CIF-SS Championships: Emergences

<p>ONTARIO — We spent Saturday afternoon and evening inside Toyota Arena watching three boys basketball championship games in the CIF Southern Section playoffs. La Habra downed St. Bonaventure (76-45) in Division 3AA, Temecula Valley defeated Northview (53-40) in Division 4A and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame took the Division 1 crown with a 69-65 win over Windward. Below we take a closer look at prospects who played their way onto the radar.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Acen Jimenez | 2026 | La Habra</h4>   <p>Jimenez keyed the Highlanders' dominant effort as not only a point guard who created for teammates but also for himself. The 6-foot-1 sophomore was nearly unguardable with the ball in his hands - whether it was breaking down a defender in isolation, turning the corner on ball screens for paint touches or getting to the rim in transition. Jimenez scored 21 points on the game with 11 of those coming from the free throw line.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Caleb McKendrick | 2024 | Northview</h4>   <p>Northview's historic run to a CIF Southern Section basketball championship game was sparked by McKendrick who stepped up when senior leader Sam Osi was lost for the season due to injury. The 6-foot-2 senior did a little bit of everything for the Vikings from scoring to rebounding to leading the break in transition and finished with nine points and 11 rebounds.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2131810' first='Caleb' last='Ogbu'] | 2026 | Notre Dame</h4>   <p>When talking Notre Dame, much of the focus is on the "Big Three" of [player_tooltip player_id='1502768' first='Mercy' last='Miller'], [player_tooltip player_id='1630643' first='Angelino' last='Mark'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1956483' first='Zachary' last='White'], but Ogbu showed that he is the x-factor for the Knights. The 6-foot-1 sophomore knocked down all four of his three-point field goal attempts and finished with a much-needed 14 points in a tight game.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Channing Shelton | 2024 | Temecula Valley</h4>   <p>Shelton didn't play a ton of minutes and his touches were limited but the few times his number was called on the offensive end, he bounced off the floor and elevated above the rim for high-wire act finishes. The 6-foot-7 forward has some intriguing upside due to his frame, soft hands and elite athleticism. </p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1502831' first='Elijah' last='Gelin'] | 2024 | Windward</h4>   <p>Gelin has been a solid role guy off the bench for the Wildcats all season and his combination of size, length and athleticism came up big on the defensive end. The senior used those physical attributes to make things tough on Notre Dame's [player_tooltip player_id='1502768' first='Mercy' last='Miller'] - one of the premier scorers in the country. Gelin also pitched in four points and three rebounds in 13 minutes of action.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Grayson Sinek | 2025 | La Habra</h4>   <p>The Sinek name carries a lot of basketball weight in North Orange County as the family bloodline of players and coaches runs deep. Grayson, a junior, is definitely carrying that legacy on. The 6-foot-2 guard is a long, wiry prospect with smooth shooting form that he can hit both off the catch and off the bounce. Sinek finished with 11 points and six rebounds in the win.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2131805' first='Kaden' last='Glover'] | 2026 | St. Bonaventure</h4>   <p>Not many things when right for St. Bonaventure in its loss to La Habra but Glover, a 6-foot-6 sophomore, had some good moments in his minutes off the bench. The dual sport athlete who doubles as a QB/TE on the football field, scored 10 points and grabbed five rebounds while battling through some foul trouble.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Louis Bond | 2025 | Windward</h4>   <p>Bond put together a strong two-way performance where he was tasked with defending multiple positions - including [player_tooltip player_id='1502768' first='Mercy' last='Miller'] and 6-foot-11 center Bronson Schmidt-Uili. The 6-foot-5 wing also scored an efficient 15 points, pulled down 5 rebounds and had two blocked shots.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Taj Jackson | 2025 | Temecula Valley</h4>   <p>Jackson is a super crafty playmaker and high IQ passer who mixes in a good looking mid-range jump shot. The 6-foot-1 junior has a sturdy frame, tight handle on the ball and operates with a confidence that permeates throughout their team. Jackson finished with 10 points and two steals to help Temecula Valley secure the 4A championship. </p>

ONTARIO — We spent Saturday afternoon and evening inside Toyota Arena watching three boys basketball championship games in the CIF Southern Section playoffs. La Habra downed St. Bonaventure (76-45) in Division 3AA, Temecula Valley defeated Northview (53-40) in Division 4A and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame took the Division 1 crown with a 69-65 win over Windward. Below we take a closer look at prospects who played their way onto the radar.