Central Cali's Class of 2028 Top 10 Player Rankings

This is the initial round of these player rankings for the Class of 2028, as this list has been compiled over the last year. This first round of 2028 player rankings were complied looking at their freshman season, the Spring and Summer club sessions, the Scholastic Live Periods and other shootouts in June, and Fall high school events, as well as individual events like our Next Up Showcase. This initial list includes 35 players from the class of 2028 from 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 35 sophomore prospects for this first round of player rankings for the 2028 Class. However, the order of players on this list is my own. I will update these rankings by the end of the high school season and will expand to include any players that I see that need to be apart of these rankings. 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 will set some on track to achieve key milestones and even school records. Below is the top 10 players for the 2028 graduation class, and will be followed by players ranked #11 through #20. In this article, you will find the following information: current rank, the player's name, height, player position, and current school attending, as well as a brief discussion of their skill set. We begin this with Julius Olanrewaju of San Joaquin Memorial.   1. Dominick Olanrewaju |6'5| WF (San Joaquin Memorial Panthers-Fresno)   Olanrewaju is a skilled and versatile wing/forward that can score the ball from 3-levels and impact the defense in the post, as well as the perimeter, and kicks off this initial round of player rankings for the Class of 2028 as the top rated player/prospect. Olanrewaju has had numerous impressive showings since June against some of the top competition on the West, as well as a dominant showing at our 5th Annual Next Up Showcase for the 2028 and 2029 graduation classes. In particular, Olanrewaju connected on at least 5 threes in the Panthers win over preseason nationally ranked, and one of Arizona's top high school teams, Sunnyslope Vikings at the 3rd Annual California Scholastic Live Tournament held in Southern California. Olanrewaju participated in our 5th Annual Next Up Showcase and earned Most Outstanding Player honors with averages of 25 points and 9 rebounds over his two games, and a monster double-double game of 29 points and 10 rebounds, displaying his ability to spray shots from all over the court and a relentless drive to attack the defense on every play. Olanrewaju has the moves and handles to create space from his defender, is accurate with the 3-ball with the step-back jumper in his arsenal, moves well off the ball to get open looks off the catch, is effective with the stop-and-pop mid-range jumper, and has the frame to finish through contact at the basket. He has the length and size to defend bigger players in the post, as well as the agility and foot speed to stay in front of perimeter players, with active hands to dislodge the ball and get out into transition. Olanrewaju is one of the top two-way players in the Section and will be a key piece for San Joaquin, who is looking to make a deep run this season in the Section playoffs.    2. [player_tooltip player_id='2843567' first='Anthony' last='Smith'] |6'3| CG (Clovis Cougars)   Smith is an athletic and skilled lead guard that can score in volume, as well as make plays for others, and comes in at #2 in this initial list of player rankings for this class. Smith had a strong Spring and Summer playing on the 3SSB Circuit with Jalen Green Elite 15s, as well as a strong month of June with Clovis High as its premier scorer and facilitator. Smith continued his high level of play at our recent 5th Annual Next Up Showcase, where he was one of the top 10 performers at the event with a strong showing of 22 points and 8 rebounds in his second game. The following day, at our 5th Annual Junior/Senior Showcase, we needed a player to fill in and Smith was in attendance, as he brought a few players to the event. Smith took full advantage of this opportunity and was the leading scorer of the event, with games of 25 points and 27 points, and the only underclassmen participating in that event. Smith has had strong showings throughout the Fall portion of the basketball calendar, with his most recent accolade being a Top 30 Creme of the Crop Game selectee at the prestigious Pangos All-West Frosh/Soph Camp two weeks ago. Smith has elite handles, shifty moves to shake his defender, is effective with the 3-ball off the bounce or the catch, has good court vision and makes good decisions with the ball in his hands, delivers pin-point passes to open teammates, is a great positional rebounder, has active hands to disrupt dribbling spaces and jump passing lanes, and is learning how to play with more change of pace and poise at the helm of the offense for the Cougars. He will be a driving factor for the young but talented Clovis squad.     3. Williams Sacre |6'8| WF (St. Joseph Knights-Santa Maria)   Coming in at #3 in this list of player rankings is Sacre, who is a lengthy and wiry wing/forward that excels in the open court, is an elite rim protector and defender, and can space the floor with the jumper to keep the defense honest. Sacre played on the EYBL Circuit this past Spring and Summer with Team Why Not 15s, as well as displayed major strides in his game at Section 7 and the California Scholastic Live events in Arizona and Cali this past June. Sacre can play the 3 through 5 positions effectively, which helps the Knights roster, as they can go with more tempo when he is at the center position, or bigger and more physical with him at the 3 or 4 spots along side fellow bigs [player_tooltip player_id='2436295' first='Godson' last='Eyita'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2131807' first='Abdoul' last='Bare'], as all of them are 6-foot-8 plus. Sacre was set to attend our 5th Annual Junior/Senior Showcase despite being a sophomore, but suffered a groin injury that kept him out. I did see him recently at the Clovis West Fall Shootout, but from what I have seen from Olanrewaju and Smith to this point, I have Sacre just behind those two for this initial round of 2028 rankings. Sacre has elite bounce, uses his long strides to get ahead of the defense in the open court for transition dunks, crashes the boards with timely putbacks, blocks/alters shots in the paint, with the strides and lateral quickness to close out and alter perimeter shots, has enough handle to attack the basket from the top of the key, and has nice touch on finishes around the basket, with timely back-cuts to get open. Sacre will be a key piece for the Knights, as it looks to repeat as Section Champs, and he has the biggest upside and next-level potential as a prospect as anyone in this class.   