On April 14, 2025, legendary Etiwanda girls head coach Stan Delus, this past CIF state chip winner, came up to give our guy Ontario Christian coach Aundre “Dre” Cummings a huge “bro hug/dap-dap” playfully at The Sports Academy in Thousands Oaks.
“I see you have my ring on bro.” Dre says in a respectful way. Stan answers, “You guys have a chance to go for yours next year my guy Dre.”
They are both such great friends with this immense passion for the game that sets them both on fire like few will ever know.
Dre is that most humble man if you get to truly know him well enough and if he ever lets you in on his inner thoughts as I have been granted that special privilege. You’ll hear him speak to people in an uplifting tonal language that is singularly spiritual.
His unbelievable manner of speech could rival the best and most confident preacher on a righteous Sunday you could say.
I asked his 7 Days AAU player Marquis about coach Dre. “Coach Dre gets me and everyone going; we’ll never find another like him.”
Yes this is a story of Ontario Christian girls basketball, but it’s so much more.
To really understand the Ontario Christian team, you have to get to know its core. They are savage in motion, which to be sure is a compliment. They are also subtle and loving to one another, which is their calling card.
Dre has this extreme humility with his super swag haircut. He’s as lean as a gazelle with his cut athletic frame. Couple that with his unabashed booming self confidence and chest out at all times attitude. He wears his heart on his sleeve.
There’s always that fashion on his feet, but he realizes like all the greats, that hotness comes from within. He can be wearing just a simple white tee but everyone will be drawn to him and his teams like a black hole.
The hoop community has maybe 500 movers and shakers that Dre and I know implicitly. I know that 97% of them would say Dre is that guy and he’s really killin it with his high profile and training success, an astounding team achievement as well.
His daughter Kaleena’s personal and the family’s success are things that the vast majority of insiders love about him and Ontario Christian.
But the jealous ones? Ones that can’t handle the brash upstart mentality of Dre?
Dre doesn’t have time for them I assume. Me or the rest of the world can hardly get Dre on the phone. Lol. Haters don’t get to Dre; he uses them for motivation I imagine. He’s too busy living in the positive.
#salute salute to that, D
Dre is called Duke by close friends from back in the day. Most who know him say to know Dre is to love him because you just want to roll with his endless and boundless passion.
D’s constant on-the-go could be described by this line from my fav group from the 90’s & 2000’s Public Enemy: “Juice on the loose, electric wire.”
So where does Dre exist? See him train his young charges, feel their undying appreciable and zealous synergy that manifests pure fye! Dre lives on the edge of infinity. I know legions that would follow him anywhere, as he’s a real one molding lives indeed.
Rewind to pre-season. The female prep world across the country is watching the crazy talented Ontario Christian team stalk Etiwanda for the #1 preseason ranking for the upcoming season. All will be watching to see when Ontario plays Monte Verde Prep and Arch Mitty Prep at the beginning of the season, marching for that #1 nation ranking.
Their team as you look on YouTube is lit aflame with viewers fielding for more and more smoke from the 2nd year prodigal genius coach Dre. He earned Naismith Coach of the Year this past year people.
Our guy Stan Delus, who has been MaxPreps coach of the year many times, is on that same hunt as Dre for the national championship and has this inner belief that he holds in his heart against all odds that he will win it this year.
Stan, with whom I’m very close, I respect a lot for what he has done as a coach and as a fellow teacher for decades.
Stan’s Etiwanda team is a Jordan Brand-affiliated powerhouse that has had a stable of incredible players like Kennedy Smith (USC) and last year’s duo of Grace Knox heading to LSU, Puff Morris heading to Cal. Both were Mickey D’s picks.
Etiwanda has a rising senior in scoring dynamo Arynn Finley who is a top 30 ESPN in the nation killa who I believe will be top 15 when it’s all said and done. And you can’t forget about rising junior guard Chas Rice for Etiwanda who is amazing!
Yessir, Ontario won 2/3 of the match ups with Etiwanda this past year and played pretty phenomenal ball all season long, being ranked #1 by MaxPreps about 80% of the year.
What does all this have to do with the Fab Five 2.0 phrase in the article title, E-Woods?
