The following is Prep Hoops Assist Class of 2011 player watch list. This list was composed utilizing and considering the rankings of numerous scouting services and publications. This is not a consensus list, but appears to be 80 players that most national sources consider to be the cream of the crop in the class of 2011.

The pictured below is South Carolina very own Damien Leonard a 6’4 Guard with a deadly shot. Hopefully we get more South Carolina Players on this list this summer.

We also added a video of Bishop Daniels from North Carolina;  if not the best, one of the best dunker’s in the class of 2011.

Tracy Abrams, 6′-1″, G, Mt. Carmel (Chicago, IL) ILLINOIS

Jamal Branch, 6′-3″, G, Grace Prep (Arlington, TX) TEXAS A&M

Bradley Beal, 6′-3″, G, Chaminade (St. Louis, MO) FLORIDA

Wayne Blackshear, 6′-5″, G, Morgan Park (Chicago, IL) LOUISVILLE

Jabari Brown, 6′-3″, G, Oakland (Oakland, CA)

Carlton Brundidge, 6′-0″, G, Southfield (Southfield, MI) MICHIGAN

Trey Burke, 6′-0″, G, Northland (Columbus, OH) PENN STATE

Kentavious Caldwell, 6′-5″, G, Greenville (Greenville, GA)

Matt Carlino, 6′-3″, G, Bloomington South (Bloomington, IN) INDIANA

Jahii Carson, 6′-0″, G, Mesa (Mesa, AZ) OREGON STATE

Michael Carter-Williams, 6′-4″, G, St. Andrews (Barrington, RI) SYRACUSE

K.C. Caudill, 6′-11″, C, Brea-Olinda (Brea, CA)

Michael Chandler, 6′-10″, C, Lawrence North (Lawrence, IN) LOUISVILLE

Angelo Chol, 6′-8″, F, Hoover (San Diego, CA)

Rakeem Christmas, 6′-9″, C, Academy of the New Church (Bryn Athyn, PA)

Quinn Cook, 6′-0″, G, DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, MD)

Trevor Cooney, 6′-4″, G, Sanford (Wilmington, DE)

DeAndre Daniels, 6′-8″, F, Taft (Woodland Hills, CA) TEXAS

Darwin “Dee” Davis, 5′-11″, G, Bloomington South (Bloomington, IN) XAVIER

Jeremiah Davis, 6′-3″, G, Muncie Central (Muncie, IN)

Myles Davis, 6′-2″, G, St. Peter’s Prep (Jersey City, NJ)

Branden Dawson, 6′-6″, F, Wallace (Gary, IN)

Nnanna Egwu, 6′-9″, C, St. Ignatius (Chicago, IL) ILLINOIS

Michael Gbinije, 6′-6″, F, Benedictine (Richmond, VA)

Sterling Gibbs, 6′-1″, G, Seton Hall Prep (West Orange, NJ)

Michael Gilchrist, 6′-7″, F, St. Patrick (Elizabeth, NJ)

P.J. Hairston, 6′-6″, G, Dudley (Greensboro, NC) NORTH CAROLINA

Maurice Harkless, 6′-7″, F, Forest Hills (Queens, NY) CONNECTICUT

Andre Hollins, 6′-2″, G, White Station (Memphis, TN)

Rodney Hood, 6′-7″, F, Meridian (Meridian, MS)

Mikael Hopkins, 6′-8″, F, DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, MD)

Nick Jacobs, 6′-8″, C, South Atlanta (Atlanta, GA)

Nick Johnson, 6′-4″, G, Findlay Prep (Henderson, NV)

Sidiki Johnson, 6′-8″, F, St. Benedict’s Prep (Newark, NJ) ARIZONA

Tyrone Johnson, 6′-3″, G, Plainfield (Plainfield, NJ)

Chris Jones, 5′-10″, G, Melrose (Melrose, TN) TENNESSEE

Myck Kabongo, 6′-2″, G, St. Benedict’s Prep (Newark, NJ) TEXAS

Brandon Kearney, 6′-4″, G, Southeastern (Detroit, MI) MICHIGAN STATE

Trevor Lacey, 6′-3″, G, Butler (Huntsville, AL)

Shane Larkin, 5′-11″, G, Dr. Phillips (Orlando, FL)

Damien Leonard, 6′-4″, G, JL Mann (Greenville, SC)

