MaxPreps Class of 2010 Basketball Top 100

Brandon Knight, future Ohio State Buckeye Jared Sullinger lead list of rising seniors.

Thumbnail image of this articles writer: Jason Hickman
By
Aug 5, 2009, 12:00am

Brandon Knight, Pine Crest (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
Brandon Knight, Pine Crest (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
Photo by Lisa Yen
LeBron James. Greg Oden. Brandon Knight?

James and Oden were two of the most dominant high school players of the last decade while playing in Ohio and Indiana, respectively, and the only non-seniors to win Gatorade’s Player of the Year award. Both repeated the honor as seniors.

Knight, a 6-foot-4 rising senior guard at Pine Crest Prep in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., became the third last March after averaging 32 points and nearly six rebounds per game, leading his school to a 27-4 record and its second straight Class 3A state title.

With a strong follow-up season, Knight could join James and Oden as the most highly-decorated high schoolers of the last 25 years. He will enter his senior campaign as the No. 1-ranked player in America by MaxPreps.com, highlighting our look at the Class of 2010 Top 100. Opponents are taking notice this summer.

“It’s created a very big target. In each game the guy you go up against knows about you," Knight said. "But it pushes me to be better. You don’t want to play down to the competition and shouldn’t if you have a passion for the game.”

Knight first caught the eye of MaxPreps as an eighth grader playing for the Pine Crest varsity team. He averaged 18.8 points per game that season while leading the Panthers to a 23-3 record, creating huge expectations that he has exceeded.

“I expect a lot. I don’t want to let anybody down," Knight said. "I don’t want to be called a failure or a bust or anything like that. My dad (Efrem) knows how much I love the sport and pushes me to be better.”

After an exhaustive summer schedule, Knight has finally got a chance to relax over the past couple of weeks – although that rest came as the result of a broken foot.

“I've been at home chilling the last couple of weeks," Knight said. "Other than that though, I’m in the gym trying to get better."

Knight expects to trim his list of potential college destinations to as few as five or as many as 10 by the time his high school season begins in November.

With No. 8 Fabricio de Melo’s commitment to Syracuse Tuesday, just three of the top 10 prospects remain uncommitted.

Duke and Kansas appear to be the leaders for Iowa wing forward Harrison Barnes, while Louisville, UCLA and Washington are slugging it out for 6-9, 275-pound suburban Seattle big Josh Smith.

