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Post by hchoops on Jan 14, 2019 17:00:09 GMT -5
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Post by efg72 on Jan 14, 2019 17:33:25 GMT -5
Coached against Durant, Ogden and Mayo in a few AAU tournaments with the last group I coached. We won and lost, but enjoyed watching each play. Lost a match-up which would have had us play against Love.
Saw Labron (same high school) Ewing, Sampson, Dantley, Griffiths( McDonalds AA game with Ronnie Perry) Iverson and Alonzo in high school
All worth the price of admission
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Post by alum on Jan 15, 2019 8:26:56 GMT -5
Interesting, but since everyone on this list except for Greg Oden had a reasonably successful and lengthy NBA career, it might be an example of the author validating his assessment of the talent of 17 years olds by what they did when they were 28. I would like to see a list of the best 50 high school players who ended up as flops in college and/or the pros so we could compare them to this list and try to figure out why some succeed and others do not.
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Post by hchoops on Jan 15, 2019 9:15:29 GMT -5
I am not so sure about that. Many of these players were not great pros, such as Kenny Anderson, who was an amazing HS player. Many great pros are not on the list. Of course I did not see even close to a majority of these guys when they were in HS, but the ones I did deserve their spots. Left out was Roger Brown of Wingate in Brooklyn. He and Connie Hawkins, who could be higher, were rivals. Brown was a star in the ABA. He may be an example to prove your point, though he was certainly not a flop after HS, just did not star in the NBA. Pearl Washington of Brooklyn’s Boys High and Syracuse should also be on the list.
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Post by timholycross on Jan 16, 2019 10:26:52 GMT -5
I am not so sure about that. Many of these players were not great pros, such as Kenny Anderson, who was an amazing HS player. Many great pros are not on the list. Of course I did not see even close to a majority of these guys when they were in HS, but the ones I did deserve their spots. Left out was Roger Brown of Wingate in Brooklyn. He and Connie Hawkins, who could be higher, were rivals. Brown was a star in the ABA. He may be an example to prove your point, though he was certainly not a flop after HS, just did not star in the NBA. Pearl Washington of Brooklyn’s Boys High and Syracuse should also be on the list. ...and even though it's a very logical choice for one of these studs to make, no one gives a crap about kids playing at places like Oak Hill Academy, they're not really high schools.
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Jan 16, 2019 11:21:55 GMT -5
One player that I recall being a real high school phenomenon was Tom McMillen. As I recall, some reports had him as the most heavily recruited HS player since Jerry Lucas. He went on to be a star at Maryland then spent 10 years as an NBA journeyman. He later became a US Congressman
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Post by hchoops on Jan 16, 2019 12:22:45 GMT -5
Good pick up. Never saw him in HS, but by his reputation, he should be on this list
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Post by rgs318 on Jan 16, 2019 13:01:46 GMT -5
What about Bill Willoughby (Dwight Morrow High School, Englewood, NJ)? The youngest player ever in the NBA when he went there out of high school. or Les Cason, East Rutherford HS (now Becton Regional), 1967-71: 2,821 points? He was also drafted to the NBA out of high school.
They were not great NBA players, but I thought this was the best high school players.
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Jan 16, 2019 15:23:35 GMT -5
One more to consider: Damon Bailey of Indiana. He was a high school phenom and is still the highest scoring player in Indiana HS history. Bobby Knight recruited him as an 8th grader. Most fans are likely aware that many Indiana HS games draw huge crowds. The 6 largest seating capacity HS gyms are in Indiana and 14 of the 16 largest. Bailey was playing before 5,000 or 8,000 fans game after game in high school. Bailey went on to a great career at IU but did not play in the NBA. There was a lot of excitement in the state the past few years as Romeo Langford of New Albany chased, but fell short, of Bailey's career scoring record. Langford is a freshman at IU now.
Thinking about this: I'd put Bailey in the category of "most celebrated high school players" but perhaps not in the "Top 50 high school players of all-time".