Julien Lewis, 6′-3″, G, LaMarque (LaMarque, TX) TEXAS

Ky Madden, 6′-4″, G, East Poinsett County (Lepanto, AR)

James McAdoo, 6′-8″, F, Norfolk Christian (Norfolk, VA) NORTH CAROLINA

Sheldon McClellan 6′-5″, G/F, Bellaire (Bellaire, TX) TEXAS

Tom McCune, 6′-7″, F, Saginaw (Saginaw, MI)

Ben McLemore, 6′-5″, G, Eskridge (Wellston, MO)

George Marshall, 5′-11″, G, Brooks (Chicago, IL) WISCONSIN

Keaton Miles, 6′-7″, F, Lincoln (Dallas, TX)

Quincy Miller, 6′-9″, F, Quality Education Academy (Winston-Salem, NC)

LeBryan Nash, 6′-7″, F, Lincoln (Dallas, TX)

Anthony Norris, 6′-7″, F, Sam Houston (Houston, TX) MEMPHIS

Johnny O’Bryant, 6′-9″, F, Eastside (Cleveland, MS)

Dai Jon Parker, 6′-3″, G, Milton (Alpharetta, GA)

Norvel Pelle, 6′-10″, F, Price (Los Angeles, CA)

Marshall Plumlee, 6′-10″, C, Christ School (Arden, NC)

Zac Price, 6′-11″, C, St. Edward (Lakewood, OH)

Chasson Randle, 6′-1″, G, Rock Island (Rock Island, IL)

Marquis Rankin, 6′-1″, G, Vance (Charlotte, NC)

Austin Rivers, 6′-4″, G, Winter Park (Winter Park, FL) FLORIDA

Aaron Ross, 6′-7″, F, Parkview (Little Rock, AR) ARKANSAS

LaQuinton Ross, 6′-8″, F, Life Center Academy (Burlington, NJ)

Julian Royal, 6′-7″, F, Milton (Alpharetta, GA)

Mike Shaw, 6′-8″, F, De La Salle (Chicago, IL)

Shannon Scott, 6′-2″, G, Milton (Alpharetta, GA) OHIO STATE

Deville Smith, 5′-11″, G, Callaway (Jackson, MS)

Ryan Taylor, 6′-5″, F, Lawrence North (Lawrence, IN) LOUISVILLE

Marquis Teague, 6′-2″, G, Pike (Indianapolis, IN)

Adonis Thomas, 6′-6″, F, Melrose (Memphis, TN)

Sam Thompson, 6′-6″, F, Whitney Young (Chicago, IL)

Josiah Turner, 6′-3″, G, Sacramento (Sacramento, CA)

Kevin Ware, 6′-3″, G, Rockdale County (Conyers, GA) TENNESSEE

Dezmine Wells, 6′-5″, F, Word of God (Raleigh, NC) XAVIER

Byron Wesley, 6′-5″, F, Etiwanda (Rancho Cucamonga, CA) USC

Amir Williams, 6′-10″, C, Detroit Country Day (Beverly Hills, MI)

Nino Williams, 6′-5″, F, Leavenworth (Leavenworth, KS)

Derrick Wilson, 6′-1″, Hotchkiss School (Lakeville, CT)

Kyle Wiltjer, 6′-9″, F, Jesuit (Portland, OR)

Tony Wroten, 6′-5″, G, Garfield (Seattle, WA)

Achraf Yacoubou, 6′-3″, G, Long Island Lutheran (Long Island, NY) VILLANOVA

Popularity: 1%

If you haven’t heard about the High Point, North Carolina native Deuce Bello I’m pretty sure you will very soon. This kid have been on ESPN top 10 more than once for crazy dunks doing high school basketball games. Thanks to MemphisRoar great interview with Deuce last year here is a better insight on a good up and coming basketball player.

Bello, a 6’3’’ guard, plays for Westchester Country Day School in High Point, North Carolina. He also plays on the D-One Sports AAU team coached by Brian Clifton. Despite coming from a relatively small town, Bello’s game is primed for the limelight. His uncanny ability to get to the basket, his monster dunks, and his breath-taking alley-oops have all become standard in Bello’s game.

