This Missouri Tigers basketball pledge is a national player of the year finalist
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- Crowe named one of three finalists for 2026 Gatorade National Boys Basketball POY.
- Averaged 43.3 points per game; set California career scoring record (4,718).
- Selected for 2026 McDonald’s All-American Game; Gatorade winner announced later.
Missouri Tigers men's basketball pledge Jason Crowe Jr. is one of three finalists for the annual Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year award.
The five-star recruit from Inglewood High School in California averaged 43.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.5 steals per game in his senior season. He was also selected as the state's top player by Gatorade; both announcements were made Friday.
Crowe scored 1,387 points over the course of 32 games in 2025-26, setting a new California prep-career scoring record at 4,718 points. He led the Sentinels (28-7) of Inglewood to the Southern Section Division 1A Tournament semifinals.
Alongside Crowe, the other two finalists for the national Gatorade award are: Arkansas signee Jordan Smith Jr. (from Paul VI Catholic in Chantilly, Virginia); and Cameron Williams (from St. Mary's in Phoenix), who is headed to Duke.
The winner of the Gatorade award will be announced later this month. Past honorees include former Missouri Tiger Michael Porter Jr., Jayson Tatum, Cooper Flagg and Cameron Boozer.
Crowe has also been selected to play in the 2026 McDonald's All-American Game, where on March 31 he’ll compete against a team that includes fellow MU commit Toni Bryant. The McDonald’s All-American Game will be played in Glendale, Arizona.
One more note about Crowe: He was also a finalist for the Naismith Award, which Smith won earlier in the week.
Copyright 2026 Columbia Missourian
This story was originally published March 21, 2026 at 10:19 AM with the headline "This Missouri Tigers basketball pledge is a national player of the year finalist."