Related: 2023-24 All-American Elite Team | 2023-24 Mr. Basketball USA: Cooper Flagg ?| 2023-24 Underclass Players of the Year | Ballislife Podcast Network?|

Ten juniors named to the 30th Annual All-American Elite Team headline a group of 75 elite players selected to the 2023-24 Underclass All-American team powered by www.ebooksnet.com.

Power forward Cameron Boozer of Columbus (Miami, Fla.) and dynamic junior wing A.J. Dybansta lead the way among underclass players who stood out among the nation’s best players. In fact, Boozer and Dybansta were two of the four leading voter getters in the final 2023-24 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker with both appearing on all 10 ballots. Boozer finished in third place with 78 points, including two second place votes and six third place votes. Dybansta finished with 55 points (out of 100 possible), including one second place vote and two fourth place votes.

Boozer’s and Dybansta’s production and notoriety shouldn’t come as a surprise, as the son of former 1999 All-American Elite Team member and NBA player Carlos Boozer was the first tenth-grader ever to earn Mr. Basketball USA honors in 2022-23. Boozer has a chance to earn class Player of the Year honors in each of his four high school seasons. Dybansta was the top honoree on a team with three McDonald’s All-American choices after re-classifying up in the off-season. Dybansta was on the freshman All-American honor roll in 2022-23 and is considered one of the best prospects in the world outside the NBA.

While Boozer was the nation’s best player in 2022-23 as a sophomore, there were three other highly-regarded tenth-graders that are repeat honorees on this year’s All-American Elite Team. Cooper Flagg of FAB 50 champ Montverde Academy of Florida re-classed up to the 2024 class and was named this year’s Mr. Basketball USA. Repeat third five selection Koa Peat of Perry (Gilbert, Ariz.) and repeat fourth five selection Meleek Thomas of Lincoln Park (Midland, Pa.) have won five state titles between them with one season to go.

Five more juniors were selected to the 30-man second team. No sophomore made this year’s All-American Elite team, but the 2026 class is developing into a special one. There were 30 standout tenth-graders selected as Underclass All-Americans, led by player of the year Jalen Montonati of Owasso (Okla.), and at least a dozen other worthy players who were deserving to make this year’s underclass honor roll.

Each season, players classifying up in order to speed up the recruiting process or transfer in hopes the move will be more advantageous to their development and this off-season is no different. There will also be some who seek a transfer to put themselves in better position to secure Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) endorsement deals. In most states, it is not illegal or against state association rules to sign an endorsement deal, provided that endorsement is not facilitated with the athlete wearing or promoting garments or items trademarked by the state association or the NCAA.

Already it’s been announced that junior wing Hudson Greer will transfer to defending FAB 50 champion Montverde Academy and sophomore guard Kaden House (along with his highly-regarded brother Kalek House) will transfer from their public high school in Arizona to join AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.), which is part of the same EYBL Scholastic League that Montverde Academy competes in.

Expect more player movement as the travel ball season and summer rolls on.

National Grassroots Editor Ronnie Flores selects this performance-based squad with input from Mr. Basketball USA panelists. It is chosen after the conclusion of the season, which makes the Underclass All-American Team more reflective of players who made state championship runs.

Our national coach of the year is Jim Baker of Central Cabarrus (Concord, N.C.).

Juniors to Watch (2025)

G — Darius Acuff, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) 6-2
F — Kenyon Aguino, Volcano Vista (Albuquerque, N.M.) 6-7
F — Cameron Boozer, Columbus (Miami, Fla.) 6-9
C — DeWayne Brown, Hoover (Ala.) 6-10
G — Brayden Burries, Roosevelt (Eastvale, Calif.) 6-5
F — A.J. Dybantsa, Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) 6-7
G — Jerry Easter, La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) 6-5
G — Jeremiah Fears, AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.) 6-3
G — Kingston Flemmings, Brennan (San Antonio, Texas) 6-4
F — Hudson Greer, Lake Travis (Austin, Texas) 6-6
F — D.J. Hall, Plano East (Plano, Texas) 6-7
F — Davion Hannah, Nicolet (Glendale, Wis.) 6-5
G — Jalen Haralson, La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) 6-7
F — Bryce Heard, Homewood-Flossmoor (Flossmoor, Fla.) 6-5
F — Jamier Jones, Oak Ridge (Orlando, Fla.) 6-6
G — Acaden Lewis, Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.) 6-2
G — Nyk Lewis, Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) 6-0
G — Chance Mallory, St. Anne’s-Bellfield (Charlottesville, Va.) 5-9
G — Trey McKenney, St. Mary’s Prep (Orchard Lake, Mich.) 6-3
G — Kayden Mingo, Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.) 6-1
C — Malachi Moreno, Great Crossing (Georgetown, Ky.) 7-0
F — Koa Peat, Perry (Gilbert, Ariz.) 6-7
G — Darryn Peterson, Huntington Prep (Huntington, W. Va.) 6-5
C — Xavion Staton, Sierra Vista (Las Vegas, Nev.) 6-11
C — Moustapha Thiam, DME Academy (Daytona Beach, Fla.) 7-1
G — Meleek Thomas, Lincoln Park Performing Arts (Midland, Pa.) 6-3
F — Cameron Ward, Largo (Upper Marlboro, Md.) 6-7
F — Jacob Wilkins, Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) 6-7
F — Caleb Wilson, Holy Innocents (Atlanta, Ga.) 6-9
F — Tounde Yessoufou, St. Joseph (Santa Maria, Calif.) 6-5

2024 National Junior of the Year: Cameron Boozer

Sophomores to Watch (2026)
F — Latrell Almond, John Marshall (Richmond, Va.) 6-8
G — Ikenna Alozie, Dream City Christian (Glendale, Ariz.) 6-3
F — J.J. Andrews, Little Rock Christian Academy (Little Rock, Ark.) 6-5
G — Alijah Arenas, Chatsworth (Calif.) 6-6
F — Cole Cloer, Orange (Hillsborough, N.C.) 6-6
G — Korie Corbett, Ridge View (Columbia, S.C.) 6-4
F — Alexander Costanza, Westminster Christian (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) 6-8
G — Jason Crowe Jr., Lynwood (Calif.) 6-2
C — Moustapha Diop, Walker (Marietta, Ga.) 6-10
C — Sam Funches, Germantown (Madison, Miss.) 6-10
F — Kendre Harrison, Reidsville (N.C.) 6-8
G — Jayden Hodge, St. Rose (Belmar, N.J.) 6-6
G — Cam Holmes, Millennium (Goodyear, Ariz.) 6-5
G — Caleb Holt, Buckhorn (New Market, Ala.) 6-5
G — Kaden House, Desert Mountain (Scottsdale, Ariz.) 6-3
G — Jacob Lanier, Maumelle (Ark.) 6-5
G — Taylen Kinney, Newport (Ky.) 6-0
F — Brannon Martinsen, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 6-8
G — Brandon McCoy Jr., St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) 6-4
G — Mason Magee, Basha (Chandler, Ariz.) 6-0
F — Jalen Montonati, Owasso (Okla.) 6-7
G — Jayden Moore, Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.) 6-0
G— Dionte Neal, Reidsville (N.C.) 5-9
G — Trent Perry, Lone Star (Frisco, Texas) 6-3
G — Nas Price, Seven Lakes (Katy, Texas) 6-3
F — Dean Rueckert, Timpview (Provo, Utah) 6-6
G — Jordan Smith Jr., Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) 6-4
F — Tyran Stokes, Prolific Prep (Napa. Calif.) 6-7
F — Abdou Toure, Notre Dame (West Haven, Conn.) 6-6
F — Sebastian Wilkins, Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.) 6-8

2024 National Sophomore of the Year: Jalen Montonati

Freshmen to Watch (2027)
G — Javon Bardwell, Desert Mountain (Scottsdale, Ariz.) 6-4
G — Jacob Canton, Rutgers Prep (Somerset, N.J.) 6-2
G — Jaxson Davis, Warren Township (Gurnee, Ill.) 6-1
G — Cayden Daughtry, Calvary Christian (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) 5-11
G — Silas Graham, Haverford School (Haverford, Pa.) 6-4
F — Ahmad Hudson, Ruston (La.) 6-6
F — Dooney Johnson, Juneau (Milwaukee, Wis.) 6-5
G — Tre Keith, Tri-Cities (East Point, Ga.) 6-3
F — Josh Leonard, Wilson (Florence, S.C.) 6-6
F — Jaylan Mitchell, Reitz Memorial (Evansville, Ind.) 6-7
G — Jordan Page, Broughton Magnet (Raleigh, N.C.) 6-5
F — Jeremiah Profit Jr., Temecula Valley (Temecula, Calif.) 6-5
F — Gene Roebuck, La Mirada (Calif.) 6-5
F — Taj Saragba, Woodstock (Ga.) 6-7
G — Davion Thompson, Bolingbrook (Ill.) 6-2

2024 National Freshman of the Year: Jaylan Mitchell

2023-24 Mr. Basketball USA: Cooper Flagg, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-9 Sr.

National Coach of the Year: Jim Baker, Central Cabarrus (Concord, N.C.).

Note: ESPN selections 2010-2012; EA SPORTS selections 2003-2009; Student Sports selections prior to 2003; Selections are based on high school accomplishment, not future college/pro potential, and are reflective of those that lead their teams to state championships. The editors of www.ebooksnet.com do not knowingly select fifth-year players, and those ineligible due to age or academics, Mr. Basketball USA or to its various All-American teams.

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at?[email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter:?@RonMFlores

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2023-24 Mr. Basketball USA: Cooper Flagg, Montverde Academy (Montve?rde, Fla.) 6-8 F
Flagg was the Gatorade State Player of the Year as a freshman at Nokomis Regional (Newport, Maine) before spending the last two seasons at Montverde Academy. He was one of the best players in the country last season as a sophomore when he came in No. 10 in the final 2022-23 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker and earned second five Elite Team All-American honors. Flagg is one of the best shot-blocking small forwards to come down the pike in many years and his shooting is better than advertised. He shot 54.7 percent from the field and 35.2 percent from 3-point range as a senior and has a vast array of shots from the elbow in.

Flagg is the third consecutive Mr. Basketball USA honoree from Florida and the second in three years from Montverde Academy that is headed to Duke, joining 2022 honoree Dariq Whitehead, who has played two games in the NBA so far. To view the full Mr. Basketball USA release, the Mr. Basketball Tracker voting results, and comments from Flagg's coach, CLICK HERE.

For all-time Mr. Basketball USA honorees dating back to 1954-55, CLICK HERE

2024 National Junior of the Year: Cameron Boozer, Columbus (Miami, Fla.) 6-9 F
When it comes to this year's choice among juniors, it goes to show how expectations work and how each season is slightly different from the previous ones. Boozer, the son of 1999 second five Elite Team All-American Carlos Boozer of Juneau-Douglas (Juneau, Alaska), was only the fourth non-senior national player of the year last season and the first sophomore, but this season did not receive a first place vote in the final Mr. Basketball USA Tracker despite putting up similar numbers to his sophomore campaign. He was one of only four players to appear on all ten ballots after leading Columbus to its third consecutive FHSAA Class 7A state by posting averages of 22.2 ppg while shooting 62 percent from the field (234-378), 41 percent from the 3-point line (43-105) and 82 percent from the free throw line (155-188), 11.4 rpg, 2.7 apg and 2.1 bpg for the No. 2 team in the FAB 50. He also averaged 24.5 ppg in two losses against FAB 50 No. 1 Montverde Academy of Florida. Boozer has been the class player of the year in each of his three seasons of high school and has a chance to be the first three time first five All-American since LeBron James in 2001. He's the first honoree in the junior class from Florida since Jalen Duren of Montverde Academy in 2021. Duren subsequently re-classified after that season to enroll at Memphis.

For all-time Junior Player of the Year honorees dating back to 1954-55, CLICK HERE

2024 National Sophomore of the Year: Jalen Montonati, Owasso (Okla.) 6-7 F

Last season it was easy to peg in Cameron Boozer as the chose among tenth-graders after earning national player of the year honors, but this year the race was closer among a strong group of candidates. Guards Brandon McCoy of St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) and Caleb Holt of Buckhorn (New Market, Ala.) both did enough to deserve this honor, but the choice is Montonati, one of the most honor-laden talents so far in what is shaping out to be a terrific class. McCoy and Holt helped their team win state titles below the top division, but it was Montonati who helped his team win an Oklahoma state crown in the top division (Class 6A) by scoring 34 points in a 57-53 overtime victory over Edmond North.

For the season, the talented forward averaged 23.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg and 2.0 apg for a 26-4 team that finished No. 7 in the Southwest Regional Top 20 rankings. His all-around skill level is terrific at his size and despite being the focus of defenses, Montonati shot 54 percent from the field and 44 percent from the 3-point line. Montonati was also honored on the prestigious Oklahoman's Super 5 and was named Gatorade State Player of the Year, the first ever sophomore choice from Oklahoma. He also won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2023 FIBA 16U AmeriCup and hopes to be part of another gold-medal wining team this summer at the 2024 FIBA World Cup in Turkey. Montonati is the first ever player from Oklahoma chosen in this class.

For all-time Sophomore Player of the Year honorees dating back to 1967-68, CLICK HERE

2024 National Freshman of the Year: Jaylan Mitchell, Reitz (Evansville, Ind.) 6-8 SF
The ninth-grade national class is showing great promise and its pecking order is still being established, but there are already a handful who've made a big impact on quality teams. In terms of combining best all-around talent with production, Reitz is our choice. The 15-year old helped make Reitz a competitive team in the Southern Indiana Athletic Conference (SIAC) by averaging 15.6 ppg, 8.2 rpg. 3.9 apg, 2.2 spg. He earned All-SIAC first team honors and is already considered one of the best players nationally in the class. The 15-year old stood out at the recent USA Basketball Mini-Camp, as he displayed a nice shooting touch with the ability to score in a variety of ways. In addition to his obvious physical talents, Mitchell makes the right reads and excels on the defensive end. He's the third ever freshman choice from the Hoosier State, joining North Central's Eron Gordon in 2013 and Indiana legend Damon Bailey from North Lawrence, who was already nationally known as a ninth-grader in 1987.

For all-time Freshman Player of the Year honorees dating back to 1967-68, CLICK HERE

2024 National Coach of the Year: Jim Baker, Central Cabarrus (Concord, N.C.).
The Vikings own the nation's longest winning streak at 65 games and the architect of the program is its veteran coach with 36 years of college coaching experience. Baker was a D1 assistant for 12 years and the head coach at Catawba College for 20 years. For the last seven seasons, he's been the head coach at Central Cabarrus and the program has qualified for the state playoffs the past five seasons. For the past three seasons the Vikings have been dynamite, winning three consecutive South Piedmont Conference Tournament titles and losing only one game.

With its 90-62 victory over 71st of Fayetteville, the Vikings captured their second consecutive North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) Class 3A title, as D.J. Kent was named the game’s most valuable player with 20 points, nine rebounds, five steals, two assists and two blocks. With the victory, Central Cabarrus finished 33-0 and No. 12 in the FAB 50 National Team Rankings. The Vikings went 32-0 in 2022-23, finished No. 7 in the FAB 50 and have now won 95 of their last 96 games heading into the 2024-25 season under Baker's leadership.

Baker's teams are known for their terrific defensive concepts and fast-paced offense. In this year's state title game victory over 71st, Central Cabarrus scored 24 points off 24 turnovers and were credited with 15 steals. In his first season at the high school level in 2017-18, Central Cabarrus went 4-21, but the program got better each season to the point it reached a national level of success the past two years.

Baker is the first honoree from a NCHSAA program and the second ever from North Carolina, joining legendary Greensboro Day mentor Freddy Johnson, who was honored in 2016-17 and has nearly 1,200 coaching victories at the high school level.

For all-time National Coach of the Year honorees dating back to 1969-70, CLICK HERE

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at?[email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter:?@RonMFlores???

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For Cooper Flagg of Montverde Academy (Fla.), his unique talents coincide with his unique situation on the nation's best team. He starred with a group of players who were All-Americans in their own right, the Eagles started off No. 1 in the FAB 50 and were expected to dominate the 2023-24 high school scene. The team didn't skip a beat, finishing 33-0 and their individual talents were recognized by the 10-man Mr. Basketball USA Tracker panel.

It could be easy to overlook individual brilliance on a team as talented as Montverde Academy, or to dismiss the success as simply stock-piling talent, but no less than four MVA players received recognition as national player of the year candidates. On a team with plenty of stars and in a year with plenty of viable candidates, Flagg stood out, topping the voting in the final tracker, and today is honored with the title of 2023-24 Mr. Basketball USA.

"Cooper is not just a great player, he's an infectious leader with a work ethic and an approach that separates him from all players in his class," said Montverde Academy coach Kevin Boyle. "Cooper doesn't play basketball to score points or be popular; this kid plays the game to win and be a champion. There's no one like Cooper Flagg."

Flagg did have an abundance of talent around him and that is reflected in the final voting. Maryland-bound teammate Derik Queen finished sixth in the voting while appearing on eight of 10 ballots. UConn-bound wing Liam McNeeley and point guard Curtis Givens also were among 31 candidates who received recognition for the production-based national player of the year honor selected by Ballislife's 10-man panel of national scouts. Flagg was one of four candidates to appear on all ten ballots, an unusually high number at the end of the season.

Montverde Academy only had three games decided by single-digits, yet defeated 24 teams that were FAB 50 ranked at some point during the season, as individually Flagg met every challenge and performed well on the big stage. For the season, the Duke commit averaged 16.1 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 3.9 apg, 2.7 bpg and 1.6 spg, while shooting 54.7 percent from the field and 35.2 percent from 3-point range. At Chipotle Nationals, Flagg averaged 20.0 ppg and 7.0 rpg in three victories and blocked six shots in the title game win over No. 3 Paul VI (Va.).

"Flagg is the best 'player/prospect' out of the U.S. high school ranks in many years, perhaps since Anthony Davis," said panel member and U.S. Basketball Writers Association Hall of Famer Frank Burlison. "He has the ability to be a dominant college player in every aspect of the game in what will be his only college season."

Flagg is the fourth Duke-bound Mr. Basketball USA, joining 1985 honoree Danny Ferry, 2018 choice RJ Barrett and Dariq Whitehead for the 2021-22 season. He is the fifth honoree from Montverde Academy in the past 10 seasons, joining Ben Simmons in 2015, Barrett, Cade Cunningham in 2020 and Whitehead. Boyle has now coached six national players of the year, as Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was the choice in Boyle's final season at St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.) in 2010-11.

"Cooper understands the expectations that have been built around him and in his two years at Montverde, his skillset has developed to an advanced level," Boyle said. "Most of all the kid's success stems from his ability to compartmentalize and mentally prepare for the biggest moments, better than anyone."

Not only was Cooper able to separate himself from a crowded pack, what made this year's Mr. Basketball USA race so unique is that Flagg re-classified up during the off-season and last season's honoree, Cameron Boozer of Columbus (Miami, Fla.) was returning for his junior campaign after becoming the first tenth-grader ever to earn Mr. Basketball USA honors.

Flagg was a second five All-American Elite team selection as a tenth-grader, while Boozer earned top honors. Despite Boozer having another terrific campaign, Flagg's combination of talent and team success was the difference. Boozer was one of the four players to appear on all ten ballots, tallying 78 total points, but zero first place votes. He did receive two second-place and six third-place votes after averaging 22.2 ppg, 11.4 rpg, 2.7 apg, 2.1 bpg while shooting 62 percent from the field (234-378), 41 percent from the 3-point line (43-105) and 82 percent from the free throw line (155-188) for a team that won its third consecutive FHSAA Class 7A state title and finished No. 2 in the FAB 50.

"The gap between Boozer and Flagg as a 'prospect/player' is much slimmer than that between he and anyone below Boozer on my list, with each of 3-thru-10 almost interchangeable, depending on the time of day," Burlison said. "Almost “underrated” now – as crazy as that sounds – because of the elevation of the national perspective over the past year or so of Flagg and A.J. Dybansta."

Flagg tallied eight first place votes (10 points each), one second and one fourth place vote for his 96 total points. Only one other candidate received a first place vote, as Rutgers-bound point guard Dylan Harper received the other two that Flagg didn't receive after leading Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) to the New Jersey Non-Public A state title and No. 19 FAB 50 ranking with a 29-3 record. Harper closed strong, as he was named co-MVP of the McDonald's All American Game with 22 points and five assists and made the game-winning shot at the Jordan Brand Classic, finishing with a game-high 30 points.

The other prospect to appear in all 10 final ballots was another elite player who re-classed up in the off-season. A.J. Dybansta of Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) is another super junior who could challenge Boozer for the most prestigious production-based honor in high school basketball in 2024-25. As this year clearly proved, each season is its own entity and the process will start all over again with a clean slate for each player once the 2024-25 season commences.

As far as 2023-24 goes, it's impossible to deny Flagg's talent and the impact it had on his team not tasting defeat from start to finish.

Editor's Note: Click on the "+" sign next to each player's number to view how many first, second, third or fourth place votes he got and his overall point total. Previous tracker results are also listed ("Prev.").

2022-24 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker Panel

Paul Biancardi, ESPN National Director of Basketball Recruiting
Frank Burlison, BurlisonOnBasketball.com Publisher
Van Coleman, Nothing But Net Magazine
Jordan Divens, Maxpreps.com National Basketball Editor
Ronnie Flores, www.ebooksnet.com National Grassroots Editor
Chris Lawlor, Blue Star Media National Analyst
Horace Neysmith, AllMetroHoops.com
Patrick Stanwood, Patrick Stanwood Basketball
Dinos Trigonis, Fullcourt Press Editor & Publisher
Ani Umana, 5StateHoopReport.com

About Basketball USA Tracker Panel
www.ebooksnet.com's panel of 10 experts, which includes six McDonald’s All-American selection committee members, casts its vote for the top national player of the year candidates. Each panelist lists his top seven candidates regardless of class. The votes are then tabulated on a 10-point scoring system with a first-place vote equaling 10 points, a second-place vote earning nine points and down to four points for a seventh-place vote. The number in parenthesis refers to the numbers of ballots on which a player appeared and previous rankings refers to position in the previous tracker.

