2025-26 High School All-American Elite Team

Mr. Basketball USA Jordan Smith Jr, and four other terrific seniors who were national player of the year candidates, highlight 32nd annual All-American Elite Team produced by Ballislife.com Grassroots Editor Ronnie Flores. Elite honor squad includes 20-man first team and 30-man second team.

The 2025-26 All-American Elite Team, now published for the 32nd consecutive season and on the Ballislife.com platform for the twelfth year, includes 45 of the nation’s best seniors, led by Mr. Basketball USA Jordan Smith Jr. of FAB 50 No. 5 Paul VI of Virginia, plus three juniors and two talented sophomores.

Smith and the nation’s No. 1 senior recruit, Kansas-bound Tyran Stokes of FAB 50 No. 21 Rainier Beach (Seattle, Wash.), who came in as runner-up to Smith in the final Mr. Basketball USA Tracker voting, headline the 20-player overall first team.   Smith and Stokes are the only repeaters off the 2024-25 All-American Elite Team, including the 30-player overall second team. Both Smith and Stokes move up from fourth five to first five. Smith and Stokes were the only two players to appear on all 10 final ballots of the final 2025-26 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker. Two first five selections who appeared on nine ballots were guards Caleb Holt of FAB 50 No. 4 Prolific Prep (Southwest Ranches, Fla.) and Jason Crowe Jr. of Inglewood (Calif.)

National Junior of the Year Marcus Spears Jr. of Dynamic Prep (Dallas, Texas) makes third five All-American, while another junior, guard Cayden Daughtry of FAB 50 No. 7 Calvary Christian Academy (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.), is chosen for fourth five.

All underclassmen are eligible for All-American Elite Team selection. National Sophomore of the Year A.J. Williams of Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (McDonough, Ga.) made the 30-man second team, as did guard Adan Diggs of Millennium (Goodyear, Ariz.). In 2024-25, no sophomore was selected and in 30 plus seasons of publishing annual All-American teams (plus the retroactive teams), no freshman has ever made the first team.

Our national coach of the year is Steve Turner of Montverde Academy. The Eagles finished No. 12 in the FAB 50 after beginning the season 0-3.

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 Ballislife.com for the eleventh consecutive season. This team is chosen regardless of class and is not exclusive or preferential to seniors chosen for national all-star games.

2025-26 All-American First Team

First Five

G — Jordan Smith Jr., Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) 6-4 Sr.
It was pretty obvious that Smith’s two-way dominance impressed the Mr. Basketball USA Tracker panel. After earning fourth five honors as a junior, Smith earned eight first-place votes, one second-place vote and one third-place vote to outdistance Rainier Beach’s Tyran Stokes for Mr. Basketball USA honors. Smith averaged 26.6 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 5.6 apg and 3.2 spg for a team that spend some time at No. 1 in the FAB 50 and finished 33-3. With all his accolades, it’s easy to forget Smith is arguably the nation’s best on-ball defender and can change the complexion of high level games with his ball-pressure and clutch shot making. Headed to Arkansas, Smith helped Paul VI to a 126-16 mark in the past four seasons.

G — Jason Crowe Jr., Inglewood (Calif.) 6-4 Sr.
California’s Mr. Basketball for 2025-26 was also a viable Mr. Basketball USA candidate. In the final balloting, “J2” tallied two third-place and two fourth-place votes to finish in fourth place with 54 points. He joined fellow first five selection Caleb Holt by appearing on nine ballots. He couldn’t be denied as the best scoring perimeter threat in the country and by becoming California’s all-time scoring leader by over 1,000 points over 2025 second five selection Tounde Yessoufou (Baylor). For his season season, Crowe went above 45 points a total of 17 times and finished with 1,387 points, No. 2 on the state single-season total to take his career total to 4,718 points. Not only is his total number the state record, so is his 38 ppg career average. After averaging 43.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 5.8 apg and 3.5 spg for a 28-7 club, the Missouri-bound Crowe was named MVP of both the McDonald’s (16 points, 5 assists) and Ballislife (22 points, 5 assists) national all-star games.

