For those who think Julius "Dr. J" Erving is all that, keep in mind that Erving never won an NBA title until the 1982-83 Philadelphia 76ers acquired the late great Moses Malone to replace the lesser great but also late Darryl "Chocolate Thunder" Dawkins at center. Pretty sure I gave him the same look. Welcome to The Whistler News, your go-to source for the latest news and trends across a wide range of categories, including Application, Business, Celebrity, Dating, Entertainment, Event, Food, How To, News, Questions, Streaming, Technology, Trending, and Uncategorized. 1 player in the nation according to Rivals for the Class of 2010. He played for eight different teams and was traded six different times including in the deal that sent Kevin Garnett to Boston. She was an incredible shooter and I had NEVER seen handles like that, ever." Williams wound up being a "Summer League" player, when real ballers want to hoop in the winter and spring. You cant find her Wikipedia article on the internet. When you're known by just two letters--as in "KG"--you have to be something special. Jerry West is one of the most accomplished players in NBA history. I had no motivation to attend beyond my simple desire to verify the internet sensation with my own eyes. Moses Malone, Petersburg (Va.), 1974 The first high school player to go directly to the professional ranks, Malone was a two-time Parade and Scholastic Coach All-American while leading Petersburg to a pair of Virginia state championships. 1 prospect, was outplayed by an unknown player named LeBron James who would then supplant Cooke as the top player in the country. Two significant NCAA Division I freshman of the year honours, the USBWA Tamika Catchings Award and the WBCA Freshman of the Year award, were shared by her and UConns Paige Bueckers. Ward didnt even become a starter until his senior season and by then the luster off his Naismith award had worn away. How Tall Is Grizzlies Star Player Desmond Bane? That's where I saw him, Wearing straight-back cornrows, he was laced in a Tracy McGrady Nike Swingman jersey with a oversized grey tee beneath it, a gleamy gold chain with a matching medallion, shin-length jean shorts (Hey, that was the wave back then), and a pearly white pair of mid-top Air Force 1s. He was named NBA Rookie of the Year and went on to be named an All-Star six times, earning $161 million over a 14-year career. It's still debatable. It certainly seemed at the time as if only Jordan himself could even have matched that any time in our lifetimes. Yet, for all the incredible individuals who left their mark on the NBA, there are those who, while talented enough to play in the league, never got the chance. best high school basketball player that never made it. But then Jackie decided he was too good to go to the University of Tennessee and declared for the NBA Draft. Right after his junior prom, Tyler announced he was dropping out of school and heading overseas to start his pro basketball career. So I've seen nearly every great basketball talent as a high schooler for the past four decades: Ewing, Mourning, Garnett, Davis. How Tall is Popular Singer and Star Actor Nick Lachey? Well never know. woman jumps off carquinez bridge 2021 best high school basketball player that never made it. With that in mind, heres a look at the nine best players who fit this description. As it stands, Selby has played 38 games in the NBA and 31 games in the D-League although he has found some success overseas. When Roselle Catholic boys basketball coach Dave Boff originally envisioned his team for the 2021-22 season, he thought he would have at least two of the top players in the state -- if not the nation. 1 player in the nation and skipped college altogether, going No. There's been an ongoing debate for years, even decades, on whether the "one and done" rule in the NBA should be liftedor if in fact, basketball players should spend even more time in college. The closest he would get to the NBA would be an invitation to the Raptors training camp in 2002 and Ward would play everywhere from the Philippines to Japan to Lebanon during his 13-year pro career. The 'Punks'section of Slam Magazine and maybe ESPN's 'SSA'were the primary ways we caught wind of big-time hoopers elsewhere. Dakota Candler, South Knox: The 6-5 senior made the game-winning three-point play in the final seconds as South Knox defeated Pike Central 60-58. Instead he went to the NBA, where he was a memberof the final iteration of the Seattle SuperSonics (2007-08) before they became the OKC Thunder. Dwight Howard's decision to forego college was influenced by KG, who went from high school stardom in Chicago at Farragut Career Academy directly to stardom in the pros. They arent All-Star caliber players but they still made tens of millions of dollars and proved right in their decisions to skip college. Maggette was smooth and fun to watch doing everything on the floor." She was the most sought-after student at her high school and rose to fame as a result of her performances in high school athletics. Her zodiac sign is Aquarius, based on the day of her birth. During his four seasons at Maryland, Len Bias averaged 16.