Fall league basketball has taken itself to new heights, especially on the West Coast. Since the COVID pandemic, many players throughout the nation were left without anywhere to play during the fall and winter of 2020. While many states were shut down under state and county mandated precautions at that time, states such as Arizona were still wide open, enabling a floodgate of hoops to take place. Fast forward five years and fall basketball has become a fixture on the west coast and LA’s finest event took place this week: The HS Fall Invite.
Held at gyms throughout the City of Angels, the HS Fall Invite blended many of SoCal’s finest against some of the best prep schools on the west coast. Elite Hoops Association founder Julius Von Hanzlik, event operator Gabe Hekmatniaz and NXT Up Hoops did an amazing job of getting people in the building, too. With over 100 D-1 coaches and countless media lining the baselines, the HS Fall invite not only provided a platform for players to receive media exposure, but also to obtain D-1 Scholarships.
With the event running Tuesday through Sunday, we were only able to catch the first four days, but that was more than enough to see the abundance of talent that the HS Fall Invite had to offer.
Having already profiled the top performers in the 2026 class, we now break down the top 2027 players we saw in Los Angeles:
DeMarcus Henry, 6’8, SF, AZ Compass Prep (Ariz.)
AZ Compass Prep’s latest transfer from SoCal showed everyone at the HS Fall Invite why he is quickly trending towards five star status. An electric lefty wing, Henry has a silky smooth jumper, can score with limited dribbles from the perimeter, and has the athleticism to finish over the top of you. The son of former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry has a great bloodline to match the ideal offensive arsenal of a jumbo swingman.
Paul Osaruyi, 6’10, PF/C, CIA Bella Vista (Ariz.)
The highest ranked junior that the Fall HS Invite had to offer certainly showed the immense talent that has made him a consensus top-3 player in the class of 2027 nationally. The Canadian big man is a freak athlete who changes the game on both ends, has surprising range out to the 3-point line, and is just beginning to tap in to the immense potential he has. Having already played up with the Canadian National Team many years, Osaruyi is on track to be Canada’s next major NBA prospect.
Gene Roebuck, 6’5, SG, La Mirada HS (Calif.)
Perhaps the most reliable scoring guard in the class of 2027, Roebuck lived up to his reputation by dropping 40 points in his opening game at the HS Fall Invite. The super physical guard looked to initiate contact at any available opportunity, posted smaller guards, and shot the lights out from 3-point range. Gene’s combination of constant productivity and shooting touch have made him a consensus top-25 player in the class of 2027.
Cherif Millogo, 7’4, C, St. Francis HS (Calif.)
The tallest player that the event had to offer showed why there is so much buzz surrounding him, even in an age when there are cameras at just about every game. Having missed his entire sophomore season with a knee injury, Millogo was a bit of a mystery man leading up to the HS Fall Invite. The giant big man showed off absolutely remarkable agility for a player of his stature, utilized his length to change the game defensively, and showed surprising touch facing the basket. Georgia, Syracuse, and Alabama were the first three programs to put offers on the table for the Burkina Faso product, but certainly won’t be the last as he takes of Mission League completion in 2025-26 (Sierra Canyon, Harvard-Westlake, Notre Dame, etc.).
O.J. Popoola, 6’5, SF, Palisades Charter HS (Calif.)
One of the best two way wings with size was Popoola, a junior transfer from Voaygeur College Prep in Detroit. The athletic lefty exhibited a reliable 3-point shot with his feet set, was a monster finisher in transition, and had no problem playing above the rim on both ends of the floor. The son of former UNLV guard Christian Popoola holds offers from UNLV, Cal, Oregon State, and Arizona State and has a talented twin brother, E.J., who is roughly the but is a right-handed wing.
Christian Rogers, 5’9, PG, Campbell Hall HS (Calif.)
While there were many players who had bigger names, Christian Rogers showed that he could hold his own versus the plethora of talent that Bella Vista Prep had at the HS Fall Invite. A leader on both ends of the floor, Rogers showed off incredibly quick hands defensively, exhibited no shortage of confidence as a shot maker, and brought infectious energy on both ends of the hardwood. While he may not be the biggest guy, Rogers is the type of player who will give opposing lead guards fits in Southern California.
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