Michael Porter Jr., Ben Simmons and Jayson Tatum among those who shined brightest over past 20 years.
Since 2000, current and former NBA All-Stars LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin, Dwight Howard, Kevin Love, Derrick Rose, Ben Simmons, Jayson Tatum, Zion Williamson and Trae Young have all passed through the high school game, making it arguably a golden age for the sport at the prep level.
Factoring in career accolades, individual accomplishments, competition level, overall team success and national impact, we are zeroing in on the best player in all 50 states since 2000. Success at the college or professional level was not a consideration.
From NBA Draft candidate Trendon Watford in Alabama to former Weber State standout Kyle Bullinger in Wyoming and all points in between, find out we picked in your state below.
Ben Simmons, Montverde Academy
File photo by Andrew Bershaw
Alabama — Trendon Watford
Resume: Considered one of the most accomplished players in state history, the 6-foot-9 forward finished his career with 3,567 points (fifth in state history) and set an AHSAA record with 1,909 career rebounds. Watford led Mountain Brook to three consecutive state titles.
Alaska — Mario Chalmers
Resume: Regarded as a five-star prospect in the Class of 2005, Chalmers was named the 4A player of the year three times in a row. He led Bartlett to back-to-back state championships in 2002 and 2003, while reaching the state championship game in 2004.
Arizona — Jerryd Bayless
Resume: The four-time, first-team all-state selection holds the 5A career per game scoring record, averaging 28.3 points per game over the course of his career to finish with 2,828 career points. Bayless was named Gatorade state Player of the Year during his junior and senior years.
Arkansas — Malik Monk
Resume: Current Charlotte Hornets guard averaged 28.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists as a senior to earn invitations to the McDonald's All-American and Jordan Brand Classic. Monk was named co-MVP of the Jordan Brand Classic game.
California — Stanley Johnson, Lonzo Ball
Resume: Ball earned 2015-16 MaxPreps Male Athlete of the Year honors, averaging
23.9 points, 11.5 assists and 11.3 rebounds per contest to lead Chino
Hills to the No. 1 ranking in the country. Johnson also led Mater Dei to the No. 1 spot, winning MaxPreps Player of the Year honors in 2014 after ending his prep career with a 135-7 record.
Colorado — Dominique Collier
Resume: Four-time Denver Post All-Colorado team selection ranks 12th in state history in career scoring with 2,044 career points. Collier compiled a 93-17 overall record and helped Denver East capture the Class 5A state championship during his senior campaign.
Connecticut — Donovan Clingan
Resume: Four-star Class of 2022 prospect averaged 27.3 points, 17.2 rebounds, 5.8 blocks and 3.1 assists per
contest this season to earn second team MaxPreps Junior All-American honors. He averaged 36 points and 26.3 rebounds in three
CCC tournament games to lead Bristol Central to their first title since 2003.
Delaware — Jawan Carter
Resume: Delaware Gatorade Player of the Year and MaxPreps Honorable Mention All-American in 2006, Carter finished his career as the state's all-time leading scorer with 2,464 points.
District of Columbia — Terrance Williams
Resume: A model of consistency during his time with the program, Williams averaged 17.9 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists per contest during his senior year to earn District of Columbia Gatorade Player of the Year honors. The three-time, first-team All-WCAC selection concluded his career with 2,154 points and 1,090 rebounds.
Florida — Ben Simmons
Resume: One of the most dominant high school basketball career's of the past decade, Simmons was 62-1 at Montverde Academy with three consecutive Dick's Nationals titles. The Australian native tallied 27.1 points, 11.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists per contest during a dominant senior season.
Georgia — Dwight Howard
Resume: Capped off an impressive prep career by averaging 25 points, 18 rebounds and eight blocks per contest as a senior, including pumping in 26 points, 20 rebounds and 11 blocks in a state title game victory. Howard was selected with the first overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft directly out of high school.
Hawaii — Derrick Low
Resume: Helped the Raiders to three state championships, earning Interscholastic League of Honolulu Player of the Year honors all four years and state player of the year honors three times. He was inducted into the Hawaii Hall of Honor in 2004.
Idaho — Kyle Dranginis
Resume: Two-time Idaho State Player of the Year averaged 24 points per contest as a senior, including a school-record 54 points in 2011. As a junior, Dranginis scored 75 points in three state tournament games, finishing five points shy of setting the Class 4A tournament record.
Illinois — Jabari Parker, Derrick Rose
Resume: Parker is one of two players in IHSA history to start on four consecutive state
championship teams, leading the Wolverines to a 118-15 record and earning MaxPreps National Player of the Year honors as a senior. Rose helped Simeon to a 120-12 record, averaging 25.2 points, 9.1 assists and 8.8 rebounds per contest as a senior to lead the program to its second consecutive state title.
Indiana — Greg Oden
Resume:
A three-time All-American and a two-time National Player of the Year
winner, Oden led Lawrence North to an overall record of 103-7 with three straight state championships. Oden finished with 1,873 points, 1,058 rebounds and 341 blocked shots.