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, was a two-time ACC Player of the Year, and earned All-American honors in 198485 and 198586. Oh, heck no. Top Basketball States. I mashed up some of what I captured for an Instagram video. On November 25, 2020, she made her collegiate debut for Iowa, scoring 27 points in a 96-81 victory over Northern Iowa. It could be Williams' lack of desire or competitive fire, or maybe he didn't get a chance, sometimes it's as simple as that. To make matters worse, as a Duke fan, I was excited that the McDonald's All-American had already committed to the hated Tar Heels. Telfair was arguably the most famous basketball player in the New York City area in the early 2000s. Bryant, the son of former NBA player Joe Bryant, was regarded as the top high school player in the entire nation in 1996 when coming out of Lower Merion High School in the Philadelphia suburb of Ardmore. Our editorial content is not influenced by any commissions we receive. But Telfair wouldnt prove to be the Blazers point guard of the future and was nothing more than a journeyman backup during his 10 NBA seasons. Despite never playing high school or college ball, Joe The Destroyer Hammond was perhaps the greatest basketball player to ever come out of Harlem. Jerod Ward was supposed to be the centerpiece of this second wave of Michigan freshmen after winning the Naismith Prep Player of the Year award in Mississippi in 1994. In fact, Oden was ranked as USA Today's top high school player since the 1982-83 season, which means he was ranked higher than the likes of Kevin Garnett and LeBron James. Other stories are more positive; some international players elected to ball out and stack paper in their home country instead of making the leap to the States. I beat my defender baseline and went up for a layup, but turned my back to him to avoid the contact before flipping the ball over my shoulder. On the day before his senior year at Simeon High School, Wilson was shot and killed, sending shockwaves through the city of Chicago and the rest of the country. But in the final seconds, with his U.S. team's win in hand, Washburn got the ball in the open court, on the same side of the floor as Jordan had. Young is another entry on this list who was so good he starred at two high schools--and he did it in two different states; both Wichita East High School (a coed public school in Kansas) and Hargrave Military Academy (a private, all-male boarding school in Virginia). But at that peak, he was years before his time. By the time Weaver reached high school, you couldn't get a seat at the gym. Kevin Love 6. Meanwhile, we all know how Kevin Durant fared. Ebi was well regarded after leading Westbury Christian Academy to three Texas state titles, but then the forward made the crucial mistake of thinking he was better than he actually was, and skipped college. 9. 'Whatever seed we are, we're ready': Is there room for Cleveland among the East elite? SHARE High school boys basketball: Orem continues unlikely 5A tourney run, bounces Lehi to advance to semifinals. The center/power forward's other "claim to fame" is being the first player to ever skip college basketball and go directly to the minors, the NBA's Tulsa 66ers, a franchise in the former "NBA D League", now called the NBA G League. His problems off the court were worse than his problems on it as in 2014 he pleaded guilty to battery for punching his ex-girlfriend. IHSAA boys hoops: Avon defeats Danville 61-49. I already knew I wanted to be a sportswriter; seeing all those great players on one night made me realize I wanted to write about basketball more than any other sport. Caitlin began playing basketball when she was a freshman in high school and quickly established herself as one of the top players at her school. Those Spurs went on to win the 2007 NBA title, defeating LeBron in his first Finals appearance. He was then traded to the Mavs but never played a game due to more psychological issues. And it's really not close. With the playoffs underway, it's time to see who stands out as the best of the best so far. Lopez stayed local with his