Your San Diego Freshman Yearbook - a 2027 Class Preview
The class of 2027 enters into high school with some pretty big shoes to fill.
Last year, a record number of freshmen contributed at every level of high school hoops in San Diego, including four players that averaged at least 15 points per game - Juju Lebel, Jayden Gray, CJ Aldrich and Alex Williams - and a fifth who played a significant role on an Open Division contender - Ty Ingram.
Can this year's crop of freshmen come close to this level of achievement?
Surprisingly, maybe.
Already, the class has a player who has multiple Division 1 offers before playing an official high school game - Tavid Lee Johnson - which hasn't been seen in SD since Mikey Williams.
Several others will play significant roles on Open Division stalwarts, while still others will make their mark on smaller school programs.
Who are some of the names to know now and others to keep an eye on down the road?
We've got you covered. Here is your Class of 2027 Yearbook.
Most Likely To Succeed
As alluded to, 6-1 guard Tavid Lee Johnson enters high school as one of the most anticipated prospects in some time due to his breakout summer, where he led a resurgent Francis Parker program to some solid performances at Boys California Live and the SDSU Team Camps and followed it up with a strong summer playing up on West Coast Elite San Diego's 15u team. He's got a prepubescent face - which makes sense as he turned 14 in late May - and looks like he's not done growing. It's this combination of productivity and upside that has caught the attention of several colleges which have extended offers - Cal Poly, South Carolina State, UC San Diego and Eastern Washington.
But the class has some very good star power alongside him.
6-5 Anthony Etheridge and 6-3 Drew Parker are carving out potential starting roles at St. Augustine, which is vying for a third consecutive Open Division title. Etheridge, who is one of the most athletic wing prospects the city has produced in some time and Parker, the half brother of NBA standout Terrence Ross, have loads of upside as well.
Speaking of athleticism, El Camino boasts another extremely athletic and upside-laden prospect in 6-5 Justin Johnson, who has elite bloodlines (his dad Joey starred for Arizona State, his uncle is the late NBA great Dennis Johnson and his brother Nick was a star at the University of Arizona) and a silky smooth lefty jumpshot.
Mater Dei Catholic has a 6-7 specimen in Enock Okito, who excels as a rim runner, shot blocker and rebounder but has solid face-up skills and shooting touch out to the midrange.
And at San Marcos, 6-1 guard Richie Ramirez and 6-5 wing Jackson McCall (pictured) are both high-level players and prospects. Ramirez is a tough-and-skilled lead guard while McCall is a versatile hybrid forward who has a terrific feel for the game and is also not done growing.