I label Ontario Christian as the Fab Five 2.0 as a result of my convo with one of Michigan’s Fab Five, Jalen Rose. I told him I’d find a young team that was as good as his one day and call them pure enough to earn the crown of 2.0.
I believe Ontario will win 4 mythical national prep championships in a row, something that has never happened. From my research, I’ve seen only 2 chips in a row from a team. It’s crazy hard to earn even one.
The fact that this extremely young team was being ranked #1 by MaxPreps all year and was playing the best ball in my earnest opinion 80% of the year makes it seem like they have earned the 1st of 4 chips in my scenario.
In this article, the reader will read the quotes of all the heartfelt words of some of the players, and the coaches of Ontario Christian, all great people as well. There is no objective way to crown a national prep hoops champ, people.
Not from just the rankings of MaxPreps or the records to view. You have to be a long, long time expert of the game maybe like your guy E-Woods who has been real to the to game.
Real powers in the past? Two schools have won the Geico National Championship twice: Riverdale Baptist (MD) in 2012 and 2014, and Miami Country Day (FL) in 2015 and 2017. This Geico tourney invites ultra elite teams to crown a winner.
SoCal Sierra Canyon won the mythical chip once a couple years ago off MaxPreps rankings. Etiwanda won it 2 years ago and had ESPN write a story saying they won it, as did the Sporting News.
Ontario Christian?
As I said, they were atop MaxPreps rankings 80% of the past year, and now have more young talent on their roster than one can ever dream of. They play a brand of exciting and unbelievably fast and hard pressing style basketball that has never been seen in America by youngsters their age.
Not even Haley Jones’ two National Chips in 2017 and 2018 come close to the Ontario Christian brand of basketball. I’ve know some of the UNLV Running Rebel players of the 90’s and Ontario is built to destroy like Larry Johnson’s “Grandma-ma” minus the wig.
I don’t think anyone can argue with my point. Come on Steven A, want to argue, bro?
Why do I think this Ontario Christian squad is potentially the best team ever in high school girls basketball? Why will they continue to dominate into the future as they did last season when they beat almost everything out in front of them with their astounding 30-2 season?
That’s right, people, 30-2 vs all the best teams including blowing out National Player of the Year Aaliyah Chavez’s Monterey High’s #19 ranked team by 32. Ontario beat top rated Duncanville in Texas by 42 and also most average teams they played by 40 to 50 all season long.
Do you know how ridiculous that is in girls prep basketball these days?
Their roster wasn’t brought in from overseas, or from out of state, just from young ladies on the block with MJ-, K-Durant-, Kyrie-, Kawhi-type 2-way players that all love each other and have so much fun. Young killas no one ever has ever seen at such a young age on one squad manifesting mass destruction in 32 defined games!
Next season I, and other expert team evaluators predict, that Ontario Christian will beat its average competition by an average of 50-60 points. Most teams do what’s called “dip and dodge” which is try not to play them. They don’t want to see all that smoke and how their team will match up vs. Ontario until the playoffs.
Next year, evaluators and other experts predict that even the national ranked teams around the country will still likely get beat by Ontario by 20-30 points on a given night. Many of the top ranked local teams like Mater Dei and Etiwanda lost key players.
If you look at this past season, OC only got beat by Etiwanda by 5 one game, and Archbishop Mitty early in the season before they could gel together as a team you could say.
How did Ontario manifest this incredible 30-2 season to the basketball gods with 2 freshmen, 2 sophomores, 1 senior in the lineup? Three simple words. Love, Faith, and Sisterhood. It’s just that simple people.
Why is your humble writer E-Woods the absolute perfect person to tell this story? I feel absolutely honored to have been watching the progress of Ontario Christian since they were in 7th grade.
I’ve been working to support them by writing their personal stories as they’ve allowed me to, like Kaleena “Special K” Smith in 6th grade and Sydney Douglas in 7th. I feel I’m a very close friend to their families.
But I’ve also been close to Tati Griffin, Dani Robinson, and Alanna Neale’s families for many years. I love em all so much, they inspire me and many other hoopers around the nation that tell me that to be sure.
I call some of these awesome families I mentioned every couple weeks out of pure fun. We bubble ideas to help them and I link them to colleges that are really interested in them since they were in 7th grade 4 years ago. We’re all just family.