G — Caleb Holt, Prolific Prep (Southwest Ranches, Fla.) 6-5
On a talented team that opened up No. 1 in the FAB 50, Holt emerged as the top honors candidate after a terrific junior campaign at Grayson (Loganville, Ga.). Against national competition, Holt led Prolific Prep to a 38-4 mark and No. 4 FAB 50 ranking by averaging 22 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and there steals per game. In the final Mr. Basketball USA balloting, the Arizona-bound guard joined Jason Crowe Jr. by appearing on nine ballots, and finished in third place with 60 overall points, including two second-place votes. A native of Alabama, Holt was the first sophomore to be named Alabama Mr. Basketball at Buckhorn, which he led to two state titles while being named MVP of the state tournament both seasons. Holt, a terrific on-ball defender and willing passer, also shined on the all-star game circuit, as he was named co-MVP of the McDonald’s All-American Game with 11 points, five rebounds and four assists. He also scored 24 points for Team USA at the Nike Hoop Summit.

F — Tyran Stokes, Rainier Beach (Seattle, Wash.) 6-7 Sr.
After being cleared by the WIAA to play at The Beach after spending his junior season at Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.), Stokes went on to have a big senior season and is unofficially the Mr. Basketball USA runner-up. Similar to player of the year Jordan Smith, Stokes appeared on all 10 ballots and garnered six second or third place votes with 83 overall points. He moves up from the fourth five last season after leading Rainier Beach to its second consecutive Class 3A state crown with a 29-1 mark and No. 21 FAB 50 ranking. On the season, Stokes used his power and explosiveness to average 30.8 points, 10.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 3.4 steals and 1.6 blocks per game. He was named state player of the year by the Tacoma News-Tribune. The Louisville, Ky., native was named the National Junior of the Year in 2024-25 at Notre Dame after playing his first two seasons at Prolific Prep. The Kansas-bound Stokes is considered by many the nation’s top recruit and he was chosen for the McDonald’s All-American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic (29 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 blocks).

F — Cam Williams, St. Mary’s (Phoenix, Ariz.) 6-11 Sr.
The size, movements and skill level make it easy to compare Williams to pro players that were once on the All-American Elite Team. After continued improvement, however, his game speaks for itself. He put it all together his senior season, leading the Knights to the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) Open Division title game and to a 23-7 record. He was the focal point of defenses, but gets his shot off well and makes an impact defensively around the basket. Williams averaged 24.6 ppg, 12 rpg, 2.9 apg, 2.8 bpg and shot 44 percent from 3-point range and nearly 54 percent from the field. For his efforts he was named Gatorade State Player of the Year and a McDonald’s All-American. The Duke-bound forward with an unlimited ceiling also was chosen to play for Team USA at the Nike Hoops Summit.

Second Five

G — Miles Sadler, CIA Bella Vista (Scottsdale, Ariz.) 5-10 Sr.
No player made his mark more with his play this season than the point guard for the FAB 50 national champs. He used his play-making ability and court presence to not only lead CIA Bella Vista to a mythical national title, but to get recognition from the Mr. Basketball USA Tracker panel. After the West-Virginia point guard averaged 19.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg and 6.7 apg in Nike EYBL Scholastic League play, he was named its Player of the Year and appeared on eight final ballots, including two second-place votes. Sadler was at his best in leading the Bears to the EYBL Scholastic Tournament and Chipotle Nationals titles. In the three victories at Chipotle, Salder was the difference between winning and losing vs. three highly-ranked teams, averaging 23.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 7.3 apg, and 2.7 spg. He further cemented his status as one of the best players in the country when he led the World Team with a game-high 29 points, four rebonds, seven assists and two steals at the Nike Hoop Summit.

G — Deron Rippey Jr., Blair Academy (Blairstown, N.J.) 6-2 Sr.
 Competitive and dynamic point guard followed up a terrific summer campaign with an award-winning senior season. Rippey takes command of games and helps make his team and teammates better. He earned Gatorade State POY honors as a junior and followed that up with an even better season by leading Blair Academy to a 30-2 record and third consecutive Prep open state title. For the season, Rippey averaged 15.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 6.3 apg and 2.0 spg and once again was named the top player in New Jersey by Gatorade. Bound for Duke, Rippey appeared on six ballots in the final Mr. Basketball USA Tracker. A McDonald’s All-American, Rippey was also chosen for Team USA at the Nike Hoop Summit.

