Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Is Georgia High School Basketball the Best in the Nation?

Posted by Chris Langley | Wednesday, October 20, 2010 | Category: , , , , , , , , , , , |

Check out Elite Hoops workout with Rivals #3 team in the Nation
MILTON HIGH SCHOOL:

Is Georgia high school basketball the best in the nation?
Check out the Rivals.com's 2010-2011 preseason rankings compiled by Senior Analyst Dallas Jackson and other Rivals.com high school site publishers, and then tell us what you think.



1. Melrose
Memphis
TN
37-4

Memphis has taken over New York City as the nation’s hotbed for high school hoops and this Melrose team could be the best in the country. The team will be without guard Chris Jones, who exhausted his eligibility, but the team returns two forwards in Adonis Thomas as well as guard Cedrick McAfee. The Golden Wildcats finished the 2009-10 season ranked No. 10 in the RivalsHigh 100 but have even higher expectations for this season.

2. St. Anthony
Jersey City
NJ
27-3
The Friars ended last season with a heartbreaking triple-overtime, one-point loss in the Non-Public Group B state finals and are out for more than redemption in the 2010-11 season. Despite the losses of Derrick Williams (Richmond) and Eli Carter (prep school), the Friars return a great core of talent. Seniors Lucky Jones and Tyuan Williams lead the returning cast alongside junior Jerome Frink. The team will welcome Myles Mack, the No. 84 ranked player in the Class of 2011, and Kyle Anderson, the No. 1 player in the New Jersey Class of 2012, from the now closed Paterson (N.J.) Paterson Catholic.

3. Milton
Alpharetta
GA
29-4
The no-brainer No. 1 team in the state of Georgia this year is the defending state champion, Milton Eagles. The team had a mixed bag of results against top-tiered competition in 2009-10, but as a young team had enough talent to win the Class 5A state title. The Eagles return three elite players and have expectations of a national Top 5 finish. Leading the way is Ohio State commit Shannon Scott. The 6-foot-2 point guard has great court vision and a quick step to penetrate. His counterpart in the backcourt, Dai-Jon Parker, provides a great second scoring option on the perimeter. Cleaning up the glass is 6-foot-7 forward Julian Royal. Royal, a Rivals.com four-star player, is down to Alabama, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Ohio State, and Wake Forest for his college choices.

4. Poly
Long Beach
CA
28-5
The Jackrabbits have the unenviable distinction as being the top preseason team in the state of California. The team had solid - but not spectacular - performances in its national games in 2009-10, but then did not make a deep run into the playoffs. Poly returns only one nationally-ranked player in 6-foot-6 forward Ryan Anderson, but brings back three other top players in the state – seniors Alexis Moore (USC) at point guard and shooting guard Alex Carmon, as well as a rising star in 2013 wing player Roschon Prince.

5. Findlay Prep
Henderson
NV
32-2
The Pilots are a team without a home as the season approaches. The team was affiliated with the Henderson International School for the previous four seasons, but with the school closing, the accreditation for its players is up in the air. Coach Mike Peck has done a fabulous job molding both the talent and egos of many of the nation’s elite players, winning a RivalsHigh 100 National Championship in 2008-09 and finishing No. 3 in the country last season. For the Pilots to be successful in this coming season, they will rely on guard Nick Johnson to provide the scoring and leadership.

6. Oak Hill Academy
Mouth Of Wilson
VA
29-4
Perennial power Oak Hill could have finished last season in the Top 5 nationally had it performed better in the season-ending National High School Invitational tournament. There was an exodus of graduating talent, but that should not slow the machine at Oak Hill. Returning this season is standout forward Sidiki Johnson. Johnson, at 6-foot-8, can control the paint but still has room to develop. The future Arizona Wildcat will be joined by Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha transfer Quinn Cook to create an excellent inside-out opportunity for the Warriors.

7. Douglass
Oklahoma City
OK
29-0
Being the best team in Oklahoma is usually good enough for a national ranking in the mid-30s. However, the Douglass Trojans could prove to be a very strong exception to that way of thinking. The Trojans, who finished ranked No. 62 in the RivalsHigh 100 in 2009-10, are very reminiscent of last year’s national champion, Houston (Texas) Yates. Douglass returns all five starters from a team that was the best in its state despite not being in its highest classification. The Trojans like to score a lot of points and put the ball on the floor. It is very unlikely that many teams in Oklahoma - or the rest of the country for that matter - will be able to keep up with this team in 2010-11.

8. Wichita Heights
Wichita
KS
23-2
Wichita Heights is the reigning two-time Kansas 6A state champion and figures to three-peat and have its best team ever in 2010-11, after only losing one senior to graduation. Returning star Perry Ellis developed enough as a junior to dominate the competition and is probably among the Top 50 players in his class. Wichita State commit Evan Wessel and Dreamius Smith return for the Falcons. Smith would be a mid-major prospect if not for his ability on the football field. Many will focus on the ability of Ellis, but this team is much more than a one-man show.

9. Winter Park
Winter Park
FL
29-6
Winter Park had a great resume of wins and a handful of disappointing losses last season. However, the Wildcats were able to come together to win the Florida Class 6A state title. The team is led by the No. 6 player in the country and recent Duke commit Austin Rivers. Rivers is the son of Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers and is rated as the second-best high school shooting guard in the country. Rivers’ specialty is scoring from pull-up jumpers behind the arc. If teams overplay that, he has a lightning-quick first step to the right. His basketball IQ makes him one of the better passers in the country as well.

10. North Central
Indianapolis
IN
25-3
North Central was the best team in a very basketball-rich state in 2009-10. The team returns a lot of talented players from that team, which won the Indiana Class 4A state title, and has a solid group of young athletes that will make the team a threat to win for the next two years. Leading the team will be all-state player D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera. Smith-Rivera averaged 17.7 points and six rebounds per game last year, and those numbers should rise this season. The defending champs lost all-state guard Terone Johnson but will replace him with his younger brother, Ronnie, who appears ready to be a star himself. 6-foot-4 Dedric Griffin and sophomore sensation Darius Latham also return to the best in the Hoosier State.

11. St. Patrick
Elizabeth
NJ
26-3

12. Taft
Woodland Hills
CA
26-6

13. Jesuit
Portland
OR
26-2

14. DeMatha
Hyattsville
MD
32-4

15. South Atlanta
Atlanta
GA
18-2

16. Norcross
Norcross
GA
27-3

17. Penn Wood
Lansdowne
PA
27-4

18. Norcom
Portsmouth
VA
25-4

19. Sacramento
Sacramento
CA
26-7

20. Bellaire
Bellaire
TX
35-2

21. Lincoln
Dallas
TX
24-3

22. Hopkins
Minnetonka
MN
30-2

23. Butler
Huntsville
AL
23-7

24. Southeastern
Detroit
MI
16-8

25. Merrillville
Merrillville
IN
22-4

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