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Jason Crowe Jr. is capping off a legendary four-year high school career at Inglewood High School (Calif.) by scoring at a torrid pace. He’s currently averaging 42.9 ppg through seven games for the 6-1 Sentinels.
Set to break Tounde Yessoufou‘s California scoring record that seemed out of reach when Crowe entered high school one year after his former travel ball running mate now at Baylor, the 17-year old wants to make sure that everyone knows he’s not just a scorer. He wants to show the country he’s the best point guard in the nation.
“I feel like I’m the best point guard [in the class of 2026] because I can do it all,” Crowe Jr. confidently told Ballislife after the HS Fall Invite. “I feel like I am the best because I can do whatever my coach needs me to do. I can score, I can facilitate an offense, I can play defense. I can do everything at a high level.”
FINAL: #FAB50 No 48 Principia (MO) 85, @CalHiSportsNo 18 Inglewood 69
Missouri-bound Jason Crowe Jr. with 4⃣1⃣ pts, as Sentinels drop 1st game (#NormStewartClassic)
Now 2⃣9⃣ pts from becoming CA’s all-time scoring king; Next game (J2’s 100th) Tuesday; Wood hosts Beverly Hills pic.twitter.com/Klm5Ec8JaO
— Ronnie Flores (@RonMFlores) December 7, 2025
Former Duke and Golden State Warriors guard DeMarcus Nelson (3,462 points) held the state scoring record for 20 years before Yessoufou surpassed his mark this past February in a memorable home game that featured an impromptu ceremony. The Baylor freshman, who seemingly is on his way to the NBA, upped the mark to 3,659, but Crowe could shatter that number at his current pace. “J2” is now 29 points from the mark and is set the surpass Yessoufou this Tuesday in a home game for the 6-1 Sentinels vs. Beverly Hills (Calif.).
The combination of size and skill set the Inglewood High School star brings to the table are unique. Approaching 6-foot-4 in shoes, he already has prototypical size for a lead guard and the ability to create massive amounts of separation off of the bounce. He is a considerable threat from the 3-point line and a deceptively creative finisher high at the rim that allows his to get to the foul line more often than any guard in California history. His best attribute, however, might he his incredible stamina. He keeps attacking while the opposition is tiring.
National scouts appreciate his game, too. He came in No. 3 in the preseason Mr. Basketball USA Tracker, a blind voting process to determine high school basketball’s national player of the year, behind Jordan Smith Jr. of Paul VI of Virginia and Tyran Stokes of Rainier Beach of Washington. If he keeps up the pace and the Sentinels keep winning, he might move up the charts on that list, too.
There is one aspect that the future McDonald’s All American feels like the majority of people are forgetting about with his game, though.
“For sure my defense,” he responded in regards to what the most underrated aspect of his game is. “Everybody knows me as a scorer. When you look me up, everyone says ‘Scorer this, scorer that’. They forget about the rest of my game.”
We agree.
Two things that the lefty does at the highest level are finish at the rim with both hands with creativity and push the ball up the floor in a hurry. That’s where the stamina comes in. The son of Inglewood head coach and former overseas pro Jason Crowe Sr. has an understanding of the game that is at another level. As far as tempo is concerned, there aren’t many catalysts in the nation who push the pill up the floor faster with limited dribbles and the ability to keep the defender off balanced just enough to each side of his attack lane. Both of these traits were earned, not given.
“I really worked on it since I was younger. When I came up to the older level, it came naturally against bigger guys. I actually feel like I can finish better at the right hand,” Crowe Jr. explained to Ballislife about the way that he can make you forget what his natural hand is when he gets into the three second area.
He added “As you see, we have a very small team, so we have to play at a fast pace. We have to get an edge somewhere and playing at a fast pace really helps us.”
It has helped Crowe Jr., too. That system has allowed him to flourish on the court and has given him plenty of opportunities off the court as well. Having already signed with Excel Sports for NIL representation, he has inked a trading card deal with Panini and is Missouri’s highest ranked recruit since 2017 Mr. Basketball USA Michael Porter Jr. He spearheads a Tigers recruiting class with 6-foot-10 fellow five star Toni Bryant and 6-foot-7 sharpshooter Aidan Chronister that is considered by some to be the best in the nation. His time in Columbia is already goal driven and will likely not even last a full calendar year, if things go as planned.
#Mizzou‘s highest-rated recruit since Michael Porter Jr. made his CoMo debut, tonight ⬇️
Five-star Jason Crowe Jr. accounted for more than 60 PERCENT of his team’s points, as drops 41 in the Norm Stewart Classic. pic.twitter.com/LWcgwZl6wl
— Nathalie Jones (@NathalieABC17) December 7, 2025
“I just want to prove that I’m the top player in the draft,” Jason confidently said of his individual goals at Missouri. “I am trying to be there one year and I’m not trying to be there longer than that. When I’m there, it’s strictly business.”
First thing’s first for both Jason Crowe Jr. and 6-1 Inglewood High, both personally and as a team. The team’s only loss occurred on Saturday to FAB 50 No. 48 Principia (St. Louis, Mo.) at the Norm Stewart Classic in front of many of his future fans at Mizzou in a contest in which he dropped 41 points. Tuesday will likely be a memorable for his family and friends, as well as a historic evening in the annals of California hoops, but Jason is quick to remind Ballislife that as long as he handles his end everyone is going to eat.
“Breaking the California’s scoring record and hitting 4,000 points would be amazing. We’ve got some guys who people really don’t know, but if i do my job, I feel like you’ll know most of them by the end of the year.”
