Anto Balian, a Pepperdine commitment and the No. 1 Armenian prospect, has powered Pilibos High School. The 6-foot-3 combo guard was included in the All-CIF So Cal second team along with other top prospects like Inglewood's Jason Crowe Jr. and JSerra senior BJ Davis-Ray.
Balian shared the news along with a five-word reaction on Instagram:
"Top 20 player in CIF."
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Balian led his school to a 23-7 overall and an unbeaten 9-0 record in the California Southern Section Independence Basketball League, head of Yeshiva University of Los Angeles, Holy Martyrs Armenian and Buckley.
Balian led the team in all the major stats, including points (830), assists (131), rebounds (229), steals (33) and blocks (20). In four seasons for Pilibos, he averaged 26.5 points, 4.7 assists, eight rebounds, 1.7 steals and 0.8 blocks per game in 111 games.
The Armenian guard has improved his stats every season.
In his freshman season, Balian played 28 games and averaged 18.4 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 5.3 apg, 1.4 spg and 0.5 bpg. In his sophomore year, he averaged 27.0 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 3.0 apg, 2.2 spg, and 1.2 bpg in 28 games.
In 29 games as a junior, he averaged 28.9 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 5.4 apg, 1.8 spg and 0.8 bpg. In his final year of high school, Balian averaged 31.9 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 5.0 apg, 1.3 spg and 0.8 bpg in 26 contests.
The Pilibos Eagles were knocked out in the first round of the 2025 CIF Southern Section Boys' basketball championships (California) after a 60-57 loss to Oak Hills on Feb. 12.
Anto Balian's heartfelt message to Pilibos
Balian has been at Pilibos since his preschool years. In an interview with Yahoo Sports, Balian said that his teammates are more than his friends. The Armenian scored 39 points in his final high school game in the 60-57 loss against Oak Hills.
On Instagram, he shared a heartfelt message, thanking the school and the Armenian community for their support:
"Pilibos...Thank you so much for the unwavering support the last four years. I regret none of it and I appreciate the whole Armenian community for being a part of this journey. I've always wanted to prove that nothing is impossible even from a small Armenian school. My dreams came true. It's just the beginning for what's to come in the future. Bleed blue for life."
Anto Balian is the only player who committed to Ed Schilling's team from the 2025 Class.
