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. High School Hoop
The most distinct difference in the HSH/2K Sports national Top 50 player ranking and everyone else’s is that we disregard class. To us, a baller is a baller; doesn’t matter how old you are or when you’re slated to graduate.
Our rankings also aren’t based on what type of prospect you’ll be in the future, what college you pick or don’t pick, or what city you’re from. For this updated version of the Top 50 — the first we’ve done since the Class of 2010 seniors graduated — all that matters is what you did on this summer’s AAU circuit and what you did last season. We had eyes and ears at pretty much every major event, and saw every player on this list multiple times. MORE >
Words. Jason Jordan
When listing the top point guards in the 2011 class, it’s hard not to mention Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) star Quinn Cook near the top.
All Cook has done is remain consistent throughout the summer while running DC Assault, win gold with USA Basketball’s under-17 team, and cap off the AAU season with an MVP performance at adidas Nations.
“It’s been fun,” said Cook. “There were things that I felt I could’ve done better, but all in all I was OK with how I did this summer.” MORE >
Words. Jason Jordan
Unprompted, we’ve randomly asked a handful of players who their toughest defensive assignment has been all summer, and the name that consistently pops up is Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) point guard Myck Kabongo, a rising senior who is committed to Texas. The reasoning?
He’s fast and quick and smart, and the consensus is that he blends all of those elements better than any other guard in the country.
“There’s no other player like him out there,” Word of God Academy (Raleigh, N.C.) combo guard Bishop Daniels said of Kabongo. “It’s hard to explain, but that guy is just really hard to defend.” MORE >
Words. Austin Rivers
Although just a junior, Winter Park (Fla.) point guard Austin Rivers is the 2nd-rated prospect in the HSH Top 50. Previously committed to Florida, a few weeks ago he de-committed, and now Duke, North Carolina, Texas and Kansas are giving chase, making his one of the most captivating recruiting stories in the country.
The younger son of Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers and younger brother of Indiana University PG Jeremiah Rivers, Austin has agreed to give HSH exclusive access by chronicling his thoughts in this regular diary where he’ll keep everyone updated on everything from his personal life to his AAU season to his recruiting process: MORE >
Words. Jason Jordan
After trailing by eight at the half, St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.) pulled to within two points with just one second left in regulation. And the reason for the comeback, point guard Kyrie Irving, was at the line.
Irving sunk the first free throw, but the Duke signee missed the second and the No. 1 team in the country fell to 3rd-ranked Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) at the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass., on the Martin Luther King holiday. MORE >
