CIF Southern Section powers from California dominate bracket play among the eight divisions at the inaugural Nevada Live Invitational in Las Vegas. Crespi (Encino, Calif.), Redondo Union (Redondo Beach, Calif.) and Etiwanda (Calif.) captured major division titles at the Las Vegas Basketball Center in Northwest Las Vegas. For Crespi it was its second major title during the 2026 June Scholastic Live Period. We run down the major divisions and take a look at 10 big time stock risers from the event.
Elvis: Crespi (Encino, Calif.) 70, Hoop Nation (Corona, Calif.) 64
Hoop Nation (the roster of longtime Inland Empire power Corona Centennial) came together in this tournament after showing glimpses of being a cohesive unit at Section 7 in Arizona. The Huskies, however, ran into arguably the most cohesive high school team on the West Coast this summer in Crespi. Crespi, coming off a major division title at Section 7, trailed at halftime 29-25, but executed well in the second half, picked up the defense and made its big shots down the stretch the hold off an underclass-dominated team.
Crespi led 56-52 with just under four minutes and 30 seconds remaining and with 1:50 left in the game, 6-foot-3 2027 guard Isaiah Barnes capped a 7-0 run by draining a clutch 3-pointer to give the Celts a comfortable 63-52 lead that basically sealed the divisional championship. Barnes played terrific basketball in June with his combination of strength and skill as a scoring point guard, finishing with 16 points, including three late 3-pointers and four rebounds.
Six-foot-8 power forward Rodney Mukendi also wore down Hoop Nation defenders in the second half, finishing with 15 points. The key to the victory, however, was the big contributions of Isaiah’s twin brother, 6-foot-3 2027 Carter Barnes, who played one of the best all-around games we’ve ever seen from him in a Crespi uniform. He finished with 11 points and five assists.
Kai Patton, a 6-foot-3 2028 wing, had 17 points for Hoop Nation, while 5-foot-7 2027 Jayden Yim helped keep his team in the game with five 3-pointers and 15 points.
In its semifinal contest, Crespi outlasted a much improved Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) team, 71-69, as Isaiah Barnes continued to impress with his all-around play-making. Mater Dei had a chance to take the lead on its last possession, but a deep 3-pointer by rising freshman (2030) guard Freddie Forbes was just long. Hoop Nation downed Modesto Christian (Calif.), 60-53, in its semifinal as 2028 wing Josh Agbo continued to show marked improvement for the Huskies.
Wayne Newton: Redondo Union (Redondo Beach,
Calif.) 63, Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.) 57
This past season, Redondo Union had one of the finer teams on the West Coast. The Seahawks figured to take a step back in 2026-27 with some heavy graduation losses, but good luck trying to convince their opponents of that. Redondo Union still plays lights out team defense and has a player in 6-foot-5 2027 strongman Chris Sanders that high school defenders simply can’t handle in the paint.
Sanders’ teammates were doing most of the scoring early, as Redondo Union took a 20-8 lead. Harvard-Westlake eventually bounced back to make it a competitive game, as the Wolverines trialed by a point (27-26) at halftime. It was a case of too much Sanders down the stretch, however, as he scored five field goals in the paint in the closing minutes to lead his team to victory and help convince onlooking college coaches that there is a spot for him in a winning D1 rotation. Sanders finished the game with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
Another key performer for the Seahawks was 6-foot-5 2028 wing Chris Davis. The son of former NBA power forward Samaki Walker is younger than many 2029 prospects and is just scratching the surface of his potential. Davis’ pull up jumper is starting to nicely complement his athleticism, as he finished with 14 points in the title game.
Harvard-Westlake was led by 6-foot-4 2027 guard Pierce Thompson with 17 points.
In the semifinals, Redondo Union knocked off Millennium (Goodyear, Ariz.), 72-65, as Sanders continued his strong play. Harvard-Westlake downed Basha (Chandler, Ariz.) 62-58 in its semifinal contest, as 6-foot-2 2027 guard Cole Holden continued to impress with his clutch shot-making and physical ability.