college choice at went to St. Johns where he was solid but unspectacular. He was later recruited by Chicago's DePaul University, but was ruled academically ineligible. The WCAC was the best high school league in the country, as at least 3 teams were nationally ranked. Philadelphia's other former top picks who have had to sit out their first yearNerlens Noel, Ben Simmons, and Joel Embiidhave recovered and blossomed into fine young NBA players, and odds are that Fultz will do the same. Telfair is 32 years old and last played in the NBA in 2014; however, his 40-year-old cousin, Stephon Marbury, has a better shot at rejoining the NBA than Bassy does. Let there be no doubt; LeBron James is the greatest player to transition from high school (the coed St. Vincent-St. Mary in Akron, Ohio) directly to the NBA. Throughout the regular season, many Oklahoma high school girls basketball stars made their cases for consideration of The Oklahoman's Super 5 Player of the Year. Thus he didnt enroll until December 2013 but was then suspended 12 more games after it was revealed that he received improper benefits while in high school. These are players we continue to talk about; continue to use as a measuring stick for any and all players who take the hardwood at the games highest level. I don't mean potentially better, I mean better today. Bailey was LeBron before LeBron and had over 40,000 people coming to watch his high school games which remains an all-time attendance record. Those players were: 1. But even though he was talented, Smith had psychological issues before even joining the NBA as he suffered from neglect as a child and was moved to an Illinois foster home. And in the early 1990s, I began to cover recruiting camps like the ABCD and then the elite tournaments like the Big Time and Peach Jam. Nonetheless, she has a chance to be selected by a WNBA team in the upcoming days, and if that occurs, she will make almost as much as the stated sums. Mike DeCourcy. Caitlin was born on January 22, 2002, in Des Moines, Iowa, and is currently 19 years old. Swift was going to hoop for USC, which probably would have been been the smarter decision. Demetrius Hook Mitchell may have only been 5-foot-9, but the man who could jump over a Volkswagen was a legend on the playgrounds of Oakland. Back in the late '90s and early 2000s, there were far fewer, readily accessible media outlets that covered prep sports beyond a local level. He ran the floor like a defensive back doing the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. Led the Tigers to a 28-5 record heading into the Class 4A sectional final. He went for 24 points, six rebounds and three steals in a 69-39 win over Wood Memorial. 7. Type above and press Enter to search. Offensively, there is nobody like him.. However, since breaking Duke's all-time scoring. Graham made a spot start for the Spurs on Thursday, finishing with 18 points on 5 of 10 shooting. Born in the Dominican Republic, Lopezs family moved to New York when he was 14 and he enrolled at Rice High School in Manhattan. There are some basketball high school phenoms that simply never take that next step at the pro level, whereas others are even better as pros. Perhaps the singular flaw on KG's resume is the fact he "only" won one title; but still, KG is an all-time great. That was near the end of the regular season in 1990. Behind Bates, Ypsi Prep Academy begins the season ranked No. 4. That's how real it was." Clark started playing basketball at age five. Alston. Sometimes, it's a maturity issue, other times, players' skills are simply too raw and it's clear they could have used some more time in college or in a developmental league rounding out their game. Others achieve college stardom. J.J. Redick was one of the best players in Duke basketball history, and he was one of the kings of the college basketball world at the time. They will all be in the Hall of Fame one day and are considered some of the greatest players in NBA history. (July 2022 update: Since the publication of this list in July 2020, 13 of the players on the list have been selected in the NBA Draft, including a No. "The common pushback against the absurdity that is a Zion Williamson high school highlight video is the level of competition facing Spartanburg Day School. Fans would always wonder, what if? When it came to dribbling the basketball, Haynes was a revolutionary; considered by many to be the greatest dribbler in the history of the game. In 2014 he grew tired of the NBAs minor league system and headed back overseas. He was drafted in the second round of the 1994 NBA Draft by his hometown Pacers but it became evident that