Aundre Cummings is new coach at Ontario Christian, rising girls basketball national power

The stepfather of SBLive National Freshman of the Year Kaleena Smith will take over for the nation's No. 19 team for the 2024-25 season

Ontario Christian's Kaleena Smith posted one of the best freshman seasons in recent memory last winter. / By Nicole Mullen/The Arizona Republic

One of the nation's fastest rising girls basketball programs will have new leadership at the top for the 2024-25 season.

Ontario Christian athletic director David Parkes confirmed to SBLive that former assistant Aundre Cummings is the team's new head coach. The news comes four days after former coach Matt Tumambing announced on Instagram that he was leaving the program, and was first reported by the Los Angeles Times on Twitter Wednesday afternoon.

Cummings is the stepfather of star guard and 2023-24 SBLive Freshman of the Year Kaleena Smith, who averaged 34.9 points per game, leading the Knights to a 28-5 record and No. 19 national rankings. Cummings is also known for his work as a director and coach on the boys side with the prominent Cal Storm club program.

In five seasons, Tumambing transformed the program from a heavyweight within the CIF-Southern Section's lower divisions into an up-and-coming national power. The Knights went 140-22 during his tenure, made three CIF sectional or regional title games, earned Southern Section Open Division berths the last two seasons, and never lost a game in Ambassador League play.

The Knights had their strongest season yet in 2023-24, going 28-5 and finishing with program-best rankings of No. 4 in California and No. 19 in the country. Besides her scoring prowess, the 5-foot-6 guard cemented her status as the top player in the Class of 2027, averaging 6.5 assists, and 4.2 steals per game.

READ: Unlikely formula leads Ontario Christian to national prominence

Despite graduating star seniors Amanda Ajobiewe (Georgetown), Karsen Marshall (CSU-Northridge), and Dejah Saldivar (Jessup), Ontario Christian is expected to continue its march up the national pecking order in 2024-25.

The Knights return Smith and fellow starter Legacy Benjamin, and have at least three major additions in senior transfer Alanna Neale (Village Christian) and freshmen Tatianna Griffin and Sydney Douglas. Neale is a returning SBLive All-Southern Section honoree with several Division I offers, and Griffin and Douglas are long considered two of the premier recruits in the Class of 2028.

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