For the all-time list of Mr. Basketball USA honorees, CLICK HERE.

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at?[email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter:?@RonMFlores

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By Ronnie Flores

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The big question heading into 2024 Chipotle Nationals was if any team could seriously challenge season-long FAB 50 No. 1 Montverde Academy of Florida. The Eagles were facing as talented a crop of teams the program has ever faced in the end-of-season event that has been played for 16 years. The Eagles were also facing seven potential teams, all ranked within the top 14 of the FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com prior to the start of the event, that they beat at least once earlier in the season.

There is an old saying it's hard to beat a good team twice, but the battle tested and top seeded Eagles won three games at Brownsburg (Ind.) to capture the event title for the seventh time in the last 11 times the event was held. Montverde Academy's 79-63 victory over No. 2 seeded and FAB 50 No. 3 Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.) makes the Eagles the official 2023-24 FAB 50 National Champs.

Many veteran onlookers felt Paul VI was the best bet to upset Montverde Academy, but the all-around brilliance of Duke-bound Cooper Flagg and the shot making ability of LSU-bound Curtis Givens was the difference in the championship contest. Flagg, the leading Mr. Basketball USA candidate, was named tourney MVP after scoring 16 points, grabbing eight rebounds, and blocking six shots versus Paul VI. In Montverde Academy's three victories, Flagg averaged 20.0 ppg and 7.0 rpg and had only blocked one shot in the first two games before his big defensive performance in the final.

Montverde Academy led 45-32 at halftime, as both Givens and Flagg hit big field goals right before intermission. Whenever Paul VI looked to make a run, Givens would hit a big 3-pointer to play the role of rally-killer. Flagg's block and run out dunk right before the third period buzzer which gave his team a 60-46 lead summarized the game and the event. No matter what any team tried to do, Montverde Academy had an answer.

Givens finished with 24 points, including 6-of-9 shooting from 3-point range. Also making a big impact as a matchup nightmare was Maryland-bound forward Derik Queen. He used his big body, passing ability and uncanny moves around the basket to finish with 19 points, six rebounds and four assists. Queen, who averaged 16.3 ppg and 6.7 rpg at the event, should also be considered a Mr. Basketball USA candidate.

"In almost 40 years of coaching this year's team was as close has any I’ve ever had both on and off the court," Montverde Academy head coach Kevin Boyle told www.ebooksnet.com. "They won seven games versus nationally-ranked top five teams and 14 versus nationally-ranked top ten teams. They are in the conversation as the greatest team of all-time and clearly along with Montverde Academy 2020, Dunbar 1983, Oak Hill Academy 1993 and Montverde 2018 one of the five best teams of all- time."

The big ranking decision coming out of the event was one to move up Paul VI one spot to No. 2 as the runner-up or leave Columbus (Miami, Fla.) in that spot after the Explorers fell in the semifinals to Montverde Academy, 84-70. Even though Paul VI advanced one round further at Chipotle Nationals, the Panthers lost a head-to-head matchup to Columbus, 70-61, at the Spalding Hoophall Classic in Massachusetts, so the Explorers remain at No. 2. Although Columbus did fall behind big early in its game with MVA just as it did in the first meeting between the two, MVA's victory margins over the Explorers and the Panthers were in similar range that a rankings flip to go against the head-to-head result was unwarranted.

Flagg finished with 28 points in the win over Columbus while Queen added 16 points and six rebounds. Cameron Boozer, last season's Mr. Basketball USA as a sophomore, led Columbus with 29 points (3-of-11 3-point) and seven rebounds.

Paul VI knocked off then No. 11 Link Academy (Branson, Mo.) in its semifinal, 58-44, as Duke-bound Darren Harris led the way with 20 points. Harris also scored a team-high 16 points in the championship final loss to Montverde Academy and had 36 points (5-of-9 3-point) in the 101-89 first round win over then No. 14 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.). Link Academy is able to move up five spots after defeating then No. 6 Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.), 80-76 in double overtime, in the first round. Link Academy and Prolific Prep split games this season, but with Link Academy avenging the regular season loss, it finishes ranked one spot ahead of The Crew from Napa, Calif.

In its first round victory, Montverde Academy took down then No. 12 AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.), 64-49, as Flagg had 16 points while Queen finished with 14 points and eight rebounds.

This is Montverde Academy's third FAB 50 national title team to finish unbeaten, joining the already legendary 2020 team that didn't get the opportunity to compete in Chipotle Nationals because of COVID-19 and the 2018 team. The 2018 team also went wire-to-wire as FAB 50 No. 1 team just as this year's close knit group did.

For Montverde Academy, the program has now finished No. 1 in the FAB 50 seven times, which ties Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) for the most all-time FAB 50 national titles. We'll have more detail on that achievement and this year's MVA team in our annual "Salute to All-Time FAB 50 No. 1 Teams".

There was also some movement in the final rankings after we reviewed the entire season log for each team that we'll explain in our Final, Expanded FAB 50 Rankings with detail on each team.

RELATED: Final East Top 20??| Final Southeast Top 20??| Final Midwest Top 20?| Final Southwest Top 20 | Final West Top 20 |?Preseason 2023-24 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker | | ? | Chipotle Nationals Record Book

Final FAB 50 National Team Rankings
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(16th and final poll of 2023-24 regular season; Through games played on Saturday, April 6; *Indicates forfeit wins, forfeit losses not included; **Indicates forfeits and defaults not included)

No.	Prev.	High School (City)	Record
1	1	Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)	33-0
2	2	Columbus (Miami, Fla.)	28-5
3	3	Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.)	35-3
4	5	Plano East (Plano, Texas)	40-0
5	4	Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.)	21-5
6	11	Link Academy (Branson, Mo.)	26-7
7	6	Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.)	33-6
8	7	Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.)	33-3
9	9	Fishers (Fishers, Ind.)	29-1
10	9	Wisconsin Lutheran (Milwaukee, Wis.)	30-0
11	13	Stony Point (Round Rock, Texas)	38-2
12	8	Central Cabarrus (Concord, N.C.)	33-0
13	20	Roosevelt (Eastvale, Calif.)	31-4
14	15	St. Rose (Belmar, N.J.)	29-2
15	26	Oak Ridge (Orlando, Fla.)	27-4
16	12	AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.)	27-6
17	14	IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)	18-9
18	16	Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.)	26-4
19	17	Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.)	29-3
20	18	St. Mary Prep (Orchard Lake, Mich.)	27-1
21	19	Ridge View (Columbia, S.C.)	27-2
22	21	Perry (Gilbert, Ariz.)	24-6
23	22	Grayson (Loganville, Ga.)	30-2
24	23	McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.)	26-6
25	24	North Mecklenburg (Huntersville, N.C.)	30-3
26	26	Myers Park (Charlotte, N.C.)	27-3
27	27	John Marshall (Richmond, Va.)	25-3
28	28	Bullis (Potomac, Md.)	27-3
29	29	Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.)	27-4
30	30	Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.)	28-6
31	31	St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.)	28-7
32	32	Salesian (Richmond, Calif.)	31-2
33	33	La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.)	23-5
34	34	Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.)	27-7
35	35	Patrick School (Elizabeth, N.J.)	28-4
36	36	Camden (Camden, N.J.)	30-2
37	37	Kell (Marietta, Ga.)	28-3
38	38	Homewood Flossmor (Flossmor, Ill.)	33-4
39	39	Reidsville (Reidsville, N.C.)	29-0
40	40	Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.)	26-3
41	41	St. Ignatius (Cleveland, Ohio)	26-3
42	42	Millennium (Goodyear, Ariz.)	25-5
43	43	Winter Haven (Winter Haven, Fla.)	27-2
44	44	Jackson-Reed (Washington, D.C.)	33-3
45	45	Bellevue West (Bellevue, Neb.)	27-1
46	46	Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)	29-6
47	47	Lyon County (Eddyville, Ky.)	36-3
48	48	Beaumont United (Beaumont, Texas)	34-4
49	49	Northwest (Shawnee Mission, Kan.)	25-0
50	50	Great Crossing (Georgetown, Ky.)	36-2

Dropped Out: None.

Editor's Note: No bubble clubs are included in the final FAB 50, as the final 2023-24 Top 20 Regional Rankings include all the teams considered for the bubble.

Note:?The FAB 50 powered by www.ebooksnet.com is a continuation of the National Sports News Service ratings that began in 1952. These were the first national high school rankings and the late Art Johlfs of Minnesota compiled them. They were compiled for many years by the late Barry Sollenberger of Phoenix, who merged them into the FAB 50 24 years ago.

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at?[email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter:?@RonMFlores

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By Ronnie Flores

The Martin Luther King Jr. holiday was first officially observed in 1986 (15 years after his assassination) and 20 years later, high-level high school basketball showcases across the country became a staple of the MLK holiday weekend. The MLK weekend eventually involved so many good national level matchups, it was decided the FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com should include all the MLK Monday results and it was a policy other national polls now emulate.

It's ironic that after MLK Monday results poured in, it's a school named after another famous individual who also has an observed federal holiday in his namesake that is the big winner in this week's special MLK edition of the rankings. That school is Christopher Columbus, and it was the Roman Catholic preparatory school located in the Westchester region of Miami, Dade County that defeated two of the top three schools in the FAB 50 at the Spalding Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass., which has developed into the best MLK showcase over the past 15 years.

On Saturday, the Explorers of coach Andrew Moran took on then No. 2 Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.), which had only lost to season-long No. 1 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 73-59 in the title game of the City of Palms Classic in Florida. Columbus trialed 39-36 at halftime and the third quarter was a stalemate, with both clubs scoring 16 points. In the fourth quarter, however, it was all Columbus, as the Explorers outscored LuHi, 29-7, to pull away with a 81-62 victory. Cameron Boozer, last year's Mr. Basketball USA choice as a mere sophomore and still only 16 years old, had a big impact on the contest with 26 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field, seven rebounds, four assists, and five blocked shots. Michigan St.-bound guard Jase Richardson also made a big impact with 20 points of 8-of-12 shooting, six rebounds, nine assists, two blocks and four steals.

In our latest edition of the "In The Paint" Podcast, we predicted Boozer was due for a breakout performance and that an upset could be brewing, and the power forward deluxe put his stamp on the holiday weekend by leading the Explorers to their second big win of the weekend on MLK Monday. Once again Columbus closed strong, outscoring then No. 3 Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.), 45-35, in the second half to record a 70-61 victory. Boozer didn't shoot well from the outside (0-4 FG 3-PT), but his looming presence was felt in a major way and he finished with 14 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, four blocks and four steals. Richardson once again, made all the difference, netting a game-high 21 points, six rebounds and four assists.

What made Columbus' second victory of the Hoophall Classic even more meaningful was the fact Paul VI was attempting to capture the "Springfield Double" after capturing the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions in Missouri with a 71-53 championship victory over then No. 46 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.). Duke-bound Darren Harris led the way for the Panthers with four 3-pointers and a game-high 23 points. Paul VI knocked off then No. 27 McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) in the semifinals, 48-37, as Harris scored 20 points. It looked good for Columbus that McEachern nearly came back to beat then No. 10 Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.), taking that club into overtime after trialing by 18 points and coming up just short, 60-59. McEachern defeated then No. 25 Edmond North (Edmond, Okla.) in the Bass Pro TOC third place game, 61-59, on a game-winning jumper by Mr. Basketball USA candidate Ace Bailey, who had 23 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks in the loss to the Wolverines.

Another result that broke Columbus' way was No. 1 Montverde's 76-71 Sunday win at Hoophall Classic over then No. 8 Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.), the Eagles' closest margin of victory to date so far in an unbeaten slate. Indiana-bound Liam McNeeley led four MVA players in double figures with 22 points, including 4-of-5 3-pointers. When the game was on the line, however, the Eagles smartly went inside to power forward Derik Queen, who scored a bucket and also got fouled on MVA's next possession and went to the free throw line to keep Prolific Prep at bay. The Crew's effort versus MVA looks good for the Explorers because they defeated Prolific Prep in overtime. With their own tough schedule, Paul VI's quality of wins, Prolific Prep's showing and Long Island Lutheran's loss to then No. 11 AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.), Columbus ia able to move up six spots this week to No. 2 with Prolific Prep checking it at No. 3.

No. 4 Paul VI has only lost to No. 1 Montverde Academy and No. 2 Columbus. No. 5 Link has lost to No. 1 MVA, No. 3 Prolific Prep, No. 4 Paul VI and to No. 7 LuHi, which has to drop five spots to account for the upset loss to AZ Compass Prep.

Columbus' showing is also a swoon for new No. 6 Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.), ?which lost its only game in an ultra-tight contest to Columbus in the title game of the Les Schwab Invitational in Oregon on Dec. 30. What wasn't mentioned during the national telecast of the Harvard-Westlake-McEachern contest (instead Bailey's NBA prospectus was mentioned every other time he touched the ball) is Harvard-Westlake has a tough turnaround on the way back from the Spalding Hoophall Classic, not just on the way there as McEachern and Paul VI did. The Wolverines traveled back to the West Coast in inclement weather and are gearing up to host No. 21 Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) on Wednesday and travel to face No. 26 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) on January 19.?

There are only four newcomers this week as teams that play national schedules are rewarded and don't fall all the way out after a showcase loss.

Notre Dame is one of the still unbeaten clubs that gets a noticable and sizable bump up this week. Among those still unbeaten clubs are No. 8 Plano East (Plano, Texas), No. 9 Fishers (Fishers, Ind.), No. 11 Ridge View (Columbia, S.C.), No. 13 Lawrence North (Indianapolis, Ind.), No. 22 Central Cabarrus (Concord, N.C.) and No. 28 Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.). For those that don't venture far from home or test themselves on a regional or national level, a loss could mean a big drop that following week.

RELATED: ?Preseason 2023-24 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker | | ??

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at?[email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter:?@RonMFlores

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1. Can Paul VI or McEachern Pull Off The "Springfield Double"?
Not if FAB 50 No. 25 Edmond North (Edmond, Okla.) or 46 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) has anything to say about it. The No. 3 ranked Panthers are the favorites to capture the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions title on Saturday Dec. 13 in Springfield, Mo., and would actually meet No. 27 McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) in the semifinals on Friday with Bosco and Edmond North pairing off on the other side of the eight-team bracket. McEachern is the only club that actually had a tough opening-round game on Thursday, downing highly-regarded Vashon (St. Louis, Mo.), 73-62 behind a 29-point performance from Rutgers-bound Ace Bailey. Edmond North is still unbeaten but, St. John Bosco is a bit more battle-tested. St. John Bosco and McEachern would be a pick'em game should Bailey have a monster game and help his team upset Paul VI in the semifinals. Since McEachern will have to be firing on all cylinders to beat No. 10 Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.) on Monday morning after a travel day on Sunday, we like Paul VI's chances a bit more to pull off the Springfield Double even though its MLK Monday game vs. No. 8 Columbus (Miami, Fla.) will be a doozy. We just feel if Paul VI win the Bass Pro TOC, the Panthers will play well Monday. For McEachern, it would be one hell of a statement to pull it off.

2. Which Game Could Impact The FAB 50 Most?
Yes, we do feel Paul VI will take down Columbus should the Panthers win the Bass Pro TOC, but don't count out the Explorers from having a big weekend. They face No. 2 Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.) on Saturday and returning Mr. Basketball USA Cameron Boozer is due for a big game. Sure, Columbus got blown out by No. 1 Montverde Academy earlier in the season, but the Explorers can play with LuHi. Boozer hasn't played bad at all this season, but some fans and veteran onlookers want him to dominate more in the big games. The bar is set so high for him, probably as much as any high school junior since LeBron James over 20 years ago. On a big stage, don't be surprised if he steps up and Columbus gives LuHi all it can handle. If they pull off the upset that could shake up the rankings because Columbus has four other losses and LuHi is in the thick of the FAB 50 title hunt. Should Columbus lose, it won't want to lose two in a row vs. No. 3 Paul VI. Columbus can dominate on any given day, or play with the pack so keep an eye out for its two games.

3. Is This Montverde Academy's Toughest Stretch?
The Eagles will be favored in every game the rest of the way, but this is still not its toughest stretch of games. The toughest three game stretch will come at the end of the season during the High School Basketball Nationals, April 4-6. The pressure will be on for MVA to win the FAB 50 national title and more than likely it will face one or two highly-ranked teams it has already faced after a big break. Even for a team like MVA, beating a good team a second or third time is not easy. This weekend, Montverde will face No. 23 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), bubble club Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.) and No. 9 Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.). Oak Hill Academy has only lost to No. 2 LuHi and both the Warriors and Brewster Academy want to prove they are upper echelon EYBL Scholastic teams. The two teams' individual players have also been somewhat overlooked by other top players from its own league and will be eager for the big opportunity. As fas as Prolific Prep, The Crew has already proven it can play with and beat some of the nation's best teams. It has been banged up, however, in recent weeks and has played its last three games without its best all-around contributor, senior forward Derrion Reid. If he's not available versus MVA, that will be a big blow to Prolific Prep's chances. Others Prolific Prep players can step up, but Reid is invaluable to his team's success so far this season.

4. Who Will Make Lasting McDonald's Impressions?
Derrion Reid, bound for Alabama, was having once heck of a season before the injury. Regardless, he should be a shoo-in for the 2024 McDonald's All-American Game, which will take place April 2 in Houston. The teams will be announced on the ESPN's "NBA Today" broadcast on Tuesday, January 23. In a national senior class that is average by previous standards, there has been more buzz leading up to the announcement of the team about the borderline McDonald's selections than anytime in the past five years. There is definitely some gray area about the final 4-6 selections. That's why the Saturday game between Archbishop Wood (Philadelphia, Pa.) and Centennial (Corona, Calif.) will be so intriguing. Wood features Miami-bound shooting guard Jahlil Bethea and Arizona-bound forward Carter Bryant. Hoophall is the final big national showcase before the teams are announced and those two want to make great final impressions. Bryant is coming off a monster 39-point, 11-rebound performance in Centennial's 82-78 win over No. 19 Roosevelt (Eastvale, Calif.), so he'll go into the Wood game with some positive momentum. Another highly-regarded player who wants to show well in Springfield is undecided wing Bryson Tucker of FAB 50 No. 24 Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, Va.). His team takes on Cardinal Ritter (St. Louis, Mo.) on Sunday morning.

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at?[email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter:?@RonMFlores

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Allen, Jenkins Combo Kicks off Day 2 of COP

My first game to watch in Fort Myers, FL was a quality one, as two Florida based programs in Victory Christian and Riviera Prep battled it out.?

Riviera Prep nabbed a 73-56 win and 2025 Dante Allen and 2027 Jeremy Jenkins played a large part in the victory. 

I’ve watched Allen multiple times, but this season is the first I’ve evaluated him being the primary scoring option. Liked how he got his teammates involved by finding guys running the floor or dishing it to the open man when he got to the paint. Because of his willingness to pass, it opened driving lanes and open shots for him. Allen recorded 17 points, six assists and five rebounds?

Jenkins will be a name talked about??plenty of times for the 2027 class.?

I saw him in Dallas last year as an eighth grader and he showed flashes of the skill but he physically dominated games for the most part. On the varsity level as a freshman, he has exhibited an array of skills. Possesses a clean shooting stroke at 6’7, scores with back to basket and facing up due to adequate footwork and touch. Jenkins offensive versatility poses as a matchup issue for opponents. Finished game with 20 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists.

Mater Dei With Convincing Win vs Windermere Prep

Five Players reached double figures in Mater Dei’s matchup over Windermere Prep of Florida.

Player Evals 

Mater Dei

Brannon Martinsen, 6’7 PF - 2026: Skilled forward that’s a capable shooter from deep. Embraces contact on back downs from the block and uses body well to generate enough space to get shot off over length. Operated well and made sound decisions in the high post, as a pick n pop guy and in the short roll. 

Luke Barnett, 6’3 SG - 2026: Shot over 50% from the field and 3-7 from deep. Attacked closeouts and got to the mid-range pull and floater game. Active off-ball mover who has extended range from deep.

Blake Davidson, 6’7 PF - 2025: Started the game out with a 3-pointer and I liked his assertiveness and toughness on the glass. Physical box-outs, active on offensive glass and can make jumpers when his feet is set. Activity and motor, to go along with his promising shooting touch, was on display.?

Windermere Prep

Sinan Huan, 7’ C - 2026: Lefty that’s a legit 7-footer that’s equipped with adequate touch around the rim. Coordinated for size and age, comfortable operating on the low block but could play with more toughness and aggression on the glass. Regardless, can see the tools and the talent.?

Brandon Bass Jr, 6’4 CG - 2026: Struggled shooting and seemed to have been pressing on offense when shots weren’t going in. Can see the talent though and I liked that he continued to compete on the defensive end regardless of how his offense was. A lefty with wiggle off the dribble and can shot create.?

Evening Recap

VJ Edgecomb leads LuHi vs Westminister Academy

LuHi, ranked No. 2 in the latest FAB 50 Rankings, came out the gates slow but executed better in the second half and recorded a 83-59 win vs. a talented Westminister squad. 5 star guard VJ Edgecomb showed why he’s one of the best in 2024. An explosive athlete that has polished up his offensive game. Major vertical pop, first step and one of if not the best wing defender in the country. He finished the game with 20 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals on 61 percent shooting.?

Also wanted to note the impact of 2025 guard Kayden Mingo had on the game. Got downhill and to the paint multiple times, finished through contact, navigated well in tight spaces and was a pest as an on-ball defender, shooting through the gaps and racking steals as a team defender.?17 points, 2 assists and a whopping 6 steals.?

For Westminister, 2026 Alex Constanza is the real deal. A fluid 6’8 wing with legit guard skills. Everything looked effortless and clean. Long strides allowed him to get to spots in limited dribbles, he utilized his length to finish vs like-size length and he’s an adequate shooter also. Saw why he’s labeled one of the best overall prospects in 2026. 

