LOS ANGELES — Looking at Sierra Canyon seniors Kijani Wright and Ramel Lloyd on the basketball court, you’ll find several key similarities.

First, they’re both playmakers who don’t like to lose.

“I think we have a group of guys that don’t like to lose. We all share that same mentality,” Wright said. “And it makes it so our culture is an always winning mentality, just going out there and always winning.”

Second, they’re two of the top-ranked players on a Sierra Canyon roster that Lloyd says is just about as talented as they’ve come.

“I love the program and what comes with it,” he said. “Just being the best and playing with the best, it doesn’t get much better than that.”

And third, both Wright and Lloyd started their high school journeys elsewhere. Lloyd transferred in from Taft High School, while Wright came in this season from Windward. Both sought out Sierra Canyon because they wanted to be the best.

“I mean, me personally, it was looking out for my future,” Wright said. “I think it was my next best decision.”

From the outside looking in, many can look at the Trailblazers program — one that has accepted several key transfer players over the years — and criticize them.

But to head coach Andre Chevalier, this is the nature of the game. It’s where high school basketball is and is going.

“I think the NCAA has this thing called the portal, where college players can go to a school, see if they like it and then transfer and be able to play,” Chevalier said. “I think sometimes you go to a place, and it just doesn’t fit you.”

This mentality has trickled into the high school sector, especially as the landscape becomes more and more elite.

“At every level, there’s free agency, the transfer portal and all that,” Lloyd said. “So I don’t see any difference between high school, college and NBA.”

At Sierra Canyon, both players found a culture that fits their future. In Chatsworth, the gym is focused on developing players for the next level.

“With our coaching staff, our schedule and the way we play, it definitely prepares you for the next level,” Lloyd said. “That’s one of the main reasons I wanted to come here.”

They’ve also found a program that wants to win, especially given the losses that still haunt the Trailblazers from last season’s playoff run.

“I think the boys who are returning are hungry to prove they are capable of winning, and they’re trying to bring the other guys along,” Chevalier said.

It doesn’t matter if the players are old or new to the program. The mentality there is the same.

“We are no longer champions, and so we have something to prove,” Chevalier said.

“We don’t really have much to lose,” Wright added. “We’re just coming out here to kill.”

Together, they’re playing in an environment that fosters greatness, with athletes who won’t stop competing until they’re the best.