Bello is starting to become one of the nation’s most coveted 2011 recruits, listing interest in Baylor, Clemson, Duke, High Point University, Maryland, Memphis, NC State, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Wake Forest, UNC, UNC-Charlotte, and USC, according to various recruiting services. When asked if he had any leaders at this time, Bello respectfully declined to answer. In fact, Bello went as far to say. “I’m not considering anybody (right now).” Bello told MemphisRoar that his coach Brian Clifton and his trainer are handling the colleges right now as he focuses on his sophomore year.

With more college choices than one can count on two hands, it is easy to wonder what will factor into making his decision. When asked if distance would play a factor when making his college decision, Bello replied, “I don’t think it will. It just depends on the style of play that I like to play, and what the education is like.” And what style of play does Bello like? “I like to get up and down the floor,” he said.

Deuce had the opportunity last summer to play with one of the nation’s best 2009 high school players, John Wall, on their D-One Sports AAU team. “Just watching him play helps me a lot, and I learn a lot of stuff,” Bello said. “In the beginning of the season, I was not getting a lot of time for D-One Sports, and just watching him, I started to step up.” In addition to learning a lot from John Wall, Bello said his coaches have also helped in making him the player he is today, motivating him and telling him the things he needs to do.

When asked what he considered to be the most underrated part of his game, Bello said, “I don’t think I have any part that’s underrated; I think there’s just things I need to work on. I think I need to work on my shooting right now.”

Despite gaining the attention of numerous division one programs and being regarded as a top prospect for his class, Bello maintains a very humble attitude. “It’s a blessing. It’s just hard work that paid off,” Bello told MemphisRoar. Bello’s hard work is definitely paying off, as he was named to the 2009 NCISAA 2A Boys All-State Basketball Team for this season only a few days ago.

With Bello’s size (6’3’’ and 170 lbs.) and freakish athletic ability, Bello says he is unsure what position he will play in college. “I’m playing point guard right (for Westchester Country Day), but I believe I will probably play shooting guard.” Bello’s knack at getting to the basket gives the defense fits, and with the hard work he is putting in, it is getting harder and harder to find flaws in his game.

While Deuce Bello may not know where he wants to play college ball now, or even the position he will play once he gets there, one thing is certain with this young man—Bello will be a great addition to any college program.

Popularity: 1%

2010 Jordan Brand All-American Team Announced
Madison Square Garden to Host Nation’s Elite High School Basketball Players
The top 10 ESPNU-rated players headline star-filled roster

Jordan Brand, a division of NIKE, Inc., announced today during a special ESPNU Selection Show that the top 10 ranked ESPNU 100 players – No. 1 Harrison Barnes (Ames, IA/North Carolina), No. 2 Jared Sullinger (Columbus, OH/Ohio State), No. 3 Brandon Knight (Coral Springs, FL/Undecided), No. 4 Kyrie Irving (West Orange, NJ/Duke), No. 5 Tobias Harris (Dix Hills, NY/Tennessee), No. 6 Will Barton (Baltimore, MD/Memphis), No. 7 Josh Selby (Baltimore, MD/Undecided), No. 8 C.J. Leslie (Holly Springs, NC/Undecided), No. 9 Perry Jones (Duncanville, TX/Baylor) and No. 10 Tristan Thompson (Brampton, ONT/Texas) – will headline the nation’s best high school senior basketball players at the 2010 Jordan Brand Classic, presented by Foot Locker, at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Saturday, April 17 at 8:00 p.m. EST. This year’s event will once again be televised nationally live on ESPN2.

The Jordan Brand Classic will also continue to include a Regional Game, showcasing the top prep players from the New York City metropolitan area in a City vs. Suburbs showdown. In its third year of the event, an International Game will feature 16 of the top 17-and-under players from around the world.

“As our preeminent basketball game, the Jordan Brand Classic strives to put the top talent on the floor each year and this year is no exception as we will have the top 10 ranked players in the class of 2010,” said Keith Houlemard, President of Jordan Brand. “We are thrilled to host the nation’s best at the World’s Most Famous Arena in the biggest city in the U.S.”

Also selected for this year’s event are No. 11 Joshua Smith (Kentwood, WA/UCLA), No. 12 DeShaun Thomas (Fort Wayne, IN/Ohio State), No. 13 Terrence Jones (Portland, OR/Undecided), No. 15 Dion Waiters (Philadelphia, PA/Syracuse), No. 16 Reggie Bullock (Kinston, NC/North Carolina), No. 21 Cory Joseph (Toronto, ONT/Undecided), No. 22 Kendall Marshall (Dumfries, VA/North Carolina), No. 25 Doron Lamb (Laurelton, NY/Undecided), No. 29 Roscoe Smith (Baltimore, MD/Connecticut) and No. 43 Jelan Kendrick (Marietta, GA/Memphis).