MaxPreps Class of 2010 Top 100

1.  Brandon Knight
Pine Crest (Fort Lauderdale, FL) 		 G   6-4/185    
Joined LeBron James and Greg Oden as only juniors to earn Gatorade National Player of the Year as a junior.
 2.  Jared Sullinger
Northland (Columbus, OH) 		 P   6-9/280   Ohio State 
Whether it be high school or AAU ball, always in the lead for a successful team.
 3.  Will Barton
Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, NH) 		 G, W   6-6/180   Memphis 
Scorer will prep at Brewster Academy after leading Baltimore's Lake Clifton to state title in Maryland last year.
 4.  Harrison Barnes
Ames (IA) 		 W   6-6/190    
Blue chipper led Little Cyclones to perfect season, state title as a junior.
 5.  Reggie Bullock
Kinston (NC) 		 W   6-7/190   North Carolina 
Blue chip guard hails from same high school that produced Jerry Stackhouse.
 6.  Joshua Smith
Kentwood (Covington, WA) 		 P   6-9/275    
Big man put up huge numbers as junior despite constant double and triple teams.
 7.  Perry Jones
Duncanville (TX) 		 P   6-11/220   Baylor 
Blew onlookers away at Las Vegas Center Stage event with athleticism and shooting touch.
 8.  Fabricio De Melo
Sagemont (Weston, FL) 		 P   7-0/270   Syracuse 
Brazilian burst on summer circuit scene after sitting out at Sagemont as a junior.
 9.  Deshaun Thomas
Bishop Luers (Fort Wayne, IN) 		 W, P   6-7/220   Ohio State 
Averaged 30.3 points, 15.1 rebounds per game for Indiana 2A state champions.
 10.  Tristan Thompson
Findlay Prep (Henderson, NV) 		 P   6-8/210   Texas 
Should put akward, mid-season transfer behind him with big senior season for defending national champ Findlay Prep.
 11.  Joe Jackson
White Station (Memphis, TN) 		 G   6-0/170    
Arguably the top scoring guard in the class of 2010.
 12.  Terrence Jones
Jefferson (Portland, OR) 		 P   6-9/220    
Stock soaring with each stop on the summer circuit.
 13.  Kendall Marshall
O'Connell (Arlington, VA) 		 G   6-3/175   North Carolina 
Cemented elite status at NBA Players Association Top 100 Camp.
 14.  Josh Selby
Lake Clifton (Baltimore, MD) 		 G   6-1/180    
Recent decommitment has several powerhouse programs circling.
 15.  Ray McCallum
Detroit Country Day (Beverly Hills, MI) 		 PG   6-1/170    
Led loaded Country Day squad to 24-2 record, state title game as junior.
 16.  Jelan Kendrick
Westlake (Atlanta, GA) 		 G, W   6-6/185    
Athletic, smooth point forward-type led Westlake to 22-7 record as a junior.
 17.  C. J. Leslie
Word of God Christian Academy (Raleigh, NC) 		 P   6-9/190    
Thriving this summer after forming dynamic duo with John Wall at Word of God.
 18.  Doron Lamb
Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, VA) 		 G   6-4/185    
New York City native will be Oak Hill Academy's go-to scorer next winter.
 19.  Kyrie Irving
St. Patrick (Elizabeth, NJ) 		 PG   6-1/175    
Elite guard prospect will see plenty of time in spotlight as senior playing for powerhouse St. Patrick program.
 20.  Cory Joseph
Findlay Prep (Henderson, NV) 		 PG   6-3/175    
Canadian native stepped up big for Findlay Prep down the stretch.
 21.  Tobias Harris
Half Hollow Hills West (Dix Hills, NY) 		 P   6-8/230    
Returning to Half Hollow Hills West after standout junior year at Long Island Lutheran.
 22.  Dwight Powell
IMG Academies (Bradenton, FL) 		 P   6-10/210    
A long, skilled post player that could be on the verge of putting it all together and becoming an elite prospect.
 23.  Keith Appling
Pershing (Detroit, MI) 		 G   6-3/175   Michigan State 
Capped junior season with 49-point performance in state championship game.
 24.  Trey Zeigler
Mt. Pleasant (MI) 		 G, W   6-5/185    
Son of Central Michigan head coach Ernie Zeigler knows how to put the ball in the basket.
 25.  Dion Waiters
Life Center Academy (Burlington, NJ) 		 PG   6-3/215   Syracuse 
