best high school basketball player that never made it

But it became clear very soon that Bailey had peaked in high school. I don't remember how many points or how many dunks, but what stood out was his ball-handling skills and ability to spin through traffic with an effortless grace I've never seen at the high-school level since. The ball had hit the rim and was rising toward the top of the backboard; Williamson snatched the ball, his head easily above said rim, before gravity had a chance to take effect. 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. That's like saying a Lamborghini isn't as impressive because it's sharing the road with Volvos and Subarus. 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. Consensus college player of the year Michael Jordan doing it was one thing. Bryant lead the "Aces" to the Pennsylvania state title in '96, and in 2010, the school named their new gymnasium for the hoops legend. "Like dating, the Internet has taken the mystery out travel basketball. In the history of the NBA draft, 45 players have been taken directly out of high school. 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. With his height, physical attributes and skill level, it's not hard to believe that Howard led his high school, the blandly named Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy to a 31-2 record and the 2004 Georgia state title. Sean Deveney. And one more player was drafted but never made it to any teams -- he died at age 20 in his own bed while sleeping. Michael Dyer Dyers freshman year at Auburn not only brought NFL potential but also a national championship. "Moments usually stick with you longer than stats, which is why on the surfaceit makes no sense to mention Chris Washburn in a conversation about the best high school players anybody ever saw. He was a good four-year starter in college, but hardly lived up to the hype he built in high school. 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. 1. 5. Such was Garnett's maturity that he was able to bypass college and still exceed expectations. With National Signing Day coming on Wednesday, Sporting Newsasks that question. Those players were: 1. It didn't take long to see that it was. Nicknamed 'Benji'. 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. He is also the only player in NBA history to be named Finals MVP despite being on the losing team. That was near the end of the regular season in 1990. 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. Mike DeCourcy. But damn are they fast." 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." 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. These guys seemed destined for greatness, but they peaked in high school 15 Basketball High School Phenoms Who Never Made It In The NBA. 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. Know Her Career And Life! 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. Cooke's story is proof positive there is a very thin line between achieving athletic greatness and being mired in obscurity. She also received the most weekly Player of the Week honours in the Big Ten Conference with five. He played one year in Israel and one year in Japan before being drafted in the second round in 2011 by Charlotte. Unfortunately, Gathers also had an abnormal heartbeat and it proved to be something even he couldnt overcome. Her zodiac sign is Aquarius, based on the day of her birth. Maggette was smooth and fun to watch doing everything on the floor." -. 1 entry. 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. Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649. 6. David Steele. He scored 2,124 points in high school and led his team to 50 straight wins. The top-two ranked, Al Harrington and Rashard Lewis, combined to play 32 NBA seasons and appear in over 2000 games. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. With that in mind, heres a look at the nine best players who fit this description. Unless youre a diehard basketball fan, you probably dont know about the majority of these players. I mashed up some of what I captured for an Instagram video. Players who made the most successful jumps from high school to the NBA, The paths of KD and Kyrie: How one month changed three franchises and two superstar legacies, Morant to miss two games after video with gun, Grizzlies' Clarke tore Achilles, out for season, 'Not going out this way': Nets, down 28, stun C's, Kerr touts 5-0 homestand: Dubs 'turned a corner', KD: Mavs tilt, Kyrie meeting 'just another game', Sources: Dragic joining Bucks for rest of season, Nets filling out big-man depth with Noel signing, Isaac has surgery on adductor, done for season. It's unfortunate Ebi didn't make it in the NBA. Tyler remains the first and only player to not only skip college to turn pro, but he skipped part of high school as well. Born in the Dominican Republic, Lopezs family moved to New York when he was 14 and he enrolled at Rice High School in Manhattan. Alston. "Growing up in Charlotte in the mid-90s, it was impossible to ignore the hype surrounding a local basketball star named Antawn Jamison. Here are SN's staff picks: "I will always be indebted to my sophomore year biology teacher for noting my passion for basketball and asking if I'd like to go along with him to see the 1976 Dapper Dan Roundball Classic. We take an in-depth look at the greatest high school hoopers ever, and how their stats compare. The basketball player was born to Brent and Anne Nizzi Clark, her sisters. 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. Bill Bender. 