Players also Selected as First Team All-Americans
ATLANTA (February 22, 2024) – The Atlanta Tipoff Club today announced the five finalists for the Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Boys’ Player of the Year Trophy and the Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Boys’ Coach of the Year honor.
The player of the year group has one returner from last year’s finalists in junior Cameron Boozer from Christopher Columbus High School in Miami, who is regarded as one of the top prospects in the 2025 class. Three seniors head the list, including a pair of Rutgers commits in Airious “Ace” Bailey from McEachern High School in Powder Springs, GA, and Dylan Harper from Don Bosco High School in Ramsey, NJ. Montverde Academy (FL) standout Cooper Flagg, who has committed to Duke and led his team to a No. 1 ranking this year, is the other senior on the list. Junior AJ Dybantsa, who hails from Brockton, MA, but plays for Prolific Prep in California, rounds out the list.
2024 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Boys High School Player of the Year Finalists
| FULL NAME | CLASS | POS | HOMETOWN | SCHOOL | COMMITTED TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airious "Ace" Bailey | Senior | SF | Powder Springs, GA | McEachern High School | Rutgers |
| Cameron Boozer | Junior | PF | Miami, FL | Christopher Columbus High School | |
| AJ Dybantsa | Junior | SF | Brockton, MA | Prolific Prep | |
| Cooper Flagg | Senior | SF | Newport, ME | Montverde Academy | Duke |
| Dylan Harper | Senior | PG | Ramsey, NJ | Don Bosco High School | Rutgers |
All five Player of the Year finalists are also named Jersey Mike’s Naismith First-Team All-America selections.
Three coaches return to the Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Boys’ Coach of the Year finalist list from last year. Montverde Academy’s (FL) Kevin Boyle leads the top-ranked and unbeaten team in the nation. He is a three-time winner of the award, earning the honor in 2018 and 2020 at Montverde and 2011 while coaching at St. Patrick High School in Elizabeth, NJ.
Ryan Bernardi from Prolific Prep in Napa Valley, CA and Paul VI High School’s Glenn Farello (Chantilly, VA) were finalists for the prestigious award last season. New to the finalist list this year is John Buck from Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, NY) and Andrew Moran from Christopher Columbus High School in Miami.
2024 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Boys High School Coach of the Year Finalists
| FULL NAME | SCHOOL | CITY, STATE |
|---|---|---|
| Ryan Bernardi | Prolific Prep | Napa Valley, CA |
| Kevin Boyle | Montverde Academy | Montverde, FL |
| John Buck | Long Island Lutheran | Brookville, NY |
| Glenn Farello | Paul VI High School | Chantilly, VA |
| Andrew Moran | Christopher Columbus High School | Miami, FL |
“Each candidate is being recognized for his exceptional prowess on the court and exemplary leadership throughout the season,” said Eric Oberman, the Atlanta Tipoff Club president. “The finalists stand worthy in their unique capacity, and choosing a single winner will be challenging. But we eagerly anticipate witnessing the culmination of these players’ and coaches’ seasons.”
“These finalists epitomize excellence, and we are once again thrilled to recognize their achievements,” said Jeff Hemschoot, Jersey Mike’s vice president of marketing, “I would like to commend the players for their exceptional performance while honoring the coaches for their guidance in nurturing the future stars of the game. We wish them all the best of luck in the postseason.”
On March 6, the Jersey Mike’s Naismith All-America Teams will be announced, followed by the Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Boys’ Coach of the Year on March 7 and the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy winner on March 8.
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 AXIA Time, 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.
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Media Contact:
Mallory Hadaway, Atlanta Tipoff Club
mallory.hadaway@naismithtrophy.com
(256) 682-0599