best high school basketball player that never made it

Get your votes in by noon Friday for our high school boys basketball player of the week for Feb. 20-25: Cast your vote in the poll at the bottom of the article or click here to vote. These guys seemed destined for greatness, but they peaked in high school 15 Basketball High School Phenoms Who Never Made It In The NBA. Perhaps the singular flaw on KG's resume is the fact he "only" won one title; but still, KG is an all-time great. David Steele. Smith dominated at Chicago's Martin Luther King high school as power forward/center, and was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs with the 29th overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft, but was immediately traded to the Dallas Mavericks. That means getting to see them play in high school. Untimely deaths have turned a few hoop dreams into nightmares. Those Spurs went on to win the 2007 NBA title, defeating LeBron in his first Finals appearance. And even then you heard about players a lot more than you saw them. Below is the ESPN High School Boys' Basketball Top 25 for the week of Feb. 27, 2023. You were drawn to Estaban. She was also named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and unanimously selected for both the All-Big Ten Freshman Team and First Team All-Big Ten after the regular season. There was asixth-grader in Columbus who could dunk, and his name put it over the top. Now, everbody knows Amar'e Stoudemire." News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. So I've seen nearly every great basketball talent as a high schooler for the past four decades: Ewing, Mourning, Garnett, Davis. Kody Clancy, Scottsburg: The junior guard had 28 points and four steals on 13-for-16 shooting in an 83-47 win over Mitchell and had 15 points in a 50-45 loss to Jennings County. Tippit, the quarterback of the football team, played on basketball and football teams that are a combined 33-3. Williams was a star with two different high schools in Mississippi and Texas and was ranked in the top 20 prospects of 2009. By James Edward jedward@deseretnews.com. He went for 24 points, six rebounds and three steals in a 69-39 win over Wood Memorial. Well never know. Hes been arrested multiple times and has been charged with reckless driving, unlawful possession of a shotgun, and an armed home invasion. Bennett ended the 2016-17 season in Turkey but was cut after his team won the championship. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. 1 player in the nation and skipped college altogether, going No. Press Esc to cancel. Chris Washburn's one moment makes him my choice." 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. The most vivid thing I remember was how fast Jamison would get his shot off after catching a pass. Howard practically fulfilled the selection by taking the 2008-09 Magic all the way to the NBA Finals. There might be a player or two in here you've never heard of. How Tall Is Celebrity Singer Paula Abdul? 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. Is The Famous Actress And Comedian, Aubrey Plaza, Married? MORE: Have you seen the legend of Mac McClung? When Bailey was 14 years old, Indiana coach Bob Knight saw him play and said, Damon Bailey is better than any guard we have right now. 9. We were playing Salem at our small gym with a brick wall that was about 10 feet off the baseline. 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. That's how real it was." Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. The top three-ranked players in the Class of 1998 all jumped straight from high school to the NBA. In the history of the NBA draft, 45 players have been taken directly out of high school. Cell phones throughout that crowd were set in video mode and trained on Williamson before he even finished his stretches. Bryant lead the "Aces" to the Pennsylvania state title in '96, and in 2010, the school named their new gymnasium for the hoops legend. They will all be in the Hall of Fame one day and are considered some of the greatest players in NBA history. He dominated the Georgia basketball scene that year, leading. How Tall Is WWE Beast Cody Rhodes? 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. 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. His last known basketball activity was a tryout with the Warriors D-League team in 2016. Said former Lynwood coach Bill Lee:Ive seen Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, and Michael Jordan and Ive never seen anyone better with the basketball. 5. Eventually, the Boston Celtics selected him with the No. 2 overall pick in the 1986 draft and that was as close to the NBA as Bias would ever get. The National Basketball Association is known for its history ofphenomenal players. At Benjamin Franklin High in New York City, shooting guard Manigault set a record by scoring 57 points in one game in the late 1950s. Emoni Bates, Jr., Ypsi Prep Academy (Ypsilanti) Preseason favorite to win MaxPreps National Player of the Year honors averaged 32.