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? "We talked about the legend in the cafeteria. Is The Famous Actress And Comedian, Aubrey Plaza, Married? McDonald's All-American. 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. From there, it soon became clear that not all was right with Smith and he clearly wasn't ready for the rigours and responsibilities of being a professional athlete. He was then traded to the Mavs but never played a game due to more psychological issues. Duke has been viewed as the leader for his services for a long time, and the Blue Devils hope to add him to a class that already includes two top-10 players on this list. It is so appropriate that this entry of Fields as a "Never Was" directly follows our previous "Became Bigger"--Kevin Garnett--because the pair were actually high school teammates at Chicago's Farragut Academy. But imagine an alternate reality where injuries had kept one of these gifted, highly scouted prospects from ever becoming an NBA player. ', Was I wrong about any of that? We understand this problem because we have gone through the entire Best High School Basketball Player That Never Made It research process already, which is why we have put together a comprehensive list of the Best High School Basketball Player That Never Made It available in the market today. Lopez left school ranking sixth all-time in Big East history in points but when you are on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a teenager, more was expected of him. In addition, she also retains the award of Iowa Gatorade Player-of-the-Year in 2019 and 2020. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. The most vivid thing I remember was how fast Jamison would get his shot off after catching a pass. 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. 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. Telfair also had various run-ins with the law including multiple arrests for possession of weapons. McBride now has 1,822 career points going into the sectional. At O'Dea, Wrenn averaged astronomical per-game-numbers for an entire season; 22 points, over eight boards and seven assists. Well, teams lie and Cooke went undrafted which forced him to play in minor leagues like the NBDL and USBL. Jerry West is one of the most accomplished players in NBA history. Top opponent: Jason Drake Jr., Ferndale. 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. Her date of birth is not known. There weren't. Only twice has a player won the award two times: LeBron James and Greg Oden. Now, I've got a moment to compare with that. He was the No. LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and Tracy McGrady are all examples of when the prep-to-pro process works out. The nation's top high school basketball players used to be able to go straight to the draft. All eight players went on to play in the NBA. It turned out Oden was the one whose body couldn't handle the NBA, as he was seemingly hurt year after year. The third-ranked player, Korleone Young, played 3 NBA games. Only twice has a player won the award two times: LeBron James and Greg Oden. That's where I saw him, Wearing straight-back cornrows, he was laced in a Tracy McGrady Nike Swingman jersey with a oversized grey tee beneath it, a gleamy gold chain with a matching medallion, shin-length jean shorts (Hey, that was the wave back then), and a pearly white pair of mid-top Air Force 1s. Young is another entry on this list who was so good he starred at two high schools--and he did it in two different states; both Wichita East High School (a coed public school in Kansas) and Hargrave Military Academy (a private, all-male boarding school in Virginia). Two significant NCAA Division I freshman of the year honours, the USBWA Tamika Catchings Award and the WBCA Freshman of the Year award, were shared by her and UConns Paige Bueckers. 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. 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. Those in the Columbus area who remember watching Weaver play in the '90s will tell you 100 variations of thissame legend. Unfortunately, like many of the other NYC playground talents, Manigaults life was destroyed by drugs. Yeah, right. With five players ranked in the 2023 ESPN 100 and four more ranked in the 2024 ESPN . 8. And, man, he was mean out there, almost menacing, grimacing and snarling as he imposed his will on you. 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. His NBA career was even more of a letdown as he played for just four seasons and averaged 5.8 points per game. But with Korleone, it was a total surprise. Young would be a second round pick of the Pistons in 1998 but played a total of 15 minutes in the lockout-shortened season before being cut. 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. Jordan really didn't top that one until the 1988 NBA dunk contest maybe. During her junior season, she averaged 32.5 points, seven rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.2 steals per game as she guided Dowling Catholic High School to a 17-8 record and a spot in the Iowa Class 5A playoffs. Howard practically fulfilled the selection by taking the 2008-09 Magic all the way to the NBA Finals. Will Spellman, Center Grove: Spellman had 18 points, six rebounds, four blocked shots and three assists as Center Grove defeated Brownsburg 61-60 in a top-10 matchup. 