G — Brandon McCoy Jr., Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) 6-4 Sr.
Similar to first five selections Jordan Smith and Caleb Holt, defense is what separates McCoy from other All-Americans. This Michigan recruit made a big difference on the defensive side off the ball for a club that went 30-1 and finished No. 6 in the FAB 50. On top of that, he led Sierra Canyon in many statistical categories (19.2 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 3.5 apg, 2.2 spg 1.1 bpg) and if it wasn’t for missing 16 games last season he would likely be a two-time All-American and three-time all-state choice. Two years ago, he was our national sophomore of the year after leading St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) to the CIF D1 state crown. This time around it was at the open level for the best team in California by a wide margin. When second team All-American choice Maxi Adams went down early with injury in the CIF open title game vs. Richmond Salesian, McCoy responded with a team-high 20 points, six rebounds and four spectacular blocks. A McDonald’s All-American, McCoy was named Mission League co-Player of the Year (with Notre Dame junior NaVorro Bowman Jr.) as well as L.A. Daily News Player of the Year.

F — Anthony Thompson, Western Reserve Academy (Hudson, Ohio) 6-9 Sr.
This smooth lefty was one of the best scorers in the country and also efficient. There is little wasted motion in his game and at the end of games, few players consistently had better lines. Against national prep school competition, Thompson averaged 25.6 ppg, 9.4 rpg. 2.8 apg and 1.7 spg for a 26-7 team. Thompson has great positional size and can stroke it from deep, as he connected on 40.4 percent of his 3-pointers. A McDonald’s All-American, Thompson was named Gatorade State Player of the Year and is headed to Ohio State.

C — Christian Collins, St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) 6-10 Sr.
This rangy forward with a high ceiling put it all together as a senior for a program that lost talent to graduation and second five selection Brandon McCoy Jr. to transfer. He stepped up his game in order to keep St. John Bosco among the state’s elite. At times, this wiry and springy forward looked like the most talented player in California, averaging just under 26 ppg, 13 rpg and 4 apg for a 24-10 team that advanced to the SoCal D1 final. Collins earned co-Trinity League Player of the Year honors and was chosen for the L.A. Times’ 10-man all-star team. A McDonald’s All-American, this USC-bound athlete was also chosen for the Nike Hoop Summit. He and his father DeAngelo Collins (Inglewood in 2001-02) became the state’s first father-son combo to be named McDonald’s All-Americans that both played high school ball in California.

Third Five

G — Kaden House, AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.) 6-3 Sr.
The Dragons were in the FAB 50 title hunt the entire season after opening up at No. 5 and their veteran lead guard was the primary reason. Along with his brother Kalek, House was a veteran of high level EYBL Scholastic League games and used his confidence and shot making ability to lead AZ Compass Prep to the West Division title with a 9-0 mark and 13-1 conference record. In conference play, House averaged a team-leading 16.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg, and 3.0 apg and was named first team all-EYBL Scholastic League, as the Dragons finished 25-3 and No. 3 FAB 50 rankings. The year started with House leading the Dragons to three big wins at the Border League fall event and it ended with a 26-point, 11-rebound, 4-assist performance in a Chipotle Nationals semifinals loss to Montverde Academy.

G — Quentin Coleman, Principia (St. Louis, Mo.) 6-3 Sr.
We started the Panthers No. 49 in the FAB 50, but Coleman’s ability helped them exceed expectations and be one of the top teams in the country. As a junior, the smooth shooter averaged 19.4 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 3.7 apg and 2.7 spg as Principia captured the MSHSAA Class 3A state title. He took the Panthers and his personal game to the next level as a senior after helping Brad Beal Elite capture the Nike EYBL Peach Jam title last summer. He averaged 23.1 ppg. 6.1 rpg 3.9 apg and 2.7 spg, as Principia finished 29-2 and No. 9 in the FAB 50 with its only losses coming against No. 5 Paul VI of Virginia and No. 7 Calvary Christian Academy of Florida. Coleman, bound for Illinois, concluded his career with 50 points in an easy state title game victory. The Gatorade State Player of the Year was chosen to participate in the Jordan Brand Classic (12 points) and Iverson Classic (31 points, 12 rebounds, 2 steals).

F— Colben Landrew, Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) 6-5 Sr.
It was an honors filled senior campaign for this UConn recruit who led Wheeler to back-to-back GHSA Class AAAAAA state titles. He earned underclass All-American honors a year ago when he scored the final 10 points in a championship game win over Newton and averaged 18.0 ppg 6.5 rpg and 3.8 apg. This season, the powerful wing had another big outing in the state title game with 29 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Wildcats to a 28-5 mark and No. 20 FAB 50 ranking. For the season, Landrew averaged 24.9 ppg, 6.8 rpg and 3.2 apg and for his efforts was named all-state Player of the Year but the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Gatorade State Player of the Year and Sandy’s Spiel Mr. Basketball. Landrew was chosen to participate in the Jordan Brand Classic (10 points) and Ballislife All-American Game (18 points).

