Key Takeaways
- Five finalists named for the MaxPreps National Player of the Year award, to be announced April 8
- Top-ranked Class of 2026 prospect Tyran Stokes leads all finalists with 33 points, 12 rebounds and six assists per game
- Jordan Smith of Paul VI helped his team go 33-2 and win a fourth state title in five years
- Three of the five finalists are uncommitted or recently committed, keeping the recruiting landscape active
- Past winners include NBA stars Harrison Barnes, Cade Cunningham, Chet Holmgren and Kevin Love
The Five Finalists
MaxPreps named five finalists for its 2025-26 National Player of the Year award on March 4, with the winner set to be announced April 8. The honor dates to 2006 and has recognized players who went on to become NBA lottery picks and All-Stars.
- Quentin Coleman, Principia (St. Louis, Mo.) | Wake Forest: The 6-3 senior guard leads Principia to a 26-2 record and the No. 4 spot in the MaxPreps Top 25. Coleman is shooting 63.5% from the field and 49.3% from three while averaging 22.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game.
- Caleb Holt, Prolific Prep (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) | Uncommitted: A top-10 unsigned prospect, Holt averages 21.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals per game for Prolific Prep (32-3), which claimed the Grind Session regular season championship. He shoots 42% from three.
- Colben Landrew, Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) | Connecticut: The UConn commit averages 24.3 points and 6.4 rebounds per game for No. 13 Wheeler (24-6), shooting 54.5% from the field. Landrew is ranked inside the top 25 of the Class of 2026.
- Jordan Smith, Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.) | Arkansas: The No. 2 prospect in the Class of 2026 leads the finalist group in points (26.6), assists (5.6) and steals (3.2) per game. Smith helped Paul VI finish 33-2, capture a fourth state title in five years and earn the No. 1 ranking in the MaxPreps Top 25.
- Tyran Stokes, Rainier Beach (Seattle, Wash.) | Uncommitted: The top-ranked prospect in the Class of 2026 is the most statistically complete finalist: 33 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, four steals and three blocks per game. The 6-7 wing has Rainier Beach at 26-1 and chasing a second straight Class 3A state title.
Award History and What It Means
The MaxPreps National Player of the Year has served as an early marker for future NBA talent. Cameron Boozer won back-to-back in 2023 and 2025. Dylan Harper won in 2024 before heading to Rutgers. The full list of past honorees since 2006 reads like an NBA draft primer.
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