The head coaches this year will be Greg Wise of Yates High School (Houston, TX) for the East and Mike Peck of Findlay Prep (Henderson, NV) for the West. The East assistant coaches are Charles Smith of Peabody Magnet High School (Alexandria, LA) and Doug Lipscomb of Wheeler High School (Marietta, GA). The West assistant coaches include Pat Strickland of Jefferson High School (Portland, OR) and Mark Migiishi of the Iolani School (Iolani, HI).

2010 Jordan Brand All-American Team

East Team

Reggie Bullock G Kinston, NC North Carolina

Kyrie Irving G Elizabeth, NJ Duke

Perry Jones C Duncanville, TX Baylor

Jelan Kendrick F Marietta, GA Memphis

Brandon Knight G Fort Lauderdale, FL Undecided

C.J. Leslie F Raleigh, NC Undecided

Roscoe Smith F Mouth of Wilson, VA Connecticut

Jared Sullinger C Columbus, OH Ohio State

DeShaun Thomas F Fort Wayne, IN Ohio State

Dion Waiters G Philadelphia, PA Syracuse

Head Coach: Greg Wise, Yates High School (Houston, TX)

Assistant: Charles Smith, Peabody Magnet High School (Alexandria, LA)

Assistant: Doug Lipscomb, Wheeler High School (Marietta, GA)

West Team

Harrison Barnes F Ames, IA North Carolina

Will Barton G Wolfeboro, NH Memphis

Tobias Harris F Dix Hills, NY Tennessee

Terrence Jones F Portland, OR Undecided

Cory Joseph G Henderson, NV Undecided

Doron Lamb G Mouth of Wilson, VA Undecided

Kendall Marshall G Arlington, VA North Carolina

Josh Selby G Baltimore, MD Undecided

Joshua Smith C Covington, WA UCLA

Tristan Thompson F Henderson, NV Texas

Head Coach: Mike Peck, Findlay Prep (Henderson, NV)

Assistant: Pat Striclkand, Jefferson High School (Portland, OR)

Assistant: Mark Migiishi, Iolani School (Iolani, HI)

Popularity: 1%

Rob Taylor of the Buckeye Prep Report has an in-depth article on Nike Youth Basketball’s changes to their spring/summer circuit plans, announced last week in a meeting in Las Vegas.  Previously, Nike sponsored various traveling teams, tournaments for the traveling teams, and individual skills events and camps.

According to Taylor, Nike is planning on replacing the old standard travel team tournaments with the newly minted Nike Youth Basketball League.  Taylor states in the article that over four weekend, the 42 Nike sponsored travel teams will play in a league format in Virginia, Houston, Los Angeles, and South Carolina.  Each weekend will consist of 5-6 league games, culminating in a league championship.

Taylor’s report has the Nike Youth Basketball League schedule as follows:

• April 9 – 11 at the Boo Williams Invitational, Hampton Roads, VA
• April 30 – May 2nd, Houston, TX
• May 29 – 31, Los Angeles, CA
• July 12 – 15, Peach Jam at Augusta, South Carolina

The article states that positional “academies” and all-star events are still plan, without change.

Popularity: 1%

BallerCircuit.com announced that the 2010 Reebok Summer Championship, a long running summer grassroots basketball tournament was being suspended for this year.  The following is the press release from their website:

LAS VEGAS—Citing the loss of title sponsorship, ever-increasing facility costs and the general overall economic condition of the country, tournament officials announced today that they will no longer be able produce the annual Summer Championships, the nation’s most prestigious elite boy’s prep tournament held each July in Las Vegas for the last 3 years.

Featuring 300 teams from 44 states and three countries at its peak and 136 teams from 28 States last summer, the Rebook Summer Championships were produced in Las Vegas for the last three years by the same management team that produced the massive Big Time tournament locally from 1995 through 2006.

Building a series of summer events held annually during the special viewing period for college basketball coaches, the Summer Championships provided the template by which the National Collegiate Athletic Association developed and implemented the NCAA rules and regulations for sanctioning summer prep basketball tournaments.

