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. When I was a freshman at Independence HighJamison was a senior at Providence, our archrival in just about every sport. In the history of the NBA draft, 45 players have been taken directly out of high school. Her father participated in baseball and basketball at Simpson College. What happens if an high school basketball star decides to throw a "direct to the NBA Draft" party and no one decides to show? He says it was due to him smoking marijuana and abusing prescription drugs though many suspect some other drugs were in his system. When you've put on the "classic" uniform of basketball franchises like Lokomotiv Mineralnye Vody and Bnai HaSharon, who needs the Celtics or the Lakers? She therefore embraces her subject of interest with zeal and determination, which is why she is currently becoming more well-liked among basketball fans. "He was a star guard for Salem High, someone we all saw regularly at the Salem YMCA. They either flamed out in college or flamed out in the pros which means the highpoint of their basketball careers came as teenagers. High school basketball player videos, pictures, profiles, and high school basketball recruiting information. Caitlin keeps her focus on her goal at all times. played in two separate stints for the Harlem Globetrotters, arguably the greatest California streetball legends of all time, drug kingpin and superstar basketball player, fair share of ESPNs 30 for 30 documentaries. They were the best onthe court, and it wasn't close. We were playing Salem at our small gym with a brick wall that was about 10 feet off the baseline. Here then, is the man, the player, LeBron James, who defeated the aforementioned Lenny Cooke and derailed Cooke's career while elevating his own stature that led James to being drafted number one by Cleveland in 2003. The two brothers she has are Blake and Colin. 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. For this particular list, we take a look at those basketball phenoms that are termed "Prep-to-Pro," meaning thatno college was deemed necessary for this or that particular player to achieve success in the National Basketball Association. In 2014 he grew tired of the NBAs minor league system and headed back overseas. 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. 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. It could be Williams' lack of desire or competitive fire, or maybe he didn't get a chance, sometimes it's as simple as that. Believe me, I tried. His NBA career was even more of a letdown as he played for just four seasons and averaged 5.8 points per game. Greg Oden did in fact spend a year in college after being hyped up as a future superstar in the NBA. Cooke declared for the 2002 NBA Draft after three different teams promised him they would draft him. Smith's off-the-court shenanigans are far more interesting than his fizzled pro hoops career. He also had 14 points, eight rebounds, six blocked shots and three assists in a 57-46 win over Columbus North. Joe "The Destroyer" Hammond Despite never playing high school or college ball, Joe "The Destroyer" Hammond was perhaps the greatest basketball player to ever come out of Harlem. Oftentimes, you'd go into an AAU game, having never laid eyes on your opponent before opening tipoff. The 6-foot-3 senior guard committed to Duke earlier this year. Coincidentally, Dawkins also skipped college, but never became the pro on Malone's level. 'Man among boys'was not a cliche with him. 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. Cooke was once the top prospect in the nation but that may have been because he was so much older than everyone else. And, man, he was mean out there, almost menacing, grimacing and snarling as he imposed his will on you. They arent All-Star caliber players but they still made tens of millions of dollars and proved right in their decisions to skip college. His problems off the court were worse than his problems on it as in 2014 he pleaded guilty to battery for punching his ex-girlfriend. She also won awards including Iowa Miss Basketball, Gatorade State Player of the Year, and the McDonalds All-American title. "Normally, when a kid is thinking about something like this, you'll hear about it, said Youngs high school coach. Lance . Thirty-four years ago, it wasn't. Right after his junior prom, Tyler announced he was dropping out of school and heading overseas to start his pro basketball career. He ran the floor like a defensive back doing the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. Yeah, right. Caitlin Clark Early Life. 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. 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. Ebi was well regarded after leading Westbury Christian Academy to three Texas state titles, but then the forward made the crucial mistake of thinking he was better than he actually was, and skipped college. Thislegend preceded LeBron in Ohio, and it was just as big at the start. He then suffered the Portland-itis that so many other Blazers have suffered as recurring injuries kept him off the court. Caitlin has 214 assists, which is the most by a newbie in programme history. There are some basketball high school phenoms that simply never take that next step at the pro level, whereas others are even better as pros. As I was sitting on the baseline under the very basket he threw it down on, covering the game for the Black Explosion student paper, I was one of the few who refrained from oooh-ing, but not because the dunk hadn't earned it. The basketball player was born to Brent and Anne Nizzi Clark, her sisters. Follow Us On Social Media!Twitter: http://bit.ly/2zHv7dJInstagram: http://bit.ly/2inVlI4Facebook: http://bit.ly/2zNPZNQ Shes a stunning basketball player with a well-built body. Everyone remembers the Fab Five of Michigan but did you know there was a Fab Five II? The first high school player to be drafted straight out of high school was Tim Duncan of Rock Hill High School in South Carolina. Earl Manigault was a legendary basketball player with unbelievable hops. Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649. In the state tournament shortly thereafter, Burnson had perhaps the greatest performance in Massachusetts high school basketball history: 42 points against Bishop Feehan in the state tournament at Boston Garden. 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 was drafted in the second round of the 1994 NBA Draft by his hometown Pacers but it became evident that Bailey had peaked in high school as he would never see the court in the NBA. She was an incredible shooter and I had NEVER seen handles like that, ever." Favorite athlete: Stephen Curry. 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. 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. ', Was I wrong about any of that? 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. 'Estaban.' I could tell you what happened next, but I'd rather show you. But then it all went downhill for Fields, who fractured a bone in his neck before his senior year playoffs. The No. But it was never meant to be in the NBA for Cisse, despite being drafted #46 overall in the 2001 by the Denver Nuggets, as hecouldn't stay healthy and bounced around, getting released by one NBA team after another until heading overseas. We will revisit some of these players as we look at 15 high school phenoms who never made it in the NBA. Cooke went up against his rival in a one-on-one game in 2001 and was soundly schooled, and for some inexplicable reason, allowed that one game to determine his fate forevermore. He was selected in the first round of the 2003 draft (26th overall) by the Timberwolves, but was never suited for the pros and wound up playing overseas for one obscure team after the next. Follow Nonstop Sports Instagram - https://instagram.com/nons. We all know what happened when Oden went pro as he was drafted by the Blazers first overall in 2007. In this blog post, we are going to talk about the Best High School Basketball Player That Never Made It. Mayo became the first player in 10 years to be banned by the NBA. He was by far the best player to come out of Oakland. Some say his nickname, The Goat, came about from a mispronunciation of his last name, others claim its an acronym for the Greatest of All Time. Either way, Manigault was another example of wasted talent. In February2017, I dragged a friend from Charlotte down to Sumter, S.C., an unsuspecting town in the middle of the state. After being named Mr. Basketball USA in 1990, Bailey joined Knight in Bloomington, Indiana. 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. He was rated the No. 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. 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. Standing about 6-8 and about 230 or 240 pounds, he looked like a grown man, and I had no clue who he was. Herman "Helicopter" Knowings Image via Complex Original Accolades: One of 24 ESPN Rucker Park Legends The. Mike DeCourcy. 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. He decided to stay local and went to UNLV where he was good but played against inferior competition in the Mountain West Conference. 1 forward in the Class of 2012 while attending Findlay Prep in Nevada. 'Whatever seed we are, we're ready': Is there room for Cleveland among the East elite? 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. But Bryant's still not good enough to top this list. You cant find her Wikipedia article on the internet. Born in the Dominican Republic, Lopezs family moved to New York when he was 14 and he enrolled at Rice High School in Manhattan. "You know every move each other is going to make . Jared McCain is a prominent face in high school basketball. 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. IF POLL DOES NOT APPEAR, click here to vote. Howard practically fulfilled the selection by taking the 2008-09 Magic all the way to the NBA Finals. Buta lack of inner motivation proved to be a distraction, and the closest Ryan ever came to the NBA was a tryout he had with the then-New Jersey Nets in 1990. Caitlin was born on January 22, 2002, in Des Moines, Iowa, and is currently 19 years old. She is 5 feet 11 inches tall and 70 kg, and she has a slim build. Of the 10 players who started in the 2013 Jordan Brand Classic, nine of them were either drafted or are currently in the NBA including Joel Embiid, Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker. Since then hes spent his time in the coaching ranks in both Indiana high schools and for the Butler womens basketball team. Except now he's got Magic Johnson's head on Karl Malone's body, and it's even more frightening." The San Antonio Spurs drafted him first overall in 1997. Meanwhile, we all know how Kevin Durant fared. 6. 