RSSDuke earned their first signing for the class of 2010, when shooting guard Andre Dawkins committed to play for the Blue Devils after his official visit. The 6-4 190 pound guard, who attends Atlantic Shores Christian School in Virginia averaged just over 24 points per contest last season and plays his AAU ball with Virginia based power house Boo Wiliams. Click here to read the story.
Cezar Guerrero is a 5-11 point guard at St. John Bosco (CA). Guerrero possesses a Yo-Yo handle and drops dimes like a co-defendant on the witness stand. The scary thing is he still has three years of high school left.
(Photo: Al-Farouq Aminu)
Thursday’s NBA draft is expected to be littered with underclassmen, especially one-and-done players like Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley and OJ Mayo. We decided to look at players from the high school class of 2008, and pick out a few players we feel have a chance to turn pro after a year of college and have their names called early in the 2009 NBA Draft. Read the rest of this entry »
(Photo: Demar DeRozan)
It’s kind of difficult to rank a class that hasn’t reached their full potential (Class of 2008) against a class that has (Class of 1998). For arguments sake we pose the question, counting just high school accomplishments and talent level at the high school stages of their career, which class was better? Read the rest of this entry »
How old is too young to accept a scholarship to play ball in college? The re-occurring trend in college basketball recruiting is to have a kid commit to a play at a college before they even choose a high school. If Minnesota Head Coach and National Association of Basketball Coaches President Tubby Smith has his way, things are about to change. Click here for full story over at SI.com.
Very few places are producing high school players at the rate that Maryland and D.C. is right now. In the past few years they can claim prep legends Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant and Michael Beasley. Pennsylvania is also a hot bed for high school talent. The city of brotherly love is known for their gritty, tough guards. This year they have another one in Maalik Wayns. Wayns is a rising senior at Philadelphia’s Roman Catholic high school and has already committed to play for Jay Wright at Villanova. If the two states went head-to-head with today’s talent, who would come out on top? Read the rest of this entry »
Brandon Jennings (photo. McDonald’s All-American)
He was the most exciting player in the nation last year, torching opposing defenses for 35.5 points per game - a preposterous total of 1,312 on the season en route to a closet full of awards, including the coveted Parade Player of the Year and EA Sports Player of the Year honors. But Brandon Jennings could suffer an embarrassment that would outweigh those accomplishments. He’s failed the standardized tests needed to get into college, and could be declared ineligible before setting foot in Arizona’s McKay Stadium.
That leaves Jennings with few options. Should he opt for a JUCO and get minimal exposure? Surely someone would put at least one of his games on TV. Should he Should he go “pro” and play in the D-League for a season? Or, should he head overseas and play in Europe against the best possible competition? Read the rest of this entry »
(Photo: Lance Stephenson)
Lance Stephenson aka Sir Lance aka Born Ready is in the news again. The top player in the state of New York recently announced in an interview that local school St. John’s is seriously being considered. That’s sweet music to Redmen supporters, as major college basketball has been dormant in the NYC area in recent memory. Click here for the interview
We can’t say the ‘Most Dominant High School Player Ever’ because that honor cannot be disputed - it’s Kareem’s title. He led Power Memorial (New York) on a 71-game winning streak at one point, to a 96-6 mark over his career, in which he tallied three state championships.
But Monta Ellis might have had the greatest high school career in the last twenty years. Listen to some of these numbers: 129-16 record during his four years, 4,167 total points, and a 38.4 point-per-game average during his senior year. And it wasn’t like he was just rolling through meager competition. He hung 42 points on Josh Smith’s Oak Hill Academy team, and gave Louis Williams 42 when Lanier faced South Gwinnett.
Need more proof? This 72-point explosion against Greenwood is unbelievable, especially given that he scored 65 points the first time the two teams met.
Yesterday the High School Hoop crew took the two hour drive down the turnpike to check out opening night at The Chosen League, in Philadelphia. The league which is played at Cherashore Playground located on 10th and Olney is considered the best league in Philadelphia right now, surpassing the Sonny Hill league which had been top dog in the area for years.
The league was founded by New York native, but adopted Philly king, Rahim Thompson and has been up and running since the summer of 2002. The Chosen League is considered a rite of passage for Philly ballers. Regardless of your reputation, if you half-step the crowd will not hesitate to let you know how they feel. There is only a high school division and every high school ball player from Kyle Lowry of the Memphis Grizzlies, to top 25 senior-to-be Maalik Wayns has graced the concrete at Cherashore. Read the rest of this entry »