“It’s hard to let go of something that we all worked so hard to develop, but we have exhausted all efforts to secure the sponsorship needed to offset the loss of our sponsors and without it, we cannot operate at the level that we developed that has become the standard for these summer prep basketball tournaments,” said Jim Allen, veteran Southern Nevada prep basketball coach who was a co-founder of these summer tournaments and director the last several years.

“We have a group of dedicated core workers of over 100 who contributed greatly to the success of these tournaments over the years and helped us to reach the stature we have, but without adequate sponsorship we cannot provide the quality experience for nearly 5,000 young athletes each year that we have and we will not produce an event if it is not up to the standards we have achieved. Because we so strongly believe in the value of this summer event and our commitment is so great, we will continue to seek sponsorship in an attempt to bring the event back in the summer of 2011.”

Using as many as 24 courts at 12 high schools in Southern Nevada and headquartered the last several years at Foothill HS in Henderson, Nev., the events have helped hundreds of high school athletes earn college scholarships.

Questions regarding the tournament may be directed to Jim Allen at 702.493.3689.

Popularity: 11%

With much of the basketball world focused on the horrible 2010 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, Dar Tucker won the 2010 D-League Slam Dunk contest. Some hoop fans noted that the 2010 D-League Slam Dunk contest was more entertaining than the NBA version.

Dar Tucker beat Alonzo Gee to take the 2010 D-League Slam Dunk title. His winning dunk? The 6′4″ Dar Tucker dunked over 6′10″ teammate Brian Butch.

Here is the Dar Tucker 2010 D-League Slam Dunk Contest video.

Name: Dar Tucker

Age: 22

Hometown: Saginaw, Michigan

Height: 6-4

Weight: 210

Shoe size: 13

Position: Guard/Forward

My Home Court: Vets Park in Saginaw

Playing Experience: Arthur Hill High School, DePaul University

Current Team: Los Angeles D-Fenders

Favorite Sneakers: Jordan 1s

Favorite Player: Kevin Garnett. I model my work ethic and stuff off of him. The way he’s a leader on the court and gets the crowd into it, that’s how I play too.

Favorite Team: MJ and the Chicago Bulls

Go-to-Move: Either the in-and-out crossover, or pump fake and sweep through to the basket

I play: Because I love the game and it’s getting me to places that I would probably never see if I didn’t play

Coming up I admired: My brother. Back then, that’s who I used to watch all the time. Right now he’s at Robert Morris in Chicago. We played a little bit this summer when we went home.

My basketball moment: Winning the championship my junior year in high school. It was my first championship and my school’s first in like 50 years.

Popularity: 41%

Austin Rivers and Brandon Knight were teammates on the summer circuit but had never met during the high school season – that is until Friday. The pair of high profile players are known for their scoring touch and are considered two of the nation’s top players in their respective classes.

Brandon Knight is a senior from Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Pine Crestand and Austin Rivers is a Junior from Winter Park, Fla.

Their highly anticipated first encounter was nationally televised on Friday on ESPN2.

And what a game it was. Austin Rivers scored 41 points and helped the Winter Park’s boys basketball team to  an 87-76 victory against 2 time defending Class 3A state champion Fort Lauderdale Pine Crest and largely outplayed senior Brandon Knight.

Knight and Rivers played for Each One Teach One, a Central Florida club team. Rivers figures he’ll guard his friend throughout the game.

“You can’t guard him the whole game or you’ll be exhausted,” Rivers said. “I’m the best person to guard him, especially in the fourth quarter when the game could be on the line.

Brandon Knight who is closing in on Broward County’s all-time scoring mark? “He’s an aggressive player and a scorer,” Rivers said. “He likes to attack the glass and steps out to shoot the 3-ball.”

Knight has scored more than 3,300 career points, averaging 32 points, and has knocked down 86 3s this season. Pine Crest (19-4) entered Friday’s game having dropped a buzzer-beating 63-62 decision to Florida Air Academy, snapping a 30-game home win streak. Knight had 42 points with four 3-pointers.

Winter Park (Fla.) High School point guard Austin Rivers is one of the best prep players, pound-for-pound, in the country. HighSchoolHoop.com ranks the 6-4 junior fifth overall in its national Top 50. Rivers has been verbally committed to Florida for over a year, but this fall, decided to open things up and let Duke recruit him as well.

