SoCal Preseason Top 25: No. 21-25

Southern California high school basketball teams are just about a week away from the official tip-off of the 2025-26 season. We spent the fall watching team and individual events to get the best read on the top teams and players in the region. We start our SoCal Top 25 reveal with a breakdown of the teams ranked No. 21-25.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">No. 25 Palisades</h3>   2024-25 Record: 21-12 overall; 9-3 Western League (2nd)   Key Returners: [player_tooltip player_id='2918062' first='Julian' last='Cunningham'] (6-10 | C | Jr.); Jack Levey (6-0 | G | Jr.)   Key Newcomers: [player_tooltip player_id='2767780' first='Phillip' last='Reed'] (6-2 | G | Fr.); EJ PoPoola (6-5 | WF | Jr.); OJ PoPoola (6-5 | WF | Jr.); AJ Neale (6-5 | WF | Jr.)   2025-26 Outlook: The Dolphins have a strong blend of size, athleticism and versatility across the board. Cunningham, a 6-foot-10 center and one of two key returners, is looking to build on a strong sophomore campaign where his inside-out skill made him a tough cover for opposing teams. Palisades' other returning piece is crafty scoring guard Jack Levey who will team with Reed, a talented freshman point guard whose scoring ability and physicality has already translated well to the varsity level. The PoPoola twins bring that wing versatility mentioned above as their long, wiry 6-foot-5 frame and explosive vertical athleticism makes them threats to score in transition and on drives in half-court offense.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">No. 24 Pasadena</h3>   2024-25 Record: 19-8 overall; 8-1 Pacific League (2nd)   Key Returners: [player_tooltip player_id='2425762' first='Josh' last='Irving'] (6-11 | C | Sr. | Committed: Texas A&M); [player_tooltip player_id='2622345' first='Troy' last='Wilson'] (6-0 | PG | Sr.)   Key Newcomers: [player_tooltip player_id='1956467' first='Timmy' last='Anderson'] (5-10 | PG | Sr.)   2025-26 Outlook: Irving is one of the premier center prospects in the country and his defensive abilities as a rim protector and ball screen coverage executor should make the Bulldogs one of the tougher teams to score on in the state. The 6-foot-11 Texas A&M pledge has also made strides with his offensive game where finishing above the rim on rim-run and lob opportunities have become the norm for him. The addition of Anderson is truly what makes Pasadena a Top 25 team in the region. The 5-foot-10 guard is one of the best pure scorers at the guard position as evidenced by the 2,052 points he scored in three seasons at Blair high school prior to making the move to Pasadena in the spring. Irving and Anderson could become one of the more effective inside-out duos in the region.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">No 23. Mayfair</h3>   2024-25 Record: 23-7 overall; 6-2 Gateway League (2nd)   Key Returners: [player_tooltip player_id='2137372' first='Josiah' last='Johnson'] (6-4 | PG | Sr.); Matthew Gibbs-Martinez (6-1 | G | Sr.); [player_tooltip player_id='2948299' first='Amon' last='Boykin'] (6-4 | WF | So.)   Key Newcomers: [player_tooltip player_id='2888781' first='Ismail' last='Abdul-Rahman'] (6-8 | F | Sr.); [player_tooltip player_id='1956479' first='Jahaz' last='Wright'] (6-0 | G | Sr.); DJ Meekins (6-2 | G | Fr.)   2025-26 Outlook: Johnson, who is coming off of a summer in which he was among the biggest stock-rising guards in the country, is one of the best remaining recruits on the board out west and his combination of motor, athleticism, physicality and aggressive attacking mentality makes him one of the premier transition scorers in the state. Johnson's best running mate will be Abdul-Rahman, a versatile 6-foot-8 four-man with bouncy vertical athleticism and the ability to knock down off-catch threes. The keys for how good Mayfair can be will lie with guards Gibbs-Martinez, a returning all-league player, Wright, a sharpshooting transfer, and Meekins, a talented incoming freshman scoring guard.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">No. 22 [player_tooltip player_id='2763310' first='Rancho' last='Christian']</h3>   2024-25 Record: 15-13 overall; 8-2 Ivy League (3rd)   Key Returners: [player_tooltip player_id='2647209' first='Daniel' last='Wol'] (6-7 | F | Jr.); Dave Mapey (6-8 | C | Sr.)   Key Newcomers: [player_tooltip player_id='2435359' first='Jeremiah' last='Profit'] (6-4 | SG | Jr.); [player_tooltip player_id='2746605' first='Jaizahn' last='Lewis'] (6-1 | PG | So.); Tony Rutledge (6-5 | WF | Jr.); Josiah Profit (6-1 | G | So.)   2025-26 Outlook: The Eagles two "key returners" can also be listed in the newcomers category as both Wol and Mapey sat most of last season for different reasons. Wol was a sit out period transfer from San Bernardino Aquinas before injuries sidelined him for most of the year and Mapey was an international transfer who had to sit the full year. Now that both are healthy and eligible, head coach Jalen Lake has some size, athleticism and versatility at the four and five spots that he didn't have last season. [player_tooltip player_id='2763310' first='Rancho' last='Christian'] also loaded up with some talented, high scoring guards and wings with the additions of Profit, Lewis and Rutledge. Profit is one of the top jump shooters in the region, while Lewis is establishing himself among the most explosive combo guards in 2028 and Rutledge brings skill and is a consistent threat to stretch the floor to the three-point line.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">No. 21 Crossroads</h3>   2024-25 Record: 15-13 overall; 3-5 Gold Coast League (4th)   Key Returners: [player_tooltip player_id='2779884' first='Jake' last='Aronson'] (6-2 | SG | Sr.); [player_tooltip player_id='2534808' first='Van' last='Moczydlowsky'] (6-3 | SG | So.); Roman Esparza (6-0 | PG | So.)   Key Newcomers: [player_tooltip player_id='2561222' first='Evan' last='Willis'] (6-8 | F | So.); [player_tooltip player_id='2746603' first='Shalen' last='Sheppard'] (6-8 | F | So.)   2025-26 Outlook: Crossroads is one of the more intriguing teams in SoCal because of the two talented additions they made via transfer in nationally-ranked sophomore prospects Willis (formerly of Santa Ana Mater Dei) and [player_tooltip player_id='2746603' first='Shalen' last='Sheppard'] (who was with Brentwood as recently as October). While those two certainly bring plenty of size, skill, athleticism and versatility, it still remains to be seen what their eligibility will be when the season begins. Willis will likely play sooner than Sheppard and the hyper-athletic and high motor forward will be an immediate impact player on both ends of the floor with his combination of quick twitch leaping ability and willingness to get on the offensive and defensive glass. The growth of the sophomore guards - Moczydlowsky and Esparza - will be the key factor in how good Crossroads can be late in the season.

Southern California high school basketball teams are just about a week away from the official tip-off of the 2025-26 season. We spent the fall watching team and individual events to get the best read on the top teams and players in the region. We start our SoCal Top 25 reveal with a breakdown of the teams ranked No. 21-25.