Today, we take a look at five selections over the years we’d love to have back and five we are proud of.

The high school industry has changed plenty over the years. In the 1970s and 1980s, getting your name in the local paper was the IT thing. In the 1980s, USA Today helped mainstream national team rankings and All-American teams, but the national daily newspaper cut its high school editorial department in Dec. 2019. In the 1990s and 2000s, national magazines were all the rage. Getting on a national cover was hot and something many athletes aspired for such as the cover story of Student Sports Magazine. LeBron James and De La Salle (Calif.) football helped high school sports become something worthy of regular national telecasts, but All-American teams have been constant throughout going back to the 1950s.

Most of the ones produced in recent decades have been recruiting-oriented and many we’ve seen even had players on them that barely played half of their team’s game that season. We’re proud of the fact we take some time to research the players and what they actually accomplished and take some local consensus into consideration. We’re not perfect by any means, and today we decided to take a look back at the five best choices we made with our All-American Elite teams we’ve produced over the years, starting in Student Sports Magazine for the 1994-95 season. Those teams have also been published under the title sponsor of EA SPORTS and under the umbrella of ESPN and Ballislife as well.

Here’s a look at 10 defining moments of choosing our annual All-American Elite Teams.

5 All-American Choices We’d Love To Take Back

1. Mike Bibby Over Kobe Bryant For ’96 Mr. Basketball USA
There is no doubt Mike Bibby is the best high school player from Arizona (in terms of his career) and is probably still the state’s only "rock star" player, but he wasn’t a better talent that Kobe Bryant. Mike Bibby was a Student Sports Magazine cover subject and we had a compelling story to go along with the selection. Still, Bryant had a monster senior season after a terrific summer in 1995, when a plan was hatched to send him straight to the NBA. Sometimes, you have to just pick the best player. It should be noted that the Mr. Basketball USA Tracker began for the 2007-08 season and the voting results may have been different had a 10-man panel voted on it, instead of a group of journalists choosing.

2. Kawhi Leonard On ’09 Third Five
Now we’re cheating a bit here because having Kawhi Leonard on any All-American team in 2009 was a good call. It’s a somewhat famous snub that he didn’t play in the 2009 McDonald’s All-American Game. However, taking a deeper look at that team, Leonard should have been somewhere on the second five. The fact he was behind sophomore Michael Gilchrist of St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.) or seniors John Henson of Sickles (Tampa, Fla.) is not awful, but is certainly not great, either. The 2009 Cal-Hi Sports Mr. Basketball out of King (Riverside, Calif.) averaged 22.6 points, 13.1 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game and led King to its second consecutive CIF Div. I SoCal regional final.

3. Blake Griffin On '07 Third Five
The class of 2007 was star-studded and one of the best of all-time. It certainly wasn’t easy to make All-American that season, but looking back Griffin should have been on second five. He was excellent in the McDonald’s All-American practices and game and it was easy to see he was more explosive and a better player than a few guys with more national notoriety or higher in national player rankings. Was Griffin a better high school player than either second five pick Corey Stokes of St. Benedict's (Newark, N. J.) or Gani Lawal of Norcross (Ga.)? Probably so.

4. Kemba Walker On ’08 Second Five
Willie Warren of North Crowley (Fort Worth, Texas) was a clutch player and state champion in Texas, but it was a close call to put him on first five. Now, we wish we would have went with the two point guard offense on first five with Walker and player of the year Brandon Jennings. At the McDonald's All-American game, Walker didn't take a backseat to any guard, finishing with 13 points, six rebounds and three assists. He didn’t begin playing basketball until 12, but Walker developed into one of the many decorated floor generals to attend now defunct Rice (New York) and went on to an excellent college and NBA career.

5. Jalen Suggs On ’20 Second Five
He moved up from second team All-American (30 players) to the second of four fives (our first team has had a 20-player format since 2004-05). After a career that rivaled any Minnesota player ever, Suggs probably would have been the better first five choice than sophomore Emoni Bates, who had tons of hype that season and was even named Gatorade National Player of the Year. We didn’t think that highly of Bates, but he did have a terrific season, but Suggs was probably better and we should have employed a three guard offense with Mr. Basketball USA Cade Cunningham of Montverde Academy (Fla.) and Jalen Green of Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.). At the time, Suggs was the highest-rated recruit ever to commit to Gonzaga and was also the nation’s top Grid-Hoop Player who was named the 2019 Minnesota Mr. Football as a signal-caller on the gridiron.

5 All-American Choices We’re Most Proud Of

1. Onyeka Okongwu On Fourth Five As A Junior In ‘18
The Chino Hills (Calif.) big man was terrific as a junior and we’re glad to honor him as a two-time All-American. He really deserved it and it’s still incredible to think he was a major omission from the 2019 McDonald’s All-American Game. He showed how good he was in high school when one year later the two-time California Mr. Basketball was the No. 6 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

2. Jalen Brunson On Second Five As A Senior In ’15
There is this narrative the Stevenson (Lincolnshire, Ill.) was overlooked in the NBA Draft or that he’s been “slept on” until joining the New York Knicks, but that narrative is from from the truth. This pick actually can fall in both categories, as we wish we placed him on first five. Brunson was that good for his high school team and on the grassroots circuit. Some just don’t know what they are looking at when evaluating if players don’t have the typical quickness or athleticism that stands out.

3. Draymond Green On Fourth Five As A Senior In ’08
This Saginaw (Mich.) big man wasn’t rated anywhere near the Top 20 on the 2008 class. In fact, he was rated No. 122 in the country by Rivals.com, but we could see he was a talented player and more importantly, a winner. Green led the Trojans to a second straight state Class A championship while posting a 27-1 record. He was named Michigan’s Mr. Basketball for his all-around play.

4. Anthony Davis On First Five As A Senior In ‘11
Well, it wasn’t a big evaluation coupe to have A.D. on first five. After all, he was probably the most talented player in the country after being a virtual unknown as a junior. He completely blew up on the travel ball circuit, but the problem was he didn’t have any momentum from previous seasons, Perspectives Charter (Chicago) was a small school playing against relatively meager competition and the team finished 6-18. The Mr. Basketball USA Tracker knew his talent was too much to ignore, as he appeared on eight of 10 ballots, including three second-place votes. His future Kentucky teammate Michael Gilchrist was the Mr. Basketball USA that season.

5. Jalen Duren On First Five As A Junior In ‘21
Montverde Academy (Fla.) lost four starters off its terrific 2020 team, but was still able to repeat as FAB 50 champs mainly behind the play of the nation’s most physically dominant interior player. He opened up the season as the eighth highest vote-getter in the preseason Mr. Basketball USA Tracker, but ended up third behind Chet Holmgren and Jabari Smith in the final analysis. After being named national junior of the year, he re-classed up a year and left to Memphis.

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at?[email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter:?@RonMFlores

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However, when he eventually calls it a career, we'll most likely look back at his time in Los Angeles as wasted potential.

But the Lakers' shortcomings have nothing to do with the King's play. Instead, roster mismanagement by the front office possibly threw away multiple championships.

James' tenure with the purple and gold isn't nearly a failure. The Lakers' 2020 championship says so.

That Bubble lineup was special. The group finished as the top seed in the Western Conference and only lost five games on the way to the Larry O'Brien Trophy. In the following preseason, they were the clear favorite to repeat.

Unfortunately, that ring is pushing five years old, and the franchise hasn't returned to the big stage. So, what happened in the next four seasons that prevented another run?

Coming off a shortened 2020 offseason, the Lakers were poised to go back-to-back. They started 21-6, featuring the best defense in the league. But the injury bug got to Davis and James, dropping the team in the standings. Fortunately, the duo returned to good enough health at the right time, closing the regular season with five straight wins.

After defeating Golden State in the Play-In Tournament, L.A. had the eventual West champs, Phoenix, up 2-1. But Davis went down, and the Suns took the series in six games.

If the history books had to mark when the Lakers' title window started to close, the 2021 offseason would be the obvious choice.

The Lakers panicked that summer. After the AD injury, the front office disliked the lack of competitiveness in the postseason. So, management looked to make a splash move for a star to provide greater support when there are injuries.

General manager Rob Pelinka's focus was to upgrade from Kyle Kuzma. The forward left a bad taste in fans' mouths when he couldn't step up in Davis' absence.

However, the organization made a franchise-altering move by trading Kuzma for the worst star to pair with Davis and James: Russell Westbrook.

