CIF Southern Section Boys Basketball 2026 Player of Year Watchlist

Some of the biggest names in high school basketball are in the running to be named High School On SI's Player of the Year for the CIF Southern Section.

Redondo Union's SJ Madison is one of the top players in the CIF Southern Section. / Greg Stein

The regular season has come and gone. It's playoff time.

From mid November to early February, top high school boys basketball players in the CIF Southern Section have used that time to campaign themselves for Player of the Year honors, but those same players can etch their names in bold with an outstanding postseason.

High School On SI will name a Player of the Year, along with other yearly awards from the 2025-26 season in March once the season concludes. In years past, High School On SI has given awards for the following: Player, Offensive, Defensive, Breakout, Freshman and Coach of the Year.

The 2024 Player of the Year was Harvard-Westlake's Trent Perry (UCLA). Last year, it was Eastvale Roosevelt's Brayden Burries (Arizona). [2025 All-SoCal Team]

The following players are on High School On SI's CIF Southern Section Player of the Year watchlist for 2026

NOTE: This is not a candidate list. And a players not listed can win the award.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR WATCHLIST

(Alphabetical order)

MAXI ADAMS, SIERRA CANYON, SR.

Sierra Canyon's Maxi Adams drives to the basket against Columbus (FL) at the 2026 Hoophall Classic. / Hoophall Classic

Adams is averaging 17.1 points and 8.1 rebounds per game for the one-loss Trailblazers, which currently sit as the No. 1 team in California. Adams is a North Carolina commit and a 2026 McDonald's All-American selection.

Adams had a stellar game at the Hoophall Classic in January.

DREW ANDERSON, SANTA MARGARITA, SR.

Drew Anderson (0) of Santa Margarita is headed to Oregon State. / Drew Anderson/IG

Anderson had a monster summer that earned him a ton of college attention before committing to Oregon State. Anderson is a savvy forward with great fundamentals and feel paired with underrated athleticism. He's averaging 19.8 points and 9.3 rebounds per game this season.

Anderson guided the Eagles to the team's second straight Trinity League title. He's destined to be an All-CIF selection and likely to win league MVP honors.

NAVORRO BOWMAN JR., NOTRE DAME, JR.

Notre Dame guard NaVorro Bowman Jr. drives to the basket against Santa Margarita at the Trinity-Mission League Challenge in Pauley Pavilion. / Greg Fiore

Bowman was the 2025 High School On SI Breakout Player of the Year. Now, he's in the running for Player of the Year when considering all he's doing for the Knights. He's averaging 23 points, 6.0 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game.

Let's not forget, Notre Dame lost the No. 1 recruit in the country (Tyran Stokes) just before the season started.

CHRISTIAN COLLINS, ST. JOHN BOSCO, SR.

St. John Bosco's Christian Collins has been a standout this year for the Braves. / Ricky Slaughter

Collins is a 2026 McDonald's All-American selection who's averaging 25 points, 12 rebounds and 3.0 assists and 1.5 blocks per game for the Braves.

Collins is one of California's most highly-touted prospects at 6-foot-8 and 7-foot-plus wingspan. For as long and rangy as he his, he shoots a very consistent jump shot that makes him almost impossible to guard.

JASON CROWE JR., INGLEWOOD, SR.

Jason Crowe Jr. broke the California all-time scoring record on Tuesday, Dec. 10 against Beverly Hills High. / Greg Stein

Crowe is another McDonald's All-American selection to this year's prestigious game after becoming California's all-time leading scorer in December. He's a Missouri commit averaging a mind-boggling 43.8 points, 5.8 assists and 3.9 steals per game. He broke the Hoophall Classic single-game scoring record in January.

The Sentinels are looking to make a deep run in the CIF Southern Section Divsion 1 playoffs.

SJ MADISON, REDONDO UNION, SR.

Redondo Union's SJ Madison is one of the top players in the CIF Southern Section. / Greg Stein

Madison is a frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year, but with his impact on both sides of the floor for coach Reggie Morris, Madison has to be included in Player of the Year talks.

The 6-foot-5 wing Nevada commit is averaging 17.2 points and 6.6 rebounds per game while taking on the opposing team's top player each night. Redondo Union has the ingredients to win an Open Division title with Madison leading the way.

BRANDON MCCOY JR., SIERRA CANYON, SR.

Brandon McCoy Jr. throws down a dunk in his Sierra Canyon debut against JSerra at Pauley Pavilion on Saturday, November 22. / Greg Fiore

McCoy has been a household name in SoCal since he was a freshman at St. John Bosco. Now a senior at Sierra Canyon, the combo guard is one of the most dominant perimeter players in high school hoops. He's averaging 19.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.4 steals per game.

McCoy is a 5-star recruit selected to play in the 2026 McDonald's All-American game this March. He's not yet committed to a college, but has his choice of the best programs in the country including Michigan, Duke, Miami and Arkansas.

CHERIF MILLOGO, ST. FRANCIS, JR

St. Francis junior Cherif Millogo is one of the more intriguing 2027 prospects in the country at 7-foot-3. / Weston Hancock

Millogo is a front runner for the Breakout Player of the Year award, but due to his impact and stats, he's made the shortlist for Player of the Year — and has a chance to win it pending on what St. Francis does this post season in the Division 1 playoffs.

Millogo is averaging 25.7 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 5.4 block per game for St. Francis. He's been missing time on the court as of late due to nagging injuries, but when he's 100%, he's arguably the most impactful player in California.

GENE ROEBUCK, LA MIRADA, JR.

La Mirada’s Gene Roebuck (left) and Redondo Union’s Hudson Mayes body up before an in-bounds play the Classic at Damien on Friday, December 27, 2024. / Tarek Fattal

Roebuck has been a standout for years, so why wouldn't he be on this list?

The 4-star forward is averaging 22.4 points and 4.8 rebounds per game for the 22-6 Matadores. He's led the squad to another Gateway League title and the program's second straight Open Division playoff berth.

If Roebuck can handle all the defensive focus in the Open Division and lead La Mirada to some big victories, it could help his chances.

ISAIAH ROGERS, CORONA CENTENNIAL, SR.

Isaiah Rogers celebrates a made shot against league rival Eastvale Roosevelt. / Isaiah Rogers/Instagram

Rogers might be the most not-talked-about top player in Southern California. He's a Stanford commit averaging 22.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game for veteran coach Josh Giles. The standout shooter has led the Huskies to another Big VIII League title and an Open Division berth.

The Huskies finished the seasons 25-5.

JOE STERLING, HARVARD-WESTLAKE, SR.

Joe Sterling of Harvard-Westlake drives the ball against Bishop Gorman of Nevada. / Samuel Mawanda

If Harvard-Westlake makes a deep run in the Open Division playoffs, it will be because of the performance of Sterling. The Texas commit is averaging 22.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game this season.

Sterling is one of the top shot makers nationally, but is tasked with producing for himself and his teammates in big games when defenses are focused on him. Yet, here are the Wolverine are: in the Open Division again.

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