Sphere: Etiwanda (Calif.) 64, Arcadia (Calif.) 42
The Eagles took an early 28-12 lead and never looked back, as they rolled to a divisional title and showed why they will be a force in the CIF Southern Section open race in 2026-27. As a unit, Etiwanda defends at a high level (nothing new there it’s been that way for nearly 30 years) and “Clamp City” has a good shooting ball club with more perimeter weapons than recent seasons. They nailed nine 3-pointers in the title game, including three from 6-foot-4 2028 guard Jacob Coleman.
Leading the way in this game and throughout for Clamp City was 6-foot-7 2028 wing Achilles Orji, who was active on the boards, hitting timely shots, and scoring in a variety of ways. Defenses couldn’t figure him out, as he went to the outside when teams gave him enough space. He also cleaned up plenty of teammates’ missed shots, scoring on a variety of offensive rebound putbacks. Orji, who is beginning to display a high major game, finished with 12 points and double-digit rebounds.
Coleman finished with 11 points, while 6-foot-4 2028 guard Devin Mitchell led the way with 22 points. Orji is starting to show the immense potential he flashed on the JayVEE team as a ninth-grader and Mitchell had the gym buzzing as much as any guard in attendance.
Etiwanda downed Heritage Christian (Northridge, Calif.) in the semifinals, 61-58, as Orji settled matters by swishing a contested 3-pointer in the closing seconds. Arcadia downed Village Christian (Sun Valley, Calif.), 75-67, as 2028 point guard Nick Wallace Jr. had a quality all-around outing with his scoring and distributing. Wallace had eight points in the title game and definitely had a productive weekend.
Players such as Holden, Agbo and Orji mentioned above have greatly improved their recruiting stock with the 160 plus college coaches that evaluated at the 3-day event and we wanted to focus on other NLI stock-risers that we got a good evaluation of.
10 NLI Stock Risers
(listed alphabetically)
Braden Baldwin, Phx United (Arcadia, Ariz.) 6-3 SG 2027
This athletic guard loves to attack the rim and was finishing at a high level at Nevada Live Invitational. Baldwin is also an aggressive rebounder who doesn’t always need the ball in order to make an impact. His squad didn’t have highly-regarded 2029 Jacobi Thompson Jr. in Vegas, so he took advantage of his opportunities and should see his college interest grow over the course of the next month.
Daijon Grayson, Mesa (Ariz.) 5-10 PG 2027
Even though Grayson is a shade under 6-foot, he’s an above the rim player and the kind of player that can get on the radar because of his speed and quickness. Grayson has a nice combination of quickness and athleticism and is twitchy, meaning he can change direction well with good body control. Grayson turned heads with a 27-point performance against eventual divisional runner-up HoopNation (Corona, Calif.).
Aaron McMorran II, Desert Pines (Las Vegas, Nev.) 6-4 SG 2028
Coming off a terrific showing at the Pangos All-American Camp earlier this summer, there is just something about McMorran that grows on scouts and actually makes you want to root for his success (as an impartial observer). Perhaps it’s his boy-next-door looks or the nature in which he has a knack for rallying Desert Pines, but McMorran just keeps pressure on defenses with his left-handed attack. He can knock down jump shots with ease and has a knack for getting by defenders by dropping his inside shoulder and finding the right release points. McMorran gets to the line regularly and can also post up well and pass off the block. After he gets in a college weight training program, watch out.
Jordan Mize, Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) 6-7 SF 2028
Of the high level teams expected to participate at the NLI, Sierra Canyon was the one most scouts and colleges coaches eagerly anticipated evaluating because the team was not in Arizona for Section 7. The Trailblazers have three terrific 2028 prospects who played key roles on its CIF open title team in 2025-26, but Mize has clearly emerged as the most polished and well-rounded prospect among point guard J.J. Sati-Grier and shooting guard Josh Lowery. Sati-Grier is spectacular at times, but also needs to play more under control in a half court setting. Mize, meanwhile, is an excellent instinctual defender and his offense has improved immensely. Mize had his sweet-shooting stroke going over the weekend and the game has really slowed down for him in terms of making the right reads with the ball in his hands. After this weekend, Mize can punch his ticket to any P4 college with normal progression.