Reportedly, L.A. had deals lined up for other big-name players, but pressure from James forced the Westbrook move. However, Pelinka is the general manager and vice president of basketball operations. He has the final say in trade matters. He should've understood Westbrook was a bad fit with the two duo, especially concerning floor spacing.

Russ' time as a Laker was disastrous. The team had a 56-74 record with him. Of course, the duo missing time didn't help, but Westbrook was one of the worst three-point shooters in the league. Missing the postseason in 2022 was a far cry from their conference dominance just two seasons prior.

The organization has spent every last resource undoing the Westbrook trade in the last year. At the 2023 deadline, they shipped Russ out in a?three-team deal?to save that season.?

Pelinka has done a decent job rebuilding an adequate supporting cast around the duo. However, he has neglected the lack of 3&D talent on the roster for years.

As a result of bringing Russ in, the Lakers forfeited essential 3&D wings from the 2020 championship. The luxury of having players like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who can hit threes consistently and guard at the point of attack, is vital to winning championships. This type of athlete is the best to put around Davis and James to maximize winning.

Possessing a talent like Alex Caruso comes with a price. But L.A.'s front office has been left with nothing but pennies and low-end draft capital to replace that skillset. And the defense has suffered dramatically.

This season's trade deadline allowed the organization to acquire a quality 3&D starter. The roster is filled with guys who can shoot or defend, no in-between for 30 minutes a night. Especially with Jarred Vanderbilt's health in question, the team has no answer for containing opposing permitter threats.

To everyone's surprise, the Lakers stayed put. Pelinka believed any available move at the deadline wasn't worth giving up the little assets they had. Instead, the organization plans to push for?a star player via trade in the offseason.?

L.A. didn't 'punt' on the season per se, but whatever improvements to be made in the coming offseason wouldn't be as impactful as Pelinka may think. James and Davis can't afford to wait till next season.

James turns 40 years old next season in December. It would be hard to compete for a championship when one of your most important pieces is at that age.

And for Davis, he's playing his best ball as a Laker. There's no guarantee he will continue to be this healthy next season. They needed Pelinka to go all in at the deadline to inch the team closer to contention when their window is still cracked.

The Lakers did do at least something recently. A few days after the deadline, the Lakers picked up former Brooklyn Net guard Spencer Dinwiddie fresh off the buyout market. Dinwiddie's not a bad player by any means. He can add scoring value off the bench.

But Pelinka's decision to wait and sign him instead of attacking the deadline is another example of him falling in love with castaway cheap ball handlers instead of solid 3&D rotational pieces.

It's absolutely inexcusable that the Lakers have been playing around .500 basketball since 2021. Champion contention should be consistent when an organization has two top 10 players.

James' L.A. arc isn't a failure. Unfortunately, the Lakers mismanaged the LeBron era by prioritized the wrong type of supporting cast around him when the 2020 championship laid out a blueprint.

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On Episode 85 of our In The Paint Podcast, co-hosts Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland discuss a wide variety of hoops topics, beginning with the Lakers 17th NBA Championship earned with a Sunday win over the Miami Heat in Game 6.

Click the play button below to tune in to the full episode!

Ron and Dev go in-depth on the biggest differences for the Lakers and Heat from Game 5 to Game 6, the high level adjustment by Lakers' head coach Frank Vogel that led to the series-clinching victory and what this title means for LeBron's overall legacy.

The next topic on Episode 85 of ITP is an interview with Precious Achiuwa, a projected first-round pick in the 2020 NBA Draft out of Memphis. Ron, Dev and Precious discuss how his one year of college helped him prepare for the next level, what parts of his game translate well to the NBA, what he's looking to improve on the most and how the COVID-19 shortened season impacted his decision to go one-and-done.

The guys take the final part of the show to dive deeper into LeBron's legacy with his high school coach Dru Joyce and longtime basketball media member Van Coleman, who has seen high school players from the 1960's to now. Joyce breaks down LBJ's laser-focus throughout his youth and high school careers, while Coleman compares and contrasts LeBron's overall career accomplishments with other legendary figures.

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On Episode 84 of our In The Paint Podcast, co-hosts Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland break down games three and four of the NBA Finals. Jimmy Butler's 40-point triple-double catapulted Miami to the game three victory, but the Lakers bounced back in game four with some help from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

Click the play button below to tune in to the latest episode of our In The Paint Show!

Can Butler recreate is epic performance in game three to keep the Heat's championship hopes alive? Or will LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the rest of the Los Angeles roster close out the series - and the franchises 17th title - on Friday?

Ron and Dev also discuss hoops at the high school level, first the guys fill listeners in on the updated live viewing period dates set by the NCAA for 2021. Ron & Dev explain why these dates are so important and why prospects and parents based in California need to pay special attention to them.

At the end of the show, the guys discuss the top players and under-the-radar players from the Pangos All-South Frosh/Soph Camp last weekend in Texas. Who earned the honors as best guards and best big men in the event which was loaded with talent?

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On Episode 83 of our In The Paint Podcast, co-hosts Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland open the show with an in-depth look at the NBA Finals match-up between the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat.

Hit the play button below to tune in to the latest episode of the In The Paint Show!

Which team has the advantages on offense and defense? What do the Heat need to expose to go punch-for-punch with the Lakers. Does LAL's fate rest on the shoulders of LeBron James and Anthony Davis? Can Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro continue their hot shooting? Who are Ron and Dev crowning as champions.

The guys' next topic is the Clippers parting ways with head coach Doc Rivers after failing to get out of the second round of the playoffs. Was this too much of a knee-jerk reaction from the Clippers' management? Which direction do they go with their next coaching hire? Ron and Dev throw out some names they should consider and names they should stay away from.

The final topic of Episode 83 is all about high school basketball and the Pangos All-West Frosh/Soph Camp. Who were the top players in the event? Which players upped their stock with their performance? Which players should be on the radar for Division I schools in the future? The guys break that down and more on ITP 83!

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On Episode 82 of our In The Paint Podcast, co-hosts Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland take a closer look at the Western and Eastern Conference Finals in the NBA Playoffs, what this year's college basketball season will look like and Michael Jordan's latest movement within the NASCAR racing sphere.

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What did the Denver Nuggets do differently in game three to help it get back into the series against the Lakers? Los Angeles' lack of consistent perimeter shooting reared its ugly head yet again, is that a viable concern for the rest of the postseason? Should the Lakers be worried?

Heading over to the Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics won game three to take a step closer to tying the series against the Miami Heat. Did the return of Gordon Hayward come at the perfect time for the Celtics whose bench was struggling to produce? How does Miami get back on track for game four?

The next topic tackled by Ron and Dev is what will this season look like in college basketball. We have a firm start date of November 25 and non-conference tournaments are changing dates and locations to adhere to COVID-19 restrictions in some parts of the country. Will we see an NCAA Tournament this season? Will it be a bubble type of atmosphere?

The guys close out the show by discussing the latest move by Michael Jordan and him teaming with longtime NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin to start their own team. The feature driver for MJ will be Bubba Wallace and Ron and Dev break down how MJ has been able to successfully transcend multiple sports.

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Kawhi Leonard

6'5"   -   SF   -   2009

Who deserves to take the majority of the blame: Kawhi Leonard, Paul George or Doc Rivers? Is this the last time we'll see Doc patrolling the sidelines for LAC? What roster moves, if any, do the Clippers need to make this offseason? Whose legacy took a bigger hit: Kawhi or PG?

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LeBron James

6'8"   -   SF   -   2003

The second topic of Episode 81 is how the upstart Denver Nuggets matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals beginning Friday. Is the key head-to-head battle between Anthony Davis and Nikola Joki?? Who on the Nuggets' roster can stop LeBron James? Will Jamal Murray continue his dynamic scoring in the next round?

Finally, Ronnie and Devin discuss what they know best: High school hoops. The guys break down the standouts at last weekend's Pangos All-West Camp, including the breakout star of the event, Farmington (UT) shooting guard Collin Chandler. Hit the play button above to hear all of Ron and Dev's takes of the top high school performers at the All-West Camp!

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The guys start with an update on the NBA Playoffs. How did the Heat outmatch the Bucks? Will Boston be the favorite if it were to make the ECF? Lakers and Clippers have both had missteps, are they still on a collision course for the WCF? is this the last we see of Giannis in Milwaukee?

Click the play button below to listen!

Ron and Dev then discuss the proposal presented by ACC coaches to create an "All-Inclusive" NCAA Tournament. What would March Madness look like with 353 teams participating? Why does it make sense? Why doesn't it make sense?

