Sunday, September 23, 2012

High School Basketball: Fifty-Years of #1 Recruits!!! (2012-2003)

LeBRON JAMES: Class of 2003


Written by: Prospect-Central

When recruiting analysts decide who the best high school basketball players are in the country, it's usually just an opinion and done so subjectively.  Since there are a number of recruiting sites that have put out rankings over the years, opinions have varied as to who the best players were from each class.  With that being said, Prospect-Central has put together a video montage of the #1 high school basketball players in the country over the last fifty-years.

Of the fifty recruits, there were fourteen I felt still deserve their #1 status to this day.  The other thirty-six players had excellent careers in their own right, some of them even making the Basketball Hall of Fame, but there still could have been even better selections in my opinion.  Whenever that was the case, I added the player who's career I felt earned him the right to be called #1 in his high school graduating class.  So sit back, relax and take a ride through the last fifty-years of high school basketball's top recruits. * Below are the #1 high school basketball recruits from the Class of 2012-2003.  Of the ten players, there are four I feel still deserve their #1 status to this day.

Class of 2012
Nerlens Noel c / 6'10'' 215 / The Tilton School / Kentucky


Shabazz Muhammad sg/sf / 6'6'' 220 / Bishop Gorman / UCLA / Profile



Class of 2011
Anthony Davis pf/c / 6'10'' 220 / Perspectives / Kentucky

Class of 2010
Harrison Barnes sf / 6'7'' 225 / Ames High / North Carolina


Kyrie Irving pg / 6'2'' 180 / St. Patrick / Duke / Profile



Class of 2009
Derrick Favors pf / 6'10'' 250 / South Atlanta / Georgia Tech

John Wall pg / 6'4'' 195 / Word of God Academy / Kentucky / Profile



Class of 2008
Brandon Jennings pg / 6'1'' 175 / Oak Hill Academy / No College


Class of 2007
O.J. Mayo sg / 6'4'' 210 / Huntington / Southern California

Derrick Rose pg / 6'3'' 190 / Simeon Career Academy / Memphis / Profile



Class of 2006
Greg Oden c / 7'0'' 280 / Lawrence North / Ohio State

Kevin Durant sf / 6'9'' 215 / Montrose Christian / Texas / Profile



Class of 2005
Gerald Green sf / 6'8'' 200 / Gulf Shores Academy / No College
TIE
Monta Ellis sg / 6'3'' 185 / Lanier High / No College / Profile
Andrew Bynum c / 7'0'' 280 / St. Josephs / No College / Profile



Class of 2004
Dwight Howard c / 6'11'' 265 / Southwest Christian / No College

Class of 2003
LeBron James sf / 6'8'' 250 / St. Vincent - St.Mary's / No College

#1 Recruits
Class of 2002-1993
Class of 1992-1983
Class of 1982-1973
Class of 1972-1963

High School Basketball: Fifty-Years of #1 Recruits!!! (2002-1993)

KOBE BRYANT: Class of 1996


Written by: Prospect-Central

When recruiting analysts decide who the best high school basketball players are in the country, it's usually just an opinion and done so subjectively.  Since there are a number of recruiting sites that have put out rankings over the years, opinions have varied as to who the best players were from each class.  With that being said, Prospect-Central has put together a video montage of the #1 high school basketball players in the country over the last fifty-years.

Of the fifty recruits, there were fourteen I felt still deserve their #1 status to this day.  The other thirty-six players had excellent careers in their own right, some of them even making the Basketball Hall of Fame, but there still could have been even better selections in my opinion.  Whenever that was the case, I added the player who's career I felt earned him the right to be called #1 in his high school graduating class.  So sit back, relax and take a ride through the last fifty-years of high school basketball's top recruits. * Below are the #1 high school basketball recruits from the Class of 2002-1993.  Of the ten players, there are three I feel still deserve their #1 status to this day.

