='Ilan' last='Nikolov'] | Notre Dame | No. 24</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nikolov is another Las Vegas transplant in SoCal who arrived at Notre Dame via Bishop Gorman. The addition of Nikolov gives the Mission League program a much-needed perimeter shooting threat and there aren't many pure shooters as consistent as Nikolov in this class. The 6-foot-5 rising junior has good positional size and is an elite catch-and-shoot threat with deep range and multiple spot consistency.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2916690' first='Damarion' last='Landry'] | Oak Hills | No. 31</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Better known as "Mar," Landry is a dynamic athlete whose combination of ball skills, perimeter shooting ability and transition athleticism make him a multi-faceted scoring threat. The wiry 6-foot-5 wing can break down defenders in isolation and get to a consistent step-back jumper from the mid-range and three-point levels of the floor. In transition, Landry is aggressive when pushing the tempo, attacking the rim and scoring or making plays for others.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1945830' first='EJ' last='Popoola'] | Palisades | No. 33</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The second half of the Popoola twins is extremely effective as a slasher and finisher both on and off the ball. The 6-foot-4 wing uses his wiry frame and slithery athleticism to cut and move without the ball to find open space where he can use his length and vertical pop to catch, elevate and extend to finish around the rim.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2916692' first='Josh' last='Ayaji'] | Riverside King | No. 38</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ayaji showed that he is a prospect who is able to impact the game without needing the ball in his hands. The 6-foot-3 guard has some elite defensive tools complete with quick twitch reaction time, great lateral speed and quick hands that allow him to contain and pressure ball handlers. Offensively, Ayaji generates extra possessions with the pressure he puts on the offensive glass and the aggressiveness in which he attacks the rim off the bounce.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->