At this time we honor our underclass gamers of the yr Marcus Spears Jr. (Juniors), A.J. Williams (Sophomores) and J.J. Crawford (Freshmen) together with Nationwide Coach of the Yr Steve Turner of FAB 50 energy Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.). These gamers together with 2025-25 Mr. Basketball USA Jordan Smith Jr. will headline the thirty second Annual Elite All-American Group.
2025-26 Mr. Basketball USA: Jordan Smith Jr., Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.) 6-2 G
Though Paul VI misplaced loads of firepower to commencement, Smith stepped up his sport and stored the Panthers within the FAB 50 title hunt all season. Towards a nationwide schedule, the Arkansas-bound Smith was clutch when wanted most. As a junior, he went for a game-high 29 factors as Paul VI downed Gonzaga within the WCAC title sport, 58-54, and on this yr’s sport was even higher. Smith had 39 factors, seven assists and 7 steals to assist his staff erase a 16-point deficit vs. St. John’s (Washington, D.C.) to report a 82-76 double OT victory. Within the McDonald’s All-American Recreation, Smith had 12 factors, six rebounds, 4 assists and two steals. He additionally had a 13-point, 5-rebound efficiency for Group USA within the Nike Hoop Summit.
His completed as a three-time All-Met alternative and was chosen fourth 5 on the All-American Elite Group as a junior. Smith clearly might be on the primary 5 for 2025-26 and can enter faculty with a large number of nationwide honors. Smith was additionally named nationwide participant of the yr by Maxpreps, Gatorade and Jersey Mike’s Naismith. (Final yr’s Mr. Basketball USA honoree, Cameron Boozer of Duke, was named Jersey Mike’s Naismith Nationwide Faculty Participant of the Yr). The 2-time All-American is the fifth Mr. Basketball USA honoree from a Virginia program, following Moses Malone (1974), J.R. Reid (1986), Alonzo Mourning (1988) and Brandon Jennings (2008). To view the total Mr. Basketball USA launch, the Mr. Basketball Tracker voting outcomes, and feedback about Smith, CLICK HERE.
For all-time Mr. Basketball USA honorees relationship again to 1954-55, CLICK HERE
2026 Nationwide Junior of the Yr: Marcus Spears Jr., Dynamic Prep (Dallas, Texas) 6-9 FThe son {of professional} athletes, together with his father who was the Grid-Hoop Nationwide Participant of the Yr in 2000-01 at Southern Lab (Baton Rouge, La.), Spears takes dwelling prime honors amongst 2027 gamers after coming off the bench in 2024-25 for a membership that superior to the Chipotle Nationals title sport. This season, Spears used his spectacular two-way potential to guide Dynamic Prep to a 16-1 common season mark and one other journey to Chipotle Nationals. At this yr’s occasion, Spears went for 29 factors and eight rebounds in a quarterfinal win over Hyperlink Academy (Branson, Mo.) earlier than Dynamic Prep noticed its season come to an finish in a semifinal loss to eventual FAB 50 champ CIA Bella Vista of Arizona. In that sport, Spears completed with 16 factors, 10 rebounds and two steals.
For the season, Spears used his motor, size, and athleticism to common 15.1 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 2.2 apg and a pair of.4 bpg and is taken into account among the many finest defensive forwards within the nation, no matter class. Spears additionally had the chance to additional hone his expertise when Dynamic Prep performed extra video games within the OTE League, which isn’t sanctioned highschool basketball and performs with guidelines extra related to a professional league utilizing highschool aged gamers. In 18 common season OTE video games, Spears averaged 19.8 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 1.6 spg and 1.5 bpg.
Spears is the primary honoree within the junior class from Texas since Tre Johnson of Lake Highlands (Dallas, Texas) in 2023. Johnson completed his highschool profession at Hyperlink Academy in Missouri and presently performs for the NBA’s Washington Wizards. The one different honoree from Texas amongst juniors is the legendary David Lattin of Worthing (Houston, Texas), a faculty that was then a part of the Prairie View Interscholastic League for African-American colleges.
For a function story on Spears, CLICK HERE. For all-time Junior Participant of the Yr honorees relationship again to 1954-55, CLICK HERE
2026 Nationwide Sophomore of the Yr: A.J. Williams, Eagle’s Touchdown Christian Academy (McDonough, Ga.) 6-7 SF
After incomes prime honors amongst freshmen final season at Dutchtown (Hampton, Ga.), Williams was much more spectacular at his new faculty. Actually, he’s already thought of probably the greatest all-around gamers in highschool basketball. After main the Georgia Stars journey membership to the Nike Peach Jam 15U title final summer season, Williams just lately made headlines when he switched groups. Williams now performs journey ball for Group CP3 on the Nike EYBL 17U circuit whereas Blue Bloods closely recruit him.
Williams provides prime honors amongst tenth-graders after posting norms of 31.8 ppg, 12.7 rpg and a pair of.8 apg, as Eagle’s Touchdown made it to the second spherical of the GHSA Class AAAA event. Due to his blinding expertise, Williams was not simply all-state; he was named first 5 All-Georgia by sandysspiel.com. Together with senior Harris Reynolds of St. Pius X (Atlanta, Ga.), Williams was thought of one of many two finest gamers within the state amongst AAAA packages.
