25 players to watch in 2022 CIF State boys basketball championship games

Twelve CIF State championships will be played on Friday and Saturday from the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. There will be six boys games and six girls games.

For the first time since 2019, true California state high school basketball champions will be crowned in Sacramento this weekend. 

The 2020 CIF State Championships were canceled just days before tip-off because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and last year's abbreviated season concluded with regional championships in Southern California and Section championships in Northern California.

With 12 state championship games - six boys games and six girls games - scheduled to take place over the next two days in Sacramento, SBLive is taking a closer look at the top players.

Here's a breakdown of the Top 25 boys basketball players to watch in this weekend's CIF State Championship games:

TOP 25 BOYS BASKETBALL PLAYERS TO WATCH

Open Division: No. 1 Corona Centennial (32-1) vs. No. 3 Modesto Christian (30-5) - Saturday, March 12 - 8 p.m.

Donovan Dent – Corona Centennial – Senior point guard

Dent is a New Mexico signee. He scored 18 points in Corona Centennial's 83-59 CIF State Open Division Southern regional championship win over Sierra Canyon. 

BJ Davis – Modesto Christian – Junior point guard

Davis averages 17 points per game for Modesto Christian. 

Ramsey Huff - Corona Centennial - Senior shooting guard

Corona Centennial head coach Josh Giles called Huff "overlooked" after the senior scored 20 points to lead his Huskies team to an 83-59 CIF State Open Division Southern regional championship win over Sierra Canyon.

Manasse Itete - Modesto Christian - Sophomore power forward

Itete leads Modesto Christian in rebounding averaging 7 per game. 

Aaron McBride - Corona Centennial - Junior power forward

McBride scored 13 points and played exceptional defense in Corona Centennial's 83-59 CIF State Open Division Southern regional championship win over Sierra Canyon. 

Jared McCain – Corona Centennial – Junior shooting guard

McCain has received scholarship offers from some of the top college teams in the country including Duke and Gonzaga. 

Prince Oseya - Modesto Christian - Junior center

Oseya is one of the top bigs in California high school basketball. He's a talented rim protector. 

Jamari Phillips – Modesto Christian – Sophomore shooting guard

Phillips scored 20 points - including 9 in the fourth quarter - to lead Modesto Christian to a 56-53 victory over Campolindo in the CIF NorCal Open Division Boys Basketball Championship on Tuesday.

Devin Williams - Corona Centennial - Junior center

Photo by Nick Koza

Williams' stock has risen exponentially this season. He's an explosive athlete who scores and defends well for the Huskies. The junior received a scholarship offer from Texas Tech last month. 

Division 1: No. 1 Damien (31-4) vs. No. 13 Clovis North (22-11) - Friday, March 11 - 8 p.m

Connor Amundsen - Clovis North - Sophomore point guard

Super soph @ConnorAmundsen was unstoppable in the final 3 minutes tonight. Scored Clovis North’s last nine points and led the team with 21. All smiles afterward. pic.twitter.com/AuLaIbK58p

— Gabe Camarillo (@gabecamarillo_) March 9, 2022

Amundsen scored a team high 21 points in Clovis North's 58-56 Division 1 CIF State Northern regional championship win over St. Ignatius. 

Kaleb Smith - Damien - Senior small forward

Smith is committed to UC Riverside. He scored a team high 16 points in Damien's 58-53 win over Crean Lutheran in the Division 1 CIF State Southern regional championship game. 

RJ Smith - Damien - Senior point guard

When Damien fell behind 7-0 to open the game, RJ Smith hit three straight 3 pointers to tie the score, and he finished with 14 points in the Spartans’ 58-53 win over Crean Lutheran for the CIF State SoCal DI title. He talked about it and playing for a state title. pic.twitter.com/Ce700YsK9p

— Fred J. Robledo 👨🏻‍💻 (@SGVNSports) March 9, 2022

Smith is committed to Colorado. He scored 14 points in Damien's 58-53 win over Crean Lutheran in the Division 1 CIF State Southern regional championship game.

Division 2: No. 1 Santa Ana Foothill (31-3) vs. No. 1 Elk Grove (27-6) - Saturday, March 12 - 4 p.m.

Cruz Billings - Foothill - Senior point guard

Billings averages 13.2 points per game and 4.5 assists per game for Foothill. He was the Crestview League MVP last season and he'll most likely win it again at the end of this season.

Ameere Britton - Elk Grove - Senior shooting guard

Britton averages 18.2 points per game for Elk Grove. 

Jacob Horton - Foothill - Senior shooting guard

Horton averages 12 points per game, 4 rebounds per game and 1.8 steals per game for Foothill. 

Dajon Lott - Elk Grove - Senior center

Lott has earned his nickname "Money." He's one of the top bigs in Northern California averaging 10.8 rebounds per game.  

Division 3: No. 5 Venice (21-9) vs. No. 1 Pleasant Valley (31-3) - Friday, March 11 - 4:00 p.m.

Tyler Hunt - Venice - Sophomore shooting guard

Hunt scored 18 points in a league win over Palisades earlier this season. After the game Venice head coach David Galley called Hunt "ahead of his time." He's Venice's leading scorer this year. 

Luke Kremer - Pleasant Valley - Junior small forward

Kremer led Pleasant Valley in rebounding this season averaging 7.5 per game. 

Devyn Johnson - Venice - Senior point guard

Johnson has battled a knee injury all year long, but he's been healthy for Venice's playoff push and a big factor for their success. The Gondoliers will try and become the first LAUSD non-charter school to win a boys basketball state championship since Westchester in 2010 this weekend. 

Noah Thomas - Pleasant Valley - Senior point guard

Thomas led Pleasant Valley in scoring this year averaging 16.1 points per game. 

Division 4: No. 2 Scripps Ranch (25-11) vs. No. 4 Justin-Siena (21-11) - Saturday, March 12 - Noon

Caden Flint - Scripps Ranch - Senior shooting guard

Flint averages 13.5 points per game and 8.9 rebounds per game for Scripps Ranch. 

Travis Hightower - Justin-Siena - Junior power forward

Hightower averages 12.6 points per game and 8.3 rebounds per game for Justin-Siena. 

Division 5: No. 6 Chaffey (24-12) vs. No. 3 Stuart Hall (21-12) - Friday, March 11 - Noon

Dejon Clark - Chaffey - Senior small forward  

Clark finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks in Chaffey's 63-53 Division 5 Southern Regional championship win over La Quinta. 

Jackson Jung - Stuart Hall - Senior point guard

Jung scored 15 points on five 3-pointers in Stuart Hall's 45-41 playoff win over St. Joseph Notre Dame on Feb. 19. 

Brandon Lum - Stuart Hall - Senior shooting guard

Lum scored 21 points in Stuart Hall's 44-37 Division 5 Northern Regional championship win over Priory.