Jahlil Okafor, Andrew Wiggins top list of candidates for the country's top high school basketball honor.
The race for MaxPreps National Player of the Year honors is shaping up as a photo finish.
With most of the country deep into the 2012-13 schedule, a clear leader has yet to emerge and several preseason favorites have stumbled out of the blocks.
Can Andrew Wiggins join the list of MaxPreps POYs?
Photo by Jim Redman
History favors statistically productive stars playing for nationally ranked teams.
With the exception of last year's winner,
Kyle Anderson of
St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.), each POY since 2006 has averaged more than 20 points per game. All seven MaxPreps POYs have helped their team appear in the national rankings at some point in the season and three have gone undefeated.
The combined record of teams featuring a MaxPreps Player of the Year winner over the last seven years is 205-18. Needless to say, the margin for error to stay in the running is razor thin.
So who is at the front of the pack heading down the backstretch?
Andrew Wiggins of
Huntington Prep (W.Va.) is the nation's most spectacular player – there isn't much debate about that. The top-ranked prospect in the Class of 2013 is averaging 22.2 points, 11.6 rebounds and more than two blocks, steals and assists per outing.
Nigel Williams-Goss is the best player for arguably the nation's best team in
Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.). The Washington-bound senior point guard was the MVP of the 'Iolani Classic in Hawai'i and has helped navigate the Pilots to a 19-0 record.
Big man
Jahlil Okafor of
Whitney Young (Chicago) is posting 21.8 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.1 blocked shots per game for the 11-1 Dolphins – ranked No. 4 in
this week's Xcellent 25. The 6-foot-10 junior put up 34 points in a dominant season-opening performance against storied DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.).
Past MaxPreps National Players of the Year 2012 – Kyle Anderson, St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.)
2011 – Austin Rivers, Winter Park (Fla.)
2010 – Harrison Barnes, Ames (Iowa)
2009 – Derrick Favors, South Atlanta (Ga.)
2008 – Brandon Jennings, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.)
2007 – Kevin Love, Lake Oswego (Ore.)
2006 – Greg Oden, Lawrence North (Indianapolis)
Click through for a closer look at the Top 10 candidates for MaxPreps National Player of the Year{PAGEBREAK}
Conner Frankamp is putting up big numbers for unbeaten Wichita North.
Photo by Kendall Shaw
The Kansas-bound guard nearly earned MVP at last summer's FIBA U17 World Championship and is following that gold medal performance with a monster senior campaign. The 6-1 future Jayhawk is pouring in 35.1 points per game to go along with 5.2 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.7 steals. Frankamp has already had two outings of 40 points or more and North is unbeaten at 7-0.{PAGEBREAK}
Though his team lost in the quarterfinals, Aaron Gordon was dominant at the Les Schwab Invitational in late December.
File photo by Dennis Lee
Thanks to a brutal early schedule, Mitty (8-3) already has as many losses this season as it did all of last season. But Gordon has been spectacular, tacking up an incredible 29.5 points and 16.5 rebounds per game during a four-game run at the prestigious Les Schwab Invitational in Oregon late last month.{PAGEBREAK}
Aaron Harrison has stepped up his game with twin brother Andrew slowed by a nagging hamstring injury.
Photo by Todd Shurtleff
With twin brother Andrew hobbled by a hamstring injury, Aaron has been asked to raise his game and – predictably – he has delivered. Headed to Kentucky, Aaron is posting 25.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per outing.{PAGEBREAK}
Calvin Hermanson wouldn't be the first POY from Oregon's Lake Oswego High School.
Photo by Larry Lawson
Hermanson helped Lake Oswego win its first 13 games, including tournament titles at the Red Bluff Holiday Classic and Les Schwab Invitational. The Lakers became the first Oregon squad to capture the crown in the latter since 2003. The 6-6 senior also broke Kevin Love's school record with 52 points in a blowout win over Mark Morris (Longview, Wash.) in December.{PAGEBREAK}
Kasey Hill has Montverde Academy thinking national title in head coach Kevin Boyle's second year at the school.
