Best high school athletes of 2022-23: Meet the national boys basketball players of the year

Here are 20 high school boys basketball superstars who thrived on a national level in 2022-23

The high school sports season is finished in most states and wrapping up in others, so SBLive Sports is starting to take a look back at some of the best high school athletes of 2022-23.

We'll start with fall and winter sports to give all the spring athletes still competing a chance to finish strong.

Over the next month we'll be highlighting some of the players of the year in volleyball, football, basketball, wrestling, soccer, track and field, softball, baseball and lacrosse.

Here are 20 high school boys basketball players who had a 2022-23 season worthy of national recognition.

Flory Bidunga, jr., Kokomo (Indiana)

Gatorade’s Indiana Player of the Year, Bidunga averaged 20.2 points, 13.8 rebounds and 4.5 blocks this season. Kokomo won 17 consecutive games to reach its 20th state finals. The Wildkats were runner-ups for the sixth time, the only state championship coming in 1961.

Omaha Biliew, sr., Waukee (Iowa)

The SBLive Iowa Player of the Year, Biliew dominated on both ends of the floor. The five-star Iowa State signee nearly averaged a double-double with 22.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.1 blocks per game.

Cameron Boozer, soph., Columbus (Florida)

Following a breakout freshman season in which he averaged a double-double and led Columbus to a state title, Boozer upped his game as a sophomore while winning another FHSAA 7A state championship. The 6-foot-9 sophomore recorded 21.1 points, 11.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists and two blocks per game for the Explorers (26-4), one of the top teams in the nation.

Blake Buchanan, sr., Lake City (Idaho)

Buchanan was unstoppable inside in the state championship game, as he'd been all season, finishing with 26 points and 11 rebounds to help Lake City (26-0) cap off a perfect season. The 6-foot-11 forward will be playing college basketball next season for Virginia.

Matas Buzelis, sr., Sunrise Christian (Kansas)

A G League Ignite commit and the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Buzelis showcased his all-around skill set as a senior for nationally ranked Sunrise Christian. The 6-foot-11 forward finished in the top five in the NIBC in scoring (second with 15.4 points per game), rebounding (fifth with 6.1 per game) and blocks (third with 1.9 per game).

Isaiah Collier, sr., Wheeler (Georgia)

The SBLive Georgia Player of the Year, Collier led Wheeler to a GHSA 7A state championship as a senior, his third state title in four years. The USC point guard signee put up 19.5 points, 6.6 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game for the nationally ranked Wildcats.

VJ Edgecombe, jr., Long Island Lutheran (New York)

Edgecombe wasn’t just the National Newcomer of the Year — he was one of the top players in the entire country this season. The 6-foot-5 guard earned Player of the Year honors in the National Interscholastic Basketball Conference after leading the league in scoring (17.3 points per game), and he helped No. 5 Long Island Lutheran make its first GEICO Nationals appearance.

Justin Edwards, sr., Imhotep Charter (Pennsylvania)

Few teams have been as dominant in their respective states as Imhotep Charter during Edwards' high school career. The 6-foot-7 Kentucky signee led Imhotep to its second consecutive PIAA Class 5A championship, scoring 38 points in the title game. The McDonald's All-American averaged 17.9 points and 7.5 boards per game as a senior, boasting elite defense and a prolific offensive toolkit.

Jeremy Fears, sr., Joliet West (Illinois)

The Michigan State-bound Fears left prep power La Lumiere (Indiana) to return to Joliet West as a senior and play with his younger brother, Jeremiah Fears, and reached the IHSA Class 4A sectional finals. The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 18.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

Caleb Foster, sr., Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (California)

Foster, a Duke signee, has ranked among the country’s top recruits since a breakout sophomore season and has notched several big offensive performances this winter. After helping to knock out Sierra Canyon, Foster scored 33 points in leading Sherman Oaks Notre Dame to a CIF State Division 1 championship with a win over Granada-Livermore.

DeShawn Harris-Smith, sr., St. Paul VI (Virginia)

A triple-double threat every time he takes the floor, Harris-Smith was named player of the year in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference, which boasts one of the top high school basketball leagues in the nation. The Maryland signee helped St. Paul VI (31-4) win a state championship and earn a trip to GEICO Nationals, averaging more than 17 points, seven rebounds, six assists and two steals per game on the season.

Ron Holland photo by Naji Saker

Ron Holland, sr., Duncanville (Texas)

A versatile 6-foot-8 forward, Holland averaged 20.3 points, 10.1 boards, 2.4 assists and 2.0 steals for the No. 1 public school team in the country and helped the Panthers amass a 29-1 record and No. 3 national ranking in the SBLive/Sports Illustrated Power 25. His stellar play continued into the postseason, where the SBLive National Player of the Year shined among his peers atop the 2023 class in the McDonald's All-American Game and Nike Hoop Summit. A former Texas commit, Holland is now heading straight to the G-League Ignite.

Aden Holloway, sr., Prolific Prep (California)

One half of one of the most talented backcourts in the country, Holloway led the charge offensively for national No. 4 Prolific Prep. The McDonald’s All-American and Auburn signee averaged 18.5 points and 5.1 assists per game.

Tre Johnson, jr., Lake Highlands (Texas)

The consensus top-ranked junior in the country tallied 21.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game while leading Lake Highlands to its first state title since 1968. Johnson posted 29 points and eight rebounds in the Wildcats’ state championship win.

Jared McCain, sr., Corona Centennial (California)

McCain played an integral role in Corona Centennial winning a third straight CIF Southern Section Open Division title and finishing the season as a top 10 team in the country. The McDonald’s All-American and Duke signee averaged 18 points, seven rebounds and four assists per game for the Huskies (30-4).

Koa Peat, soph., Perry (Arizona)

One of the top-ranked sophomores in the country, Peat helped Perry repeat as state champions and win the first-ever AIA Open Division title. The 6-foot-8 forward tallied 19.7 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game for the Pumas (30-1).

Trent Perry, jr., Harvard-Westlake (California)

Although Brady Dunlap might have been the face of Harvard-Westlake, the team wouldn’t have won a CIF Open Division state championship if not for the strides Perry made in his game as a junior. The 6-foot-4 combo guard earned MVP honors in the Mission League after posting 16 points, seven rebounds and six assists per game.

Jackson Shelstad, sr., West Linn (Oregon)

Shelstad keyed West Linn’s magical season including wins at the Les Schwab Invitational over Holland and then-No. 1 Duncanville (Texas) in addition to Bronny James and nationally ranked Sierra Canyon (California), earning tournament MVP honors in the process. The 6-foot Oregon signee finished the season with averages of 28.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.9 steals per game.

DJ Wagner, sr., Camden (New Jersey)

Wagner balled out as a senior and showed why he’s long been considered one of the top prospects in his class. The five-star Kentucky signee went for 22.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and three assists per game for nationally ranked Camden (23-2) and was named Gatorade New Jersey Player of the Year for the third time.

Ja'Kobe Walter, sr., Link Academy (Missouri)

The top player on the top-ranked team in the country, Walter delivered his best performances on the biggest stages, earning MVP honors at the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions and GEICO Nationals. The 6-foot-5 Baylor signee nearly set the single-game scoring record at GEICOs with 34 points in a quarterfinals victory over national No. 9 St. Paul VI (Virginia).