5. 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. And, man, he was mean out there, almost menacing, grimacing and snarling as he imposed his will on you. 1. Michael Beasley 2. 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. Such was Garnett's maturity that he was able to bypass college and still exceed expectations. Nick Birdsong. Chris Washburn's one moment makes him my choice." By Posted google sheets script get row number In los angeles skateboard deck 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. Which is a shame because the guy was insanely talented. The rest is a cautionary tale seen here in this Homage documentary , but for the sake of a modern comparison it felt like watching Derrick Rose and Vince Carter at the same time. Clark stands tall at a height of 5 foot 11 inches. How Tall is Popular Singer and Star Actor Nick Lachey? 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. Our staff picks includeone of the greatest basketball players of all time, but there are a few cautionary tales in the mix too. Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649. Founded by Sonny Vaccaro in Pittsburgh, that event was the fore-runner of the McDonald's All-American Game. 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. He died of natural causes back in 2015 at the age of 89. Perhaps the singular flaw on KG's resume is the fact he "only" won one title; but still, KG is an all-time great. After being named Mr. USA Basketball in 1990, Knight recruited Bailey to play for Indiana. Type above and press Enter to search. 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. The only thing I could think was, There can't be eight players better than him. Led the Tigers to a 28-5 record heading into the Class 4A sectional final. No, that isn't comedian Carrot Top, that's NBA flame-out Robert Swift, a great high school player that managed to get Garces High School (Bakersfield, CA) ranked in the USA Today top 25 teams during the 2002-03 season. 3. 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. 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. The ironically nicknamed "Black Jack" Ryan represents the only "great white hope" of this list. Fans would always wonder, what if? Her father participated in baseball and basketball at Simpson College. . 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). Know About Her Amusing Dating History. He played a total of 15 games in the NBA and played in now-defunct leagues such as the IBL and BSN. 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. Williams wound up being a "Summer League" player, when real ballers want to hoop in the winter and spring. I remember listening to Weaver's first high school game against Lancaster on the radio. McCain grew up in Sacramento and spent a majority of his life in the . 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. But the team played with just five eligible varsity players after a fight during a game last . 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. I could tell you what happened next, but I'd rather show you. 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. In 2017 and 2019, she won two gold medals in the FIBA Americas Tournament and the FIBA World Cup Tournament with Team USA. 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. We held the lead deep into the second half before he decided he'd had enough. 4. After being named Mr. Basketball USA in 1990, Bailey joined Knight in Bloomington, Indiana. Washburn showed glimpses of his dominance at both ends, the way it tends to happen in all-star games that loaded with talent trying to show off. Top Basketball States. He was then traded to the Mavs but never played a game due to more psychological issues. He was seen as the surer thing between he and fellow top prospect Kevin Durant, whom many felt wouldn't last in the NBA due to his lanky frame. In this blog post, we are going to talk about the Best High School Basketball Player That Never Made It. Below is our take on the 30 greatest basketball players to never play in the NBA. 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. 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. woman jumps off carquinez bridge 2021 best high school basketball player that never made it. Fat chance. Caitlin won the Big Ten Freshman of the Week award 13 times, a conference record. That's like saying a Lamborghini isn't as impressive because it's sharing the road with Volvos and Subarus. On Caitlins current financial situation, nothing is known. Favorite athlete: Stephen Curry. So I've seen nearly every great basketball talent as a high schooler for the past four decades: Ewing, Mourning, Garnett, Davis. 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. ', Was I wrong about any of that? Bassy remains the only pure point guard to be drafted straight out of high school and the movie He Got Game was loosely based on Telfair among other players. First player in Chicago history to ever be named top high school player in the nation in 1983-84. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. For head coach Kristin Meyer of West Des Moines Dowling High School, Caitlin started all four years. 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. 18 pick in the 1973 draft, yet on account of a contract dispute, Lewis never played a single game in the NBA. Mar 1, 2023, 4:15pm PST. She also won awards including Iowa Miss Basketball, Gatorade State Player of the Year, and the McDonalds All-American title. McBride now has 1,822 career points going into the sectional. And it's really not close. Eventually, Wrenn ran into legal troubles, thus ending his bid at the pros. 