Nation’s Highly Rated Prospects Headline Player of the Year Competition with Players Committed to Baylor, Duke, Florida State, Kentucky, Michigan and Michigan State Represented
ATLANTA (November 12, 2020) – As high school basketball seasons tip off across the country, the Atlanta Tipoff Club has released the names of 50 boys players to watch this season for the 2021 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy for High School Boys Player of the Year. The competition will heat up as the list of 50 narrows with the selection of the 2021 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy winner in March.
“These players are the future of basketball,” said Eric Oberman, executive director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. “Each of these young men are full of talent and potential, and we will start to see that raw talent be refined into amazing skill as the season continues, with select players rising to the top of the list for the Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Trophy.”
The 2020 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy for High School Boys Player of the Year, Cade Cunningham of Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida, will begin his freshmen season at Oklahoma State in a few short weeks. Cunningham made history as the third player from Montverde Academy to win the honor and the second player to win alongside his coach Kevin Boyle, who won the 2020 Jersey Mike’s High School Boys Coach of the Year award. The Atlanta Tipoff Club will narrow the list to 25 high school boys players on the midseason team, which will be released on January 14, and a separate list for the top 25 underclassmen athletes to watch will be announced on December 2.
“This competition is full of incredibly talented basketball players,” said Rich Hope, chief marketing officer, Jersey Mike’s Franchise Systems, Inc. “Jersey Mike’s is excited to be a partner of the Naismith High School Trophy for the third year in a row, and we look forward to following these great players throughout the season.”
2021 Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Boys Trophy Watch List
| FIRST | LAST | CLASS | POSITION | HIGH SCHOOL | CITY, STATE | COMMITTED TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amari | Bailey | Jr. | G | Sierra Canyon School | Chatsworth, CA | |
| Patrick | Baldwin Jr. | Sr. | F | Hamilton High School | Sussex, WI | |
| Paolo | Banchero | Sr. | C | O'Dea High School | Seattle, WA | Duke |
| Emoni | Bates | Jr. | F | Ypsilanti Prep | Ypsilanti, MI | Michigan St. |
| Charles | Bediako | Sr. | C | IMG Academy | Bradenton, FL | |
| Nate | Bittle | Sr. | C | Prolific Prep | Napa, CA | Oregon |
| Jaden | Bradley | Jr. | G | IMG Academy | Bradenton, FL | |
| Malachi | Branham | Sr. | G | St. Vincent-St. Mary High School | Akron, OH | Ohio State |
| Kendall | Brown | Sr. | F | Sunrise Christian Academy | Bel Aire, KS | Baylor |
| Kennedy | Chandler | Sr. | G | Sunrise Christian Academy | Bel Aire, KS | Tennessee |
| Max | Christie | Sr. | G | Rolling Meadows High School | Rolling Meadows, IL | Michigan St. |
| Skyy | Clark | Jr. | G | Brentwood Academy | Brentwood, TN | Kentucky |
| Zach | Clemence | Sr. | F | Sunrise Christian Academy | Bel Aire, KS | Kansas |
| Matt | Cleveland | Sr. | F | Pace Academy | Atlanta, GA | Florida State |
| Daimion | Collins | Sr. | F | Atlanta High School | Atlanta, TX | Kentucky |
| J.D. | Davison | Sr. | G | Calhoun High School | Letohatchee, AL | Alabama |
| Moussa | Diabate | Sr. | F | IMG Academy | Bradenton, FL | Michigan |
| Jalen | Duren | Jr. | C | Montverde Academy | Montverde, FL | |
| Michael | Foster | Sr. | F | Hillcrest Prep | Phoenix, AZ | |
| Keyonte | George | Jr. | G | iSchool Entrepreneurial Academy | Lewisville, TX | |
| A.J. | Griffin | Sr. | F | Archbishop Stepinac High School | White Plains, NY | Duke |
| Jaden | Hardy | Sr. | G | Coronado High School | Henderson, NV | |
| Zion | Harmon | Sr. | G | Marshall County High School | Benton, KY | Western Kentucky |
| Scoota | Henderson | Jr. | G | Kell High School | Marietta, GA | |
| Nolan | Hickman | Sr. | G | Wasatch Academy | Mount Pleasant, UT | Kentucky |
| Chet | Holmgren | Sr. | C | Minnehaha Academy | Minneapolis, MN | |
| Bryce | Hopkins | Sr. | F | Fenwick High School | Oak Park, IL | |
| Caleb | Houstan | Sr. | F | Montverde Academy | Montverde, FL | Michigan |
| Brandon | Huntley-Hatfield | Jr. | F | Scotland Performance Institute | Scotland, PA | |
| Harrison | Ingram | Sr. | F | Saint Mark's School | Dallas, TX | Stanford |
| Dior | Johnson | Jr. | G | Oak Hill Academy | Mouth of Wilson, VA | |
| Trevor | Keels | Sr. | G | Paul VI High School | Chantilly, VA | |
| Chris | Livingston | Jr. | G | Western Reserve Academy | Hudson, OH | |
| Langston | Love | Sr. | G | Montverde Academy | Montverde, FL | Baylor |
| Bryce | McGowens | Sr. | G | Legacy Early College High School | Greenville, SC | |
| Brandon | Miller | Jr. | F | Cane Ridge High School | Antioch, TN | |
| Aminu | Mohammed | Sr. | G | Greenwood Laboratory School | Springfield, MO | |
| Manny | Obaseki | Sr. | G | John Paul II High School | Plano, TX | Texas A&M |
| Trey | Patterson | Sr. | F | Rutgers Prep High School | Somerset, NJ | Villanova |
| Efton | Reid | Sr. | C | IMG Academy | Bradenton, FL | |
| Daeshun | Ruffin | Sr. | G | Callaway High School | Jackson, MS | Ole Miss |
| Hunter | Sallis | Sr. | G | Millard North High School | Omaha, NE | |
| Isa | Silva | Sr. | G | Prolific Prep | Napa, CA | Stanford |
| Jabari | Smith | Sr. | F | Sandy Creek High School | Tyrone, GA | Auburn |
| D.J. | Wagner | So. | G | Camden High School | Camden, NJ | |
| Jarace | Walker | Jr. | F | IMG Academy | Bradenton, FL | |
| Jalen | Warley | Sr. | G | Westtown School | West Chester, PA | Florida State |
| Peyton | Watson | Sr. | F | Long Beach Polytechnic High School | Long Beach, CA | UCLA |
| Dariq | Whitehead | Jr. | F | Montverde Academy | Montverde, FL | |
| Mikey | Williams | So. | G | Lake Norman Christian School | Huntersville, NC |
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 2,500 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 (facebook.com/jerseymikes), Instagram (instagram.com/jerseymikes), and Twitter (twitter.com/jerseymikes.com).
###
Media Contact:
Traci Messier
Jackson Spalding for the Atlanta Tipoff Club
706-816-6022