Central Cali’s Class of 2026 Final Player Rankings

This is the 6th and final version of the Class of 2026 Player Rankings, which all but the last round can be found at the Nothing But Net Magazine website. I have updated this list to include the 2025-2026 high school basketball season and postseason. I have expanded this list from 60 to 65 players from around the Central Section. This list of players was compiled using my own evaluations, along with feedback from knowledgeable media, coaches, and other relevant basketball personnel from the Section, to make up the top 65 senior prospects for this updated round of player rankings for the 2026 Class. However, the order of players on this list is my own. This list takes into consideration two key factors in determining where players are ranked, and will be the same criteria used each time this list is updated. The criteria for these rankings are as follows: current skill level and production on the court, as well as future projection at the collegiate level. The depth of this class combined with the impact many have had since their freshman year, has led to some impressive statistics and numbers that set some on track to achieve key milestones and even school records. Below is the first 10 players of these players rankings, and will be followed by the next 10 layers, #11-#20. In this article, you will find the following information: current rank, their previous rank in parentheses, the player's name, height, player position, current school attending, and college commitment if it applies. We begin this final list with the top player in the Section, and consensus #1, [player_tooltip player_id='1956462' first='Julius' last='Price'].   1 (1) [player_tooltip player_id='1956462' first='Julius' last='Price'] |6'3| St. Joseph-Santa Maria (Stanford)   Price has had a strangle hold on the top spot for the 2026 class since his freshman year and ends his high school career as the #1 prospect for this class of players in the Central Section. Price, who was the two-headed attack his first two seasons along with Baylor's Tounde Yessoufou. Younger brother [player_tooltip player_id='2436278' first='Malcolm' last='Price'] moved into that group to make it a trio of D1 prospects to lead the Knights. This season, Price took on the leading scorer role, as well as the leader of the team, controlling the pace of play, setting up the offense, and showing he is one of the top point guards in the country, as well as top 3-point shooters off the bounce or the catch. Price led the Knights to another successful season, winning the Mountain League going undefeated at 10-0, winning a second consecutive D1 Section title and a 3rd for him personally, and earning his first League MVP honors. Price put up great numbers this season at 21.1 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and a steal per game and played his biggest games this season against the toughest competition, with a season best of 39 points against Faith Family of Texas, who are playing in the Chipotle National Championships. Price keeps the ball on a string, has great court vision and decision making to make any read needed on the court, in transition or the half court setting, and is an elite shooter with accuracy beyond the arc. Great burst of speed off the dribble, body control to absorb contact at the basket, and a high level perimeter on-ball defender. Price will continue his career at Stanford next year, which is a great fit for the standout student-athlete. He and his team showed this year it was much more than just Tounde and the Section title win helped solidify that for this St. Joseph squad.   2 (2) [player_tooltip player_id='2830146' first='Parker' last='Spees'] |6'9| San Joaquin Memorial-Fresno (UC Irvine)   Holding his position at the #2 spot in this final round of player rankings for the senior class is [player_tooltip player_id='2830146' first='Parker' last='Spees'], who finished his high school basketball career just over a week ago the way most only dream about, as his Panthers would win the D2 State championship and he would have likely his best game of his career to date, with an impressive 19 points and 6 rebounds and Player of the Game honors. Spees was also part of the 2023 San Joaquin D2 State title, but as a freshman he saw minimal time on the floor. Spees has continued to develop his game and skill set more and more each year, is a true stretch-four with accuracy on the 3-ball, as well as touch and moves to score around the basket in a variety of ways. Spees has good court vision to make reads from the high-post, enough handle to attack from the perimeter, and is a solid rim protector on the defensive end. Spees made All-CMAC 1st Team, averaged 12.2 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game, and was the anchor in the paint on both sides of the court. Spees had an impressive four year run at San Joaquin and his presence in the interior will be missed, as well as his leadership and basketball IQ. He will take his game and school work to UC Irvine next year and should be a player that fits their style of play nicely.   3 (5) McKae Amundsen |5'10| Clovis North-Fresno (Idaho State)   Amundsen moves up two spots and finishes at the #3 spot in this final 2026 player rankings list. Amundsen has accomplished a lot during his time at Clovis North, from winning the D1 Section title in 2024, his sophomore season, winning the TRAC title three of his four years as a Bronco, and setting most of the school's basketball records as all-time scoring, assists, steals, and 3-pointers made. Amundsen was named to the TRAC 1st-Team All-League for the second year in a row, averaged 21.6 points, 4.7 assists, 3 steals, and 3.5 rebounds per game, and had some monster performances, especially, as he would drop 37 points in the opening round of the State D1 NorCal Regionals, 35 points in a loss to Moreau Catholic at the annual Crush in the Valley Showcase, and countless other games in the mid-to-high 20s. Amundsen has elite handles, the shifty moves to shake his defender, the court vision to make the right reads when on the attack, and a lock-up on-ball defender. Relentless motor, great work ethic, and high basketball IQ. He will join his older brother Conner in the D1 ranks next year at Idaho State, with Connor being at Dartmouth. McKae will be missed by the Broncos, and it would appear that Clovis North is in a rebuilding year, but this is a program that has established a standard of excellence and that will be the case even after Amundsen graduates.   