The younger son of Celtics coach Doc Rivers and younger brother of Indiana Hoosiers PG Jeremiah Rivers, Austin had a kill mentality in Friday night game against Pine Crestand School showing off why he is one of the top guards in class of 2011.

Popularity: 31%

GOOD Sports LLC have been invited to represent South Carolina in 4 major exposure grassroots basketball tournaments across the country.

On February 20, 2010 GOOD Sports LLC is holding a tryout looking for twelve of the top 13 and 14 year old basketball players in South Carolina. This will be an opportunity that has never been offer to grassroots basketball players in South Carolina.

We are asking all coaches to bring their best players to this tryout – workout not only to represent there school and city, but to represent South Carolina.

It doesn’t matter if your players are already playing for an AAU team, this is a team put together to represent South Carolina and to bring maximum exposure to the kids participating on these teams.

Exposure from Team GOOD:

• Film Documentary
• Website Spotlight on www.goodsportsworld.com
• Free Skill Practice
• Parent Grassroots Awareness
• Exposure Camp Opportunity

Team GOOD Tournaments:

King James Shooting Stars Classic	Akron, Ohio
Atlanta Celtics  WPJM Tournament	Atlanta, GA
Junior Elite Showdown Invitational	Columbia, SC
MIT Maryland Invitational Tournament	Maryland, Washington D.C.

Dates, Directions, and Contact Information:

Tryout-workout Date: Saturday, February 6, 2010

Tryout-workout Time: 10:00am – 12:30pm

Tryout-workout Location: Greenview Park, 6700 David Street, Columbia, SC 29203

If you have any questions please contact:

Robert Wylie                                    Anthony Timmons

(803) 530-0277                                   (803) 466-8813

dwylie@goodsportsworld.com atimmons@goodsportsworld.com

www.Goodsportsworld.com

Sponsored By:

Popularity: 11%

Hoop Fashion: Air Jordan VI Lakers

How many of you picked up the Air Jordan VI retro this past saturday? Well if you didn’t you have a chance to make up for that. This latest Air Jordan VI Retro that Jordan Brand is planning to release is inspired after The Los Angeles Lakers, so most of you know the color way that this shoe brings.

This Air Jordan VI Retro features black all around. Black suede is placed on the toe box, forefoot, and mid panel. Black is also seen on the midsole and tongue. Part of the upper features black 3M material. This pair of 6s comes with the same outsole that all VI models come with, an clear icy outsole. Purple and yellow cant really be seen on the shoe, but is placed on the stitching. With all the Lakers sneakers we have seen, this has got to be one of the best. No official release date is set, so stay tuned for updates.

Popularity: 11%

Courtesy of  SLAM #128: With memorable high school careers behind them, John Wall & Lance Stephenson are ready to take over college basketball.

With conference play in full swing throughout the NCAA, a few teams have emerged as real juggernauts capable of lasting until April’s first weekend. Of them, Kentucky boasts arguably the nation’s best, most explosive, coveted talent. That man is point guard John Wall, currently second in the country in assists per game and the apple of everyone’s eye. Yet, before he was a Sports Center mainstay, Wall graced the cover of SLAM 128, and was featured in a story where Aggrey Sam artfully and accurately put the world on notice about what Wall is capable of. John’s cover mate, Lance Stephenson, is also gearing his team towards success. In the tough Big East, Cincinnati is a respectable 11-6, hoping to continue towards the head of the pack with Stephenson’s help. And, while Lance has not had the immediate impact on the college game that many once believed he would, let’s just say you should watch yourself before sleeping on him. On the cover, we told you these two were “Ready to Rock the NCAA.” Now they’ve gotten the chance and…well…yeah.—Adam Fleischer

words Aggrey Sam

Watching them play in December at the City of Palms Classic in Florida, it’s easy to start thinking about the future, specifically June of 2010, when they’ll be on the podium at MSG, shaking hands with David Stern. Neither of their teams won this event, the best high school tourney this season, but it’s obvious—whether it’s the athletic point guard from Raleigh, NC, splitting defenders on a spin move and then splitting two more defenders with a 360 layup; or the rugged shooting guard from Brooklyn shaking a quick perimeter defender with a crossover, then taking a hard foul from a post player for an and one—these two senior guards are special. Not exciting-high-school-player-special or going  be good in college special, but special-in-the-League special.

