High school basketball: Every national player of the year since 1922

MaxPreps recently named Chet Holmgren of Minehaha Academy as the 2020-21 MaxPreps National Player of the Year, marking the 16th straight season the leader in high school sports has honored the top boys basketball player.

However, with the help of prior All-American teams and national player of the year honorees, MaxPreps has retroactively selected a National Player of the Year for the past 100 years. Other media outlets that have selected national players of the year include Gatorade, USA Today, The Atlanta Tipoff Club (Naismith Award), the National Mr. Basketball Award, chosen by many organizations including ESPN, Student Sports and currently by Ballislife.com. Mr. Basketball Awards also date back to 1955 due to retroactive selections by high school sports historian Doug Huff.

MaxPreps used these previous selections as guides, but also consulted other All-American teams along with all-state teams to choose its own list. Selections prior to 1955 were chosen based on all-state selections, national interscholastic tournament all-tournament teams, Chuck Taylor All-Star Game honorees and additional research through newspapers.com.

While hindsight makes choosing such retroactive player of the year honorees an easier task, MaxPreps tried to base selections on high school performance in real time and not base the player of the year choices on performance at the college and professional level.
National Player of the Year winners since 1922

2021 — Chet Holmgren
School: Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis)
Resume: Holmgren earned National Player of the Year honors after leading his team to four straight state championships and averaging 20.8 points, 12.6 points and 4.7 blocks per game. He committed to play at Gonzaga.

2020 — Cade Cunningham
School: Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)
Resume: Before earning All-America first team honors as a freshman at Oklahoma State, Cunningham led the Eagles to a 25-0 record and a No. 1 ranking. Cunningham averaged 13.9 points, 6.4 assists and 4.2 rebounds as a senior.

2019 — Sharife Cooper
School: McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.)
Resume: Led the Indians to a 32-0 record and a state championship. Only a junior, he averaged 28.6 points, 8.6 assists and 4.1 steals. He earned third-team honors as a senior in 2020 while averaging over 30 points per game.

2018 — RJ Barrett
School: Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)
Resume: Barrett helped the Eagles to a 35-0 record and a No. 1 national ranking while averaging 28.7 points and 8.5 rebounds. He was All-America as a freshman at Duke and became the No. 3 overall pick in the 2019 draft by the New York Knicks.

2017 — Michael Porter Jr.
School: Nathan Hale (Seattle)
Resume: A unanimous National Player of the Year winner, Porter led Nathan Hale to a 29-0 record (after going 3-18 the year before) while averaging 37 points and 14 rebounds. He was the 14th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets.

2016 — Lonzo Ball
School: Chino Hills (Calif.)
Resume: Led the Huskies to the No. 1 overall ranking in the nation and a California state championship. He averaged 23.9 points, 11.5 assists, 11.3 rebounds and 5.1 steals. He was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft by the Lakers.

2015 — Ben Simmons
School: Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)
Resume: A unanimous National Player of the Year winner, Simmons led Montverde to a 31-1 record and a No. 1 overall national ranking. He was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft and is a three-time NBA All-Star.

2014 — Stanley Johnson
School: Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
Resume: The five media outlets that chose National Player of the Year winners each selected a different player with MaxPreps choosing Johnson. He averaged 25 points and 8 rebounds while leading Mater Dei to a state championship.

2013 — Jabari Parker
School: Simeon (Chicago)
Resume: Led the Wolverines to the state finals four years in a row, averaging 18.4 points and 10.4 rebounds as a senior. He was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft and has played for six NBA teams.

School: St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.)
Resume: St. Anthony was 65-0 in Anderson's final two seasons. He averaged 14.7 points and 6.5 rebounds before heading to UCLA. He's in his seventh season in the NBA.

2011 — Austin Rivers
School: Winter Park (Fla.)
Resume: Son of 1980 National Player of the Year Glenn "Doc" Rivers, Austin led Winter Park to two straight Florida state titles and averaged 28 points as a senior. He was the No. 10 pick in the 2012 NBA Draft and he has played with six NBA teams.

