2028 Rising - A FTH Sophomore Class Update

After three years of seeing freshmen classes have a significant impact on the top levels of SD hoops, the class of 2028 had to, for the most part, wait their turn.

If the summer and fall sessions of high school basketball showed us anything, however, is that for the current class of sophomores, their time is rapidly approaching.

While guards and wings currently project as the top players in the class, there’s another developing storyline with the 2028 group: it’s huge.

Let’s take a deeper look at the sophomore class

Size in spades - The 2028 Towers

After several cohorts in San Diego where size was at a premium, suddenly, the class of 2028 appears poised to buck the trend.

There are no fewer than five prospects taller than 6-8 – 6-10 Gustavo Tellez (St. Augustine), 6-9 Earnest Donkoh (Army Navy), 6-8 Drew Rozsnyoi (Madison), 6-8 Desmond Aniangyei (Victory Christian) and 6-8 Issac Chapman (Carlsbad) – plus a host of players closing between 6-5 and 6-7, including Torrey Pines’ duo Lucas Albright and Brandon Sykes, 6-7 La Costa Canyon F Nolan Barrett and Cathedral Catholic F Boone Thompson; 6-6 twins Kyle and Ryan Jacobs and Sebastian Singh (San Marcos), 6-6 Elijah West (Bonita Vista), 6-6 F Brewster Gale (St. Joseph Academy) and 6-6 F Cullen Finch (Mission Bay).

Most of these players won’t play significant varsity roles this year, with the exception of Donkoh, a chiseled, albeit raw specimen who was a significant addition to a huge Warriors lineup, Aninagyei, who is currently battling injuries but will be a key cog for the new-look Knights after the sit-out period, and the Jacobs twins, who will be in the rotation for the Knights.

But, these players will figure prominently in their team’s long-term plans, as well as the significant ceiling of the class in general.

Moving the Needle: 2028 Stock Raisers

Several prospects saw their stocks rise after strong play during the summer and fall.

Rancho Bernardo 6-4 W Tyler Johnson, who starred on the Broncos JV team last year, has emerged as a very good prospect in the 2028 class after a strong summer playing up on 4S Elite’s 16u team and anchoring a Broncos varsity team that looks to build on last year’s Division 3 semifinals appearance. An athletic swingman with a great motor and utility skillset.

A stellar performance at the Creme of the County netted him MVP honors in the 2028 Creme Game and an appearance in the Creme De La Creme Game, where he cemented his status as a stock raiser.

Also raising his stock with his performance at the COTC was 6-4 W Brooklyn James (Mount Miguel), whose albatross wingspan and intriguing ball skills project well at the next level. He will need to continue to improve his decision making and with more control, but he’s turned heads.

In East County, 6-0 Malekai Dillon emerged as West Hills leading scorer as a freshman, and continued to build upon his base as a sharpshooter, rounding into a well-rounded scorer from deep and midrange, and showing some improved playmaking skills. But it’s his smooth, quick shooting stroke from deep that has helped his stock to rise.

Despite an injury that sidelined him much of the fall, 6-1 G Braxton Rolf (Carlsbad) opened his varsity career with some strong games at the Section 7 Preview event at St. John Bosco, and continued to play well in a reserve role throughout June. Playing on Gamepoint’s 15u 3SSB team, Rolf had some standout performances against top guards on one of the best high school grassroots circuits.

Coronado’s Ah’Mahn Oliver stormed into the freshman of the year discussion last year after averaging 14 points per game for the Islanders. A quick wing with a great motor and nose for the ball, the 6-2 Oliver is also an impactful defender who relishes guarding the opponent’s best player.

Other stock raisers

Lucas Albright, 6-6 F, Torrey Pines

Donovan Cronkhite, 5-9 PG, Tri-City Christian

Aydin Lundstrom, 6-5 W, Mission Bay

Jaylon Davis, 6-1 G, Sage Creek

Rayan Dahi, 6-1 G, La Jolla Country Day

Who’s Changed Addresses

Several top prospects are on the move in the 2028 class, beginning with one of the class’s biggest sleepers: Issac Chapman.

