SI's High School First-Team All-America Squad
Sports Illustrated's inaugural high school basketball All-America team is headlined by Jalen Green, chosen from the five-man first team as the SI National Player of the Year.
Green, a combo guard from Prolific Prep in Napa, averaged 31.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and five assists. He has not settled on a college, but lists Auburn, Memphis, Fresno State, Oregon, Florida State and USC among a long list of potential destinations.
While playing a challenging national schedule and facing more than 20 elite players all over the country, Green led the Crew to a 31–3 record and The Grind Session World Championship.
“It’s just an honor to be named Player of the Year with Sports Illustrated,” Green said. “It’s really humbling, and just to know that I’m the first-ever Player of the Year is even more special. I put in a lot of hard work for this and to have it actually pay off in the end is a great feeling. I’m honored.”
Green broke the Prolific Prep record for points in a single season with 1,008. He was equally dominant summer, leading Team WhyNot (Calif.) to the Nike Peach Jam title game. Green has also won three gold medals with USA Basketball.
Also named to SI's first All-America first team:
PG Cade Cunningham (Montverde-Fla. Academy): The Oklahoma State-bound standout led Montverde to a 25-0 season record and consensus No. 1 national ranking. He averaged 14 points, five rebounds and five assists despite barely playing half a game often as the Eagles won their games by an average of 40 points.
Last summer, Cunningham was MVP of the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League after averaging 23.8 points, seven rebounds and 5.3 assists for the Texas Titans.
PG Sharife Cooper (McEachern HS/Powder Springs, GA): Cooper is considered possibly the most complete point guard in the country. He followed up an undefeated junior season by leading the Indians to the state Final Four. Cooper averaged 30.6 points, 7.8 assists and 3.6 steals a game.
Last summer he produced in 25.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 8.6 assists in the Nike EYBL with AOT (Ga.).
F Scottie Barnes (Montverde-Fla. Academy): Jason Jordan of SI.com wrote: "If Cunningham was the engine that drove Montverde’s dominant season, Barnes was the fuel. No player in any class plays with the level of energy and emotion that Barnes displays every game."
Barnes, who is headed to Florida State, averaged 12 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals for Montverde.
F Greg Brown (Vandegrift HS/Austin, TX): Brown averaged a double-double through four years of high school. The career numbers are eye-popping: 3,007 points, 1,493 rebounds, 476 blocks, 188 assists and 134 steals.
Brown expects to pick a school among Auburn, Michigan, Kentucky, Memphis and Texas.
