The CIF finals at Golden 1 Center showcased the plethora of talent in California — especially Northern California as the Division II, III and V crowns reside in the north.
The MaxPreps All-Northern California basketball team includes players from small towns and large cities. Playoff success helped in selecting this team.
MaxPreps All-Northern California Basketball Team
Player of the Year
6-2 | Guard | SeniorThe steady four-year starter averaged a modest 16.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists, but was the key figure for a Vikings team that went 32-3, won the CIF Northern Section Division III championship, a CIF NorCal title and the CIF Division III state championship, a 57-53 win over Venice of Los Angeles. Thomas was a leader in production and effort for one of the top teams in Northern Section history.
Coach of the Year
Dustin Monday, Elk GroveA graduate of the school and a former player, Monday turned his beloved alma mater around in quick order. After going 5-22 in his second season in 2016-17, Elk Grove went 0-14 in Delta League play in 2017-18 before eventual anchors such as Ameere Britton and DaJon Lott came aboard and starred as four-year varsity players. This season, the Thundering Herd went 28-6, won a share of the Delta League championship and then won the program's first CIF Northern California championship, doing so in Division II, and then capping it with a victory in the CIF State finals to become the sixth Sacramento-area school to take CIF state honors since the tournament began in 1981.
Noah Thomas, Pleasant Valley
Photo by Anthony Brunsman
6-5 | Guard | Junior
Powered his team into the North Coast Section Open Division playoffs and then as an at-large entry in the NorCal Division I field in averaging 20.1 points and 4.9 rebounds.
5-11 | Guard | Junior
The San Francisco Chronicle's co-Contra Costa/Tri-Valley Player of the Year was fourth in the state in scoring at 30.6 points and 8.2 rebounds in powering the Wildcats to the North Coast Section Division I finals.
6-11 | Center | Senior
One of the most skilled big men to come out of the greater Sacramento area, Bliss averaged 15.1 points, 13.5 rebounds and 4.6 blocked shots in leading the 27-1 Bruins.
Rashaud Bradley, Sheldon (Sacramento)
6-2 | Guard | Senior
In the storied history of Sheldon basketball, no player has led the Huskies in every meaningful statistical category until now. Bradley averaged 13.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.0 steals for a program that returned to the CIF Open Division playoffs.
Ameere Britton, Elk Grove
6-2 | Guard | Senior
The Sacramento Bee All-Metro Player of the Year averaged 18.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists in powering the Thundering Herd to the CIF State Division II championship, the sixth CIF State boys' basketball crown in Sacramento-area history (the event started in 1981).
Aidan Burke, Archbishop Mitty (San Jose)
6-2 | Guard | Senior
The San Francisco Chronicle Peninsula Player of the Year was the West Catholic Athletic League MVP who averaged 16.2 points and 6 rebounds. He was the first player in WCAL history to start on four league championship teams.
Miles Byrd, Lincoln (Stockton, Calif.)
6-6 | Guard | Senior
A dazzling player, Byrd averaged 17.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists for the 26-6 Trojans, who reached the CIF Northern California Division I playoffs.
Derrick Claxton, Inderkum (Sacramento, Calif.)
6-6 | Guard | Senior
The Sacramento Bee's Large School Player of the Year averaged 21.9 points and 7.7 rebounds in leading the Tigers to their best record in school history at 28-3 and a spot in the CIF NorCal Division I playoffs.
B.J. Davis, Modesto Christian (Modesto)
6-1 | Guard | Junior
Davis was a key cog for a Crusaders team that won CIF Sac-Joaquin Section and CIF NorCal Open Division championships, averaging 17.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists.
Dom Girish, Sonoma Valley (Sonoma)
6-4 | Guard | Senior
The San Francisco Chronicle North Bay Player of the Year averaged 22.3 points, 7 rebounds and 4.7 assists in capping a four-year starting career.
DaJon Lott Jr., Elk Grove
6-8 | Center | Senior
Nicknamed"Money" since he was knee high, Lott was all money in the biggest games of the season, the playoffs. He averaged 12.4 points and 10.8 rebounds and was at his best in CIF Northern California Division II playoff wins, and then he capped it off with 15 rebounds and four blocked shots in leading his program to its first CIF State championship.
Aidan Mahaney, Campolindo (Moraga)
6-3 | Guard | Senior
The Bay Area NewsGroup Player of the Year led the Cougars to the finals of the elite CIF Northern California Open Division and was a star for all four of his varsity starting seasons, which included a CIF State D-II championship and a D-I NorCal Regional title. He averaged 17.2 points and 3.7 rebounds. One of the top scorers in Bay Area history, Mahaney led Campolindo to a 28-2 record.
Prince Oseya, Modesto Christian (Modesto)
6-10 | Center | Junior
A superb interior defender and banger, Oseya averaged nearly 9 points and 10 rebounds for a team that went 30-6 and won another Sac-Joaquin Section Division I championship and the program's first CIF NorCal Open Division crown, playing his best ball in the biggest games down the stretch.
Jamari Phillips, Modesto Christian (Modesto)
6-3 | Guard | Sophomore
Mature beyond his years for a lot of years, Phillips led the powerhouse Crusaders to the program's 20th Sac-Joaquin Section championship, this one in D-I, and to CIF State Open Division finals, a close loss to state No. 1 Centennial of Southern California, in averaging 23.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists.
Andrej Stojakovic, Jesuit (Carmichael)
6-7 | Guard | Junior
The son of one-time Sacramento Kings All-Star forward Peja Stojakovic, the son averaged 25.3 points and 9.3 rebounds in displaying remarkable skills and tenacity.
King-Njhsanni Wilhite, Archbishop Riordan (San Francisco)
6-1 | Guard | Junior
The San Francisco Metro Player of the Year averaged 23.3 points and really sparkled in scoring a total of 64 points in playoff wins over powerhouse programs Mitty and De La Salle, the first giving his Crusaders their 16th Central Coast Section banner and first in the elite Open Division, scoring 28 points. He had 35 against DLS in the NorCal Open playoffs.