Finally, the guys break down the high school standouts at the Pangos Rocky Mountain Summit and discuss the trend of high school players in California making the switch to prep schools for the fall and winter. Paolo Banchero, Nolan Hickman and Kaden Perry showed out for Seattle Rotary, while a handful of Vegas and California-based prospects put their names on the map!

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In episode No. 27 of our  In The Paint Show," hosts Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland go in hard on the much talked-about, blockbuster NBA trade that finally got done, sending Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers and sending Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, and an array of draft picks, including this year's No. 4 overall, to the New Orleans Pelicans. Speaking of New Orleans, who will the Lakers be drafting for them at No. 4? Is there a team looking to cut a deal with the Pelicans? We break down the upcoming NBA Draft (June 20) with special guest, NBA Draft Insider Rashad Phillips of Sports Talk 2319.

Who are some of the candidates to go No. 4 in this top heavy NBA Draft? Who does Phillips think will pan out in the lottery after the "Big Three" of Zion Williamson, Ja Morant and R.J. Barrett? Who are some of the sleepers that Phillips likes in the second round? We chop it up with Phillips and the fellas give their take on the draft as well!

With the blockbuster trade and how it affects the upcoming NBA Draft, we barely have time to get into the Toronto Raptors capturing the franchise's first NBA title! What does Toronto's victory mean for the NBA off-season and how it relates to the big trade and upcoming free agency? Will two-time NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard stay in Toronto long-term? How will the Lakers fare next season? What is their championship window?

The fellas go over plenty of items as it relates to the NBA and Ron recaps and breaks down the 2019 NBPA Top 100 Camp that took place last week in Virginia.

To learn more about our hosts, Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland, and to get more information about what "In The Paint" is all about, check out our intro below!

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Achiuwa joins the No. 1 player in the country, James Wiseman (Memphis East), and four-star recruits Boogie Ellis (San Diego Mission Bay), D.J. Jeffries (Olive Branch, MS), Lester Quinones (IMG Academy, FL), Malcolm Dandridge (Memphis East) and Damion Baugh (Tennessee Prep).

Penny Hardaway’s squad will perform on the court, so we can't yet say if it's an all-time recruiting job, but his efforts got myself and my colleague Ronnie Flores on the discussion of the greatest recruiting classes of all time. So we started to dig, and dig, and dig some more.

Some 36 hours later, we had a list of 35 of the all-time great recruiting classes dating back to 1965 for your enjoyment, beginning with UCLA’s class of 1965.

*The list takes into consideration not only the player rankings in those respective classes (listed by number) by the most credible?recruiting lists we?could find, but also what immediate impact the class had during its time in college hoops.?College freshman were first eligible for varsity competition in the 1972-73 season. Classes are listed in chronological order.

1965 UCLA Bruins

Class: Lew Alcindor (aka Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), Lucius Allen, Lynn Shackelford, Kenny Heitz

Impact:?The freshman team, led by these four first-year guys, blew out the varsity team, 75-60, in the inaugural game inside of Pauley Pavilion. Alcindor, Allen, Shackelford and Heitz spent their first season competing against other freshman teams and junior college programs, winning those games by an average of 57 points in front of massive crowds. All four moved into the starting lineup as sophomores and ran off three straight national championships led by Alcindor, arguably the greatest college player ever.

1970 UCLA Bruins

Class: Bill Walton, Jamaal Wilkes, Greg Lee, Tommy Curtis, Vince Carson

Impact: The eventual best player in college basketball, Walton, and the rest of this class had to play freshman ball in 1971 and showed just how good they were as sophomores by going 30-0 and winning the ’72 title over Florida State. UCLA won it again in ’73 over Memphis, but fell to NC State in the ’74 Final Four in the last season of this storied class.

1972 Indiana Hoosiers

Class: Quinn Buckner, Scott May, Tom Abernethy, Jim Crews

Impact: This wasn’t an immediate satisfaction class, but it produced long-term success. May was academically ineligible in the 1972-73 season, but his ability was on full display during his sophomore year.?Bucker actually was an immediate impact freshman (10.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg) on a team that advanced?the the NCAA Final Four.?The Hoosiers went 31-1 in 1974-75 and lost to Kentucky in the regional finals, before going 32-0 in 1975-76, winning the national title over Michigan, 86-68. The ’75-76 Indiana squad is the last team in college basketball to finish a season undefeated.

1978 Louisville Cardinals

Class: Jerry Eaves, Scooter McCray, Wiley Brown, Derek Smith, Poncho Wright

Impact: After recruiting National Player of the Year Darrell Griffith and?Bobby Turner out of Louisville's Male High School in 1976, coach Denny?Crum missed out on big targets like Albert King and Magic Johnson in 1977?and didn’t bring in much of note that fall.?He needed to hit big going into?the 1979 season to surround Griffith with enough talent to make a run at?the program’s third Final Four in the Crum era. Although he didn’t land a?superstar, he brought in excellent depth and a gem in McRay, who was?joined a year later by his younger brother Rodney out of Mt. Vernon, N.Y.?Scooter and Smith were impact players and Eaves and Brown were good role?players as freshman. Even without Turner and an injured Scooter, who was?never the same after his freshman year, Smith and Brown stepped up around?Griffith to develop the program its first NCAA title in 1980. This deep?class made up the core of the team that made another NCAA Final Four?appearance in 1982.

1979 Kentucky Wildcats

Class: Sam Bowie (3), Derrick Hord (5), Dirk Minniefield (20), Charles Hurt (36)

Impact: Bowie and Hord came in as top five recruits and the 7-foot-1 Bowie averaged 12.9 points and eight rebounds per game as a freshman, but battled injuries throughout his career. Hord, Minniefield and Hurt were all solid pieces during their four year careers, but weren’t apart of the 1984 team which lost in the National Semifinals to Georgetown in Bowie’s fifth year.

1979 UCLA Bruins

Class: Darren Daye (9), Rod Foster (28), Michael Holton (43), Cliff Pruitt (95)

Impact: These four UCLA freshmen teamed with senior Kiki Vandeweghe to advance all the way to the NCAA title game, where it lost to Louisville led by Darrell Griffith. Larry Brown left for the NBA and left the program on probation in his wake and this group never achieved the projections set for it.

1982 Duke Blue Devils

Class: Johnny Dawkins (11), Mark Alarie (43), Weldon Williams (62), Jay Bilas?(74), David Henderson, Bill Jackman

Impact: After a rough second year in Durham 10-17, many fans were calling?for coach Mike Krzyzewski’s head, but this is the class that turned things?around. Sure, Duke went 11-17 in 1982-83, but it also saw Dawkins (18.1?ppg) develop into arguably the most important recruit in school history?and the player that started a Duke dynasty that won five NCAA?championships in the Coach K era. Alarie (10 ppg, 6.5 rpg), Henderson (9.1?ppg) and Bilas (8.8 rpg) were also impact freshmen and this group made up?the core of the team that advanced to the first Final Four in the?Krzyzewski era, losing to Louisville in the 1986 NCAA title game.

1985 Louisville Cardinals

Class: Tony Kimbro (4), Pervis Ellison (17), Kenny Payne (22), Keith Williams, Avery Marshall

Impact: After winning the 1980 NCAA title and advancing to the 1982 and?1983 NCAA Final Four, it looked like Denny Crum’s proud program wasn’t on?that level anymore after going 19-18 in 1985. A big reason for that was?senior guard Wilt Wagner had to take a red-shirt for an injury. Similar to?Scooter McCray in ’78 and Lancaster Gordon and Charles Jones in '80, Crum?found another Southern gem in Ellison. "Never Nervous” Pervis teamed up?with Wagner to lead the Cardinals to their second NCAA title in seven?seasons in 1986 and the Savannah, Ga. product was the first freshman ever?named MOP of the NCAA Tournament. Kimbro was a three-year starer and Payne?scored nearly 15 ppg as a senior.

1986 Syracuse Orange

Class: Derrick Coleman (6), Earl Duncan (15), Stephen Thompson (36), Keith Hughes, Matt Roe

Impact: Pearl Washington, a New York City playground legend, and cable?television, made Syracuse a household name in the mid 1980s and coach Jim?Boeheim used that to bring in some excellent recruiting classes around?that time. Although Washington left a season early for the NBA in 1986,?Syracuse’s recruiting class that season help the program get over the hump?and advance to its first NCAA Final Four, where it lost to Indiana in the?title game. Coleman (11.9 ppg, 8.8 rpg) starred immediately, Thompson was?a terrific four-year standout and Duncan (after sitting out as a Prop 48)?and Roe became valuable contributors on NCAA tournament teams after their?freshman seasons.