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Post by hchoops on Jan 16, 2019 16:47:49 GMT -5
One more to consider: Damon Bailey of Indiana. He was a high school phenom and is still the highest scoring player in Indiana HS history. Bobby Knight recruited him as an 8th grader. Most fans are likely aware that many Indiana HS games draw huge crowds. The 6 largest seating capacity HS gyms are in Indiana and 14 of the 16 largest. Bailey was playing before 5,000 or 8,000 fans game after game in high school. Bailey went on to a great career at IU but did not play in the NBA. There was a lot of excitement in the state the past few years as Romeo Langford of New Albany chased, but fell short, of Bailey's career scoring record. Langford is a freshman at IU now. Thinking about this: I'd put Bailey in the category of "most celebrated high school players" but perhaps not in the "Top 50 high school players of all-time". Rick Mount was Damon Bailey before Damon Bailey
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Post by hchoops on Jan 16, 2019 16:52:39 GMT -5
What about Bill Willoughby (Dwight Morrow High School, Englewood, NJ)? The youngest player ever in the NBA when he went there out of high school. or Les Cason, East Rutherford HS (now Becton Regional), 1967-71: 2,821 points? He was also drafted to the NBA out of high school. They were not great NBA players, but I thought this was the best high school players. I saw “Poodles” Willoughby, and he was a poor man’s Connie Hawkins, could do it all. If he had played in college, he would have been a dominant player, more ready for the NBA not sure he belongs on the list. never saw Cason, but he probably received little coaching, a guy named Vitale.
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Post by rgs318 on Jan 16, 2019 17:18:03 GMT -5
I like that poor man's Connie Hawkins. I believe I hold a similar opinion to you of Vitale's coaching.
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Post by Non Alum Dave on Jan 16, 2019 17:23:30 GMT -5
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Post by rgs318 on Jan 17, 2019 10:28:32 GMT -5
Les did indeed have a troubled life. His story s a sad one.
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Post by sader1970 on Jan 17, 2019 12:31:32 GMT -5
The name sound very familiar and I lived in the Syracuse area ("central New York" was the preferred name) from 1979-1987. Do you know he was more specifically or a more specific location?
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Post by rgs318 on Jan 17, 2019 13:15:06 GMT -5
I saw him play (well after the injury). I never had the chance to see him before it happened.
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Post by hchoops on Jan 17, 2019 16:45:33 GMT -5
Lloyd was from Norwich Free Academy in Connecticut and was a terrific recruit for HC ( and an extremely thoughtful and caring person) Top 50 ever ? Not even close
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Post by Xmassader on Jan 18, 2019 1:26:29 GMT -5
Two others to consider—Cazzie Russell from Chicago Carver and Spencer Haywood from Detroit Pershing.
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Post by Non Alum Dave on Jan 18, 2019 12:26:56 GMT -5
hoops, how about Felipe Lopez?
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Post by hchoops on Jan 18, 2019 12:59:52 GMT -5
Really good, but not near the top 50, maybe not the top NYC top 50
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Post by Non Alum Dave on Jan 18, 2019 13:11:24 GMT -5
Thanks hoops. I mentioned him because he seemed to be super super hyped when he arrived at St. John's.
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Post by hchoops on Jan 18, 2019 13:13:05 GMT -5
The NYC hype machine worked overtime on him.
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Post by Tom on Jan 18, 2019 13:13:23 GMT -5
Following the logic of Damon Bailey and Rick Mount, I can't believe no one mentioned Jimmy Chitwood. That kid never got caught watching the paint dry when they ran the old picket fence play
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Post by hchoops on Jan 18, 2019 13:19:58 GMT -5
Old time Philly hoops people say Walt Hazzard was the city’s second best to Wilt. They would argue Walt over Rasheed Wallace, though would probably want both in. They would also want Guy Rogers and Tom Gola in.
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Jan 18, 2019 16:28:06 GMT -5
I wonder if Tom Konchalski has ever prepared a personal list?
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