Best high school basketball player in all 50 states

Last week, we unveiled our top high school basketball team in each state and today we are digging deeper looking for the best players in all 50 states.
Examining the top player in each state follows an extensive preseason guide to prepare fans for the upcoming season that includes the preseason MaxPreps Top 25 rankings and National Top 20 rankings, the Preseason MaxPreps All-America teams and Underclassman to Watch. Additionally, we've published an extensive list of over 80 of the top events and tournaments around the country along with preseason Top 25 rankings for California, Texas, Georgia and Florida.

From Alabama to Wyoming and every state in between, we searched coast-to-coast to find the best player from your state heading into the 2021-22 season. Best high school basketball player in all 50 states

Arkansas signee averaged 21.5 points, 11.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.1 steals to earn his second first team Class 6A all-state honors.

Two-time first-team all-state selection has played on the varsity team since eighth grade, but has unfinished business after COVID protocols kept him out of the Rams' state championship game victory last season.

He's been the go-to guy for the top-ranked Dragons early after averaging 15.5 points as a sophomore at Corona (Centennial, Calif.).

Reigning Arkansas Player of the Year averaged 25 points, five rebounds and three assists while shooting 60 percent from the field. Top 10 senior prospect looks to guide preseason sixth-ranked Charging Wildcats to their second consecutive state title.

Amari Bailey, Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth)

Reigning California Player of the Year averaged 29.2 points, 9.1 rebounds and 6.5 assists to help Trailblazers to a 16-2 record in the spring. The UCLA pledge is sidelined with an injury, but is expected to return to the top-ranked Trailblazers lineup soon.

Reigning Colorado Player of the Year averaged 22.1 points, 10.0 rebounds and 3.2 blocks while shooting 65 percent from the field to lead Lutheran (Parker) to the Class 3A state title. Top 10 junior prospect leads the preseason No. 17 Yeti.

Reigning Connecticut Player of the Year averaged 27.3 points, 17.2 rebounds, 5.8 blocks and 3.1 assists per contest to lead the Rams to their first Central Connecticut Conference championship since 2003. Connecticut pledge averaged 36 points and 26.3 rebounds in three CCC tournament games.

Second-team all-state pick averaged 20.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.5 steals and 2.5 assists last season for the 8-7 Cougars.

Miami signee is regarded as the No. 109 prospect in the senior class. The Cadets are a top contender in the WCAC.

Key contributor on back-to-back national championship teams, averaged 10.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists last season. The No. 4 overall senior prospect is expected to be the catalyst for the second-ranked Eagles.

Ohio State pledge was a first-team Junior MaxPreps All-America selection after averaging 17 points, nine assists and seven rebounds to guide the Eagles to the the AAAAAAA state championship.

Only sophomore to make the list makes his highly anticipated high school basketball debut after his freshman year was wiped out due to the pandemic.

First-team 5A All-State selection averaged 16.3 points and 8.7 rebounds during postseason play to lead the Timberwolves to their first state title game appearance in 19 years.

Top 100 player and Duke signee averaged 26.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 3.6 steals while shooting an efficient 56 percent from the field for the Mustangs last year.

Purdue commit averaged 24.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists while shooting 53 percent from the field, 45 percent from the 3-point range and 90 percent from the free throw line last season.

Iowa signee earned Des Moines Register All-Iowa honors, averaging 19.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.5 steals and shooting 54.5 percent from the field to lead the Lynx to their first state tournament appearance since 2016.

Five-star prospect averaged 18 points and 6.7 rebounds to lead Bishop Miege (Shawnee Mission) to the 4A state championship as a junior.

Five-star prospect recently committed to Kentucky after averaging 30.1 points during a tremendous sophomore campaign.

Texas A&M signee averaged 13.3 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.9 blocks, 3.1 assists and 2.7 steals last season. Four-star prospect is one of the most explosive athletes in his class.

Top-ranked prospect in the state is expected to have a big year for the Pandas.

Top 50 player and Xavier pledge averaged 19.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists during a shortened nine-game season for the Stags. Ward is expected to be the catalyst for No. 3 DeMatha.