Photo by Jim Redman
Head coach Kevin Boyle's Eagles are so balanced that an argument could be made for throwing big men Dakari Johnson and Devin Williams into the mix as well. Though Hill's numbers are modest, he is having a huge impact on both ends for unbeaten Montverde. Last weekend in a lopsided win over Simeon (Chicago), the 6-1 Hill locked down Wolverine star Jabari Parker.{PAGEBREAK}
The play of junior Stanley Johnson has helped Mater Dei climb to No. 1 in the Xcellent 25.
Photo by Jann Hendry
The 6-5 junior can play virtually any spot on the floor at the high school level and has Mater Dei on track for another special season under head coach Gary McKnight. Johnson – MVP of the Tarkanian Classic in December – is averaging 18.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists per night.{PAGEBREAK}
Matt Jones and DeSoto haven't lost since meeting Duncanville in a November tournament matchup.
Photo by Alik McIntosh
DeSoto is a defensive-minded program that often plays in the 40s or 50s, so Jones' stats don't leap off the page. But he upstaged Simeon's Jabari Parker in an ESPN-televised victory in December and has the Eagles soaring with a 20-1 record and Top 10 national ranking.{PAGEBREAK}
Jahlil Okafor has helped a young Whitney Young squad take a huge step forward after a 10-loss season a year ago.
Photo by Jim Redman
The Dolphins are looking like a legitimate national championship contender thanks in large part to Okafor, who is contributing 21.8 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.1 blocked shots per game. He was dominant in key wins over national powers DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) and Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia).{PAGEBREAK}
Andrew Wiggins is the nation's top recruit and is backing up the hype with a big senior season.
Photo by Wayne Litmer
Ranked No. 1 in the
MaxPreps Academy Top 10 for much of the season, Huntington Prep suffered its first loss last weekend. That shouldn't be a major stumbling point in the candidacy of Wiggins, who is putting up 22.2 points and 11.6 rebounds per game for the star-studded Express.{PAGEBREAK}
Nigel Williams-Goss is the only four-year player in Findlay Prep's short history.
Photo by Lonnie Webb
A future Washington Husky, Williams-Goss was the MVP of the 'Iolani Classic in December. The Pilots are 19-0 and ranked No. 1 in the MaxPreps Academy Top 10.{PAGEBREAK}
More Player of the Year candidates
Luke Fischer, Germantown (Wis.)POY credentials: The future Indiana Hoosier is posting more than 20 points per game and has helped Germantown win 38 games in a row.
Isaac Hamilton, St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.)POY credentials: Facing top-notch competition nearly every night out, the UTEP pledge is pouring in 23.9 points per game.
Zak Irvin, Hamilton Southeastern (Fishers, Ind.)POY credentials: Irvin is tallying 25.3 points, 9.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game for 10-1 Royals.
Tyus Jones, Apple Valley (Minn.)POY credentials: Jones' scoring is down this year, but that's probably a good sign for 8-1 Apple Valley. The junior point guard is still putting up nearly 20 points and more than six assists per game.
Zach LaVine, Bothell (Wash.)POY credentials: The future UCLA Bruin is averaging 27.8 points per game for the state's top-ranked team.
Trey Lyles, Arsenal Tech (Indianapolis) POY credentials: Lyles outshined fellow junior Cliff Alexander of Curie (Chicago) in a recent showdown. Arsenal Tech is 10-1.
Semi Ojeleye, Ottawa (Kan.)POY credentials: The Duke signee has already had scoring explosions of 58 and 57 points this season and is averaging 39 per game.
Jabari Parker, Simeon (Chicago)POY credentials: An injury suffered over the summer has made for a slow start to his senior season. But if Parker can lead Simeon to a fourth state title in a row and a big win over a nationally ranked opponent down the stretch, he could be back in the hunt.
Roschon Prince, Long Beach Poly (Calif.)POY credentials: Putting together a glossy high school resume, Prince is averaging 19.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game for No. 3-ranked Jackrabbits.
Tahj Shamsid-Deen, Columbia (Decatur, Ga.)POY credentials: Deen has Columbia back in the national rankings once again and could be a three-time Class AAA state MVP.
Justise Winslow, St. John's (Houston)POY credentials: The FIBA U17 World Championship gold medalist is putting up outrageous totals of 29.3 points and 15.7 points per game.
James Young, Rochester (Rochester Hills, Mich.)POY credentials: Young is maintaining high-scoring ways after transferring from Troy.