The 6-8 pogo stick, who had a solid freshman year with Classical Academy, checked into Carlsbad shortly after the start of the school year. Chapman has significant upside and will get to sharpen his craft in the North County Coastal League, one of the section’s toughest battlegrounds.

Fellow 6-8 forward Desmond Aniangyei, who made my All-Freshman 1st team, transferred from Mater Dei Catholic to nearby Victory Christian. As mentioned, he’s dealt with some injuries over the summer and fall, but when he’s healthy he’s a formidable rim runner and rim protector with great length and bounce.

On the opposite side of the size spectrum, 5-8 point guard Jace Anderson, a standout on St. Augustine’s JV team a season ago, checked into Kearny High, pairing with sophomore AJ Minton and junior Cam Ackerman to give the Komets a sneaky good core.

In a cross-town move, 6-3 Amari Mitchell, who had a solid freshman year with Vista, checked into Rancho Buena Vista in June. Mitchell was joined by 6-5 junior Wyatt Myers as the Panthers defections to join the Longhorns.

And in one of the later transfers this fall, 6-1 Jerell Wells-Shorts checked into Morse from Steele Canyon.

Other sophomore transfers:

6-4 F Dane Sallaway, from Torrey Pines to Canyon Crest Academy

6-0 G Boaz Koffler, from SD Jewish Academy to Francis Parker

6-1 G Jasir Fontenot, from San Diego to Mater Dei Catholic

6-4 W Isaiah Hill, from San Marcos to JSerra Catholic

Time to Wake Them Up: 2028 sleepers

During the spring and summer, there were several players who emerged as potential prospects to watch that didn’t have a great profile coming into high school.

Micah Wills, a 5-10 point guard from Mount Miguel, fits squarely into that category. In several games at the Matadors Fall League, Wills impressed with his blinding quickness yet able to play the game at multiple speeds with great pace, and his uncanny finishing ability around the basket. As his perimeter shooting improves, he could rapidly become a household name in the class.

San Marcos has always had an embarrassment of riches when it comes to talent, especially in 2028, where a number of high-quality freshmen might not see meaningful varsity minutes until later in their careers. One prospect that exemplifies this is 6-6 Sebastian Singh (left). The long, rangy forward has magnetic hands, finishes well around the basket and is developing some slashing ability from midrange and a set shot that is fairly accurate from deep. Head Coach Dante Carey thinks he will have a chance to be a player when it’s all said and done. I believe him.

Torrey Pines is another school where players often don’t see the varsity team until their junior and senior years, but dominate the lower levels countywide. One reason why is players like 6-7 – and growing - Brandon Sykes. Sykes has a willowy frame and at times struggles with consistent effort, but his scoring ability from multiple levels (he’s a dead-eye shooter from three), mobility and improving handle and playmaking scream “late bloomer.”

At Olympian, 6-0 G Quentin Ballard (right) has the length and frame that suggest he’s got a growth spurt due in the future, and he’s got some underrated playmaking chops and a nice floater package to go along with it. His development timeline will be accelerated due to the transfer of senior guard DJ Humphries, putting him firmly into the rotation. If he responds well to his new role, he could emerge as a sleeper guard prospect in the class.

It’s not very often that we would place a player with NBA bloodlines in this category, but for the most part, 6-5 Yigit Okur, son of NBA All Star Mehmet Okur, has hovered below the radar. A big bodied forward who can shoot and has emerging ball skills. He needs to match the physicality of the varsity game and improve his effort and productivity on the boards, but there’s enough there to suggest that by the time he is a senior, he will climb past a number of prospects that are perceived to be ahead of him at this juncture.