1988 Georgetown Hoyas

Class: Alonzo Mourning (1), Milton Bell (28), Ronny Thompson, Dikembe?Mutombo, John Turner (JUCO)

Impact: We were tempted to place the 1981 Georgetown class with No.?1 player Patrick Ewing, but we decided to place another John Thompson haul?with a No. 1 national player, Mourning (13.1 ppg, 7.3 rpg). What makes?this class unique is the emergence of Mutombo, a Congo native who attended?Georgetown on a USAID scholarship and spoke basically no English when he?arrived. Although Bell eventually transferred and Turner dropped out,?Mourning made the Hoyas a forced to be reckoned with right away as they?advanced to the Elite Eight and they were quite competitive with the Twin?Towers underneath for the next two seasons after that.

1989 Indiana Hoosiers

Class: Lawrence Funderburke (7), Pat Graham (15), Calbert Cheaney (31), Greg Graham (36), Chris Lawson (76)

Impact: This class was met with a lot of fanfare, especially with thoughts of pairing Funderburke with Bobby Knight, but the fun didn’t last long. Funderburke only lasted six games before transferring to Ohio State after he butted heads with coach Knight. Pat and Greg Graham were solid pieces, but Calbert Cheaney ended up being the gem of that Hoosiers’ class. Cheaney led Indiana to the 1992 Final Four and was the 1993 NCAA Player of the Year as a senior.

1990 North Carolina Tar Heels

Class: Eric Montross (2), Clifford Rozier (5), Derrick Phelps (12), Brian Reese (13)

Impact: All four played roles in their first seasons in Chapel Hill as UNC went to the Final Four in 1991, falling to Kansas, 79-73. Montross ended up leading the Tar Heels in scoring during their run to the 1993 NCAA national title where they defeated the next recruiting class on our list. Rozier ended up transferring to Louisville where he became an All-American, while Reese (11.3 points per game) and Phelps (8.1 ppg) started and played major roles in the title run.

1991 Michigan Wolverines

Class: Chris Webber (1), Juwan Howard (3), Jalen Rose (6), Jimmy King (9), Ray Jackson (76)

Impact: There is no class more highly publicized and analyzed than the famed Fab Five. Webber, Howard, Rose and King were McDonald’s All-Americans, and in fact, played on the same Mickey D’s team. The Wolverines reached back-to-back National Championship games in 1992 and 1993, but fell to Duke and North Carolina, respectively. One of the more interesting facts about this team is it never won a Big Ten championship.

1993 North Carolina Tar Heels

Class: Jerry Stackhouse (2), Rasheed Wallace (3), Jeff McInnis (26)

Impact: Stackhouse and Wallace were considered two of the top three players in the country along with Randy Livingston (LSU), while McInnis rounded out the trio of McDonald's All-Americans. Stackhouse and Wallace took some time away from returning starters Phelps and Reese and UNC faltered in the 1994 NCAA Tournament, falling in the second round to ninth-seeded Boston College.

1994 Michigan Wolverines

Class: Jerod Ward (3), Willie Mitchell (16), Maceo Baston (17), Maurice Taylor?(18), Travis Conlan

Impact: After Michigan’s Fab Five took college basketball by storm in?1992-93, Coach Steve Fisher had the hottest program in the country in the?mid 1990s. He parlayed that info fine recruiting classes in ’94 and ’95.?The ’94 group was labeled Fab Five II, but because leading recruit Ward?never developed as advertised, the program never returned to the NCAA?Final Four before facing NCAA sanctions at the end of the Fisher era.?Still, the 1994 group was productive in Ann Arbor, especially Taylor (12.4?ppg) and Baston, bookend forwards who were more tough than flashy in comparison to?their predecessors on the frontline.

1997 Duke Blue Devils

Class: Chris Burgess (1), Elton Brand (6), Shane Battier (7), William Avery (51)

Impact: Brand, Battier and Burgess were all McDonald’s All-American’s in 1997. Brand came in as an immediate double-double threat, averaging 13.4 points and 7.3 rebounds as a freshman. Avery (8.5 points), Battier (7.6) and Burgess (4.3) were strong supporting actors as freshmen. Duke lost to Kentucky in the Elite Eight in 1998, then fell to Connecticut in the 1999 National Championship game. Brand, a sophomore, led the team in scoring and rebounding that season and was the No. 1 pick in the 1999 NBA Draft by Chicago, while Avery went No. 14 to Minnesota.

1998 UCLA Bruins

Class: Dan Gadzuric (5), JaRon Rush (10), Ray Young (16), Matt Barnes (39), Jerome Moiso

Impact: Rush (11.4 points), Moiso (10.8 points) and Gadzuric (8.6 points) all showed early promise as long-term prospects, but things just didn’t click. The team didn’t meet expectations under Steve Lavin and Ray Young’s career didn’t pan out as most expected. The Bruins made a couple of decent NCAA Tournament runs, but the payer rankings of this group didn’t meet the on-court production.

1999 Kansas Jayhawks

Class: Nick Collison (22), Drew Gooden (26), Kirk Hinrich (46)

Impact: This class wasn’t as highly-touted as many on this list, but it was extremely productive. All three were immediate impact players as freshmen, Collison and Gooden both averaging double-figure scoring in their first season. All three of these recruits were on the 2001-02 team which lost to Maryland in the national semifinals, while Collison and Hinrich were on the squad which lost to Syracuse in the 2003 National Championship game.

2002 Illinois Fightin’ Illini

Class: Dee Brown (19), Deron Williams (38), James Augustine (87)

Impact: Bill Self brought in this class before he left for the Kansas job and the rankings of Brown, Williams and Augustine wouldn’t lend one to believe that this class belongs on the list, but the long-term impact of this trio earned it a spot. All three started from nearly every game their inaugural year and the rapport they built helped them reach the 2005 National Championship game under Bruce Pearl. Illinois lost to North Carolina, 75-70. One honorable mention recruiting class was Lou Henson’s haul in 1986 of Nick Anderson, Steve Bardo, Kendall Gill, Ervin Small and Larry Smith, but because of Prop 48 restrictions, Anderson and Small didn’t play their freshman season.

2002 North Carolina Tar Heels

Class: Raymond Felton (3), Sean May (6), Rashad McCants (8), David Noel

Impact: This trio had a rough start as all were thrust into starting roles under coach Matt Doherty. The 2002-03 Tar Heels went 19-16 overall, 6-10 in the ACC, and missed the NCAA Tournament. Doherty was out after that season and Roy Williams took over and turned the ship around. UNC won the 2005 NCAA Title over Illinois behind the production of McCants, May and Felton.

2002 Syracuse Orange

Class: Carmelo Anthony (1), Gerry McNamara (21)

Impact: This class is important for obvious reasons. Anthony opted to go to college instead of the NBA and the rest is history. Melo immediately became the premier scorer in the country and led the Orange to the 2003 NCAA National Championship. McNamara may have been the overlooked piece to this puzzle, but his 13.3 points per game and consistent long-range shooting was instrumental in Syracuse’s success. Some include Billy Edelin in this class, but he was a 2001 high school graduate who missed his freshman season due to suspension.

2004 Florida Gators

Class: Corey Brewer (29), Al Horford (48), Joakim Noah (67), Taurean Green (70)

Impact: This group didn’t look as good on paper as many on this list, but winning followed wherever it went. They all bought in to each other and coach Billy Donovan’s system which led to it being the last group to win back-to-back NCAA titles. The Gators took down UCLA in 2006 and a great Ohio State team in 2007. Noah, Horford, Brewer and Green all shared the wealth, averaging between 12 and 13.3 points per game in their junior seasons.?

2005 Kansas Jayhawks

Class: Julian Wright (7), Brandon Rush (13), Mario Chalmers (14), Micah Downs (33)

Impact: Rush started every game his freshman year, while Chalmers and Wright eventually played their way into starting roles. The Jayhawks fell to UCLA in the 2007 Elite Eight in this group’s sophomore year, but after Wright left for the NBA and Downs transferred to Gonzaga, Chalmers and Rush helped Kansas win a National Championship in 2008 over Memphis. Chalmers famously hit the game-winning shot.

2006 Ohio State Buckeyes

Class: Greg Oden (1), Daequan Cook (21), Mike Conley (28), David Lighty (41), Othello Hunter (JUCO)

Impact: This class was truly considered one of the best ever led by generational center, Greg Oden, who developed into the No. 1 pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. Oden averaged 15.7 points and 9.6 rebounds in his freshman campaign, while Conley (11.3, 6.1 assists) and Cook (9.8) took on big time roles as well. Ohio State made a run to the 2007 National Championship game where it fell to Florida.

