If it wasn’t for their navy blue and gold uniforms, you might not have recognized the 2024-25 Millikan basketball team. The Rams are welcoming an influx of transfers this season under first-year head coach Stephon Price, who’s aiming to change the culture of basketball at Spring and Palo Verde.
“We’re looking to change the whole narrative and it’s been really good building a championship culture over here so far,” said Price, who comes from Firebaugh High School where he led the Falcons to their first CIF-SS championship and league title. “I’m just excited to get going and get the season started. I’m excited to be in the Moore League. We’ve got something to prove.”
One of the first to make the move to Millikan was junior Jojo Wicker, a 6-foot-3 guard who spent his first two high school seasons at St. Anthony. The former First-Team all-Del Ray League as a sophomore is coming off of a CIF-SS Division 2AA championship with the Saints and averaged 16.5 points, four assists, and four rebounds in his second-year campaign.
“[Coach and I have] been trying to bring in the championship mentality that we both have to lead the team,” said Wicker, who reflected on his areas of growth into his junior year. “I think I’ve begun taking on more of a leadership role and just communicating and talking more with my teammates.”
Next to Wicker in the backcourt will be senior Salvador Lara, a 6-foot-2, 170-pound guard from Mayfair. He’ll be joined by fellow transfer Tariq Bridges, a 6-foot-4 three-year starter from St. Pius.
“(Lara) coming from a situation where he has something to prove, we all have something to prove. (Lara’s) gonna be very good for the team and he does all of the dirty work,” said Price. “And (Bridges), he comes from Pius so he has that open pedigree and backstop of that level of play. That’ll help us out especially in the preseason and in the regular season as well as playing against top guys.”
The lone returner in the Rams’ starting lineup will be guard Jeremiah Hunt, who averaged 14.3 points through 15 games in his sophomore season. Millikan will also retain key bench returners in Jalen Stewart, Parker Snyder, and Christian Parron, who Price says are all worthy of starting roles.
“These were talented guys who were here already from last year that’ll make people think ‘damn he went there?’ All three of those guys are starters anywhere in the league. Any given night they can start for me. My team is a Swiss Army knife; whatever I need I got. We can play fast, we can play slow, and whatever style it takes to win we’ll be able to provide.”
Isma’il Abdul-Rahman is another one of Price’s versatile players and rounds out the Millikan starting five. Standing 6-foot-8, the Fairfax transfer will play in the five spot for the Rams’ but can stretch the floor in a Millikan offense that’ll look to score in a variety of ways.
“He stretches the floor and can shoot it really well,” Price said of Abdul Rahman. “Even though he’s the tallest guy on the team we don’t really play that way. At the next level he’s a guard, a wing, so I’m teaching him how to play everything on through five. He’s very athletic and it’s gonna be fun to watch him this year.”
The Rams have a handful of tough matchups ahead of them including Harvard-Westlake and Sierra Canyon and they’ll start their Moore League schedule on Dec. 17 against Jordan.
