Talk of the 2011 class at this point begins with St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.) star Michael Gilchrist. The 6-foot-7 Celtic forward flashed immense promise as a freshman and began fulfilling it as a sophomore for one of the nation’s elite programs.
Gilchrist earned first team All-State honors in a basketball hotbed, averaging 14.9 points and 8.3 rebounds per game on a team that also featured North Carolina signee Dexter Strickland and 2010 standout Kyrie Irving.
Michael Gilchrist, St. Patrick
Photo By Jim Redman
There is a lot to be excited about in this group. A very rough top 10 at this point might include Tyler Adams (Brandon, Miss.), Bradley Beal (St. Louis, Mo.), Matt Carlino (Gilbert, Ariz.), Trevor Lacey (Huntsville, Ala.), Damien Leonard (Greenville, S.C.), James McAdoo (Norfolk, Va.), Austin Rivers (Winter Park, Fla.), LaQuinton Ross (Jackson, Miss.) and Tony Wroten Jr. (Seattle, Wash.).
Reiterating some of the criteria from our 2010 list, selections are based on a composite look at high school basketball production and success, AAU observation, honors and awards and to a lesser degree potential at the next level. Players enrolled at schools featuring post-graduates are not eligible for consideration.
GRIDIRON GANG
At least two class of 2011 standouts listed below aren’t even locks to play college basketball. Cody Kessler of Centennial High School in Bakersfield, Calif., and Jay Rome of Georgia’s Valdosta are both stars on the gridiron as well as hardwood.
Kessler threw for 1,878 yards and 10 touchdowns and also ran for 13 touchdowns as a sophomore quarterback at Centennial. In the winter, he changed his game and dropped in 24.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game for the 24-5 Golden Hawks.
Rome plays for one of the most historically successful high school football programs in America, so at 6-6 and 220 pounds, no chance of him flying under the radar as a tight end/defensive end prospect. But he is also an All-State performer for the Valdosta Wildcat basketball team, averaging 20.2 points and 7.9 rebounds per game.
RAISING ARIZONA
Not exactly a power state when it comes to producing basketball talent, Arizona could be going about changing that with a loaded 2011 class.
Leading the way is first team 5A All-State selection Matt Carlino of Highland High School in Gilbert. Already committed to Indiana, Carlino averaged 19.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game in leading the Hawks to a 29-4 record and 5A runner-up finish.
Fellow first team 5A All-State selection Jahii Carson was an offensive machine at Mountain Pointe, pouring in 27.3 points per game to go along with 6.8 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 2.5 steals.
Carlino’s teammate Nick Johnson was a second team 5A pick. Johnson, the nephew of the late former NBA standout Dennis Johnson, averaged 14.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists.
Hayden’s Bryan Rhymes also had a breakout sophomore campaign, scoring 23.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.4 steals. Robert Selmon Jr. is another intriguing player from Central High School in Phoenix. A lanky wing, Selmon posted totals of 17.7 points and 3.3 rebounds.
The 2010 class in Arizona isn’t too bad either with Texas pledge Daniel Bejarano (6-5, W, Phoenix North), Arizona State commitment Corey Hawkins (6-3, G, Estrella Foothills), Maryland verbal Terrell Stoglin (6-1, G, Tucson Santa Rita) and future Kansas Jayhawk Royce Woolridge (6-3, G, Phoenix Sunnyslope).
PRE-SUMMER CLASS OF 2011 75 TO WATCH
Listed Alphabetically (MaxPreps 2011 rankings will be released in August)
Class of 2010 100 to Watch / Notebook
|
Player |
Hgt. / Pos. |
School (City, State) |
College |
|
Tracy Abrams |
6-1 / G |
Mount Carmel (Chicago, Ill.) |
Illinois |
|
Tyler Adams |
6-9 / F |
Brandon (Brandon, Miss.) |
|
|
Kori Babineaux |
6-3 / G |
Folsom (Folsom, Calif.) |
|
|
Bradley Beal |
6-3 / G |
Chaminade (St. Louis, Mo.) |
|
|
Chane Behanan |
6-7 / F |
Aiken (Cincinnati, Ohio) |
Cincinnati |
|
Gary Bell |
6-1 / G |
Kentridge (Kent, Wash.) |
|
|
Wayne Blackshear |
6-5 / W |
Morgan Park (Chicago, Ill.) |
|
|
Jamal Branch |
6-3 / G |
Atascocita (Humble, Texas) |
Texas A&M |
|
Malcolm Brogdon |
6-4 / W |
Fayette County (Fayetteville, Ga.) |
|
|
Aaron Brown |
