It wasn't the best decision for each one, but for a select group of superstars, skipping college paid off. Williamson, at the time, was still considering South Carolina as a college commitment, so as a Gamecocks fan who had seen the YouTube videos, my friend was all in for a trip to see Spartanburg Day play in the first round of the state playoffs. Michael Beasley 2. Caitlin Clark is a college basketball player who has been involved in the sport throughout her entire life. Unfortunately, Gathers also had an abnormal heartbeat and it proved to be something even he couldnt overcome. It didn't take long to see that it was. 1 player in the nation and skipped college altogether, going No. The 'Punks'section of Slam Magazine and maybe ESPN's 'SSA'were the primary ways we caught wind of big-time hoopers elsewhere. Averaged 19.4 points, 5 . He would eventually move on to play in the CBA before retiring in 2003. Malone didn't need college; his last two years in high school, his team didn't lose a single game, taking back-to-back state titles in Virginia. 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. He was by far the best player to come out of Oakland. USA Today has named its top high school player since the 1982-83 season. Hell, he wasnt even the next Ray Jackson or Jimmy King. He is also the only player in NBA history to be named Finals MVP despite being on the losing team. 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. 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. Lamborghinis are known for their luxury and class in addition to their performance and speed. The most by a freshman since 2000, a gifted woman is the first rookie in NCAA Division I history with 12 30-point games. Thirty-four years ago, it wasn't. Bryant lead the "Aces" to the Pennsylvania state title in '96, and in 2010, the school named their new gymnasium for the hoops legend. Jared McCain is a prominent face in high school basketball. The nights watching tournament games at the State Fairgrounds in Columbus affectionately known as the 'The Barn' were the best. Despite my best defensive efforts, Latta was able to score 54 points against my team, the future 4A State Champions. The fact that Bennett went to three different high schools should have been the first sign of trouble but he excelled in basketball at all three. Two days after being taken by the Celtics, Biasdied of a cardiac arrest brought on by a cocaine overdose. 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. We were playing Salem at our small gym with a brick wall that was about 10 feet off the baseline. How Tall is Popular Singer and Star Actor Nick Lachey? Follow Us On Social Media!Twitter: http://bit.ly/2zHv7dJInstagram: http://bit.ly/2inVlI4Facebook: http://bit.ly/2zNPZNQ He was so skilled that the Lakers even selected him in the NBA's 1971 hardship draft. For 15 year old Ryan Chian, love of basketball won't fade away. 15 Basketball High School Phenoms Who Never Made It In The NBA. I could tell you what happened next, but I'd rather show you. Tippit, the quarterback of the football team, played on basketball and football teams that are a combined 33-3. In alphabetical order, here are 10 Super 5 candidates to watch. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. Despite never playing high school or college ball, Joe The Destroyer Hammond was perhaps the greatest basketball player to ever come out of Harlem. 2 overall pick in the 1986 draft and that was as close to the NBA as Bias would ever get. 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. 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. Tyler remains the first and only player to not only skip college to turn pro, but he skipped part of high school as well. He last played, professionally, in 2005 and was arrested in 2009 for failing to appear in court for a child support hearing. 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. Young was a talented small forward from Kansas but even his high school coach was surprised he opted to skip college. Fans would always wonder, what if? Initially, he committed to Louisville after a stellar run at Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, but extenuating circumstances prompted him to change his mind and declare for the 2004 draft. The nation's top high school basketball players used to be able to go straight to the draft. 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. 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. 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. Was Manigault the original "G.O.A.T"? First player in Chicago history to ever be named top high school player in the nation in 1983-84. Almost literally, because he resembled no player more than he did Shaquille O'Neal. We take an in-depth look at the greatest high school hoopers ever, and how their stats compare. He went for 24 points, six rebounds and three steals in a 69-39 win over Wood Memorial. Is The Famous Actress And Comedian, Aubrey Plaza, Married? Fat chance. These individuals have broken records, displayed otherworldly talent, and taken the game itself to new heights. 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. In addition, she also retains the award of Iowa Gatorade Player-of-the-Year in 2019 and 2020. Swift then transferred to the dully named Highland High School where he had to win a court battle to be eligible to play. 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. And, man, he was mean out there, almost menacing, grimacing and snarling as he imposed his will on you. 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. 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. 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. Telfair played for nine NBA teams in 10 years and spent some time overseas as well, never living up to the incredible hype. Oden lived up to his billing in college, leading the Ohio State Buckeyes to the National Championship game. The No. They arent All-Star caliber players but they still made tens of millions of dollars and proved right in their decisions to skip college. Professional journalist for 25 years, contributing writer with High Times magazine and High Times.com since 1993. He last played professionally in 2007 in Argentina. 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. The man who was once dubbed The Spanish Michael Jordan reached his peak at just the age of 14. Only two members of the Fab Five II would go on to play in the NBA: Maceo Baston and Maurice Taylor. The first high school player to be drafted straight out of high school was Tim Duncan of Rock Hill High School in South Carolina. Oden was already being called the next Patrick Ewing or the next Tim Duncan when he was just 16 years old. Wagner was the No. We all know what happened when Oden went pro as he was drafted by the Blazers first overall in 2007. Tadd Haislop. Those in the Columbus area who remember watching Weaver play in the '90s will tell you 100 variations of thissame legend. With five players ranked in the 2023 ESPN 100 and four more ranked in the 2024 ESPN . 