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.2 steals for the 19-3 Railsplitters. The basketball player was born to Brent and Anne Nizzi Clark, her sisters. 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. Two state marks, including the 5A record for most points scored in a game and most 3-pointers made in a game, are held by the young athlete. He played for four teams in four seasons and even Michael Olowokandi lasted nine seasons in the NBA. MORE: Jalen Brunson is SN Player of Year. The nation's top high school basketball players used to be able to go straight to the draft. 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. 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. With the playoffs underway, it's time to see who stands out as the best of the best so far. What happens if an high school basketball star decides to throw a "direct to the NBA Draft" party and no one decides to show? IF POLL DOES NOT APPEAR, click here to vote. 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. Not only was the wiry Jamison taller than most on the court, he was quicker too. Due to complicated eligibility issues, Cooke opted to listen to agents instead of going to college, but every team passed on him in the 2002 draft. 1 overall pick and an NBA champion) 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. Oden was already being called the next Patrick Ewing or the next Tim Duncan when he was just 16 years old. In the 2010s, seeing high schoolers do things beyond their sizes is almost commonplace. Shes a stunning basketball player with a well-built body. 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. Charlie fouled Brunson from behind, pushing him into the brick wall, and he fractured his wrist. He was by far the best player to come out of Oakland. Get your votes in by noon Friday for our high school boys basketball player of the week for Feb. 20-25: Cast your vote in the poll at the bottom of the article or click here to vote.. Trey . It's unfortunate Ebi didn't make it in the NBA. And Washburn took off and threw down the exact same dunk. Jared McCain is a prominent face in high school basketball. Pee Wee Kirkland, another legend of Rucker Park, made a name for himself in two highly distinct ways: as a drug kingpin and superstar basketball player. He was later recruited by Chicago's DePaul University, but was ruled academically ineligible. And even though phone and computer screens set what seemed to be unreasonable expectations, my own eyes could not believe what they saw. 18 pick in the 1973 draft, yet on account of a contract dispute, Lewis never played a single game in the NBA. Swift has swiftly faded into obscurity, fodder for lists such as this. Jerryd Bayless 4. He was so skilled that the Lakers even selected him in the NBAs 1971 hardship draft. But Baldwin is also . 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. Selby became the highest-ranked player to ever join Bill Self at Kansas but his college career got off to an inauspicious start after he was suspended for receiving improper benefits. Since then hes spent his time in the coaching ranks in both Indiana high schools and for the Butler womens basketball team. woman jumps off carquinez bridge 2021 best high school basketball player that never made it. It is currently unknown who her companion is. 1 prospect, was outplayed by an unknown player named LeBron James who would then supplant Cooke as the top player in the country. There's a reason the NBA stopped letting kids straight outta high school join the league--because most have been disappointing, as this list will demonstrate time and time again. Smith's off-the-court shenanigans are far more interesting than his fizzled pro hoops career. It was a Golden Age in Central Ohio hoops in the 1990s. 1 entry. 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. The San Antonio Spurs drafted him first overall in 1997. There's no big tragic story behind Williams' failures; he appears to have not been good enough, at least for any teams to believe in him to sign him and actually play him. Viraj is a Content Editor currently working at Whistlernews.com, He intended to write on the most recent developments of Entertainment, Sports to News from his own unique angle. "It's like playing with your brother in the backyard," said Panguitch coach Clint Barney. 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. But when the Nets told Ryan to hone his skills in the NBA's former minor league, the CBA, Black Jack gave up his pro playing aspirations and gave up on the game altogether. Mike DeCourcy. (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. Except now he's got Magic Johnson's head on Karl Malone's body, and it's even more frightening." However, Manigault should be glad he never made it to the NBA, because he became much more famous being a "never made it" as opposed to some obscure player who rode the bench for a couple of meaningless NBA seasons. He played for eight different teams and was traded six different times including in the deal that sent Kevin Garnett to Boston. He would eventually move on to play in the CBA before retiring in 2003. His post-career life (as well as his college and NBA days) proved that his peak was at age 17. Caitlin keeps her focus on her goal at all times. The man who was once dubbed The Spanish Michael Jordan reached his peak at just the age of 14. And it's really not close. 