Final 2023-24 Top 25 California High School boys basketball rankings (3/15/2024)

A week after the CIF State Championships, SBLive reveals its best of the best, regardless of how playoffs turned out; Of course, Harvard-Westlake is head of the class

A four-month journey to determine California's best boys basketball teams ended a week ago, with the crowning of six state champions. 

Those were divided by the state's competitive equity format, with the Open Division serving as the elite portion of squads, followed by Division 1 with the next most competitive, followed by D2, D3, D4 and D5. 

Though squads should be — and all were — recognized for fighting through the playoff gauntlet, the final SBLive Top 25 aims to subjectively pick out the very best squads overall.

CIF State Championship boys basketball 2024 recap: All six box scores

It's no easy task and there will be some picks that probably don't make sense based on late-season results. 

For instance: 

• Placing St. Joseph-Santa Maria ahead of Clovis North will seem quite curious considering the Broncos beat the Knights in the Central Section Division 1 championship game just two weeks ago. 

• Likewise, Mater Dei ended the season of Notre Dame-Sherman Oaks 79-71 in the SoCal D1 Regional, yet the the Trailblazers finished a few spots ahead of the Monarchs. 

At play there is simply a body of work, taking into consideration the entire season, quality wins, strength of schedule and injuries, among other possible factors. 

Nevertheless, the order may not be perfect for certain. But What is perfectly clear is that all these squads had fantastic seasons, and that two-time defending Open Division champion Harvard-Westlake clearly deserves the top acclaim. 

Harvard-Westlake edges Salesian to defend CIF State Open Division title

The Wolverines, coached expertly by David Rebibo and led by reigning SBLive California Player of the Year Trent Perry, pulled of the quadruple feat of winning Mission League, Southern Section Open, SoCal Regional Open and State Open championships. 

That's some grand slam. 

They weren't dominating in all the wins, and showed their grit in tight title wins, twice over No. 2 Roosevelt 54-47 and 63-59, and once in the state finals, 50-45, at Golden 1 Center over No. 4 Salesian-Richmond, Northern California's top squad. 

Other state champions crowned we're our No. 4 team St. John Bosco (D1), No. 25 Oakland Tech (D2) and unranked Alemany (D3), Monterey (D4) and Athenian (D5). 

Alijah Arenas, son of Gilbert Arenas, breaks California state championship scoring record

Below are what we consider the Top 25 teams of the season and all their postseason results.  

1. Harvard-Westlake (33-3)

Southern Section (Open Division): Beat Centennial (61-51), Sierra Canton (72-38), St. John Bosco (64-40), Roosevelt (54-47) for title

SoCal Regional (Open): Beat Carlsbad (73-72), Roosevelt (63-59) for title

CIF State (Open): Beat Salesian (50-45) for title

Harvard-Westlake (red) and Salesian played a rugged, intense, defensive battle, eventually pulled out by the Wolverines, 50-45, at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on March 9, 2024.  / Photo: Dennis Lee

2. Roosevelt (31-4)

Southern Section (Open): Beat JSerra Catholic (64-51), St. Pius X (64-59), Mater Dei (80-76). Lost to Harvard-Westlake (54-47) for title

SoCal Region (Open): Beat St. Joseph (58-41). Lost to Harvard-Westlake (63-59) for title

3. St. John Bosco (28-7)

Southern Section (Open Division): Lost to Sierra Canyon (72-67), beat Centennial (72-55), lost to Harvard-Westlake (64-40)

SoCal Region (Division 1): Beat Windward (65-63), Damien (63-59), Mater Dei (71-68, OT) for title

CIF State (D1): Beat San Ramon Valley 78-62 for title

4. Salesian (31-2)

North Coast Section (Open Division): Beat San Ramon Valley (60-45), De La Salle (52-43) for title

NorCal Regional (Open): Beat Modesto Christian (64-52), Riordan (49-44) for title

CIF State (Open): Lost to Harvard-Westlake (50-45) for title

Won North Coast Section and Northern Regional Open crowns, before losing 50-45 to Harvard-Westlake in state finals. 

5. Riordan (25-5)

Central Coast Section (Open Division): Beat Bellarmine (79-32), Sacred Heart Prep (62-45), Serra (65-49), Mitty (59-53) for title

NorCal Regional (Open): Beat Clovis North (69-57), lost to Salesian (49-44) for title

Great, intense action between Riordan and Salesian in the MLK Classic at De La Salle on Jan. 15.  / Photo: Dennis Lee

6. Notre Dame Sherman Oaks (31-4)

Southern Section (D1): Beat Crean Lutheran (74-64), Riverside Poly (65-53), Santa Margarita (63-50), Redondo Union (67-60) for title

SoCal Regional (D1): Windward (69-65), Torrey Pines (89-47), Rolling Hills Prep (58-49), lost to Mater Dei (79-71)

7. St. Joseph-Santa Maria (31-4)

Central Section (D1): Beat Liberty (74-53), Centennial (71-59), Clovis West (88-73); Lost to Clovis North (69-60) for title

SoCal Regional (Open): Beat Sierra Canyon (69-68), lost to Roosevelt (58-41)

8. Sierra Canyon (26-4)

Southern Section (Open): Beat St. John Bosco (72-67), lost to Harvard-Westlake (72-38), beat Centennial (61-55).

