22nd MaxPreps/De La Salle MLK Classic: Top 20 Players to Watch

MORAGA, Calif. — There was Aaron Gordon, Ivan Rabb and Ryan Anderson. All currently play in the NBA.

There's been Leon Powe, Zach Ertz and James Akinjo. Powe won an NBA title with the Celtics. Ertz is a Pro Bowl and Super Bowl winning tight end with the Eagles. Akinjo is one of the top freshmen guards in college basketball today at Georgetown.

All played in the MaxPreps/De La Salle Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Classic over the last 21 years.

Jalen Green might surpass them all in terms of NBA prestige. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard is the No. 2 recruit in the current recruiting class, according to 247Sports. He headlines the top 20 players to watch list in the 2019 MLK Classic, which tips off Monday at St. Mary's College. 

All six games, including Green's San Joaquin Memorial against host De La Salle, can be watched via the SportsLive  streaming service, powered by the CBS Interactive Media division of CBS Sports Digital, and DeLaSalleTV.com. The top 20 players in order:
1. Jalen Green, San Joaquin Memorial (Fresno)
The high-flying 6-foot-5 junior guard is rated the No. 2 player nationally for the Class of 2020 by 247Sports, and no doubt the top draw of the event. Besides his vertical leap and spectacular dunks that make him a YouTube sensation, Green has unlimited game, proven by his 27.9 points per game and 7.9 rebounds per game average in 2017-18. He also won two gold medals for Team USA over the summer. He even earned tournament MVP honors in the FIBA U17 World Cup. If the NBA lifts its requirement to be one year out of school to join the world’s best league, Green could be the No. 1 pick of the 2020 draft. “I know he would love to be,” San Joaquin Memorial coach Brad Roznovsky told CBSSports. “He wants to be the best, and I think there’s a good chance that’s gonna happen.”

WATCH SAN JOAQUIN MEMORIAL VS. DE LA SALLE, 3:15 P.M.: Click here 2. Matt Van Komen, Pleasant Grove (Utah)
His first college offer came before his sophomore season while standing in the lane of a free-throw attempt. It came from Larry Krystkowiak, coach at Utah, where he eventually signed. When you stand 7-4 like Van Komen, that happens. A tremendous defensive force and an ever-improving offensive threat, Van Komen is hard to miss. He almost had a triple double last season against Bishop O’Dowd in the MaxPreps/De La Salle MLK Classic — 10 points, 14 rebounds, eight blocks — and he thought he didn’t even play very well.

WATCH PLEASANT GROVE VS. JAMES LOGAN, 5 P.M.: Click here

3. Dishon Jackson, St. Patrick-St. Vincent (Vallejo)
A part-time player as a freshman for the state Division 4 champion, Jackson has grown three inches and is blossoming to one the state’s top big men. At 6-10, Jackson is a double-double machine and with great timing, and he is one of the state’ top shot blockers.

WATCH ST. PATRICK-ST. VINCENT VS. CAMPOLINDO, 10 A.M.: Click here

4. Jonathan Salazar, St. John Bosco (Bellflower)
The 6-6, 235-pound senior is rated the No. 34 senior in the state, according to 247Sports, and committed to Pacific. He was the team’s leading scorer and rebounder (15.9 ppg, 8.9 rpg) until a leg injury derailed him midway through Dec. He’s played in 12 of his team’s first 21 games. Salazar had 36 points in an 85-69 championship win over Notre Dame-Sherman Oaks to win MVP honors at the Father Barry Classic in Carmichael last month before the injury. Salazar left his native land of Panama to pursue his basketball dream in U.S. at age 15.

WATCH ST. JOHN BOSCO VS. MODESTO CHRISTIAN, 11:45 A.M.: Click here

5. Anthony Holland, Notre Dame (Riverside)
The chiseled 6-6, 212-pound shooting guard has committed to Fresno State. He leads the Titans in scoring (15.6 ppg) and is second in rebounding (6.3 rpg). He had a season-high 32 points with four 3-pointers in a 83-47 win over Valley View.

WATCH NOTRE DAME VS. MOREAU CATHOLIC, 1:30 P.M.: Click here

6. Chris James, St. John Bosco
The 6-2 point guard averages is second on the Braves in scoring at 12.8 per game, but he’s by far the leader in assists (4.2 per game) to go along with rebounds (5.7 per game).  He had 25 points, six assists and eight rebounds in a 98-95 win over Santa Margarita on Jan. 8. 7. Aaron Murphy, Modesto Christian (Modesto)
The 6-7, 215-pound power forward averaged 10.5 points and 6.8 rebounds a game last season for the Crusaders and he’s improved both averages in 2018-19. Rugged around the basket with a nice touch, Murphy accepted a full ride to UC Davis.

