High School’s Top Two-Man Tandems
Words. HShoop
Abdul Gaddy (Photo. Kelly Kline)
Jordan had Pippen, Carmelo had Gerry McNamara, and Ronnie Fields had Kevin Garnett (not the other way around). On every level of ball, legit two-man tandems have done work and brought home championships, more so than any single superstar trying to carry the load himself (i.e. LeBron).
This upcoming season there will be some big-time duos in the high school ranks. Perhaps the most notable right now is in Tacoma, Wash., where 2009 point guard Abdul Gaddy and two-guard Avery Bradley — coming off a co-MVP showing at last weekend’s Nike Global Challenge — play together in the same backcourt at Bellarmine Prep. Rumor has it the two are looking to play their college ball together.
But down in North Carolina, Word of God Christian could top the Gaddy/Bradley tandem with a recent transfer of their own, arguably the top player in the 2011 class, who will now be teaming up with arguably the best player in the 2009 class.
So who are the best two-man tandems in the country?
1. Abdul Gaddy (PG, Sr.) and Avery Bradley (SG, Sr.), Bellarmine Prep (Tacoma, Wash.)
* These two are the most fun combo to watch in all of high school basketball. They’ve played together enough on their high school and AAU team (Northwest Panthers) to know each other’s games back and forth, each one knowing what the other will be doing at all times. Gaddy is the playmaker, Bradley is the scorer. We feel bad for coaches in Washington that have to game plan for these two.
2. John Wall (PG, Sr.) and LaQuinton Ross (SF, Soph.), Word of God Christian Academy (Raleigh, N.C.)
* When you’re considered by most to be the best player in your class, naturally other talented players are going to want to share the court with you. And when you’re the best point guard in the game, the same applies — you see how NBA free agents have flocked to Phoenix to play with Steve Nash, and more recently, want to go to New Orleans to eat off of Chris Paul. So will be the case this winter, when highly-touted rising sophomore Ross brings his talents to Word of God Christian.
“He’s a great player for his age. You always like when another great player comes to play with you,” Wall told us at the Global Challenge. “I think he’ll make our team better, a little stronger.”
3. Tommy Mason-Griffin (PG, Sr.) and Keith “Tiny” Gallon (Sr., C), Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.)
* How good is life for Tiny Gallon? Facing the prospect of playing his senior year without Brandon Jennings, he gets blessed with one of the top point guards in this year’s senior class when Mason-Griffin decided to transfer to Oak Hill. TMG is more of a pure PG than Jennings; he won’t be looking to set any single-season scoring records, but more to set up guys like Gallon and Oak Hill skywalker Glenn Bryant.
4. Lakeem Jackson (SF, Sr.) and Mason Plumee (C, Sr.), Christ School (Arden, N.C.)
* Jackson, a South Carolina commit, is a slasher that can get to the rack almost at will, while Duke signee Plumlee is a big man who can play inside-out. Add a capable point guard into the mix and there should be a lot of wins for the Christ School this season.
5. Dexter Strickland (PG, Sr.) and Michael Gilchrist (SF, Soph.), St. Patrick’s (Elizabeth, N.J.)
* St. Pat’s is known for big-time tandems, such as Al Harrington/Jerome “Circus” Holman in the ’90s and Corey Fisher/Jeff Robinson a couple years ago. Now Fisher’s former understudy, UNC-bound Strickland, is forming another formidable duo with sophomore sensation Gilchrist. The 6-7 slasher already has the likes of Memphis, Rutgers and Seton Hall hot on his trail.
HONORABLE MENTION
* Tristan Spurlock (SF, Sr.) and Isaiah Armwood (PF, Sr.), Montrose Christian (Rockville, Md.)
* David Wear (C/PF, Sr.) and Travis Wear (C/PF, Sr.), Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
* Shawn Williams (SF, Sr.) and Roger Franklin (SG, Sr.), Duncanville (Texas)
* Kevin Parrom (SF, Sr.) and Omari Lawrence (SG, Sr.), South Kent Prep (Conn.)
* Dominic Cheek (PG/SG, Sr.) and Asthon Pankey (C, Jr.), St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.)
* Tamir Jackson (PG, Sr.) and Tristan Thompson (SF, Jr.), St. Benedict’s (Newark, N.J.)
When did Parrom and Lawrence leave St. Ray’s? What happened there?
You could’ve done a Big Three and had Spurlock-Armwood-Vinson from Montrose. All three of them nice.
Tiny Gallon needs to drop some weight. He’s gonna be the next Eddy Curry if he don’t stop.
this list is cool but lance and budda ellis or lance and james padgett should have at least made the honorable mention. ny gets no love no more.
and what about davonte grace and keith spelman out at jefferson in brooklyn. dexter strickland would get served up by these boys.
Parrom left bcuz he and the coach had an “altercation.” Lawrence and Parrom are real tight, so I guess he left with his boy. That coach is bringing that program down it looks like. He had a sure chip if he could have kept that team together.
tiny gallon is going to word or god in NC along with wall and ross