CHICAGO (March 20, 2026) — In its 41st year celebrating the nation’s best high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Alex Egbuonu of Lawrence Academy is the 2025-26 Gatorade Massachusetts Boys Basketball Player of the Year.
Gatorade Player of the Year is the top honor in high school sports, celebrating the nation’s best high school athletes for their excellence in sport, academics and community. The award recognizes Egbuonu as Massachusetts’ best high school
boys basketball player, and he joins an elite legacy that spans professional athletes and coaches to CEOs, such as Jayson Tatum (2015-16, Chaminade College Preparatory School, MO), Cooper Flagg (2023-24, Montverde Academy, FL) and
Cameron Boozer (2022-23 & 2024-25, Christopher Columbus High School, FL).
The 6-foot-6, 220-pound senior forward led the Spartans to a 22-8 record and a berth in the NEPSAC Class AA quarterfinals this past season. Egbuonu averaged 25.1 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.8 steals while shooting 49.9 percent from the field, 36.2 percent from beyond the arc and 75.1 percent from the line. The MVP of the 2025 Zero Gravity Prep Classic, Egbuonu was named All-NEPSAC Class AA and a finalist for the Independent School League’s Defensive Player of the Year award. He’s ranked as the nation’s No. 71 prospect in the Class of 2026 by ESPN.
Egbuonu has volunteered locally with Miracle League of Massachusetts and Nashoba Unlimited Basketball, both of which provide children with disabilities an opportunity to participate in sports. He has also volunteered with a local turkey drive
through his AAU program, BABC, distributing meals to families facing food insecurity during the holidays. “Beyond being one of the best shooters in the country, Alex brings toughness, basketball IQ, and a willingness and ability to fill any
frontcourt positional need his team requires to create an advantage,” said Matt McKay, CEO and founder of Pro Insight.
Egbuonu has maintained an A average in the classroom. He has signed a written letter of athletic aid to play basketball at Marquette University this fall.
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one state winner from each of the 50 states and Washington D.C., in 12 different sports: football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, baseball,
softball, boys and girls soccer, and boys and girls track & field. In total, 610 high school athletes are honored each year.
From the pool of state winners, one national winner is selected in each of the 12 sports. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts,
media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the winners in each sport.
media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the winners in each sport.
As part of Gatorade’s commitment to breaking down barriers in sport, every Player of the Year also receives a grant to donate to a social impact partner. To date, the Gatorade Player of the Year program has provided more than $6.4 million in
grants to winners across more than 2,200 organizations.
To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com or follow us on social media on Instagram at instagram.com/Gatorade, Facebook at
facebook.com/GatoradePOY and X(Twitter) at x.com/Gatorade.