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?) Caitlin Clark is an accomplished basketball player born and raised in Iowa, USA. He also set a state record for blocked shots in a game--and he did that in the very first half of his very first game! He was selected 13th overall by the Trail Blazers and his pro career proceeded to be a never-ending shuffle. Needless to say they did it without Butler, who never did learn much about that work ethic. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Damon Bailey was LeBron James before LeBron James, in the sense that he was so hyped up as a high school prospect and he drew tens of thousands of fans to see him play. 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. I mashed up some of what I captured for an Instagram video. They will all be in the Hall of Fame one day and are considered some of the greatest players in NBA history. "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. It turned out Oden was the one whose body couldn't handle the NBA, as he was seemingly hurt year after year. He scored 2,124 points in high school and led his team to 50 straight wins. Now, everbody knows Amar'e Stoudemire." The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. He played for four teams in four seasons and even Michael Olowokandi lasted nine seasons in the NBA. 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. Teenage almost-seven-foot Chris Washburn doing it was like seeing man walk on the moon. You were drawn to Estaban. 8. He was one of the most-touted players to come out of New York in years and won the Mr. Basketball USA award in 1994. Drafted in the 2000 NBA Draft after putting on a show in numerous high school all-star games he was so spectacular that Michael Jordan endorsed the Clippers taking him near the top of the. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. Brent and Anne Nizzi-daughter Clarks Caitlin is a Clark. Cell phones throughout that crowd were set in video mode and trained on Williamson before he even finished his stretches. He would play only 103 games in the NBA and his career was over by the age of 23. Despite his stock at an all-time low, he declared for the draft and was taken in the second round by the Grizzlies. His last known basketball activity was a tryout with the Warriors D-League team in 2016. Press Esc to cancel. Know All About His Life! 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. 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. Caitlin was born on January 22, 2002, in Des Moines, Iowa, and is currently 19 years old. Such was the case when my Tampa Raptors, a rag-tag, best of the rest team, consisting of a band of players not good enough to be scooped up by Nike or adidas' summer outfits. I remember listening to Weaver's first high school game against Lancaster on the radio. 9 in the next summer's NBA Draft. Won two gold medals with USA Basketball. 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 waspronounced dead later that evening at Daniel Freeman Marina Hospital. 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. I just shot at the one in the middle. Since then hes spent his time in the coaching ranks in both Indiana high schools and for the Butler womens basketball team. 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. "He was a star guard for Salem High, someone we all saw regularly at the Salem YMCA. Lopez stayed local with his college choice at went to St. Johns where he was solid but unspectacular. Howard opted to forego college and head straight for the draft where he was the number one overall selection by the Orlando Magic. 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. Her zodiac sign is Aquarius, based on the day of her birth. That was kind of the case with Suntino Korleone Young, whose name seems to derive from the Godfather character Santino 'Sonny' Corleone. How Tall Is Celebrity Singer Paula Abdul? 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. She is currently attending the University of Iowa and is likely to graduate in 2020. Aside from throwing down monster dunks, he was also known for blocking the shots of opponents much bigger than him. All that you've heard about his ability is true, except that it may be incomplete. Sergio Llull Unlike the other players in this list, Sergio Llull still has a chance to make. Shes a stunning basketball player with a well-built body. Nicknamed 'Benji'. He attacked the rim like it had stole something from him. But before all that, center/power forward Butler was an excellent post player,twice being Mississippi's "Mr. Basketball" (2002 and '03). MORE: What drives LeBron's next decision? By the time Weaver reached high school, you couldn't get a seat at the gym. She was an incredible shooter and I had NEVER seen handles like that, ever." The third-ranked player, Korleone Young, played 3 NBA games. There was asixth-grader in Columbus who could dunk, and his name put it over the top. McDonald's All-American. 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. I remember he dunked the ball so hard on a fast-break, the portable goal just collapsed to the ground. A legend of Rucker Park, Hammond destroyed opponents with his thunderous jams and smooth shot. It was a well-deserved ranking as the Legend of Mayo had reached epic heights by then. Tyreke Evans 3. Layups, jumpers, dunks; they were off his fingertips like electrostatic sparks. The most vivid thing I remember was how fast Jamison would get his shot off after catching a pass. USA Today has named its top high school player since the 1982-83 season. Unfortunately, instead of showcasing his abilities in the NBA, Mitchell was seduced by a life of crime and ended up in prison. Fields subsequently went undrafted by the NBA in the late 1990s, never achieving the greatness of his teammate KG. Fans of 1A boys basketball may feel a sense of dj vu as last year's top contenders, region rivals Panguitch and PIute, are set to face off again. 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. 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. Unfortunately, like many of the other NYC playground talents, Manigaults life was destroyed by drugs. Top opponent: Jason Drake Jr., Ferndale. Jordan really didn't top that one until the 1988 NBA dunk contest maybe. 3. She also finished the season with the fourth-highest points per game average in Iowa history. The top-two ranked, Al Harrington and Rashard Lewis, combined to play 32 NBA seasons and appear in over 2000 games. On November 25, 2020, she made her collegiate debut for Iowa, scoring 27 points in a 96-81 victory over Northern Iowa. She has gained recognition for her exceptional gaming senses. 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. Such was Garnett's maturity that he was able to bypass college and still exceed expectations. 