F — Abdou Toure, Notre Dame (West Haven, Conn.) 6-6 Sr.
 The Green Knights were put on the national radar by this versatile wing who will go down as one of Connecticut’s most highly-honored players of all-time. Notre Dame won back-to-back Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) D1 titles but even though it came up short of a three-peat, individually Toure was better than ever. He averaged 24.6 ppg, 7.0 rpg as 3.0 apg for a 22-4 state semifinalist. For his efforts, he was named Gatorade State Player of the Year for the second straight season and the GametimeCT Player of the Year for the third straight season, finishing his career with a school record 1,981 career points. Toure displayed his versatility by competing in both the 3-point contest and finishing as runner-up in a highly-competitive Slam Dunk Contest at the Ballislife All-American Game. He scored 23 points at the BILAAG and 22 at the Iverson Classic.

F — Marcus Spears Jr., Dynamic Prep (Dallas, Texas) 6-9 Jr.
One of the better two-way players in the country led Dynamic Prep to a 16-1 regular season mark and a trip to the Chipotle Nationals semifinals. For the season, Spears averaged 15.1 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 2.2 apg and 2.4 bpg and was also terrific in the OTE League, averaging 19.8 ppg and 8.4 rpg during the regular season. Our national junior player of the year, Spears played alongside a talented group of seniors, including second team All-American guards Dakari Spear and Austin Goosby. In a close decision, he edged four five selection Cayden Daughtry and second team All-American C.J. Rosser for top honors among juniors.

Fourth Five

G — Carlos Medlock, Link Academy (Branson, Mo.) 5-11 Sr.
On a team with as much individual talent as any in the county, it was this Wayne, Mich., product who was the most indispensable cog for coach Chad Myers (now an assistant coach at Vanderbilt). After leading Wayne Memorial to the Michigan D1 state title game as a junior by averaging 24.9 ppg, he dominated on the Adidas 3SSB circuit, averaging 21.1 ppg and developing into a national Top 50 recruit. After leading Link Academy to a 24-5 mark and No. 10 FAB 50 ranking by averaging 16.9 ppg 2.5 apg and 3.1 apg, Medlock was named first team all-EYBL Scholastic League. He is committed to Michigan State.

G — Cayden Daughtry, Calvary Christian (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) 6-0 Jr.
A terrific combo guard who can distribute or light up the scoreboard, Daughtry turned in the most impressive season in the country for a underclass guard. After teaming up with McDonald’s All-American Shon Abaev as a sophomore to lead the Eagles to a 22-1 record and No. 9 FAB 50 rankings, Daughtry was even more spectacular as a junior. He averaged 26.5 points, 5.2 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.7 steals for a 24-1 club that finished No. 7 in the FAB 50 with a split with Chipotle Nationals participant Paul VI of Virginia. Calvary Christian won its second straight FHSAA Class 3A crown and Daughtry went for 30 points and four steals over a talented The Villages (Fla.) club in the state title game. The two-time all-state choice was also named Broward Player of the Year by the Miami Herald.

F — Zavier Zens, Wisconsin Lutheran (Milwaukee, Wis.) 6-7 Sr.
This Illinois recruit improved each season and capped off his career by leading the Vikings to a WIAA D1 state crown with a perfect 30-0 mark. As a junior, Zens led Wisconsin Lutheran to the D1 state title by averaging 22.2 ppg and 6.1 rpg. As a sophomore, Zens heavily contributed on another undefeated team (30-0) that finished No. 10 in the FAB 50 that was led by fourth five All-American and Zens’ cousin Kon Knueppel (Hornets). The four-year contributor went over 1,500 career points after averaging 23.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg, and 4.4 apg as a senior for the No. 12 team in the FAB 50 playing alongside his other cousin Kager Knueppel (16.4 ppg). For his efforts, Zens was named state POY by Gatorade and was also voted Wisconsin Mr. Basketball by the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association.