Let’s stop being vague: Lance Stephenson and John Wall aren’t just the cream of the 2009 high school crop—they are poised to be the cream of the crop during expected pit stops on the college level and beyond.

A little premature? Maybe…if you haven’t seen them hoop. Start with Stephenson—after all, you were introduced to him in a feature in these very pages before he started his sophomore year. The next in line at Brooklyn’s famed Lincoln High School, the alma mater of Steph and Bassy, Lance was talked about as NYC’s next big thing since his now-legendary summer 2005 tete-á-tete with then-rising high school senior OJ Mayo at ABCD Camp. The hype has cooled since.

Perhaps it’s the fact that he’s been on the national scene so long, perhaps it’s the scrutiny he draws on and off the court, perhaps it’s his all-business, chip-on-his-shoulder, on-court disposition—but it seems lately some media, coaches and fans have soured on the kid they call “Born Ready.”

“It’s good that people know me, but now, whenever I play, it’s like, ‘Oh, that’s Lance,’ so they play the hardest defense against me,” says Stephenson, who recently passed Bassy to become New York State’s all-time leading scorer and was on the verge of his fourth straight city championship as we went to press. “But I get ready for that in practice with my teammates. I tell them not to treat me any different.”

“What’s so special about it is that these goals were preset,” adds Lance Sr, Stephenson’s father and AAU coach, better known as “Stretch.” ”It’s good to see all the hard work pay off. As a parent, I just tell him to play hard and let his numbers and accomplishments speak for themselves.”

They don’t paint the complete picture, however. Stephenson is a 6-6, 220-pound tank of a shooting guard, with a yo-yo handle, tremendous range on his jumper and the moves to either go around or through any defender. Imagine a smaller, more skilled Ron Artest physically, but with the mentality Ron-Ron has on the defensive end transferred to the other side of the ball. His game, honed by battling older, bigger players in his Coney Island neighborhood and during summer leagues throughout the Big Apple, is the epitome of a scorer.

“I just try to work on different things every game, but I play against older guys to get better,” says Stephenson. “When I play against my age group, I don’t think I’m as good sometimes because I might take bad shots.”

Are there more athletic players? Sure. Are there kids with more aesthetically-pleasing games out there? Without a doubt. Prospects with more long-term potential than him? It’s possible. But right now, if you need a kid in the prep ranks to get it done, Lance Stephenson is the guy you go to, hands down.

If you’re talking potential, Lance’s cover partner, John Wall, is probably your man. Read enough stories on ballplayers and the phrase “runs the floor like a gazelle” is sure to pop up. Well, Wall, a senior at Word of God Christian Academy in Raleigh, NC, is more like a cheetah. The kid simply moves at warp speed. The Carolina native is a 6-4, 190-pound point guard with playmaking ability that is born, not learned. With his video-game handle, exceptional length, uncanny court vision and kangaroo-type hops, he’s a highlight waiting to happen.

“He’s playing on a slightly different level than everyone around him,” says Brian Clifton, Wall’s AAU coach with D-One Sports. “When you look at all his physical attributes and that he understands that his job is to distribute the ball—there have been guys who have been as athletic as him, but not as tall, and guys as tall but not as athletic, and guys who have both, but they think their job is jacking up shots and lighting up the scoreboard. What makes John special is that he understands getting his teammates involved is what wins ballgames.”

Wall’s ankle-breaking crossovers, in-traffic windmills and three-quarter court bounce passes were unknown to the masses as little as two years ago. Invited to Chicago in ’07 to try out for what was then called Reebok’s All-American camp, Wall quickly won over the grassroots gatekeepers with his show-stopping play. A star was born.

“That’s when I started taking basketball more seriously,” Wall recalls. “I didn’t think the success would come that fast, but after the first couple of minutes of went by, I knew I could play with those guys.”

His upward plateau continued, and after destroying the camp and AAU circuit last summer, Wall became a consensus top-five senior prospect in the nation. It was a far cry from his days at Raleigh’s Broughton High School, where he was viewed as a selfish—albeit talented—malcontent, who was cut from the team (what is it with these Carolina high school coaches?), who would never get it together in time to reap the rewards of his vast abilities.

“Everything’s changed—my whole life. When I go places, everybody comes to see me play,” observes Wall. “I just try to keep my circle small.”

