Tag: Basketball

When ranking top high school basketball players of all time, there are some factors to consider. Many dominant players in high school do not eventually begin a professional career. As a result, the players reviewed below include players that excelled in high school and subsequently went on to play in the NBA.

The first player is Jason Kidd from St. Joseph Notre Dame, California. Kidd, at the height of 6 ft 5, thrilled the audience. His basketball acumen, strategy, and team spirit may have contributed to his overall success. At St. Joseph Notre Dame, Kidd won back-to-back state titles in 1991 and 1992.

During his high school years, Kidd was elected California Player of the Year twice and the Naismith Player of the Year( in 1992), making him the best player in the country at the time. Kidd is still the all-time national high school steals leader. Jason Kidd announced his retirement from the NBA on Monday, June 3, 2013, following a 19-year career, and has become a successful basketball coach.

Another is Bill Walton from Helix High, California. Bill Walton’s high school season was remarkable for the number of games he played. Walton was a strong shooter from the paint and an even better rebounder as a center. Walton concluded the season with 29 points and 25 rebounds per game while shooting an incredible 78 percent from the field as a senior. Thanks to Bill Walton, Helix went unbeaten that year, going 33-0 and winning the state title.

In high school, Walton was a strong force, finishing with a 49-game winning run and two state championships. Even though Walton’s career was shortened by injury, the things he did at Helix are still spoken about today.

Oscar Robertson is another high school basketball legend. With his help, Crispus Attucks High School, Indianapolis, Indiana, made national history in 1955. Attucks became the first all-Black high school to win a state championship in 1955 and 1956. After averaging 24 points per game as a senior, Robertson was voted Mr. Basketball in Indiana.

His 45-game winning run and spectacular high school career came to an end with his second championship with the Attucks. Robertson, also known as The Big O, is the first player in NBA history to average a triple-double during his career.

Another high school basketball legend is Kevin Garnett from Farragut Academy, Chicago, Illinois, was the first youngster in 20 years to declare for the NBA draft directly after high school. And he went on to inspire a slew of other young players to follow in his footsteps. Garnett averaged 27 points and 17 rebounds per game in his final two years of high school, receiving South Carolina’s Mr. Basketball honor and leading his team to the state championship game while attending Mauldin High School.

Garnett was also named Mr. Basketball in Illinois and USA Today’s National Player of the Year, averaging 25 points, 17.9 rebounds, 6.7 assists, and 6.5 blocks per game. In addition, he was chosen No. Five overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves after being voted the McDonald’s All-American Game’s Most Outstanding Player.

A Charlotte, North Carolina resident, Luke Stankavage is currently a student at the Ardrey Kell High School. Luke Stankavage has a 4.4 GPA and plays basketball in the varsity team of the high school.

Varsity basketball is a place full of opportunities for students with tremendous talent in the sport. There were many players over the years that received offers from big teams in the NBA. Tyson Chandler is a basketball player that was spotted in varsity basketball and was one of the most sought players of his generation. Tyson Chandler was acquired by the Chicago Bulls who at the time wanted to create a young and talented team that could challenge for the title in a few years.

Josh Smith is another player that received huge offers from NBA teams while he was still playing varsity basketball. Josh Smith was a part of the Oak Hill Academy’s team when the team made 38 consecutive wins in the National High School Championship and went undefeated for an entire season. Josh Smith was acquired after that by the Atlanta Hawks and played for them for eight straight years.

Luke Stankavage is an accomplished basketball player who starred for Ardrey Kell High School in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he ranks second all-time in career scoring. Luke Stankavage shot 47 percent from the field during the 2019-20 season and averaged 20.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. He played on the varsity team at South Kent School during the 2020-21 season.

The basketball program at South Kent has produced over 60 NCAA Division I players and more than a dozen players who have gone on to play in the NBA or other professional leagues. Dorell Wright, a graduate of South Kent in 2004, was the first of 10 alumni to play in the NBA. He was selected by the Miami Heat in the first round of the 2004 NBA Draft and played 549 games through 11 seasons. He averaged 8.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game and won a championship with the Heat in 2006.

Jack McLinton, a teammate of Wright on the ’04 South Kent team, played at the University of Miami and was selected by the San Antonio Spurs in the second round of the 2009 NBA Draft. Other South Kent alumni selected in the NBA Draft include Isaiah Thomas, Maurice Harkless, and Tremont Waters. Elijah Hughs was chosen by the New York Knicks in the 2020 NBA Draft.

South Kent alumni have also played in the Japan Basketball League and Chinese Basketball Association. Jermaine Middleton, another ’04 graduate, played for the Harlem Globetrotters. At the college level, South Kent alumni have played for schools such as Seton Hall University, Boston University, Syracuse University, and the University of Louisville. Four players from the Class of 2021 were recruited to play at NCAA Division I programs.

A senior student at Ardrey Kell High School, Luke Stankavage earned a GPA of 4.4 and scored 1390 and 29 in the SAT and ACT, respectively. He belongs to the National Honor Society and the Student-Athlete Leadership Council. Luke Stankavage also plays for the AK Knights, the school’s men’s basketball varsity team.

Many scientific studies looked into the benefits of participating in team sports while in high school. These studies have reported that team sports help improve the physical, emotional, social, and academic well-being of high school students. The following are four benefits.

1. Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that high school team sports help improve a student’s overall physical health and wellness. Student-athletes are less likely to get involved in activities that have negative effects on their bodies, such as drinking and smoking. The study also found that young people who engage in sports have a lower risk of getting type 2 diabetes and obesity.

2. The Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute published a study that found sports promotes relaxation. Relaxation improves mood, enhances creativity, increases concentration, promotes better memory, and strengthens problem-solving skills.

3. The same study also found that sports foster mentorship between experienced players and younger ones and between players and coaches. Older players serve as role models, while coaches influence the personal growth of athletes to become good members of the community.

4. According to a study by the University of Kansas, 97 percent of student-athletes completed high school compared with 87 percent of students who did not participate in sports. The study added that student-athletes have better GPAs compared with non-athletes.

A Charlotte, North Carolina-based high school basketball player, Luke Stankavage is enrolled at Ardrey Kell High School, where he is a member of the Student-Athlete Leadership Council and National Honor Society. A two-time All-Conference player, Luke Stankavage ranks second all-time in career scoring at Ardrey Kell and was named to the inaugural HighSchoolOT All-West boys basketball team in April 2020. He was one of 21 players named to the All-West team.

The Ardrey Kell player averaged 20.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. He was the only player named to the team from his school and one of 14 seniors selected. The team also included five juniors and two sophomores.

The HighSchoolOT All-West team featured players from schools including Greensboro Day, Lexington, Cherryville, and Forestview. Tuscola junior Nate Brafford was the highest-scoring player named to the team as he averaged 33.9 points during the season. He was also named District 12 Player of the Year. District 10 Player of the Year Justin Kuthan of East Lincoln led All-West team players in rebounds with 12.3 per game.