Central Cali’s Class of 2028 Player Rankings (11-20)

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. This article takes a look at the #11 through #20 ranked players from the 2028 graduation class, and will be followed by players ranked #21 through #30. 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 article with the lead guard from CVC, Jayden Bergman.   11. Jayden Bergman |5'11| PG (Central Valley Christian Cavaliers-Visalia)   Bergman is a skilled and poised lead guard that makes quality decisions with the ball in his hands, can create his own scoring opportunities, and comes in at #11 in this initial list of 2028 player rankings. As a freshman, he was the Cavaliers second leading scorer at nearly 12 points per game, led the team in assists and steals with 3.5 and 1.7 per game respectively, and added nearly 4 rebounds a game, with one of the more productive freshman seasons in the Central Section. Bergman participated in our 5th Annual Next Up Showcase, where he displayed his lead guard skills and ability to make plays to find the hot hand when running the show, as well as his ability to make shots. Bergman has a solid handle on the ball, keeps the dribble alive to survey the court, uses the hesitation and the spin-move to get space from his defender, looks to attack the paint often, with the court vision to make reads off the bounce or use the floater or reverse lay-up to score around height in the paint. Bergman moves well off the ball, is accurate with the 3-ball off the catch or the dribble, and is an underrated defender that has the hands and foot work to stay in front of perimeter players, and turn defense to offense. Bergman will be relied upon to lead the young but talented CVC squad this coming season, and he has shown that he is capable of taking on that task this coming season.   12. Kewshan Langenfeld |6'0| CG (McLane Highlanders-Fresno)   Langenfeld is a shifty and physical combo guard that can score in volume with the ability to create his own shots from 3-levels, and comes in at #12 in this initial list of player rankings. On an upperclass heavy roster last season, as a freshman, Langenfeld was one of the Highlanders top 4 scorers, but it was over the Summer that he had made some strides in his development, and is emerging as a sophomore prospect to keep an eye on. He further solidified himself as a top 15 prospect in the 2028 class with his showing at the 5th Annual Next Up Showcase, where he was one of the top 5 scorers of the event, with games of 23 points and 19 points, and displayed his ability to hit a variety of shots off the bounce from all over the court. Langenfeld has a strong handle on the ball, has the handles and moves to create space from his defender, the physical build to take contact down the lane, with creativity on finishes around the basket. Langenfeld is accurate with the jumper off the bounce or the catch, gets good lift on the jumper with body control to absorb contact while in the air, and is accurate with the 3-ball. He is a lock-up on-ball defender that looks to poke the ball out and get out in the open court and push the pace of play. He will be a key factor for the guard heavy Highlanders, and fits the mold of the team's style of play with relentless pressure on both ends.    13. Ryze Niles |6'5| WF (Bakersfield Drillers)   Niles is a wiry and athletic wing/forward that plays with a relentless motor on both ends, has one of the biggest upsides of anyone in this class if he continues to expand his skill set, and comes in at #13. Niles had a solid month of June with the Drillers at various events, where I watched him play in person. One thing that really caught my attention was his level of hustle on every play, as well as noticeable work in the weight room to add to his physical build. Niles was in attendance for the 5th Annual Next Up Showcase, and he impressed from the jump of his first showcase game, and would finish the event as one of the top rebounders in attendance, with games of 11 points and 11 rebounds, and 8 points and 12 rebounds. Niles crashes the boards on both ends, limits opponents to single shot possessions, as well as gets plenty of putback buckets and second chance points on the offensive glass, has the length and strength to defend bigger players in the post, as well as the strides to close out and alter perimeter shots, and is improving as a true rim protector with improved timing contesting shots. Niles is accurate with the mid-range jumper, has enough handle to attack from the top of the key, and is able to absorb contact and finish through traffic at the basket, with good touch around the rim. Niles is just scratching the surface of where he could end up as a prospect when his high school career is all said and done, and the amount of time he puts into developing his perimeter skill will determine how well he maximizes his potential.    14. Carter Steinback |6'1| SG (Bakersfield Christian Eagles)   Steinback is a sharp shooting guard that can score in volume, can play on or off the ball, has great poise and control on the court, and comes in at #14 in this list of player rankings. Steinback had a strong freshman campaign for the Stockdale Mustangs, as he would run the offense and was the team's second leading scorer. Steinback made the move to Bakersfield Christian and the first time I saw him with the Eagles was at the California Scholastic Live event in late June, where he erupted in a game against St. Bernard, and would connect on at least 6 threes in that game. At the 5th Annual Next Up Showcase, Steinback had an impressive showing with games of 18 points and 10 points and 9 rebounds respectively, and displayed his quality decision making throughout both games. Steinback has the moves and handles to control the pace of play, the court vision to find open players from the top of the key, and is a great positional rebounder to push the ball off the glass and find open players up the court, and has great off ball movement to get to his shot spots for open looks off the catch. Steinback has been the floor spacer for the Eagles thus far, but I could see his role expanding depending on the line-up formations.       