Iowa — Harrison Barnes
Resume: The 2010 MaxPreps Player of the Year averaged 27.4 points, 10.4 rebounds, four assists and four steals as a senior, while leading Ames to a 53-0 record and consecutive state championships as a junior and senior. He capped his Ames career as their all-time leading scorer with 1,787 points.
Kansas — Perry Ellis
Resume: Four-time Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year accumulated 2,231 points and 984 rebounds while leading Heights to four consecutive state championships. Ellis averaged 22.3 points and 9.8 rebounds per game over 100 career high school games.
Kentucky — Dontaie Allen
Resume: Capped an impressive prep career with 3,255 points (11th all-time in state history) and 1,228 rebounds (22nd in state history). Allen averaged 42.9 points and 14.2 rebounds per contest through 13 games as a senior before suffering a season-ending torn ACL.
Louisiana — Javonte Smart
Resume: Three-time Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year averaged 32.9 points, 10.6 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game during a dominant senior campaign. Smart finished his career with 3,306 points and led the Hornets to three state championships.
Maine — Ralph Mims
Resume: The four-year starter finished his career with 1,916 points. He averaged 29.8 points, 11.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 4.5 steals per contest during his senior year. He led Brunswick to a state championship during his sophomore season, scoring 31 points in the title game.
Maryland — Kevin Durant, Jalen Smith
Resume: Smith averaged 23 points, 12.5 rebounds and three blocks per game as a senior, earning Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year honors for a second consecutive season. Durant spent one season in Maryland, but made a major impact for Montrose Christian, averaging 22.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per contest.
Massachusetts — Pat Connaughton
Resume: The under-the-radar prospect turned the corner as a senior, averaging 21.8 points, 17 rebounds and 6.5 assists per contest while earning Gatorade state Player of the Year honors. Connaughton also dominated in baseball, recording a 1.75 ERA with 160 strikeouts in 90 innings pitched as a senior.
Michigan — Emoni Bates
Resume: Three-time MaxPreps All-American put his name on the map as a freshman, averaging 28.5 points and 10.2 rebounds per contest to lead Lincoln to its first state championship. Bates became the first sophomore to be named Gatorade National Player of the Year and currently ranks as the top prospect in the Class of 2022.
Minnesota — Matthew Hurt
Resume: The 2019 Minnesota Mr. Basketball winner averaged 37.4 points, 12.4 rebounds and five assists per game as a senior to finish his career ranked fourth in state history in both career points and rebounds with 3,891 points and 1,462 rebounds.
Mississippi — Monta Ellis
Resume: Finished his career as the state's second all-time leading scorer with 4,167 points. Ellis was named 2005 EA SPORTS National Player of the Year after averaging 38.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 4.5 steals per game while leading Lanier to its second state crown in four years.
Missouri — Jayson Tatum
Resume: Named 2016 Gatorade Male Athlete of the Year after averaging 29.5 points and 9.1 rebounds per contest to lead Chaminade to the 5A state title. Tatum is the only player in state history to earn Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year honors in three seasons.
Montana — Brendan Howard
Resume: Four-time all-state selection averaged a double-double every season of his high school career, scoring a program record 2,083 points. The two-time Montana Gatorade Player of the Year averaged 24.1 points and 10.5 rebounds per contest as a senior.
Nebraska — Hunter Sallis
Resume: Five-star Class of 2021 guard averaged 22.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game, helping Millard North to its first state title in program history. Sallis finished his career with 1,819 points (third most in Class A history).
Nevada — Shabazz Muhammad
Resume: One of the most decorated players in Nevada history helped the Gaels win three state titles. Muhammad was named the 2012 Naismith Player of the Year as a senior after averaging 30.4 points and 10.1 rebounds per contest, while pumping in a game-high 36 points in the Nevada 4A state title game.
New Hampshire — Rashad McCants
Resume: Spent his final two seasons at New Hampton School after transferring from Erwin High School in North Carolina. McCants won New Hampshire Player of the Year in each of his two seasons and averaged 25 points and seven rebounds per contest as a senior. He finished his high school career with over 2,300 points.
New Jersey — DaJuan Wagner
Resume: Holds the state's all-time scoring record with 3,462 career points. Wagner averaged 42.5 points per contest as a senior and made national headlines with a 100-point performance against Camden County. He led Camden to their only New Jersey Tournament of Champions title in 2000.
New Mexico — Bryce Alford
Resume: Broke a 50-year state record for most points in a season with 1,050 points during his senior season. He averaged 37.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 2.6 steals per contest and finished his career with 2,479 points (fifth all-time in state history).
New York — Lance Stephenson
Resume: Three-time New York State Sports Writers Association first team selection averaged 28.9 points, 10.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists per contest as a senior to guide the Railsplitters to their fourth consecutive PSAL Class AA championship. Stephenson finished his career with a state record 2,946 points that has since been broken by Joe Girard III.
