Video: Kawhi Leonard high school highlightsCalifornia prep product has surpassed expectations in a big way.Sports fans are always looking for a good underdog story.
It's almost hard to believe now but recent NBA MVPs Stephen Curry and Russell Westbrook were once overlooked and underappreciated. Both fell outside of the
247Sports Composite Top 100 coming out of high school before establishing themselves as household names.
While the experts at 247Sports have an excellent track record when it comes to identifying high school basketball's best, prospects are bound to slip through the cracks.
Read on for a closer look at the most overlooked prospects in high school hoops since 2003.
Kawhi Leonard wasn't considered a Top 10 player in his high school class. Now he's considered one of the Top 10 players in the world.
Photo by: Louis Lopez
2006
247Sports Composite ranking: 256
College: Davidson
Draft position: No. 7 pick of 2009 draft to Golden State Warriors
Beating the odds: Curry may be the most overlooked prospect since the
247Sports Composite began in 2003. After failing to crack the Top 250, he has gone on to help the Warriors win three NBA titles and has been named MVP twice.
Kenneth Faried, Newark Tech (Newark, N.J.)Class: 2007
247Sports Composite ranking: 949
College: Morehead State
Draft position: No. 22 pick of 2011 draft to Denver Nuggets
Beating the odds: Faried entered college as an unknown two-star prospect. He went on to collect the most rebounds in the modern-era (post-1973), grabbing 1,673 over his four-year college career. Coming off his worst season to date as a pro, the 28 year-old forward will look to rejuvenate his career as a member of the Brooklyn Nets.
Paul George, Knight (Palmdale, Calif.)Class: 2008
247Sports Composite ranking: 193
College: Fresno State
Draft position: No. 10 pick of 2010 draft to Indiana Pacers
Beating the odds: The five-time NBA All-Star has established himself as one of the best two-way players in the league. Will be the Thunder for the next four years after signing contract worth over $135 million.
Kawhi Leonard, King (Riverside, Calif.)
Class: 2009247Sports Composite ranking: 57
College: San Diego State
Draft position: No. 15 pick of 2011 draft to Indiana Pacers
Beating the odds: Leonard is the highest-ranked prospect on this list. The two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year has severely outplayed his high school status and could have the best professional career of anybody from the Class of 2009.
Damian Lillard, Oakland (Calif.)Class: 2008
247Sports Composite ranking: 214
College: Weber State
Draft position: No. 6 pick of 2012 draft to Portland Trail Blazers
Beating the odds: Lillard is an elite NBA point guard, leading the Trail Blazers to the playoffs in each of the last five seasons. The three-time All-Star averaged 26.9 points and 6.6 assists per game last season.
C.J. McCollum, GlenOak (Canton, Ohio)Class: 2009
247Sports Composite ranking: 452
College: Lehigh
Draft position: No. 10 pick of 2013 draft to Portland Trail Blazers
Beating the odds: Despite being named Ohio's Gatorade Player of the Year, McCollum barely cracked the Top 500 in 2009. Now one of the best shooting guards in the NBA, he averaged 21.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game last season for Portland.
Paul Millsap, Lincoln Prep (Grambling, La.)Class: 2003
247Sports Composite ranking: 122
College: Louisiana Tech
Draft position: No. 47 pick of 2006 draft to Utah Jazz
Beating the odds: Millsap is averaging 14.2 points and 7.4 rebounds per game 12 years into his NBA career. The four-time All-Star committed to Louisiana Tech as a three-star prospect and was taken in the second round of the NBA draft despite leading the NCAA in rebounding for three consecutive seasons.
Victor Oladipo, DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.)Class: 2010
247Sports Composite ranking: 136
College: Indiana
Draft position: No. 2 pick of 2013 draft to Orlando Magic
Beating the odds: Oladipo shined last season for the Indiana Pacers, averaging 23.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.4 steals per game (all career highs).
Russell Westbrook, Leuzinger (Lawndale, Calif.)Class: 2006
247Sports Composite ranking: 137
College: UCLA
Draft position: No. 4 pick of 2008 draft to Seattle SuperSonics
Beating the odds: The 2017 NBA MVP has averaged a triple-double in consecutive NBA regular seasons, establishing himself as one of the greatest guards in NBA history.
Russell Westbrook went from under the radar to star in two seasons at UCLA.
Photo by: Dirk Dewachter