8. (tie) Jaden McClanahan, Salesian College Preparatory (Richmond)
The lightning quick 5-11, 170-pound senior guard is second on the nation’s No. 13 team with a 12.9 scoring average. Known for his defense and steals, McClanahan often took a back seat the previous three years to then-leading scorer James Akinjo (now at Georgetown), but he improved his perimeter shot and shoots more often. WATCH SALESIAN VS. BISHOP O'DOWD, 6:45 P.M.: Click here 8. (tie) JoVon McClanahan, Salesian
Read the above bio because he and his twin Jaden make up one of the most dynamic and hard-to-distinguish backcourts in the country. JoVon averages a few less points 11.8 but might be a little bit stronger shooter than his brother. An eye injury set him back a few games.

10. Joshua Adoh, St. John Bosco
The 6-3 senior guard is third on the Braves with a 12.6 scoring average, but he really picked up the slack when top-scorer Salazar injured his leg in the middle of December. A terrific 3-point shooter, Adoh has averaged 17.5 ppg since Salazar went out. He’s made 40 percent of his 3-pointers while also averaging 5.6 rebounds per game.

11. William Chavarin, Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland)
Following the graduation of two Pac-12 Conference guards, the strong 6-4 guard immediately jumped into the role of leader in all departments. Strong to the hoop and a strong defender, Chavarin is difficult for smaller guards to cover because of his strength. Bigger guards have difficulty matching his quickness. He’s signed to Cal Poly Pomona. 12. David Ahazie, Campolindo (Moraga)
The 6-3 senior guard made the Cougars’ varsity as a 5-7 sophomore. His game has matched his height growth and he’s the team’s second-leading scorer (16.8 ppg) and a legitimate college prospect.

13. Anton Mozga, Notre Dame-Riverside
The 6-5, 180-pound guard is second on the team in scoring (14.4) and first in rebounding (6.6) for the Titans, with season highs of 27 points and 13 rebounds. With an ability to play at the 1, 2 or 3, Mozga is a very versatile and skilled player for the Titans.

14. Alex Merkviladze, Modesto Christian
The 6-9, 220-pound junior has improved immensely since his sophomore year. He loves contacts, shows superb post moves and can knock down the 3-pointer. If he continues to improve at this rate, by next season, he’ll be one of the most coveted big-man recruits on the West Coast.

15. Shane Bell, Salesian
The 6-3 junior wing made the biggest jump of any Pride player during the offseason and has turned into his team's top scorer at 14.4 points per game. A fluid athlete, who can score from anywhere, Bell is especially strong in transition.

16. Thomas Gregorios, De La Salle (Concord)
The 6-1 senior point guard has continued to improve steadily through a product varsity career. He averaged 10.3 points, 4.2 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game as a junior on the varsity last season and he's putting up even better numbers this season for the 15-2 Spartans. “He’s one of the most underrated point guards in the state,” said his coach Justin Argenal. 17. Malcolm Steadman, James Logan (Union City)
The 6-6, 190-pound forward has steadily improved to become one of the best and most versatile front-court players in Northern California. He’s the Colts’ leading scorer at better than 16 points per game. A big part of his improvement is his 3-point shooting.

18. Aidan Mahaney, Campolindo
He came in highly acclaimed, the No. 17 freshmen in the country, according to nyaabasketball.org. The 6-2 guard has lived up to his billing as the leading scorer (17.4 per game) for the 12-4 Cougars. Through 13 games, he was shooting 49 percent from both the field overall (80 of 162) and 3-point line (39 of 79). Mahaney has been pushed his whole life by his junior brother Carter Mahaney, who might be the Cougars top all-around player.  19. Iniko McNeil, Bishop O’Dowd
The 5-10 senior is emerging into one of the top clutch guards in Northern California. He won back-to-back games with last-minute shots in wins over St. Joseph Notre Dame (52-51 OT) and San Leandro (52-50).  “He’s just coming into his own,” O’Dowd coach Lou Richie said.

20. Jeremiah Dargan, De La Salle
The 6-4 freshman wing is rated the No. 26 ninth-grader in the country according to nyaabasketball.org. He’s got a long, wiry frame to compete both inside and out, and a pretty outside shooting stroke to make him a natural scorer.