2006 North Carolina Tar Heels

Class: Ty Lawson (3), Wayne Ellington (4), Brandan Wright (5), Alex Stepheson (62), Deon Thompson (80)

Impact: This class was top heavy for Roy Williams with Lawson, Ellington and Wright floating around the top 10 among the various rankings. Those three stepped in and contributed immediately, while Thompson and Stepheson played more complimentary roles. Wright went one-and-done, but the other four remained to help the Tar Heels made a Final Four run in 2008. Stepheson then transferred to USC and Ellington, Lawson and Thompson won a National Championship in 2009 over Michigan State.

2006 Texas Longhorns

Class: Kevin Durant (2), D.J. Augustin (17), Damion James (23), Dexter Pittman?(68)

Impact: Coach Rick Barnes used his connections with Montrose Christian?(Rockville, Md.) coach Stu Vetter to secure the services of Durant, the?nation’s No. 2 recruit behind Greg Oden who turned in one of the greatest?freshman seasons in NCAA history (25.8 ppg, 11.1 rpg) before being the No.?2 pick of the 2007 NBA Draft behind the same player. Barnes' haul also?included D.J. Augustin (14.4 ppg, 6.7 apg), the underrated James (7.6 ppg,?7. 2 rpg) and a fourth eventual NBA player and four-year contributor in?Pittman.

2009 Kentucky Wildcats

Class: John Wall (1), DeMarcus Cousins (3), Daniel Orton (15), Eric Bledsoe (23), Jon Hood (40), Darnell Dodson (JUCO)

Impact: John Calipari wasted no time bringing in big-time talent at Kentucky. Cal snagged five players in the top 40 and a four-star junior college transfer in Dodson. The Wildcats lost to West Virginia in the Elite Eight, then lost Wall, Cousins, Orton and Bledsoe to the NBA. It was considered a big disappointment.?

2010 Kentucky Wildcats

Class: Enes Kanter (3), Brandon Knight (6), Terrence Jones (13), Doron Lamb (21)

Impact: Kanter didn’t end up playing in his short stay at Kentucky and the Wildcats still managed to make a Final Four run. Knight (17.3 points), Jones (15.7) and Lamb (12.3) were the catalysts on that 2010-11 team which fell to UCONN, 56-55, in the national semifinals.

2011 Kentucky Wildcats

Class: Anthony Davis (1), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (2), Marquis Teague (4), Kyle Wiltjer (22)

Impact: A recruiting class can’t get much better when three of the four guys you bring in start basically every game en route to a National Championship. Davis scooped up every award you can imagine, including Wooden Award and AP Player of the Year, as he averaged 14.2 points, 10.4 rebounds and 4.7 blocks per game, while Kidd-Gilchrist put up 11.9 points and 7.4 boards a contest. Davis and MKG were the top two picks in the 2012 NBA Draft and Teague went 29th to Chicago. Wiltjer played two solid seasons, but transferred to Gonzaga after his sophomore year in Lexington.

2013 Kentucky Wildcats

Class: Julius Randle (3), Andrew Harrison (5), James Young (6), Aaron Harrison (7), Dakari Johnson (9), Marcus Lee (19), Derek Willis (115)

Impact: Randle, Young and the Harrison twins started from the get-go, as the Wildcats had to make up for the departures of Davis, MKG, Teague, Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb whom all ended up being first round picks in the 2012 NBA Draft. Those four, along with sophomore Willie Cauley-Stein, led Kentucky to another National Championship appearance where it fell to Connecticut, 60-54. Randle and Young opted for the one-and-done route with Julius going to the Lakers at No. 7 and James to the Celtics at No. 17. The Harrison twins and Johnson stayed another year before making the jump to the pros. Lee had three average seasons before transferring back home to Cal.

2014 Duke Blue Devils

Class: Jahlil Okafor (1), Tyus Jones (4), Justise Winslow (12), Grayson Allen (17)

Impact: Okafor was an absolute beast at the college level, putting up 17.3 points and 8.5 rebounds a night in leading Duke to the 2015 NCAA National Title. Winslow (12.6 points, 6.5 rebounds) and Jones (11.8 points, 5.6 assists) flourished in their starting roles. Okafor (No. 3) and Winslow (No. 10) went in the Lottery of the 2015 NBA Draft and Jones was taken 24th overall.

2014 Kentucky Wildcats

Class: Karl-Anthony Towns (5), Trey Lyles (13), Tyler Ulis (21), Devin Booker (27)

Impact: If you look at the stat sheet for the 2014-15 Wildcats none of the numbers will blow you away. No player averaged more than 11 points per game, but the balance was clear as six Kentucky players scored between 6.4 and 11 points per night. Towns started every game, while Lyles made his way into 21 first five appearances. Booker and Ulis played key bench roles as Kentucky won its first 38 games of that season. The Wildcats run to a perfect season was halted by Wisconsin in the 2015 NCAA national semifinals. Towns was the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, Lyles went No. 12 and Booker No. 13.

2017 Duke Blue Devils

Class: Marvin Bagley III (2), Trevon Duval (4), Wendell Carter (7), Gary Trent Jr. (18), Alex O’Connell (58)

Impact: This was a much-heralded coup for Coach K. He grabbed three of the top seven players in the country, including Bagley who reclassified up a class to head to Durham. The lanky lefty was as good as advertised, dropping 20 points and 11 rebounds a night for the Blue Devils, while Trent, Carter and Duval all joined him in the starting five and averaged double-figure scoring. Duke won 29 games in 2017-18, but fell to Kansas, 85-81, in the Elite Eight. Bagley (No. 2) and Carter (No. 7) were selected early in the 2018 NBA Draft, but Trent fell to the second round and Duval went undrafted.

2017 Kentucky Wildcats

Class: Hamidou Diallo (10), Kevin Knox (11), Jarred Vanderbilt (12), P.J. Washington (15), Nick Richards (17), Quade Green (22), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (34)

Impact: Kentucky didn’t land any of the top five players in 2017 as it’s accustomed to doing basically every year, but this seven player haul was absolutely ridiculous for Calipari. All seven contributed in a big way before Vanderbilt lost his season early to injury. The Wildcats ended up struggling in SEC play, finishing fourth in the conference with a 10-8 record before falling to Kansas State in the 2018 Sweet 16.

2018 Duke Blue Devils

Class: R.J. Barrett (1), Cam Reddish (3), Zion Williamson (5), Tre Jones (14), Joey Baker (48)

Impact: Duke needed to reload in 2018 after losing its top five scorers to the NBA Draft and Coach K did so by bringing in three of the top five players in the country. Williamson’s impact was not only felt on the floor from the jump, but also on the airwaves and on social media as the viral dunking sensation was plastered all over every sports morning show you can think of. Barrett lived up to his lofty expectations, Reddish showed flashes of why many considered him one of the more versatile scorers in the country and Jones made sure the team was running like a well-oiled machine. The Blue Devils won 32 games before losing to Michigan State, 69-68, in the 2019 Elite Eight.

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In the tenth episode of our all-new In The Paint Show," hosts Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland break down the Super Bowl and the Brady vs. Jordan 6-ring debate, give an update on the wild Pelicans-Lakers trade talks and go hard on the latest FAB 50 National Rankings and the upcoming CIF Southern Section Open Division playoffs.

The Super Bowl had a huge NorCal flavor and the fellas talk about what NBA great Tom Brady reminds them most of.

The Lakers and Pelicans trade talks seem to hit a stalemate right before the NBA trade deadline. Did Rich Paul make the right move with Anthony Davis' request? Did the Lakers, particularly Magic Johnson and the rest of the front office, handle the trade talks correctly by making so much of it public? What will happen to the Lakers' young core if there is no trade before the deadline?

We go Hard in the Paint about the whole saga!

Ron breaks down La Lumiere's close win over the weekend to remain No. 1 in the FAB 50 and recaps the California No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown in California between current FAB 50 No. 8 Rancho Christian of Temecula and No. 11 Sierra Canyon of Chatsworth.

Dev closes things out by breaking down the loaded CIFSS Open Division playoffs, where Rancho Christian and Sierra Canyon are the top two seeds in the section's new pool play format.

The fellas hit on plenty this week, so make sure to give our Pod a listen below and share it with friends!

To learn more about our hosts, Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland, and to get more information about what "In The Paint" is all about, check out our intro below!

