EASTVALE — Brayden Burries could have thrown out any number of words to describe the motivation behind his first season playing for the Roosevelt boys basketball program.
But the word he ultimately settled on and repeated a number of times was “grateful.”
Burries burst onto the Inland basketball scene during the 2021-22 season, when he was a freshman at Riverside Poly, earning All-Inland first-team honors in his debut campaign. But things quickly came crashing down after Poly’s basketball program was placed on probation for violating a handful of CIF Southern Section rules. Burries had transferred to Roosevelt when the ruling came down, but the Southern Section declared him ineligible for the 2022-23 season.
Although he could not suit up in games for the Mustangs last season, Burries continued to work hard at his craft and help his new teammates improve. And when the time finally came to slip on that Roosevelt jersey this season, he was ready to make up for lost time.
Burries, a 6-foot-4 guard, averaged 24.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.7 steals per game in his return to the court. He helped the Mustangs win the Big VIII League title for the first time in seven years, and Roosevelt also reached the championship games of the CIF Southern Section Open Division playoffs and the CIF State Open Division regional playoffs.
For that, Burries has been chosen as the IE Varsity Boys Basketball Player of the Year.
“I was definitely motivated after missing last season, but most of all I was just grateful to be playing again,” said Burries, who is widely considered one of the nation’s top players in the 2025 recruiting class. “I wanted to give my very best every game and not take anything for granted.”
Roosevelt coach Stephen Singleton was impressed with how Burries handled last year’s situation.
“I know it really had to hurt, not being able to be out there and playing the game he loves,” Singleton said. “But it didn’t stop him from taking care of his business and taking advantage of time to get better.
“And when this season approached, I saw a laser focus in his eyes. He had goals for himself and the team and did whatever it took to achieve those.”
Burries showed very little rust upon his return, as he scored 31, 35 and 33 points in his first three games of the season. He averaged 23.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game in helping Roosevelt claim the Platinum Division title at the prestigious Classic at Damien. Burries capped his junior season by averaging 21.2 points per game in CIF postseason tournaments.
Despite those spectacular individual numbers, Burries was focused on team success.
“The most important thing for us during the season was the trust we had for each other,” said Burries, whose father, Bobby, was a star basketball player at Pacific High School in San Bernardino and then at San Bernardino Valley College and Cal State San Bernardino.
Singleton was impressed when he saw Brayden Burries play a handful of games during that freshman year at Poly, but said Burries has developed into a more-rounded player over the past two years.
“Back then, he did a majority of his scoring inside or driving to the basket,” Singleton recalled. “I think his shooting touch has really improved, and he has become a versatile scorer without sacrificing any part of his game.”
After the tradition high school season came to an end, Roosevelt competed as “The Vale” at The Throne, an invitational event featuring 16 of the top high school teams in the nation. Burries averaged 27 points and eight rebounds per game, and Roosevelt won the title by beating Columbus (Miami), which was MaxPreps.com’s No. 1-ranked team in the nation at that time.
Roosevelt came up just short in its two meetings against Harvard-Westlake this past season, but the Mustangs will be returning several key starters, including Burries, next season.
“We want to get the job done next year and take care of unfinished business,” Burries said.
IE VARSITY COACH OF THE YEAR
James Profit, Temecula Valley
James Profit guided to the Temecula Valley boys basketball team to one of the most successful seasons in program history.
Profit has been a coach in the program for a decade and took the reins by himself at the start of the 2021-22 season. Temecula Valley endured seasons with 1-27 and 3-25 records, but Profit stayed the course and his faith never wavered because he knew a renaissance was coming.
A group of young talented players, including Profit’s son Jeremiah, put all of the pieces together this season. After going winless for two years against Southwestern League competition, the Golden Bears remained in contention for the league championship until the final game of the regular season and finished tied for second place in the final standings.
Temecula Valley went on to capture the CIF Southern Section’s Division 4A championship, marking the first section title in the program’s 38-year history.
IE VARSITY FIRST TEAM
Carter Bryant, Centennial, Sr.
Brayden Burries, Roosevelt, Jr. (Player of the Year)
Amare Campbell, Etiwanda, Sr.
Eric Freeny, Centennial, Sr.
Nate Garcia, Damien, Jr.
Aaron Glass, Rancho Cucamonga, Jr.
Lincoln Liggins, Arlington, Jr.
Clayton Mpiana, Arrowhead Christian Academy, Sr.
Jeremiah Profit, Temecula Valley, Fr.
Darnez Slater, Roosevelt, Sr.
Jermaine Washington, Rancho Verde, Sr.
Issac Williamson, Roosevelt, Jr.
IE VARSITY SECOND TEAM
Brian Amuneke, Rancho Christian, Sr.
Aiden Chavez, Upland, Sr.
Xavier Clinton, Damien, Sr.
James Croy, Riverside Poly, So.
Bol Dhieu, Aquinas, Sr.
Avant Gilmore, Temescal Canyon, Sr.
Christian Harris, Etiwanda, Sr.
Jeremiah Ivens, Redlands East Valley, Sr.
Isaiah Rogers, Centennial, So.
McKel Shedrick, Hillcrest, Jr.
Parker Steffen, Murrieta Valley, Jr.
Myles Walker, Roosevelt, Jr.