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. When he was just 14 years old, legendary Indiana coach Bobby Knight declared that Bailey was better than any point guard his college team had. Some ballers opted not to enter the league for monetary reasons (back in the day, most NBA players made meager, five-figure salaries). Brent and Anne Nizzi-daughter Clarks Caitlin is a Clark. Unfortunately, instead of showcasing his abilities in the NBA, Mitchell was seduced by a life of crime and ended up in prison. He played college basketball at Norfolk State and was even drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 1968, yet chose to return to the more lucrative operations he ran in Harlem. Considering he is often credited with inventing the cross-over as well as the spin move to the bucket, we truly wish he had chosen the other life. A knee injury wiped out his entire third season and by the time he was healthy, the SuperSonics were becoming the OKC Thunder and Kevin Durant was the young superstar. 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. Was Manigault the original "G.O.A.T"? 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. Now, everbody knows Amar'e Stoudemire." Caitlin keeps her focus on her goal at all times. 7. Know About Her Amusing Dating History. The ironically nicknamed "Black Jack" Ryan represents the only "great white hope" of this list. 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. The Trail Blazers saw Oden's career dwindle, with his knees never being able to hold up. When Butler was with the 2006-07 San Antonio Spurs, a very telling comment by coach Gregg Popovich revealed the player's true nature: "Most of (Butler's) playing time in the initial part of the season is going to be in practice, learning what a work ethic is day in and day out and what it takes to play at this level.". If only he couldve put basketball before everything else. Favorite . Oden lived up to his billing in college, leading the Ohio State Buckeyes to the National Championship game. Howard opted to forego college and head straight for the draft where he was the number one overall selection by the Orlando Magic. Welcome to The Whistler News, your go-to source for the latest news and trends across a wide range of categories, including Application, Business, Celebrity, Dating, Entertainment, Event, Food, How To, News, Questions, Streaming, Technology, Trending, and Uncategorized. Like the last one, Chris Andersen in 2006, Mayo will get the chance to apply for reinstatement after two years. 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. Mar 1, 2023, 4:15pm PST. Professional journalist for 25 years, contributing writer with High Times magazine and High Times.com since 1993. Perhaps, but Earl's "Goat" handle may have several other origins, including his surname ending with "-gault". 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. Weve watched our fair share of ESPNs 30 for 30 documentaries, yet few affect us as much as, BENJI, the story of Ben Wilson, Chicagos pride and joy and the best high school basketball player in the country. But then it all went downhill for Fields, who fractured a bone in his neck before his senior year playoffs. Because ESPN ranked her as the second best guard, more people started paying attention to what she had to say about the game. 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. Wagner, Cason Wallace, Amari Bailey and Nick Smith headline standouts across the country. Telfair is 32 years old and last played in the NBA in 2014; however, his 40-year-old cousin, Stephon Marbury, has a better shot at rejoining the NBA than Bassy does. 30. Chris Washburn's one moment makes him my choice." The 6-foot-3 senior guard committed to Duke earlier this year. For the last three seasons hes played for three different teams in the Chinese Basketball Association. 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. But Baldwin is also . In 1984, as a senior, he was the Parade Magazine co-player of the year with none other than Danny Manning. No descriptions of Caitlins future boyfriend have emerged on the internet. The splash of a Spaulding sphere is sweet to anyone who knows the game. How good could Wilson have been? Eventually, Wrenn ran into legal troubles, thus ending his bid at the pros. I was not on the basketball team at Lynn English, my high school, but my friend, Charlie Leslie, was a forward for the team. Along with teammate Chris Monroe, Roger led Good Counsel to the WCAC tournament finals. 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. He then suffered the Portland-itis that so many other Blazers have suffered as recurring injuries kept him off the court. Tippit, the quarterback of the football team, played on basketball and football teams that are a combined 33-3. Jerod Ward was supposed to be the centerpiece of this second wave of Michigan freshmen after winning the Naismith Prep Player of the Year award in Mississippi in 1994. The 'Punks'section of Slam Magazine and maybe ESPN's 'SSA'were the primary ways we caught wind of big-time hoopers elsewhere. His post-career life (as well as his college and NBA days) proved that his peak was at age 17. Oden would enroll at Ohio State where he was a dominant two-way player and led the team to the National Championship game. These guys peaked in high school as they were great players who just werent able to translate their skills to the pros. They either flamed out in college or flamed out in the pros which means the highpoint of their basketball careers came as teenagers. But the team played with just five eligible varsity players after a fight during a game last . 