Class players of the year Tyran Stokes (Juniors), Davion Thompson (Sophomores) and A.J. Williams (Freshmen) headline the 2024-25 Underclass All-American Elite team.
Related: 2024-25 All-American Elite Team | 2024-25 Mr. Basketball USA: Cam Boozer | 2024-25 Underclass Players of the Year | All-American Elite Team Retrospective
Two juniors named to the 31st Annual All-American Elite Team headline a group of 90 elite players selected to the 2024-25 Underclass All-American team powered by Ballislife.com.
Power wing Tyran Stokes of FAB 50 No. 10 Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) and power guard Jordan Smith Jr. of FAB 50 No. 11 Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.) lead the way among underclassmen who stood out among the nation’s best players. Unlike last season when Cameron Boozer and A.J. Dybansta were two of the four leading vote getters in the final 2023-24 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker, this year the underclassmen didn’t make quite the impact.
Stokes and Smith both appeared on one single ballot, with Stokes earning a sixth-place vote (six points) and Smith earning a tenth-place vote (single point). Christian Collins and Brandon McCoy Jr., the latter whom missed nearly half the season, are teammates at St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) and are the only other class of 2026 players to appear on a final Mr. Basketball USA Tracker ballot.
The voting results are reflected in this year’s All-American Elite Team selections, as the selections focused on a stellar senior class. Only two (Stokes and Smith) made the All-American Elite Team honor roll, compared to nine in 2023-24, and of the 30 second team selections, all were seniors.
We expanded our junior class to 40 players to account for all the standouts in a solid 2026 class and since only two were honored as All-Americans. No sophomore made this year’s All-American Elite team. There were 35 standout tenth-graders selected as Underclass All-Americans, led by player of the year Davion Thompson, Bolingbrook (Ill.), the first sophomore ever to be named State Player of the Year by the Chicago Sun-Times dating back 67 years.
Thompson has already announced he will spent his junior senior at Link Academy (Branson, Mo.), which is part of the competitive Nike EYBL Scholastic League. Expect more player movement as the travel ball circuit season and summer rolls on.
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.
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 Glenn Farello of Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.).
Juniors to Watch (2026)
F — Davion Adkins, Oak Cliff Faith Family (Dallas, Texas) 6-8F — Latrell Almond, John Marshall (Richmond, Va.) 6-8G — Ikenna Alozie, Dream City Christian (Glendale, Ariz.) 6-3F — J.J. Andrews, Little Rock Christian Academy (Little Rock, Ark.) 6-6G — Tajh Ariza, Westchester (Los Angeles, Calif.) 6-8G — Kaiden Bailey, Santa Margarita (Rancho SM, Calif.) 6-3F — Toni Bryant, North Tampa Christian Academy (Wesley Chapel, Fla.) 6-9F — Christian Collins, St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) 6-9G — Korie Corbett, Ridge View (Columbia, S.C.) 6-4G — Jason Crowe Jr., Inglewood (Calif.) 6-4F — T.J. Crumble, Lutheran East (Cleveland Heights, Ohio) 6-8F — Kendre Harrison, Reidsville (N.C.) 6-8G — Jayden Hodge, St. Rose (Belmar, N.J.) 6-6G — Cam Holmes, Millennium (Goodyear, Ariz.) 6-5G — Caleb Holt, Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) 6-5G — Kaden House, AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.) 6-3F — Caleb Gaskins, Columbus (Miami, Fla.) 6-8F — Jasiah Jervis, Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.) 6-4G — Colben Landrew, Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) 6-5G — Gavin Lowe, Olympus (Salt Lake City, Utah) 6-0G — Mason Magee, Basha (Chandler, Ariz.) 6-0G — Dylan Mingo, Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.) 6-4F — Jalen Montonati, Owasso (Okla.) 6-7G — Jayden Moore, Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.) 