Subscribe to our new Podcast on iTunes here

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In the eighth episode of our all-new In The Paint Show," hosts Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland dish on the Anthony Davis saga, as one of the NBA's best?all-around players announces he won't sign a long-term deal with the New Orleans Pelicans.

There has been a ton of rumors and speculation on what the Davis' saga means for the league and how he'll get to his preferred destination -- the Los Angeles Lakers. Will the Lakers part with the young core it drafted? Will the Pelicans wait to see what the Celtics can offer after July 1?

In just a few short days, the Pelicans have received an offer from the Lakers and things are moving so fast we try to make sense of it all. We also dish on whom has been the NBA's most powerful person at various times in its history and how the league has always favored the franchises in the big markets.

We also break down what we saw at the recent Nike Extravaganza, which saw the last appearance against CIF schools by national power Oak Hill Academy of Virginia, and the teams SoCal fans can expect to see in the upcoming eight-team CIFS Southern Section playoffs.

Devin also gives his bold prediction of whom will win the showdown between FAB 50 No. 8 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) and No. 10 Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.), California's top two ranked teams who play on February 2.

The fellas cover plenty this week, so make sure to give it a listen below and share it with friends!

To learn more about our hosts, Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland, and to get more information about what "In The Paint" is all about, check out our intro below!

Subscribe to our new Podcast on iTunes here

The post The Brow On the Move SOON? NBA Trades Gone Wild! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

Every season there are prospects that quickly rise in mainstream national player rankings, but it's not often a somewhat unheralded player can rise to the top five and into the conversation of best overall long-term prospect in his class.

That is the current scenario of 6-foot-10 Jaden McDaniels, who went from a solid Top 100 prospect after a productive junior campaign at Federal Way (Federal Way, Wash.), to the talk of the summer recruiting scene and exploding into a top five prospect after starring for Seattle Rotary on the EYBL circuit.

It's easy to see why national scouts like his long-term potential: a sinewy frame with a quick second jump to alter shots, soft hands, good ball-handling ability at his size that he uses for dribble pull-ups and the ability to post up and create space near the elbows.

That ability was on full display during the first round of the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas, as the Eagles opened the Platinum Division with a hard-fought 54-45 victory over Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland, Calif.). Federal Way, currently No. 24 in the FAB 50 National Rankings, remained unbeaten despite McDaniels' major foul trouble.

It's just another learning experience for a young man with a quiet demeanor who has been thrust into the national spotlight in the past six months. He's also still undecided for college, with Kentucky, San Diego St., Texas,?UCLA, Washington as his finalists, and that can easily add to the constant questions and distractions during the high school season.

"I'm just worried about getting better and not focused on recruiting...just focusing on us playing well as a team," said McDaniels following Federal Way's first round victory. "All my official visits went well, it was a good experience."

The road to the top is bound to have some bumps, and McDaniels is far from a finished product, but that's what national scouts are most excited about. With hard work, his best days are ahead of him.

McDaniels' foul trouble versus Bishop O'Dowd meant two long spells on the bench. He did block a couple of shots, but when he re-entered the game with 7:46 remaining and his team leading 46-38 he didn't score again, finishing with six points and four rebounds, as he fouled out with 3:01 remaining on a bang-bang charge-block call in the backcourt.

McDaniels' teammates, particularly senior guard Jishai Miller and athletic junior forward Tari Eason, picked up the slack as the Eagles advanced to play Chino Hills (Calif.) and highly-regarded USC commit Onyeka Okongwu. And that's what matters most to McDaniels right now, his team advancing and getting another opportunity.

The No. 4 prospect in the 247Sports.com rankings does get knocked off his desired spot by smaller defenders that can get under him and he could attack the glass with more fervor, but there is plenty a veteran evaluator can point out about a majority of the top prospects. It's about recognizing any shortcomings and addressing them, and McDaniels has a solid idea of how to keep things in perspective and where to go from here.

"I feel I'm more assertive of defense and I'm just trying to be a better teammate all-around," McDaniels said about what he's worked on to improve the most.

McDaniels was ranked No. 89 by 247Sports.com following his junior season then moved up to No. 10 in mid-May. He then went to?No. 4 in August following the July live evaluation period. Was it a case of increased exposure or an improvement in overall game when it came to McDaniels?

"It wasn't a case of exposure...everything improved, from his body, athleticism and skill," said Evan Daniels, 247Sports.com Director of Scouting.

It's not as if a meteoric rise is unprecedented in grassroots basketball or if McDaniels came out of nowhere, as he averaged 21.3 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 4.6 apg, 3.3 bpg for a Class 4A state-runner up team in 2017-18. Ironically, McDaniels doesn't really know the history of the fast-rising prospects in grassroots history, but if his career comes even close to following the trajectory of the terrific players chronicled below, he'll be just fine.

"No, I don't know the history of guys like Tracy McGrady, but the exposure (as a highly-regarded prospect) has been really fun," McDaniels said. "Just playing against the top players, getting that opportunity, is what it was all about."

Below are five terrific players who "blew up" at various times in their high school careers. All five went on to great success at the next levels of the game:

Anthony Davis (Perspectives Charter, Chicago) 6-9 PF '11

Prior to the spring of 2010, no one outside of Chicago really knew about this budding prospect, as Davis did not play in the traditional grassroots system until he was a rising junior. He was a thin 6-foot-4 prospect as a sophomore and grew three inches going into his junior year. It wasn't until the spring of 2010 that the 6-foot-9 Davis showed the country glimpses of what he is today: one of the NBA's best players with the New Orleans Pelicans.

Before a spurt that saw him grow 7-8 inches over two years, Davis was toiling at a small charter school in the Chicago Public League. By the first session of Nike EYBL for Meanstreets at Boo Williams, Davis' name was quickly spreading across the country as a franchise-type talent. He went from national obscurity in March 2010 to "he's a Top 5 national prospect" at the Bill Hensley Memorial Run-n-Slam All-Star Classic in Indiana in early May.

Davis was ranked by HOOP SCOOP as the top performer at the NBA Players Association Top 100 Camp in June, and a top three player at both the LeBron James King City Classic and NIKE Peach Jam. He was the player of the summer in 2010, but by the end of it, it wasn't hard to see Davis was the best player in the country.

Larry Johnson (Skyline, Dallas) 6-5 PF '87

Thirty years ago club and high school basketball in Texas just didn't have a tremendous reputation as a talent-laden region that it does today. Football was (and still is) king, but even spring football rated above hoops in the eyes of many Texans back then.

Johnson was a man child at Skyline, but the rest of the country simply hadn't seen him. Legendary Skyline head coach J.D. Mayo started the 6-foot-2, 190-pounder on the freshman team for the first game, but that same day he decided to insert him into the varsity lineup and immediately knew he had something special on his hands. Johnson started every game of his four-year career and Mayo desperately wanted the nation's most respected talent scouts to come check out Johnson.

Longtime talent scout?Bob Gibbons of All-Star Sports had Johnson at No. 49 in the country based on his reputation. Guard LaBradford Smith of Bay City had the big reputation in Texas' 1987 class and forward Marcus Liberty of King (Chicago) had the biggest reputation nationally and big guard Eric Manual of Southwest (Macon, Ga.) was also in the discussion as the top prospect. Johnson's rep, however, was spreading like wildfire in the spring and summer of 1986.

In a poll of top evaluators that summer, Rick Bolus of High Potential Recruiting Service had Johnson No. 19, Chris Wallace of The Blue Ribbon Yearbook had him No. 6, Brick Oettinger of ACC Poop Sheet and Clark Francis of the Hoop Scoop pegged him at No. 7. The Hoop Scoop later named him its "Sleeper of the Summer" but it's kind of comical to label a top 10 prospect a sleeper. Gibbons' logic seemed to permeate Johnson's meteoric rise; he later confided to Johnson and others the powerful kid from South Dallas was probably the best player in the country, but how good could any recruiting list be if a player went up 50 spots to No. 1 in one single glimpse?

Johnson lived up to his tremendous billing, averaging 29 points and 19 rebounds as a Skyline senior after signing with SMU during the early period. He was later named Mr. Basketball USA over Liberty and Manual before being a two-time National JUCO Player of the Year after fallout of his SAT score in light of SMU's Death Penalty ruling in football.

He was being touted as a sure-fire NBA prospect as a junior college player, led UNLV to the NCAA title in 1989-90 and was the NCAA Player of the Year the following season. He was also NBA Rookie of the Year in 1991-92 after being selected No. 1 overall by the Charlotte Hornets before back injuries slowed his pro career.