Bailey had peaked in high school as he would never see the court in the NBA. Averaged 19.4 points, 5 . On the other hand, she can currently make a respectable living as a college player. Thornton, which played in the second game against King, had its team loaded with athletes that year, featuring future college stars Melvin Ely (Fresno State power forward), Antwaan Randle El (Indiana quarterback) and Napoleon Harris (Northwestern linebacker). Unfortunately, while Los Angeles offered Hammond $50,000 to sign as a rookie, there was just one problem: Hammond was making more money than that on the street, dealing drugs and shooting dice. Jalen was good, but it was not quite as good as his dad playing with a bum wrist against Feehan, and posting 42 points." Almost literally, because he resembled no player more than he did Shaquille O'Neal. "He was a star guard for Salem High, someone we all saw regularly at the Salem YMCA. The Mavs were probably a bad fit for Smith, as they were coached by Don Nelson, an old-school type who was particularly hard on rookies. He decided to stay local and went to UNLV where he was good but played against inferior competition in the Mountain West Conference. As a sophomore in 201718, Caitlin averaged 27.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.3 steals, leading her squad to a 204 record and the state quarterfinals. Fast forward to the Capital Center in Landover, Md., in late March, at the Capital Classic. That means getting to see them play in high school. How good could Wilson have been? We wound up matching up against his team late in the tournament. Last week, we unveiled our top high school basketball team in each state and today we are digging . Weve watched our fair share of ESPNs 30 for 30 documentaries, yet few affect us as much as, BENJI, the story of Ben Wilson, Chicagos pride and joy and the best high school basketball player in the country. Seconds after throwing down a vicious alley-oop during the 1990West Coast Conference tournament championship game, Gathers unexpectedlycollapsed. Caitlin Clark is an accomplished basketball player born and raised in Iowa, USA. Between 1995 and 2005, these nine future NBA All-Stars (including two future Hall of Famers) decided to skip college and head directly to the league. The only thing I could think was, There can't be eight players better than him. Of the 44 players who have been drafted straight out of high school, Robert Swift remains the only white player to go from prep-to-pro. He died of natural causes back in 2015 at the age of 89. You were drawn to Estaban. He was a two-time All-Star in the Israeli League and at the age of 26 he could still get one more opportunity in the NBA. In the history of the NBA draft, 45 players have been taken directly out of high school. 30. As the top-ranked recruit in his class, Ward was expected to be the next Chris Webber but he wasnt even the next Juwan Howard or Jalen Rose. "You know every move each other is going to make . Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. It's unfortunate Ebi didn't make it in the NBA. Unfortunately, like many of the other NYC playground talents, Manigaults life was destroyed by drugs. Caitlin Clark Early Life. Best High School Boys Basketball Player in Every State 2022: West By Tony Adame on October 24, 2022 Twitter Stadium Talk's annual preseason list of the best high school boys basketball player in all 50 states is upon us, and we're trying something new and exciting this year by dividing the stories up into regions. After being named Mr. USA Basketball in 1990, Knight recruited Bailey to play for Indiana. Iowa Womens Basketball Point Guard Caitlin is confirmed to be 19 years of age. He was a good four-year starter in college, but hardly lived up to the hype he built in high school. Shooting guard Fields became the first sophomore high schooler to play in the "Best of the Best" all-star game with the likes of Garnett and future NBA superstar Allen Iverson, and he justified the selection by becoming the number three all-time leading scorer in Chicago public league history. Trey Buchanan, Westfield: The junior guard had a career-high 32 points on 10-for-15 shooting from the 3-point line in a 59-32 win over Frankfort. But the team played with just five eligible varsity players after a fight during a game last . Tadd Haislop. In fact, in a summer league game, Lewis dropped 52 points against a bunch of Los Angeles Lakers he was still in high school at the time. The nights watching tournament games at the State Fairgrounds in Columbus affectionately known as the 'The Barn' were the best. "Growing up in Charlotte in the mid-90s, it