CIF State 2025 boys basketball championships: Game by game previews, top players

What you need to know for each California boys basketball state championship game on Friday and Saturday in Sacramento.

Roosevelt's Issac Williamson (with the ball) sizes up a Notre Dame defender in the CIF Southern Section Open Division final. / Taylor Martinez

The stage is set. One last game for all the marbles.

The CIF State high school basketball championships will be held on Friday and Saturday in the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, home of the NBA's Sacramento Kings.

Some teams are familiar with the big stage. Sierra Canyon is making its program's fourth CIF State final appearance. For others, like Roosevelt, the program will be in the Open Division final for the first time in school history.

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Here's an official study guide for this weekend's two days of championships, looking at each team and matchup ahead of the CIF State title games — highlighting tidbits of info and top players to watch.

FRIDAY, MARCH 14

12PM - Division V: Diamond Ranch (23-14) vs. International (24-12)

PANTHERS: Diamond Ranch lost in the Division 5AA final but has surged its way to the CIF State final. Senior forward Michael Salazar and junior guard Devin Turner each scored 22 points in the regional final victory over Math & Science College Prep of the LA City Section.

Panthers' Jaiden Pullian had 11 points and nine rebounds in the regional final before fouling out. Sounds like Pullian could be a high-motoring x-factor for Diamond Ranch on Friday.

JAGUARS: A loss in the section finals to Alhambra refocused the Jags at just the right time. Not only did they payback Alhambra 50-49 on the road in the regional semifinals, Tuesday they upset Fortune Early College 71-63 on the road behind 39 points from all-everything guard Conor Maguire.

The 39-point outburst was no aberration. Maguire, a 6-foot senior, made a North Coast Section record 14 three-pointers en route to 63 points in a league game. Will Savill-Welch, the team's inside presence, had 11 points, nine rebounds and nine blocks in the regional final.

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4PM - Division III: San Gabriel Academy (20-13) vs. King's Academy (27-4)

EAGLES: SGA will be playing in the program's first CIF State final thanks to the outstanding performance of 6-foot-11 sophomore center Mahamadou Diop, who notched 16 points, 16 rebounds and seven blocks. SGA could be one of the biggest teams in Sacramento this weekend with fellow sophomore Mahamed Toure (listed at 6-foot-8) and 6-foot-8 freshman Oumar Dabo.

KNIGHTS: In uncharted territory, the King's Academy is fun to watch, pouring in lots of buckets off transition. while averaging a tick under 70 ppg. The Knights went for 73, 75 and 70 in regional playoff wins and feature guards Caedmon Dickson (15.6 ppg), Claxton Ladine (15.6) and Xavier Barnett (14.3), forward Karan Kolappa (14.4) and impressive freshman, 6-4 wing Boss Mhoon (11.8).

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8PM - Division I: Sierra Canyon (26-7) vs. Stockton Lincoln (31-4)

TRAILBLAZERS: Win or lose, Friday night will conclude the 'James Era' for Sierra Canyon. A six-year window of Bronny and Bryce James, the sons of LeBron James. The Trailblazers were headed to Sacramento in 2020 when Bronny was a freshman, but pandemic interrupted the season, and no CIF State finals were played.

• NBA sons Alijah Arenas, Bryce James add buzz to California state championships

To players to watch for Sierra Canyon include Maxi Adams, Bryce Cofield and Gavin Hightower. Bryce James is averaging 8.0 points and 2.4 rebounds per game.

TROJANS: One of Northern California's hidden gems, Lincoln has won at least 25 games in five straight seasons — not counting COVID year — since Anthony Matthews took over in 2019. This is program's first 30-win season with three tight losses coming to perennial NorCal power Modesto Christian.

Weber State-bound, 6-6 wing Anthony Moore (17.8 ppg) leads the way, along with senior guards Donez Lindsey (14.3) and Isaiah "Zeke" Davis (11.3), and 6-8 post Dilan Fanucchi.

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SATURDAY, MARCH 15

12PM - Division IV: Fresno Christian (30-6) vs. Woodside Priory (25-6)

EAGLES: Coach Jon Penberthy told the Fresno Bee the program has never been beyond the first round of the CIF State playoffs. The Eagles squeaked by Granada Hills Charter 60-59 in the regional final to punch the program's first-ever ticket to a CIF State final.

PANTHERS: Before Tuesday's 60-48 regional final win over Santa Cruz, Priory had only been in one other NorCal final, losing to Stuart Hall in 2022. Just 10-14 in 2023-24, the Panthers turned it around thanks to a fast-paced offense (70.0 ppg) led by 6-8, 230-pound junior Mate Palotal (15.1), 5-8 junior PG Jai Gerrodette (13.3) and 6-6, 225-pound sophomore post Teddy Xanthopoulos (13.0).

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4PM - Division II: Chatsworth (26-8) vs. Sacramento Jesuit (26-9)

CHANCELLORS: Alijah Arenas is back in the CIF State finals. Son of former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas, 2025 McDonald's All-American and USC commit, Alijah is back to finish what he started after falling short in last year's Division IV final despite scoring 44 points. Alijah is averaging 30 points per game this season and is just 20 points away from being the first LA City Section player to score 3,000 in his career.

MARAUDERS: Since coach Tim Kelly took over in 2018, Jesuit has won at least 20 games five times minus a 16-0 pandemic season and 14-14 in 2021-22. After a crushing last-section section final defeat to Rocklin, the Marauders bounced back with four straight wins, all by remarkably similar scores: 64-50, 63-56, 63-60 and 65-55, the latter over Destiny Christian, Jesuit's 10th NorCal finals' appearance and first win in nearly 30 years. Defense carries the day, along with 6-5 senior guard Asher Schroeder (17 ppg, 10 rpg), 6-6 post Amaury McKinney and 6-3 senior PG Luke Browne.

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8PM - Open Division: Roosevelt (34-2) vs. Archbishop Riordan (29-1)

MUSTANGS: Roosevelt is led by a monster trio in Brayden Burries, Myles Walker and Issac Williamson, who are looking to cap their senior season win an Open Division state crown to complete the California triple crown: Open section, regional and state titles.

• 'Heart and soul' of California's top basketball team is 5-9 guard Myles Walker

Burries is a 5-star McDonald's All-American. Williamson is headed to New Mexico. Walker is a 5-foot-9 sparkplug ready to help a college program.

CRUSADERS: Considered the best team in the program's rich history, Riordan really gets it done on the defensive side (40.6 ppg), especially from its top offensive scorer Jasir Rencher, a 6-6 wing headed to Texas A&M. Post defenders Nes Emeneke, a 6-10 Riverside-bound senior, and 6-9 junior JP Pihtovs, really force oppponents to win from the perimeter.

Soaring to new heights. Riordan won its fourth Northern California championship, but its first since 2022 and first Open Division crown, thanks in part to Jasir Rencher's tremendous defense effort and eight second-half points in a thorough 52-40 title win in San Francisco. / Photo: Eric Taylor

Their best player might be 6-4 junior guard Andrew Hilman who had team-high 17 points in 52-40 regional title win over De La Salle. Eastern Arizona-bound PG Ryder Bush is explosive as is Cal-bound football commit John Tofi Jr., a 6-6, 210-pounder who adds an instant spark off the bench.

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