If you were scrolling through Instagram in 2016, you probably saw a kid with a cherry-red mohawk and a jumper that didn't miss. That was the Chino Hills era. It was loud, it was fast, and at the center of the scoring hurricane was the middle brother. People talk a lot about Lonzo’s passing and Melo’s flash, but honestly, LiAngelo Ball high school highlights were something else entirely. He wasn't just a role player. He was a 6-foot-5, 230-pound human bucket who basically lived at the three-point line and the low block.
The hype was real.
Think about a public high school team finishing 35-0 and being named mythical national champions. That doesn’t just happen. While Lonzo was the engine, Gelo was the heavy artillery. He led that legendary 2015-16 team in scoring, averaging 27.4 points per game. That’s wild when you realize he was sharing the court with two future NBA top-three picks. He just had this way of finding space.
The 72-Point Night and the Chino Hills System
You’ve probably heard the "cherry-picking" rumors. Critics loved to say the LiAngelo Ball high school stats were inflated because he’d just hang out at the other end of the court. Was there some of that? Sure. Coach Steve Baik’s system was built on 94 feet of chaos. But you don't drop 72 points in a single game by just standing around.
On November 30, 2016, against Rancho Christian, Gelo went nuclear.
- 72 points.
- 13 three-pointers.
- Back-to-back nights of 50+.
It was the tenth-most points ever scored in a California high school game. The gym was packed. The energy was vibrating. He wasn't just shooting; he was bullying defenders. Because of his size, he could post up smaller guards and then step out and hit a 30-footer with a hand in his face. It was "must-watch" basketball before every kid had a TikTok account.
Why Scouts Were Skeptical
Despite the video game numbers, the recruiting world wasn't sold. It's kinda funny looking back. While Lonzo was a five-star and Melo was a phenom, LiAngelo was a consensus three-star recruit. 247Sports had him ranked 183rd nationally.
Scouts pointed at his "lack of elite athleticism" and "below-the-rim" play. They weren't wrong about the vertical, but they ignored the sheer strength. He was a tank. He committed to UCLA early, on April 21, 2015, basically ensuring the Ball brothers' legacy would continue in Westwood. Or so we thought.
More Than Just a Shooter
People forget that Gelo’s senior year was actually statistically more dominant than the undefeated junior run. Without Lonzo feeding him, he had to create more. He led the entire state of California in scoring, putting up 33.8 points per game.
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He was named the San Bernardino Sun and Inland Valley Daily Bulletin All-Area Player of the Year. He was a first-team All-State selection. The guy was decorated. If you look at the raw production of LiAngelo Ball high school years, it stacks up against almost anyone in Southern California history.
- 2013-14: Started as a freshman alongside Lonzo.
- 2015-16: National Champion, 35-0 record, leading scorer.
- 2016-17: California scoring leader (33.8 PPG).
It wasn't all just points, either. He was a reliable piece of a defense that thrived on steals and transition. He knew where to be. He was the bridge between Lonzo’s era and Melo’s takeover.
The Legacy of the "Big Three"
There’s this one photo of the three brothers holding the CIF Southern Section Open Division trophy in 2016. They had just routed Sierra Canyon 105-83. Gelo had 31 that night. It feels like a lifetime ago, especially with everything that happened later in China and Lithuania. But in that moment, in that Chino Hills gym, he was the king of the Inland Empire.
If you want to understand the Ball family's impact on basketball culture, you have to start with those Chino Hills games. They changed how high school hoops were covered. They made every game an event. LiAngelo wasn't the "other" brother then; he was the finisher.
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Actionable Insights for Scouting and Legacy
- Production vs. Projection: Gelo is the ultimate case study in why high school stats don't always equal NBA draft stock. He was a dominant high school player whose game lacked the lateral quickness scouts crave.
- System Fit: His success shows how a specific offensive system (high-pace, high-volume) can maximize a player’s scoring floor.
- Watch the Tape: Don't just look at the 72-point box score. Watch the 2016 State Championship game against De La Salle to see how he functioned within a winning, disciplined structure.
If you’re looking to dive deeper into that era, check out the archived MaxPreps leaderboards from 2017. You’ll see his name sitting right at the top, a permanent reminder of a time when the Ball brothers owned the court.