North Carolina — Coby White
Resume: Became North Carolina's all-time leading scorer with 3,573 career points over his impressive four year career. White earned first team MaxPreps All-American honors as a senior after averaging 30.2 points, 10.3 rebounds and 9.1 assists per contest to guide the Knights to the state title game.
North Dakota — Boden Skunberg
Resume: Two-time first team all-state selection averaged 28 points and 11 rebounds per contest as a senior. The four-year starter totaled 1,732 career points and 622 rebounds to set school records in both categories.
Ohio — LeBron James
Resume: One of the greatest players in basketball history, James was the first high school player to earn first team All-American honors three consecutive years by USA Today. He led St. Vincent-St. Mary to the national title as a senior, averaging 30.4 points, 9.7 rebounds and 4.9 assists per contest.
Oklahoma — Trae Young, Blake Griffin
Resume: Both Young and Griffin had dominant prep careers as Griffin averaged 26.8 points, 15.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 2.9 blocks per contest as a senior, leading Oklahoma Christian to their fourth straight state title with a career record of 106-6. Young averaged 42.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists per contest as a senior and scored 2,445 career points in three seasons.
Oregon — Kevin Love
Resume: Love led the Lakers to three straight state championship games, winning his only title as a junior. The 6-8 forward finished his career as the state's all-time leading scorer with 2,628 points. He averaged 33.9 points and 17 rebounds as a senior to win MaxPreps National Player of the Year honors.
Pennsylvania — Gerald Henderson
Resume: Two-time Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year ended his career with 2,059 points, averaging 21.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists per contest as a senior. Henderson led Episcopal Academy to back-to-back state championships during his junior and senior year.
Rhode Island — Michael Carter-Williams
Resume: Capped off an impressive prep career by averaging 23.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 5.5 points per game as a senior while repeating as Rhode Island Gatorade Player of the Year. Carter-Williams scored 2,260 over the course of three seasons with St. Andrew's.
South Carolina — Zion Williamson
Resume: Over the course of his 100-game high school career, Williamson averaged 32 points, 11.3 rebounds, three rebounds, three steals and 2.9 blocks per game. The explosive dunker finished an impressive four-year run with 3,202 points and 1,131 rebounds while shooting an efficient 72 percent from the field.
South Dakota — Matthew Mors
Resume: Playing
on the varsity team since seventh grade, the versatile forward finished
third on the state's all-time scoring list with over 2,700 career
points. He was named MaxPreps South Dakota Player of the Year last season, averaging 25 points, eight rebounds and three assists per outing.
Tennessee — James Wiseman
Resume: Earned Gatorade National Player of the Year and Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year honors as a senior, averaging 25.8 points, 14.8 rebounds and 5.5 blocks per contest. Wiseman led Memphis East to the TSSAA Class AAA state title as a junior as the Mustangs finished ranked No. 4 in MaxPreps Final Top 25 rankings.
Texas — Chris Bosh
Resume: Named National Player of the Year by Basketball America after leading Lincoln to a 40-0 state championship run as a senior, averaging 21 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks per contest while shooting an efficient 45.3 percent from 3-point range.
Utah — Frank Jackson
Resume: Finished his career as the sixth leading scorer in state history, scoring 2,079 career points. Jackson was named Utah Mr. Basketball as a senior, averaging 28.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and three assists per game. He also earned co-MVP honors of the McDonald's All-American Game after finishing with 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting.
Vermont — Pavin Parrish
Resume: The state's all-time leading scorer broke a 31-year old state record by just two points, finishing with 2,479 career points. Parrish earned Vermont Mr. Basketball honors as a senior, averaging 31 points, 14 rebounds, 8.5 assists and five steals per contest.
Virginia — Brandon Jennings
Resume: Jennings spent two seasons at Oak Hill Academy after transferring from Dominguez (Compton, Calif.), recording 1,927 points with the program. Named MaxPreps National Player of the Year in 2008, the 6-1 guard averaged 35.5 points per game as a senior, breaking the Warriors single season scoring record.
Washington — Michael Porter Jr.
Resume: Although Porter spent one year in the Evergreen State, it was one of the most spectacular seasons high school basketball has seen in quite some time as the top-ranked prospect averaged 37 points and 14.3 rebounds per contest to guide the Raiders to the national title.
West Virginia — Andrew Wiggins
Resume: The Canada native was named both Naismith and Gatorade Player of the Year in 2013, averaging 23.4 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 2.5 assists per contest as a senior. Wiggins guided Huntington Prep to a 58-5 record during his two seasons with the program.
Wisconsin — Sam Dekker, Kevon Looney
Resume: Looney averaged 27.9 points, 12.7 rebounds, eight blocks and seven assists per game as a senior, finishing 30th in state history with 2,122 career points. Dekker ended his career as the fourth all-time leading scorer in state history with 2,593 points after averaging 35.2 points per game as a senior.
Wyoming — Kyle Bullinger
Resume: Named Wyoming Gatorade Player of the Year in 2007, Bullinger averaged 28.3 points and 11.5 rebounds per game while leading Mountain View to a state championship game appearance. He ranks third in state history with 2,171 career points.