I talk to players in no particular order like Kaleena Smith, Syd Douglas, Tati Griffin who got offers from elite colleges like South Carolina and UCLA in 7th grade. Completely unheard of and unprecedented.
It’s mind blowing to people because these three players racked up like 25-35 offers from the best colleges in the nation by the time they were each freshmen.
This is supposed to be a story about Ontario Christian being Michigan’s Fab Five 2.0. You’re prolly wondering how I can compare them. Well, my childhood favorite team that was as old as me in college in 92’-95’ was Ray Jackson, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King and Chris Webber.
As Nina Simone would sing to be Young, Gifted, and Black, that insanely and unapologetically talented Fab Five team had crazy swag, skill, and athleticism, as they made it to the National Championship game as freshmen.
But more, they forever changed the hoop culture as an icon squad that took on convention by igniting the air huaraches and black socks and vibe that were coming into your town and not waiting their turn for success!
That’s Ontario Christian people, they’re not waiting, at all. I played Tati, me a fully 6-5 grown man vs. her when she was a 7th grader and she beat me 15-0 in a one on one match like right quick!
Sydney Douglas who is an inch taller than me would’ve beat me as well, Kaleena would’ve popped that J on me to death, and Dani too most likely, people. I know when to give it up vs. elites, people! Lol.
I was talking to my guy Jalen Rose, the point guard of the Fab Five, in Santa Monica about 7 years ago in a cafe. He broke down how the brotherhood that made up his team broke the mold of what a youth movement could achieve.
I told J, “I will one day find a team that meets the 10-point criteria that was what y’all manifested to the world, a team that is worthy of me using the title of Fab Five 2.0 my bro.”
The thing the reader has to feel that drove the Fab 5 is also what now drives the Ontario Christian girls squad. It is love, love, love for each other and for the game. It’s also the faith, faith, and extra helping of faith that emanates out of such a dope person and coach like coach Dre Cummings.
J-Rose left me that day at the Promenade in Santa Monica saying “I hope you find a team one day that mirrored what we at Michigan were trying to do as teammates bro, use that title on em”. He added, “Good luck to you E-Woods.”
#that’s love J
Ontario Christian won’t have to worry about players bouncing to other programs. I’ve talked to most of the players’ families and they all tell me that they are 100% all in and not leaving to another program anywhere.
They feel Ontario Christian offers a great education, preparation for the college academics and the rigor of the game. It’s love amongst each other, and the best show in town.
These young women put in so much blood sweat and tears and they all have ambitions to play in the WNBA. All 3 of the transcendent stars are getting their mad skills sharpened like a ninja knife to be sure.
Kaleena has her unbelievably talented father Dre that is an incredibly talented trainer and motivator for the ages to push her to unprecedented levels of success. Syd and Tati have also trained with other good trainers, and have recently been getting down with world famous trainer the GuardWhisperer, our guy Olin Simplis.
Olin is that Mt Everest of LA trainers, who trains phenom ballers like next level NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander among many others he treats like fam.
That’s why I see Tati being unstoppable for the rest of her career, she has that ice in her veins, she brings mad motor and energy to the fray and an outside jumper that didn’t quit this past season.
Hear in your heart Tati’s words about the team she cherishes, “Our goal is to win as many state championships as possible. I want to win them for the older players before they graduate and won’t have as many chances as I will. This team makes me very happy. I feel this team is about chemistry and I appreciate them a lot.”
Syd was that down low and outside presence that killed it in game. She drew all the double and triple teams to allow others to operate at their 100%. Her abilities freed up everyone else’s game. Syd’s outside jumpers gave everyone a taste of what was to come.
Feel Syd’s words about her team, “I’m so proud of my team coming out. We were always getting ready for the next game!”
Here’s my story on Syd when she was in the 7th grade:
Syd’s younger sis London is a great young person and monster player rising into the 8th grade soon. When little sis comes in a couple years and joins the party? Think more runs at more state titles with other players that will surely want to join London, whose nickname is “Londy Ride.”
With the two Douglas sisters, think Lauren Betts combining with her younger sis Sienna as a power combo at UCLA.
