PLEASANT GROVE, Utah – If the 5 For The Fight National Hoopfest high school kickoff event was an indicator of what we’re in store for this high school season then two things are abundantly clear: underrated prospects are relentlessly coming for higher spots and stars are having no parts of it.
Three days of elite basketball is in the books and now we hand out the hardware.
From flawless floor generals to all-everything all the time wings, elite prospects backed up their status all week in Utah, making the process of handing out awards arduous to say the least.
Still, here are the players who come away with the trophies.
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MORE FROM 5 FOR THE FLIGHT: Standouts from Day 2 | Takeaways from Day 1 | Luke Bamgboye's game is taking flight | Four prospects whose stock could rise at 5 For The Fight
2024 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2025 Rankings: Top 130
2026 Rankings: Top 65
Transfer Portal: Latest news | Portal player ranking/transfer tracker (hoops) | Portal player ranking/transfer tracker (football)
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MVP: Cooper Flagg
The reason Flagg is virtually unstoppable is as simple as it is complex: He doesn’t stop coming. If you take away his drive, he’s moving without the ball and getting into position for a put-back slam, if you sag back, he’ll beat you from the perimeter, if his shots aren’t falling he’s going to outwork you and be the top rebounder or dish out the most assists. Flagg was Flagg. He got “No. 1 prospect” attention from both teams he faced and the local fans, but the trash talk only fueled more of an energy burst, which was already in abundance.
Flagg’s feel as a playmaker only seems to be getting better and his blue-collar approach will make it hard to dethrone him at the top. The attention he commands from merely being on the court opens up the offense even more for a team that realistically may not lose a game all season.
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TOP PLAYMAKER: Labaron Philon
Good luck stopping a 6-foot-3, slippery point guard with brute strength and relentless energy. No defender at the 5 For The Fight figured out how to slow the Kansas signee down, leading Link Academy to two wins while pumping in 16 points and seven assists a game.
Philon is the type of guard who can save you late in the shot clock with his ability to break down his defender and split the defense to find open shooters or bigs.
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TOP FLOOR GENERAL: Robert Wright
Montverde is at its best when Wright is at the controls. His feel and pace are impeccable and his ability to get into the lane opens up all of the driving lanes for his five-star teammates to make plays.
In two games, Wright logged 44 minutes and dished out 14 assists with just two turnovers. Wright should step in immediately at Baylor and run the show.
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TOP SCORER: Liam McNeeley
McNeeley is such a fluent scorer he could’ve dropped 30 points with his eyes closed. Of course, he plays on the traveling all-star team that is Montverde Academy, but McNeeley’s been lethal from all over the floor for years.
His ability to slither into the lane and finish through contact has improved as has his efficiency from the perimeter. Indiana fans would, no doubt, welcome McNeeley today in Bloomington with the Hoosiers' horrific 3-point shooting (27.3 percent) this season.
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STOP SLEEPING: Jaxon Johnson
I’ve been saying this for the better part of this year, but Johnson is easily one of the most underrated prospects in the country. The 6-foot-8 stretch four opened the 5 For The Fight with 28 points on 10 of 14 from the field and 6 of 8 from the 3-point line to lead Alta past No. 10 Sunrise Christian 75-56.
Johnson’s ability to stretch the defense and score on the interior gives him the type of versatility that Craig Smith will be able to utilize early at Utah. Johnson made his first appearance in the Rivals150 this week at No. 73, but he’s put the country on notice that he’s gunning for more.
