California High School Basketball Preseason Rankings: Top 25 Teams

While the California high school football playoffs are underway, high school basketball will soon steal the spotlight as the 2024-25 season is right around the corner.

Plenty of the nation’s top programs on the hardwood reside in the Golden State, too. Of the top 100 teams in the On3 Massey Ratings, 15 are in California. That includes six of the top 20 nationally, headlined by Harvard Westlake and Sierra Canyon.

Below are the top 25 teams in the state of California entering the 2024-25 basketball season, as of Nov. 14, per the On3 Massey Ratings.

The On3 Massey Ratings, officially used during the BCS era, is a model that ranks sports teams by analyzing game outcomes, strength of schedule, and margin of victory.

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1. Harvard Westlake

The two-time defending CIF Open Division state champions reside in Studio City. Across the last three seasons, Harvard Westlake is 91-10. Last season saw the Wolverines go 33-3 en route to another state title. Led by elite four-star small forward Nikolas Khamenia (Duke) and junior shooting guard Joe Sterling, Westlake’s defensive rating sits at No. 1 in the state while the offense checks in at No. 7, per the Massey Ratings. The Wolverines are the preseason No. 5 team nationally.

2. Sierra Canyon

Checking in right behind at No. 6 nationally is Sierra Canyon. The Trailblazers won 26 games a season ago and are looking to dethrone Westlake come tournament time in 2025. Four-star power forward Chris Nwuli (Rutgers) is a top-100 prospect and will lead the way alongside senior shooting guards Bryce Cofield and Bryce James, the second-eldest son of LeBron James. Sierra Canyon is the lone program to boast a preseason top-five offense and defense in the state, per the Massey Ratings.

3. Mater Dei

Not only is Mater Dei a football powerhouse, but it also possesses an elite basketball program, checking in at No. 13 nationally. The Monarchs won 29 games last season and are projected to be an offensive force once again this time around. Top prospects on the roster include junior PF Brannon Martinsen and SG Luke Barnett. Mater Dei is set to open the season later this month against No. 23 Carlsbad.

4. Prolific Prep

The preseason No. 1 offense in the state, per the Massey Ratings, resides in Napa at Prolific Prep. The Crew have already been playing games, picking up a quartet of victories in the lead-up to the regular season. Their roster is loaded, with Five-Star Plus+ SG Darryn Peterson (Kansas), four-star PF Niko Bundalo and four-star SF Winters Grady (Michigan) headlining. Prolific, No. 15 nationally, will once again travel to take on the best of the best around the nation.

5. St. John Bosco

St. John Bosco picked up its third state championship in school history last year, winning the Division I title over San Ramon Valley. The Braves won 28 games and are poised to do more of the same this upcoming season. Junior Five-Star Plus+ point guard Brandon McCoy is the top-ranked recruit in the 2026 class, while junior five-star PF Christian Collins is No. 8. The Braves are No. 19 nationally and have the No. 8 offensive rating in-state, per the Massey Ratings.

6. Centennial

No. 20 nationally, Centennial will look to get back to its champion ways this season as it hunts for its second state title in four years. The Huskies won just 21 games in the 2023-24 campaign but are projected to be much more potent offensively this winter. Junior four-star PG Isaiah Rogers will look to play floor general in Corona. A matchup against top-40 St. Pius X will open the season later this month.

7. Notre Dame

Out in Sherman Oaks, Notre Dame has the preseason No. 4 offense in the state, per the Massey Ratings. The Knights, No. 28 in the preseason national rankings, were a quarterfinalist in the Division I tournament last season and finished the campaign with a 31-4 record. Junior five-star SF Tyron Stokes is the No. 2 prospect in the 2026 class and will be a force for opposing defenses all year long.

8. Damien

Damien was also a Division I quarterfinalist in the 2023-24 season, falling to eventual champion St. John Bosco. The Spartans won 28 games, which included a pair of winning streaks that reached eight games. This season, their defensive rating is No. 7 in-state, per the Massey Ratings. Damien isn’t scheduled to play a ranked opponent until January.

9. Archbishop Riordan

Archbishop Riordan made it to the Open Division semifinals last season and finished with 25 victories. The Crusaders have a top-10 defensive rating and will lean on some elite guard play from junior four-star SG Andrew Hillman. The roster also features a pair of college signees in four-star SF Jasir Rencher (Texas A&M) and four-star CG Semetri Carr (Cal).

10. JSerra Catholic

JSerra Catholic was upset in the first round of the Division I tournament last season, but still tallied 25 wins and are now looking to up that total this time around. Three-star SF BJ Davis-Ray (SMU) just announced his commitment and will look to set the tone for the Lions this winter. JSerra’s defense ranks No. 8 in the state, per the Massey Ratings.

Teams 11-25 in Preseason California High School Basketball Rankings

11. Richmond Salesian
12. Eleanor Roosevelt
13. Etiwanda
14. Santa Maria St Joseph
15. Archbishop Mitty

16. San Diego St. Augustine
17. Clovis North
18. Clovis West
19. Santa Margarita Catholic
20. De La Salle

21. Windward School
22. San Ramon Valley
23. Carlsbad
24. West Ranch
25. Redondo Union