Top 10 boys basketball players of the MaxPreps era

MaxPreps is celebrating its 10th anniversary this summer. In recognition of a decade as America's source for high school sports, we will look back at the top teams, athletes, games and moments of the MaxPreps era over the next month.

After ranking the Top 10 boys basketball teams last week, we move to the individual stars today by breaking down the Top 10 high school players of the last 10 years. State championships, major player of the year awards and undeniable dominance at the high school level were the factors taken into account in compiling this list.

Top 10 boys basketball players of the MaxPreps era

10. Sebastian Telfair, Lincoln (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Years: 2000-04
Resume: Thanks to books, documentaries and a Sports Illustrated cover, Telfair reached celebrity status before graduating from high school. That attention came because he could flat-out ball, leaving Lincoln as New York's all-time leading scorer with 2,785 points. Telfair led the Railsplitters to three PSAL titles and one state title. The point guard committed to Louisville but skipped college altogether and was picked No. 13 in the 2004 NBA Draft by Portland.
After high school: Telfair has been a disappointment at the professional level. Now with the Phoenix Suns, the NYC legend is on his seventh team in eight NBA seasons.
[Sebastian Telfair on the Top 10 New York City Point Guards list]

Shabazz Muhammad led Bishop Gorman to three state titles in four years.

Photo by Jim Redman

9. Shabazz Muhammad, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)
Years: 2008-12
Resume: The arrival of Shabazz Muhammad coincided with Bishop Gorman's rise to national prominence on the basketball court. The high-scoring guard helped the Gaels win three state titles and become a fixture in the national rankings. Only future UCLA teammate Kyle Anderson's remarkable run at St. Anthony prevented Muhammad from winning MaxPreps National Player of the Year honors as a senior, when he poured in 30.4 points and grabbed 10.1 rebounds per game.
After high school: Will be a freshman at UCLA this fall.
[Video of Shabazz Muhammad]

8. Kyle Anderson, Paterson Catholic (N.J.)/St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.)
Years: 2008-12
Resume: Anderson is the winningest player of the last decade. He went 91-1 in his final three years of high school and is the only player on this list with a pair of national titles. As a sophomore, the 6-foot-7 point-forward also helped Paterson Catholic capture the City of Palms Classic – the most prestigious tournament in the country. Anderson earned MaxPreps National Player of the Year honors as a senior.
After high school: Will be a freshman at UCLA this fall.
[Photo and video gallery of Kyle Anderson]

7. Harrison Barnes, Ames (Iowa)
Years: 2006-10
Resume: Barnes captured MaxPreps National Player of the Year honors as a senior, posting 26.1 points, 10 rebounds and 3.1 steals per game. The 6-foot-8 wing led Ames to back-to-back state titles and 53 wins in a row to close out his career.
After high school: After two years at North Carolina where he never quite lived up to the massive expectations created for him, Barnes was drafted No. 7 overall in June by the Golden State Warriors.
[Video of Harrison Barnes, Way Back When]

6. Derrick Rose, Simeon (Chicago)
Years: 2003-2007
Resume: Rose led Simeon to back-to-back Class 4A state titles as a junior and senior and nabbed various All-American honors following both campaigns. He dominated a matchup with Brandon Jennings with a monster national television performance in a win over Oak Hill Academy in 2007. Rose is one of three mega-talents from the Class of 2007 on the list.
After high school: Rose has surpassed monster expectations by becoming one the NBA's elite talents. He was the league's MVP in 2010-11 and was the Rookie of the Year in 2008-09. Bulls fans are hoping a torn ACL suffered in the playoffs won't halt his Hall of Fame trajectory.
[Video of Derrick Rose, Way Back When]

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5. Dwight Howard, Southwest Atlanta Christian
Years: 2000-04
Resume: Howard swept National Player of the Year honors as a senior, posting 25.5 points and 18.3 rebounds per game while leading SAC to the Class 1A state title. He piled up more than 2,100 points, 1,700 rebounds and 800 blocked shots in his career prior to making the leap from high school to the NBA.
After high school: Nonstop trade talk aside, the 6-foot-11 center has lived up to the hype as a professional. Howard owns career averages of 18.4 points, 13 rebounds and 2.2 blocked shots per game and was a three-peat winner of the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award from 2009-11.
[Video of Dwight Howard, Way Back When]

4. O.J. Mayo, North College Hill (Cincinnati)/Huntington (W.Va.)
Years: 2003-07
Resume: Mayo's high school career was a circus, complete with suspensions, arrests, transfers, an alleged "assault" on a referee and intense media coverage. Lost in the controversy, Mayo won three state titles in two different states and was good for 30 points each night out. He's the only sophomore not named LeBron James to be named Mr. Basketball in Ohio and was a staple on postseason All-American teams his final three years of high school.
After high school: Mayo has been a decent scorer in the NBA, but it seems unlikely that his production and success as a professional will match the hype he generated with his play as a high-schooler. He was recently traded from Memphis to Dallas.
[Video of O.J. Mayo]



3. Kevin Love, Lake Oswego (Ore.)
Years: 2003-07
Resume: Love's time at Lake Oswego will be remembered as a golden era for high school basketball in Oregon, as he battled Kyle Singler and South Medford for state supremacy. The future UCLA Bruin carried the Lakers to three state title games, beating Singler and South Medford as a junior only to have the roles reversed as a senior. He finished his career as Oregon's all-time leading scorer with 2,628 points and was MaxPreps.com's pick for National Player of the Year in 2007.
After high school: Love became a full-fledged NBA star during the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season, putting up 26.0 points and 13.3 rebounds per game. He is a member of the USA Basketball's 2012 Olympic team.
[Video of Kevin Love, Way Back When]

2. Greg Oden, Lawrence North (Indianapolis)
Years: 2002-06
Resume: Not unlike the No. 1 player on this list (guess who?), Oden endured a bright spotlight and remarkable pressure during his days at Lawrence North. With the help of sidekick Mike Conley Jr., Oden helped the Wildcats capture back-to-back-to-back Class 4A state titles in Indiana and go 82-4 over that three-year span. The 7-footer earned Gatorade National Player of the Year honors as a junior and senior.
After high school: Knee injuries have ravaged Oden's professional career. He has played in just 82 games over the course of five NBA seasons since he was drafted by Portland.
[Oden leads MaxPreps 2006 All-American Team]

1. LeBron James, St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio)
Years: 1999-2003
Resume: James did much of his damage before the arrival of MaxPreps, but he still makes the cut after a storied career at the Ohio school that included three state titles and a national title. Despite overwhelming national attention his senior year, King James put up more than 31 points and nine rebounds per game. He finished with more than 2,600 career points and is widely regarded as the greatest high school basketball player of the modern era.
After high school: Best player on the planet.

Off the bench: Kevin Durant, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.)/Montrose Christian (Rockville, Md.)
Brandon Jennings, Dominguez (Compton, Calif.)/Oak Hill Academy
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.)
Brandon Knight, Pine Crest (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
Jabari Parker, Simeon (Chicago)
Austin Rivers, Winter Park (Fla.)
Jared Sullinger, Northland (Columbus, Ohio)