It’s like the legendary group for the ages prophet turned poet Public Enemy says in their song Don’t Believe The Hype:
Used, abused without clues
I refused to blow a fuse
They even had it on the news
Don't believe the hype
#it’s a sequel
Kaleena Smith just might be the most popular and most appreciated player in the whole country. She was the best player in the country as a freshman bar none. She showed she could average a 25 ball and dish out mad assists to go with her wicked handle and beyond belief IQ.
Let’s vibe the incredible words of Kaleena about the team she loves, “This team is about our bond we share. We always put God first, that puts us in a good position. We want to be able to take advantage when we have an opportunity. What is it really all about? It is really all about sisterhood!”
My Kaleena fye story when she was in 6th grade:
(https://californiapreps.rivals.com/news/the-baby-baller-takeover-smoke-smoke-smoke)
I talk to about 15-20 of the most respected and highly ranked major female program coaches every month for advice. They’re my think tank to give me feedback on ideas about prep players. And they are often looking to connect with young talent if there is mutual interest.
My point, I hear the real deal on what the street says about every high major player in SoCal and nationally. If only you could hear the glossy words they said about Kaleena’s get down, all the get downs of Ontario Christian’s players. That is part of my inspiration for doing this story to be honest, people.
Another OC player that never gets enough cred is Dani Robinson. She’s in the mold of Kawhi Leonard with her motor. Dani is always at a top level in game with the best defense on the west coast. She also has an emerging 3 ball, savvy ball handling, and high IQ.
D-Rob has been the ultimate glue player and is an emerging high major star that can’t be stopped on both ends! Let’s hear from the oh so humble and fierce Dani on her feelings of the team, “This team is like family to me. We all push each other and encourage each other so much.
“Yes we are young, but together we know we can do it. I believe it all starts with our defense. If we get the energy going, we learn how to be free!”
6-1 freshman Marissa Bishop impressed with her flashes of determination and fill-in defense this season. She’s the daughter of ultra successful head coach Danelle Bishop of Cal Poly Pomona.
Alanna Neale is headed to Nebraska and was so powerful and classy this season. Here are Alanna’s words about how she felt of this season, “Camaraderie was this team and we were God first. I loved our environment. We guided each other with a strong bond and a great coaching staff. They just wanted to see us succeed and we wanted to make everyone proud of us!”
Let’s hear more about that dope, dope brother Dre who does a masterful job of coaching Ontario Christian at a Naismith Award winning level. He does the same for his 7 Days AAU girls and boys program that travels the country with the fancy Adidas sleds in tow.
No other AAU coach/figure is killin the game like he is. So many others within the hoops community are always praising Dre about how he earned his crazy blessed 6 figure deal to build up the 3 stripes brand squad.
Talent flows to talent and to those brave enough to channel it to the highest level. Dre’s leading with his earnest heart that has many endeared to him. He’s always in the lab (gym) with charges that he cares so very deeply to matriculate.
I believe that Dre sees them as children of God, and his unbelievable wife Brandi is such a pillar of support. Even Brandi’s father Allen, Kaleena’s grandpa, is this immense figure at game, so respected and inspirational to all at the program for his knowledge and real lowdown!
Dre is fire like young Steve Smith of Oak Hill Academy fame who coached Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, dozens of NBA ballers in his 40 year career.
Here’s Steve Smith’s story:
(https://californiapreps.rivals.com/news/oak-hill-academy-relationships-fraternity-family)
Dre is also getting expert at his craft like our guy Stan DeLeus who I also consider a Steve Smith-level legend coach. I feel Stan has done so much at Etiwanda with his 3 state chips in a row to merit having the gym named after him.
Others who know his great coaching would agree. Super WNBA players like Kennedy Burke who he coached rave about him. He is worthy of note here, even though it’s a story that highlights Ontario Christian, people.
But let’s keep the focus on the future of girls hoops in the nation with an unstoppable team. Feel Dre Cummings’ love for his Ontario Christian team, “I feel extremely proud of this team and its families. We’re all together in this as one. They respond to our coaching, to Alex Schloeman and myself.
“They had to buy into the vision and put in the effort. Used to do it different last year but we convinced them that being urgent is better. Make no mistake, there was no plan B. We couldn’t be more proud. I think it feels great!”