Rutgers Commits Go Toe to Toe

The Scarlet Knights should be excited about what’s coming in 2024 from the high school side. Dylan Harper (Don Bosco Prep, NJ) and Ace Bailey (McEachern High School, GA) put on a show on Tuesday. Don Bosco ran away with it in the second half and won 76-50.?

Harper led his squad with 28 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists on 11-for-17 shooting. The lefty pg was dominant. He controls the pace of the game, manages the floor and knows when to score the ball. He’s not speeding by the defender, but he’s using his body and ball-handling creativity to create space and score. Also wanted to note his ability to read double teams and skip passes to make the defense shift. He only recorded 3 assists, but he had a plethora of possessions that his pass led to the ball rotating and eventually generated a bucket.?

Ace Bailey continued to play hard and I respected that. Recorded 24 points and 7 rebounds. At 6’8 and the elevation he has on his jumper, there are so many shots he can create because of how high he gets off the floor and his high release point. There’s plenty of upside as a shot creator when he gets hot offensively, it’s very hard to cool him off as a defender. 

I know the transfer portal is a huge deal and labeled as the wave in college basketball, but these two will be impact freshmen and won’t be in college long.?

Columbus Found Rhythm and Defeat Archbishop Ryan

The evening matchups all were basically a tale of two halves. Columbus (Fla.) vs. Archbishop Ryan (Pa.) was no different.?

Ryan slowed down the pace of the game and its zone defense gave Columbus fits early on. Causing turnovers and Columbus didn’t shoot it well from deep. Offensively it scored off a heavy dose of back-door cuts and post feeds to Georgetown commit Thomas Sorber (11pts 9rebs & 3 assists).?

Columbus eventually found their groove and went on a scoring tear. The Explorers just played a lot fast and started attacking the paint in the zone. Jase Richardson was very good in this one with 17 points and 8 rebounds. An athletic, lefty guard that once he gets downhill, he’s finishing around the rim and playing above the rim. 5 star forward Cameron Boozer started to show why he’s arguably the best in his class, as he finished better around the rim and started utilizing his strength inside. He recorded 26 points, 8 rebounds on 62 percent shooting.?

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RELATED: All-Time Mr. Basketball USA Winners?| Final 2022-23 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker

Let's rewind back to the 2007 USA Basketball Training Camp in Las Vegas as Team USA was preparing to restore its dominance of international basketball. The late Kobe Bryant had requested a trade from the Los Angeles Lakers a few months before the camp and the media was going to get a chance to talk to him for the first time since as camp opened. Bryant would eventually emerge as the leader of the "Redeem Team" that won the Gold Medal at the 2008 Olympics in China, but at that time in 2007 he wasn't particularly close to his future Olympic teammates.

With the help of J.J. Redick, Bryant was getting up his shots without any dribbling, without any wasted motion and with little communication with his teammates. He knew there was going to be a media onslaught and it was consistent once practice was over all the way until the players left together from the gymnasium. Other Team USA players, such as Carmelo Anthony, gave Bryant a hard time about the media onslaught and enjoyed their precious time away from the spotlight.

After leaving the practice and heading to the next grassroots basketball event on our schedule that day, we ran into Chris Rivers, then Reebok Basketball's Sports Marketing Director, about the practice. We told him about the jovial practice session everyone had, expect for Bryant in how serious he took it. Rivers uttered this statement: "It's LeBron's league, but it's Kobe's world."

Rivers' statement echoes our sentiment about high school basketball and this year's race for the nation's most prestigious individual honor: Mr. Basketball USA. For the first time since LeBron James in 2002-03, high school basketball has a returning Mr. Basketball USA. That would be 6-foot-9 Cameron Boozer of FAB 50 No. 3 Columbus (Miami, Fla.), the nation's top player in 2022-23. He was the first sophomore to ever earn national player honors. In terms of accomplishment over a career, Boozer has a chance to dominate the high school game like no player since James did in the early 2000s.

If the preseason voting results by the 10-man Mr. Basketball USA Tracker panel, plus comments from one of its senior members, are any indication, it's actually someone else who might be the most skilled American-born high school player with positional NBA size since the former St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio) wunderkind.

That player is 6-foot-9 Duke-bound Cooper Flagg, a re-classed senior from Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) who was a third five All-American last season for the Eagles as a sophomore. While Boozer was last season's most dominant high school player and deserving of any and all accolades that come his way, the high school and grassroots world currently belongs to the sinewy forward originally from Newport, Maine.

Flagg is the top vote-getter in the?preseason 2023-24 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker powered by www.ebooksnet.com with 95 total points, besting Boozer by seven (87) points overall. In a season in which 20 players received preseason recognition as a national player of the year candidate, Flagg and Boozer clearly lead the pack. The nation's top senior prospect and its top junior were the only two players to appear on each of the 10 ballots that make up the Mr. Basketball USA Tracker panel. Flagg, who committed to Duke on October 30 and was the 2022 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year, received six first-place votes (10 points each), three second-place votes (nine each) with one ballot listing him in third place. Boozer, who beat out Isaiah Collier (USC) and Ron Holland (G-League Ignite) for the prestigious honor in 2022-23, received two first-place ballots, five second-place ones, two third-place and one fifth-place (worth six points) for his 87 points.

The two other candidates to receive a first-place vote (one each) was undecided guard Dylan Harper of FAB 50 No. 18 Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) and Rutgers-bound forward Airious "Ace" Bailey of FAB 50 No. 21 McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.). Many recruiting experts feel Harper will join Bailey at Rutgers in the fall of 2024.

Flagg made a big jump during the 2023 grassroots season in order to supplant Boozer as the top national player of the year candidate as the 2023-24 season tips off. Following his sophomore campaign for the regular season National Interscholastic Basketball Conference (NIBC) champions, Flagg finished in tenth place overall while appearing on four ballots in the final Mr. Baskeball USA tally of 2022-23. Flagg averaged 9.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.2 blocked shots per game and he helped Montverde Academy qualify for GEICO Nationals for the eleventh consecutive season, but pure numbers don't begin to tell the tale of his impact. He runs the floor like a deer, is known for his defensive versatility and his big play-ability on the most talent-laden team in the country.

"There may not be a U.S. high school player of his size, 6-foot-9-ish, with his combination of skill and size since LeBron," said panel member and U.S. Basketball Writers Association Hall of Fame member Frank Burlison. "I think Boozer is great, it's close, plus he's a year younger. In most other years, either guy would be a hands-down No. 1."

Two factors may play in a role in the voting that saw last year's honoree come in second this preseason. One, the top player on the No. 1 ranked team currently leads the way. Second, each season is judged differently and last season has little or no bearing on the panelists' perceptions of this year. As he did last year when he overcame the country's elite seniors, Boozer is once again going to have to overcome someone else in the pole position for Mr. Basketball USA honors.

The great thing is, the national player of the year race will be decided on the hardwood. Columbus and Montverde Academy will lock horns on December 1 (on ESPN2) at MVA to follow up on the terrific trilogy the two players had during the summer grassroots season. The two teams could meet more than once this season as well. Boozer will have plenty of opportunities to defend his title as the nation's best player, and by that December 1 game will have already played three FAB 50 ranked clubs, including versus No. 6 Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) on November 22.

The voting results and the amount of terrific early season games create the most highly-anticipated early-season, high level high school hoop matchups in recent memory.

Make sure to like and subscribe to the "In the Paint" podcast and stay logged in to www.ebooksnet.com?to track the progress of the nation's top individual players and the nation’s Top teams.

Editor's Note: Click on the "+" sign next to each player's number to view how many first, second, third or fourth place votes he got and his overall point total.

About Mr. Basketball USA Tracker Panel
www.ebooksnet.com's panel of 10 experts, which includes five McDonald’s All-American selection committee members, casts its vote for the top national player of the year candidates. Each panelist lists his top seven candidates regardless of class. The votes are then tabulated on a 10-point scoring system with a first-place vote equaling 10 points, a second-place vote earning nine points and down to four points for a seventh-place vote. The number in parenthesis refers to the numbers of ballots on which a player appeared and previous rankings refers to position in last season's final tracker.

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Capturing GEICO Nationals doesn't automatically mean the winner is the FAB 50 national champion at the end of the season, but the Eagles served notice, by virtue of their Top Flight Invite title, that they’ll likely be in the pole position when the 37th edition of the preseason FAB 50 rankings drop on October 29.

This event showed the Eagles have the talent and chemistry to win the program’s seventh FAB 50 crown in 2023-24. They also have something else: motivation. That comes from falling to Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) in the first round of GEICO Nationals last season.

"That’s our mindset, after losing last year (at GEICO) we wanted to come out here and start off with a win,” said Cooper Flagg, the nation’s top-rated senior (2024) who led five Eagles’ double-digit scorers with 20 points in the win over the Explorers. Flagg, who showed why he’s considered the nation’s best prospect throughout the three-day event, dominated the title game in various capacities on both ends of the floor, finishing with a game-high 11 rebounds, adding seven assists, four blocks and two steals. He was especially potent in the first half, hitting a variety of pull-up jumpers in situations any other high school-aged player in the nation would be hard pressed to execute, scoring 16 points of 7-of-8 shooting from the field as the Eagles built a 48-32 lead.

It’s not a given the FAB 50 title will be won by an academy-type program or one belonging to the National Interscholastic Basketball Conference (NIBC). Columbus is a parochial program in Miami and showed it will be a major challenger for the 2023-24 FAB 50 crown after finishing No. 6 in last season’s final rankings. The Explorers didn’t go down without a fight and even though they won’t begin as preseason No. 1, they won’t be very far from the top.

After trailing big early in the second half, the Explorers cut their deficit to 57-47 with 11 minutes remaining in the game on a slashing lay-up by recent Michigan St. pledge Jase Richardson (11 points), a 2024 guard and transfer from Bishop Gorman of Las Vegas. The Explorers made one final push and cut the Eagles’ lead to three points. Cayden Boozer missed a contested, side step 3-pointer that would cut the Eagles’ deficit to two points when the score stood at 74-69 with under two minutes remaining. The Explorers would get no closer and had a few key missed shots and opportunities on fast breaks where they couldn’t convert that could have changed the game.

Boozer, a 6-foot-4 junior point guard, finished with 22 points, including 3-of-6 3-pointers with nine assists. His brother Cameron, a 6-foot-9, 240-pound power forward and last season’s Mr. Basketball USA as a mere 15-year old sophomore, also played a big hand in keeping the Explorers in range against the most talented lineup in high school basketball (the Eagles only played six players). Cam Boozer and Flagg had three memorable battles this summer during the grassroots season and Sunday evening before a national television audience was another epic battle. Cam Boozer dominates around the paint like no other player in the country, but he continues to improve his face up game and deep range. In this contest, he made 5-of-7 3-pointers and finished with 26 points and eight rebounds. Flagg is ultra-talented, but there is no doubt Cam Boozer could repeat as the national player of the year in 2023-24.

Liam McNeeley, who committed to Indiana during the event, finished with 16 points for the Eagles. Baylor commit Rob Wright, one of the nation’s best point guards, added 13 points and nine assists for the victors. In addition to Richardson and McNeeley, forward Pharaoh Compton of Arbor View (Las Vegas, Nev.) and guard Trent Perry of Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.) also committed on live television during the event. Compton is headed to San Diego St. and Perry is headed to USC.

In the championship semifinals, The Explorers took on a Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) team that defeated Harvard-Westlake, the defending California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) open division champions, in the opening round, 81-70. It was a terrific test for Prolific Prep in terms of gauging its team against one of the true FAB 50 national championship contenders for 2023-24. It was also a contest involving the top-two ranked players in the national 2025 class. Now Cam Boozer and small forward A.J Dybansta don’t play the same position, but when Dybansta, a transfer from St. Sebastian’s (Needham, Mass.) and originally from Brockton, Mass., re-classified from the 2026 to the 2025 class a week ago and was elevated over Boozer in the mainstream recruiting network player rankings, this became a big matchup. Boozer showed why he’s not ready to give up the mantle as the top player in his class, putting forth a virtuoso performance with 29 points and 16 rebounds in the Explorers’ 83-61 win that was dominant as the score indicates.

Dybansta finished the contest with six points. Prolific Prep and Dybansta bounced back to win the third place game over AZ Compass Prep, 72-62. Dybanata and Tyran Stokes, a 6-foot-7 forward now considered the best prospect nationally in the 2026 class, both finished with 15 points for the victors.

Cam Boozer had 20 points and 16 rebounds versus Coronado (Henderson, Nev.) in the opening round to finish the three-game set with averages of 25.0 points and 13.3 rebounds per game.

As for the Eagles, they easily downed AZ Compass Prep in their semifinal contest, 85-51. McNeeley led the way offensively with 25 points and seven rebounds. In its quarterfinal opener, the Eagles downed Bishop O’Connell, 86-58, as Wright had 21 points and Flagg had 20 points on 9-of-10 shooting from the field.

Perry averaged 20.3 ppg for Harvard-Westlake in its three games to come in second in tourney scoring behind Cam Boozer. Quincy Wadley, a talented 6-foot-4 sophomore (2026) for O’Connell, was third in scoring at 19.7 ppg, while Flagg came in fourth at 19.0 ppg.

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at?[email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter:?@RonMFlores

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Editor's Note: Everyone in high school basketball knows about the Boozer twins, Cameron and Cayden, of Columbus (Miami, Fla.). Cam Boozer was the first ever sophomore named Mr. Basketball USA as the national player of the year in 2022-23. Not as many know their father, former NBA forward Carlos Boozer, was a big name in high school basketball in the late 1990s with a unique story. This cover story was originally published in the April 1999 edition of Student Sports Magazine.

He’s seen bears in the wild and his mom has served moose meat to college coaches, but what has really touched high school basketball All-American Carlos Boozer is the overwhelming support he’s received from thousands of fans throughout Alaska.

THE KING OF ALASKA
by Tracy Pierson

It sounds like we’re talking about a celebrity on the level of Michael Jordan or Leonardo DiCaprio. But while this figure might not necessarily be King of the World, he’s definitely King of Alaska. He's actually just a soft-spoken, fairly shy, 17-year-old high school senior named Carlos Boozer from Juneau, Alaska. Carlos also happens to play basketball better than just about any other high schooler on the continent. And the state of Alaska has adopted him as its hero.

“He’s truly a celebrity in Juneau and all of Alaska,” said his high school coach, George Houston. “He’s kind of swept up the entire state.”

Carlos Boozer

6'9"   -   PF   -   1999

It’s not unjustified. Boozer led his high school team, the Juneau Douglas Bears, to the Alaska 4-A state title as a sophomore and junior, in particularly dramatic fashion. Last year, the Bears beat longtime basketball power East Anchorage in the championship game on, of course, a last second shot by Boozer.

He can’t even go into a department store without being mobbed. He’s constantly on the front of newspapers. When he makes a casual public appearance, they have to set up tables for him to sign autographs. This season, Boozer and the Bears were favored to win a third consecutive state title, and the people of Alaska are intensely following Douglas’ season, primarily because of their athletic favorite son.

All the national attention Carlos has received has made the local spotlight even brighter. Some of the biggest coaching names in college basketball—including Mike Krzyzewski of Duke, Steve Lavin of UCLA, Mike Jarvis of St. John's, Roy Williams of Kansas, and many more—have earned a ton of frequent flyer miles coming to Juneau, the Alaskan capital and seaport that is nestled on the southeast coast of the state with a population of 25,000.

In the fall, eight college head coaches—Krzyzewski, Lavin, and Georgetown’s John Thompson among them—made official in-home visits to the Boozer household. Carlos’ father, Carlos Sr., said the coaches all told him it was a unique experience for them: flying to Juneau, glimpsing glaciers, driving around sheep in the street.

“Especially when my wife served them moose-meat hor d’oeuvres,” laughed Carlos Sr. “It’s all been such a fun ride...the state championships, the recruiting visits."

Carlos Jr. is the hottest recruiting commodity in the country heading into the spring signing period. He trimmed his potential choices to Duke, UCLA and St. John’s and was making each sweat it out before announcing his decision on Easter Sunday, April 4, before he plays in the Magic Johnson Roundball Classic All-Star Game in Detroit, Mich.

Among coaches and scouts alike, Boozer is widely considered one of the top five players in the country and was recently named to the 1999 McDonald’s All-American squad, only the second player from Alaska ever to be named to the prestigious team.

Boozer is a potential NBA lottery pick caliber player: he stands a hair under 6-10 while tipping the scales at 245 pounds with a muscular built. He not only can use his man-child type body to dominate under the basket, but possesses uncanny perimeter skills for someone his size. He can drill a 3-point shot with ease, take a defender with a crossover, or go end to end running the court like a sprinter. Having also just turned 17 in November, he’s also very young for a senior.

No one could have foreseen the teenager’s meteoric rise eleven years ago (in 1988). At the time, the Boozers were living in Washington, D.C., as Carlos Sr. was a computer analyst for an armored car company and his wife, Renee Boozer, had a well-paying government job.

Carlos Sr., however, was troubled by life in the city, especially with the prospect of raising his children there.

“We were tired of the D.C. area,” Carlos Sr. explained. “I just wasn’t comfortable with the prospect of living there when my kids hit high school age. Nothing against D.C., it was more just the city lifestyle. How everything is so fast. But I didn’t know what to do.”

Shortly thereafter, the patriarch took his family on a vacation to visit his sister in Juneau. His sister had been raving about life in Alaska for a few years and the Boozers wanted to check it out. Who would have thought that it could all happen in Alaska?

“We drove cross country about 4,000 miles,” he said. “And when we got here, we just fell in love with the place.”

The Boozers appreciated the relaxed Alaskan lifestyle compared to the frenetic pace of Washington D.C. They saw moose in their relatives’ backyard, eagles flying overhead and noticed how friendly and polite the Alaskan people were to them. Within a few days, both parents were calling their employers in D.C. to submit their resignations.

“We never went back to D.C.,” Carlos Sr. said. "“We came out on a vacation to Alaska and just decided to stay.”

The Boozers took entry-level jobs, suffering substantial pay cuts compared to their positions in D.C.

“But it was well worth it,” Carlos Sr., now an analyst in Alaska’s Department of Labor, explained. “It was the best decision I could have made for my family.”

For Carlos Jr., moving from Washington D.C. to Alaska was a National Geographic adventure come to life.

“I was just six years old, so moving was fun. You could see bears walking around. That was neat. You could only see those kind of animals in D.C. at the zoo. So, for me and my older sister, it was fascinating."

Carlos Jr. was much taller than others his age but had just a passing interest in basketball. In fact, most of the time when he was really young, he preferred a snow-rugby version of basketball to the real thing.

“On the outside courts in Alaska, there was so much snow we used to play completely wrapped up in clothes, with gloves, running through the piles of snow. It was great, you could dive, Larry Bird style, and land in the snow and not get hurt.”

Carlos Sr. said he could see early on that his had some talent, but he resisted pushing him. The father himself had a basketball history, having played two years at Maryland in the early 1970s under coach Lefty Driesel as a 6-3 forward, and in the military, making an all-army team. At the age of nine, Carlos Jr. came to his father and asked him if he’d teach him how to play basketball.

“I said, ‘Hallelujah,’” Carlos Sr. chuckled. “I took it as a mission. I had this tall, talented kid who now wanted to learn. So, I taught him everything I knew."

For the first few years in Alaska, Carlos Jr. was just an ordinary kid. Then nature took over.

Between the seventh and eighth grades, Carlos Jr. grew from 5-7 to 6-2—seven inches in just a year. He quickly stood out in a crowd and on a basketball court. He dunked the ball for the first time as an eighth grader and in Alaska, where the entire state has a small-town mentality, word started to spread around Juneau and neighboring towns about a very tall, talented junior high prospect to watch.

“I think that was the first time someone ever came up to me on the street and recognized me,” Carlos Jr. said. “It kind of freaked me out.”

By the summer before his freshman year, Carlos had grown to 6-3 and was already fairly well-known, but his parents realized that being a star in Alaska might not be enough to get him noticed by anyone outside of the state. Renee then accompanied her young, soft-spoken son to the San Francisco Bay Area to play in a basketball camp. It was directed by a young assistant coach from UCLA, Steve Lavin, and other members of Lavin’s family. Lavin became the Bruins’ head coach three years ago.

“I remember thinking, ‘Wow, there are so many good players in the world,’” the D.C. transfer stated. “I was overwhelmed. It was the first time I was exposed to players outside of Alaska. It was the summer after UCLA won their national championship, and the O’Bannon Brothers (Ed, Charles) were there and I got to meet them. I saw the ring on Coach Lavin’s finger and I thought that was really cool. That inspired me.”

The following spring, after Carlos’ freshman season, Mrs. Boozer took her then 6-5 son to Los Angeles to play at the West Coast Camp. Her primary objective was to find a traveling AAU team for Carlos Jr. and to get him more than just the Northern Exposure he’d had in Alaska.

The coach of a Fresno-based AAU team, Elite Basketball Organization (EBO), Darren “Mats” Matsubara, was also there. Matsubara said the way he first discovered Boozer was a matter of fate and luck.

“I had heard that there was a parent interested in EBO for her son,” Matsubara said. “I watched him play, but in the program, after his name it listed ‘SR,’ which I thought meant he was a senior. When Renee approached me, I told her I thought her son was good, but as a senior he probably couldn’t play for us. She then pointed out that it was a typo, that it was supposed to say ‘FR.’ I thought, ‘Holy Cow!’ Not only was this big, talented kid a freshman, he was a young freshman, then only 14-years-old. All the other AAU coaches didn’t consider him seriously since they thought like me that he was a senior."

The budding youth decided to join EBO, one of the premiere AAU programs nationwide, and his reputation began to blossom. By his sophomore year, Boozer was 6-7 and had led Douglas High to the 4-A state championship. The state of Alaska quickly jumped on the Boozer bandwagon and while basketball had always been important in Juneau, Houston said Carlos Jr. made its popularity explode.

“Suddenly, this was a basketball town. We were not only filling our own gym, but every gym we visited. Standing room only, like over 5,000 people a game. Carlos was getting his picture in the paper on a regular basis, and having stories done about him on local television. Now, this might happen in other towns in America, but when it happens in Juneau, it’s even a bigger thing, a phenomenon.”

