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It’s been four years since Ziaire Williams hit the buzzer beater.
Sierra Canyon’s Bronny James was a freshman when Williams, who now plays for the Memphis Grizzlies, capped off a miraculous comeback to help the Trailblazers take down Etiwanda in the CIF State Open Division Southern California regional final at Cal State Northridge in February of 2020. The program punched a ticket to Sacramento for a third straight time, priming itself for an attempt at a third consecutive state title.
The game never happened.
Ziaire Williams with the buzzer beater! Sierra Canyon wins 63-61. Trailblazers use a 13-0 run to comeback and advance to third state CIF State Open Division title game. UNREAL finish. pic.twitter.com/BacgD5nFEs
— Tarek Fattal (@Tarek_Fattal) March 11, 2020
Just a few days later, the CIF State office canceled the state high school basketball championships at the Golden 1 Center, home of the NBA’s Sacramento Kings, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Bronny James and the Trailblazers never got to play the season’s final game for the ultimate prize.
James is now a senior. He’s the captain and leader of the team. He’s been named a McDonald’s All-American.
He’s finally starting to show it.
“His increased level of play has been tremendous,” Sierra Canyon coach Andre Chevalier said. “But, more so, his increased level of leadership has been more impactful. He’s had a louder voice.”
Fattal: Sierra Canyon basketball’s Bronny James leads by example in a contagious way
James has a chance to play in the game he never got to four years ago if he can lead the Trailblazers to victory over Notre Dame in the regional final Tuesday night in Sherman Oaks at 7 p.m. Winner will head to Sacramento to play in the Division I state final.
A win could provide James with the biggest win of his career, given Notre Dame has beaten Sierra Canyon three times already this season – all coming since the new year turned. Notre Dame is led by Duke-bound Caleb Foster, Gonzaga signee Dusty Stromer and Houston commit Mercy Miller.
The dynamic guard has been providing proof that he can impact winning – and is deserving of the All-American selection – as of late after Sierra Canyon lost all three CIF Southern Section Open Division playoff games to Corona Centennial (68-63), Bishop Montgomery (51-49) and Notre Dame (70-53).
James, who was recently projected a Top 10 NBA Draft pick in 2024 by ESPN, scored 13, 11 and 11 points in those three losses, respectively, without backcourt mate and 5-star recruit Isaiah Elohim to help. Elohim has been out the entire postseason due to injury. James was on a minutes restriction after coming off injury, limited to 20 minutes per game. During the state playoffs, his restriction has been loosened.
James has come to life when his team needs him most during the state playoffs. Although Sierra Canyon dropped from the Southern Section’s Open Division to the CIF State’s Division I field, the victories and performances have come against Open Division-quality teams.
“We’ve been pushing him to be more aggressive,” Chevalier said. “With Isaiah (Elohim) and Justin Pippen out, he has to be.”
In win-or-go-home playoff settings, James played a great floor game in a convincing win over City Section champion Taft, 84-47, scoring 13 points with no turnovers in essentially three quarters.
He scored a game-high 21 points in a regional quarterfinal win over Etiwanda, 61-55, adding eight rebounds, six assists and three steals. Then James led Sierra Canyon to a revengeful, convincing win at Bishop Montgomery, 64-47, in the regional semifinal notching a team-high 16 points with seven rebounds and five assists.
Heading into the regional final, James is averaging 14.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists per game.
James has yet to decide where he’ll play in college, but it’s been reported his final three choices are Oregon, USC and Ohio State.