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 . Blake is a football player for Iowa State and is also an athlete. He was a very good player for the Hoosiers, was a four-year starter and left the school sixth on Indianas all-time scoring list. How Tall Is Basketball Player Caitlin Clark? Only twice has a player won the award two times: LeBron James and Greg Oden. But Baldwin is also . 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. 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. There's been an ongoing debate for years, even decades, on whether the "one and done" rule in the NBA should be liftedor if in fact, basketball players should spend even more time in college. 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. Either way, while these talented basketball players never made it to the National Basketball Association, they certainly had the game required to do so. Mar 1, 2023, 4:15pm PST. Perhaps, but Earl's "Goat" handle may have several other origins, including his surname ending with "-gault". 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. Since he was never a senior, we dont have his senior rankings but he was ranked the 7th best junior in the nation and had college offers from UNC, Louisville and UCLA. 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. Who was the best high school basketball player you ever saw in person? 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. 10. "It feels relaxing and just feels good to play," said Chian. Below is our take on the 30 greatest basketball players to never play in the NBA. Last week, we unveiled our top high school basketball team in each state and today we are digging . Gabriella Brooks and Liam Hemsworth Were Spotted Together Following Miley Cyrus Release Of A Song About Him. Born in the Dominican Republic, Lopezs family moved to New York when he was 14 and he enrolled at Rice High School in Manhattan. In recent years, Howard has dampened his stature as an NBA pro. Because ESPN ranked her as the second best guard, more people started paying attention to what she had to say about the game. Type above and press Enter to search. However, there is another group of players who were better served in going to college than skipping it. But imagine an alternate reality where injuries had kept one of these gifted, highly scouted prospects from ever becoming an NBA player. Therefore, in most of these cases, as you shall discover, college probably would have been a good idea for the player in question. Herman "Helicopter" Knowings Image via Complex Original Accolades: One of 24 ESPN Rucker Park Legends The. 1 prospect, was outplayed by an unknown player named LeBron James who would then supplant Cooke as the top player in the country. I vividly remember his first post-stretch action being a rebound off a teammate's missed warm-up jumper. But then it all went downhill for Fields, who fractured a bone in his neck before his senior year playoffs. Brandon Jennings 5. 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. I was not on the basketball team at Lynn English, my high school, but my friend, Charlie Leslie, was a forward for the team. Seriously, that's how you had to do it. 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. We held the lead deep into the second half before he decided he'd had enough. 'Man among boys'was not a cliche with him. 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. Eventually, the Boston Celtics selected him with the No. These guys peaked in high school as they were great players who just werent able to translate their skills to the pros. The bleachers at the Sumter Civic Center were full by the time Williamson's team took the floor for pregame warm-ups. Some of them are legends of the playgrounds; others are individuals whose lives werecut way too short. Some ballers opted not to enter the league for monetary reasons (back in the day, most NBA players made meager, five-figure salaries). Cooke did have good times, first at Lane High in Brooklyn and then he moved on to La Salle Academy in Manhattan. 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. Caitlin began playing basketball when she was a freshman in high school and quickly established herself as one of the top players at her school. 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. But it became clear very soon that Bailey had peaked in high school. 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. 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. 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. 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 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. Some players found themselves a little too drawn to the hustler lifestyle. 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. It was impossible to watch anybody else on the court. Oftentimes, you'd go into an AAU game, having never laid eyes on your opponent before opening tipoff. Except now he's got Magic Johnson's head on Karl Malone's body, and it's even more frightening." 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. 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. When you're known by just two letters--as in "KG"--you have to be something special. After being named Mr. USA Basketball in 1990, Knight recruited Bailey to play for Indiana. It certainly seemed at the time as if only Jordan himself could even have matched that any time in our lifetimes. For those of us who did attend a university, we know the unmatched experience and knowledge that going to college provides a young person's mind, and life in general. Cooke was apparently so intent on going pro after high school that he never even bothered taking the SAT or ACT which are required for college. The first thing that came to mind upon watching him was this: Magic Johnson's head on Michael Jordan's body. 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. Behind Bates, Ypsi Prep Academy begins the season ranked No. 1 forward in the Class of 2012 while attending Findlay Prep in Nevada. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. In 1984, as a senior, he was the Parade Magazine co-player of the year with none other than Danny Manning. 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. woman jumps off carquinez bridge 2021 best high school basketball player that never made it. As a senior he led the Mustangs to a 25-2 record and a state championship after an undefeated regular season and semi-finals appearance the previous year. D.J. I had no motivation to attend beyond my simple desire to verify the internet sensation with my own eyes. "The common pushback against the absurdity that is a Zion Williamson high school highlight video is the level of competition facing Spartanburg Day School. Heck, there was no YouTube. 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.'