The Sacramento Dragons’ William Phillips slaps hands with teammates after a foul in the first half against the Vanden Vikings on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, in Sacramento.
JOSÉ LUIS VILLEGAS
jvillegas@sacbee.com
The first thing you might notice about William Phillips is his length and how well it goes with his skill set and tenacity. He looks like a man amongst boy, when, really, he is a boy running with boys.
This is what you would call a 5-star recruit, and in a flash, you might see Phillips use his 6-foot-8 frame to take a defender off the dribble and deliver a thunder dunk down the lane, and then hustle back to guard the ball. He is the power source that fuels the Sacramento High School Dragons and electrifies inside the Oak Park School’s famed Dave Hotell Pavilion.
He is the best player on the storied Dragons roster, and he may some day wind up having his jersey retired and placed on the gym wall next to the school’s greatest player in Kevin Johnson, who starred for the Dragons in the early 1980s and had a long NBA career before becoming mayor of his home city. Also this: Phillips is just a freshman.
He is one of a roster-long list of Sacramento-area freshmen who have bolstered their teams this season and loom as dangerous X-factors in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs that started this week.
The Sacramento Dragons’ William Phillips scores a basket in the first half against the Vanden Vikings on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, in Sacramento. JOSÉ LUIS VILLEGAS jvillegas@sacbee.com
“A great player, a great kid, a joy to coach, and he’s just one of a few freshmen who have been great,” Sacramento coach Sidney Duplessis said. “Sky’s the limit for him.”
And for all of them.
The other first-year prep marvels include:
Juleeyan Williams, Monterey Trail: a 6-3 guard who led the Division I Mustangs in scoring with just under 22 a game and scorched Sacramento Bee No. 1-ranked Sheldon for 41 points late in the Delta League season, including 18 of his team’s 21 fourth-quarter points.
Keyaan Moulla, Del Oro: a 6-8 forward with guard skills who leads the Division II Golden Eagles of Loomis in rebounding at 8.2 and is second in scoring at 13.7.
Kamasi Collins, Vanden: a 6-1 guard who excels on defense for the Division I Vikings of Fairfield.
Jaden DeJesus-Eves, Christian Brothers: a 6-8 forward/center for the Division III Falcons who provides a defensive presence as a shot blocker.
Marvin Crump of Grant: A 6-1 guard who leads the Division II Pacers of Del Paso Heights in assists with 8.1.
Marcus Harris of Natomas: A 6-4 forward who is averaging 12.4 points and a team-high 7.1 rebounds for the Division IV Nighthawks.
Time will tell if this turns out to be an all-time class for Sacramento-area basketball, but the early returns are clear. Rarely if ever has this region had so many impressive first-year prep players.
But will they stay? Sacramento has had star players start their prep careers locally over the years only to get lured away to a prep school or a program out of state, usually with the promise of more exposure to enhance their recruiting profile.
Area coaches agree that any suggestion that a star prospect has to attend a state-ranked powerhouse program to gain recruiting attention is a reach. Coaches argue that players with exceptional talent, skill and grades will be on the recruiting radar.
Regional coaches who have top freshmen said they work together to keep their players home.
“Will they stay? That’s the question,” Natomas coach Brian McKenzie said. “I’m doing what I can, working with coaches and other outside organizations, whether it’s summer AAU basketball, whether it’s the media, to give these freshmen the exposure that they need to feel that being here is enough.”
Monterey Trail coach Robert Fields said his star guard Williams isn’t just the top freshman in the section but “arguably the best player, too.”
But will he stay? Fields flinched after last season when his top player transferred to a school in Nevada. It was Devaughn Dorrough, a 6-8 forward who led the Mustangs in scoring (16.1) and rebounding (10) as a freshman.
“I think this section has three nationally ranked freshmen in Juleeyan Williams, William Phillips and Somoto Patrick of Modesto Christian,” Fields said. “We have the training, the coaches and competition here locally for them to all stay as a big fish, and maybe attract other talent.”
The Monterey Trail Mustangs’ Juleeyan Williams (5) dribbles as the Sheldon Huskies’ Kejshaun Brooks (5) plays defense on him on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. JOSÉ LUIS VILLEGAS jvillegas@sacbee.com Work ethic mixed with talent
A common thread for the Fab Freshmen crop is work ethic. It’s one thing to have talent and size, but what separates players is how much they time spend on their game — conditioning, lifting weights, putting up shots, their studies in school, etc.
Phillips of Sac High said, “I live for basketball.” Williams of Monterey Trail said, “This is what I do. I love it.”
“The 2029 class really shows how much these kids are taking pride in working out and developing early,” said Fields, the Monterey Trail coach. “A lot of these guys in the 2029 class are the most varsity-ready I’ve seen. They have a chance to not only play at the next level in college but to be impactful guys. As a fan, I hope they all stay put.”
The idea of four-year varsity starters locally was foreign until recent years. It was a novelty of sorts when Vic Minnifield of Burbank was a four-year starting center in the early 1980s, or when Matt Barnes excelled as a four-year guard/wing for Del Campo in the 1990s before embarking on a long NBA career.
Current area senior stars who played all four years at one school include guards Manno Jenkins of Natomas, Andre Gomez of Grant and Aiden Rollins of Franklin and forward Max Vanlaningham of Woodcreek. All of them expect to play in college. VanLaningham has signed a scholarship package with Long Beach State.
To stay or leave: ‘It’s up to him’
If it seems as if Phillips suddenly dropped out of the sky at Sac High this winter, it’s somewhat true.
He was homeschooled by his parents growing up in Placer County before his arrival to Sac High, where Williams said he fits right in on the diversified campus. That he happens to be a draw on campus with his engaging personality and excellence in his classwork and is a fan favorite of scores of students at home games is the double bonus. It’s good to be seen, Phillips said, and it’s especially good to be appreciated.
“I want to create my own legacy here, as a Sac High Dragon,” Phillips said, sounding more mature than his years, including in good manners and expression of feelings. “All of us in the 2029 class, the freshmen, I think we’d like to stay where we are. I love the Sac Hi community, the alumni that come by.”
The Sacramento Dragons’ William Phillips implores the crowd late in the fourth quarter in their game against the Vanden Vikings on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, in Sacramento. JOSÉ LUIS VILLEGAS jvillegas@sacbee.com
Phillips’ father, Bobby Phillips, has followed his son’s basketball journey from the start, from when little Phillips first latched onto a ball at 3. Then the kid grew, and grew. Little Phillips soon became Longer Phillips. He had a 6-inch growth spurt in middle school when he was already hooked on hoops — working on his dribble, his shot, his post moves.
Bobby Phillips also shares wisdom with his son. He was a 6-7 prep star in North Carolina who earned all-conference honors when he played forward for NCAA Division I Western Carolina in the late 1990s.
“It’s his decision where he wants to play in high school,” Bobby Phillips said. “I will help him along the way. It’s been great here. He’s happy.”
As for the bumper crop of freshmen in the region, the father of perhaps the best one of the lot in Mr. Phillips said, “It’s testament to the talent in the area. It’s exciting to see.”
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Joe Davidson has covered sports for The Sacramento Bee since 1989: preps, colleges, Kings and features. He was in early 2024 named the National Sports Media Association Sports Writer of the Year for California and he was in the fall of 2024 inducted into the California High School Football Hall of Fame. He is a 14-time award winner from the California Prep Sports Writer Association. In 2021, he was honored with the CIF Distinguished Service award. He is a member of the California Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Davidson participated in football and track in Oregon.