Boozer was swiftly becoming the biggest thing in Alaska since... well, the “Alaskan Assassin” himself—Duke’s hot-shooting, All-American guard Trajan Langdon. Trajan was the original Alaskan high school basketball phenom, attracting the same caliber of attention that is now Boozer’s. In fact, their careers have paralleled to a large degree:

--- Langdon took his game to Duke, a destination that Carlos is seriously considering.

Trajan Langdon

6'4"   -   SG   -   1994

--- Langdon won three state championships for East Anchorage High (which Douglas beat in the championship game last year), a feat Carlos was expected to match this season. Coincidentally, Houston coached East at the time and after last year's game among the Juneau crowd Langdon found him. “He came up to me, we talked, he thanked me and we embraced," Houston said. "With all the celebrating going on, that meant a lot to me... to think of his coach at a time like that.”

--- Langdon was the first high school player from Alaska to be selected to the McDonald’s All-America team; Boozer is now the second. “Trajan opened the doors for so many players in Alaska like me,” Carlos explained. “He made many Alaskans basketball fans. All of us All-Americans who have followed him are indebted to him.”

Houston, though, said that Boozer has taken that popularity to another level.

“With high school basketball having a higher profile now, and with more television coverage and the internet, Carlos, I think, is even bigger than Trajan was when he was in high school. I mean, when Carlos was just named to the McDonald’s team, it was on the front page of the Juneau paper.”

“He’s the mayor up there,” said Matsubara.

Carlos also is a solid student, carrying a 3.3 GPA and scoring over 900 on the SAT. But with all the attention, the modest student-athlete hasn’t let it go to his head. While he could probably score 50 points a game and destroy his Alaskan competition with every touch of the ball, he still plays within the team concept.

“He’s first and foremost a team player,” Houston said. “He does what we want him to do to make sure the team wins.”

“My family has emphasized academics my whole life,” Carlos Jr. said. “I knew growing up if I didn’t get good grades, I couldn’t play basketball, no matter how good I was.”

Houston, in fact, emphasizes the quality of a person Carlos is above all else. He readily relates the story that after Carlos made the winning shot in the state championship game last year, the floor—and Carlos—were mobbed with fans, cheerleaders and players. Carlos, however, quietly broke away from the raucous.

Did moving to Alaska give him such a strong foundation of values?

Boozer attributes it to his close-knit family, emphasizing his relationships with his father and mother, his older sister, Natasha, 19, and his younger siblings, Charles, 11, Nakeisha, 8, and Natonya, 6. Incidentally, some feel—including Carlos Jr. himself—that the college coaches should keep their flight schedules to Alaska since Charles is better at the same age.

But Carlos Jr. also believes growing up in Alaska contributed to his outlook on life.

“It’s just a different world up here. The people are so friendly and trustworthy. It’s peaceful. You can really relax and be yourself. It does tend to affect you, make you put things in perspective.”

And from the perspective of the majority of basketball fans in Alaska, Carlos Boozer is The King.

CARLOS BOOZER NBA HIGHLIGHTS

pic.twitter.com/Wpj4M9S3Nt

— John Brisker (@JohnBrisker2021) November 20, 2022

BOOZER'S SONS: CAYDEN & CAMERON

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NBPA Top 100 MVP

Cooper Flagg, Montverde Academy (Fla.) 2025 6’8 Wing
Was the camp MVP as his team won the championship game. Arguably the best player in 2025, Flagg orchestrated a strong week of play, averaging 22 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two blocks a game. He played hard every possession, was a big-time help-side shot blocker and attempted to get any shot that came off the rim. His shooting numbers weren’t the prettiest as we are accustomed to, but he still was able to be productive and ultimately win it all. Cooper is a special talent.

NBPA Top 100 All Star Team

A.J. Dybantsa, Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) 2026 6’7 Wing
Big-time wing prospect that brings a lot to the table. Long arms and explosive but also has great hang-time. He can score it with length on three levels. Led the camp in scoring, averaging 28 ppg. Physicality gave him some problems at times and that’s normal playing a few grades up, but still very advanced for a player his grade and age. It's hard to imagine him staying in high school for three more years.

Cameron Boozer, Columbus (Miami, Fla.) 2025 6’9 PF
Coop or Cam, Cam or Coop. That’s generally the argument of who's No. 1 in the 2025 class, but to me I say just enjoy both for free or paying a grassroots entry fee while we can. Boozer is a strong and skilled front-court player that brings versatility. He was efficient from the field (66 percent), scored inside-out and showed ability to defend out on the perimeter on switches. Averaged 24 ppg, 12 rpg and 3 apg.

V.J. Edgecomb, Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.) 2024 6’5 Guard
Athletic, tough and has improved as a scorer and shooter. Gets downhill to finish with the best of them. Defends with physicality and shows lateral explosion. One of my favorite players to watch in the 2024 class, although he didn't play a majority of the camp games here. Versatile and impacts games in multiple ways.

Jayden Quaintance, Overtime Elite (Ga.) 2025 6’9 C
Enjoyed the progression Quaintance has made in the past year and he really stepped up here. He’s young for his class, so it’ll take time to fulfill his huge ceiling but he has a freakish length which allows him to secure rebounds and block shots. He's also finishing better around the rim. Flashed a promising mid-range jumper that one day will be consistent from three. Was the best big man performer at the camp and was in contention for camp MVP.

Darius Acuff, Cass Tech (Detroit, Mich.) 2025 6’2 Hybrid Guard
This kid popped out onto the national scene this spring after a strong high school campaign. A confident hybrid guard that can score it in bunches (24.8 ppg). Changes speeds and direction well with the ball in his hands. Even when defenders play the drive, he’ll knock down enough threes to keep the opponent honest. Strong finisher at the rim and perhaps his best asset is he’s a competitor.

Derik Queen, Montverde Academy (Fla.) 2024 6’9 PF
A load in the paint. Skilled big man with good passing feel even if it doesn’t show in the assist column all the time. Uses his large frame and terrific footwork to create space with his back to the basket or facing up. Queen finished up the camp averaging an impressive 18 ppg and 10 rpg while shooting 65 percent from the field.

Darryn Peterson, Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy (Ohio) 2025 6’5 PG
Lead guard with good positional size. Balances scoring and passing well. Peterson got to the rim, showcased a nice mid-range pull-up, as he’s a precise passer off the live dribble. Defended on ball well and intercepted the passing lanes (led camp in steals with 2.2 spg). Strong overall stat-line with 15 ppg, 5 rpg, 3 apg, 2.2 spg and a high end motor.

Bryson Tucker, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) 2025 6’6 SG
Guard with good positional size as a two-man. Polished offensive game and can make tough shots versus length. Good balance and control when operating off the bounce. Just was smooth in the way he orchestrated his scoring performance as he finished the camp averaging 19 ppg.

Bryson Tiller, Overtime Elite (Ga.) 2025 6’8 PF
Holds a lot of translatable physical tools. Length, size and power stands out as a true 4-man in the mold of former Maryland and NBA standout Buck Williams. Had a very strong output at the camp, averaging 15 ppg, 7.8 rpg on 48 percent shooting.

Khani Rooths, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) 2024 6’7 SF
Displayed an array of ways to score with his size. Grabbing rebounds and initiating offense as a primary ball handler, he operated comfortably on the wing looking to score. Has an athletic, sturdy frame. It was the best I’ve seen him play in a while and with the size and skill-set, if he can put it all together, he’ll be a big-time mismatch guy at the next level.

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In the morning hours the day after the Fourth of July, two 16U teams at the Nike EYBL Peach Jam drew considerable attention from NBA scouts. Now why would NBA scouts be interested in an early 16U game the day after a holiday? It’s because it featured a matchup of rising junior (2025) wing Cooper Flagg of Maine United and power forward Cameron Boozer of the Nightrydas.

Boozer, from Columbus (Miami, Fla.) is coming off a 2022-23 season in which he was the first sophomore ever to earn Mr. Basketball USA honors (over any seniors or juniors) and some feel Flagg is just as good a player and prospect. Now based on recent play at the Section 7 Team Camp during the June scholastic live period, Boozer definitely deserves all the honors and accolades he’s received so far. He’s a terrific prospect and as dominant on the high school level as a forward can be. Flagg is not as physically dominant, but he affects the game in similar fashion with his defensive ability, timing, anticipation and creativity.

The two players met at the recent NBPA Top 100 Camp, with Boozer getting the edge in the matchup, mainly because of his physicality. Based on that game and earlier EYBL results, the Nightrydas 16U were the clear favorites going into the Wednesday morning matchup. The game ended up being close with Maine United 16U leading by a point (35-34) at halftime and going on to pull out a 73-65 victory. Boozer and company had beaten each previous Peach Jam foe by at least 30 points, but this game was a different story as Flagg finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in the upset victory. The story of the game was the play of Flagg’s supporting cast, as brother Ace Flagg, a 6-foot-7 2025 small forward, had 22 points and 11 rebounds, while Landon Clark, another 6-foot-7 2025, added 19 points. The Flagg brothers play at Montverde Academy (Fla.) and are from Newport, Maine, while Clark is originally from Bangor.

Boozer, meanwhile, finished with 22 points and 12 rebounds, but made only 8-of-24 shots from the field.

This certainly won’t be the last time Boozer and Flagg meet up and scouts and fans alike will be locked in to see how those matchups fare and just how good those two players become. Certainly two players don’t make up a class, but scouts are high on the 2025 class as a whole. Add names like power forward Koa Peat of Perry (Gilbert, Ariz.), shooting guard Darryn Peterson of Cuyahoga Valley Christian (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio) and shooting guard Meleek Thomas of Lincoln Park (Midland, Pa.) and you have the makings of a terrific class. Perhaps one of the best if the elite players in it keep developing. As one respected national scout said at Section 7, Boozer is comparable to the top players in the best classes of recent years and the top players in the 2025 class compare favorably as well to many of the top groups.

It is no secret the 2023 class was considered weak and that the 2024 isn’t much better. There isn’t alot of early excitement and buzz surrounding the 2024 NBA Draft and unless some foreign unicorn emerges, there won’t be for the 2025 NBA Draft, either. That’s another reason why many are looking forward to see how the 2025 class shapes out.

It got us thinking about who comprises the best five of any particular class and which are the best classes of all-time? One thing the 2025 class has yet to show is the presence of a game-changing, dynamic point guard. Perhaps one will emerge.

Looking back over the great classes they all have three things in common. 1) A terrific or potentially generational point guard talent. 2) Terrific size up front with some depth. 3) The best players at the top can form a five that can play together and would be dominant in any setting at any level of the game.

We take a look at the best all-time fives in the same class below.

Can the 2025 class continue to develop? Is there a great point guard in the group, and does it matter if there isn’t one? Just how good can this group be, considering it has perhaps two generational prospects at the top?

Top 10 Best All-Time Top 5s In The Same Class

1. 1978-1979

PG — Isaiah Thomas, St. Joseph (Westchester, Ill.) 6-1
F — James Worthy, Ashbrook (Gastonia, N.C.) 6-9
F — Clark Kelllogg, St. Joseph's (Cleveland, Ohio) 6-8
C — Sam Bowie, Lebanon (Pa.) 7-1
C — Ralph Sampson, Harrisonburg (Va.) 7-3
Synopsis: The greatest class of all-time had everything: size, great wings and terrific point guards led by Thomas, who was ranked No. 6 by All-Star Sports in scout Bob Gibbons’ first year of putting out a national list. This class also had depth and a second five consisting of center Steve Stipanovich, DeSmet (St. Louis, Mo.), power forward Antoine Carr, Heights (Wichita, Kan.), small forwards Dominique Wilkins, Washington (N.C.) and Derrick Hord, Tennessee (Bristol, Tenn.) plus point guard Raymond McCoy, Bloom Township (Chicago Heights, Ill.) would be formidable. And that’s still leaving out players such as guards Leon Wood, St. Monica (Santa Monica, Calif.) and Quinten Dailey, Cardinal Gibbons (Baltimore, Md.), plus power forwards Sidney Green, Jefferson (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Terry Cummings, Carver (Chicago). This class helped usher in a wave of talent into the NBA in the early 1980s after a late 1970s lull and if it weren’t for injuries to Bowie and Kellogg would have had an even bigger impact. Sampson is one of the most coveted generational prospects of all-time and his decisions affected the top of NBA drafts for five years, as teams coveted him as the No. 1 pick since his freshman season at Virginia. Worthy was a terrific prospect and ended up as a No. 1 pick after Sampson decided not to come out after his junior year in 1982. Some consider Thomas the best small guard prospect ever and both he and Bowie were No. 2 overall picks. As legendary scout Howie Garfinkel stated, not a single player from the 1978 class (including future No. 1 pick Mark Aguirre) would have been Top 10 in 1979 and only much hyped big man Earl Jones from the 1980 class would have cracked the Top 10.

2. 1987-1988

PG — Chris Jackson, Gulfport (Miss.) 6-1
SG — Chris Mills, Fairfax (Los Angeles) 6-7
SF — Billy Owens, Carlisle (Pa.) 6-8
PF — Shawn Kemp, Concord (Elkhart, Ind.) 6-10
C — Alonzo Mourning, Indian River (Chesapeake, Va.) 6-10
Synopsis: If 1979 isn’t the best class, then many veteran observers would point to this class as the best, although it’s impact at the top of the draft is not quite as dramatic as the 1979 class. Similar to 1979, this class had size and incredible depth and a second five with players such as center Stanley Roberts, Lower Richland (Hopkins, S.C.) and small forward Malik Sealy, Tolentine (Bronx, N.Y.) would be terrific. Mourning was labeled as the best big man to play at the famed Five-Star Camp since Moses Malone and was just a warrior every outing who never took a play off. Kemp and Owens were oozing with talent and pushed Mourning in the rankings despite occasional lapses in intensity. Owens and Kemp would be cinch No. 1 prospects in many classes. Mills is considered one of the best talents ever out of Los Angeles and played one season at Kentucky before a recruiting scandal led to a transfer to Arizona. Kemp never played in college and was a first round pick (No. 17) one year later. Chris Jackson (later Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf) is the best No. 4 or 5 prospect in a class of all-time. In his state final, Jackson’s Gulfport team beat a Murrah (Jackson, Miss.) team with three future NBA players, 96-76. This class was hyped for its potential impact on the college game and clearly delivered despite Kemp’s absence.

3. 2006-2007

PG — Derrick Rose, Simeon (Chicago, Ill.) 6-3
SG — O.J. Mayo, Huntington (W. Va.) 6-4
SF — Eric Gordon, North Central (Indianapolis, Ind.) 6-3
PF — Michael Beasley, Notre Dame Prep (Fitchburg, Mass.) 6-8
C — Kevin Love, Lake Oswego (Ore.) 6-9
Synopsis: At his final Roundball Classic in Chicago, veteran talent scout Sonny Vaccaro called this class, top to bottom including the players who did not play in his game, the best class ever. He just might be right when you look at it from the standpoint of how good the players were in high school and don’t consider what happened thereafter. This five is about as well-rounded as any from a positional standpoint and with Vaccaro leaving the grassroots scene at the time, it was also the last great class whose potential to face each other often wasn’t slowed by the pitfalls of shoe affiliation. The top players in this class had the necessary competitive fire to succeed and are remembered as much for their impact on big summer grassroots games as their individual talent. Rose went on to be the No. 1 pick and a NBA MVP, while Beasley was oozing with talent and potential but didn’t quite live up to being drafted No. 2. This class also included future NBA MVP James Harden, Artesia (Lakewood, Calif.), who was notably younger than many of the elite talents at the top of the class.

4. 1994-1995

PG — Stephon Marbury, Lincoln (Brooklyn, N.Y.) 6-2
SG — Ron Mercer, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 6-7
SF — Paul Pierce, Inglewood (Calif.) 6-6
PF — Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Marietta (Ga.) 6-9
C — Kevin Garnett, Farragut Academy (Chicago) 6-10
Synopsis: There might not be the depth of the top three classes, but this is an underrated class and terrific at the top led by Garnett, a generational prospect who became the first player to go straight from high school to the NBA in 20 years. Marbury was a top three point guard prospect of the 1990s along with Jason Kidd (1992) and Randy Livingston (1993), the latter who got hurt as a Nike All-American Camp counselor before ever playing a college game at LSU. Filling in the positions to create a five shows a problem that this class has the luxury of having: whom do you take at the small forward? Pierce or Vince Carter, Mainland (Daytona Beach, Fla.)? Chauncey Billups, Washington (Denver, Col.) was also part of this class and was bummed out he wasn’t able to play in either the McDonald’s All-American Game or Roundball Classic because of a bad shoulder. This class edges out the 1993 class because of Garnett and two other NBA Hall of Fame talents on its positional five.

5. 2019-2020

PG — Jalen Suggs, Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis) 6-4
PG — Cade Cunningham, Montverde Academy (Fla.) 6-7
SG — Jalen Green, Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) 6-5
PF — Scottie Barnes, Montverde Academy (Fla.) 6-7
C — Evan Mobley, Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.) 7-0
Synopsis: We wanted to get a contemporary class on the list and this class had a bit of everything, including a traditional big man in Mobley and a variety of dominant guards. Suggs was physically strong and a good setup man, while Cunningham was a big guard who could create for himself and others. There is a third guard that must be mentioned in Sharife Cooper, McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.), who was more diminutive and a spectacular player who some outlets felt was deserving of national player of the year honors when he was a junior. Green was an explosive talent, while Barnes was a jack-of-all trades who just knew how to play and win. He teamed up with Cunningham on one of the best high school teams of all-time that wasn’t able to play on the big stage of GEICO Nationals because of the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus. Cunningham was the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft and these five players were the top five picks. Two other Montverde Academy players went in the first round: shooting guard Moses Moody (No. 14) and power forward Day'Ron Sharpe (No. 29). IMG Academy was really the only team that could challenge MVA that season, but that became a harder task when small forward Jalen Johnson (No. 20 pick) left the team early in the season. Will the 2025 class have the impact on the following year’s NBA Draft as this one did?

6. 1992-1993

PG — Randy Livingston, Newmann (New Orleans, La.) 6-4
PG — Jacque Vaughn, Muir (Pasadena, Calif.) 6-0
SF — Jerry Stackhouse, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 6-6
PF — Dontonio Wingfield, Westover (Albany, Ga.) 6-8
C — Rasheed Wallace, Simon Gratz (Philadelphia) 6-11
Synopsis: At the time, this class was compared to the famed 1988 class, but Livingston got hurt and Wingfield didn’t live up to his press clippings. This class had tremendous depth all the way down in its Top 100 and plenty of size, but many of the big man such as Rashard Griffith, King (Chicago) and Greg Newton, A.N. Meyer (Niagara Falls, On.) failed to make the impact in college expected of them.

7. 1976-77

G — Darnell Valentine, Wichita Heights (Wichita, Kan.) 6-1
G — Wesley Matthews, Warren Harding (Bridgeport, Conn.) 6-2
G — Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Everett (Lansing, Mich.) 6-8
F — Albert King, Fort Hamilton (Brooklyn, N.Y.) 6-6
F — Gene Banks, West Philadelphia (Philadelphia) 6-7
Synopsis: King, the younger brother of future NBA standout Bernard King, was nationally-known at 14 years old and is one of the most hyped prospects of all-time. Banks was probably the most productive of the group in terms of outcome of high-level matchups and leading his Speedboys team to the mythical national title. Johnson wasn’t as revered early on, but by the end of his senior year it was clear Magic was the best prospect in this class and could be a game-changing talent. Valentine is considered one of the best traditional high school guards of the 1970s.

8. 1996-1997

PG — Baron Davis, Crossroads (Santa Monica, Calif.) 6-2
SG — Tracy McGrady, Mt. Zion Christian (Durham, N.C.) 6-8
SF — Lamar Odom, Redemption Christian Academy (Troy, N.Y.) 6-9
PF — Elton Brand, Peekskill (N.Y.) 6-8
C — Chris Burgess, Woodbridge (Irvine, Calif.) 6-10
Synopsis: Looking at this group as rising sophomores and/or juniors, it was on track to challenge the 1979 or 1988 class at the top. This was a terrific crop of high school talent, but it peaked early and it wasn’t going to be easy to live up to that early hype. Burgess was a head-turning prospect before injuries slowed his development and the same can be said about SoCal rival Schea Cotton, St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.), who was the best player of this group in ninth and tenth grade but didn’t play high school ball as a senior. Esteban Weaver, who started his career at Bishop Hartley (Columbus, Ohio) was another in the group that peaked early. Davis also had a rival in Kenny Brunner, Dominguez (Compton, Calif.), but Davis clearly was coming on as a senior and went on to become the best point guard among a group that included Dion Glover, Cedar Grove (Decatur, Ga.). McGrady was the ultimate late-bloomer and Odom was the only one who could match his talent level.

9. 1959-60

G — Ron Bonham, Muncie Central (Muncie, Ind.) 6-4
G — Roger Brown, Wingate (Brooklyn, N.Y.) 6-5
F — Joe Caldwell, Fremont (Los Angeles) 6-4
F — Paul Silas, McClymonds (Oakland, Calif.) 6-7
C — Connie “Hawk” Hawkins, Boys (Brooklyn, N.Y.) 6-8
Synopsis: Looking back at the old classes before there was national player rankings, this class stands out. There was only one nationally known scouting service at the time (Dave Bones started his Cage Scope newsletter in 1957) but it wouldn’t have taken a long time to realize Hawkins was a special talent amongst a special group. His battles with Brown in New York's PSAL and on NYC playgrounds are legendary and both are now Naismith Hall of Famers after being unjustly treated early on in their careers by the NBA for socializing with a gambler while still in high school. The best players in this group actually got to face each other in Jersey City, N.J., in the East-West All-American Scholastic Game. Despite slippery floor conditions because of rain earlier in the day and having arrived seven minutes into the first quarter because his mother insisted he attend graduation ceremonies, Hawkins put on a show with his passing and scoring abilities and was named MVP, finishing with 20 points in the East’s 95-60 victory.