15. Quinton Cuyler |6'3| WG (Bullard Knights-Fresno)   Rounding out the top 15 is the emerging wing/guard Cuyler, who is a lengthy and crafty wing that has the tools to score the ball from 3-levels. Cuyler has had a strong showing this Fall for the Knights, as I have seen him at the Minutemen Fall Varsity Shootout and the Clovis West Fall Shootout, where he showed he can be an impact guy for the Knights this coming season. Cuyler has solid handles, the moves to create separation from his defender, gets to the elbows with accuracy on the jumper, moves well off the ball to get open looks off the catch, and is effective with the 3-ball. He does a solid job on the glass, can push the pace of play, and has touch on shots within fifteen feet of the basket.     16. Joshua Jenkins |6'2| WF (Hanford Bullpups)   Jenkins is a skilled and strong wing/forward with touch on shots around the basket, activity on the glass, and comes in at #16 on this list of player rankings. I saw Jenkins for the first time this past June at the Clovis West Summer Shootout with Hanford, and he impressed with his ability to score in the paint, as well as his ability to impact the defensive end. At the 5th Annual Next Up Showcase Jenkins showed his ability to put up points, as he would have double-digit scoring outputs in both of his showcase games, and a near double-double in his second game with 10 points and 9 rebounds. Jenkins crashes the boards, gives himself second chance scoring opportunities off the putback, has enough handle to push the ball off the glass or make the outlet pass, he runs the floor well to get ahead of the defense, and is accurate with the jumper from the mid-post or the baseline. Jenkins is a tough on-ball defender, looks to rip the ball from his defender, and has nice touch on shots within 15-feet. I anticipate a big year for the sophomore, as he will be needed as a scoring threat beside junior [player_tooltip player_id='2273494' first='Zander' last='Jensen'].    17. Ryan Shaw |6'5| WF (Centennial Golden Eagles)   Shaw is a lengthy and good sized wing that can spread the floor with the 3-ball, impacts the paint on both ends, and comes in at #17 in this initial round of player rankings. When I started compiling this list last year during the high school season, I had Shaw in the top 10. However, since the end of the last high school season, I have had a chance to see a lot more players from this class, and, in turn, I have not seen Shaw once since then. Centennial did not play during the Summer portion of the basketball calendar, and to my knowledge, he is playing football at the moment, so he has not been in any individual Fall showcases. I am not sure who he played club ball with in the Spring and Summer, so I moved him down to the spot he is currently at, but could move up if he shows improved level of play from his freshman season, where he led the team in rebounds and blocks. Shaw has good footwork and moves to score in the paint, can space the floor with the 3-ball off the bounce or off the catch, has enough handle to attack from the top of the key, and is effective with the mid-post jumper. Shaw has the wingspan to block/alter shots in the paint, can step out and contest shots on the perimeter, and can push the ball off the glass or make the outlet pass and get up the court. I look forward to seeing him this coming season to see how his game looks.    18. TJ Dixon |6'2| CG (Bullard Knights-Fresno)   Dixon is an athletic and wiry guard that plays with a great motor, excels in the open court, is a tough on-ball defender, and comes in at #18. I was able to see Dixon a few times in June at the Clovis North Nike Summer Shootout and the Fresno State Team Camp, and again this Fall at the Minutemen Fall Varsity Shootout and the Clovis West Fall Shootout, and each time I have seen him in person he shows his ability to impact the game in various ways. Dixon has active hands and good lateral quickness to stay in front of his opponent, has good instincts to jump passing lanes, and the bounce to block shots from the weakside or in transition on the chase down block. Dixon has solid hands, a great burst of speed off the bounce, looks to get paint touches putting pressure on the defense, is a creative finisher at the basket with the up and under and reverse lay-ups, and is effective with the mid-range jumper off the dribble.    19. Hunter Bradford |6'5| WF (Clovis West Golden Eagles)   Bradford is a physical and athletic forward that controls the boards on both ends, runs the floor well in the open court, and drops in at #19 in this list of player rankings. I have seen Bradford several times since June with the Golden Eagles, at the Fresno State Team Camp, Clovis West Summer Shootout, and again at the Clovis West Fall Shootout and he has shown to be a two-way force in the paint. Bradford crashes the boards, keeps the ball high to prevent smaller players from poking out the ball, outlets to his guards quickly, and runs the floor well in transition to get ahead of the defense. Bradford has the length to alter shots in the post, the lateral agility to step out and contest perimeter shots, has nice touch on shots around the basket, is effective with the mid-post jumper, and has good timing when diving to the cup off the pick and roll action.    20. Larry Sain |6'3| WF (Hanford Bullpups)   Rounding out the top 20 is Sain, a wiry and lengthy wing that can score the ball, is a versatile defender, and excels in the open court. I first saw Sain in June at the Clovis West Summer Shootout, and his style of play caught my attention quickly with his length and build. Sain participated in our 5th Annual Next Up Showcase, where he had games of 10 points and 5 rebounds and 6 points and 3 rebounds respectively. Sain has the length and lateral quickness to defend the 1 through 3 positions at a high level, uses his wingspan to alter shots from the weakside at the basket, as well as alter/deflect shots on the wing, and is solid on the boards to get the ball out and get up the floor. Sain has the handles to get by his defender, gets good lift on the jumper, has good feel on the floater, and uses the reverse and up-and-under lay-ups to score around the basket. Sain is one of several young but talented players that will keep the Bullpups expectations high the next few seasons.

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. This article takes a look at the #11 through #20 ranked players from the 2028 graduation class, and will be followed by players ranked #21 through #30. 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 article with the lead guard from CVC, Jayden Bergman.