Right now we honor our underclass gamers of the 12 months Cameron Boozer (Juniors), Jalen Montonati (Sophomores) and Jaylan Mitchell (Freshmen) together with Nationwide Coach of the 12 months Jim Baker of Central Cabarrus (Harmony, N.C.). These gamers together with 2023-24 Mr. Basketball USA Cooper Flagg will headline the thirtieth Annual Elite All-American Group.
2023-24 Mr. Basketball USA: Cooper Flagg, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-8 F
Flagg was the Gatorade State Participant of the 12 months as a freshman at Nokomis Regional (Newport, Maine) earlier than spending the final two seasons at Montverde Academy. He was the most effective gamers within the nation final season as a sophomore when he got here in No. 10 within the ultimate 2022-23 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker and earned second 5 Elite Group All-American honors. Flagg is among the finest shot-blocking small forwards to return down the pike in a few years and his capturing is healthier than marketed. He shot 54.7 % from the sphere and 35.2 % from 3-point vary as a senior and has an enormous array of pictures from the elbow in.
Flagg is the third consecutive Mr. Basketball USA honoree from Florida and the second in three years from Montverde Academy that’s headed to Duke, becoming a member of 2022 honoree Dariq Whitehead, who has performed two video games within the NBA thus far. To view the total Mr. Basketball USA launch, the Mr. Basketball Tracker voting outcomes, and feedback from Flagg’s coach, CLICK HERE.
For all-time Mr. Basketball USA honorees courting again to 1954-55, CLICK HERE
2024 Nationwide Junior of the 12 months: Cameron Boozer, Columbus (Miami, Fla.) 6-9 F
In relation to this 12 months’s alternative amongst juniors, it goes to point out how expectations work and the way every season is barely totally different from the earlier ones. Boozer, the son of 1999 second 5 Elite Group All-American Carlos Boozer of Juneau-Douglas (Juneau, Alaska), was solely the fourth non-senior nationwide participant of the 12 months final season and the primary sophomore, however this season didn’t obtain a primary place vote within the ultimate Mr. Basketball USA Tracker regardless of placing up comparable numbers to his sophomore marketing campaign. He was one in every of solely 4 gamers to seem on all ten ballots after main Columbus to its third consecutive FHSAA Class 7A state by posting averages of twenty-two.2 ppg whereas capturing 62 % from the sphere (234-378), 41 % from the 3-point line (43-105) and 82 % from the free throw line (155-188), 11.4 rpg, 2.7 apg and a couple of.1 bpg for the No. 2 workforce within the FAB 50. He additionally averaged 24.5 ppg in two losses in opposition to FAB 50 No. 1 Montverde Academy of Florida. Boozer has been the category participant of the 12 months in every of his three seasons of highschool and has an opportunity to be the primary three time first 5 All-American since LeBron James in 2001. He is the primary honoree within the junior class from Florida since Jalen Duren of Montverde Academy in 2021. Duren subsequently re-classified after that season to enroll at Memphis.
For all-time Junior Participant of the 12 months honorees courting again to 1954-55, CLICK HERE
2024 Nationwide Sophomore of the 12 months: Jalen Montonati, Owasso (Okla.) 6-7 F
Final season it was straightforward to peg in Cameron Boozer because the selected amongst tenth-graders after incomes nationwide participant of the 12 months honors, however this 12 months the race was nearer amongst a robust group of candidates. Guards Brandon McCoy of St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) and Caleb Holt of Buckhorn (New Market, Ala.) each did sufficient to deserve this honor, however the alternative is Montonati, one of the crucial honor-laden abilities thus far in what’s shaping out to be a terrific class. McCoy and Holt helped their workforce win state titles beneath the highest division, but it surely was Montonati who helped his workforce win an Oklahoma state crown within the high division (Class 6A) by scoring 34 factors in a 57-53 extra time victory over Edmond North.