4 (9) [player_tooltip player_id='3072422' first='Sajjin' last='Sidhu'] |6'3| San Joaquin Memorial-Fresno    Sidhu makes a significant jump in the top 10, moving up five spots and finishing out at #4 for this final list of player rankings. Sidhu had a great senior campaign and finished his high school career on top, as he hit the eventual game-winning shot to give the Panthers the 46 to 45 win in the D2 State Championship, which would be his second State title, given he was a freshman on the 2023 D2 title team. Sidhu had a great individual season as well, averaging 16 points, nearly 4 rebounds, and 3 assists per game, shooting 45% from the three point line, was named CMAC 1 MVP, and has recently earned his first Division 1 offer from CSU Bakersfield. Sidhu has the handles and moves to create his own shots off the dribble, moves fluidly off the ball to get open looks off the catch, can score in volume from the 3-point line, and has improved his decision making and play making at the lead guard spot to market himself as a true combo guard. The hard work and dedication to improve his game over the last four years has led to Sidhu being a D1 level prospect and he will be playing at the next level somewhere next year, but has not decided as of this final player rankings.    5 (10) [player_tooltip player_id='2700921' first='Kade' last='Johnson'] |6'4| Bakersfield (College of Sequias)   Johnson moves up five spots and rounds out the top 5 players at the #5 spot in this last round of 2026 player rankings. Johnson moved to Bakersfield after his freshman year and spent that year at Stockdale. He then transferred to Bakersfield for his junior and senior year and was a key part of leading the Drillers back to one of the top programs in the South Valley, as well as the Section. Johnson helped the Drillers finish in second place in SYVL play, with its only two losses coming to Bakersfield Christian, was named 1st Team All-League, and led Bakersfield to the semifinals of the D2 Section playoffs, where it fell short to eventual D2 champs Clovis, 67 to 60. Johnson averaged 19.5 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists per game and had some monster showings in some big games this past season, with a stretch of 30 point plus games coming in December at the Lloyd Williams and Classic at Damien and over 10 games of 20 plus, which displayed his high-level scoring ability from 3-levels. Johnson has solid handles, shifty moves to keep his defender off balance, gets great lift on the jumper from the mid-range to the 3-point line, a good burst of speed with the strides to get by his initial defender, and a creative scorer around the basket. Johnson has improved his off-ball movement and shooting efficiency from beyond the arc, and has developed his ability to make plays to open teammates when the defense collapses. Johnson will be headed to College of Sequias, which will be the platform he needs to get looks from four year schools.    6 (3) [player_tooltip player_id='2977779' first='Elias' last='Gish'] |6'7| Clovis North-Fresno    Gish moves down three spots and finishes at the #6 spot in this final round of player rankings. Gish's move down a few spots is more about the season that the players above him had, and not a knock on his play this season. Gish provided the interior play, as well as the versatility to operate from the wing, that was needed this year for the Broncos, which earned him TRAC 1st Team All-League with averages of 18 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block per game, and has attracted some low level D1 schools, and plenty of D2 options if he decides to go the 4 year route after high school, but still in the process of making that decision. Gish is one of the more versatile offensive weapons in the Section, as he has the handles and moves to create off the bounce, is accurate with the jumper from the mid-range to the 3-point line, and has touch and creativity to score around the basket. Gish has developed the moves to score in the post, with the back-to-the-basket moves or the face-up jumper from the high-post, and has the court vision and precision to find teammates cutting off the ball or up the court off the defensive rebound. He has improved as a rim protector, can defend any position of the court, and controls the boards on both ends. With Gish and Amundsen graduating out, there is a big scoring video to fill, as these two accounted for 40+ points per game.    7 (6) Ja'Vance Coleman Jr. |6'3| Bullard-Fresno    Coming in at #7 in this final round of player rankings and moving down one spot from the previous list is Ja'Vance Coleman Jr. Coleman has been one of the top point guards in the Section since his freshman season, and has been a four year varsity starter and the face of the Bullard program since his first year. Coleman has overcome back to back years of foot injuries during his sophomore and junior seasons, but what impressed me most was how he handled the adversity of fellow seniors Dalen Felder and Sean Smith-Sharkey before the start of the school year. Instead of looking to leave and go somewhere else for his senior season, he stayed loyal to the Knights and led a talented but young group, which helped him sharpen his leadership skills. Coleman earned CMAC 1 First Team All-League honors, put up great numbers with 21 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals per game, and will go down as one of the all time greats in Bullard history, which is a long list of players. Coleman keeps the ball on a string, has the moves to shake his defender, plays with great pace and body control when attacking down the lane, is effective with the jumper from the mid-range to the 3-point line, has elite court vision to find open teammates in the half-court setting, a good positional rebounder that can push the pace of play in transition, and is a solid on-ball defender that looks to turn defense to offense. Coleman has not decided on where he will attend next year, but a player to keep an eye on as a four-year prospect.   