SoCal Regional (Open): Lost to St. Joseph (69-68)

9. Carlsbad (30-3)

San Diego Section (Open): Beat Cathedral Catholic (104-64), La Jolla Country Day (77-65), Montgomery (56-47) for title

SoCal Regional (Open): Beat St. Pius X (75-72), lost to Harvard-Westlake (73-72)

10. San Ramon Valley (29-8)

North Coast Section (Open): Beat Granada (77-68), lost to Salesian (60-45)

NorCal Regional (D1): Beat Vanden (67-64), Monterey Trail (85-66), Mitty (52-49), Granada (58-55) for title

CIF State final (D1): Lost to St. John Bosco 78-62 for title

San Ramon Valley's Most Valuable Player Seamus Deely in the state championship game versus St. John Bosco.  / Photo: Dennis Lee

11. St. Pius X-Matthias (24-7)

Southern Section (Open): Beat Mater Dei (76-54), lost to Rosevelt (64-59), beat JSerra Catholic (70-58)

SoCal Regional (Open): Lost to Carlsbad (75-72) 

12. Mater Dei (29-6)

Southern Section (Open): Lost to St. Pius (76-54), JSerra Catholic (67-59), Roosevelt (80-76)

SoCal Regional (D1): Beat St. Anthony (72-56), Corona Centennial (86-64), Notre Dame Sherman Oaks (79-71), Lost to St. John Bosco (71-68) for title

13. Clovis North (28-7)

Central Section (D1): Beat Edison (83-64), Bakersfield Christian (85-38), Clovis East (74-50), St. Joseph (69-60) for title

NorCal regional (Open): Beat Branson 49-48; Lost to Riordan, 69-57

14. Windward (29-5)

Southern Section (D1): Beat St. Francis (73-66), Los Alamitos (77-75), Damien (67-60); Lost to Notre Dame Sherman Oaks (69-65) for title 

SoCal regional (D1): Beat La Jolla Country Day (74-59), lost to St. John Bosco (65-63)

15. JSerra Catholic (25-7)

Southern Section (Open): Lost to Roosevelt (64-51), beat Mater Dei (67-59), lost to St. Pius X (70-58). 

SoCal regional (D1): Lost to Rolling Hills Prep 

JSerra Catholic All-Southern Section guard Aidan Fowler :: Tarek Fattal/SBLive

16. Corona Centennial (21-14)

Southern Section (Open): Lost to Harvard-Westlake (61-51), St. John Bosco (72-55), Sierra Canyon (61-55)

SoCal Regional (D1): Beat Mission Hills (77-58), lost to Mater Dei (86-64) 

17. Damien (28-6)

Southern Section (D1): Beat Crossroads (68-50), St. Bernard (74-46); Lost to Windward (67-60)

SoCal Regional (D1): Beat St. Augustine (69-44), Redondo Union (74-54); Lost to St. John Bosco (63-59) for title

18. Redondo Union (25-6)

Southern Section (D1): Beat Foothill (76-67), Etiwanda (65-58); Lost to Notre Dame-Sherman Oaks (67-60)

SoCal Regional (D1): Beat Montgomery (84-69); Lost to Damien (74-54)

19. Montgomery-San Diego (28-4)

San Diego Section (Open): Beat Mission Hills (49-41), St. Augustine (56-39); Lost to Carlsbad (56-47) for title

SoCal Regional (D1): Lost to Redondo Union (84-69)

20. Modesto Christian (28-6)

Sac-Joaquin Section (D1): Beat Cosumnes Oaks (83-56), Franklin (62-50), Inderkum (64-56), Lincoln (68-63) for title

NorCal Regional (Open): Beat De La Salle (51-49), lost to Salesian (64-52)

The Crusaders celebrate their Sac-Joaquin Section championship 68-63 win over Lincoln at the Golden 1 Center.  / Photo: Ralph Thompson

21. De La Salle (25-6)

North Coast Section (Open): Beat Branson (62-54); Lost to Salesian (52-43)

NorCal Regional (Open): Lost to Modesto Christian (51-49)

22. St. Anthony (25-8)

Southern Section (2-AA): Beat Sonora (70-54), Loyola (69-55), Campbell Hall (91-86), Heritage Christian (75-57), Rolling Hills Prep (48-42) for title

SoCal Regional (D1): Lost to Mater Dei (72-56)

23. Heritage Christian (26-10)

Southern Section (2-AA): Beat Shalhevet (55-38), Fountain Valley (79-65); Lost to St. Anthony (75-57)

SoCal Regional (D2): Beat Los Angeles CES (72-41), Mission Bay (74-69), Bakersfield Christian (83-63); Lost to Centennial (68-56)

24. Granada (26-5)

North Coast Section (Open): Lost to San Ramon Valley (77-68)

NorCal Regional (D1): Beat Inderkum (58-53), St. Ignatius (68-66), Clovis West (70-53); Lost to San Ramon Valley (58-55) for title

25. Oakland Tech (30-5)

Oakland Section: Beat Fremont (61-55), Oakland (56-49) for title

NorCal Regional (D2): Beat Sacred Heart Cathedral (71-53), Jesuit (58-56), Del Oro (70-55), Oakland (73-66) for title

CIF State championship (D2): Beat Centennial (79-55) for title

Caleb Rollins came off the bench to score 20 points in Tech's 79-55 win over Centennial for the state D2 title.  / Photo: Dennis Lee