This vid link shows the personalities of the Ontario Christian young ladies. A swarm of young pre teen young aspiring young ballers came up to Kaleena, Syd, and Tati after Ontario’s 10 point win in the playoffs over Sierra Canyon. These three still gave their time graciously, showing the incredible give-back to the game. Watch that at about the 15 minute mark in the video:
I was touched as I always am by seeing this in person. These 3 are full fledged celebrities having tons of grown men and grown women come up to them. It’s wild being around them no doubt!
It’s like when I was around other youngsters I was very close to like Brandon Jennings and DeMar DeRozan when they were in high school and were off-the-charts popular and headed for fame and big things to mark their names in the book of great ones for sure.
I see all three of these Ontario future transcendent stars going to college stardom and to the WNBA as their aspirations will unfold. It’s heartwarming to me because ALL THE PLAYERS ON THE ONTARIO CHRISTIAN TEAM are the epitome of class in SoCal.
It wasn’t easy for Ontario Christian to win this year vs. super power local teams I have ultra respect for. OC had to really prepare for them and not just skate on athleticism folks.
Example of why such game prep was needed for an opponent?
Jody Wynn was the legendary head coach at Mater Dei this year. She has this completely freaking amazing resume for the ages, as she’s been an assistant D1 coach at Pepperdine since the late 90s, head coach at Long Beach State for many years, and head coach for the University of Washington for many years.
All this besides being a stand out player at USC herself out of high school. Snap!
I recommend ultra elite players that ask me for a great geographical fit of where to maybe go to. I tell many of them to really consider playing for Jody and attend vaunted Mater Dei. J-Wynn is more than such an absolutely qualified coach, she’s the definition of a caring person
She gets the extreme most out of those like Amber Melgoza, a fantastic D1 player for the ages out of U of W that put in the work! Jody coached her top ranked and ultra organized Mater Dei team with my girl top elite player Addi Deal who’s headed to Iowa.
Mater Dei played Ontario Christian so close when Amaya Williams stepped up. Amaya is going to Arizona State. Jody’s awesome daughter Kaeli Wynn, a 5-star player with offers from elite programs like South Carolina, helped propel a program that was able to play with anybody.
This is what OC had to overcome, and it took every fiber of their being it seemed!
Ontario had to go through Mater Dei, Sierra Canyon, Etiwanda, so much to get the CIF Southern Section title. Cali seems to have all “The Smoke Central” with even Clovis out of Fresno wanting smoke. Josh Lozano’s Fairmont Prep almost beat Ontario Christian in a tournament.
It’s so hard staying on top and nearly unbeaten like Ontario has been this past year.
I asked Coach Alex from Ontario Christian how much prep of video and practice they had to do to overcome all the teams? And Alex told me, “So much E-Woods!” This young dope 24 year old coach says of the team, “It’s a family to me. I care about all the youngsters, they work so hard. We’re all so truly proud of them with their such high goals really!”
#dope mentality
I’ve known Sierra Canyon coach Alicia Komaki for many years as well, respect her craft. Her teams have won national championships. That’s why all these elite of elite coaches dedicate so much of time and life to setting up a situation where they can hopefully win a national championship.
It takes more than luck to win a national chip, people.
Sometimes politics gets involved in this era of transfers, where a kid who wants their coach to have them nominate them as California player of the year over a more talented teammate, or they’ll leave elsewhere. It takes a lot people, it’s like a minefield folks. Yikes!
Tati Griffin’s dad Chris shared with me a story about how raising puppies takes lots of energy. But one alpha pup is always born in the litter to rise and lead the pack. I believe that Ontario Christian is that alpha pup rising up to run the nation for years to come. Very wise words from Chris!
ESPN writer Shane Laflin recently wrote a story on who he thought was the #1 team in the country at the end of year. He gave the title to vaunted Etiwanda, based on having two graduating McDonald’s All American seniors and because Etiwanda was playing its best ball at the very end of the year.
In his perspective, he discounted the entire 1/3 of Etiwanda’s season which I monitored pretty well, as it compared to Ontario Christian.
Me, W-Woods? I love and respect so many of Etiwanda’s players on a personal and b-ball sense. 100.