“I’m so proud of him…I’m pleased with John’s progress as a man, where he came from and where he was headed,” says Clifton. “It’s been a lot to come from virtual obscurity to where he is now. From when I first saw him play at 12 years old, he always had blinding speed, but now he has more confidence, he’s a better leader and a better teammate.”

Wall, raised by a single mother battling health issues, was always a talent, but what stood out more was his attitude, a critique Stephenson hears now. Yet, while Stephenson has been in the public eye for what seems like forever and Wall is just getting introduced to stardom, neither is a stranger to controversy.

Dwon Clifton, the younger brother of Brian, took a job on Baylor’s coaching staff last summer. With Baylor being one of the finalists to land Wall—along with Memphis, Kansas, Miami, Oregon, hometown North Carolina State and latecomers Duke and Wake Forest—speculation is that Baylor hired him strictly to land Wall. While it’s obvious that it doesn’t hurt—the younger Clifton did coach Wall—he is also a former college player (Clemson and UNC-Greensboro).

Stephenson’s recruitment has come under fire, as well. On a visit to Maryland, one of his final three choices—as of press time, Kansas and hometown St. John’s were the others; he’s expected to decide a day or two before this issue hits newsstands—he visited the Under Armour headquarters in nearby Baltimore. The president of Under Armour, Kevin Plank, is a Maryland grad, former Terps football player and a booster for the basketball program.

“It was just an honest part of the trip. They gave us a tour and basically that was it,” says Stretch. “They showed us how they make sneakers, we met with the academic people, the coaches…we just saw the itinerary. If it was a violation, we didn’t know anything about it.”

With all that being said, it’s unlikely either player hangs around a college campus long enough for people to keep their recruitment at the forefront of their minds. Remember the hullabaloo when OJ chose USC? Are you still reeling from Eric Gordon signing with Indiana? Wherever Wall and Stephenson decide to go, expect a major impact.

“I think they play harder defense in college…but I don’t think anybody in college can stop me from scoring,” says Stephenson. “Playing college is a different experience, especially with a good coach who gets you prepared for the pros.”

“I can’t say I’m one and done,” he continues, conservatively. “If I play well next year, then I’ll come out, but if I think I need another year, I’ll stay until I’m ready.”

Wall takes it a step further, stating, “After my first year in college, I wanna be one of the top Lottery picks. You might see Lance and a couple other players in my class, too.

“I see myself in the NBA in two years, playing on somebody’s team, trying to lead a franchise to a championship,” he continues. “I just wanna be compared to one of the best point guards—maybe the best point guard—that ever played in the NBA.”

Ambitious, but not unrealistic. Still, when projecting them at the pro level, there are aspects of their games that need improvement. Wall’s biggest weakness is his J. While it has definitely improved since he first burst on to the scene, now that he has that target on his back, opposing teams try to make him shoot from the outside. With Lance, critics question his aforementioned attitude.

“I come from a tough environment, where everybody plays hard and uses a lot of aggressiveness…a lot of people don’t understand that, so I try to fix my attitude,” acknowledges Stephenson. “It’s really hard because that’s where I get my game from…sometimes it seems like people want me to mess up, but I just block that stuff out. I just play the game.”

“I listen to my mom and my coaches. They say, ‘You don’t wanna step down to anybody’s level,’ so I just try to dominate everybody,” says Wall. “It’s kinda tough, but I like the pressure because you gotta perform every night.”

That’s why they’re kids.

“With all that Lance has done to this point, it pretty much speaks for itself,” observes Eric Bossi, a recruiting analyst for Scout.com. “When you watch John and what he can do physically, it sets him apart.”

“Wall, he’s a natural. He has a combination of speed, athleticism and skill that puts him in a unique class,” concurs a coach from a high-major college program. “With Lance, anytime a player has a great reputation and performs at a high level under scrutiny, everybody takes their best shot. I always have tremendous respect for a player who continues to perform at a high level under those circumstances.”

In other words, don’t bank on them failing. One thing both of these two young men have in common: They’re competitors—they both wake up at 5 a.m. daily to work on their games, in preparation for the present and future—something that can’t be measured in Wall’s athleticism or Stephenson’s scoring outputs.

And unlike this story, the rest of their careers still remain to be told. Stay tuned.

Popularity: 11%