Forms a potent 1-2 punch with 2011 star Michael Gilchrist for travel circuit club Team Final.
 26.  Roscoe Smith
Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, VA) 		 P, W   6-8/190    
Long scoring wing could really blow up this winter at Oak Hill Academy.
 27.  Dwayne Polee
Westchester (Los Angeles, CA) 		 W   6-6/180   USC 
Length and athleticism give him the presence of a 6-10 player at times defensively.
 28.  Daniel Bejarano
North (Phoenix, AZ) 		 W   6-5/200   Texas 
Wing put up 23.0 points, 10.1 rebounds per game as junior.
 29.  Jereme Richmond
Waukegan (IL) 		 W   6-6/190   Illinois 
Leads the way for a nice 2010 haul for Bruce Weber at Illinois.
 30.  Terrence Ross
Montrose Christian (Rockville, MD) 		 G   6-5/185   Maryland 
Transferred to Montrose from Jefferson (Portland, Ore.), where he played with Terrence Jones.
 31.  Bryce Jones
Taft (Woodland Hills, CA) 		 G, W   6-5/175    
After sitting out due to tranfer rules at Taft last year, was extremely impressive at July's adidas Super 64.
 32.  Andre Stringer
Forest Hill (Jackson, MS) 		 PG   5-10/160    
Mississippi loaded with talent, but Stringer was a step above the rest as a junior averaging over 25 points per game.
 33.  Phil Pressey
Episcopal (Dallas, TX) 		 PG   5-10/155    
Son of former NBA guard averaged 18.3 points and nearly 10 assists per game as junior.
 34.  Patric Young
Providence (Jacksonville, FL) 		 P   6-9/225   Florida 
Rebounding machine impressive at Reebok camp in Philadelphia this summer.
 35.  Tarik Black
Ridgeway (Memphis, TN) 		 P   6-8/235    
Muscling his way up the rankings with a very solid summer.
 36.  Okaro White
Clearwater (FL) 		 P   6-8/190   Florida State 
Averaged 20.3 points per game and led Clearwater to Florida's 5A championship game.
 37.  Michael Cobbins
Palo Duro (Amarillo, TX) 		 P   6-8/200    
District player of the year also an outstanding student.
 38.  Luke Cothron
Macdonald Academy (Red Springs, NC) 		 P   6-8/220    
More than a dozen major conference college programs actively courting big man.
 39.  Ryan Harrow
Walton (Marietta, GA) 		 G   6-1/150   North Carolina State 
After first team Class AAAAA All-State honors as junior, reputation really soaring this summer.
 40.  Andre Dawkins
Atlantic Shores Christian (Chesapeake, VA) 		 G   6-4/190   Duke 
Recruitment was short-lived with early pledge to Duke
 41.  Joshua Hairston
Montrose Christian (Rockville, MD) 		 P   6-8/200   Duke 
Face-up four man in the mold of recent Blue Devil forwards.
 42.  J. T. Terrell
Cummings (Burlington, NC) 		    6-3/180   Wake Forest 
Scoring guard playing alongside 2011 star Quincy Miller on travel circuit.
 43.  Allen Crabbe
Price (Los Angeles, CA) 		 G   6-4/175   California 
A star performer on the summer circuit with Compton Magic Black.
 44.  Terrell Stoglin
Santa Rita (Tucson, AZ) 		 G   6-1/180   Maryland 
Averaged 23.3 points per game as junior.
 45.  Terone Johnson
North Central (Indianapolis, IN) 		 G   6-3/190   Purdue 
Another exciting addition for Matt Painter's Boilermakers.
 46.  Taran Buie
State College (PA) 		 PG   6-2/170   Penn State 
Headed to State College early for final year of high school ball.
 47.  Charles Hankerson Jr.
Coral Reef (Miami, FL) 		 W   6-5/215   Alabama 
Well-built wing led Coral Reef to 6A state title.
 48.  Ian Miller
United Faith Christian Academy (Charlotte, NC) 		 G   6-1/175   Florida State 
Leonard Hamilton pulling together very solid 2010 class.
 49.  Phillip Taylor
Wheeler (Marietta, GA) 		 PG   5-9/160   Florida International 
Scoring point guard thrilled about the prospect of playing for Isiah Thomas.
 50.  Kendall Williams
Los Osos (Rancho Cucamonga, CA) 		 PG   6-3/170    
Posted 22.8 points per game as junior.
 51.  Jordan Sibert
Princeton (Cincinnati, OH) 		 G   6-4/180   Ohio State 
Helped lead Princeton to a 25-2 record, state championship game appearance as a junior.
