PLAYER OF THE YEAR
STANLEY JOHNSON
Mater Dei, Guard, 6-7, Sr.
Season highlights: The Register’s Player of the Year, Trinity League player of the year, the CIF-SS Open Division player of the year, state player of the year, national player of the year … Johnson won a shopping cart full of individual awards and led the Monarchs’ successful quest for team trophies, too. He had game-highs of 28 points and 15 rebounds in a win over Chino Hills in the CIF-SS Open Division championship game. Johnson scored 25 points with eight assists and three steals in the a win over Bishop O’Dowd of Oakland in the CIF State Open Division championship game. In the CIF Southern California Regionals Open Division semifinals, Johnson scored 28 of his game-high 38 points in the fourth quarter and over two overtime periods in a win over Etiwanda. He played in the McDonald’s All-America game. Johnson, recruited by every college that thought it had a shot at him, signed with Arizona.
Season averages: 25 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.5 steals
COACH OF THE YEAR
NATE HARRISON
Canyon
FIRST TEAM
ANTHONY BALLESTERO
Canyon, Guard, 5-11, Sr.
Season highlights: Ballestero was CIF-SS 2AA player of the year as the Comanches won the 2AA championship. He also was Century League player of the year. As the team’s point guard, Ballestero ran the offense and was equally effective passing the ball to teammates or scoring on his own. He scored 20 points in a 71-54 win over Westlake in the 2AA final. Earlier in the playoffs, Ballestero scored 21 points in a win over Valencia and 20 in a win over Newbury Park. He scored 20 points against Mater Dei in the Orange Holiday Classic. He scored his season high, 27 points, in a crucial league win over Villa Park. Ballestero is weighing his college options.
Season averages: 14.2 points, 5.3 assists, 2.2 steals, 85 percent free-throw percentage
MJ CAGE
Mater Dei, Center, 6-10, So.
Season highlights: His contributions as a rebounder, inside defender, shot blocker and clutch scorer were essential to the Monarchs’ CIF section and state championships. Cage had 19 double-doubles. He had 13 points, 14 rebounds and three blocked shots when Mater Dei beat Etiwanda in the CIF Southern California Regionals Open Division semifinals. Cage scored 13 with four blocks in the Regionals Open Division final against Westchester. And in the Monarchs’ state championship game win over Bishop O’Dowd of Oakland, Cage scored 16 points with a team-high eight rebounds. He was named All-Trinity League first team and All CIF-Southern Section Open Division first team. Cage has scholarship offers from Arizona, Kentucky, UCLA and USC.
Season averages: 14.9 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.6 blocks
CHANDLER HUTCHISON
Mission Viejo, Forward, 6-6, Sr.
Season highlights: It’s not often that a player from the team that loses a CIF championship game is named CIF player of the year. But Hutchison’s contributions were so special that he was CIF-SS Division 1AA co-player of the year. He finished third in the county in scoring at 19.45 points a game. Hutchison was at his best in the playoffs, almost single-handedly leading the Diablos to wins. He scored 27 points, more than half of Mission Viejo’s total, in a 54-46 loss to Long Beach Poly in the 1AA championship game. In the CIF Southern California Regionals, Hutchison scored 24 points, 16 in the fourth quarter, in a 60-59 loss to Loyola of Los Angeles. Hutchison signed with Boise State.
Season averages: 17.6 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists
JOHNNIE VASSAR
JSerra, Guard, 5-11, Sr.
Season highlights: Vassar was named CIF-SS Division 4AA player of the year and was All-Trinity League first team. He led the Lions to their first CIF-SS basketball championship. Vassar scored 21 points with 10 assists in a 4AA championship game win over Oaks Christian of Westlake Village. He was 11 for 14 at the free-throw line. Vassar scored 22 points in the Lions’ first state tournament win, a triumph over Tri-City Christian of Vista in a CIF Southern California Regionals Division 4 first-round game. Vassar scored 26 points in a league loss to Mater Dei. A super-quick point guard, Vassar also was one of the county’s better leapers. He won a couple of high school slam dunk contests, including the one at the MaxPreps Holiday Classic in Palm Springs in December. He signed with Northwestern.
Season averages: 18.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists
RELATED:
Mater Dei’s Johnson is boys basketball player of the year
Canyon’s Harrison is boys basketball coach of the year