After turning into the primary ever freshman alternative from the Peach State final yr, Williams is the third ever sophomore choice from Georgia. The final tenth-grader from the state to be honored was leaping jack Darrin Hancock of Griffin in 1988. The primary ever was the legendary Stan Rome of Valdosta for 1972. Simply because it was final season, Williams‘ stiffest particular person competitors was guard Adan Diggs of Millennium (Goodyear, Ariz.), who can also be thought of probably the greatest gamers within the nation no matter class.
For all-time Sophomore Participant of the Yr honorees relationship again to 1967-68, CLICK HERE
2026 Nationwide Freshman of the Yr: J.J. Crawford, Rainier Seaside (Seattle, Wash.) 6-5 GSimilar to the 2028 class, the freshman class has some excellent prospects that might be nice gamers down the road, whereas a particular few stood out as terrific highschool abilities this previous season. Solely a handful had been proficient sufficient to earn statewide honors and fee among the many finest prospect of their respective nationwide class. The participant that finest foot the invoice on that standards this season was the son of Jamal Crawford, who was a 3rd 5 choice at Rainier Seaside on the 1998-99 All-American Elite Group and went on to change into probably the greatest sixth man and electrical scorers in NBA historical past.
The quickly-growing Crawford has most of the similar instincts with the ball as his father, however might be extra bouncy and a greater outdoors shooter on the similar stage. Not solely does his expertise degree stand out, however being the second finest participant on a FAB 50 ranked staff is also a differentiator. Teaming up with All-American and Kansas recruit Tyran Stokes (final season’s Nationwide Junior of the Yr) to guide Rainier Seaside to a 29-1 mark and No. 21 FAB 50 rankings. Crawford averaged 19.1 ppg, 4.0 apg and three.0 rpg for a membership that captured its second consecutive Class 3A state title.
For his efforts, Crawford was a second staff All-State alternative by the Tacoma Information-Tribune. He’s the second ever choice amongst freshmen from Washington, becoming a member of 2008 alternative Tony Wroten Jr. of Garfield (Seattle, Wash.).
For all-time Freshman Participant of the Yr honorees relationship again to 1967-68, CLICK HERE
2026 Nationwide Coach of the Yr: Steve Turner, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)
Final yr’s honoree amongst coaches, Glenn Farello of Paul VI in Virginia, is aware of a factor or two about this yr’s alternative. Turner beforehand had a profitable stint at Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.), the place he compiled a 497-176 report competing within the Washington Catholic Athletic Convention (WCAC), the nation’s strongest conventional league. He took over at Montverde Academy for Kevin Boyle, the 2009 choice at St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.), who later moved on Montverde Academy and led that program to seven FAB 50 titles between 2012 and 2025.
Transferring from the WCAC to the EYBL Scholastic League (the highest academy league within the nation) after Boyle left for Spire Academy in Ohio, the expectations for Turner in his first season had been a bit tempered. The Eagles had a proficient roster and opened up No. 13 within the FAB 50. The staff truly fell out of the rankings after beginning the season 0-3. Issues did not look rosy after Turner’s membership misplaced a key cog round Thanksgiving and after two main gamers, large man Lincoln Cosby and massive guard Jayden Hodge, had been misplaced early within the season to damage. Turner did not sulk or make excuses and set to work with the accessible roster.
Montverde Academy began turning issues round after upsetting preseason FAB 50 No. 1 Prolific Prep of Florida within the Metropolis of Palms Signature Sequence championship. MVA went on to seize the EYBL Scholastic East Division title with an ideal 9-0 division report. Total within the ultra-competitive league, MVA went 11-3, however 11-1 after December 6. Successful that division title and competing admirably within the convention event and at Chipotle Nationals principally sealed Turner’s resume for prime teaching honors this season.
With out a lot of a bench by the point convention play heated up in January, gamers equivalent to senior guard Dhani Miller and junior guard O’Neal Delancey stepped as much as the purpose the place the Eagles had been ok to play eventual FAB 50 nationwide champ CIA Bella Vista of Arizona inside 4 factors. Montverde Academy misplaced to that membership within the convention event quarterfinals and within the Chipotle Nationals title sport, 69-65, after defeating Prolific Prep within the quarterfinals and preseason No. 5 AZ Compass Prep of Arizona in two overtimes within the semifinals. Throughout the course of compiling his five hundredth profession teaching win, Turner led a bunch than was unranked by the primary common season rankings to at least one that completed 23-7 and ranked No. 2 within the last FAB 50.
Turner is simply the second teaching honoree from a Florida program relationship again to the 1969-70 season. The opposite got here in 2015, when Melvin Randall led Ely (Pompano Seaside, Fla.) to a 28-1 mark. The final time a coach was honored from a program that now competes within the EYBL Scholastic League, or for one that does not compete for a conventional state title, was again in 1993. The honoree for that 1992-93 season was Steve Smith, who coached arguably his best staff at Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.).
For all-time Nationwide Coach of the Yr honorees relationship again to 1969-70, CLICK HERE
Ronnie Flores is the nationwide Grassroots editor of Ballislife.com. He could be reached at [email protected]. Do not forget to observe him on Twitter: @RonMFlores