Other sleepers:

Holden Bell, 6-3 W, Mar Vista

Tre Rush, 6-0 PG, Mater Dei Catholic

Jack Conkey, 6-1 G, Sage Creek

Brewster Gale, 6-6 WF, St. Joseph Academy

Luciano Fiorentini, 6-1 G, St. Augustine

Will Wolchko, 6-3 W, Santana

Drew Rozsnyoi, 6-8 F, Madison

Axel Ruiz, 6-5 W, TBD

Jackson Davis, 6-5 F, West Hills

Theo Fraser, 6-3 W, High Tech High Mesa

Quincy Washington, 6-1 G, Otay Ranch

Sawyer Rhoades, 5-10 PG, Bonita Vista

Elijah West, 6-6 F, Bonita Vista

Michael Harvey, 5-10 PG, Victory Christian

The Class of 2028 Top Prospects

This class, while not as heralded as 2027 or 2026, has some players who will still be recruited at various levels of D1 and D2 basketball when it’s said and done.

Mission Bay’s Lucky Davis (6-0 PG) and Columbus Palmer (5-11 PG) are both super competitive prospects with some respective physical gifts that translate to the collegiate ranks (Davis has superior length and craftiness; Palmer blossoming athleticism and strength). Army Navy’s Earnest Donkoh has elite size and a frame that screams with potential, but still has a ways to go in terms of a collegiate skillset. At Victory Christian, 6-2 Troy Tominna is a potent three level scorer and an aggressive defender, with his game looking more and more like his cousin, Montgomery grad Xair Mendez. Tyler Johnson (Rancho Bernardo) and Brooklyn James (Mt. Miguel) are wings that pair length with ball skills, motors and ultra competitive mentalities. Cathedral Catholic’s 6-6 Boone Thompson has upside as a rebounding workhorse forward with length and athleticism if he can develop a consistent midrange attack to pair with it, while Carlsbad’s Issac Chapman has emerged with a growth spurt as a rim-protecting rim-running four man with very good ball skills and a jumper to match. 6-0 PG Anthony Lee at Christian has some physical upside left and the lefty is cerebral and crafty on both ends. Kai Blue will have to wait his turn at Saints, but the 5-10 PG is a smooth scorer who gets excellent lift on his jump shot from three and midrange. Carlsbad’s 6-1 Braxton Rolf is a high-level, three-level scorer who is developing as a playmaker. And Desmond Aniangyei, once fully healthy, is an explosive post who has high upside as a rim running and rim protecting big.

Other top prospects:

Ah’Mahn Oliver, 6-1 G, Coronado

Aiden Canales, 6-1 G, Vista

Aiden Abelardo, 6-0 G, San Marcos

Andrew Mikhail, 5-7 PG, Valhalla

Arthur Minton, 6-1 G, Kearny

Axel Ruiz, 6-3 G/W, TBD

Amari Mitchell, 6-3 G, Rancho Buena Vista

Aydin Lundstrom, 6-5.5 W, Mission Bay

Brandon Rosales, 6-0 G, Bonita Vista

Brandon Sykes, 6-7 F, Torrey Pines

Daesean Jenkins, 5-7 PG, Monte Vista

Daxton Hyde, 6-3 W, Mission Hills

Donovan Cronkhite, 5-10 G, Tri-City Christian

Drew Rozsnyoi, 6-8 F, Madison

Garret Tully, 6-2 G, Monte Vista

Jacob Webb, 5-11 G, Rancho Bernardo

Jaren Wright, 6-1.5 G, Monte Vista

Jerell Wells-Shorts, 6-1 G, Morse

Jaylon Davis, 6-1 G, Sage Creek

Lucas Albright, 6-6 F, Torrey Pines

Malekai Dillon, 6-1.5 G, West Hills

Marcus Tuason, 5-7 PG, San Marcos

Michael Harvey, 5-8 PG, Victory Christian

Nolan Barrett, 6-7 F, La Costa Canyon

Quentin Ballard, 6-0 G, Olympian

Quincy Washington, 6-1 G, Otay Ranch

Rayan Dahi, 6-1 G, La Jolla Country Day

Ryan Jacobs, 6-5 W, San Marcos

Sebastian Singh, 6-6 F, San Marcos

Tre Cavazos, 6-1 G, Helix

Yigit Okur, 6-5 F, La Jolla Country Day