4. [player_tooltip player_id='2915953' first='Rhead' last='Sweeney'] |6'4| CG (Buchanan Bears-Clovis)   Sweeney is a sharp shooting combo guard that can score in volume, as well as run the offense at the lead guard position, and comes in at #4. Sweeney had his breakout moment at the California Scholastic Live tournament at the end of June, as he was the standout player for the Bears and caught the attention of several scouts in attendance. Sweeney has continued that level of play for Buchanan throughout the Fall, as well as a stellar showing at our 5th Annual Next Up Showcase, where he was the event's overall leading scorer with games of 33 points and 10 rebounds, and 25 points, as well as an event high 11 threes over his two games. Sweeney moves fluidly off the ball to get open looks off the catch, has the moves to create his own shots off the dribble, the court vision to find open teammates off the drive and kick pass, is a great positional rebounder that can push the pace of play, and makes quality decisions with the ball in his hands. The ability to create shots off the bounce or score moving off the ball make him a tough player to defend, combined with his ability to score in volume with accuracy on the 3-ball. Buchanan is a team that will win more by committee this season, but Sweeney is capable of carrying the scoring load when the game is on the line.    5. Josiah Wilson |6'1| PG (Justin Garza Guardians-Fresno)   Rounding out the top 5 is Wilson; a crafty, athletic, and tough shot-making lead guard that can score in volume and is a high-level defender that impacts that end of the court in countless ways. Wilson led the Guardians in scoring as a freshman but I did not get my first in person look at him until this past June at the Clovis North Nike Summer Shootout, and since then I have been fortunate enough to see him several times, and each time he impresses in various ways. In particular, Wilson attended our 5th Annual Next Up Showcase, which was the first time I had seen him play outside the high school team format, and he got in his bag early and often, as he would go for 24 points and display an array of tough shot-making from the mid-range to the 3-point line, as well as the bounce with some big time dunks and some blocks that showed the elite bounce. Wilson was impressive in two Fall events I attended and that was all I needed to see to place him in the top 5 for this initial round of 2028 player rankings. Wilson keeps the ball on a string, the burst of speed off the bounce to get to his shot spots, the lift on the jumper with the body control to take contact and still get his shot off, poised pace of play that can go from zero to 100 quickly, but under control, and has been looking to take it to his defender with the confidence to score or make plays. Wilson is an elite on-ball defender that keeps pressure on his opponent, gets into his dribbling space, and turns defense to offense routinely. His rim protection in transition or from the weakside of the defense is special to watch, as he has the timing, leaping ability, and patience on the pump fake to get some monster blocks. Upside is big time for Wilson, who also recently attended the Pangos All-West Frosh/Soph Camp in Long Beach, CA. Expect big numbers from Wilson this season, as Garza is a team to keep an eye on and early frontrunner for D4, but will likely move up to D3 if they have a high win total.    6. Braylen Smith |6'1| CG (Bakersfield Christian Eagles)   Smith is a silky smooth combo guard that can score the ball from 3-levels with multiple moves and countermoves, rapidly improving playmaker and on-ball defender, and comes in at #6 for the 2028 class. Smith had a strong month of June with the Eagles, which continued through the Fall, in particular his play at the Minutemen Fall Varsity Shootout in early September. In addition to his quality guard play with Bakersfield Christian, Smith attended our Next Up Showcase in August and was one of four players to score at least 20 in both games, with 20 and 22 points respectively. Smith keeps the dribble alive, gets to his shot spots, has lift on the jumper with range on the 3-ball, is a crafty finisher at the basket, and has great body control on shots off the bounce. Smith has active hands on defense, quick feet to stay in front of his opponent, pressures the ball to get steals, and has good timing to jump passing lanes. Smith has the court vision to make plays but he can heat up quickly and score in volume, especially attacking the midrange jumper. Impact player for the Eagles and likely one of their top 3 or 4 scorers on a talented roster.    