Tracy McGrady (Mt. Zion Christian, Durham, N.C.) 6-7 SF '97

T-Mac is the poster child for using a grassroots game or event to springboard from unknown to top of the class. In the case of McGrady, he truly wasn't on anyone radar during his junior season at Auburndale High in Florida. Forget Top 100, he wasn't in anyone's Top 500 prior to getting an invite to attend Sonny Vaccaro's?adidas ABCD Camp in July 1996. Vacarro, the camp founder and director, was pestered by Florida talent scout Alvis Smith to take a chance on the unknown talent by extending him an invite to the prestigious camp. Vaccaro was a bit leery, but the rest, as they say, is history.

No. 175 was the talk of the camp. Veteran talent scouts couldn't believe their eyes. The myth lives on that McGrady was the No. 175 ranked player in camp and the last player to get a jersey, but the reality is he wasn't even in the Top 500. Five days later, he was the No. 1 overall prospect in the country.

McGrady was No. 5 in the camp in scoring (16.5 ppg), tied with Lamar Odom at No. 3 in rebounding (7.8 rpg), No. 2 in steals (2.1) and No. 1 in blocked shots (2.1). He simply was the best player in a talented camp from start to finish. For his senior season, he transferred to Mt. Zion and continued the dominance in a major high school basketball setting.

Odom, who was rated the No. 1 player in the country before ABCD and the other player nationally who could match McGrady talent-wise, was the only other serious National Player of the Year candidate as Mt. Zion won a major tourney title (Las Vegas Holiday Prep Invitational) in which Odom’s team also was involved and lost to T-Mac's team.

McGrady finished his senior season with numbers of 22.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game for a team that finished 26-2 and No. 4 in the National Prep Poll (FAB 50 precursor). McGrady was the No. 9 pick of the 1997 NBA Draft and during his NBA Hall of Fame speech 20 years later talked about his No. 175 at ABCD and personally singled out and thanked Vaccaro for the opportunity.

Shaquille O'Neal (Cole, San Antonio, Texas) 6-11 C '89

Similar to Larry Johnson, O'Neal was unknown nationally prior to the Houston Shootout following his junior season. Talent scouts had a chance to see O'Neal the summer prior at the BCI Tournament in Tempe, Ariz., and if they happened to take a look what they saw was a 6-foot-7 nondescript power forward. Nobody paid attention, but all that quickly changed.

"Shaq was 6-foot-7 as a rising junior going into BCI, but he grew four inches and all of a sudden you had something, and he kept growing," said veteran scout Van Coleman at Tarkanian Classic, who attended BCI in the summer of 1988 as the recruiting world awaited O'Neal's games.

By all accounts, O'Neal was terrific at the Houston Shootout and had heavyweight college coaches such as Eddie Sutton (Kentucky), Joey Meyer (DePaul), Dean Smith (North Carolina) and Digger Phelps (Notre Dame) following his every move at BCI. Nobody was disappointed who saw him as the skinny 6-foot-11 prospect who wore a size 18 shoe and was still 16 until January 1989 quickly ascended to No. 2 in the national class, behind New York City point guard legend Kenny Anderson, in a matter of two events.

In reality, all the college coaches that clamored for O'Neal services were late to the ball game. LSU's Dale Brown first saw him two years earlier at a coaching clinic and mistook the 14-year old for an active serviceman. The relationship Brown forged with the youngster paid off, as O'Neal went to LSU and was a two-time All-American and the No. 1 pick in the 1992 NBA Draft after being named MVP of both the McDonald's All-American Game and Dapper Dan Roundball Classic following his senior season. He realistically could have been the No. 1 pick in both 1990 and 1991 and went on to become the most dominant center of the "modern" NBA.

Bill Walton (Helix, San Diego, Calif.) 6-11 C '70

There wasn't a complex grassroots system in place in the summer of 1969 or Walton might have blown up in similar fashion to T-Mac or Anthony Davis. He had a good junior season for Helix, but Reseda (Calif.) guard Greg Lee, who was the big name in California at that time and on the cover of Cal Prep Basketball Magazine, and forward Keith Wilkes of Santa Barbara (Calif.),who was the 1969 State Player of the Year by Cal-Hi Sports as a junior, also received a good amount of hype. That all changed early in Walton's senior year when Helix went to challenge some of Southern California's best teams in the Covina Tournament of Champions.

Against a very good Pasadena (Calif.) team in the title game, Walton had tournament single-game records of 50 points and 34 rebounds in a 110-68 rout. Walton made 18-of-24 shots from the field, 14-of-16 free throws and added nine blocked shots. Nobody in attendance could believe how good the tall kid from San Diego was. One of the coaches in attendance was UCLA assistant Denny Crum, John Wooden's chief recruiter who later led Louisville to two NCAA titles. What transpired was one of the most famous conversations in grassroots history.

“I just saw the greatest high school player I’ve ever seen,” Crum told Wooden.

“Better than Lewis (Alcindor)?” Wooden asked.

“Yeah,” Crum said.

“Keep your voice down and close the door,” Wooden snickered.

Crum's evaluation turned out to be not far from the truth, as Walton had a senior season for the ages. He averaged 29 points, grabbed 825 rebounds (still a state record), good for a 25.0 average, as Helix finished 33-0 and extended its winning streak to 49 consecutive games with Walton in the lineup. Tom McMillen of Mansfield (Pa.) garnered most of the national headlines and was the Sports Illustrated cover boy as a high school player, but it wasn't a secret among college coaches that Walton was the real deal. He went on to immortality at UCLA, leading the Bruins to two NCAA titles before going on to win NBA Championships with Portland in 1977 and Boston in 1986.

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at?[email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter:?@RonMFlores

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Fans of Jusuf Nurkic know him as The Bosnian Beast. A beast that scored 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting in the Blazers win over the Wolves on Sunday. A beast that put up 20 points twice last week on 10 or fewer shots. A beast that deserves more attention around All-Star weekend.

General NBA fans know Nurkic as The Human Bullseye for dunkers. Over the past 12 months, he's received more facials than 2018 AVN Best Actress winner Sara Luvv. And one of those facials happened on Sunday when Wolves rookie Josh Okogie was awarded the Daily Dunk on Nurkic award.

This dunk also happened less than 24 hours after Brandon Ingram was the recipient of the award.

LeBron liked Slender Man's dunk on The Beast so much, he posted a photo of it on Instagram with the following caption: "Watch my Young King fly!! I’m telling you he has arrived! Watch yo head."

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Watch my Young ?? fly!! I’m telling you he has arrived! ? Watch yo head

A post shared by LeBron James (@kingjames) on Nov 3, 2018 at 10:44pm PDT

LeBron is also the poster maker with the most memorable facial on Nurkic. His happened back on March 15th of 2018, a sad day many will remember as the day Toys R' Us announced they were dead and the day the internet thought Nurkic was dead because of all the "RIP Nurkic" tweets.

The dunk was so disturbing, Jordan Clarkson said, "There's a body bag in the hallway right now" during the postgame interview.

LeBron dunked on Nurkic so hard that a Blazer fan damn near threw up. pic.twitter.com/yFg69NhZQa

— realcavsfans.com (@realcavsfans) March 16, 2018

My personal favorite dunk on Nurkic happened during Game 3 of the Blazers & Pelicans Playoff series in April. Midway through the third quarter, Anthony Davis threw down a putback dunk on Nurkic. The dunk wasn't that great but the sight of AD's teammate, Jrue Holiday, pointing at Nurkic as he was trying to figure out what just hit him made it a classic.

I love this photo so much, I printed it out and plan on getting AD and Holiday to sign it. I'm assuming Nurkic won't sign it but if Kobe was willing to sign the cover of a Sports Illustrated issue about his rape case then maybe Nurkic will.

Also worth mentioning is Clint Capela's and-one dunk on Nurkic that happened just five days after Nurkic's near-death experience with The King.

One last thing, I'm sure a few Portland fans will take this post too seriously and say we should praise him for attempting to play this rarely seen thing called defense. All I can say is it must suck to be so oversensitive and I hope your team doesn't get swept in the playoffs for the third consecutive year.

(FYI: I've been a Blazers fan since the 80s when Clyde Drexler was putting every team's center on a poster)

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How disrespectful and just flat out beautiful is this photo?

The captured moment is the aftermath of Anthony Davis throwing down a putback dunk over the head of Jusuf Nurkic, a favorite collaborator among the league's best dunkers (like LeBron, who created a Mona Lisa with him a month ago). AD's teammate, Jrue Holiday, enjoyed the dunk so much, he pulled a Charles Oakley and pointed at Nurkic even though he wasn't the one who dunked on him (he did dunk on him in GM2).