6-0G— Dionte Neal, Reidsville (N.C.) 5-9F — Chidi Nwigwe, Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) 6-7G — Jaxon Richardson, Columbus (Miami, Fla.) 6-6G — Deron Rippey Jr., Blair Academy (Blairstown, N.J.) 6-2F — Dean Rueckert, Timpview (Provo, Utah) 6-6G — Miles Sadler, CIA Bella Vista (Scottsdale, Ariz.) 5-10F — Qayden Samuels, Bishop McNamara (Forrestville, Md.) 6-5G — Jonathan Sanderson, Ensworth School (Nashville, Tenn.) 6-3F — Fred Smith Jr., Briarcrest Christian (Eads, Tenn.) 6-6G — Jordan Smith Jr., Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) 6-4F — Tyran Stokes, Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) 6-7F — Jahda Swann, Jefferson (Brooklyn, N.Y.) 6-6F — Abdou Toure, Notre Dame (West Haven, Conn.) 6-6F — Billy White III, Veterans Memorial (Corpus Christi, Texas) 6-7G — Christian Wiggins, Wayzata (Plymouth, Minn.) 6-3F — Sebastian Wilkins, Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.) 6-8
2025 National Junior of the Year: Tyran Stokes
Sophomores to Watch (2027)
G — Scottie Adkinson, Webster Groves (Mo.) 6-2G — Reece Alston, Second Baptist (Houston, Texas) 6-2F — Cameron Barnes, Lee’s Summit West (Lee’s Summit, Mo.) 6-7G — Martay Barnes, Academy of Central Florida (Orlando, Fla.) 6-3G — Beckham Black, Duncanville (Texas) 6-3G — NaVorro Bowman, Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) 6-1F — Bruce Branch, Perry (Gilbert, Ariz.) 6-7G — Jacob Canton, Rutgers Prep (Somerset, N.J.) 6-2G — Devin Cleveland, Kenwood Academy (Chicago, Ill.) 6-1G — Jalen Davis, Bremerton (Wash.) 6-2G — Jaxson Davis, Warren Township (Gurnee, Ill.) 6-1G — Cayden Daughtry, Calvary Christian (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) 5-11G — O’Neal Delancey, Gibbs (St. Petersburg, Fla.) 6-3C — Obinna Ekezie, Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) 7-0G — Myles Fuentes, Riviera Prep (Miami, Fla.) 6-1G — Jason Gardner, Fishers (Ind.) 6-1G — Micah Gordon, Plainfield (N.J.) 6-0G — Stevie Hall, Cass Tech (Detroit, Mich.) 6-2G — T.J. Jamison, Calvary Baptist Academy (Shreveport, La.) 6-2F — Jeremy Jenkins, Riviera Prep (Miami, Fla.) 6-9F — Dooney Johnson, Juneau (Milwaukee, Wis.) 6-5G — Tre Keith, Tri-Cities (East Point, Ga.) 6-3F — Andrew Kretowski, Rutgers Prep (Somerset, N.J.) 6-7F — Josh Leonard, Wilson (Florence, S.C.) 6-6F — Jaylan Mitchell, Reitz Memorial (Evansville, Ind.) 6-7F — Babatunde Oladotun, Blake (Silver Spring, Md.) 6-8C — Paul Osaruyi, Bella Vista Prep CIA (Scottsdale, Ariz.) 6-9G — Jordan Page, Broughton Magnet (Raleigh, N.C.) 6-5F — Gene Roebuck, La Mirada (Calif.) 6-5F — C.J. Rosser, Northern Nash (Rocky Mount, N.C.) 6-9G — L.J. Smith IV, Lincolnton (N.C.) 6-4G — Tyler Sutton, Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.) 6-2G — Davion Thompson, Bolingbrook (Ill.) 6-2C — Darius Wabbington, Sunnyslope (Phoenix, Ariz.) 6-10G — Justin Wise, North Oconee (Bogart, Ga.) 6-4
2025 National Sophomore of the Year: Davion Thompson
Freshmen to Watch (2028)
G — Tai Bell, Mater Lakes Academy (Miami, Fla.) 6-3F — Braxton Bogard, Archbishop Spalding (Severn, Md.) 6-8F — Mason Collins, Christ School (Arden, N.C.) 6-6G — Adan Diggs, Williams Field (Gilbert, Ariz.) 6-4C — Erick Dampier Jr., Madison-Ridgeland Academy (Madison, Miss.) 6-10F — Devaughn Dorrough, Monterey Trail (Elk Grove, Calif.) 6-8G — Nijuan Harris, St. Petersburg (Fla.) 6-5F — Kam Mercer, Huntington Expression Prep (Huntington, W. Va.) 6-5G — Jakyi Miles, Mesa (Ariz.) 6-2G — Damien Robinson, Landstown (Virginia Beach, Va.) 6-1F — Shalen Sheppard, Brentwood (Los Angeles, Calif.) 6-8G — Miles Simpson, Webster Groves (Mo.) 6-5F — Xavier Skipworth, Bullis (Potomac, Md.) 6-5G — Machai White, St. Benedict’s Prep (Newark, N.J.) 6-1F — A.J. Williams, Dutchtown (Hampton, Ga.) 6-7
2025 National Freshman of the Year: A.J. Williams
2024-25 Mr. Basketball USA: Cameron Boozer, Columbus (Miami, Fla.) 6-9 Sr.
National Coach of the Year: Glenn Farello of Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.)
Related: 2024-25 All-American Elite Team | 2024-25 Mr. Basketball USA: Cam Boozer | 2024-25 Underclass Players of the Year | All-American Elite Team Retrospective
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