 52.  Adreian Payne
Jefferson Township (Dayton, OH) 		 P   6-9/210    
Potential the word with still-developing big man.
 53.  Jayvaughn Pinkston
Bishop Loughlin (Brooklyn, NY) 		 P, W   6-7/230    
Averaged 24.1 points and 10.7 rebounds per game as junior, including a season-high 39-point effort against rival Christ the King.
 54.  Anthony Brown
Ocean View (Huntington Beach, CA) 		 G   6-6/180    
Centerpiece of very talented, balanced Ocean View program.
 55.  Noah Cottrill
Mountain State Academy (Beckley, WV) 		 G   6-2/175   West Virginia 
Put up 26 points per game as junior on talented Mountain State team.
 56.  Isaiah Epps
Plainfield (NJ) 		 G   6-2/170   Pittsburgh 
Will leave Plainfield for yet to be determined destination this fall.
 57.  Aaron Craft
Liberty-Benton (Findlay, OH) 		 G   6-0/175   Ohio State 
Will join AAU running mate Jared Sullinger at Ohio State after initial pledge to Tennessee.
 58.  Kyle Collinsworth
Provo (UT) 		 G, W   6-6/190    
Utah's Class 4A MVP after posting 19 points, 7 assists per game.
 59.  Trae Golden
McEachern (Powder Springs, GA) 		 G   6-3/190    
Former Ohio State pledge earned first team Class AAAAA honors as junior.
 60.  Corey Hawkins
Estrella Foothills (Goodyear, AZ) 		 G   6-3/175   Arizona State 
Versatile guard averaged 29.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists per game.
 61.  Meyers Leonard
Robinson (IL) 		 P   6-11/210   Illinois 
Dunk contest-type athleticism makes Leonard intriguing at 6-11.
 62.  Dominique Ferguson
Hargrave Military Academy (Chatham, VA) 		 P   6-9/205   Florida International 
Heading to prep school this fall after playing at Indiana's Lawrence North (Greg Oden, Mike Conley's alma mater).
 63.  Mychal Parker
Miller (Charlottesville, VA) 		 W   6-6/195    
Tony Bennett would love to keep this athletic wing in Charlottesville.
 64.  Tyrone Garland
Bartram (Philadelphia, PA) 		 G   6-1/165   Virginia Tech 
Scores in bunches, averaging over 28 points per game last winter.
 65.  Matt Derenbecker
Metairie Park Country Day (Metairie, LA) 		 W   6-7/185   LSU 
Louisiana's Gatorade POY, averaging 20.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, 6.0 assists per game.
 66.  Alex Gauna
Eaton Rapids (MI) 		 P   6-8/210   Michigan State 
Future Spartan is an athletic presence in the paint.
 67.  Brandon Peters
Yates (Houston, TX) 		 G   6-1/190    
Part of a run-and-gun Yates outfit that topped 100-point mark 12 times in 2008-09.
 68.  Royce Woolridge
Sunnyslope (Phoenix, AZ) 		 W   6-3/180   Kansas 
Averaged 28.5 points, 5.3 rebounds per game as junior.
 69.  Cameron Clark
Sherman (TX) 		 W, G   6-7/190    
Led Sherman on deep playoff run in Class 4A as a junior, averaging over 20 points per game.
 70.  Joseph Young
Yates (Houston, TX) 		 G   6-2/190    
Scoring guard filled it up at adidas Super 64 this summer, averaging over 23 points per game.
 71.  Jesse Berry
Jefferson (Lafayette, IN) 		 G   6-1/170   Dayton 
Flyers quietly building an outstanding recruiting class, including this high-scoring Indiana guard.
 72.  Devon Collier
St. Anthony (Jersey City, NJ) 		 P   6-7/200    
Should continue to improve under the tutelage of legendary coach Bob Hurley.
 73.  Tyler Thornton
Gonzaga (Washington, DC) 		 G   6-2/190   Duke 
Averaged 14.3 points per game for one of D.C.'s top programs as junior.
 74.  Alex Kirk
Los Alamos (NM) 		 P   6-11/220    
Emerging center bringing attention to Los Alamos for reasons other than being the home of the Manhattan Project.
 75.  Carson Desrosiers
Central Catholic (Lawrence, MA) 		 P   6-9/210    
Along with New Hampshire signee Billy Marsden, led Central Catholic to 23-2 record last winter.
 76.  Reggie Smith
Thornton (Harvey, IL) 		 G   6-0/180    
Averaged 18.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game while leading Thornton to a 30-2 record.