If you don't get the Charles Oakley reference, let's go back to December of 1986 to a game between Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls and Dominique Wilkins' Atlanta Hawks. During this game, Michael Jordan had one of his most memorable dunks -- a one-hand poster dunk on Tree Rollins after one of his trademark one-hand ball fakes. You have probably seen it before, but the clip always cuts right after the dunk and right before Charles Oakley points right at the head of Rollins.

And we can't talk about post-dunk pointing without bringing up the "Lister Blister." The infamous dunk was done by Shawn Kemp in Game 4 of the 1992 playoff series between the Sonics and Warriors. What many people don't know about this celebrated dunk is it's also one of the best revenge dunks in NBA history. Earlier in the series, the two got into a fight after a flagrant foul by Lister. Punches were thrown and since this was the 90s, they each received a tech and were told to keep playing.

Earlier this season, Larry Nance Jr paid homage to the Reign Man by giving Mason Plumlee a less cool looking version of the "Lister Blister" celebration.

Another favorite clip of mine is this one (15 second mark) of a very young and thin Shaquille O'Neal letting putting his finger right in the face of a high school defender.

BONUS: JRUE'S DUNK ON NURKIC

LEBRON ON NURKIC - THE MINI MOVIE

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On a recent appearance on the Pelican's podcast, The Black and Blue Report, Anthony Davis said he's a little taller than he was since last season and isn't really happy about it.

"They measured us like a week and a half ago and they said I was 6-11, which I don't want to be. I think 6'10's like the perfect height for me. It just doesn't sound right; 6'10 sounds perfect to me. 6'11, 7 feet...I don't like it.

"I will always tell everybody 6"10. I don't care if I'm 7'3. I'm 6'10."

Does this sound familiar? Earlier this year, Kevin Durant said he tells everybody in "basketball circles" he's 6'9"...but he tells women he's a 7 footer.

Besides raising the brow an inch higher in the sky, the 23-year-old said he's now about 5 to 7 pounds heavier than he was last season.

"I really love playing at 245, but we'll see. I haven't played at 250 yet. I mean, [I've played] pickup, but that's not really a real game. I'll see. I'll test it out in preseason and see. After a while, just play.

"I don't want to get under 245 though. If I do drop weight, I don't want to get under 245."

After signing a 5-year, $145 extension in 2015, Davis was having a career-year last season until he had a season-ending injury. You can expect the slightly taller and bigger Davis to return to All-NBA form and continue to set new records for himself and the possibly the league.

Source: ESPN

HIGH SCHOOL THROWBACK

COLLEGE

NBA

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What would do if you were one of the most talented players in the league and just agreed to the biggest contract in NBA history? Spend the next day looking for new rides or a bigger home? Change the weather at a few clubs? Go to Disney? How about hitting the gym to work on your game while the NBA training camp is still 3 months away.

Back in the lab this morning pic.twitter.com/pEwqMN2xLf

— Anthony Davis (@AntDavis23) July 1, 2015

The post Anthony Davis Back In The Gym, Showing Off His 3-Point Shot The Day After Agreeing To Extension appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

It was the AD show in New Orleans as OKC with no KD lost by 34.  Davis only played 26 minutes but still racked up 28 points on 10 of 15 shooting from the field and a perfect 8 for 8 from the line.

BONUS VIDEO

IMAGES

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With Dwight Howard and Anthony Davis' Footlocker commercial partner sitting out, it was, as Shaq would say "Bar-B-Q Chicken" for AD last night. Davis made 9 of 11 shots for 26 points to go with 8 boards and 4 blocks in just 31 minutes of the Pelicans 117-98 win.

One block AD didn't get which turned into arguably the highlight of the game is when Houston's Kostas Papanikolaou hit this scoop shot against Davis for 2 of his team-high 13.

BONUS VIDEOS

IMAGES

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Jimmer Fredette scored 17 points as the New Orleans Pelicans beat the Miami Heat 98-86 in the first NBA preseason game.  The remaining big 2 of Miami combined for 5 of 20 from the field. James Ennis led Miami with 17 points.

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Anthony Morrow posted a video response to LeBron's off the wall dunk exhibition showing Anthony Davis throwing down a windmill dunk off the bounce.

The caption said "Anthony Davis said put my (name) in the Dunk Contest. ?Wassup King James #gopels."

Whether he is kidding or not, I think the NBA should reach out to the All-Star and ask him if he wants to be in the dunk contest that already has 3 All-Stars in it. ? Most people will say he's too tall to win but if Larry Nance can beat Dr J, Nique, Drexler, Stansbury, Dunkenstien, Orlando and MJ then I don't see why the Brow can't win.

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Just 1 day after Anthony Davis had a career game against the Lakers and the NBA sent out a memo to all 30 teams notifying them that no form of bullying or hazing is acceptable, a Vine video of Anthony Davis back in college went viral.

The NSFW Video (bottom of page) was immaturely titled "Anthony Davis GAY #BBN" and shows a nude Anthony Davis on the floor getting spanked. ?AD is laughing throughout the video and is obviously not in any pain and could get up if he wanted to. Now, although he wasn't being "forced" to do anything against his own will, this type of controversial lockeroom behavior could be very offensive to many other players, staff, their family members and supporters of the organizations. ?It can lead to PR nightmares that nobody wants to deal with especially after seeing the coverage of the current?Miami Dolphins controversy and bullying in schools such a hot topic and issue.

As for the NBA, most of the "hazing" we hear about from NBA players is in the playful form of wearing Disney back packs or fetching meals but in the NBA's new memo that is even unacceptable.

Via ESPN.com

The lengthy list of violations, sources said, includes: any physical abuse or threats of violence; verbal abuse focused on an individual's race, nationality, color, gender, age, religion, sexuality, etc.; destruction, defacement or theft of a fellow player's personal property; engaging in any activity that intimidates or threatens fellow players with ostracism or inflicts extreme mental stress, embarrassment, humiliation or shame; and forcing an individual to engage in any activity or perform any task that violates federal, state or local law or NBA rules and regulations.

Also prohibited, sources said, is requiring an individual to unreasonably pay for meals, travel, entertainment expenses, goods or services that are being solely enjoyed by others as well as imposing physical activities on a fellow player — such as exposure to weather, confinement in a restricted area, or consumption of food, liquid or substance — that leads to unreasonable risk for the individual or adversely affects their mental or physical health or safety.

So far UK and Anthony Davis haven't addressed the viral video but it will be more interesting to see how the media and public react to it and the topic of hazing in sports.

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Kobe Bryant advises rookie Anthony Davis to never hide his unibrow. Via NBA on YouTube

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"Anthony Davis impressed his coach Drake by dropping 40 points and leading his white team over the blue team in 28 point victory. Davis got Drake out of his seat with a big one hand dunk in the first half that showed just how athletic he really is. Davis shot 17-23 from the field and hit over 50% of his three point attempts ending the game as the second leading scorer (Demarcus Cousins led all scorers with 42 points). Stay tuned for much more from this game." Via CityLeagueHoops

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I wonder how many times LeBron has done this at home on his personal court.

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It's only a matter of time till NBC claims the video and YouTube takes it down so enjoy it while it lasts!

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Every college hoops fan knows Kentucky's Anthony Davis, winner of 2012 Oscar Robertson Trophy, the Adolph Rupp Trophy, the AP Player of the Year, Naismith Award, Sporting News Player of the Year and John R. Wooden Award. He was the Southeastern Conference's player, freshman and defensive player of the year.
But last season Davis played WAY under the radar for Chicago's Perspectives Charter (Class of 2011), a tiny public school on the city's South Side. As a 6'10 senior, Anthony Davis came out of nowhere to finish #1 ESPN, #1 Scout, #2 Rivals in his class. He was a 2011 McDonald's All American and 2011 Jordan Brand All American (MVP).
A dominant force on offense + defense, he could do everything on the court in high school just like he does in college. Anthony Davis averaged 32 points, 22 rebounds, and 7 blocks as a senior playing in the Chicago Public League's Blue Division.
Here are highlights from Davis' senior season in the Chicago public league plus a few from the McDonald's All American Game (Chicago).
Feb 2011 high school photo courtesy of SLAM's instagram.

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"Kentucky freshman Anthony Davis throws down a one-hand tomahawk jam on fellow freshman forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist at practice on Sunday at the Joe Craft Center."

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