Same Face, New Place: SoCal's Impact 2028 Transfers

It doesn't matter which year it is or which class it is, each offseason in high school basketball brings a ton of transfer movement. This spring and summer was no different as we saw familiar faces in new places all throughout the June live scholastic period. Below we break down some of the class of 2028 transfers who will make a major impact for their new teams and left a hole to be filled at their previous program.    Willis' departure from Crossroads to Utah Prep is a loss of one of the country's top prospects and one of the best athletes in the country. The explosive four-man would have formed quite the trio with fellow forward [player_tooltip player_id='2746603' first='Shalen' last='Sheppard'] and emerging guard [player_tooltip player_id='2534808' first='Van' last='Moczydlowsky'] but the lure of a prep school with a national schedule was too much to keep the California-native in state.     Rolle made the move from Heritage Christian to the defending state and CIF Southern Section Open Division champions and brings with him the exact offensive profile that makes the Trailblazers so tough to beat. The 6-foot-5 off-guard/wing has the fluidity, ball skills, strength and vertical athleticism to get to the rim and score at the rim in a variety of ways. Rolle can also consistently knock down mid-range jumpers nad off-catch threes.     Dannels, who transferred from Las Vegas Bishop Gorman to Santa Margarita, fits the mold of a player type that the Eagles have had success with over the last couple of years. The 6-foot-8 forward is both physical and skilled and brings a floor-stretching and passing presence to the floor in the Brayden Kyman-esque basketball archetype.     The announcement of Williamson's transfer from Los Alamitos to Mater Dei happened within the hours prior to this story publishing. The 6-foot-3 wing has established himself as one of the most versatile offensive players in Orange County with his do-everything skill-set that extends to handling and initiating offense, creating for himself and others in the post, rebounding at a high rate and pushing the break with good pace and high IQ decision-making. Williamson should be plug and play in the Monarchs' system.     Oware is one of the region's highest upside prospects due to his pop of physical and athletic tools to go along with an emerging perimeter skill-set. The long, wiry wing has elite jump shooting potential with his ability to elevate quickly and high off the floor into a fluid and high release both off the catch and off the bounce. Oware is also a dynamic finisher in transition settings and a versatile defender who should thrive in an uptempo offensive and defensive scheme.     Grossman comes to Southern California from Las Vegas where he generated plenty of big game experience playing at Nevada-power Bishop Gorman and the Vegas Elite EYBL program. The 6-foot-4 junior has a skill that translates to all levels of basketball with his ability to stretch the floor with off-catch and off-movement three-point shots. Grossman joins a strong core of returners to Crossroads that includes [player_tooltip player_id='2746603' first='Shalen' last='Sheppard'], [player_tooltip player_id='2534808' first='Van' last='Moczydlowsky'] and [player_tooltip player_id='3688517' first='Roman' last='Esparza'].     Ball quietly had a strong sophomore year at Beverly Hills high school prior to making the move to the westside of the 405 freeway where he enrolled at Brentwood. The addition of Ball paid immediate dividends as the dynamic shot-creating and shot-making guard helped lead the Eagles to two summer tournament championships at Section 7 and California Live, respectively. Ball also upped his recruiting stock playing with Team CPSA's 16u team on the Pro 16 circuit.     Doane was set to be the premier returner for JSerra but made the move to Trinity League-foe Mater Dei during the summer to bolster the Monarchs' already talented front court. The 6-foot-8 junior is one of the west coast's most skilled interior scorers with his blend of soft hands and touch and footwork and feel on the block allow him to score in back-to-the-basket and face-up situations. Doane continues to show that his shooting range is becoming more consistent on the perimeter, which is the next layer for him in his offensive development.     Ingram began his high school basketball career in San Diego prior to a stop at Skyline Prep in Arizona and is now at Redondo Union where he adds a much-needed front-court piece to coach Reggie Morris, Jr.'s team. The 6-foot-6 lefty is an efficient finisher around the rim where he blends his craftiness, use of angles and physicality to score around or through contact and has the ability to face-up, drive and score at the rim off teh dribble.

It doesn't matter which year it is or which class it is, each offseason in high school basketball brings a ton of transfer movement. This spring and summer was no different as we saw familiar faces in new places all throughout the June live scholastic period. Below we break down some of the class of 2028 transfers who will make a major impact for their new teams and left a hole to be filled at their previous program.