10. 1974-75

G — Roy Hamilton, Verbum Dei (Los Angeles) 6-2
F — David Greenwood, Verbum Dei (Los Angeles) 6-9
F – Bill Willoughby, Dwight Morrow (Englewood, N.J.) 6-9
C — Darryl Dawkins, Maynard Evans (Orlando, Fla.) 6-11
C — Bill Cartwright, Elk Grove (Calif.) 7-1
Synopsis: After Moses Malone went straight to the ABA out of high school the year prior, NBA and ABA scouts were out in full-force watching high school games in 1974-75 and it was a good crop of talent with plenty of size across the board. Cartwright turned down the pros to attend the University of San Francisco, while Dawkins ended up as the No. 5 pick and Willoughby as the first pick of the second round at No. 19 straight out of high school. There wouldn’t be another high school to the pros draftee for 20 years. Teammates Greenwood and Hamilton, like Cartwright, did four years of college before entering the NBA, as Greenwood was the No. 2 pick of the 1979 NBA Draft behind Magic Johnson. The trio led a terrific California crop of players that twice beat a U.S. All-Star team in a two-game series called the California Basketball Classic sponsored by the U.S. Olympic Development Basketball League.

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores

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The Section 7 Team Camp is a staple on the NCAA's June Scholastic Live Period and for all intents and purposes is the standard for June live events. When it comes to individual players, rising junior (2025) power forward Cameron Boozer of Columbus (Miami, Fla.) in the standard when it comes to production and talent at the high school level. The must stop in the West Region for national scouts, college coaches and high school teams in June put on by the Arizona Basketball Coaches Association, Section 7?featured 162 teams from 14 states and well over 450 prospects who could garner some NCAA or NAIA interest.

Not only was Boozer the cream of the recruiting crop as the returning Mr. Basketball USA, his team was the class of the field at Section 7 after it knocked off defending California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) champ Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.), 75-60, in the title game of the NFHS Powerade Bracket on Sunday morning at State Farm Arena, the home of the NFL's Arizona Cardinals. Just as it did in its first three games, Columbus put it stamp on the game from the very onset and made its opponent feel its physical prowess and have to constantly play from behind. Columbus, which finished the 2022-23 season ranked No. 6 in the FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by Ballislife, led 8-0 before Harvard-Westlake (which finished No. 11) settled into the game.

Prior to Boozer, the national high school player of the year has returned to the high school scene for an encore only three other times dating back to the mid 1950s, so it's obviously pretty special when a talent such as the 6-foot-9, 240-pound dynamo is around to impose his will on opponents. Even for college coaches that don't have a shot in the Boozer sweepstakes, it's a good gauge to see where their targets stand in terms of being able to compete with such a talent. Despite the early foul trouble to Cayden Boozer, the twin brother of Cameron, the Explorers led Harvard-Westlake, 21-10, after one quarter and 43-26 at halftime in a contest marred by a plethora of officials' whistles.

Even though the dominance of Cam Boozer is evident even to the most novice observer, the improvement of Cayden Boozer, a 6-foot-4, 190-pound point guard who is also a rising junior, was the difference in Columbus' dominant run to the tourney title. He is noticeably stronger, more explosive and purposeful in his offensive attack, and most importantly, is taking better care of the ball than a year ago. Whatever lucky college gets the Boozer twins is getting quite a point guard alongside one of the better college prospects to come dome the pike in the last decade.

Cam's foul trouble vs. Harvard-Westlake didn't turn the tide, as he and his teammates adjusted just enough to the tightly-officiated atmosphere. Harvard-Westlake fought back and cut its 17-point halftime deficit to 48-42 on a 3-pointer by Harvard-bound rising senior (2024) guard Robert Hinton with 3:15 to go in the third period, but the Explorers went on a quick 9-0 run after that field goal to put the game out of reach.

Cayden Boozer finished with 22 points, five rebounds and four assists, while brother Cam finished with 22 points, 12 rebounds and four assists of his own.

Hinton finished with 17 points, while rising junior (2025) wing Nikolas Khamenia led the Wolverines with 19 points. Rising senior point guard Trent Perry added 12 points and six rebounds.

"This was our first time (event) playing together (as a team)," Cayden Boozer said. "We wanted to come out here and get the win. With Cam, he's just a great player and it's easy to play with him."

Cayden's comments were made in the context of putting aside the fact Cameron is his brother and commenting on his play. The same can be said if Cameron was asked the same question, as Cayden's impact on this tourney title run was one of the main taking points of the entire event. Cayden Boozer averaged 18.8 ppg in the four victories in the NFHS Powerade division, including a 23-point, six-rebound, four-assist performance in the 71-41 victory over Centennial (Corona, Calif.), the champion of the 2022 Section 7 top division title.

Even with the 15-point victory over Harvard-Westlake, Columbus had a 29-point average margin of victory in its four wins. Cayden Boozer had 20 points in the 87-55 quarterfinal win over Park Center (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) and 10 in the 70-31 opening round victory over De La Salle (Concord, Calif.), which played the game without star player Alec Blair, a 6-foot-6 2025 wing who doubles as a terrific baseball prospect and played well after he arrived to the event on Saturday.

As for Cameron Boozer, he averaged 22.3 ppg and double-digit rebounds in four games. He had 23 points, 12 rebounds and four assists vs. Centennial, finished with 20 points vs. Park Center and with 24 points vs. De La Salle.

For Harvard-Westlake, its big victory came in the quarterfinals, as it downed Salesian (Richmond, Calif.), 62-49. Salesian, if you recall, defeated the Wolverines in the championship game of the top division at California Live 2023, which was the first ever June Scholastic live period event held in California for CIF clubs exclusively. California Live took place the weekend prior in Orange County, while 64 teams (including a few who didn't play in California) made the trek to Arizona for Section 7.

Two teams that played at Cali Live '23 last weekend met in the title game of the NFHS Slam Bracket and both figure to be major contenders for berths in the CIF Southern Section open division playoffs in 2023-24. Those two teams were St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.), which lost in the semifinals to Montgomery (San Diego, Calif.) in its bracket at Cali Live '23, and Roosevelt (Eastvale, Calif.), which lost to Salesian in its semifinal in the top division. It was a back and fourth battle and an individual matchup of two of the top guards in the 2025 class, both in the West Region and nationally: 6-foot-4 Brayden Burries of Roosevelt and 6-foot-5 Elzie Harrington of St. John Bosco.

St. John Bosco came out with the 63-60 victory as Harrington made the key plays down the stretch. His pull up jumper was on, he made good decisions, and also had a powerful driving one-foot slam dunk that turned plenty of heads. Harrington finished with 23 points, while Burries had 21 points for Roosevelt, which had a chance to tie the game on a 3-pointer attempt on its final possession. Bosco also got a key 15 points on five 3-pointers from 6-foot-7 2025 forward Jaison Joyce.

"I felt healthy and strong and trusted the work that I put in, along with my teammates trusting me and each other," Harrington said. "As far as my own game and the matchup with Brayden, I know the biggest thing I have to work for the next level is my body. Brayden already has that, as he does great work around the basket. But I feel than I am more quicker than him going to the basket and I wanted to use that to my advantage."

Aside from players such as Khamenia, Harrington and Burries, there were plenty of other prospects who used winning basketball to bolster their recruiting visibility and profile at Section 7. One of them was 6-foot-7 rising senior (2024) Gavin Ripp, who led Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.) to a second consecutive June scholastic live period championship. It just so happened the Monarchs defeated the same team they did at last week's Cali Live '23 event: Montgomery (San Diego, Calif.). The game at Cali Live was close, but Mitty won the NFHS Arizona Sports Commission division championship game going away, 56-35.

Ripp drew the attention of college coaches with his passing, precise offensive movements and activity level around the basket, as he didn't need to score to make a positive impact for his team. Ripp's recruitment is bolstered by his terrific academic profile (4.5 GPA) and he's still wide open as far as narrowing down his school of choice. Ripp is considering the Ivy League and is also hearing plenty from Montana and Cal-St. East Bay.

Ripp got plenty of offensive help from his backcourt mates vs. Montgomery in Sunday's title game, as rising seniors Nathan Noronha (6-2) and Tyler Jones (6-3), netted 17 and 16 points, respectively.

Another California club captured one of the top four divisional titles at Section 7 as Windward (Los Angeles) downed St. Mary's (Pheonix, Ariz.), 90-69, in the title game of the NFHS Legacy Foundation bracket. Windward defeated two talent-laden clubs from Northern California on its way to a blowout victory over St. Mary's. Windward defeated Branson (Ross, Calif.), 57-54, in an attractive quarterfinal matchup that a plethora of college coaches witnessed, and downed Capital Christian (Sacramento, Calif.), 73-65, in the semifinals.

Gavin Hightower, a 6-foot-1 2025 scoring dynamo, Jeremiah Hampton, a 6-foot-4 southpaw combo guard, Louis Bond, a 6-foot-5 wing guard with excellent grades, and Jayden Harris, a 6-foot-6 small forward with oozing potential, all had terrific moments during the event for Windward and each saw an uptick in their recruiting profile.

For St. Mary's, undecided 6-foot-3 rising senior point guard Styles Phipps scored 29 points in a losing effort and averaged 20.0 ppg in the four-game set. St. Mary's also has an excellent long term prospect that caught the eye of college coaches and scouts alike in Cameron Williams, a 6-foot-9 rising sophomore (2026) forward.

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at?[email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter:?@RonMFlores

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Related: 2022-23 Underclass All-American Elite Team | 2022-23 Mr. Basketball USA: Cameron Boozer | 2022-23 Class Players of the Year | Ballislife Podcast Network?|

The 2022-23 All-American Elite Team, now published for the 29th consecutive season and on the www.ebooksnet.com platform for the ninth year, includes 40 of the nation’s best seniors and four terrific sophomores led by Mr. Basketball USA Cameron Boozer of FAB 50 No. 6 Columbus (Miami, Fla.).

Four sophomores from the talented 2025 class and two juniors, including class player of the year Tre Johnson of FAB 50 No. 8 Lake Highlands (Dallas) headline the 20-player overall first team. ??Two repeaters of last year’s team are seniors D.J. Wagner and Ronald Holland, both second five selections as juniors. Wagner was the class player of the year at Camden (N.J.) his first three seasons of high school. Holland was the top honors candidate off last year’s FAB 50 championship team at Duncanville (Texas) and led this year’s club to a 28-1 record and No. 3 final FAB 50 ranking.

Last year’s 30-player second team included one lone junior: Simeon Wilcher of Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.), who moved up to the first team as a senior (fourth five) after winning his third New Jersey Non-Public state crown. This year’s 30-player second team includes four juniors, including Dylan Harper of Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.), who is having a terrific spring grassroots season and joined Wilcher as a first team all-state selection in New Jersey.

All underclassmen are eligible for All-American Elite Team selection. No sophomore was selected for second team and in 29 seasons of publishing annual All-American teams (and on the retroactive teams dating back to the 1954-55 season), no freshman has ever made the first team.

Our national coach of the year is Pat Clatchey of Mt. St. Joseph (Baltimore, Md.). The Gaels finished No. 27 in the FAB 50 after winning a second consecutive Baltimore Catholic League (BCL) title and tying a league mark with 38 victories.

National Grassroots Editor Ronnie Flores selects this performance-based All-American team with input from Mr. Basketball USA panelists. It is chosen after the conclusion of the season, which makes the All-American Elite team more reflective of players who made state championship runs.

This honors squad has been chosen in its current format since the 1994-95 season and is powered by www.ebooksnet.com for the eighth consecutive season. This team is chosen regardless of class and is not exclusive or preferential for seniors named to the Ballislife All-American Game.

2022-23 All-American First Team

First Five

G — Isaiah Collier, Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) 6-2 Sr.
The top guard in the country, Collier was named National Senior Player of the Year after finishing No. 2 in the Mr. Basketball USA Tracker (76 points, 9 ballots) behind sophomore forward Cameron Boozer. Collier closed out his career strong, netting 22 points and seven assists in the GHSA Class AAAAAAA state title game as Wheeler easily downed Cherokee of Canton, 78-58. In leading the Wildcats to a 27-7 mark and No. 20 FAB 50 National Ranking, Collier averaged 19.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg. 6.8 apg, and 2.3 spg, while shooting 58.7 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from 3-point line and 79 percent from the foul line. Collier helped Wheeler win three state titles and the program went 102-23 in his time. This USC recruit scored a game-high 25 points in the McDonald’s All-American Game.

G — D.J. Wagner, Camden (Camden, N.J.) 6-3 Sr.
Joined his grandfather (1981 third five All-American Milt Wagner) and his father (2001 Mr. Basketball USA Dajuan Wagner) as the first three-generation McDonald’s All-Americans. Although he didn’t sweep class player of the year honors all four years, Wagner was one of the nation’s finest players over the last two seasons and as a senior finished fourth (56 points) in the Mr. Basketball USA Tracker. As a junior, Wagner averaged 19.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.5 spg, and 3.3 apg and as a senior sported norms of 22.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg and 3.0 apg. The Kentucky signee led Camden to a 23-2 on-court record and No. 12 FAB 50 ranking with losses to No. 6 Columbus (FL) and No. 23 Centennial (CA). He had 32 points vs. Columbus and 27 points vs. Centennial and was one of the nation’s best scorers since his freshman season. The 2021-22 NJ.com Player of the Year, he was also named Gatorade State POY three times and led The High to a 94-5 career record while scoring 2,040 career points (20.6 ppg) against quality local and national competition. Wagner had a team-high 19 points, including three 3-pointers, in his team’s come-from-behind win at the McDonald’s All-American Game.

F — Ronald Holland, Duncanville (Duncanville, Texas) 6-8 Sr.
Similar to D.J. Wagner, Holland moves up for the second five as a junior and was a serious candidate for Mr. Basketball honors, finishing No. 3 in the balloting behind Isaiah Collier and honoree Cam Boozer. Coaches and scouts raved about his work ethic and court presence at the McDonald’s All-American Game and Duncanville was always in the game as long as this dynamic forward was on the court. In his four seasons, the Panthers were FAB 50 ranked each season and finished an incredible 123-6. As a junior, Holland averaged 15 ppg (60 percent FG), 8 rpg, 2 spg on the No. 1 team in the country and this season sported norms of 20.3 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 2.4 apg and 2.0 spg while shooting 54.4 percent from the field and 79.3 percent from the free throw line for a 28-1 team that finished No. 3 in the FAB 50. He took over the game down the stretch in a win over No. 23 Centennial (Corona, Calif.), finishing with 24 points, and the next night had 25 points and 8 rebounds in a win over Boozer and No. 6 Columbus (Miami, Fla.). A two-time District 11-6A Player of the Year, Holland was committed to Texas but recently re-opened his recruitment.

F — Cameron Boozer, Columbus (Miami, Fla.) 6-9 Soph.
Only three underclassmen other than Boozer have been named Mr. Basketball USA: Jerry Lucas in 1957 (retroactively), Lew Alcindor in 1964 (retroactively) and LeBron James in 2002. Sure, every class is different and 2023 is not considered one of the stronger in recent seasons, but the fact only three players have done it before Boozer and all of them will be in the NBA Hall of Fame speak volumes. In fact, James beat out senior Carmelo Anthony, Alcindor beat out senior Wes Unseld and Lucas beat out senior Tony Jackson, and all three of those runner-ups also made the NBA. Boozer, whose father Carlos Boozer was a second five Elite All-American in 1999, led the Explorers to a second consecutive FHSAA Class 7A crown and FAB 50 ranking by averaging 21.1 ppg, 11.2 rpg, 4.2 apg and 2.0 bpg, while shooting 62.1 percent from the field, 41.6 percent from the 3-point line and 89.1 percent from the charity stripe. The class of 2025 is considered a terrific one, as three other tenth-graders made the 20-man first team all-American squad this season. Before this season, only Emoni Bates (in 2020) and James (in 2001) were first five choices as sophomores and only three others have been second five All-Americans.

F — Justin Edwards, Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia, Pa.) 6-7 Sr.
Arguably the most versatile elite offensive talent in the country, Edwards is the first player from the Philadelphia Public League to being named a McDonald’s All-American since 1993 Mr. Basketball USA choice Rasheed Wallace (Simon Gratz). Edwards came up big in key contests for a team that finished 30-3 and No. 13 in the FAB 50. Edwards had 16 points, six rebounds and three blocks to lead his team to the prestigious City of Palms title over Cameron Boozer and Columbus (Miami, Fla.), 25 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and six steals in a big win at the Spalding Hoophall Classic over Cardinal Hayes (Bronx, N.Y.) and 16 points and 10 rebounds in a loss to D.J. Wagner and Camden (N.J.) He also did well locally, leading Imhotep to three consecutive Philadelphia Public League titles 23 years after his mom (Ebony Twiggs) led University City to two city titles. The PIAA Class 5A Player of of the Year, this Kentucky recruit went for 16 points in the state title game and for the season averaged 17.9 ppg and 7.5 rpg. Edwards went for 10 and 11 points, respectively, at the McDonald’s All-American Game and Nike Hoop Summit and closed his career with a 27-point, MVP performance at the Ballislife All-American Game.

Second Five

G — Jeremy Fears, Joilet West (Joliet, Ill.) 6-2 Sr.
A natural leader that plays to win, Fears defensive effort and intensity were on full display at the Ballilsife All-American Game, where he led his team to a come-from-behind overtime win with 11 points, nine assists and hellacious defense in crunch time. Fears was also named a McDonald’s All-American after a season in which he led the Tigers to a 28-6 mark and a Class 4A sectional final appearance. Playing alongside his brother and Underclass All-American Jeremiah Fears, Jeremy averaged 18.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 5.3 apg and 2.0 spg while earning praise for his efficiency. He shot 59 percent from the field, 41 percent from 3-point range and 88 percent from the charity stripe. Fears spent two seasons at NIBC program La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) after starting his career Joliet West where as a freshman he helped the Tigers to a 29-4 mark before COVID-19 shut down the season before the sectional final. He ended his career as the The News-Gazette’s All-State Player of the Year and as the leading vote-getter on the A.P. Class 4A All-State team.

G — Jackson Shelstad, West Linn (Ore.) 6-0 Sr.
No player in the country used his senior season campaign to boost his All-American candidacy as much as this Oregon-bound point guard. A four-year starter and two-time Gatorade State POY, Shelstad saved his best for last, leading the Lions to the Class 6A state title game and No. 30 FAB 50 National Ranking. He led West Linn to the Les Schwab Invitational title, the first for an Oregon team since 2012, by handing FAB 50 No. 3 Duncanville (Texas) its only loss of the season. Shelstad went for 30 points in the signature title game win and averaged 33 ppg over four tourney games. On the season, the future Duck averaged 28.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 3.6 apg and 2.0 spg for a 28-2 team. He also shot 59 percent from the field, 41 percent from 3-point range and 84 percent from the free throw line. He concluded one of the most honor-filled careers in Oregon history by earning Three Rivers League Player of the Year three times after earning second team all-league honors as a freshman. He was rewarded for his stellar play with a selection to represent Team USA at the Nike Hoop Summit.

G — Tre Johnson, Lake Highlands (Garland, Texas) 6-5 Jr.
The first player ever from Texas to earn National Junior Player of the Year honors, Johnson was recently named the state’s Mr. Basketball by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches (TABC). He was able to early these lofty honors by averaging 21.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 2.7 apg, and 1.7 spg while shooting 53 percent (272-513) from the field, 42 percent (84-201) from 3-point range and 91 percent (177-194) from the line. He closed out his impressive campaign with a 29-point, 8-rebound performance in a victory over FAB 50 ranked Beaumont United that gave Lake Highlands the UIL Class 6A state title. A gifted wing guard, the Dallas Morning News Player of the Year is considered by many the No. 1 prospect in the national 2024 class.

F — Cooper Flagg, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-8 Soph.
On a talented team that finished No. 2 in the FAB 50, this tenth-grader was the Eagles’ most talented player. He helped MVA win the National Interscholastic Basketball Conference (NIBC) regular season title (11-1) and led the Eagles to their 11th consecutive appearance at GEICO Nationals while officially being named second team all-NIBC. Flagg is known for his versatility, big play-ability and defensive prowess and on a team where four players averaged between 9-14 points, he averaged 9.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.2 blocked shots per game. He was the first freshman to earn Gatorade State POY honors in Maine at Nokomis Regional in Newport (20,5 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 6.2 apg, 3.7 spg, 3.7 bpg) and was the leader of Team USA’s club that captured the 2022 FIBA U17 World Cup. For his performances he was named 2022 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year. He’s only the third sophomore to earn first or second five All-American honors in the last ten years, joining Emoni Bates in 2020 (first) and DeAndre Ayton in 2015 (second).

C — Aaron Bradshaw, Camden (Camden, N.J.) 7-0 Sr.
It was a terrific year for talent in the Garden State and some feel Bradshaw could be its most talented prospect. He’s a consensus top five national prospect and will join high school teammate and first five selection D.J. Wagner at Kentucky. Bradshaw helped The High capture its twelfth NJSIAA state title as a junior when he averaged 8.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg and 3.2 bpg but was more polished and productive as a senior. He sported norms of 12.0 ppg, 9.4 rpg and 2.4 bpg for a team that finished No. 12 in the FAB 50 with a 23-2 mark, but wasn’t able to defend its title because of a brawl in the county title game. A first team all-state selection by NJ.com, Bradshaw was selected for the McDonald’s All-American Game, where he displayed the ability that makes him the nation’s top pivot player. He finished with a team-high 18 points and eight rebounds.

Third Five

G — Jared McCain, Centennial (Corona, Calif.) 6-3 Sr.
Last season the Huskies had a third five selection in Donovan Dent (New Mexico) and this year the Duke-bound point guard matches his former teammate. McCain, a social media sensation who took advantage of NIL opportunities afforded student-athletes in California, captured many of the same honors this season Dent did in 2021-22: Inland Player of the Year by the Riverside Press Enterprise, Southland Player of the Year by the L.A. Times and State Mr. Basketball by Cal-Hi Sports. McCain earned Gatorade State POY honors in 2021-22 when he led the Huskies to a 33-1 record, No. 5 FAB 50 Rankings and the program’s first ever CIF Open Division title by leading the team in scoring (16.8 ppg) to go along with 4.6 rpg and 2.1 apg. He repeated that honor this season by averaging 18.0 ppg, 7.1 rpg, and 4.0 apg while shooting 36 percent from 3-point range and 83 percent from the line. Centennial, the No. 23 team in the FAB 50, advanced to the SoCal open final. In all, McCain helped Centennial capture three CIF Southern Section open titles and is one of the most highly-decorated players in Riverside County history.