 77.  Tony Chennault
Sts. Neumann & Goretti (Philadelphia, PA) 		 G   6-2/175   Wake Forest 
A Class AAA first team selection as a junior after averaging 16 points per game.
 78.  Vander Blue
Madison Memorial (Madison, WI) 		 G   6-3/180    
One-time Wisconsin commitment averaged 17 points per game for 26-1 state championship squad.
 79.  Jason Morris
Hotchkiss (Lakeville, CT) 		 G, W   6-6/190    
Athletic wing summers with storied Gauchos of New York.
 80.  Elijah Pittman
Holmes (Covington, KY) 		 W   6-6/185    
Associated Press first team All-State selction as a junior after leading Holmes to Kentucky's single-class state title.
 81.  Langston Galloway
Christian Life (Baton Rouge, LA) 		 G   6-3/170   St. Joseph's 
Class 1A first team All-State selection as junior, averaging 21.4 points per game.
 82.  Will Regan
Nichols (Buffalo, NY) 		 P   6-8/210   Virginia 
Tony Bennett's first 2010 verbal looks to be a great fit.
 83.  Travis Carroll
Danville (IN) 		 C   6-9/230   Purdue 
Future Boilermaker averaged over 21 points per game as a junior.
 84.  Ricardo Johnson
Holmes (Covington, KY) 		 W   6-4/190    
Led Holmes to a 36-2 record, state title as a junior.
 85.  Casey Prather
Jackson North Side (Jackson, TN) 		 G, W   6-5/195    
Class AA All-State selection as junior.
 86.  Stacey Poole Jr.
Jackson (Jacksonville, FL) 		 G, W   6-5/190    
Earned second team Class 4A All-State honors after leading Jackson to regional finals.
 87.  Jordan McRae
Liberty County (Hinesville, GA) 		 W   6-6/170   Tennessee 
McRae has wingspan of 6-8 player, teams with fellow Top 100 pick Rion Brown at Liberty County.
 88.  Gerard Coleman
Tilton School (Tilton, NH) 		 G   6-4/175   Providence 
Helped Tilton win national prep school title with 25 points in championship game.
 89.  Ashton Pankey
St. Anthony (Jersey City, NJ) 		 P   6-9/220    
Along with Devon Collier, gives St. Anthony an impressive set of twin towers.
 90.  Desmond Simmons
Salesian (Richmond, CA) 		 P   6-7/215   Washington 
Helped lead Salesian to a California state title as a junior.
 91.  K. C. Ross - Miller
God's Academy (Dallas, TX) 		 G   6-2/180    
Committed to Kentucky as a freshman, averaged 19.7 points and over 10 assists per game for God's Academy squad that routinely played in the 80s and 90s.
 92.  Crandall Head
Rich South (Richton Park, IL) 		 G   6-3/185   Illinois 
Following brother Luther's (Miami Heat guard) trail to Champaign.
 93.  Rion Brown
Liberty County (Hinesville, GA) 		 G, W   6-5/180   Miami 
Very solid at Reebok Summer Championships, averaging 18 points per game with 18 hits from beyond the arc in six games.
 94.  Tyler Lamb
Mater Dei (Santa Ana, CA) 		 G   6-5/185   UCLA 
Averaged 14 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.3 steals per game for one of the nation's top high school teams as junior.
 95.  James Johnson
Morse (San Diego, CA) 		 F   6-9/215    
Canadian has had some bright spots on summer circuit after sitting out at Morse last season.
 96.  Aaron Bright
Bellevue (WA) 		 G   5-11/165   Stanford 
Crafty point guard led Bellevue to 3A semifinals, MaxPreps Holiday Classic title as junior.
 97.  Evan Anderson
Eau Claire North (Eau Claire, WI) 		 P   6-11/215   Wisconsin 
Doesn't post big numbers as high school team routinely plays in the 30s and 40s.
 98.  Nate Lubick
St. Mark's (Southborough, MA) 		 P   6-8/225   Georgetown 
Played with Florida signee Erik Murphy at St. Mark's last year.
 99.  Garrett Jackson
Westview (Portland, OR) 		 W, P   6-6/190    
Keep an eye on this sleeper, the only non-senior to earn 6A first team All-State honors in Oregon last season.
 100.  Khyle Marshall
Flanagan (Pembroke Pines, FL) 		 W   6-6/200    
First team Class 6A All-State selection for the past two seasons in Florida.

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