Although playing for a post-graduate program makes him ineligible for MaxPreps All-American and National Player of the Year honors, it would be criminal not to recognize the five-star Duke pledge as the top player in the Bay State.

One of the top-ranked prospects in the state averaged 18.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 2.6 steals to earn first-team all-state honors last year.

Michigan State signee averaged 20.3 points, 9.3 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 4.2 steals to lead the Raiders to the 4A state title game. Regarded as the No. 69 prospect in the senior class.

Mississippi State signee averaged 17 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks and led Arrows to the 6A state championship last season. Regarded as the No. 87 prospect in the senior class.

Top 20 prospect and LSU signee has been one of the top two-way players in the country early in the season, leading preseason seventh-ranked Lions to 6-0 start.

Class AA tournament MVP averaged 20 points, five rebounds and four assists in the state tournament to help the Bison win back-to-back state titles.

Texas Tech signee earned Junior MaxPreps All-America honors after averaging 14.1 points and 2.4 assists for Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah).

Similar to Filipowski, playing for a post-graduate program makes Buzelis ineligible for MaxPreps All-America and National Player of the Year honors, but the five-star prospect is a can't miss talent.

The 2020-21 MaxPreps National Sophomore Player of the Year averaged 22 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists in an abbreviated season last year. The top-ranked junior has compiled a 42-1 record over the course of two seasons as the Panthers start the year at No. 4 in the MaxPreps Top 25 rankings.

Reigning New Mexico Player of the Year averaged 27.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists to help navigate the Bulldawgs to the 5A state championship game.

Reigning New York Player of the Year averaged 19 points, seven assists, four rebounds and two steals to help the Falcons finish 21-11 en route to the Grind Session tournament quarterfinals last season.

Top 100 Illinois signee looks to fill the void left by five-star junior transfer Robert Dillingham weeks prior to the start of the season.

Reigning North Dakota Player of the Year averaged 22.6 points, 14.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists last season. The Colorado signee enters his senior year with 1,609 career points and 1,134 career rebounds.

Reigning Division III Southwest District Player of the Year averaged 23.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.3 steals while shooting 54 percent from the field and 46 percent from 3-point range.

Top 50 junior prospect missed the second half of his sophomore season. He averaged 22.5 points, five rebounds and four assists per contest through 12 games.

Top 100 Oregon pledge averaged 31 points and five assists last season. He played on the Nike EYBL circuit this summer.

Dereck Lively II, Westtown (West Chester)

Top-ranked senior prospect is expected to have a monster season after an impressive summer with Team Final that saw the program capture its first ever Peach Jam title.

Top-ranked prospect in the state recently committed to Division III program Brandeis University.

Top 10 junior prospect looks to guide the Blazers to their fourth state title in five seasons.

Committed to Division II program Augustana, he's one of six players in program history to surpass 1,000 career points after averaging 16.8 points, 9.7 rebounds and five assists last year.

Second-team Junior MaxPreps All-America pick averaged 19.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists to guide the Eagles to the 6A state semifinals. The Top 10 prospect is a Kentucky signee.

Top 50 BYU pledge averaged 22.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists to help guide the Phoenix to the 5A state championship game.

First team all-Metro Division selection looks to follow a long line of Rice Memorial successors, including 2015 and 2016 Mr. Vermont Basketball winner Ben Shungu, 2018 Mr. Basketball Kam Farris and reigning Mr. Basketball Michel Ndayishimiye.

Kentucky signee earned 2020-21 MaxPreps Ohio Player of the Year after averaging 31.1 points, 15.8 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 4.7 steals and 4.3 blocks to lead Buchtel (Akron) to its second district title in three seasons.

Oregon State signee averaged 21.8 points and 9.8 rebounds per game to earn MVP honors in the MCC during his junior season.

Reigning West Virginia Player of the Year averaged 22.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists to lead the Dots to the Class AA state championship game. Virginia commit is regarded as the No. 57 prospect in the senior class.

Regarded as the No. 33 prospect in the senior class, the North Carolina signee averaged 23.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists last season.

Earned second all-state nod after averaging 18.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists to lead the Indians to the 4A state title. He tallied 26 points, seven rebounds and four assists while shooting 6-of-6 from the field and 11-of-12 from the charity stripe.