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. Dylan Moles, Greenfield-Central: The 6-3 senior and Marian recruit went for 29 points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals on 9-for-13 shooting from the field and 9-for-9 from the free-throw line in a 69-53 win over Plainfield in the final regular-season game. "You know every move each other is going to make . Our two best players wound up signing with Florida State and East Tennessee State. It featured Rashad Anderson, UConn's all-time leading 3-pointer shooter and former USC standout and first-round NFL Draft pick wide receiver Mike Williams, but he was easily their best player. Player poll:These are the 3 best boys high school basketball teams in Louisville Top artist to listen to: EST Gee From Mary Travers to Jack Harlow, Louisville loves to support its local artists. But it became clear very soon that Bailey had peaked in high school. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. Conversely, the five listed as becoming bigger stars in the pros somehow exceeded the hype that was bestowed on them coming out of high school. 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. How Tall is POP Star I Cant Breath Singer Bebe Rexha? She was an incredible shooter and I had NEVER seen handles like that, ever." Yeah, right. I could tell you what happened next, but I'd rather show you. I left the game that night feeling lucky to have seen that caliber of player in person but also anguished knowing that I'd be seeing a lot more of Antawn Jamison in the future." Inside His Life! Won two gold medals with USA Basketball. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. In contrast, the most well-known NBA contracts, according to Go Banking Rates, are worth more than $40 million for an 82-game regular season, or $487,800 per game. Benjamin N. Cardozo High School in Bayside, Queens, was Rafer Alston 's launching point for an incredible career that evolved from the AND1 Mixtape Tour all the way to the 2009 NBA Finals. "Normally, when a kid is thinking about something like this, you'll hear about it, said Youngs high school coach. Bailey could never live up to the hype that Coach Knight bestowed upon him and he would play in the CBA before retiring in 2003. Daniel Tippit, New Palestine: The senior hit a 30-footer in New Palestines 61-31 win over Greenwood on senior night as the Dragons finished off a 21-2 regular season. The Capital Centre didn't react with an "ooohhhhh,"but with an explosion of "WHOAAAAAAA! (This time, it included me, as I was again seated behind the same basket he slammed on). 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. But, Wrenn was a troubled soul, who made emotional--rather than logical--decisions, and spent an uneventful college career bouncing from UConn to Washington, so his making it to the NBA was never really in the cards. The scant highlight clips available in those prehistoric days for videoshowed a kid who looked like the next evolutionary stage of the game. This is what I wrote in Sporting News after seeing LeBron James play as a rising junior at the 2001 ABCD Camp in New Jersey: 'Some baby boomers who've got me by a few years make a big deal of the first time they saw The Beatles on 'The Ed Sullivan Show.' Herman "Helicopter" Knowings Image via Complex Original Accolades: One of 24 ESPN Rucker Park Legends The. 4. Watch James make one routine trip down the court and the whole package hits you at once: the size, the skills, the awareness, the competitiveness. AIKEN For the first time in its history and in coach Fran Campbell's 39-year stint at the school, the Wren boys . Lopez stayed local with his college choice at went to St. Johns where he was solid but unspectacular. Fat chance. Caitlin was born on January 22, 2002, in Des Moines, Iowa, and is currently 19 years old. Telfair was arguably the most famous basketball player in the New York City area in the early 2000s. His NBA career was even more of a letdown as he played for just four seasons and averaged 5.8 points per game. He was then traded to the Mavs but never played a game due to more psychological issues. 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. 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 scored 2,124 points in high school and led his team to 50 straight wins. He probably scored 30-plus points, and I'm not sure I ever saw him put the ball on the floor. 