Class players of the year Tre Johnson (Juniors), Cameron Boozer (Sophomores) and Caleb Gaskins (Freshmen) headline the 2022-23 Underclass All-American Elite team.
Related: 2022-23 All-American Elite Team | 2022-23 Mr. Basketball USA: Cameron Boozer | 2022-23 Class Players of the Year | Ballislife Podcast Network | "In The Paint" Show (Spotify)
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 ballislife.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 | "In The Paint" Show (Spotify)
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 Ballislife.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 Ballislife.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores