AllSportsPeople high school boys basketball preseason All-America teams entering 2025-26

Kendall Webb

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AllSportsPeople high school boys basketball preseason All-America teams entering 2025-26 image

It's never easy to pick 15 players out of the hundreds of legitimate prospects for a coveted spot on AllSportsPeople Boys Basketball Preseason All-America teams.

But we've narrowed it down to a group of players that we feel represent the best of the best – and who will have the numbers to prove it by season's end. This year's team is comprised of a first, second, and third team, and we sought to have a balance on each of those teams with two guards, two forwards, and a center on each of them.

Criteria for the selections included players' individual production and team success in 2024 and prior seasons in addition to recruiting accolades. There are no schools with more than one selection, but there are several states with multiple picks, including Arizona, Florida, Georgia, and Texas.

Without further ado, this is the 2025-26 AllSportsPeople Boys Basketball All-America Team.

MORE: SN's preseason girls basketball All-America teams

AllSportsPeople boys basketball First-Team All-America

Jason Crowe Jr., CG, Inglewood [CA] Sentinels, 6-3/170 — Sr. (Missouri)

© Katie Goodale / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Crowe entered his senior season needing just 328 points to become California's all-time scoring leader, and he wasted no time getting started on his pursuit of the record dropping 43 points in the Sentinels' opener – a 125-37 win over the Lynwood [CA] Knights. He actually recorded a triple-double in the game with 10 assists and 11 steals while also snagging 6 rebounds. Crowe also became the CIF's Southern Section all-time leading scorer in the game, too, while inching closer to that state record, and as the dominant star for Inglewood, he should be in the running for national player of the year accolades when the season concludes. He signed with Missouri on November 13 so there won't be any distractions as the Sentinels try to improve on their 26-7 season from a year ago.

Obinna Ekezie Jr., C, Southeastern Prep Academy [Orlando, FL], 7-0/220 — Jr.

 

No. 1 center and top-5 2027 prospect Obinna Ekezie Jr. On his unofficial visit to Kentucky. 📍 pic.twitter.com/h6toiHgqeX

— Kentucky Sports Ball (@UKSportsBall) October 25, 2025

 

Ekezie Jr. Is the son of former NBA center Obinna Ekezie, and he's the top-rated center in the Class of 2027. He transferred to Florida's Southeastern Prep for his senior season after playing last year for California's Prolific Prep – a program that also relocated to the Sunshine State in the offseason. He was another one of the EYBL's big summer stars, establishing himself as an elite rim protector with 2.3 blocks per game while showing growth on the offensive end with 9.3 ppg. He's already picking up offers from all the nation's top programs, and as a junior, he'll still have another season to continue developing his game at the prep level.

Jordan Smith, CG, Paul VI Catholic [Chantilly, VA] Panthers, 6-2/200 — Sr.

© Greta Cross/Springfield News-Leader / USA TODAY NETWORK

Smith hasn't officially signed with anybody but is considered to be a lock to cast his lot with the Duke Blue Devils in college. Until then, the senior combo guard will lead his Panthers as they try to make another run at the postseason after winning a WCAC title a year ago and earning a first-round bye in Virginia's VISAA Division 1 playoffs. The Panthers were upset there in the semifinals by the Bishop O'Connell [Arlington, VA] Knights, and Smith will be the featured star again as Paul VI makes another run at the title this winter. He also appeared with Team Takeover in Nike's EYBL summer league, averaging 19.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.1 steals, and 1.0 block per game, showing off his complete array of skills against elite competition.

Marcus Spears Jr., PF, Dynamic Prep [Dallas, TX], 6-8/195 — Jr.

 

 

Marcus Spears Jr. Is the son of former NFL defensive end Marcus Spears, and his mother Aiysha Smith played two seasons in the WNBA. That pedigree is evident in Spears Jr.'s mature approach to the game that has led to him being rated the top prospect in the entire Class of 2027 by 247sports.com. Dynamic Prep is loaded with stars so he might not always get the minutes this year to put up huge numbers, but make no mistake – Spears Jr. Is a worthy pick as the nation's top power forward at the prep level, and he'll have ample opportunities to prove it against a schedule that will pit him against some of the nation's other top players at his position.

Tyran Stokes, SF, Rainier Beach [Seattle, WA] Vikings, 6-7/230 — Sr.

© Katie Goodale / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Stokes is considered the top overall player in the Class of 2026, and he moves from California's Notre Dame [Sherman Oaks, CA] Knights to Rainier Beach this winter where he'll be the Vikings' undisputed big man on campus. He reportedly left his previous school due to the fact he was 'facing disciplinary issues at the school, including altercations with students' and he was suspended from the football team there for several games this season before leaving in early November. At Rainier Beach, he'll play alongside JJ Crawford, the son of Vikings' assistant coach Jamal Crawford who played more than 20 years in the NBA. If Stokes makes the most of his reset, then he's likely to put up dominant numbers in a state where there won't be many elite players capable of stopping him.

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AllSportsPeople boys basketball Second-Team All-America

Tajh Ariza, SF, Link Academy [Branson, MO] Lions, 6-9/200 — Sr. (Oregon)

 

 

Ariza transferred from California blueblood St. John Bosco [Bellflower, CA] to Missouri's Link Academy, and with his college destination settled on November 13 after signing with Oregon, his full attention will be on helping the SN preseason No. 1 Lions in their pursuit of a national title. As the son of former NBA star Trevor Ariza, he's well-grounded in his understanding of how to consistently play the game at an elite level, and his addition to Link's roster makes the Lions the team to beat in the national prep ranks this winter.