Devin Mitchell, Etiwanda (Calif.) 6-4 PG 2028
“Clamp City” easily romped to the Sphere Division title and this muscular combo guard was one of the primary reasons why. Mitchell uses his strong frame to explode by defenders and is always under control on his finishes. He has good explosiveness off his first step, but unlike many D1-bound guards, knows how to decelerate and stop to create separation or before crashing into a defender. His mid-range and step back game is polished and elite. Mitchell was particularly impressive in the Eagles’ 60-48 quarterfinal win over Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.) and made the big plays in the championship contest vs. Arcadia (Calif.). He finished with 22 points.
Brexton Quinet, Deer Valley (Ariz.) 6-0 PG 2029
This southpaw checks all the boxes when it comes to what you look for in a developing prospect. Quinet has a high basketball I.Q. and is a terrific young student. When you combine that with his shooting ability and the fact he’s a terrific all-around talent, you’ll see more college coaches tracking his movements in the future (obviously as an industry they can’t focus on young talent as much anymore, but Quinet definitely helped himself in June).
Donovan Palmer, Sunnyslope (Phoenix, Ariz.) 6-8 PF 2028
‘Slope lost plenty of firepower off its FAB 50 ranked unit, so in order for the Vikings to stay on the national radar and compete for the 2026-27 AIA open title, Palmer (and others) are going to have to step up to support All-American Darius Wabbington. That’s exactly what this strong and athletic forward did this weekend at NLI. Palmer’s interior play and post moves have improved tremendously and it’s starting to pay dividends. He had plenty of above-the-rim finishes throughout the weekend.
Heritage Christian G Houston Rolle has been on an offensive tear during the June Scholastic Live Periods. Perimeter + interior shot-making versatility, smooth pace and high IQ scoring acumen stood out in a W over Crossroads. From the @HoopsByUgland Database. pic.twitter.com/pRPVNNEFk6
— Devin Ugland (@Devin_Ugland) June 27, 2026
Houston Rolle, Heritage Christian (Northridge, Calif.) 6-5 SG 2028
Arguably the biggest stock-riser on the West Coast of the June Scholastic Live period, Rolle had plenty of high majors taking a look at his talents in Las Vegas. With his balance, triple threat ability and having the ability to attack either direction, Rolle has been one of the event’s most efficient scorers. He finishes at the rim with either hand effectively, had a on-balance shooting stroke and has plenty of pop in his legs. Look for Rolle to be one of the most tracked 2028 players nationally during the July live period.
Braylen Williams, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) 6-4 SG 2028
The Gaels (3-1) played much better on their home turf than at Section 7 and this big wing guard was a key reason why. Williams loves to attack bigger defenders and has enough bounce (many times off two feet) to finish through contact or avoid it with strong moves. Williams has improved his 3-point shooting and mid-range game and it’s made all the difference. He finished his NLI showing with games of 23 (vs. Mountain Pointe) and 27 points (vs. highly-regarded Sunnyslope of Arizona).
Juleeyan “JuJu” Williams, HoopNation (Corona, Calif.) 6-4 PG 2029
HoopNation (the high school team at Corona Centennial) advanced to the championship game of the Elvis Division and this rising sophomore was a big reason why. There is a contingent of 2029 point guards in California that will be battling for state and national acclaim in the next three years and even though Williams didn’t get as much publicity as the three SoCal guards (he spent his freshman season at Monterey Trail of Elk Grove), as stated in the most recent Cal-Hi Sports Hot 100 Rankings for this class, JuJu might end up at the top of the heap and he started to show glimpses of that at NLI. Six-foot Phillip Reed Jr. of Palisades (Calif.) showed well at the event and top-rated Will Conroy Jr. of Village Christian (Sun Valley, Calif.) definitely didn’t do anything to dispel the notion that he deserved to start out No. 1 and earn Cal-Hi Sports State Freshman of the Year honors. Williams, however, showed why he is tracking upwards with his attack with both hands. Williams also displayed terrific ability as a passer out of pick-and-roll situations and excels at under control bounce passes in tight situations. He’s also getting more comfortable shooting off the dribble and to the short side (going left as a right-hander). Williams finished the title game with 12 points, six rebounds and two assists.
Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of Ballislife.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. Don’t forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores
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