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. I had the unfortunate pleasure of guarding her while I played for Dorman High School. Unfortunately, once Wagner reached the NBA his body started to fail him as he was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and ended up having to remove half his colon. She therefore embraces her subject of interest with zeal and determination, which is why she is currently becoming more well-liked among basketball fans. Brad Pinkerton. He ran the floor like a defensive back doing the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. 'Man among boys'was not a cliche with him. 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. "The common pushback against the absurdity that is a Zion Williamson high school highlight video is the level of competition facing Spartanburg Day School. Oden was already being called the next Patrick Ewing or the next Tim Duncan when he was just 16 years old. Some of these high school phenoms did decide to go to college but they still werent able to relive the glory from their high school days. Cell phones throughout that crowd were set in video mode and trained on Williamson before he even finished his stretches. Believe me, I tried. Selby was one of the best players to ever come out of the DMV area and he was the No. And Washburn took off and threw down the exact same dunk. "We talked about the legend in the cafeteria. 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. Maggette, a Fenwick (Oak Park, Ill.) star on his way to Duke and the NBA, dominated Deerfield with 27 points, 15 rebounds and three steals. I vividly remember his first post-stretch action being a rebound off a teammate's missed warm-up jumper. Thirty-four years ago, it wasn't. Averaged 19.4 points, 5 . 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. If only he couldve put basketball before everything else. When you're known by just two letters--as in "KG"--you have to be something special. Wren basketball wins first ever boys state championship, beats Crestwood 56-49. But Telfair wouldnt prove to be the Blazers point guard of the future and was nothing more than a journeyman backup during his 10 NBA seasons. 7 recruit in his class would average all of 3.7 PPG in two seasons with the Gators and declared for the 2015 NBA Draft. Bill Bender is a national college football writer for The Sporting News. Though Bryant was drafted #13 overall by the Charlotte Hornets, of course, such an obscure franchise was beneath Kobe's destined greatness, so he promptly engineered a curious trade to the Los Angeles Lakers (for Vlade Divac?) Despite my best defensive efforts, Latta was able to score 54 points against my team, the future 4A State Champions. 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. IF POLL DOES NOT APPEAR, click here to vote. It certainly seemed at the time as if only Jordan himself could even have matched that any time in our lifetimes. Know Her Career And Life! 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. She has been one of the basketball players in the United States who is on the rise. I was not on the basketball team at Lynn English, my high school, but my friend, Charlie Leslie, was a forward for the team. He was so skilled that the Lakers even selected him in the NBA's 1971 hardship draft. Who was the best high school basketball player you ever saw in person? AIKEN For the first time in its history and in coach Fran Campbell's 39-year stint at the school, the Wren boys . 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. 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. He was a lottery pick by the Supersonics but spent most of his first two years on the bench. Avon defeats Danville 61-49 on Friday, February 24, 2023. Who is IHSAA boys basketball player of the week? There was actually an HBO movie made about Manigault starring Don Cheadle entitledRebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault. 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). How Tall Is Grizzlies Star Player Desmond Bane? "Growing up in Charlotte in the mid-90s, it was impossible to ignore the hype surrounding a local basketball star named Antawn Jamison. But imagine an alternate reality where injuries had kept one of these gifted, highly scouted prospects from ever becoming an NBA player. 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. 11 overall by the Detroit Shock in the 2007 WNBA Draft, Ivory Latta was a huge star at York High School. 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. Her date of birth is not known. On the other hand, she can currently make a respectable living as a college player. Oden lived up to his billing in college, leading the Ohio State Buckeyes to the National Championship game. At 26.6 points per game, Caitlin set the Iowa freshman record and led NCAA Division I scoring in 202021. Now, I've got a moment to compare with that. Complex Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Swift would play a total of 97 games in the NBA and experience more problems off the court. Tyreke Evans 3. Brent and Anne Nizzi-daughter Clarks Caitlin is a Clark. Bennett ended the 2016-17 season in Turkey but was cut after his team won the championship. They will all be in the Hall of Fame one day and are considered some of the greatest players in NBA history. He played one year in Israel and one year in Japan before being drafted in the second round in 2011 by Charlotte. By. But before all that, center/power forward Butler was an excellent post player,twice being Mississippi's "Mr. Basketball" (2002 and '03). She has gained recognition for her exceptional gaming senses. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. 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. He would eventually move on to play in the CBA before retiring in 2003. 