This week’s Daily News boys basketball rankings.
DAILY NEWS BOYS BASKETBALL TOP 10
(Records through Sunday, Dec. 15)
1. Harvard-Westlake (9-1)
The Wolverines traveled to Salt Lake City last week and came home with a win and a loss, defeating Bartlett (Tennessee) 57-54 and losing to Timpview (Utah). Harvard-Westlake will stay busy with games against Windward, Fairfax and JSerra over the next week before heading to Rancho Mirage to take part in the Desert Holiday Classic. The pairing of Duke commit Nikolas Khamenia and junior playmaker Joe Sterling is one of the best in Southern California.
2. Notre Dame (9-0)
The Knights have been rolling so far this season, beating opponents by an average of 32 points. The team also welcomed the No. 1-ranked junior in the nation, Tyran Stokes, into the lineup. He scored 20 points in his season debut last week after being sidelined by a wrist injury. Notre Dame heads to Arizona to face undefeated Basha (Arizona) on Wednesday.
3. Heritage Christian (10-0)
The dynamic duo of Tae Simmons and Dillan Shaw is back at it again this year, helping lead Heritage Christian to an undefeated record. Sophomores Dominic Loehle and Max Hackney have impressed as well. Heritage Christian will welcome several local teams to the Warriors Holiday Showcase this weekend and will face Valencia on Friday followed by Oakwood on Saturday.
4. Sierra Canyon (8-2)
The Trailblazers are loaded from top to bottom and any player can lead the team in scoring on any given night. Senior guard Gavin Hightower and senior forward Chris Nwuli have seamlessly connected with their teammates and join senior mainstays Bryce Cofield and Jayden Alexander in leading the team. Sierra Canyon traveled to New York to play Long Island Lutheran last week, losing 65-50, but rebounded the next night in Las Vegas with a 78-58 win against Coronado.
5. Campbell Hall (5-0)
Colorado commit Isaiah Johnson leads a talented group at Campbell Hall that includes Deuce Newt, Christian Rogers and Deuce Hamilton, among others. Johnson has already put up two 40-point games this season and will look to showcase his scoring ability in the Tarkanian Classic on Wednesday against Coronado in Las Vegas.
6. Alemany (8-1)
Alemany defeated Arcadia, Sun Valley Poly and Pasadena to win the Rose City Classic with Paris Lassiter taking home tournament MVP honors. Bourgeois Tshilobo and Tyler Vuille also made the all-tournament team. Marc Cherfan is another player to watch this season. The Warriors play Eagle Rock at home on Tuesday.
7. Chatsworth (6-0)
Alijah Arenas is no secret on the national stage, but the Chatsworth basketball program has taken a huge step forward as a whole this season. The Chancellors are coming off a monumental 77-72 victory over Crespi on Friday and have other quality wins over Etiwanda and Westchester this year. Arenas is the engine that makes Chatsworth go, but also making major contributions are Tekeio Phillips, Taj Unuakhalu and others.
Chatsworth’s Alijah Arenas, #0, drives agasint Crespi’s Peyton White, #5, during first quarter action at Crespi High in a non-league game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
8. Chaminade (11-2)
Senior guard Jonas Thurman is one of the best all-around players in the Mission League, leading the Eagles in points (24.1) rebounds (10.7) and steals (2.1) per game. Koby Nichols, Kamden Edwards and Anthony Magee are also crucial contributors for Chaminade. The Eagles face Ventura on Thursday.
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9. Westlake (9-4)
The Warriors like to load up their schedule early on and this year is no different. Westlake has already played 13 games and has a handful more to go before the end of the calendar year. Senior Austin Maziasz does it all for the Warriors, from scoring to rebounding to his play on the defensive end. Always a threat to record a triple-double, Maziasz can score 30 on any given night and grabs double-digit rebounds on a regular basis.
10. Crespi (7-4)
The Celts are talented but young, with the team’s inexperience showing itself frequently so far this year. Crespi has good wins against Rolling Hills Prep and Westchester, but gave up leads in other games against Pilibos, Westlake and Chatsworth that resulted in losses. Senior Peyton White is the unquestioned leader of the group, averaging 21.2 points, 7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. Sophomores Isaiah (14.7 ppg) and Carter Barnes (13.1 ppg) continue to improve.