The562’s coverage of Millikan Athletics for the 2025-26 school year is sponsored by Brian Ramsey and TLD Law.
The standard for the Millikan boys’ basketball program has certainly risen under second-year head coach Stephon Price, but his vision extends well beyond last season’s progress. The Rams finished in the Moore League’s top three for the first time since 2020, but it’s only left them hungrier for more.
“We’re not worried about what’s happened in the past and we’re only looking forward,” Price said. “We practice two, sometimes three times a day. We have morning practices at 5:30 in the morning and night practices, and sometimes we lift between that. They’re hungry to get the job done.”
The main job that Millikan wants to get done is a Moore League championship, and the Rams have a solid set of returners to help set the foundation with seniors Jeremiah Hunt and Joseph Wicker. Hunt led the Rams’ last year with over 18 points per game while Wicker averaged 13, and the pair both shot over 30% from three-point range.
“Leadership,” Price said of his expectations from the two seniors. “Leadership on and off the court with that hunt of hopefully winning the Moore League, so that leadership that they bring to the team is going to rub off on the whole program.”
Joining those seniors in the backcourt is freshman Quali Giran, who brings real star power to Millikan at just 15 years old. Giran has gained national attention through his time with Paul George Elite and at camps such as the Ballislife All-American Camp, where he was named Most Valuable Player three years in a row from 6th–8th grade.
Before even stepping on a high school court, Giran has earned multiple offers, including San Jose State and Cal State Northridge. The 6-foot-1 guard is poised with a tight handle and strong scoring instincts, and can elevate well beyond what you’d expect from a 15-year-old or pull up for a jump shot off the dribble.
“Even though I’m a freshman, I’m just looking to bring leadership to this team and help my team win,” Giran said. “I’m just focused on staying level headed and humble, and I feel prepared.”
Price coached Giran when he was 10 years old, and he has no doubt about his freshman’s ability to carry the weight.
“He carries that naturally,” Price said. “He works hard off the court, so everything he does on the court he deserves.”
Outside of Giran, the Rams’ retain the same roster from last year. Stepping into bigger roles on the starting roster will be senior guard Jalen Stewart, along with 6-foot-5 junior Christian Parron.
“They both are key pieces to what we want to do both offensively and defensively,” Price said of the pair. “We want to play fast and those guys help us do that at our highest capability.”
Senior Parker Snyder will bring some key leadership off of the bench, meanwhile, Price expects a couple of sophomores to step up after calling them up to varsity. Those sophomores include Nicholas Cholico, Antonio Coleman and Isaiah Turner.
Last year, the Rams made the CIF-SS Division 2AA bracket, where they fell to Calabasas in the first round. It was the first time the Rams had made the playoffs since 2022, when they picked up three playoff wins to advance to the Division 4 state bracket.
Millikan has a tough slate of non-league games ahead of them, with matchups against teams from the Open Division last year like Harvard-Westlake and Notre Dame. Those games are set to be the Rams’ hardest of the season, and they also have a handful of Division 1 matchups including their Moore League opener at Long Beach Poly on Dec. 12.
“We have a tough schedule,” Price said. “All that is prep for the Moore League, and if we can compete with them then I think we can get that top spot in the Moore League. Everything else will work itself out, but Moore league is what we want.”