F — Caleb Gaskins, Columbus (Miami, Fla.) 6-8 Sr.
As a freshman, Gaskins was his class’ national player of the year at Holy Trinity Episcopal (Melbourne, Fla.) before spending his sophomore season contributing to one of the best high school teams of all-time at Montverde Academy. For his junior season, he was underclass All-American at Columbus and for the second consecutive season the team he was part of won the FAB 50 national title. Of course, the 2024 team had Cooper Flagg on it and last year’s team had Cameron Boozer, but with Gaskins getting an opportunity to lead a nationally-ranked unit as a senior, he did so admirably. Gaskins led the Explorers to their fifth consecutive FHSAA Class 7A state crown with a 26-6 record and No. 26 FAB 50 ranking by averaging 23.2 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 3.2 apg and 1.1 spg. Gaskins was named a McDonald’s All-American and the Gatorade State POY, as well as the Class 7A Player of the Year. He was also voted Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. Basketball over fourth five selection Cayden Daughtry and will stay home to play his college ball at the University of Miami.

F — Latrell Allmond, Petersburg (Va.) 6-7 Sr.
Similar to fourth teamer Caleb Gaskins, Almond had an honors-filled career that culminated with a state title and FAB 50 ranking. Allmond concluded his career with four VHSL state titles after capturing three of them at John Marshall (Richmond., Va.), including last season when he was the VHSL D2 Player of the Year after posting norms of 21.8 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 1.7 spg and 2.3 bpg. In his senior year, Allmond led Petersburg to its first state title in 52 years in Class 3, when it was led by 1974 Mr. Basketball USA Moses Malone, by averaging 22.7 ppg, 10.3 rpg and 2.6 bpg for a team that finished 22-4 and No. 50 in the FAB 50. The four-time all-stater and Oklahoma State recruit was named Richmond Times Dispatch All-Metro Player of the Year, VHSL D3 Player of the Year and participated in both of the McDonalds and Ballislife All-American Games.

2025-26 All-American Second Team

F — Maxi Adams, Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) 6-7 Sr.
G — Martay Barnes, Academy of Central Florida (Orlando, Fla.) 6-3 Sr.
F — Bruce Branch, Prolific Prep (Southwest Ranches, Fla.) 6-7 Sr.
G — Anthony Brown, Archbishop Carroll (Washington, D.C.) 6-2 Sr.
F — Quinn Costello, The Newman School (Boston, Mass.) 6-9 Sr.
G — Junior County, Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) 6-5 Sr.
C — Arafan Diane, Iowa United (Des Moines, Iowa) 7-1 Sr.
G — Adan Diggs, Millennium (Goodyear, Ariz.) 6-4 Soph.
G — Luke Ertel, Mt. Vernon (Fortville, Ind.) 6-1 Sr.
G — Anthony Felesi, Utah Prep (Salt Lake City, Utah) 6-3 Sr.
G — Joseph Hartman, The Rock School (Gainesville, Fla.) 6-6 Sr.
F — Cam Holmes, Millennium (Goodyear, Ariz.) 6-5 Sr.
G — Bryson Howard, Heritage (Frisco, Texas) 6-6 Sr.
G — Austin Goosby, Dynamic Prep (Dallas, Texas) 6-5 Sr.
F — Jasiah Jervis, Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.) 6-4 Sr.
G — Cam Lomax, Heritage (Frisco, Texas) 6-0 Sr.
G — Gavin Lowe, Olympus (Salt Lake City, Utah) 6-0 Sr.
G — Dhani Miller, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-3 Sr.
F — Jalen Montonati, Owasso (Okla.) 6-7 Sr.
F — Lucas Morillo, The Newman School (Boston, Mass.) 6-7 Sr.
G— Dionte Neal, Reidsville (N.C.) 5-9 Sr.
F — Colin Rice, Northwest (Waukee, Iowa) 6-8 Sr.
F — C.J. Rosser, Southeastern Prep (Orlando, Fla.) 6-9 Jr.
F — Dean Rueckert, Timpview (Provo, Utah) 6-6 Sr.
G — Jonathan Sanderson, La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) 6-3 Sr.
F — Fred Smith Jr., Briarcrest Christian (Eads, Tenn.) 6-6 Sr.
G — Dakari Spear, Dynamic Prep (Dallas, Texas) 6-5 Sr.
G — Christian Wiggins, Wayzata (Plymouth, Minn.) 6-3 Sr.
F — A.J. Williams, Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (McDonough, Ga.) 6-7 Soph.
F — Boyuan Zhang, Veritas Prep (Chino Hills, Calif.) 6-7 Sr.

National Coach of the Year: Steve Turner, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)

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 Publisher and Editor of GrassrootsHoops.net. He can be reached at [email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores

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