For the season, the proficient ahead averaged 23.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg and a couple of.0 apg for a 26-4 workforce that completed No. 7 within the Southwest Regional Prime 20 rankings. His all-around talent stage is terrific at his measurement and regardless of being the main focus of defenses, Montonati shot 54 % from the sphere and 44 % from the 3-point line. Montonati was additionally honored on the celebrated Oklahoman’s Tremendous 5 and was named Gatorade State Participant of the 12 months, the primary ever sophomore alternative from Oklahoma. He additionally received a gold medal with Group USA on the 2023 FIBA 16U AmeriCup and hopes to be a part of one other gold-medal wining workforce this summer time on the 2024 FIBA World Cup in Turkey. Montonati is the primary ever participant from Oklahoma chosen on this class.
For all-time Sophomore Participant of the 12 months honorees courting again to 1967-68, CLICK HERE
2024 Nationwide Freshman of the 12 months: Jaylan Mitchell, Reitz (Evansville, Ind.) 6-8 SF
The ninth-grade nationwide class is exhibiting nice promise and its pecking order remains to be being established, however there are already a handful who’ve made a huge impact on high quality groups. By way of combining finest all-around expertise with manufacturing, Reitz is our alternative. The 15-year outdated helped make Reitz a aggressive workforce within the Southern Indiana Athletic Convention (SIAC) by averaging 15.6 ppg, 8.2 rpg. 3.9 apg, 2.2 spg. He earned All-SIAC first workforce honors and is already thought-about the most effective gamers nationally within the class. The 15-year outdated stood out on the latest USA Basketball Mini-Camp, as he displayed a pleasant capturing contact with the flexibility to attain in a wide range of methods. Along with his apparent bodily abilities, Mitchell makes the best reads and excels on the defensive finish. He is the third ever freshman alternative from the Hoosier State, becoming a member of North Central’s Eron Gordon in 2013 and Indiana legend Damon Bailey from North Lawrence, who was already nationally generally known as a ninth-grader in 1987.
For all-time Freshman Participant of the 12 months honorees courting again to 1967-68, CLICK HERE
2024 Nationwide Coach of the 12 months: Jim Baker, Central Cabarrus (Harmony, N.C.).
The Vikings personal the nation’s longest profitable streak at 65 video games and the architect of this system is its veteran coach with 36 years of school teaching expertise. Baker was a D1 assistant for 12 years and the top coach at Catawba Faculty for 20 years. For the final seven seasons, he is been the top coach at Central Cabarrus and this system has certified for the state playoffs the previous 5 seasons. For the previous three seasons the Vikings have been dynamite, profitable three consecutive South Piedmont Convention Event titles and shedding just one recreation.
With its 90-62 victory over 71st of Fayetteville, the Vikings captured their second consecutive North Carolina Excessive Faculty Athletic Affiliation (NCHSAA) Class 3A title, as D.J. Kent was named the sport’s most respected participant with 20 factors, 9 rebounds, 5 steals, two assists and two blocks. With the victory, Central Cabarrus completed 33-0 and No. 12 within the FAB 50 Nationwide Group Rankings. The Vikings went 32-0 in 2022-23, completed No. 7 within the FAB 50 and have now received 95 of their final 96 video games heading into the 2024-25 season beneath Baker’s management.
Baker’s groups are recognized for his or her terrific defensive ideas and fast-paced offense. On this 12 months’s state title recreation victory over 71st, Central Cabarrus scored 24 factors off 24 turnovers and have been credited with 15 steals. In his first season at the highschool stage in 2017-18, Central Cabarrus went 4-21, however this system bought higher every season to the purpose it reached a nationwide stage of success the previous two years.
Baker is the primary honoree from a NCHSAA program and the second ever from North Carolina, becoming a member of legendary Greensboro Day mentor Freddy Johnson, who was honored in 2016-17 and has almost 1,200 teaching victories at the highschool stage.
For all-time Nationwide Coach of the 12 months honorees courting again to 1969-70, CLICK HERE
Ronnie Flores is the nationwide Grassroots editor of Ballislife.com. He may be reached at [email protected]. Remember to observe him on Twitter: @RonMFlores