8 (7) Jace Kellogg |6'| Clovis West-Fresno    Kellogg lands at #8 in this final round of player rankings, moving down one spot from the previous round of rankings. Kellogg endured what most players, especially in the modern era of transfers annually, would have either left or quit, as the staple program of Clovis West went through 3 coaching changes in Jace's four years of high school basketball. Players were moving in the Fresno area, but he stayed and ended up having a great senior season. Kellogg would be named TRAC 1st Team All-League, averaging 24.4 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2.5 steals per game, and set the single-game scoring record with 52 points, surpassing program legend Cole Anderson, in the Clovis Elks Tournament. Kellogg had several monster scoring games this season, as he was the lone senior that contributed in volume to the scoreboard, but made his presence felt in countless other ways on both ends. Kellogg has dynamic handles, an elite burst of speed off the dribble, the creativity and durability to score around the basket through traffic, and has one of the best mid-range jumpers in the Section. Kellogg is accurate with the 3-ball off the dribble or the catch, active hands to be an elite on-ball defender, and the court vision and decision making to run the point and be a true combo guard. Clovis West has a lot of talent returning next season, but it will feel the loss of Mr. do it all.   9 (NR) Leon Madec |6'6| Fresno Christian    Madec made his return to the Central Section after a year at Watsonville High School and reminded many in the basketball community how good of a prospect and player he was, with his last game as a sophomore playing for Kerman he dropped 30 points in the D5 Section title game. Madec's transfer to Fresno Christian turned the program around instantaneously, as it was looking like a rebuilding year after last year's D4 Section title team either graduated out or transferred. But Madec, along with his younger brother George, helped turn the year from a rebuild to a top 4 seed in the D4 Section playoffs. Madec showed to be one of the top players in the Section regardless of class this season, with the skill set to play in the post or create off the perimeter, as well as create his own offense or make plays for others, with the court vision and decision making to be the focal point of the offense. Madec's big return to the Section resulted in him earning Northwest Sequoia League MVP, season averages of 24 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists per game, and nearly 50% from the three point line, and dropped 50 on senior night. Madec has a great feel for the game, plays with great pace and feel, and has the basketball IQ to make the right play nearly every time. Madec hasn't decided on where he will take his talents, but wherever it is, he will be an impact guy with his versatility.    10 (8) Gavin Christian |6'5| South Bakersfield (Bakersfield College)   Rounding out the top 10 for this final list of player rankings is Gavin Christian at #10. Christian had a great senior season and, although he and the Spartans did not win a Section title, Gavin accomplished a lot this year. Christian helped lead his team to a SYML title, going undefeated at 8-0, he earned his second League MVP, and put up great stats with 17.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2 assists per game, showing his all around skill set. Christian has good moves to score in the post, is effective with the face-up jumper, the court vision to make good reads from the top of the key, and fluid off-ball movement to connect on the catch and shoot 3-ball with accuracy. Christian will take his talents to Bakersfield College next season and will likely be an impact guy as soon as he gets into the program.

This is the 6th and final version of the Class of 2026 Player Rankings, which all but the last round can be found at the Nothing But Net Magazine website. I have updated this list to include the 2025-2026 high school basketball season and postseason. I have expanded this list from 60 to 65 players from around the Central Section. This list of players was compiled using my own evaluations, along with feedback from knowledgeable media, coaches, and other relevant basketball personnel from the Section, to make up the top 65 senior prospects for this updated round of player rankings for the 2026 Class. However, the order of players on this list is my own. This list takes into consideration two key factors in determining where players are ranked, and will be the same criteria used each time this list is updated. The criteria for these rankings are as follows: current skill level and production on the court, as well as future projection at the collegiate level. The depth of this class combined with the impact many have had since their freshman year, has led to some impressive statistics and numbers that set some on track to achieve key milestones and even school records. Below is the first 10 players of these players rankings, and will be followed by the next 10 layers, #11-#20. In this article, you will find the following information: current rank, their previous rank in parentheses, the player's name, height, player position, current school attending, and college commitment if it applies. We begin this final list with the top player in the Section, and consensus #1, Julius Price Julius Price 6'2" | CG St. Joseph-Lakewood | 2026 State #96 Nation CA-S .