G — Caleb Foster, Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) 6-4 Sr.
If second five selection Jackson Shelstad is not the biggest McDonald’s All-American snub, then this explosive North Carolina native is. Foster's strength, skill level and explosiveness was just too much for nearly any guard in the country to he wasted no time making an impact at Notre Dame after two terrific seasons at powerhouse Oak Hill Academy in Virginia. Foster followed up on an All-American Underclass season by leading the Knights to a CIF D1 state crown and a No. 46 FAB 50 Ranking. Foster came through in the big games, going for 28 points in the D1 regional final victory over Mission League foe Sierra Canyon and 33 points in the state final vs. Granada of Livermore, the latter a CIF championship game D1 record. In four victories over Sierra Canyon, Foster averaged 20.5 ppg and for the season averaged 21.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 3.9 apg and 1.2 spg. On top of that, he kept defenders honest by shooting 38 percent from 3-point range. He’s considered the state Mr. Basketball runner-up to fellow third five selection Jared McCain, who will join Foster in Durham.

G — Ja’Kobe Walter, Link Academy (Branson, Mo.) 6-5 Sr.
After earning underclass All-American honors at McKinney (Texas), Walter moved over to the independent program and immediately helped the Lions emerge as a FAB 50 title contender. After entering GEICO Nationals as the No. 2 team in the FAB 50, Walter led the program to its first national title in the program’s second year by averaging 21.3 ppg in three victories. This top-flight shooting guard netted 37 points against Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) in the quarterfinals and went for 21 points, on 6-of-8 shooting from the field, including 3-of-4 3-point shots, in the championship game victory over AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.). On a well-balanced 27-1 unit, Walter averaged 14.4 ppg (37.8 percent from 3-point range) 4.0 rpg and 1.7 spg. Selected for both the McDonald’s All-American and Nike Hoop Summit, Walter is headed to Baylor.

F — Koa Peat, Perry (Gilbert, Ariz.) 6-8 Soph.
This strong-bodied forward already has won two state titles and has scored over 1,000 points with two high school seasons to go. He followed up a freshman season in which he averaged 15.0 ppg and 6.1 rpg while helping Perry to its first Class 6A state crown by leading the Pumas to the first ever AIA open division state crown. In the title game, Peat finished with 35 points in a 74-58 victory over Sunnyslope of Pheonix. For the season, the talented tenth grader averaged 19.7 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.7 bpg and 1.3 spg for the No. 22 team in the FAB 50. Peat is considered one of the best overall prospects in high school basketball and is the first sophomore ever from Arizona to make the Elite All-American first team.

C — Flory Bidunga, Kokomo (Ind.) 6-10 Jr.
Led the Wildkats to their first state title game appearance since 1989 with a series of dominant performances after emerging as one of the nations’ dominant post players at the Pangos All-American Festival in August. Bidunga is not only a terrific post defender, he can move out and guard the perimeter and never takes a bad shot. In leading basketball-crazed Kokomo to a 24-5 mark, Bidunga averaged 20.2 ppg, 13.8 rpg and 4.5 bpg while making 81 percent (207-263) of his shots from the floor. He recorded 27 double-doubles in 29 outings and was the second-leading vote-getter on the Indiana A.P. All-State team behind second teamer Markus Burton.

Fourth Five

G — Simeon Wilcher, Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) 6-4 Sr.
Moves up from the second team after another stellar season that saw this strong and athletic guard win his third state title. On a talented team that finished No. 21 in the FAB 50, Wilcher averaged 15.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg and 5.7 apg while posting a 22-6 record. That record is a bit deceiving because the Lions did not lose in-state against tough competition and Wilcher played on teams that went 17-0 in the NJSIAA state tournament during his career. A two-time NJ.com first team all-state choice, Wilcher averaged 16.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 5.1 apg and 2.0 spg as a junior when Roselle Catholic defeat Camden (N.J.) to capture the final New Jersey Tournament of Champions. Wilcher is headed to North Carolina.

G — Meleek Thomas, Lincoln Park Performing Arts (Midland, Pa.) 6-3 Soph.
The fourth tenth-grader to earn first team honors, Thomas has the ability to be the WPIAL’s finest player since its hoops heyday in the 1960s and early 1970s. Thomas is that talented and is known for his relentless motor and intensity. After averaging 18.9 ppg as a freshman, he teamed with junior Brandin Cummings (23.1 ppg) to lead the Leopards to the WPIAL title and PIAA Class 4A state title. Thomas scored 25 points in the WPIAL title game and 22 points, including the game winner bucket, in the state title win over Philly power Neumann-Goretti. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Player of the Year Thomas averaged 24.9 ppg as the Leopards finished 30-1 and No. 50 in the FAB 50.

F — DeShawn Harris-Smith, Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) 6-6 Sr.
Highly-honored forward capped his career by leading the Panthers to their first ever berth in GEICO Nationals. Harris-Smith netted a team-high 18 points in a close 68-65 loss to eventual tourney champ and FAB 50 No. 1 Link Academy of Missouri. He was consistently productive for a team that played stellar competition, spent some time in the regular season at No. 1 in the FAB 50 and finished 31-4 and No. 18, averaging 17.8 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 6.3 apg and 2.6 spg. The Panthers won the VISAA D1 state title and Harris-Smith was named MVP of the prestigious Washington Catholic Athletic Conference. He’s headed to Maryland.

C — Brandon Garrison, Del City (Del City, Okla.) 6-9 Sr.
Capped off an honors-filled career by scoring 17 points, including the game-winning lay-up with 35 seconds remaining in overtime, to lift the Eagles to the Class 5A state title over district rival Carl Albert. Garrison played a big role in Del City winning two state titles and making three state title game appearances. He had 18 points and six rebounds in the semifinals to avenge last year’s loss in the state title game to Tulsa Memorial. For the season, Garrison averaged 15.9 ppg, 9.0 rpg and 2.3 apg and was showered with post-season accolades. The Oklahoman Super 5 Player of the Year was also named Suburban Conference Player of the Year, state player of the year by Gatorade and was chosen a McDonald’s All-American. He’s headed to Oklahoma St.

C — Xavier Booker, Cathedral (Indianapolis, Ind.) 6-9 Sr.
Followed up a terrific summer in which he was named MVP of the Pangos All-American Camp with a fine senior campaign in which he was honored as a McDonald’s All-American. Booker averaged 15.2 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 1.8 apg and 1.9 bpg for a 19-6 Fightin’ Irish club. As a junior, he averaged 12.5 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 2.3 bpg as Cathedral captured the coveted Class 4A state crown and finished No. 42 in the FAB 50. Booker will join a star-studded Michigan St. recruiting class that includes second five selection Jeremy Fears and second teamer Coen Carr.

2022-23 All-American Second Team

F — Omaha Biliew, Waukee Senior (Waukee, Iowa) 6-7 Sr.
C — Blake Buchanan, Coeur D’Alene (Idaho) 6-11 Sr.
G — Markus Burton, Penn (Mishawaka, Ind.) 5-10 Sr.
F — Matas Buzelis, Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) 6-9 Sr.
G — Elliot Cadeau, Link Academy (Branson, Mo.) 6-2 Jr.
G — Blue Cain, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) 6-4 Sr.
F — Coen Carr, Legacy Early College (Greenville, S.C.) Sr.
G — Stephon Castle, Newton (Covington, Ga.) 6-6 Sr.
G — Mookie Cook, AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.) 6-6 Sr.
G — Gabe Cupps, Centerville (Centerville, Ohio) 6-2 Sr.
G — Josh Dotzler, Bellevue West (Bellevue, Neb.) 6-3 Sr.
C — Baye Fall, Denver Prep (Denver, Col.) 6-10 Sr.
F — Amani Hansberry, Mt. St. Joseph (Baltimore, Md.) 6-7 Sr.
G — Dylan Harper, Don Bosco Tech (Ramsey, N.J.) 6-4 Jr.
G — Aden Holloway, Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) 6-0 Sr.
G — Josh Hubbard, Ridgeland Academy (Madison Miss.) 5-10 Sr.
G — Jizzle James, Olympia (Orlando, Fla.) 6-1 Sr.
G — Malik Mack, St. John’s (Washington, D.C.) 6-1 Sr.
F — Liam McNeeley, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-7 Jr.
F — Mackenzie Mgbako, Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) 6-7 Sr.
F — Milan Momcilovic, Pewaukee (Wis.) 6-9 Sr.
F — Dennis Parker, John Marshall (Richmond, Va.) 6-6 Sr.
G — Kris Parker, Crossroad Academy (Quincy, Fla.) 6-6 Sr.
G — Ruben Rodriguez, Reading (Pa.) 6-1 Sr.
F — Devin Royal, Pickerington Central (Pickerington, Ohio) 6-7 Sr.
G — Reed Sheppard, North Laurel (London, Ky.) 6-3 Sr.
G — R.J. Taylor, Grand Blanc (Mich.) 5-11 Sr.
F — Cody Williams, Perry (Gilbert, Ariz.) 6-7 Sr.
G — Robert Wright II, Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.) 6-0 Jr.
G — Wesley Yates III, Beaumont United (Beaumont, Texas) 6-4 Sr.

Related: 2022-23 Underclass All-American Elite Team | 2022-23 Mr. Basketball USA: Cameron Boozer | 2022-23 Class Players of the Year | Ballislife Podcast Network?|

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at?[email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter:?@RonMFlores

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Related: 2022-23 All-American Elite Team | 2022-23 Mr. Basketball USA: Cameron Boozer | 2022-23 Class Players of the Year | Ballislife Podcast Network?|

Four fantastic sophomores and two juniors named to the 29th Annual All-American Elite Team headline a group of 80 elite players selected to the 2022-23 Underclass All-American team powered by www.ebooksnet.com.

In the 29 seasons of publishing annual All-American teams (and on the retroactive teams dating back to the 1954-55 season), we’ve never had four sophomores named to the All-American Elite Team or named Mr. Basketball USA.

Until now.

Power forward Cameron Boozer?of Columbus (Miami, Fla.) is not only this year’s National Sophomore of the Year, he was the leading vote-getter in the final Mr. Basketball USA Tracker by eight points (84 to 76) over senior guard Isaiah Collier?of Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.). Thus he was the first tenth-grader ever to earn the nation’s highest individual honor. Not even future NBA Hall of Famers who were National Player of the Year selections as juniors (Jerry Lucas in 1957, Lew Alcindor in 1964 and LeBron James in 2002) were as highly-honored tenth-graders as Boozer was for the 2022-23 season.

There was another tenth-grader on each of the four fives that compromised the 20-man first team: second five selection Cooper Flagg of FAB 50 No. 2 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.), third five selection Koa Peat of FAB 50 No. 22 Perry (Gilbert, Ariz.) and fourth five selection Meleek Thomas of FAB 50 No. 50 Lincoln Park (Midland, Pa.). Boozer and that trio is considered the top four recruits in the national 2025 class.

Two juniors were named to the first team and four more were named to the 30-man second team. Included on the second team was point guard Elliot Cadeau of FAB 50 No. 1 Link Academy (Branson, Mo.). Cadeau has already committed to North Carolina. He set two GEICO Nationals records by racking up 29 assists in three tournament games and by recording 14 in a hard-fought quarterfinal win over Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.).

Each season, players classifying up in order to speed up the recruiting process or transfer in hopes the move will be more advantageous to their development and this off-season is no different.

Zoom Diallo, who led Curtis (University Place, Wash.) to a WIAA Class 4A state crown in 2022-23, has announced he will spend his senior season at Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.). Sophomore Jeremiah Fears, the younger brother of second five All-American Elite Team selection Jeremy Fears Jr., will leave Joilet West (Joliet, Ill.) for NIBC member club Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.). Defending NIBC champion Montverde Academy has picked up point guard Robert Wright II of Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.) for his 2023-24 senior campaign.

There will undoubtedly be some who seek a transfer to explore Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) endorsement deals. Some state laws prohibit or restrict NIL deals for high school athletes, but in most states it is not illegal or against state association rules to sign an endorsement deal, provided that endorsement is not facilitated with the athlete wearing or promoting garments or items trademarked by the state association or the NCAA.

Regardless of how much true NIL value talented high school All-Americans hold, expect more player movement as the summer rolls on.

National Grassroots Editor Ronnie Flores selects this performance-based squad with input from Mr. Basketball USA panelists. It is chosen after the conclusion of the season, which makes the Underclass All-American Team more reflective of players who made state championship runs.

Our national coach of the year is Pat Clatchey of Mt. St. Joseph (Baltimore, Md.).

Juniors to Watch (2024)

F — Airious "Ace" Bailey, McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) 6-9
G — Jalil Bethea, Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.) 6-4
C — Flory Bidunga, Kokomo (Ind.) 6-10
F — K. Annor Boateng, Central (Little Rock, Ark.) 6-5
G — Elliot Cadeau, Link Academy (Branson, Mo.) 6-2
G — Zoom Diallo, Curtis (University Place, Wash.) 6-3
G — V.J. Edgecombe, Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.) 6-5
F — Isaiah Evans, North Mecklenburg (Huntersville, N.C.) 6-6
G — Johnuel “Boogie” Fland, Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.) 6-3
G — Riley Fox, Conrad (West Hartford, Conn.) 6-5
F — Donnie Freeman, St. John’s (Washington, D.C.) 6-8
G — Dylan Harper, Don Bosco Tech (Ramsey, N.J.) 6-5
F — Darren Harris, Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) 6-5
G — Ian Jackson, Cardinal Hayes (Bronx, N.Y.) 6-5
F — Morez Johnson, St. Rita (Chicago, Ill.) 6-9
G — Tre Johnson, Lake Highlands (Dallas, Texas) 6-5
F — Ryan Jones Jr., The Rock (Gainesville, Fla.) 6-8
F — Karter Knox, Tampa Catholic (Tampa, Fla.) 6-5
F — Kon Knueppel, Wisconsin Lutheran (Milwaukee, Wis.) 6-5
C — Peyton Marshall, Kell (Marietta, Ga.) 6-10
F — Sir Mohammed, Myers Park (Charlotte, N.C. ) 6-6
G — Ahmad Nowell, Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia, Pa.) 6-0
G — Dink Pate, Pinkston (Dallas, Texas) 6-7
G — Travis Perry, Lyon County (Eddyville, Ky.) 6-2
G —Trent Perry, Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.) 6-4
G — Tahaad Pettiford, Hudson Catholic (Jersey City, N.J.) 5-11
G — Labaron Philon, Baker (Mobile, Ala.) 6-4
G — Drake Powell, Northwood (Pittsboro, N.C.) 6-5
F — Derik Queen, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-8
F — Cameron Scott, Lexington (S.C.) 6-6
C — Thomas Sorber, Archbishop Ryan (Philadelphia, Pa.) 6-9
F — Jarin Stevenson, Seaforth (Pittsboro, N.C.) 6-9
G — Dedan Thomas, Liberty (Henderson, Nev.) 6-1
F — Dylan Warlick, Edmond North (Edmond, Okla.) 6-6
G —Robert Wright II, Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.) 6-0

2023 National Junior of the Year: Tre Johnson

Sophomores to Watch (2025)

G — Darius Acuff, Cass Tech (Detroit, Mich.) 6-1
G — Dante Allen, Riviera Prep (Miami, Fla.) 6-4
F — Kenyon Aguino, Volcano Vista (Albuquerque, N.M.) 6-7
F — Cameron Boozer, Columbus (Miami, Fla.) 6-8
C — DeWayne Brown, Hoover (Ala.) 6-10
C — Badara Diakite, Northwest Catholic (Hartford, Conn.) 6-9
G — Jerry Easter, Emmanuel Christian (Toledo, Ohio) 6-5
G — Jeremiah Fears, Joilet West (Joliet, Ill.) 6-3
F — Cooper Flagg, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-8
G —Akai Fleming, Osborne (Marietta, Ga.) 6-4
G — Kingston Flemmings, Brennan (San Antonio, Texas) 6-4
G — Jalen Haralson, Fishers (Ind.) 6-7
G — Elzie Harrington, St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) 6-5
G — Tyler Jackson, St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.) 6-1
G — Dorian Jones, Richmond Heights (Richmond Heights, Ohio) 6-3
G — Nyk Lewis, Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) 6-0
G — Chance Mallory, St. Anne’s-Bellfield (Charlottesville, Va.) 5-9
G — Trey McKenney, St, Mary’s Prep (Orchard Lake, Mich.) 6-3
G — Jaron McKie, St. Joseph Prep (Philadelphia, Pa.) 6-2
F — Koa Peat, Perry (Gilbert, Ariz.) 6-7
G — Darryn Peterson, Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio) 6-5
F — Pupu Sepulona, St. Louis (Honululu, Hawaii) 6-7
G — C.J. Shaw, Mojave (North Las Vegas, Nev.) 6-4
F — Trent Sisley, Heritage Hills (Lincoln City, Ind.) 6-8
F — Brandon Stores Jr., St. Raymond (Bronx, N.Y.) 6-4
G — Meleek Thomas, Lincoln Park Performing Arts (Midland, Pa.) 6-3
G — Cameron Ward, Largo (Upper Marlboro, Md.) 6-5
F — Zymicah Wilkins, R.S. Central (Rutherfordton, N.C.) 6-8
F — Sadiq White, Myers Park (Charlotte, N.C.) 6-9
F — Toundre Yessoufou, St. Joseph (Santa Maria, Calif.) 6-5

2023 National Sophomore of the Year: Cameron Boozer

Freshmen to Watch (2026)

F — Latrell Almond, John Marshall (Richmond, Va.) 6-8
F — Alexander Costanza, Westminster Christian (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) 6-8
G — Jason Crowe Jr., Lynwood (Calif.) 6-2
F — A.J. Dybantsa, St. Sebastian (Needham, Mass.) 6-7
C — Sam Funches, Germantown (Madison, Miss.) 6-10
F — Caleb Gaskins, Holy Trinity Episcopal (Melbourne, Fla.) 6-7
G — Emmanuel Green, Cedar Grove (Ellenwood, Ga.) 6-5
G — Caleb Holt, Buckhorn (New Market, Ala.) 6-5
G — Kaden House, Desert Mountain (Scottsdale, Ariz.) 6-3
F — Brannon Martinsen, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 6-8
F — Jalen Montonati, Owasso (Okla.) 6-7
G — Jayden Moore, Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.) 6-0
G — Trent Perry, Lone Star (Frisco, Texas) 6-3
F — Tyran Stokes, Prolific Prep (Napa. Calif.) 6-7
G — Quincy Wadley, Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, Va.) 6-4

2023 National Freshman of the Year: Caleb Gaskins

National Coach of the Year: Pat Clatchey of Mt. St. Joseph (Baltimore, Md.)

Related: 2022-23 All-American Elite Team | 2022-23 Mr. Basketball USA: Cameron Boozer | 2022-23 Class Players of the Year | Ballislife Podcast Network?|

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at?[email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter:?@RonMFlores

The post 2022-23 Underclass All-American Elite Team appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

RELATED:? 2022-23 Underclass POYs | Preseason Mr. Basketball USA Tracker | Updated Tracker: Wide-Open Race | ?All-Time Honorees?| Ballislife Podcast Network?|

Boozer, the terrific power forward who led Columbus (Miami, Fla.) to the FHSAA Class 7A crown and No. 6 final FAB 50 ranking, topped the voting in this season's final tracker and today is honored with the title of 2022-23 Mr. Basketball USA.

"Wow, Mr. Basketball USA Player of the Year is an incredible honor," Boozer told Ballislife. "I feel lucky to be selected among so many outstanding players this year. I feel like any time you are recognized for an award such as this it takes you back for a minute and just makes you very thankful for everything it took to accomplish this goal. I am extremely appreciative of the honor and hope to be a great representative of Mr. Basketball USA Player of the Year."

Boozer is appreciative of earning the nation's most prestigious individual honor and the scouts, media and fans alike are appreciative of his tremendous skill level and dominance as a mere tenth-grader. Boozer teamed up with his twin brother Cayden to lead the Explorers to a 26-4 record against national competition and it was actually Cayden who had a big game in the state final with 21 points. Throughout the season, it was Cameron who consistently dominated foes to the tune of 21.1 ppg, 11.2 rpg, 4..2 apg and 2.0 bpg, while shooting 62.1 percent from the field, 41.6 from 3-point line and 89.1 percent from the free throw line.

Despite having only one high school season under his belt, Boozer started out No. 4 in the preseason Mr. Basketball USA Tracker balloting, but moved to No. 1 in late February by one point over USC-bound senior Isaiah Collier of FAB 50 No. 20 Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.), who ended up being his stiffest challenger for player of the year honors and is the Senior Player of the Year honoree. Boozer led a group of five candidates that appeared on nine of 10 ballots (among a record group of 34 players nominated for player of the year honors) with 84 points, including six of the 10 first-place votes (no other player had more than one first-place vote). The others to appear on nine ballots: Collier with 76 points (five second place votes), Texas-bound forward Ronald Holland of Duncanville (Texas) with 71 points (five third place votes), Kentucky-bound guard D.J. Wagner of Camden (N.J.) with 56 points (one second place and one third place vote) and Kentucky-bound forward Justin Edwards of Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia, Pa.) with 50 points (one first place vote). Edwards was a recent MVP at the 2023 Ballislife All-American Game in Norwalk, Calif. ?? ? ? ? ? ????

All of the four candidates to seriously challenge Boozer were all seniors. To get a better perspective of just how dominant Boozer was this season and how the panel feels about his ability, one only needs to look at how a rare it has been for a sophomore to be considered for first or second five All-American honors over the years on the annual All-American Elite Team,?which will be published for the 29th time in the next week.?

