Updated 2022 Rankings: Stock Raisers (Pt. 2)

<p>It has been a crazy couple of seasons in Southern California high school basketball. From COVID-19 canceling spring and summer club sessions to delaying an entire high school season and causing some game cancellations, we were finally able to get a season that allowed us to get a complete look at how the 2022 class stacks up which leads to our <a href="https://prephoops.com/california/rankings/southern-california-rankings/2022-rankings/">most recent updated rankings for the senior class</a>. </p> <p>In this piece we take a look at some of the biggest stock raisers who have been making their case to move up in the rankings over the last couple of years and were able to reap the benefits of their hard work.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1409285" first="Kaleb" last="Smith"]</strong>, Damien - Smith was forced to sit for an extended period of time due to a transfer to Los Osos, then back to Damien, and that speed bump, combined with the complications coming as a result of COVID made it hard to get a true evaluation on his long-term potential. This season gave us all we needed to know about Smith and him being a bonafide Division 1-caliber forward who checks in at No. 23 in our latest rankings update. At 6-feet-8 Smith can stretch the floor to the three-point line, has good feel as a low block scorer and passer out of the post, and still has plenty of game to build on as he heads to UC Riverside.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1409286" first="Jaayden" last="Bush"]</strong>, St. Anthony - The name [player_tooltip player_id="1409286" first="Jaayden" last="Bush"] should be in the Thesaurus synonymous with "winning." Despite losing a Division 1 teammate to graduation and a potential Division 1 teammate due to transfer, Bush put the Saints on his shoulders and carried them to deep playoff runs in the Southern Section and State Playoffs. The lefty floor general is the ultimate point guard who diagnosed what his team needed from him and delivered in big game situations. Bush, who is headed to Dominican University, is as tough as they come on the defensive end and really improved as a perimeter shooter from the time he entered high school.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1409379" first="Jac" last="Mani"]</strong>, Beverly Hills - Mani is one of few skilled big men we have in this 2022 class in Southern California. The 6-foot-8 forward has an inside-out scoring skill-set, complete with face-up shooting ability out to mid and three-point range. His long-term calling card could be his low-post footwork and touch around the basket with either hand. The UC Davis-bound senior has the potential to develop into a productive front-line player in the Big West.</p> <p><strong>Larry Olayinka</strong>, Birmingham - There's a lot to like about Big Larry and his potential is off the charts if he finds the right fit and given time to develop. The 6-foot-9 center has all the athletic and physical tools you look for in a modern big man - vertical athleticism, fluid rim-running in transition, great timing and quickness off the floor when contesting and blocking shots, and a high motor which leads to offensive rebounds. Olayinka is of the "raw" variety of prospects, especially in his offensive game, but his size, athleticism and willingness to play hard bode well for his future.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="974060" first="Ramsey" last="Huff"]</strong>, Corona Centennial - A lot of the attention given to Corona Centennial players centers around the team's four major pieces in [player_tooltip player_id="970280" first="Donovan" last="Dent"], [player_tooltip player_id="992480" first="Jared" last="McCain"], [player_tooltip player_id="994973" first="Devin" last="Williams"] and [player_tooltip player_id="994950" first="Aaron" last="McBride"], but the fifth starter on that team was one of the more important players in the Huskies' run to the CIF Southern Section and State Open Division championships. Huff is a knock-down three-point shooter and lock-down defender who spent the majority of his season guarding the opponents best perimeter offensive player, including No. 1 overall prospect [player_tooltip player_id="748740" first="Amari" last="Bailey"] of Sierra Canyon in the CIF-SS Open Final. Huff also scored 20 points in that came and made a number of big time shots for Centennial throughout the season.</p>