7. RJ Shehee |5'8| PG (Bakersfield Drillers)   Shehee is a high IQ and skilled point guard that controls the pace of play, has been at the helm of the Drillers offense since his freshman year, and comes in at #7 in this list of 2028 rankings. Shehee played on the EYBL Circuit this past Spring with the Oakland Soldiers 15s, and had a stellar month of June with Bakersfield High, with a great start to the California Scholastic Live tournament before a groin injury limited his play. Shehee has not played in the Fall portion of the basketball calendar, as he has been focused on football as a two-sport athlete, but I have seen enough of Shehee to know he is a top 10 prospect in this class up to this point. Since June, I have seen the Driller play several times, with and without him in the line-up, and it is a night and day difference in the team when he is on the court. Shehee keeps the ball on a string to survey the court, has elite court vision to make tough reads in tight windows routinely, uses the hesitation to get his defender off balance, looks to get paint touches on the regular, with the decision making to either get his own shot or find open teammates off the drive and kick pass. Shehee has touch on the floater, is accurate with the 3-ball off the bounce or the catch, and is an impressive on-ball defender, with good lateral movement and active hands to disrupt his opponent's dribbling space to cause turnovers. Depending on which sport takes prominence for the crafty lead guard will determine his trajectory moving forward in these player rankings, but he is one of the best true PGs in the Section regardless of class and a key component to the Drillers aspirations this coming season.     8. Kason Niko |6'7| PF (Mission College Prep Royals-San Luis Obispo)   Niko is a physical but skilled forward that can score in the post, as well as space the floor from the perimeter, and comes in at #8 on this list of player rankings. Niko has participated in some marquee events, most recently he was invited to play in the prestigious CP3 Rising Stars National Camp in North Carolina, as well as having a solid Spring and Summer with 805 Academy 17s. I have not seen Niko live in person and had planned to see him in June but he transferred from Atascadero to Mission Prep a few days before that event, so I will see him this season with the Royals. He could go up this list if his game looks as good as it does from some of the highlights I've seen from the club season. Niko controls the boards, has nice touch with the frame to absorb contact around the basket, has good footwork to evade his defender in the paint, and is comfortable with the jumper from the mid-range to the 3-point line off the bounce. He has enough handle to push the ball up the court and makes good reads from the top of the key. Big time get for the Royals, who are looking to reload after winning the D2 Section title last season with a senior heavy team and Niko is a key part of that rebuild.    9. Luke DeManby |6'1| CG (Buchanan Bears-Clovis)   DeManby is a swiss army knife type player that leaves his imprint on various aspects of the game, can fill it up from the perimeter, and, after his showing at the Next Up Showcase and his play with the Bears this Fall, I decided to move him into the top 10 of this list at #9. DeManby did a good job of doing whatever Buchanan needed of him when I saw the Bears in June, but at the Next Up Showcase he showed there are layers to his game you won't necessarily see on his high school squad. DeManby was one of four players to score 20 points or more in both of his showcase games, with games of 25 points and a huge double-double of 21 points and 17 rebounds to highlight his ability to impact the game in numerous ways. DeManby has solid handles, the moves to create off the dribble and get by his defender, the touch to finish at the basket through traffic, and is accurate with the 3-ball off the bounce or the catch. DeManby has active hands and good footwork to stay in front of his opponent, is pesky with relentless pressure on perimeter players to turn defense to offense, and is a great positional rebounder to push the pace of play in the open court. He is another player that has the ability to score in volume and, along with Sweeney, could be relied upon to hit shots when needed for Buchanan this coming season.    10. Cameron Saenz |6'3| WF (North Bakersfield Stars)   Rounding out the top 10 is Saenz; a wing/forward that can open the floor with the perimeter shot, as well as score in the paint, and likes to run the floor in transition to get ahead of the defense and receive passes from older brother Ethan Saenz. Saenz had a huge game last year in the D3 Section title game, going for 11 points and 13 rebounds, and was a main reason the Stars won a second consecutive Section Title. I saw him recently at the Minutemen Fall Varsity Shootout, and he continues to improve his perimeter skill set and be an impact player on both ends of the court. Saenz crashes the boards, puts himself in position to get putbacks off the glass on the regular, looks to outlet the ball quickly, and runs the floor well to get up the court. Saenz has the moves to create off the wing, can spread the floor with the 3-ball off the dribble or the catch, and finds the dunker spot around the basket to be available when his guards attack the paint for the drop off pass and easy basket. Saenz will be relied upon heavily this season, as the Stars are younger than it has been in the past few years and his presence last year as a freshman in a championship game showed he is capable of taking that next step.

This is the initial round of these player rankings for the Class of 2028, as this list has been compiled over the last year. This first round of 2028 player rankings were complied looking at their freshman season, the Spring and Summer club sessions, the Scholastic Live Periods and other shootouts in June, and Fall high school events, as well as individual events like our Next Up Showcase. This initial list includes 35 players from the class of 2028 from 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 35 sophomore prospects for this first round of player rankings for the 2028 Class. However, the order of players on this list is my own. I will update these rankings by the end of the high school season and will expand to include any players that I see that need to be apart of these rankings. 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 will set some on track to achieve key milestones and even school records. Below is the top 10 players for the 2028 graduation class, and will be followed by players ranked #11 through #20. In this article, you will find the following information: current rank, the player's name, height, player position, and current school attending, as well as a brief discussion of their skill set. We begin this with Julius Olanrewaju of San Joaquin Memorial.