ATLANTA (March 17, 2026) – The Atlanta Tipoff Club announced today that Jordan Smith Jr. of St. Paul VI Catholic High School in Chantilly, Va., has been named the winner of the 2026 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Boys’ High School Player of the Year Trophy while his coach, Glenn Farello, has won the 2026 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Boys’ High School Coach of the Year Trophy.
Smith Jr. and Farello led the Panthers to a 33-2 record this season as St. Paul VI Catholic won its fourth Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association (VISAA) state title in the last five seasons. The team is No. 1 in many of the top rankings this season and is among the top three in the nation in most others. Paul VI has captured the last three WCAC (Washington Catholic Athletic Conference) titles, while Smith Jr. concluded his conference career with a 64–1 record, the best in league history, in a conference widely regarded as one of the best in the nation.
“This year’s honorees have truly distinguished themselves through their skill, work ethic, and impact on the court,” said Eric Oberman, president of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. “We are excited to recognize Jordan and Glenn as our national boys award winners. It is especially remarkable to see both prestigious awards reside in the same program, underscoring the exceptional standard that the player and coach have set together. Their success speaks not only to their remarkable talent, but also to their relentless dedication and shared pursuit of excellence.”
Smith Jr. averaged 26.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 3.2 steals per game this season. He shot 56.0 percent from the field, 36.9 percent from three-point range, and 72.4 percent from the free throw line.
The Arkansas signee is the fifth player from a Virginia school in the 40-year history of the award to be named the Naismith Trophy Boys’ Player of the Year, following two from Oak Hill Academy (Brandon Jennings, 2008 and Ron Mercer, 1995), as well as Alonzo Mourning (Indian River High School, 1988), and Dennis Scott (Flint Hill School, 1987), the first recipient of the award.
Smith Jr. is the first Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Boys’ Player of the Year to sign with Arkansas. He has won gold medals representing the United States at the 2025 Men’s U19 and 2024 Men’s U17 Cups.
Past notable boys winners have included Chris Webber (1991, Detroit Country Day, Beverly Hills, Mich.), Jason Kidd (1992, St. Joseph Notre Dame High School, Alameda, Calif.), Kobe Bryant (1996, Lower Merion High School, Ardmore, Pa.), LeBron James (2003, St. Vincent-St. Mary, Akron, Ohio) and Dwight Howard (2004, Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, Atlanta, Ga.) The 2025 award winner was Darryn Peterson (Prolific Prep, Napa, Calif.). This is the first Naismith Trophy for Farello, who has been at St. Paul VI since 2007. This year’s state title was his ninth at the school and the 10th of his career. He has won over 650 games in his career. Over 90 of his players have gone on to play at the collegiate level, with five of them becoming NBA players.
This is the fifth time in the Trophy’s history that a coach from a Virginia school has been named the winner. The previous Jersey Mike’s Naismith Boys’ Coach of the Year from the state includes Ty White (John Marshall HS, Richmond, Va., 2023) and Steve Smith (Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson, Va., 2015, 2012, and 2009).
“Jordan’s impact on the PVI program has been nothing short of spectacular,” Farello said. “Jordan makes everyone around him better, and his teammates love him because he genuinely cares about their success. His leadership and winning mentality led us to another championship season, and his ability to perform at an elite level on both ends of the floor has made him a fan favorite.”
“He has always been recognized for his energy, defense, and athleticism, and this year has added to his offensive arsenal with his playmaking and shot making,” Farello added. “We are proud of how he represents the school on and off the court, and we thank the Naismith Award Committee for selecting him as the National Player of the Year.”
This is the seventh time the Naismith Trophy Boys’ Player and Coach of the Year have come from the same school. The previous six instances were 2010, when Northland High School in Columbus, Ohio, swept the awards with Jared Sullinger and his father, James “Satch” Sullinger; 2016, when Chino Hills High School in Chino, Calif., claimed both honors with Lonzo Ball and Steve Baik; 2017, when Nathan Hale High School in Seattle, Wash., earned the double with Michael Porter Jr. and Brandon Roy; and 2018, 2020 and 2024, when Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida, captured the awards behind Kevin Boyle, who coached R.J. Barrett in 2018, Cade Cunningham in 2020 and Cooper Flagg in 2024.
The Naismith Awards first presented the Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Player of the Year Trophy in 1987. The Naismith Awards National High School Voting Academy, a group of basketball journalists from around the country, selects the winners. The committee bases its selections on outstanding on-court performances during the 2025-26 high school basketball season.
Smith Jr. will be awarded the Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Trophy, produced and provided by Herff Jones, a leading provider of graduation and educational products and services designed to inspire achievement and create memorable experiences for students. Herff Jones will donate a replica trophy to St. Paul VI.
Farello’s Coach of the Year trophy is produced by Awards Atlanta, a leading company that offers awards and gifts to celebrate achievements and create special memories for teams and individuals. The Atlanta Tipoff Club will donate a replica to St. Paul VI.
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Media Contact:
Jordan De La Cruz
Atlanta Tipoff Club
jordan.delacruz@naismithtrophy.com
(770) 617-2222
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 Naismith Awards family, 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 AXIA Time, Jersey Mike’s, MOLECULE, and Werner Ladder.