In the 16 years of Mr. Basketball USA balloting, only Emoni Bates (a sophomore at Eastern Michigan who recently declared for the 2023 NBA Draft) has come close to the top of the balloting as a sophomore. ?In 2020 he finished in fourth place behind Mr. Basketball USA Cade Cunningham (Pistons), Evan Mobley (Cavs) and Jalen Green (Rockets) with 48 points while appearing on eight ballots. Before the balloting era, a high school sensation named Lew Alcindor was considered the unofficial runner-up to Edgar Lacey of Jefferson (Los Angeles, Calif.) in 1963 and was a two-time honoree over the next two seasons. Lucas, one of high school basketball's first stars known nationwide, was the first sophomore to be first five All-American and was also a two-time honoree (1957-58). As a sophomore in 2000-01, LeBron James probably should have received more serious consideration among Dajuan Wagner (the choice and D.J. Wagner's father) and future NBA big men Tyson Chandler and Eddie Curry. Only three sophomores have been second five All-Americans over the years: DeAndre Ayton in 2015, Michael Gilchrist in 2009 and O.J. Mayo in 2005 and among that trio only Ayton didn't go on to be named Mr. Basketball USA. ?

The senior class of 2023 is considered one of the weaker classes overall in recent memory, despite some individual brilliance, and the 2024 class, led by class player of the year Tre Johnson, is considered a mild group as well with one season to go. 2025 is a different story and is off to a roaring start, as the three before-mentioned tenth-graders appeared on the ballots and are considered among the best players in the country, regardless of class. ?

D.J. Wagner, who played at Camden as his father did over 20 years ago when he was the nation's top player, was the class player of the year in each season as an underclassmen before Boozer moved to the front of the pack this past season. Each season is its own entity, so what will Boozer do for an encore? How will next season play out? What does his development curve look like with two more seasons of high school basketball? ? ?

"Who in the junior class is going to keep them (the sophomores) off the top of the list next year?" lamented panel member Van Coleman of Nothing But Net Magazine. "Tre Johnson, Ian Jackson and Dylan Harper, those guys have to step it up because, right now, Boozer is at the top of the list, followed very closely by Flagg in his own class. There’s not much difference between the juniors and those sophomores. I don’t know if the voters will put Flagg as high as he really needs to be. As far as the seniors go, Wagner had the best career, Collier had the best season and Holland came on late."

Next season the process will start all over again with a clean slate, but based on production, Boozer is considered the best for 2022-23. ?

Editor's Note: Click on the "+" sign next to each player's number to view how many first, second, third or fourth place votes he got and his overall point total. Previous tracker results are also listed ("Prev.").

2022-23 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker Panel

Paul Biancardi, ESPN National Director of Basketball Recruiting
Frank Burlison, BurlisonOnBasketball.com Publisher
Van Coleman, Nothing But Net Magazine
Jordan Divens, Maxpreps.com National Basketball Editor
Ronnie Flores, www.ebooksnet.com National Grassroots Editor
Chris Lawlor, Blue Star Media National Analyst
Jerry Meyer, McDonald's All-American Voter
Horace Neysmith, AllMetroHoops.com
Patrick Stanwood, Patrick Stanwood Basketball
Dinos Trigonis, Fullcourt Press Editor & Publisher

About Basketball USA Tracker Panel
www.ebooksnet.com's panel of 10 experts, which includes six McDonald’s All-American selection committee members, casts its vote for the top national player of the year candidates. Each panelist lists his top seven candidates regardless of class. The votes are then tabulated on a 10-point scoring system with a first-place vote equaling 10 points, a second-place vote earning nine points and down to four points for a seventh-place vote. The number in parenthesis refers to the numbers of ballots on which a player appeared and previous rankings refers to position in the previous tracker.

For the all-time list of Mr. Basketball USA honorees, CLICK HERE.

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at?[email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter:?@RonMFlores

The post Cameron Boozer Named Mr. Basketball USA! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

2022-23 Mr. Basketball USA: Cameron Boozer, Columbus (Miami,Fla.) 6-9 F Soph.
The son of 1999 second five Elite Team All-American Carlos Boozer of Juneau-Douglas (Juneau, Alaska), he's the fourth non-senior national player of the year and the first ever tenth-grader. In two high school seasons, Boozer has led Columbus to back-to-back FHSAA Class 7A state titles and two a pair of final FAB 50 national rankings. To view the full Mr. Basketball USA release, the Mr. Basketball Tracker voting results, and comments from Boozer, CLICK HERE.

For all-time Mr. Basketball USA honorees dating back to 1954-55, CLICK HERE

2023 National Junior of the Year: Tre Johnson, Lake Highlands (Dallas, Texas) 6-5 G
This highly-regarded wing had lofty individual and team expectations in the preseason and he more than lived up to them, leading the Wildcats to the UIL Class 6A state crown with a game-high 29 points and eight rebounds in a 55-44 victory over FAB 50 ranked Beaumont United. For the season, Johnson led Lake Highlands to a 34-3 record and No. 8 FAB 50 ranking with only one in-state loss by averaging 21.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 2.7 apg, and 1.7 spg. Johnson shot 53 percent (272-513) from the field, 42 percent (84-201) from 3-point range and 91 percent (177-194) from the line.

The Dallas Morning News Player of the Year is the top-ranked 2024 player by many recruiting services and received the most votes of any junior in the Mr. Basketball Player of the Year Tracker with 24 points on five ballots. He is Texas’ first honoree in this class ever (going back to 1966-67) and only the second underclass pick from the Lone Star State in any class, joining Charles Bassey?(St. Anthony, San Antonio, Texas) for freshman in 2016.

For all-time Junior Player of the Year honorees dating back to 1966-67, CLICK HERE

2022 National Sophomore of the Year: Cameron Boozer, Columbus (Miami, Fla.) 6-9 F

Obviously with Boozer earning Mr. Basketball USA Honors, he's also the choice among tenth-graders. Cameron’s twin brother Cayden, a 6-foot-5 guard, also had a terrific season for the No. 6 team in the FAB 50, averaging 15.1 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 4.3 apg and 2.0 apg. Boozer has a chance to be the first-ever three-time National Player of the Year selection. Only three players have ever been two-time honorees (in both their junior and senior seasons): Jerry Lucas?of Middletown, Ohio (1957-58), Lew Alcindor of Power Memorial of New York (1964-65) and LeBron James?of St.-Vincent-St. Mary of Akron, Ohio (2002-03). All three of those players were first five All-Americans as sophomores.

Boozer is the first honoree from Florida for this honor since RJ Barrett of Montverde Academy in 2016-17. The next season, Barrett re-classified up and earned Mr. Basketball USA Honors as a senior when he led the Eagles to the 2017-18 FAB 50 national title. The 2025 class is considered the best since the 2020 class and there's a handful of candidates that would have been excellent choices among this year's tenth-grade crop, including forward Cooper Flagg of FAB 50 No. 2 Montverde Academy, forward Koa Peat of FAB 50 No. 22 Perry (Gilbert, Ariz.) and Meleek Thomas?of FAB 50 No. 50 Lincoln Park (Midland, Pa.). In many years, any of that trio would have been cinch choices.

For all-time Sophomore Player of the Year honorees dating back to 1967-68, CLICK HERE

2023 National Freshman of the Year: Caleb Gaskins, Holy Trinity Episcopal (Melbourne, Fla.) 6-7 F

There were plenty of top candidates to consider, as this class already has a tremendous reputation and a group of players that were productive at a high level during the 2022-23 season. We decided to go with one of the best all-around talents with plenty of experience. While age can be wide-ranging with elite freshmen, this 14-year old already has experience at USA Basketball events and played varsity basketball for the Tigers as an eighth-grader. After averaging 10.8 ppg in his first varsity season, Gaskins stepped up to average 17.9 ppg and 9.6 rpg while shooting 61 percent from the field.

The All Space Coast Player of the Year by Florida Today, Gaskins scored in double figures 26 of 28 games and finished the season with 17 double-doubles. On top of his numbers, Gaskins draws raves reviews for his terrific frame, patience, IQ and feel. Gaskins is the second consecutive honoree in this class, following Cameron Boozer and is the third honoree from the Sunshine State, the first being Brandon Knight of Pine Crest (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) in 2007.

For all-time Freshman Player of the Year honorees dating back to 1969-70, CLICK HERE

2023 National Senior of the Year: Isaiah Collier, Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) 6-2 PG

This is a special category whenever the Mr. Basketball USA selection is a non-senior and needless to say it doesn't happen often. Collier was the second leading vote-getter in the final Mr. Basketball USA Tracker with 76 points overall (Boozer had 84 points), including five second-place votes.

Collier closed out his senior season strong, netting 22 points and seven assists in the GHSA Class AAAAAAA title game, as Wheeler won a third title in four seasons. Against national level competition, the Wildcats finished 27-7 and No. 20 in the FAB 50 while this powerful and explosive guard averaged 19.6 ppg (58.7% FG, 33.3% 3FG, 79% FT), 5.1 rpg. 6.8 apg and 2.3 spg.

Collier was part of all three state title-winning teams and Wheeler went 102-23 in his four years on the varsity team. Collier, who is part of a USC recruiting class that includes LeBron James Jr., had a game-high 25 points in the McDonald’s All-American Game.

The previous Senior Player of the Year honorees were Carmelo Anthony of Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) in 2002, powerful center Wes Unseld of Seneca (Louisville, Ky.) in 1964 and talented Tony Jackson of Thomas Jefferson (Brooklyn, N.Y.) in 1957.

2023 National Coach of the Year: Pat Clatchey, Mt. St. Joseph (Baltimore, Md.)

This Maryland power won its eleventh Baltimore Catholic League (BCL) regular season title under the direction of this coaching veteran who just completed his 31st season at his alma mater. Before the 1980 graduate arrived, Mt. St. Joseph had never won the BCL tournament tile dating back to 1972. He was 20 when hired as the school's freshman coach, was a college assistant (UMBC) for three seasons and in private scouting for a year before taking over the program in 1992 at age 29.

This season, the Gaels went 38-4 and advanced to the MIAA Conference A title game, losing to cross-town BCL rival St. Francis Academy of Baltimore. The win total tied a school and BCL single-season record and it could have been broken had Mt. St. Joseph played in the Alhambra Catholic Invitational. The Gaels did capture their second consecutive BCL tourney title with a 59-50 win over St. Maria Goretti, as Amani Hansberry (17 points, 21 rebounds) captured BCL tournament MVP honors for the second consecutive season.

Mt. St. Joseph finished No. 27 in the FAB 50, as Clatchey has now led the program to nine BCL tourney titles, all since 2003. He is now 792-245 in his career and has logged 29 consecutive winning seasons. To give an idea of the strength of the teams the Gaels play on a nightly basis, the eight BCL programs were 105-40 against non-BCL programs.

Clatchey is now the fourth honoree from Maryland, joining legendary coaches Morgan Wootten of DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) in 1998, Bob Wade of Dunbar (Baltimore, Md.) in 1983 and Mark Amatucci of Calvert Hall (Baltimore, Md.) in 1982.

For all-time National Coach of the Year honorees dating back to 1969-70, CLICK HERE

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at?[email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter:?@RonMFlores

The post 2022-23 National Underclass POYs appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

There was no shortage of battles amidst the underclassmen, especially at the top of the 2025 and 2026 groups. Cameron Boozer and Cooper Flagg are in constant debate for the top player in 2025, whereas A.J. Dybantsa and Tyran Stokes are 1A and 1B in 2026

With this being the first time that many D1 coaches laid eyes on some of the younger prospects in the flesh, there were no shortage of players who exploded, as well as those who cemented themselves amongst the elite in their respective classes. Here are a few of the aforementioned underclassmen who caught our eye:

A.J. Dybantsa, 6'8, PF/SF, Expressions 17U, 2026
It’s truly rare that you see a freshman dominating the EYBL, but Dybantsa is doing that, sitting second in 17U in scoring at 20.4 PPG after two sessions. The 6-foot-8 do-it-all forward uses his powerfully built frame through contact, offers potential as a versatile defender, and has developed much more confidence as a 3-point shooter (34.1 % 3PT). Touted by ESPN as the #1 player in 2026, there has already been considerable chatter in regards to Dybantsa landing in the class of 2025.

Cameron Boozer, 6'9, PF, Nightrydas 16U, 2025
Considered by most to be the top player in the class of 2025, Boozer brought the combination of production and winning culture to justify his lofty ranking. Leading the E16 in both scoring (27.1 PPG) and rebounding (12.5 RPG), Boozer is simply putting up video game numbers across the board. His .784 FG percentage and .480 3-point percentage make you think they are typos. The inside/out game that Boozer offers, his willingness to get others involved, and his continual team success (undefeated in EYBL, back to back state titles at Columbus HS, etc) place him at top of the class.

Cooper Flagg, 6'9, PF, Maine United 16U, 2025
Maine’s finest has lived up to his lofty reputation in the EYBL, tying Boozer for first in scoring at 27.1 PPG and drawing no shortage of onlookers in the process. The new age forward scored at all three levels, did a great job of utilizing mismatches with his size, and was at many times the team’s facilitator offensively. Flagg certainly lived up to the hype and reminded coaches, scouts, and fans alike that he is one of the best players in high school basketball regardless of class.

Tyran Stokes, 6'7, SF/PF, Vegas Elite 17U, 2026
The leading scorer (14.3 PPG) for the only defeated squad left in 17U play (Vegas Elite is 8-0), Stokes showed that he has no problem making his impact felt against older foes. The Louisville native is simply unstoppable in transition, can defend a multitude of positions, and kept countless plays alive with his activity on both ends. The ability for Stokes to acclimate to whatever situation he’s put in on the hardwood is one of the virtues that make him one of the truly special prospects in the class of 2026.

Darius Acuff, 6’1, PG, The Family 17U, 2025
Acuff Jr. left Phoenix was one of the hottest players in the class of 2025, earning offers from the likes of Kentucky, Kansas, Michigan State, and a host of others after his monster 30-point performance against MOKAN. The sophomore playmaker is great in pick and roll play, utilizes different speeds exceptionally well, and can finish through contact. Fresh off of both a Detroit PSL championship and state title with Cass Tech, Acuff is the next gritty guard from the Motor City that you’ll catch at a power 5 school.

Marcus Johnson, 6'2, PG/SG, Spiece Indy Heat 15U, 2025
Next up in the Garfield Heights (OH) pipeline is Johnson, an elite shot creator from Cleveland. The lefty is elite at creating separation off of the bounce, is a threat to score every time that he has the ball in his hands, and has made serious strides as a creator for others. The son of former Ohio Mr. Basketball Sonny Johnson picked up high major offers from LSU and Ohio State in the days following EYBL Phoenix.

A’Mare Bynum, 6’8, PF, Mokan Elite 16U, 2025
Bynum certainly isn’t the flashiest in the EYBL, but he’s the type of old school no nonsense player who is simply going to win you games. The long armed forward punished defenders in the paint with his ability to finish through contact, controlled the glass, and showed nice vision when hit with doubles. It wasn’t just me who saw the potential and upside that Bynum offers, as both Cal and Nebraska put scholarships on the table for him over the past few days.

Desmond Bellot, 6’2, PG/SG, Expressions Elite 15U, 2026
A versatile guard, Bellot showed that he could play either backcourt spot equally well for Expressions Elite throughout the E15 session. Playing varsity basketball since he was 13 years old, Desmond shows an IQ of someone well beyond his years, knows how to finish with contact in the paint, and was outstanding in collapsing defense. Bellot is still flying a bit under the radar nationally, but has established himself as a well-known commodity in the Northeast.

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The ITP Crew start off with the saga surrounding Alabama basketball and star player Brandon Miller. Should he be playing right now? What about coach Nate Oats, should he be coaching? Chelsea and the fellas give their hot take on the situation!

Ron, who has been involved with Cal-Hi Sports state rankings for over 20 years, give his take on the CIF basketball players and why and how the California Interscholastic Federation needs a re-vamp of its regional playoff format. Ron gives his fix on how to make the section titles more meaningful and a process where everyone can understand what they are playing for.

At the NBA level, the ITP Crew talks about the disappointment of the NBA All-Star weekend (ratings wise and entertainment wise) and the load management issue the league has right now that is starting to affect public perception of the league's direction. Ani and Chelsea dish on what can be done to rectify the issue. The crew also talks about Dame Lillard's 71-point game and his path to NBA stardom and what "loyalty" represents and means to them.

Ron and Ani dish on the National All-Star Game circuit in the light of the closest Mr. Basketball USA (national player of the year) race in many years and the fact the 2023 class still has something to prove on a national level. Can front-runner Cam Boozer earn national POY honors as a sophomore? Where does Bronny James fit into this equation in light of the fact he's not a serious national player of the year candidate but is being pegged by ESPN as a Top 10 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft?

The ITP crew offers some terrific insight on Lillard, load management, and Bronny James' stance in the scouting world so make sure to tune in to Episode 155 from start to finish!

(0:00) - Intro

(2:22) - FAB 50 Update

(5:23) - Deion Sanders’ Comments on Recruiting

(9:49) - Dish on Brandon Miller-Alabama Saga

(18:24) - Ron’s Dish on Revamping CIF Basketball Playoffs

(24:17) - Dish On NBA’s Load Management Issue

(36:20) - Chelsea & Ani’s Dish on Improving A-S Weekend!

(45:35) - Quick Update on NBA Season & Dame Lillard!

(59:03) - Bronny James’ Comparisons & Draft Status: WTF!

(1:06:04) - Scouts' Lack of Focus on Production

(1:10:24) - Bronny’s and Amari Bailey’s Unique HS Situation!

(1:12:07) - Mr. Basketball USA Tracker Results/Reactions

The post In The Paint: Bronny Comparisons, Load Management Breaking Point, CIF Revamp & More! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

RELATED: All-Time Mr. Basketball USA Winners?| Preseason?2022-23 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker?| How To Make A HS Version Of March Madness?

Just as there is no dominant team in this season's FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com, there is no one dominant player in the country who outshines the rest as the latest Mr. Basketball USA Tracker powered by www.ebooksnet.com shows. The nation's elite individual talent has been identified, as far as having the most productive 2022-23 season is concerned, but among the 19 top national player of the year candidates there is no consensus as to whom is the best or most dominant.

Of the 19 candidates who appeared on the ballots of the 10-man Mr. Basketball USA Panel, eight received a first place (10 points) or second place vote (nine points). Six players earned at least one first place vote, with sophomore forward Cameron Boozer of FAB 50 No. 6 Columbus (Miami, Fla.) the top vote-getter with 70 overall points, besting USC-point senior point guard Isaiah Collier of FAB 50 No. 36 Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) by two points and Kentucky-bound shooting guard D.J. Wagner of FAB 50 No. 10 Camden (N.J.) by eight points. Wagner was the leading vote-getter in the preseason (with 71 points) when garnered four of the 10 first place votes. He earned two in the latest voting, two second place votes and 62 total points.

The other candidates to receive first place are Texas-bound forward Ronald Holland of FAB 50 No. 4 Duncanville (Duncanville, Texas), Kentucky-bound Justin Edwards of Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia, Pa.) and Michigan State-bound forward Xavier Booker of Cathedral (Indianapolis, Ind.). Holland came in fourth place over all with 54 points, Edwards in fifth with 52 votes overall, while Booker appeared on two overall ballots, finishing first on one and third on the other for 18 total points.

Three things stand out with the voting results. One, Boozer is a sophomore and no tenth-grader has ever been named Mr. Basketball USA or a consensus national player of the year. Not Lew Alcindor, not LeBron James, no one, so the company Boozer is keeping is worth nothing. Two, Boozer's point total would represent a number significantly lower than the average total of the eventual annual honoree, who is often above 90 points overall. Not one single candidate, not even Boozer or Collier, appeared on all ten ballots. Three, the senior class still hasn't established a true pecking order and the ones who are most popular on social media, particularly Bronny James of Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) and Mikey Williams of San Ysidro (Calif.), did not receive any votes. James was named a McDonald's All-American, to the 13-man USA Team for the Nike Hoop Summit and is being pegged by ESPN as a 2024 NBA lottery pick.

One player who is certainly being rewarded for his senior season of high school is Oregon-bound point guard Jackson Shelstad of FAB 50 No. 20 West Linn (West Linn, Ore.). He did not appear on any preseason ballots, but appeared on four ballots this time around, including a second-place vote, for 25 overall points. Shelstad has been selected for the Nike Hoop Summit.

"With the obvious conclusion that this 2023 class has not met expectations, it is apparent that the creme of the current high school talent rests with several talented underclassmen with Cameron Boozer being exhibit A," said panel member Dinos Trigonis, Nothing But Net Magazine publisher and Pangos All-American Camp director. "While Boozer does not give max effort 100 percent of the time, his displays of dominance signals the arrival of a special player to track.

"What's also apparent here, as the voting results show, is the obvious disconnect between the day-to-day regional and local scouts and some of the national media, particularly ESPN. They have anointed players to "can't miss" status based on celebrity rather than accomplishment."

It's no secret that the 2023 class has been considered one of the weakest ones nationally in recent memory, in terms of NBA Draft prospects and projected collegiate impact. That is reflected in the voting totals of the latest Mr. Basketball USA Tracker. What is also apparent is the end-of-season playoff games and the national all-star circuit will hold as much importance as it has had in many seasons, in terms of individual accomplishment and honors and deciding whom are the best bets to standout at the next levels of the game.

This wide open Mr. Basketball USA race will be fun to track over the next month and a half.

Stay logged in to www.ebooksnet.com?to track the progress of the nation's top individual players and the nation’s Top teams.

Editor's Note: Click on the "+" sign next to each player's number to view how many first, second, third or fourth place votes he got and his overall point total.