6-5 / W |
Penn Wood (Lansdowne, Pa.) |
|
|
Jabari Brown |
6-3 / G |
Salesian (Richmond, Calif.) |
|
|
Carlton Brundidge |
6-1 / G |
Southfield (Southfield, Mich.) |
|
|
Matt Carlino |
6-3 / G |
Highland (Gilbert, Ariz.) |
Indiana |
|
Kyle Caudill |
7-0 / F |
Brea Olinda (Brea, Calif.) |
|
|
Jahii Carson |
5-10 / G |
Mountain Pointe (Phoenix, Ariz.) |
|
|
Michael Chandler |
6-10 / F |
Lawrence North (Indianapolis, Ind.) |
Louisville |
|
Angelo Chol |
6-9 / F |
Hoover (San Diego, Calif.) |
|
|
Rakeem Christmas |
6-9 / F |
North Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.) |
|
|
Quinn Cook |
6-1 / G |
DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) |
|
|
Trey Davis |
6-4 / W |
Henrico (Richmond, Va.) |
|
|
Brandon Dawson |
6-5 / W |
Wallace (Gary, Ind.) |
|
|
James Douglas |
6-0 / G |
Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.) |
|
|
Andre Drummond |
6-10 / F |
Capital Prep (Hartford, Conn.) |
|
|
Ramon Eaton |
6-8 / F |
Sheldon (Sacramento, Calif.) |
|
|
Michael Gilchrist |
6-7 / F |
St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.) |
|
|
Derrick Gordon |
6-2 / G |
St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.) |
|
|
Davontay Grace |
6-1 / G |
Jefferson (Brooklyn, N.Y.) |
|
|
Cezar Guerrero |
6-0 / G |
Workman (City of Industry, Calif.) |
|
|
P.J. Hairston |
6-6 / F |
Dudley (Greensboro, N.C.) |
|
|
Dre Henley |
6-5 / W |
De La Salle (Chicago, Ill.) |
|
|
LaDontae Henton |
6-6 / F |
Eastern (Lansing, Mich.) |
|
|
Jabarie Hinds |
6-0 / G |
Mount Vernon (Mount Vernon, N.Y.) |
|
|
Rodney Hood |
6-7 / W |
Meridian (Meridian, Miss.) |
|
|
Kevin Johnson |
6-9 / F |
Serra (Gardena, Calif.) |
|
|
Nick Johnson |
6-4 / W |
Highland (Gilbert, Ariz.) |
|
|
Myck Kabongo |
6-1 / G |
St. Benedict’s Prep (Newark, N.J.) |
Texas |
|
Cody Kessler |
6-2 / G |
Centennial (Bakersfield, Calif.) |
|
|
Tony Kimbro |
6-4 / W |
Christ School (Arden, N.C.) |
|
|
Trevor Lacey |
6-3 / G |
Butler (Huntsville, Ala.) |
|
|
Damien Leonard |
6-3 / G |
Mann (Greenville, S.C.) |
|
|
Delbert Love |
6-1 / G |
St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) |
|
|
John Manning |
6-11 / F |
Chantilly (Chantilly, Va.) |
|
|
James McAdoo |
6-8 / F |
Norfolk Christian (Norfolk, Va.) |
|
|
LeBryan Nash |
6-6 / F |
Lincoln (Dallas, Texas) |
|
|
Darius Nelson |
6-6 / F |
Sheldon (Sacramento, Calif.) |
|
|
Johnny O’Bryant |
6-8 / F |
East Side (Cleveland, Miss.) |
|
|
Jalen Packer |
6-2 / G |
Princeton (Princeton, Ind.) |
|
|
Dai-Jon Parker |
6-3 / G |
Milton (Alpharetta, Ga.) |
|
|
Bobby Parks Jr. |
6-3 / G |
St. George’s (Collierville, Tenn.) |
|
|
Chasson Randle |
6-2 / G |
Rock Island (Rock Island, Ill.) |
|
|
Austin Rivers |
6-3 / G |
Winter Park (Winter Park, Fla.) |
Florida |
|
Bryan Rhymes |
6-0 / G |
Hayden (Phoenix, Ariz.) |
|
|
Angel Rodriguez |
5-10 / G |
Dr. Krop (Miami, Fla.) |
|
|
Jay Rome |
6-6 / F |
Valdosta (Valdosta, Ga.) |
|
|
Aaron Ross |
6-7 / F |
Parkview (Little Rock, Ark.) |
Arkansas |
|
LaQuinton Ross |
6-8 / F |
Murrah (Jackson, Miss.) |
|
|
Julian Royal |
6-8 / F |
Milton (Alpharetta, Ga.) |
|
|
Jakarr Sampson |
6-8 / F |
St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio) |
|
|
Wesley Saunders |
6-5 / W |
Windward (Los Angeles, Calif.) |
|
|
Shannon Scott |
6-1 / G |
Milton (Alpharetta, Ga.) |
|
|
Robert Selmon Jr. |
6-4 / W |
Central (Phoenix, Ariz.) |
|
|
Mike Shaw |
6-8 / F |
De La Salle (Chicago, Ill.) |
|
|
Marquavius Smith |
5-10 / G |
Callaway (Jackson, Miss.) |
|
|
Ronnie Stevens |
6-7 / F |
Serra (Gardena, Calif.) |
|
|
Ryan Taylor |
6-5 / F |
Lawrence North (Indianapolis, Ind.) |
Louisville |
|
Michael Taylor |
6-3 / G |
Boys & Girls (Brooklyn, N.Y.) |
|
|
Marquis Teague |
6-1 / G |
Pike (Indianapolis, Ind.) |
|
|
Samuel Thompson |
6-6 / W |
Whitney Young (Chicago, Ill.) |
|
|
Josiah Turner |
6-3 / G |
Sacramento (Sacramento, Calif.) |
Arizona State |
|
Kevin Wagner |
5-7 / G |
Estacado (Lubbock, Texas) |
|
|
Gelaun Wheelwright |
6-0 / G |
Centennial (Corona, Calif.) |
|
|
Amir Williams |
6-10 / F |
Detroit Country Day (Beverly Hills, Mich.) |
|
|
Kyle Wiltjer |
6-9 / F |
Jesuit (Portland, Ore.) |
|
|
Tony Wroten Jr. |
6-5 / G |
Garfield (Seattle, Wash.) |
|
|
Achraf Yacoubou |
6-4 / W |
Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.) |
|
|
Cody Zeller |
6-8 / F |
Washington (Washington (Ind.) |
|