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. Wrenn was the 1998 Washington (state) high school player of the year playing for O'Dea High, a Catholic all-boys school in Seattle's famed "First Hill" district. COMPLEX participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means COMPLEX gets paid commissions on purchases made through our links to retailer sites. Layups, jumpers, dunks; they were off his fingertips like electrostatic sparks. There was actually an HBO movie made about Manigault starring Don Cheadle entitledRebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault. However, he can thank Calipari for not giving him the option of returning to Memphis as Wagner made over $8 million in the NBA and he wouldnt have made a dime had he gotten sick while in college. Although he played college ball at Cal State LA, Lewis is most notable forbeing arguably the greatest California streetball legends of all time. The first thing that came to mind upon watching him was this: Magic Johnson's head on Michael Jordan's body. I was in the hunt for the starting point guard slot, a battle I'd eventually lose a couple games into the state AAU tournament at Disney's Wide World of Sports in Orlando. 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. Favorite athlete: Stephen Curry. Ward didnt even become a starter until his senior season and by then the luster off his Naismith award had worn away. Believe me, I tried. Candler was 12-for-17 from the field and 4-for-5 from the free-throw line to finish with 28 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Dr. A's weekly risers and fallers: Jeremy Sochan, Christian Wood make the list, NBA Power Rankings: Kevin Durant's return could rock the West. The best high school basketball player you ever saw: Sporting News makes its picks, final seconds by one of Michael Jordan's most legendary dunks. He decided to stay local and went to UNLV where he was good but played against inferior competition in the Mountain West Conference. Her favourite NBA player is Kevin Durant, and Maya Moore was her basketball role model when she was little. However, there is another group of players who were better served in going to college than skipping it. Caitlin Clark is an accomplished basketball player born and raised in Iowa, USA. A 2008 documentary that follows the lives of 8 of the best high school basketball prospects at the time leading up the 1st annual Boost Mobile Elite 24 Hoops Classic at Rucker Park. After bouncing around myriad high schools in two states, he enrolled at a private school in Orlando for his senior season. He made a small Catholic high school in California one of the top 25 teams in the country and after a strong showing in the 2004 McDonalds All-American game, Swift went pro. In recent years, Howard has dampened his stature as an NBA pro. A legend of Rucker Park, Hammond destroyed opponents with his thunderous jams and smooth shot. Despite never playing high school or college ball, Joe The Destroyer Hammond was perhaps the greatest basketball player to ever come out of Harlem. In 2014 he grew tired of the NBAs minor league system and headed back overseas. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. 30. 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. --and five NBA titles later, the rest is history. Bill Bender. 1. Right after his junior prom, Tyler announced he was dropping out of school and heading overseas to start his pro basketball career. He last played, professionally, in 2005 and was arrested in 2009 for failing to appear in court for a child support hearing. Dominique Murphy, East Chicago Central: The 6-5 sophomore scored 34 points on 13-for-19 shooting with six rebounds and two steals in a 76-58 win over Andrean. Greg Oden did in fact spend a year in college after being hyped up as a future superstar in the NBA. Jake Gyllenhaal Dating History: Heres Look At His Dating History Over The Years! He started in the McDonald's game and the Capital Classic, then nearly on a par with the McDonald's game in national prestige. In 1984, as a senior, he was the Parade Magazine co-player of the year with none other than Danny Manning. Swimming in National Player of the Year awards just a year after Kevin Garnett's successful leap from high school to the NBA, Bryant made the none-too-surprising decision to turn pro himself. There's not much to write about LeBron that hasn't already been published; he's one of the preeminent talents the NBA ever has, or ever will, produce. She has amassed more than 10 thousand followers on her Instagram site. Unfortunately, instead of showcasing his abilities in the NBA, Mitchell was seduced by a life of crime and ended up in prison. 1 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, Markelle Fultz, is currently enduring what has become a Philadelphia 76ers' rite of passage: spending his rookie year watching from the sidelines as he rehabs an injury. I have no idea how many points Williamson scored that day, but I do remember being disappointed when the game turned into a blowout. 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). Manning ended up winning the MVP with 20 points; Washburn scored 18. In addition, she also retains the award of Iowa Gatorade Player-of-the-Year in 2019 and 2020.