Top Recruits Xavier Booker, Justin Edwards and D.J. Wagner Headline 2023 Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Trophy Boys Preseason Watch List
ATLANTA (November 16, 2022) – Montverde Academy, with four winners in the last seven years, and Sunrise Christian Academy, account for a total of eight players on the 2023 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Boys High School Player of the Year watch list, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced today. Montverde boasts former winners Ben Simmons (2015), R.J. Barrett (2018), Cade Cunningham (2020) and Dariq Whitehead (2022) and has four candidates this season. Top recruits D.J. Wagner (committed to Kentucky), Justin Edwards (committed to Kentucky) and Xavier Booker (committed to Michigan St.) headline this initial watch list.
“We are off and running in what should be an exciting and competitive season of high school basketball,” said Eric Oberman, executive director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. “There are so many talented candidates who could win the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy, and that will play itself out over the next several months.”
“The players on this list represent the future of basketball,” said Jeff Hemschoot, vice president of marketing, Jersey Mike’s. “We look forward to following these young men as they compete throughout the season.”
Duke leads all schools with five candidates committed to playing for them next season: Caleb Foster, Jared McCain, Mackenzie Mgbako, T.J. Power and Sean Stewart. Sophomores Cooper Flagg and Koa Peat are the only underclassman candidates on this year’s watch list.
The five finalists will be announced in February and the 2023 Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Trophy Boys winner will awarded in March 2023.
| NAME | CLASS | POS | HOMETOWN | SCHOOL | COMMITTED TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flory Bidunga | JR | C | Kokomo, IN | Kokomo High School | |
| Omaha Biliew | SR | PF | Waukee, IA | Waukee High School | Iowa State |
| Layden Blocker | SR | PG | Little Rock, AR | Sunrise Christian Academy | Arkansas |
| Xavier Booker | SR | C | Indianapolis, IN | Cathedral High School | Michigan State |
| Aaron Bradshaw | SR | C | Camden, NJ | Camden High School | Kentucky |
| Matas Buzelis | SR | SF | Hinsdale, IL | Sunrise Christian Academy | |
| Elliot Cadeau | JR | PG | West Orange, NJ | Link Academy | |
| Coen Carr | SR | SF | Hampton, GA | Legacy Early College High School | Michigan State |
| Stephon Castle | SR | PG | Covington, GA | Newton High School | UCONN |
| Isaiah Collier | SR | PG | Marietta, GA | Wheeler High School | |
| Mookie Cook | SR | SF | Portland, OR | AZ Compass Prep | Oregon |
| Freddie Dilione | SR | SG | Fayetteville, NC | Word of God Christian Academy | Tennessee |
| Justin Edwards | SR | SF | Philadelphia, PA | Imhotep Institute Charter High School | Kentucky |
| Dennis Evans | SR | C | Riverside, CA | Hillcrest High School | Minnesota |
| Kwame "KJ" Evans Jr. | SR | PF | Baltimore, MD | Montverde Academy | Oregon |
| Baye Fall | SR | C | Denver, CO | Accelerated Schools | Arkansas |
| Jeremy Fears | SR | PG | Joliet, IL | Joliet West High School | Michigan State |
| Cooper Flagg | SO | SF | Newport, ME | Montverde Academy | |
| Caleb Foster | SR | PG | Sherman Oaks, CA | Notre Dame High School | Duke |
| Brandon Garrison | SR | C | Del City, OK | Del City High School | Oklahoma State |
| Rayvon Griffith | SR | SF | Cincinnati, OH | AZ Compass Prep | Cincinnati |
| Amani Hansberry | SR | C | Baltimore, MD | Mount St. Joseph High School | Illinois |
| Dylan Harper | JR | SG | Ramsey, NJ | Don Bosco High School | |
| DeShawn Harris-Smith | SR | SF | Fairfax, VA | Paul VI High School | Maryland |
| Ron Holland | SR | PF | Duncanville, TX | Duncanville High School | Texas |
| Aden Holloway | SR | PG | Charlotte, NC | Prolific Prep | Auburn |
| Elmarko Jackson | SR | SG | South Kent, CT | South Kent School | Kansas |
| Ian Jackson | JR | SF | Bronx, NY | Cardinal Hayes High School | |
| Bronny James | SR | PG | Los Angeles, CA | Sierra Canyon High School | |
| Tre Johnson | JR | SG | Dallas, TX | Lake Highlands High School | |
| A.J. Johnson | SR | PG | Woodland Hills, CA | Southern California Academy | |
| Chris Johnson | SR | SG | Missouri City, TX | Montverde Academy | Kansas |
| Miro Little | SR | PG | Finland | Sunrise Christian Academy | Baylor |
| Jared McCain | SR | SG | Corona, CA | Centennial High School | Duke |
| Mackenzie Mgbako | SR | PF | Newark, NJ | Roselle Catholic High School | Duke |
| Scotty Middleton | SR | SF | Miami, FL | Sunrise Christian Academy | Ohio State |
| Milan Momcilovic | SR | PF | Pewaukee, WI | Pewaukee High School | Iowa State |
| Koa Peat | SO | PF | Gilbert, AZ | Perry High School | |
| T.J. Power | SR | PF | Shrewsbury, MA | Worcester Academy | Duke |
| Reed Sheppard | SR | SG | London, KY | North Laurel High School | Kentucky |
| Sean Stewart | SR | PF | Windermere, FL | Montverde Academy | Duke |
| Andrej Stojakovic | SR | SF | Carmichael, CA | Jesuit High School | Stanford |
| Dusty Stromer | SR | SF | Sherman Oaks, CA | Notre Dame High School | Gonzaga |
| Bryson Tucker | JR | SF | Baltimore, MD | IMG Academy | |
| D.J. Wagner | SR | PG | Camden, NJ | Camden High School | |
| Ja'Kobe Walter | SR | SG | McKinney, TX | Link Academy | Baylor |
| Simeon Wilcher | SR | PG | Plainfield, NJ | Roselle Catholic High School | North Carolina |
| Mikey Williams | SR | SG | San Ysidro, CA | San Ysidro High School | Memphis |
| Cody Williams | SR | SF | Gilbert, AZ | Perry High School | Colorado |
| Wesley Yates | SR | SG | Beaumont, TX | Beaumont United High School | Washington |
ABOUT THE ATLANTA TIPOFF CLUB
Founded during the 1956-57 season, the Atlanta Tipoff Club is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club administers the Naismith Awards, the most prestigious national honors in all of college and high school basketball. Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, inventor of the game of basketball, the family of Naismith Awards annually recognizes the most outstanding men’s and women’s college and high school basketball players and coaches. Other Naismith Awards are presented to the men’s and women’s college basketball defensive players of the year, as well as lifetime achievement awards to basketball officials and outstanding contributors to the game. UCLA’s Lew Alcindor received the first Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy in 1969, while the late Anne Donovan (Old Dominion) was the inaugural women’s recipient in 1983. Corporate partners of the Naismith Awards include Jersey Mike’s and Werner Ladder.
ABOUT JERSEY MIKE’S SUBS
Jersey Mike’s Subs, with more than 2,300 locations open and under development nationwide, serves authentic fresh sliced/fresh grilled subs on in-store freshly baked bread — the same recipe it started with in 1956. Passion for giving in Jersey Mike’s local communities is reflective in its mission statement “Giving…making a difference in someone’s life.” For more information, please visit jerseymikes.com or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Media Contact:
Traci Messier
Jackson Spalding for the Atlanta Tipoff Club
706-816-6022