Caleb Holt, SG, Prolific Prep [Fort Lauderdale, FL] Crew, 6-5/200 — Sr.

© Jonah Hinebaugh/Naples Daily News/USA Today Network-Florida / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Holt (in the green jersey above) is a top-five prospect in the Class of 2026, and he's being targeted by many of the nation's top college programs with Alabama and Kentucky owning inside track. His game is still evolving as he continues to develop from more of a small forward to a true guard where he projects at the next level. He transferred in the summer from Georgia powerhouse Grayson [Loganville, GA] to Prolific Prep after the latter's relocation from California to Florida, and he'll have plenty of opportunities to showcase his development as a guard against elite competition.

Taylen Kinney, PG, Overtime Elite [Atlanta, GA], 6-1/185 — Sr. (Kansas)

 

 

Kinney is the first true point guard on SN's All-America team in a senior class that is top-heavy with combo guards and shooting guards. He signed with Kansas on November 12 where he figures to have an immediate impact next season, but in the meantime, he'll spend the winter playing in the Overtime Elite league in Atlanta, Georgia.

Paul Osaruyi, C, Bella Vista Prep [Scottsdale, AZ] Bears, 6-10/220 — Jr.

 

Here are some highlights of Paul Osaruyi playing up at 17U in #EYBL with @Arizona_Unity. Pic.twitter.com/RX5LdLp0iJ

— Rodger Bohn (@rodgerbohn) October 3, 2025

 

While the Class of 2026 is known for its scorers and playmakers at the guard and small forward positions, the Class of 2027 is emerging as a class known for its bigs, and the top four junior prospects are all power forwards and centers. Osaruyi is ranked behind Ekezie Jr. As the No. 4 prospect in the entire class, and the offers are starting to roll in from the likes of Arizona State, Georgia Tech, UCLA, and other highly-regarded college programs. And he's still got another year to develop his game while evaluating his suitors at the next level.

Cameron Williams, PF, St. Mary's [Phoenix, AZ] Knights, 6-11/200 — Sr. (Duke)

© Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In a national senior class dominated by guards and small forwards, Williams stands out as the top-rated big man in the Class of 2026, and he's a hard commit to Duke entering the 2025-26 season. Williams preps at St. Mary's in Phoenix, Arizona, where he averaged a double-double with 18.0 points and 11.2 rebounds per game a year ago. He also blocked 2.6 shots per game, and with his college choice finalized, he can focus on helping the Knights improve on their 18-12 record during the 2024-25 season.

AllSportsPeople boys basketball Third-Team All-America

Dawson Battie, PF, St. Mark's [Dallas, TX] Lions, 6-8/210 — Jr.

 

 

Battie is a little 'under the radar' compared to some of the other big names here, and he's on a relatively unheralded St. Mark's team in Texas that won't provide him as many opportunities to make a splash on the national scene. But Battie is still a 5-star in the Class of 2027's impressive roster of highly-rated big men, and he'll have opportunities as the Lions' one big star to put up numbers that raise his profile even more this winter. Whether he stays at St. Mark's for his senior season or not, the scholarship offers will eventually come from many of the nation's top programs, and indeed, he already holds offers from Houston, Kentucky and Missouri among others.

Arafan Diane, C, Iowa United Prep [Des Moines, IA], 7-1/290 — Sr. (Houston)

 

 

Diane is a massive force described by ESPN as arguably the most dominant player in the country. At 7-1, 290 lbs., it's a characterization that is hard to argue with, and he led the Adidas 3SSB league last summer with 10.8 rebounds per game while also showing some game on the offensive end, averaging 18.6 points per contest with a shooting percentage of more than 74 percent. He is already committed to Houston and will continue to refine his game this winter at Iowa United Prep.

King Gibson, CG, SPIRE Academy [Geneva, OH], 6-4/185 — Jr.

 

 

Gibson is a junior combo guard for SPIRE Academy in Ohio but has also played for The Burlington [NC] School and Montverde [FL] Academy. He followed his former Montverde coach Kevin Boyle to SPIRE where he presumably will finish out his career while continuing to evaluate his college offers. He's reportedly a Duke Blue Devils' fan, and there appears to be some mutual interest.

Dylan Mingo, CG, Long Island Lutheran [Brookville, NY] Crusaders, 6-5/190 — Sr.

© Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Mingo is a force for Long Island Lutheran's well-stocked program, and the senior combo guard just might be the best of the entire bunch. He is known for his versatility as a playmaker on offense while earning a reputation as one of the best guard defenders in his class. He has a diverse final four as he zeroes in on his eventual college destination with Baylor, North Carolina, Penn State and Washington all in the running.

AJ Williams, SF, Eagle's Landing Christian Academy [McDonough, GA] Chargers, 6-6/210 — So.

 

 

Williams is the only sophomore on SN's All-America list, and he's the top-ranked player in the entire Class of 2028. He transferred from Dutchtown [Hampton, GA] to Eagle's Landing for his sophomore season, and his position as the top-rated player in his class means there may be more movement to come before he even makes it to his eventual college locale. But for now, the Chargers will be the beneficiaries of his emerging skillset which carried Dutchtown to a 26-4 finish a year ago and a spot in Georgia's GHSA Class 5A regional finals. Williams was the team's leading scorer as a freshman, dropping in an average of 17.3 points with a clip of 7.5 rebounds per game in his only season with the Bulldogs.

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