Rank	Prev.	Name	High School	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Total
1	4	Cam Boozer (9)	Columbus (FL)	2	1	2	1	70
2	2	Isaiah Collier (9)	Wheeler (GA)	3	1	1	1	68
3	1	D.J. Wagner (8)	Cathedral (IN)	2	2	1	0	62
4	5T	Ronald Holland (7)	Duncanville (TX)	1	2	2	0	54
5	5T	Justin Edwards (7)	Imhotep Charter (PA)	1	2	0	2	52
6	8T	Cooper Flagg (5)	Montverde Academy (FL)	0	0	1	1	28
7	NR	Jackson Shelstad (4)	West Linn (OR)	0	1	0	0	25
8	10	Tre Johnson (4)	Lake Highlands (TX)	0	0	0	1	20
9	3	Xavier Booker (2)	Cathedral (IN)	1	0	1	0	18
10	11	Flory Budunga (2)	Kokomo (IN)	0	1	0	1	16
11T	11T	Jeremy Fears (2)	Joliet West (IL)	0	0	0	0	11
11T	NR	DeShawn Harris-Smith (1)	Paul VI (VA)	0	0	0	1	11
11T	21	Jared McCain (2)	Centennial (CA)	0	0	0	0	11
11T	19	Matas Buzelis (2)	Sunrise Christian (KS)	0	0	0	0	11
15	NR	Dylan Harper (1)	Don Bosco Prep (NJ)	0	0	1	0	8
16T	14	Aaron Bradshaw (1)	Camden (NJ)	0	0	0	1	7
16T	12T	Baye Fall (1)	Accelerated Schools (CO)	0	0	0	1	7
18	16T	Isaiah Elohim (1)	Sierra Canyon (CA)	0	0	0	0	6
19	8T	Mackenzie Mgbako (1)	Roselle Catholic (NJ)	0	0	0	0	5

About Mr. Basketball USA Tracker Panel
www.ebooksnet.com's panel of 10 experts, which includes five McDonald’s All-American selection committee members, casts its vote for the top national player of the year candidates. Each panelist lists his top seven candidates regardless of class. The votes are then tabulated on a 10-point scoring system with a first-place vote equaling 10 points, a second-place vote earning nine points and down to four points for a seventh-place vote. The number in parenthesis refers to the numbers of ballots on which a player appeared and previous rankings refers to position in last season's final tracker.

The post POY Tracker: Wide Open Race! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

As an NBA Draft analyst, I routinely travel to evaluate top prospects worldwide. Although I usually focus on prospects likely to be eligible for the upcoming NBA Draft, I make a concerted effort to get ahead by evaluating younger prospects, too, which leads me to my latest trip. This past weekend, I visited a special place: Springfield, Mass., the birthplace of basketball. I attended two high school events: the Spalding Hoophall Classic, which was held at Springfield College, and the HoopHall Prep Showcase, held at MassMutual Center.

I evaluated top players in the Class of 2023, who will be college freshmen next season, and some who could become one-and-done at that level before entering the 2024 NBA Draft. I also evaluated many top prospects from the Class of 2024. I believe there were a lot of future NBA players in those buildings and playing in those games. However, several prospects especially caught my eye, but they weren't in either of those classes; they were even younger. The players I'd like to highlight today are three of the top young prospects in the country: 2025 forward Cameron Boozer of FAB 50 No. 6 Columbus (Miami, Fla), 2025 wing forward Cooper Flagg of FAB 50 No. 2 Montverde Academy (Fla.) and A.J. Dybantsa, of St. Sebastian's School (Needham, Mass.), a 6-foo-7 wing from the Class of 2026.

One thing I find interesting about Boozer, Flagg, and Dybantsa is they are somewhat similar. All three players are just 15 or 16 years old, 6-foot-7 or taller (and likely still growing), athletic, and possess well-rounded skill sets. They play inside and out, shoot threes, put it on the floor, perform highlight finishes above the rim, and have the potential to defend multiple positions effectively. They generally play faced toward the hoop, and they're incredibly versatile. They're positionless. Their physical builds, body movements, athleticism, and overall physicality are different. Still, they're pretty much the same: they are do-it-all players with size and versatility. And most importantly, they're dynamic and, subsequently, elite prospects.

Another player that would fit a similar description is the No. 1 pick from the 2022 NBA Draft, Paolo Banchero from Duke, who is currently playing well in his rookie season for the Orlando Magic. Banchero is listed at 6-foot-10 and 250 lbs -- he's an absolute brute. And despite his physical size and tools, he's a versatile, do-it-all player without a strict penciled-in position, just like the three high school prospects I mentioned.

And this year's No. 1 NBA prospect is a player from France, whom everyone's likely heard of now, Victor Wembanyama, as he has seemingly set the world on fire this season with his talent and play. Wembanyama is an extreme version of this type of do-it-all player, as he's 7-foot-4 with an 8-foot-wingspan. Still, despite his size, he shoots threes and crosses guys up off the dribble, in addition to dunking and blocking everything in sight. He's a unicorn as an NBA prospect.

So after spending several days in Springfield, getting to know these young prospects better, I couldn't help think about Dr. James Naismith, who invented basketball in Springfield in 1891. I thought about the origin of the game and the game's evolution. Basketball has come a long way, and the game is changing rapidly, especially at the NBA level.

The days of predictable isolations on the low block, hand checks, and rough physicality are long gone, as today's game is much more predicated on spacing, skill, and finesse. It's often discussed that small guards and traditional bigs are a dying breed in the NBA. Due to extreme spacing in today's game, NBA coaches prefer flexibility on the defensive end, with switchable players that can defend multiple positions and players that can shoot the ball with range on the offensive end. So players with size and versatility on both ends of the floor generally hold much more significant value across the board in the NBA. So naturally, Boozer, Flagg, and Dybansta check all the right boxes for what NBA scouts are looking for in young prospects.

So I left Springfield asking myself, "are Cameron Boozer, Cooper Flagg, and AJ Dybantsa future NBA stars?"

Well, I'm not going to make any bold statements about 15 or 16-year-olds. I think that would be reckless. However, I will say this: all three have the potential to become great and are on the right track. And although I'm admittedly being a bit vague, I can say one thing for certain; they are high-priority prospects for me to monitor, and I will track their progress very closely moving forward.

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Related: 2021-22 All-American Elite Team | 2021-22 Mr. Basketball USA: Dariq Whitehead?| 2021-22 Class Players of the Year

Three juniors named to the 28th Annual All-American Elite Team headline a group of 80 elite players selected to the 2021-22 Underclass All-American team powered by www.ebooksnet.com.

Shooting guard DJ Wagner of Camden (Camden, N.J.), this year’s National Junior of the Year, was named to the overall All-American Elite second five and came in fifth place in the final Mr. Basketball USA Tracker. Wagner has been named class player of the year in each of his first three seasons.?Ron Holland, the ringleader for the No. 1 team in the FAB 50 at Duncanville (Texas), was also a second five selection. ??A third junior, Simeon Wilcher of Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.), was the lone underclassman to make the 30-man second team. Wilcher led his team to the final New Jersey Tournament of Champions title over Wagner’s Camden club. Wilcher averaged 17.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg and 7.1 apg for the No. 9 team in the FAB 50 and went for 22 points, seven rebounds and five assists in the TOC title game.

Each season, players classifying up in order to speed up the recruiting process or transfer in hopes the move will be more advantageous to their development and this off-season is no different.

Marvel Allen, a terrific guard from Calvary Christian Academy (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.), has already announced he will spend his senior season at Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.). Forward Naasir Cunningham of Gill St. Bernard’s (Gladstone, N.J.), one of the top sophomores in the country, has announced he will forgo his final two seasons of traditional high school eligibility to sign with Overtime Elite. ??OTE was created as an alternative route to professional basketball outside the path the majority of prospects take, which is NCAA college basketball. Normally signing with OTE signals the end of amateur stats, as the fledging league has been promoted as one that offers a salary to young basketball players. It’s been reported Cunningham will forgo an OTE salary, which is designed to preserve his eligibly to play NCAA basketball should he choose that route after his time with OTE.

OTE will explore Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) endorsement deals for Cunningham. Some state laws prohibit or restrict NIL deals for high school athletes, but in most states it is not illegal or against state association rules to sign an endorsement deal, provided that endorsement is not facilitated with the athlete wearing or promoting garments or items trademarked and/or licensed by the state association or the NCAA.

Despite some of these underclass All-Americans being perceived with NIL valuations up to seven figures by recruiting networks, not many details for the few NIL deals that do exist for high school athletes have been made public.

Will NIL eventually have a major impact at the high school level in light of the various laws and policies around the country? NIL will eventually be regulated to some extent at the NCAA level since all the programs fall under the jurisdiction of the NCAA. That uniform regulation won’t exist at the high school level.

Regardless of where NIL is headed at the collegiate and high school level, expect more player movement as the summer rolls on.

National Grassroots Editor Ronnie Flores selects this performance-based squad with input from Mr. Basketball USA panelists. It is chosen after the conclusion of the season, which makes the Underclass All-American Team more reflective of players who made state championship runs.

Our national coach of the year is Joe Auer of Wichita Heights (Wichita, Kan.).

Juniors to Watch (2023)

G — Marvel Allen, Calvary Christian (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) 6-4
F — Matas Buzelis, Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.) 6-9
G — Layden Blocker, Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) 6-2
G — Kylan Boswell, AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.) 6-1
G — Stephon Castle, Newton (Covington, Ga.) 6-6
G — Isaiah Collier, Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) 6-2
G — Gabe Cupps, Centerville (Centerville, Ohio) 6-2
G — Freddie Dilione, Word of God (Raleigh, N.C.) 6-5
G — Robert Dillingham, Donda Academy (Simi Valley, Calif.) 6-2
F — Justin Edwards, Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia, Pa.) 6-7
C — Baye Fall, Denver Prep (Denver, Col.) 6-10
G — Caleb Foster, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 6-2
C — Brandon Garrison, Del City (Del City, Okla.) 6-9
F — Greg Jones, Hayfield (Alexandria, Va.) 6-6
F — Rayvon Griffith, Taft (Cincinnati, Ohio) 6-6
F — Amani Hansberry, Mt. St. Joseph (Baltimore, Md.) 6-7
F — Ronald Holland, Duncanville (Duncanville, Texas) 6-8
G — Josh Hubbard, Ridgeland Academy (Madison Miss.) 5-10
F — G.G. Jackson, Ridge View (Columbia, S.C.) 6-9
G — London Johnson, Norcross (Ga.) 6-4
G — Ty-Laur Johnson, St. Benedict’s Prep (Newark, N.J.) 6-0
G — K.J. Lewis, Chapin (El Paso, Texas) 6-4
G — Jared McCain, Centennial (Corona, Calif.) 6-2
F — Mackenzie Mgbako, Gill St. Bernard (Gladstone, N.J.) 6-7
G — Ruben Rodriguez, Reading (Reading, Pa.) 6-1
G — Jackson Shelstad, West Linn (Ore.) 6-0
G — Reed Sheppard, North Laurel (London, Ky.) 6-3
F — Sean Stewart, Windmere (Fla.) 6-8
F — Dusty Stromer, Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) 6-7
F — Daily Swain, Africentric Early College (Columbus, Ohio) 6-6
G — R.J. Taylor, Grand Blanc (Mich.) 5-11
G — D.J. Wagner, Camden (N.J.) 6-2
F — Ja’Kobe Walter, McKinney (McKinney, Texas) 6-5
G — Simeon Wilcher, Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) 6-4
G — Wesley Yates III, Beaumont United (Beaumont, Texas) 6-4

2022 National Junior of the Year: D.J. Wagner

Sophomores to Watch (2024)

G — Marcus Allen, Norland (Miami, Fla.) 6-6
F — Jason Asemota, Hillcrest Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.) 6-7
F — Airious Bailey, McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) 6-7
C — Flory Bidunga, Kokomo (Ind.) 6-10
G — Tayshawn Bridges, Milwaukee Academy of Science (Milwaukee, Wis.) 6-1
G — David Castillo, Bartlesville (Bartlesville, Okla.) 6-2
F — Naasir Cunningham, Gill St. Bernard’s (Gladstone, N.J.) 6-7
C — Ayden Davis, Onsted (Mich.) 6-9
G — Zoom Diallo, Curtis (University Place, Wash.) 6-3
G — Isaiah Elohim, Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) 6-4
F — Donnie Freeman, St. John’s (Washington, D.C.) 6-8
G — Johnuel “Boogie” Fland, Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.) 6-3
G — Ian Jackson, Cardinal Hayes (Bronx, N.Y.) 6-6
F — Morez Johnson, St. Rita (Chicago, Ill.) 6-9
G — Tre Johnson, Lake Highlands (Garland, Texas) 6-5
F — Karter Knox, Tampa Catholic (Tampa, Fla.) 6-5
F — Liam McNeeley, John Paul II (Plano, Texas) 6-7
G — Vyctorius Miller, Crean Lutheran (Irvine, Calif.) 6-4
G — Juni Mobley, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) 6-0
G — Sir Mohammed, Myers Park (Charlotte, N.C. ) 6-5
G — Ahmad Nowell, Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia, Pa.) 6-0
G — Paul McNeil, Richmond Senior (Rockingham, N.C.) 6-5
G —Travis Perry, Lyon County (Eddyville, Ky.) 6-2
G — Tahaad Pettiford, Hudson Catholic (Jersey City, N.J.) 5-11
G — Jamari Phillips, Modesto Christian (Modesto, Calif.) 6-4
F — Jarin Stevenson, Seaforth (Pittsboro, N.C.) 6-9
F — Bryson Tucker, Mt. St. Joseph (Baltimore, Md.) 6-6
F — Dylan Warlick, Edmond North (Edmond, Okla.) 6-6
G — Robert Wright II, Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.) 6-0
F — Sammie Yeahay, The Rock (Gainesville, Fla.) 6-8

2022 National Sophomore of the Year: Ian Jackson

Freshmen to Watch (2025)

F — Cameron Boozer, Columbus (Miami, Fla.) 6-8
F — Brayden Burries, Poly (Riverside, Calif.) 6-5
G — Josh Dixon, North Cobb Christian (Kennesaw, Ga.) 6-0
G — Jerry Easter, Emmanuel Christian (Toledo, Ohio) 6-5
F — Cooper Flagg, Nokomis Regional (Newport, Maine) 6-8
G — Isiah Harwell, Century (Boise, Idaho) 6-5
F — Bryce Heard, Kenwood Academy (Chicago, Ill.) 6-5
C — Parker Jefferson, Waxahachie (Texas) 6-10
F — Jamier Jones, Riverview (Sarasota, Fla.) 6-5
G — Trey McKenney, St, Mary’s Prep (Orchard Lake, Mich.) 6-3
F — Koa Peat, Perry (Gilbert, Ariz.) 6-7
G — Darryn Peterson, Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio) 6-5
G — Jovani Ruff, Poly (Long Beach, Calif.) 6-4
G —Cameron Ward, Largo (Upper Marlboro, Md.) 6-5
F — Tounde Yessoufou, St. Joseph (Santa Maria, Calif.) 6-5

2022 National Freshman of the Year: Cameron Boozer

National Coach of the Year: Joe Auer of Wichita Heights (Wichita, Kan.)

Related: 2021-22 All-American Elite Team | 2021-22 Mr. Basketball USA: Dariq Whitehead?| 2021-22 Class Players of the Year

Note: ESPN selections 2010-2012; EA SPORTS selections 2003-2009; Student Sports selections prior to 2003; Selections are based on high school accomplishment, not future college/pro potential, and are reflective of those that lead their teams to state championships. The editors of www.ebooksnet.com do not knowingly select fifth-year players, and those ineligible due to age or academics, Mr. Basketball USA or to its various All-American teams.

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at?[email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter:?@RonMFlores

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2021-22 Mr. Basketball USA: Dariq Whitehead, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-5 G Sr.
The Duke-bound wing guard is the fourth national player of the year from Montverde Academy in the past eight seasons. He was part of two FAB 50 national championship teams for the Eagles and led them to a No. 2 ranking this past season as a senior. To view the full Mr. Basketball USA release, the Mr. Basketball Tracker voting results, and comments from Montverde Academy coach Kevin Boyle, CLICK HERE.

For all-time Mr. Basketball USA honorees dating back to 1954-55, CLICK HERE

2022 National Junior of the Year: DJ Wagner, Camden (N.J.) 6-3 G
Although he came up just short of his goal of leading Camden to the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Tournament of Champions crown, it was another spectacular and successful season for the son and grandson of former NBA players. Wagner led "The High" to its first TOC title game since 1999-2000, the year his father Dajuan Wagner led the Panthers to the TOC crown.

Wagner had a clean look in the final seconds of the 61-58 loss to Roselle Catholic (N.J.) in the TOC final and finished with 23 points and six steals, as Camden finished 31-3 and No. 12 in the final FAB 50. For the season, Wagner averaged 19.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.3 apg and 3.5 spg against a national schedule and tough in-state competition. Wagner actually got to play the first complete season of his high school career, as his freshman season was cut short by the COVID-19 outbreak, while there was no post-season in 2020-21 when he averaged 22.0 ppg for a 13-0 team that finished No. 5 in the FAB 50. In three seasons with Wagner in the lineup, Camden has won 73 of 77 games with a season to go.

Ron Holland of FAB 50 No. 1 Duncanville was the only other junior considered for this honor. Holland appeared on two of the ten ballots in the final Mr. Basketball USA Tracker and netted four points (including a last-place vote), while Wagner finished in fifth place behind leading vote getter Dariq Whitehead with 36 points. Wagner appeared on eight ballots, including three third-place votes, by far the best showing of any underclassman. Wagner has been named class player of the year in each of his three high school seasons and the last player to earn top honors in each season of his four-year career was OJ Mayo of Huntington (W. Va.) between 2004-07. The last time a New Jersey player earned top honors among juniors came in 1995-96, when Anthony Perry led now defunct St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.) to the FAB 50 national title.

For all-time Junior Player of the Year honorees dating back to 1966-67, CLICK HERE

2022 National Sophomore of the Year: Ian Jackson, Cardinal Hayes (N.J.) 6-5 F

It was a break-out season of sorts for the talented wing who led the Cardinals to their second New York Catholic High School Athletic Association (CHSAA) city title in five seasons. Jackson is considered one of the best prospects in the national 2024 class, but he really didn't get a chance to show how talented he was as a freshman because the CHSAA didn't conduct a 2020-21 regular season because of COVID-19.

Jackson displayed his athleticism, skill level and never-ending motor by averaging 19.8 ppg, five rpg and four apg for a Cardinal Hayes team that bounced back from losing to Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.) in the Archdiocesan title game to defeat the same club, 79-59, in the CHSAA city title game. Jackson had 21 points and four assists in that game for a team that finished ranked No. 19 in the FAB 50 at 26-3, including a split of four games with Stepinac.

Playing alongside CHSAA MVP Tobe Awaka, Jackson was a first team all-CHSAA selection and last summer was a member of the 2021 USA Basketball 16U National Team that captured the gold medal at the 2021 FIBA Americas 16U Championship in Xalpala, Mexico. Jackson is the first sophomore honoree from New York since Lance Stephenson (Lincoln, Brooklyn) in 2007 and the first CHSAA selection since Felipe Lopez of now defunct Rice (New York) in 1992.

For all-time Sophomore Player of the Year honorees dating back to 1967-68, CLICK HERE

2022 National Freshman of the Year: Cameron Boozer, Columbus (Miami, Fla.) 6-8 F

Last season there wasn't a clear-cut choice, as in the case in some years, and the 2024 group didn't get much of a chance to be evaluated in front of national media or college coaches during the summer of 2020. That wasn't the case for the class of 2025. Last summer some of the freshmen-to-be turned scouts' eyes, particularly Boozer, Cooper Flagg (Nokomis, Newport, Maine) and Koa Peat (Perry, Gilbert, Ariz.). All three of them turned in terrific seasons in leading their respective team to a state title, but Boozer was the only one to lead his team to a victory over a FAB 50 ranked club. It was a close decision, but his talent level and leading his team to a state title in Florida's highest classification was the difference.

Boozer, the son of 1999 All-American Elite Team second five choice Carlos Boozer (Douglas, Juneau, Ak.), is already powerfully built like dad with good skill for his age. He averaged 18.9 ppg, 10.9 rpg, 4.0 apg and 2.2 bpg for the FHSAA Class 7A state champions. Boozer capped off a season in which the Explorers went 29-2 and finished No. 45 in the FAB 50 by defeating nationally-ranked Dr. Phillips (Orlando, Fla.) in the title game, 45-44.

Boozer went for 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists in the breakthrough win over Dr. Phillips, while his brother Cayden (16.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 5.1 apg), also freshman, hit the game-winning free throw with five seconds remaining. Cameron is the first selection from a FHSAA program since Brandon Knight (Pine Crest, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) in 2007.

For all-time Freshman Player of the Year honorees dating back to 1969-70, CLICK HERE

2022 National Coach of the Year: Joe Auer, Heights (Wichita, Kan.)

After its first losing season in more than 20 years in 2019-2020, the veteran coach helped the program bounce back from that 8-13 record two years ago to lead his young group to the state quarterfinals in 2020-21 and to his sixth Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) state title since 2008-09. The Falcons captured this year's Class 6A state crown with a 61-54 victory over Blue Valley Northwest (Overland Park, Kan.) to finish 23-2 and No. 19 in the final Southwest Regional Top 20 Rankings.

Under his leadership, Heights captured four consecutive state title between 2009-2012. This year's state title was the first since 2015, when Heights went 21-4 and won the KSHSAA Class 5A state crown. By capturing this year's state title, Auer joins a list of six current and former Kansas coaches to win six state titles. In KSHSAA history, one coach has won seven and one eight, while the legendary Walter Shubolm led Wyandotte (Kansas City, Kan.) to 10 state titles (and three runner-up finishes) between 1957-1969.

Auer has led the program for 27 seasons and is now well over 400 career victories. Auer also coached Heights' baseball program for 17 season and recorded 282 wins on the diamond. Earlier this season, he went over 700 career victories across both sports. Next year's Heights team will be strong, too, with first team Class 6A first team all-state pick Marcus Zeigler?returning for his senior season, along with talented T.J. Williams, a junior-to-be. Auer is the first ever coaching honoree from Kansas dating back to the 1969-70 season.

For all-time National Coach of the Year honorees dating back to 1969-70, CLICK HERE

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at?[email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter:?@RonMFlores

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