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Tyran Stokes and Jordan Smith Jr. headline Naismith Boys’ High School Player of the Year finalists

Lawrence Andrew Fernandezby: Lawrence Fernandez03/05/26lawandfern

Tyran Stokes and Jordan Smith Jr., the top two players from the Class of 2026, headline the finalists for the 2026 Naismith Awards Boys High School Player of the Year Award. As posted on X, Caleb Holt, Deron Rippey Jr., and Jason Crowe Jr. are also in contention.

Crowe, a Missouri commit, finished his high school basketball career as California’s all-time leading scorer. He scored 34 points in his final game for Inglewood, bringing his total to 4,718 points through 124 games. Crowe also scored a Hoophall Classic record of 48 points in their victory over Notre Dame in January.

Meanwhile, Holt ranks fourth among high school seniors, three spots behind Tyran Stokes. The five-star shooting guard led Prolific Prep to a 32-3 record with only a handful of games remaining. However, the Alabama native remains uncommitted to a college basketball program.

Rippey is the eighth-best player from the Class of 2026 and will be joining Duke University. He led Blair Academy to its second consecutive New Jersey Prep Open Championship, scoring 29 points in its victory over Patrick School. Rippey is averaging 21 points, eight assists, and six rebounds per game throughout his senior year. He has also led Blair Academy to three state championships, scoring a total of 66 points in those games.

Smith, an Arkansas commit, led national powerhouse Paul VI Catholic to its fourth straight Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association state championship, improving their record to 33-2. He also scored 39 points against St. John’s to capture their third straight Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship.

Finally, Tyran Stokes continues to dazzle high school basketball fans during his lone season at Rainier Beach. He recently scored 63 points in a victory over West Seattle on Senior Night last month. Stokes also registered a triple-double (24 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists) to help the Vikings cruise past O’Dea in the Class 3A state quarterfinal round.

All five Naismith Boys High School Player of the Year finalists are also McDonald’s All-American selectees. Stokes, Crowe, and Holt will be on the West team, while Rippey and Smith are on the East squad.