But I am and will always try to be 100% objective when rendering an assessment of who had a better season. I saw 2/3 of Ontario vs. Etiwanda games, saw both teams play many times this year, live and on vid.
My friends at Ontario Christian who saw that Shane Laflin ESPN article weren’t fazed by it either way. They just brushed it off and it seemed that it wasn’t important to the big picture that they were chasing. 100.
They don’t need outside validation, they care most about their family, putting in the work, faith, skills, and they don’t let others’ validation of them be that important it seems.
Let’s connect that Laflin story to what was dope about The Fab 5.
Acquiring skills, acquiring a sisterhood, family, growing together through the journey on this magical rise they all feel so blessed to be on. That’s what my guy Jalen Rose told me how he and the original The Fab 5 felt. It wasn’t a newspaper story or banners on the walls that his brothers played most for.
I asked him what did they play for. He said for each other bro, for each to make their mark, to be felt and heard and for the love of the memories in the moment and cherished in the future.
#nice, nice
I can’t stress enough how humble, sweet, caring to others all the young ladies are off the court. I’ve been so lucky to get to know them. Truly.
I’m also so lucky to know Sydney Douglas’s parents so well, Rome and Maylana Douglas. Their love knows no end. Rome is a former super USC football star, Rose Bowl killer and he played in the NFL. Maylana is a UCLA multi All American.
Maylana was a coach for UCLA and San Diego for 10 years after being a 3rd pick in the WNBA. Rome also played hoops at USC. They inspire me and offer so much advice and insight to the players on the team.
Dani Robinson’s dad, who shares her pops namesake is that guy who inspires me also. He has so much great advice for the ladies on the team and deserves a lot of credit indeed!
A religious and intellectual player told me that going against Ontario Christian is like going up vs. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, as depicted in the Book of Revelation. They represent conquest, war, famine, and death. They are often seen as symbolic of the destructive forces unleashed during the end times.
This cool baller I know mos def wanted to remain anonymous. But if I ever shared her analogy with others, this future D1 guard said going against Kaleena was like running up a hill that had grease poured all on top of it, “She’s just too quick for anybody to stop her.”
Syd? A mismatch nightmare. Dani? Just a nightmare on both ends. I’m sure many youngsters wake up in a sweat seeing her face. No doubt, Lol.
Look on YouTube at Tati, she’s already on a Sarah Strong from UConn level with better handles you could say. Impossible to fathom. Sydney is just this unicorn at 6-6 and when she’s hitting her 3s, an impossible match up to guard.
Her ultra quick drop down game to score down low is amazing, which everybody always appreciates about her. Nobody ever takes what she brings to the game for granted.
I see a team in Ontario that ranked #1 for like 80% of the season and was the talk of the nation going into the season. They could very well go undefeated for the next 3 years maybe?
What’s the secret? It starts from somewhere deep in this team’s inner belly, primal, savage. Like, Tati doesn’t take any stuff from anyone, no one on the team does. Watch the Mater Dei YouTube match of Tati and my friend Amaya Williams.
Tati tells her, “Don’t touch me, you’re not going to like it if you touch me or hit me.” She is seriously warned. She just gives off the vibe that really bad things will happen if you mess with her or her team.
Tati is mos def an enforcer like an early 80s NBA player Mitch Kupchak. Mitch, a North Carolina grad threw a tennis ball 5 years ago to take my head off because I was wearing a NC State jersey one day at the Sports Academy.
I told him, Mitch, that’s your last warning bro, ha ha!
Tati is ever sweet off the court, ultra fierce on court in high school, and prolly in college hoops. No one can match it up vs her physically. She’s like diamonds because like the saying goes, “Pressure makes diamonds.”
A game between elite top national programs is like that: a stare down competition, pure mental game, and pure smoke people!
This Ontario Christian team? They have the chance to conjure up a cultural and basketball powerhouse program the girls hoops scene hasn’t seen since The Fab Five. Only time will tell.
I love many teams, many players from many squads. They’re all Children of God to me. But this ride to watch with Ontario Christian in the next 3-4 years, the chance to win many mythical national championships?
I’m just going to pull up to see potentially the best show in town and buckle up, as we all will I imagine. Let’s just see how it all goes indeed!