was impossible to ignore the hype surrounding a local basketball star named Antawn Jamison. Buta lack of inner motivation proved to be a distraction, and the closest Ryan ever came to the NBA was a tryout he had with the then-New Jersey Nets in 1990. He would spend the next three years shuffling between the NBA and the G-League and played a total of 80 NBA games. After bouncing around myriad high schools in two states, he enrolled at a private school in Orlando for his senior season. Yeah, right. Either way, they never really "made it" as a pro. Perhaps, but Earl's "Goat" handle may have several other origins, including his surname ending with "-gault". News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. The most vivid thing I remember was how fast Jamison would get his shot off after catching a pass. I had the unfortunate pleasure of guarding her while I played for Dorman High School. He attacked the rim like it had stole something from him. Lopez left school ranking sixth all-time in Big East history in points but when you are on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a teenager, more was expected of him. Washburn showed glimpses of his dominance at both ends, the way it tends to happen in all-star games that loaded with talent trying to show off. I'd never seen such a blend of speed, power and ferocity on the court. Bill Bender. Initially, he committed to Louisville after a stellar run at Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, but extenuating circumstances prompted him to change his mind and declare for the 2004 draft. His unstoppable offensive drives, clutch defense, dominating physicality and sheer will to win are an almost incomparable combination; and only playing some great Spurs and Warriors teams in the NBA Finals over the years has prevented "The King" from owning more than three crowns at this point in his career. Favorite . O.J. (Michael A. Schwarz-USA TODAY Sports) Dwight Howard created a legendary resume in high school, especially his senior year in 2004. These individuals have broken records, displayed otherworldly talent, and taken the game itself to new heights. Wagners hype reached epic proportions when he was billed as a bigger, stronger Allen Iverson right after the former Sixer won the 2001 MVP award. In alphabetical order, here are 10 Super 5 candidates to watch. A Lamborghini is a Lamborghini, and Williamson is a Murcilago with a 6.2 L V12 engine. The rest is a cautionary tale seen here in this Homage documentary , but for the sake of a modern comparison it felt like watching Derrick Rose and Vince Carter at the same time. No descriptions of Caitlins future boyfriend have emerged on the internet. Oftentimes, you'd go into an AAU game, having never laid eyes on your opponent before opening tipoff. The ironically nicknamed "Black Jack" Ryan represents the only "great white hope" of this list. When you've put on the "classic" uniform of basketball franchises like Lokomotiv Mineralnye Vody and Bnai HaSharon, who needs the Celtics or the Lakers? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. It turned out Oden was the one whose body couldn't handle the NBA, as he was seemingly hurt year after year. Nothing made me feel older than to watch his son, Jalen, playing in the Sweet 16 and Elite Eightfor Villanova at the Garden (different building, of course) this past year. Oden was already being called the next Patrick Ewing or the next Tim Duncan when he was just 16 years old. Unless youre a diehard basketball fan, you probably dont know about the majority of these players. Here's a Butler that no NBA team wanted serving them. LennyCooke was once considered a bigger high school star than our no. Those in the Columbus area who remember watching Weaver play in the '90s will tell you 100 variations of thissame legend. But Bryant's still not good enough to top this list. 1 overall pick and an NBA champion) COMPLEX participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means COMPLEX gets paid commissions on purchases made through our links to retailer sites. They either flamed out in college or flamed out in the pros which means the highpoint of their basketball careers came as teenagers. She is getting popular day by day. He was on top of every national all-America team and recruiting ranking, along with Manning and John Williams (later known, after a blown-out knee and massive weight gain, as Hot Plate). Young's ego couldn't abide going to college, and while he did get selected by the Detroit Pistons with the 40th overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft, his injury prone and bench-riding career soon went nowhere.