20 players to watch in California (CIF) State Division 3 boys basketball playoffs

Rancho Verde junior center Jacob McFarland is one of the top bigs in the D3 state playoffs.

The 2022 California (CIF) State boys basketball playoffs are underway and we're taking a closer look at the best players in each Division. 

• Bracket: Updated CIF Boys Basketball Division 3 Bracket

Here's a closer look at the top 20 players in Division 3.

TOP 20 PLAYERS IN CIF STATE DIVISION 3 PLAYOFFS

(The players are listed in alphabetical order by region.)

SOUTHERN REGION

Ijezie Anopueme - Narbonne - Senior small forward

Anopueme scored 33 points and grabbed 20 rebounds in a win over Gardena earlier this season. 

Khemanni Davis - Rancho Verde - Senior small forward

Davis scored 22 points in a regular season victory over Oak Hills in January. He also helped lead Rancho Verde to a Division 3AA runner up finish in the Southern Section. 

Giovanni Goree - Viewpoint - Junior point guard

Goree scored 18 points in a Division 3AA Southern Section semifinal defeat to Rancho Verde last month. 

Griffin Haugh - Dana Hills - Senior shooting guard

Haugh scored 25 points in a playoff win over Long Beach Millikan on Feb. 22. 

Zykiar Henderson - Frontier - Sophomore small forward

Henderson put in 29 points in an overtime win over Hoover in the Central Section Division 2 playoffs for Frontier last month. 

Tyler Hunt - Venice - Sophomore shooting guard

Hunt scored 18 points in a league win over Palisades earlier this season. After the game Venice head coach David Galley called Hunt "ahead of his time."

Jaden Matusalem - Mt. Carmel - Senior shooting guard

Matusalem scored 39 points in Mt. Carmel's 78-77 Division 2 San Diego Section playoff win over Patrick Henry on Feb. 19. 

Jacob McFarland - Rancho Verde - Junior center

McFarland is one of the top big men prospects in the state's 2023 class. 

Noah Marte - San Diego High School - Junior shooting guard

Marte was an All-Western League second team selection this season. 

Karson Peffer - El Camino Real - Senior small forward

Pheffer scored 15 points in a loss to Arcadia earlier this season. He's one of the Royals' top scorers. 

Tyrone Riley – St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy – Sophomore shooting guard

Riley scored 40 points in a win over Bosco Tech for St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy in the regular season. 

Anthony Smith Jr. - Rancho Verde - Junior shooting guard

Rancho Verde lost a heartbreaker to Rancho Cucamonga in the Division 3AA Southern Section championship last week, but Smith scored a game high 27 points in the 67-66 loss. 

Tyler Williams - Bishop Diego - Senior point guard

Williams put in 24 points in Bishop Diego's 54-52 Division 3A Southern Section championship win over Dana Hills last week. 

Jeremiah Windham - Grant - Senior small forward

Windham scored 20 points in Grant's 53-48 Division 1 LA City Section championship win over Westchester. 

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NORTHERN REGION

Jordan Aquino - Lincoln San Francisco - Senior shooting guard

Aquino scored 21 points in Lincoln's 49-45 San Francisco Section championship win over Lowell last week. 

Noah Deitch - Marin Catholic - Senior power forward

Deitch is a senior captain and consistent double digit scorer for Marin Catholic. 

Isaiah Griffin - Burbank - Senior shooting guard

Griffin scored 19 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and had seven assists in a regular season 66-53 loss to Grant in January. 

Cameron Saldana - Aptos - Senior point guard

Saldana scored 30 points in Aptos' 55-46 Division 3 Central Coast Section championship loss to Burlingame. 

Noah Thomas - Pleasant Valley - Senior point guard

Thomas is one of the top unsigned seniors in Northern California high school basketball. 

Money Williams - Oakland - Junior small forward

Williams averages 19.6 points per game this season for Oakland.