Words. Austin Burton
All over the country, high school basketball players are headed back to the classroom (or will be soon) following another summer of AAU tournaments, elite skills camps, and national showcase games. The crew at YAY AREA’S FINEST put together a comprehensive highlight of this year’s best rising seniors and the work they put in on the summer circuit.
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Words. Austin Burton
Chicago will always hold a special place in basketball lore. Playground legends from Billy “The Kid” Harris to Will “The Thrill” Bynum, local heroes from Ben Wilson to Kevin Garnett, homegrown pros from Isiah Thomas to Derrick Rose, and adopted sons from Michael Jordan to Scottie Pippen have all played a role in making the Windy City one of the world’s basketball hotbeds and a place where legacies are made.
Next spring, the city will host a new crop of rising stars, as the McDonald’s High School All-American Game returns to Chicago for the first time since 1982. MORE >
Words. Austin Burton
I’m not quite sure why the producer of this clip chose the music they did, but I’m not one to complain about Louis Armstrong. Back in 2002, Amar’e Stoudemire was a project of a high school kid whose pro future was far from a sure thing. Now in 2010, he’s rocking a $100 million contract as the face of the New York Knicks and is one of the best players in the League. Here’s where the foundation was set:
Words. Austin Burton
In their storied history, Syracuse basketball hasn’t exactly been known for elite big men. That could change in the next few years.
With 2010 All-American center Fab Melo currently preparing for his freshman season at Syracuse, the Orange just landed a commitment from Class of 2011 star center Rakeem Christmas, considered one of the best big man in the country.
“I had a lot of great options, but I fell in love with Syracuse,” Christmas told Fox Sports. “I know a lot of the guys on the team and that made a difference in my decision. I also felt that I could fit in well with their system.” MORE >
Words. Austin Burton
Will Barton, arguably the best high school two-guard in the Class of 2010, may not be able to play his freshman season at the University of Memphis.
On his Twitter page yesterday, Barton wrote, “It dont get no worse than this. The hardest thing I ever had 2 face is here. Need vision cuz everything blurry now. Where do I go from here?”
Hours later, the Memphis Commercial Appeal reported that Barton had been ruled academically ineligible. If he can’t play at Memphis, Barton may go overseas or play in the NBA’s D-League for a year. He can then enter the 2011 NBA Draft. MORE >
Words. Austin Burton
In a press conference held Friday at Jefferson H.S. (Portland, Ore.), All-American guard/forward Terrence Jones and fellow senior wing Terrence Ross both committed to Washington.
Only it wasn’t that simple. While Ross, decked out in a UW sweatshirt and hat, signed his letter of intent right at the table, Jones only verbally committed, and later appeared unsure about his decision following a phone call from Kentucky coach John Calipari. Jones was deciding between UW, Kentucky, Kansas, Oregon and UCLA. This is from Seattle Times UW reporter Percy Allen’s blog: MORE >