1 overall pick and an NBA champion) Like Antoine Walker and Juwan Howard before him, Smith was thought to be the next All-Star big man to come from Chicago. In three seasons at Loyola Marymount, 6-foot-7 forward Hank Gathers averaged 28 points and 11.1 rebounds per game and was one of the most dominant forces in college basketball. "The common pushback against the absurdity that is a Zion Williamson high school highlight video is the level of competition facing Spartanburg Day School. Aside from throwing down monster dunks, he was also known for blocking the shots of opponents much bigger than him. Demetrius Hook Mitchell may have only been 5-foot-9, but the man who could jump over a Volkswagen was a legend on the playgrounds of Oakland. Yet, for all the incredible individuals who left their mark on the NBA, there are those who, while talented enough to play in the league, never got the chance. Hell, he wasnt even the next Ray Jackson or Jimmy King. Unfortunately, like many of the other NYC playground talents, Manigaults life was destroyed by drugs. He was a two-time All-Star in the Israeli League and at the age of 26 he could still get one more opportunity in the NBA. 10. Some context: less than three months before the Capital Classic, in mid-January 1984, top-ranked North Carolina beat fifth-ranked Maryland at Cole Field House, and the win was capped in the final seconds by one of Michael Jordan's most legendary dunks , a swooping breakaway rock-the-cradle jam, silencing the building except for a collective "oooooooohhhhh.". But I had seen what I needed to see: the most impressive display of human athleticism Ive ever witnessed in any athletic competition or showing. Ethan Roseman, Bishop Chatard: The freshman guard had 18 points, five assists, four rebounds and a steal as Chatard rolled to a 67-38 win over Tech. Michael Beasley 2. I had no motivation to attend beyond my simple desire to verify the internet sensation with my own eyes. After the 2005 draft, the NBA's collective bargaining agreement ended the prep-to-pro pipeline. Brad Pinkerton. She has been one of the basketball players in the United States who is on the rise. In the documentary, Hooked: The Legend of Demetrius Hook Mitchell, former NBA superstar and current Milwaukee Bucks head coach Jason Kidd said the following: Hook could jump over a building. As it stands, Selby has played 38 games in the NBA and 31 games in the D-League although he has found some success overseas. And it's really not close. 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. Of course, Williamson is not just a great athlete; hes a great basketball player. And even though phone and computer screens set what seemed to be unreasonable expectations, my own eyes could not believe what they saw. The NBA has been home to plenty of elite ball handlers, but in all fairness, point guard Marques Hayenes was on another level. 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. There are other players like J.R. Smith, Kendrick Perkins and Monta Ellis who also went the prep-to-pro route and churned out serviceable NBA careers. Cooke did have good times, first at Lane High in Brooklyn and then he moved on to La Salle Academy in Manhattan. He was so skilled that the Lakers even selected him in the NBA's 1971 hardship draft. During his four seasons at Maryland, Len Bias averaged 16.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, was a two-time ACC Player of the Year, and earned All-American honors in 198485 and 198586. LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and Tracy McGrady are all examples of when the prep-to-pro process works out. A legend of Rucker Park, Hammond destroyed opponents with his thunderous jams and smooth shot. We wound up matching up against his team late in the tournament. Along with teammate Chris Monroe, Roger led Good Counsel to the WCAC tournament finals. Know All About His Life! Professional journalist for 25 years, contributing writer with High Times magazine and High Times.com since 1993. Fans would always wonder, what if? AIKEN For the first time in its history and in coach Fran Campbell's 39-year stint at the school, the Wren boys . Graham made a spot start for the Spurs on Thursday, finishing with 18 points on 5 of 10 shooting. I was not on the basketball team at Lynn English, my high school, but my friend, Charlie Leslie, was a forward for the team. In addition, she also retains the award of Iowa Gatorade Player-of-the-Year in 2019 and 2020. As the top-ranked recruit in his class, Ward was expected to be the next Chris Webber but he wasnt even the next Juwan Howard or Jalen Rose. Seriously, that's how you had to do it. MISHAWAKA MARIAN (41): Dareon Thornton 3 2-2 10, Deaglan Sullivan 7 5-6 21, Jackson Price 1 0-0 3, Deuce Owens 1 0-0 2, Zion Rhoades 1 3-4 5 TOTAL: 13 10-12 41 Instead of going to University of Maryland in 1974, Malone joined the NBA's then rival pro basketball league, the ABA, famous for its multi-colored balls and players with outrageous '70's hair styles. There weren't. Basketball scorers start young. Unfortunately, while Los Angeles offered Hammond $50,000 to sign as a rookie, there was just one problem: Hammond was making more money than that on the street, dealing drugs and shooting dice. It was a well-deserved ranking as the Legend of Mayo had reached epic heights by then. There was no Ball is Life, Overtime or Mars Reel. Those players were: 1. But even though he was talented, Smith had psychological issues before even joining the NBA as he suffered from neglect as a child and was moved to an Illinois foster home. With the playoffs underway, it's time to see who stands out as the best of the best so far. In the 2010s, seeing high schoolers do things beyond their sizes is almost commonplace. A post shared by Caitlin Clark (@caitlinclark22). Sean Marbaugh, Cathedral: The student manager got a chance to suit up on senior night and made the most of it by scoring a basket in the fourth quarter of a 67-55 win over Zionsville. 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."