2010 — Harrison Barnes
School: Ames (Iowa)
Resume: He led Ames to back-to-back state championships and 53 wins in a row while averaging 26.1 points and 10 rebounds. The No. 7 overall pick in 2012, Barnes is in his ninth NBA season.

2009 — Derrick Favors
School: South Atlanta (Atlanta)
Resume: Led the Hornets to a state championship and finished with 2,341 career points and 1,511 career rebounds. He was the No. 3 pick in 2010 and has played 11 NBA season.

2008 — Brandon Jennings
School: Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.)
Resume: Set a school record at Oak Hill with 1,312 points and a 35.5 average. He played in Europe for one season before entering the 2009 draft, where he was drafted 10th overall. He made the all-rookie team, but injuries ended his career by 2018.

2007 — Kevin Love
School: Lake Oswego (Ore.)
Resume: Led the Lakers to three straight state championship games, winning a title as a junior. He finished his career with 2,628 points, including 33.9 points and 17 rebounds as a senior. He's a five-time NBA All-Star and was the No. 5 overall pick in 2008.

2006 — Greg Oden
School: Lawrence North (Indianapolis)
Resume: A three-time All-American and a two-time National Player of the Year winner, Oden led Lawrence North to three straight state championships and 50 straight wins. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, Oden was plagued by injuries and left the NBA in 2014.

2005 — Greg Oden
School: Lawrence North (Indianapolis)
Resume: Oden shared Parade Magazine National Co-Player of the Year honors with Monta Ellis, but Gatorade selected Oden as the nation's top player. He led Lawrence North to the second of three straight state championships.

2004 — Dwight Howard
School: Southwest Atlanta Christian (Atlanta)
Resume: Led his team to a 31-2 record and a state championship as a senior while averaging 25 points, 18 rebounds and 8.1 blocked shots. The No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft in 2004, Howard ranks 13th in NBA history in career rebounds.

2003 — LeBron James
School: St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio)
Resume: James led St. Vincent St. Mary to a No. 1 national ranking and he earned unanimous recognition as the nation's top player. He averaged 31.5 points as a senior and finished his career with 2,646 points. He is a 17-time NBA All-Star and a four-time MVP. He ranks No. 3 all-time in the NBA in career scoring.

2002 — LeBron James
School: St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio)
Resume: James averaged 29 points per game and was All-American for a second time and state MVP for a second time.

2001 — Dajuan Wagner
School: Camden (Camden, N.J.)
Resume: He caught everyone's attention when he scored 100 points in a game. He averaged 42.4 points per game to lead the nation. After a year at Memphis, Wagner entered the NBA Draft, but illness prematurely ended his career. His son DJ Wagner was named the MaxPreps National Sophomore of the Year in 2021.

2000 — Gerald Wallace
School: Childersburg (Ala.)
Resume: The USA Today player of the year after averaging 30 points, 18 rebounds and 6 assists. A first-round draft pick by Sacramento, Wallace played 15 seasons in the NBA.

1999 — Donnell Harvey
School: Randolph-Clay (Cuthbert, Ga.)
Resume: The national player of the year by USA Today and Naismith, Harvey averaged 23.3 points, 14 rebounds and 5 assists. A first-round draft pick by the Knicks in 2000, Harvey played five seasons in the NBA.

1998 — Al Harrington
School: St. Patrick, now known as Patrick School (Hillside, N.J.)
Resume: Won national player of the year honors from USA Today, Gatorade and Naismith before entering the NBA draft right out of high school. Played 16 seasons in the NBA averaging 25 points and 14 rebounds per game his senior year.

1997 — Tracy McGrady
School: Mount Zion (Gastonia, N.C.)
Resume: After transferring from Florida to Mount Zion, McGrady led his team to a 26-2 record while averaging 28 points. He entered the NBA draft after high school and was the ninth overall pick. He was a seven-time All-Star and was elected to the Hall of Fame.

1996 — Kobe Bryant
School: Lower Merion (Ardmore, Pa.)
Resume: Southeastern Pennsylvania's all-time leading scorer with 2,833 career points after averaging 30.8 points and 12 rebounds while leading Lower Merion to a state championship. He was an 18-time NBA All-Star and ranks fourth all-time in career scoring.