Class of 2002
Amare Stoudemire pf / 6'10'' 245 / Cypress Creek / No College


Carmelo Anthony sf / 6'8'' 230 / Oak Hill Academy / Syracuse / Profile



Class of 2001
Eddy Curry c / 7'0'' 295 / Thornwood High / No College

Tyson Chandler c / 7'1'' 235 / Dominguez High / No College / Profile



Class of 2000
Zach Randolph pf / 6'9'' 250 / Marion / Michigan State

Dwyane Wade sg / 6'4'' 220 / Richards High / Marquette / Profile



Class of 1999
Donnell Harvey sf / 6'8'' 230 / Randolph-Clay / Florida

Joe Johnson sg / 6'7'' 230 / Little Rock Central / Arkansas / Profile



Class of 1998
Al Harrington pf / 6'9'' 250 / St. Patrick / No College

Rashard Lewis sf / 6'10'' 230 / Elsik High / No College / Profile



Class of 1997
Tracy McGrady sf / 6'8'' 225 / Mount Zion / No College

Class of 1996
Kobe Bryant sg / 6'6'' 205 / Lower Merion / No College

Class of 1995
Kevin Garnett pf / 6'11'' 240 / Farragut Academy / No College

Class of 1994
Felipe Lopez sg / 6'5'' 200 / Rice High / St. John's

Allen Iverson pg / 6'0'' 165 / Bethel High / Georgetown / Profile



Class of 1993
Jerry Stackhouse sg / 6'6'' 220 / Oak Hill / North Carolina

Tim Duncan pf / 6'11'' 250 / Saint Dunstan's Episcopal / Wake Forest / Profile



#1 Recruits
Class of 2012-2003
Class of 1992-1983
Class of 1982-1973
Class of 1972-1963

High School Basketball: Fifty-Years of #1 Recruits!!! (1992-1983)

JASON KIDD: Class of 1992


Written by: Prospect-Central

When recruiting analysts decide who the best high school basketball players are in the country, it's usually just an opinion and done so subjectively.  Since there are a number of recruiting sites that have put out rankings over the years, opinions have varied as to who the best players were from each class.  With that being said, Prospect-Central has put together a video montage of the #1 high school basketball players in the country over the last fifty-years.

Of the fifty recruits, there were fourteen I felt still deserve their #1 status to this day.  The other thirty-six players had excellent careers in their own right, some of them even making the Basketball Hall of Fame, but there still could have been even better selections in my opinion.  Whenever that was the case, I added the player who's career I felt earned him the right to be called #1 in his high school graduating class.  So sit back, relax and take a ride through the last fifty-years of high school basketball's top recruits. * Below are the #1 high school basketball recruits from the Class of 1992-1983.  Of the ten players, there are three I feel still deserve their #1 status to this day.

Class of 1992
Jason Kidd pg / 6'4'' 210 / Saint Joseph Notre Dame / California

Class of 1991
Chris Webber pf / 6'10'' 245 / Detroit Country Day / Michigan

Class of 1990
Ed O'Bannon sf / 6'8'' 225 / Artesia High / UCLA

Grant Hill sf / 6'8'' 225 / South Lakes High / Duke / Profile



Class of 1989
Kenny Anderson pg / 6'0'' 170 / Archbishop Molly / Georgia Tech

Shaquille O'neal c / 7'1'' 320 / Cole High / LSU / Profile



Class of 1988
Alonzo Mourning c / 6'10'' 250 / Indian River / Georgetown

Class of 1987
Marcus Liberty sf / 6'8'' 220 / Martin Luther King / Illinois

Larry Johnson pf / 6'6'' 250 / Skyline High / UNLV / Profile



Class of 1986
J.R. Reid pf / 6'9'' 250 / Kempsville High / North Carolina

Gary Payton pg / 6'4'' 180 / Skyline High / Oregon State / Profile



Class of 1985
Danny Ferry pf / 6'10'' 230 / DeMatha Catholic / Duke

Tim Hardaway pg / 6'0'' 175 / Carver High / UTEP / Profile



????
Ben Wilson sf / 6'8'' 220 / Simeon Career Academy / Profile



Class of 1984
Danny Manning pf/c / 6'10'' 230 / Lawrence High  / Kansas

Mitch Richmond sg / 6'5'' 220 / Boyd Anderson High / Kansas State / Profile



Class of 1983
Reggie Williams sg/sf / 6'7'' 190 / Paul Laurence Dunbar / Georgetown

David Robinson c / 7'1'' 240 / Osbourn Park / U.S. Naval Academy / Profile



Honorable Mentions
Scottie Pippen sf / 6'7'' 210 / Hamburg High / Central Arkansas / Profile
Reggie Miller sg/sf / 6'7'' 185 / Riverside Polytech / UCLA / Profile



#1 Recruits
Class of 2012-2003
Class of 2002-1993
Class of 1982-1973
Class of 1972-1963