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. Hes looking at a future of second-rate foreign leagues and G-League appearances. Shes a stunning basketball player with a well-built body. 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. Caitlin keeps her focus on her goal at all times. How Tall Is Celebrity Singer Paula Abdul? 10. The WCAC was the best high school league in the country, as at least 3 teams were nationally ranked. However, there is another group of players who were better served in going to college than skipping it. 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. Swift was going to hoop for USC, which probably would have been been the smarter decision. In February2017, I dragged a friend from Charlotte down to Sumter, S.C., an unsuspecting town in the middle of the state. During a summer camp Cooke, the then No. Despite never playing high school or college ball, Joe The Destroyer Hammond was perhaps the greatest basketball player to ever come out of Harlem. Now, everbody knows Amar'e Stoudemire." MORE: What drives LeBron's next decision? 15 Basketball High School Phenoms Who Never Made It In The NBA. After bouncing around myriad high schools in two states, he enrolled at a private school in Orlando for his senior season. Aside from throwing down monster dunks, he was also known for blocking the shots of opponents much bigger than him. The 6-foot-3 senior guard committed to Duke earlier this year. 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. In 2014 he grew tired of the NBAs minor league system and headed back overseas. But it became clear very soon that Bailey had peaked in high school. 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. 1 forward in the Class of 2012 while attending Findlay Prep in Nevada. The nation's top high school basketball players used to be able to go straight to the draft. Along with teammate Chris Monroe, Roger led Good Counsel to the WCAC tournament finals. Is The Famous Actress And Comedian, Aubrey Plaza, Married? Standing about 6-8 and about 230 or 240 pounds, he looked like a grown man, and I had no clue who he was. First with the Timberwolves, where he never quite had the supporting cast to go all the way, and then with the Celtics, where he teamed with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen to bring the C's their 17th championship. Go figure: The best high school player performance I saw was on campus when I was a college student attending a game at Evanston's Welsh-Ryan Arena, in Chicago's second-ever City/Suburban Showdown. She was leading in the nation in assists (214), points (799), points per game (26.6), made field goals (266), and made 3-pointers (116), and second in assists per game (7.1) and 3-pointers per game (3.87). He was rated the No. 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. In 1984, as a senior, he was the Parade Magazine co-player of the year with none other than Danny Manning. Whether it was bad luck, bad advice, or tragedy, here are the top 5 football / basketball players who never made it in their professional sports league. However, since breaking Duke's all-time scoring. 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. Maggette was smooth and fun to watch doing everything on the floor." Alston. His unstoppable offensive drives, clutch defense, dominating physicality and sheer will to win are an almost incomparable combination; and only playing some great Spurs and Warriors teams in the NBA Finals over the years has prevented "The King" from owning more than three crowns at this point in his career. 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. Despite his stock at an all-time low, he declared for the draft and was taken in the second round by the Grizzlies. Unless youre a diehard basketball fan, you probably dont know about the majority of these players. After one year at USC Mayo joined the NBA where he wasnt the star that many expected but was still a serviceable role player. Everyone remembers the Fab Five of Michigan but did you know there was a Fab Five II? Caitlin was born on January 22, 2002, in Des Moines, Iowa, and is currently 19 years old. And even then you heard about players a lot more than you saw them. The game meant something to us, but it was everything for him. McDonald's All-American. 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. Moses Malone, Petersburg (Va.), 1974 The first high school player to go directly to the professional ranks, Malone was a two-time Parade and Scholastic Coach All-American while leading Petersburg to a pair of Virginia state championships. 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. Press Esc to cancel. Whether or not he actually finished high school is up for debate as he didnt qualify academically at the University of Florida. Some players found themselves a little too drawn to the hustler lifestyle. He went in the second round of the 1994 draft to the Pacers, his hometown team. Best High School Boys Basketball Player in Every State 2022: West By Tony Adame on October 24, 2022 Twitter Stadium Talk's annual preseason list of the best high school boys basketball player in all 50 states is upon us, and we're trying something new and exciting this year by dividing the stories up into regions. 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. Last week, we unveiled our top high school basketball team in each state and today we are digging . There's almost nothing else to remember from Chris Washburn's basketball career, except him posing with Len Bias after they were picked back-to-back in the 1986 NBA Draft, or maybe him lounging on the Warriors' bench before or after one of his suspensions.