1995 — Kevin Garnett
School: Farragut (Chicago)
Resume: A two-time Parade All-America first teamer, Garnett averaged 25.9 points and 17.9 points as a senior. He was the fifth overall pick in the 1995 draft, coming right out of high school. He played 21 seasons in the NBA and was a 15-time All-Star.

1994 — Felipe Lopez
School: Rice (Manhattan, N.Y.), closed in 2011
Resume: Earned national player of the year honors from Student Sports, USA Today and Gatorade. He averaged 26.8 points per game while leading Rice to the Federation championship. He had a 13-season pro career, mostly overseas.

1993 — Rasheed Wallace
School: Simon Gratz (Philadelphia)
Resume: A two-time Parade All-American first-team member and averaged 16 points and 15 rebounds as a senior. He was the No. 4 overall pick in 1995 and played 18 seasons in the NBA

1992 — Jason Kidd
School: St. Joseph Notre Dame (Alameda, Calif.)
Resume: Led St. Joseph Notre Dame to two straight state championships and finished his career as the state's all-time leader in assists, according to the Cal-Hi Sports Record Book. Kidd was the No. 2 overall pick in the 1994 draft and played 20 seasons in the NBA.

1991 — Chris Webber
School: Detroit Country Day (Beverly Hills, Mich.)
Resume: Led his school to three state championships and was a Parade All-American as a junior and senior. He averaged 29.4 points as a senior. He was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1993 NBA draft, played 15 seasons in the NBA and was a 10-time all-star.

1990 — Damon Bailey
School: Bedford North Lawrence (Bedford, Ind.)
Resume: BAll-state all four years in high school and led Bedford North Lawrence to a state title in 1990. He averaged 28.4 points per game over his career with 3,134 points. Earned All-American honors at Indiana, but he never played above the CBA level professionally.

1989 — Kenny Anderson
School: Archbishop Molloy (Queens, N.Y.)
Resume: Earned unanimous national player of the year honors and was a three-time Parade All-American. Finished his career as New York's all-time leading prep scorer with 2,621 points. Played 15 seasons in the NBA.

1988 — Alonzo Mourning
School: Indian River (Chesapeake, Va.)
Resume: A unanimous selection as the national player of the year, Mourning led Indian River to a state title as a junior and 51 straight wins. As a senior he averaged 25 points, 15 rebounds and 12 blocked shots. He played 17 seasons in the NBA and was elected to the Hall of Fame.

1987 — Marcus Liberty
School: King (Chicago)
Resume: The USA Today national player of the year, Liberty led King to state championship as a junior and a second-place finish as a senior. Helped Illinois to the Final Four. Played only a few seasons in the NBA.

1986 — J.R. Reid
School: Kempsville (Virginia Beach, Va.)
Resume: Gatorade chose Reid as the national player of the year after he led Kempsville to a 22-2 record while averaging 24.6 points and 13.8 rebounds per game. The fifth overall pick in the 1989 draft, Reid spent 12 seasons in the NBA.

1985 — Danny Ferry
School: DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.)
Resume: Ferry led DeMatha to a 31-3 record while averaging 19.5 points and 12 rebounds. He was the Parade Magazine player of the year and went on to earn NCAA Player of the Year honors at Duke. The No. 2 pick in the 1989 draft, Ferry played 14 seasons in the NBA.

1984 — Delray Brooks
School: Rogers, consolidated to form Michigan City (Michigan City, Ind.) in 1995
Resume: The USA Today national player of the year, Brooks scored 2,324 points in his career after averaging 33.4 as a senior. He originally went to Indiana, but ended up at Providence where he helped lead the team to a Final Four appearance.

1983 — Reggie Williams
School: Dunbar (Baltimore)
Resume: The top player on a team generally regarded as the greatest high school team of all-time, Williams led Dunbar to a 29-0 record as a junior and 31-0 as a senior. He played on Georgetown's NCAA championship team in 1984 and was the No. 4 overall pick in the 1987 draft. He played 10 seasons in the NBA.

