2024 Rankings: Stock Risers (Pt. 3)

<!-- 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 biggest stock risers in our latest update.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">No. 61 [player_tooltip player_id='1502811' first='Justin' last='Pippen']: Sierra Canyon, BTI</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pippen came on strong toward the end July capped by an impressive performance against Team Why Not at the Las Vegas Big Time tournament. The 6-foot-2 guard showed that he can be a creator for others and still picked his scoring spots wisely. Pippen is a crafty driver and finisher who can also knockdown the open catch and shoot three. His role should expand this season at Sierra Canyon and could open the door to another rise in our next update.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">No. 62 [player_tooltip player_id='1817896' first='Xavier' last='Clinton']: Damien, Elev8</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Clinton had a highly productive spring and summer that landed him on the map of most Division II programs on the west coast. The 6-foot-4 wing/shooting guard is one of the better perimeter shooters that we have in Southern California. His deep and consistent shooting range, combined with his ability to impact the game with efficiency are a couple of his best traits and why he rose from 83 to 62.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">No. 63 [player_tooltip player_id='1502830' first='Tochi' last='Anigbogu'], Roosevelt, Gamepoint</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Anigbogu took one of the biggest overall jumps in the latest rankings. The 6-foot-10 center went from No. 112 to No. 63 mainly because he finally got some extended playing time when he transferred from Corona Centennial to Roosevelt. The rising senior was mainly a back-up for a loaded Centennial squad and his move to Roosevelt resulted in more minutes and thus lots of improvements to his game. Anigbogu's best attributes are his motor and physicality on the defensive end of the floor but his hands, footwork and touch offensively are starting to come around as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">No. 68 [player_tooltip player_id='1502874' first='Russell' last='Williams']: South Pasadena</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Williams has elite shooting touch and great feel for the game when moving without the ball. His ability to set up and come off of screens and get into his shooting mechanics with no wasted motion and a quick and repeatable release are what translate most to the next level. Williams went from No. 105 to No. 68 because shooting, especially at 6-feet-4, is of high value at the next level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">No. 71: [player_tooltip player_id='1854196' first='Souljah' last='Niles']: Palisades</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Niles was a key component in Taft winning the CIF City Section Open Division championship in 2023, but with coach Derrick Taylor no longer at the helm, the 6-foot-3 guard/wing will take his high motor talents to Palisades. Niles jumped up to No. 71 from No. 90 because of his two-way versatility and willingness to do "glue guy" things to help his team win.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->