The unceremonious page turn from playoff high school football to the beginning of the high school basketball season is stark.

While state championship trophies are still yet-to-be-earned on high school gridirons across the country, High School on SI is getting ready for the 2024-25 boys basketball season.

Columbus (Florida) opens the season as the No. 1 team in the country in High School on SI’s preseason national high school boys basketball power rankings (previously known as the SBLive/Sports Illustrated Power 25).

After assessing the 25 best teams in the country, we’re taking a look at the top players.

High School on SI has narrowed down the six best players in the country entering the season — a starting five, and-one, so to say. We will spotlight the top athletes by position throughout the season and unveil a more in-depth All-American team after state champions have been crowned and a Chiptle Nationals champ has been minted.

For now, who made the cut in the High School on SI 6 preseason All-American boys basketball team?

2024-25 PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM

Brandon McCoy, St. John Bosco, jr., point guard

Measurables: 6-4, 170 | College: Uncommitted

The nation’s top-rated point guard in 2026 led Bosco to a CIF Division I state championship last year and is back for another go at it. The three-level scorer has an offensive bag unparalleled in today’s high school landscape and is a certified winner in every sense of the word. As a sophomore, McCoy averaged 18.6 points, 8.0 boards and 2.4 steals per game.

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Darryn Peterson, Prolific Prep, sr., guard

Measurables: 6-5, 195 | College: Kansas

As if Peterson, the nation’s No. 1 rated combo guard, didn’t need more hype entering the 2024-25 season, he erupted for Prolific Prep in an out-of-country game in Canada with 38 points, seven steals, six assists and four boards. He transferred to the California Prep school from another one of those — Huntington Expression Academy, where he went for 24.0 points, 6.0 boards and 4.0 assists per game as a junior. As a sophomore, he averaged 23.1 points, 9.1 boards and 3.0 steals per game.

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AJ Dybantsa, Utah Prep, sr., wing

Measurables: 6-9, 210 | College: Uncommitted

He’s the consensus nation’s No. 1 rated prospect with a NIL price tag reportedly as high as $4.5 million for a reason. Dybantsa averaged 21.2 points, 9.4 boards and 3.5 assists for nationally ranked Prolific Prep last season. The dynamic forward recovers a remarkable amount of ground defensively and can seemingly create and hit any shot he wants at the high school level, is projected top NBA Draft prospect who is fielding interest from BYU, Alabama, UNC and Kansas, among others. He helms the nation’s No. 6 ranked team in the preseason.

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Tyran Stokes, Notre Dame, jr. forward

Measurables: 6-7, 245 | College: Uncommitted

Not only does Stokes, one of the nation’s top rated juniors, bring back one of the nation’s most devastating frames and skill-sets at the high school level, but he also steps into a program — Sherman Oaks Notre Dame — that lost a considerable amount of talent to graduation

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Cameron Boozer, Columbus, sr., forward