2 overall pick in the 1986 draft and that was as close to the NBA as Bias would ever get. In his 1985 recruiting class he was perceived to be better than Glen Rice, Danny Ferry, Sean Elliott, Pervis Ellison, Rod Strickland and Roy Marble - all who went on to have NBA careers. Dwight Howard's decision to forego college was influenced by KG, who went from high school stardom in Chicago at Farragut Career Academy directly to stardom in the pros. 1 overall pick to be sent down to the D-League. For those who think Julius "Dr. J" Erving is all that, keep in mind that Erving never won an NBA title until the 1982-83 Philadelphia 76ers acquired the late great Moses Malone to replace the lesser great but also late Darryl "Chocolate Thunder" Dawkins at center. The bleachers at the Sumter Civic Center were full by the time Williamson's team took the floor for pregame warm-ups. It wasn't the best decision for each one, but for a select group of superstars, skipping college paid off. Brent and Anne Nizzi-daughter Clark's Caitlin is a Clark. Which is a shame because the guy was insanely talented. Best move: Uses a hesitation dribble to free the defender then shoots a 3-pointer or blows past for a lay-up. Back in the late '90s and early 2000s, there were far fewer, readily accessible media outlets that covered prep sports beyond a local level. 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 February2017, I dragged a friend from Charlotte down to Sumter, S.C., an unsuspecting town in the middle of the state. Sara Jane Harris. IF POLL DOES NOT APPEAR, click here to vote. LennyCooke was once considered a bigger high school star than our no. Press Esc to cancel. He was a lottery pick by the Supersonics but spent most of his first two years on the bench. 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. Bryant, the son of former NBA player Joe Bryant, was regarded as the top high school player in the entire nation in 1996 when coming out of Lower Merion High School in the Philadelphia suburb of Ardmore. 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. I don't mean potentially better, I mean better today. Bailey was LeBron before LeBron and had over 40,000 people coming to watch his high school games which remains an all-time attendance record. 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. He turned 17 at the end of his freshman year and had to sit out his entire senior year because he was too old to qualify for high school play. 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. She therefore embraces her subject of interest with zeal and determination, which is why she is currently becoming more well-liked among basketball fans. My friend gave me the kind of look one would expect from a person who had just seen a human defy physics. 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. He died of natural causes back in 2015 at the age of 89. 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. Said former Lynwood coach Bill Lee:Ive seen Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, and Michael Jordan and Ive never seen anyone better with the basketball. Jerryd Bayless 4. Tyreke Evans 3. 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. Meanwhile, we all know how Kevin Durant fared. Swift then transferred to the dully named Highland High School where he had to win a court battle to be eligible to play. The two brothers she has are Blake and Colin. 9. Jake Gyllenhaal Dating History: Heres Look At His Dating History Over The Years! O.J. Manning ended up winning the MVP with 20 points; Washburn scored 18. Believe me, I tried. 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. 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. I remember he dunked the ball so hard on a fast-break, the portable goal just collapsed to the ground. He was a 14-time All-Star and a member of the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. For us, we remember when we saw these players for the first time. 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. Bennett was an unmitigated bust in the NBA and became the first No. We were playing Salem at our small gym with a brick wall that was about 10 feet off the baseline. Williams was a star with two different high schools in Mississippi and Texas and was ranked in the top 20 prospects of 2009. Caitlin Clark Early Life. Malone was a three-time NBA MVP (1979, 1982 and '83), and in 1981 took alackluster Houston Rockets team all the way to the NBA Finals, before Larry Bird and Kevin McHale won their first title with the Boston Celtics. She is 5 feet 11 inches tall and 70 kg, and she has a slim build. The Tigers coach, John Calipari, then revoked Wagners scholarship after the season to force him to go to the NBA so Coach Cal was pulling the one-and-done long before he got to Lexington. In the 2010s, seeing high schoolers do things beyond their sizes is almost commonplace. Earl Manigault was a legendary basketball player with unbelievable hops. He attempted suicide while with the Mavs after he swallowed 250 aspirin tablets and he told police I am an Indian fighting Columbus! Dallas would cut him and he wouldnt make his NBA debut until 2001 with the Hawks. Seriously, that's how you had to do it. 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. Right after his junior prom, Tyler announced he was dropping out of school and heading overseas to start his pro basketball career. COMPLEX participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means COMPLEX gets paid commissions on purchases made through our links to retailer sites.