1982 — Benoit Benjamin
School: Carroll (Monroe, La.)
Resume: The state player of the year in Louisiana and regarded as the No. 1 recruit in the nation. He averaged 29.5 points, 19.5 points and 6 blocked shots as a senior. He was the No. 3 overall pick in the 1985 draft and played professionally for 14 seasons.

1981 — Patrick Ewing
School: Cambridge Rindge & Latin (Cambridge, Mass.)
Resume: A three-time Parade All-American, Ewing was the nation's No. 1 recruit ahead of the likes of Michael Jordan, Karl Malone and Charles Barkley. He scored 1,763 points in his career and led Rindge & Latin to a 96-5 record in his career.

1980 — Doc Rivers
School: Proviso East (Maywood, Ill.)
Resume: Scored 1,811 points in his career and averaged 22.3 points as a senior while earning Parade All-America honors. He played 14 seasons in the NBA and has been a coach for over 20 seasons. He currently ranks 10th all-time among NBA coaches with the most career wins.

1979 — Ralph Sampson
School: Harrisonburg (Va.)
Resume: Veteran scout Bill Cronauer gave Sampson the slight edge over fellow All-American Clark Kellogg in 1979 after Sampson led Harrisonburg to two straight Class AA state championships. He averaged 30.4 points per game and went on to earn All-American honors three times at Virginia. The No. 1 overall pick in the 1983 draft, Sampson played 13 seasons in the NBA.

1978 — Dwight Anderson
School: Dayton Roth, now Thurgood Marshall (Dayton, Ohio)
Resume: Considered the No. 1 recruit in the country after averaging 38.1 points per game as a senior and earning state player of the year honors. He played at Kentucky before transferring to USC. He played briefly in the NBA.

1977 — Gene Banks
School: West Philadelphia (Philadelphia)
Resume: The choice as MVP of the "Super Six," chosen by the St. Petersburg Times, over the likes of Albert King and Earvin "Magic" Johnson. He was the MVP of the Dapper Dan Classic and the McDonald's Capital Classic. Averaged 23 points and 20 rebounds while leading West Philadelphia to a 30-0 record. Earned All-America honors three straight years.

1976 — Darrell Griffith
School: Male (Louisville, Ky.)
Resume: Griffith earned national player of the year honors from Parade Magazine after scoring 24 points and grabbing 17 rebounds per game. He led Male to a state championship as a junior and he led Louisville to an NCAA championship in 1980. He played 11 seasons in the NBA.

1975 — Bill Cartwright
School: Elk Grove (Calif.)
Resume: Cartwright led the Thundering Herd to the Northern California Tournament of Champions and averaged 38.5 points and 22 rebounds per game. After an All-America career at USF, Cartwright was the No. 3 overall pick in the 1979 NBA Draft. He played 16 seasons in the NBA.

1974 — Moses Malone
School: Petersburg (Petersburg, Va.)
Resume: Malone went straight to the ABA out of high school, joining the Utah Stars. In high school, Malone led Petersburg to back-to-back state championships and 50 straight wins while scoring 2,124 career points. He was a three-time NBA MVP and played 21 seasons in the league.

1973 — Adrian Dantley
School: DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.)
Resume: Regarded as the best player legendary coach Morgan Wootten ever coached, Dantley earned All-American honors and was the MVP of the Dapper Dan All-Star Game in 1973. He averaged 25 points and 16 rebounds for a 26-1 DeMatha squad. He went on to a Hall of Fame career in the NBA.

1972 — Quinn Buckner
School: Thornridge (Dolton, Ill.)
Resume: An All-American in two sports, football and basketball, Buckner led a Thornridge team that is generally regarded as one of the best high school teams of all-time to an Illinois state championship. Buckner won an NCAA title at Indiana, an Olympic Gold Medal at Montreal in 1976 and an NBA title with the Boston Celtics.

1971 — Les Cason
School: East Rutherford (N.J.), closed in 1971. Now Becton (East Rutherford, N.J.)
Resume: A two-time Parade All-American and finished his career with 2,871 points while leading East Rutherford, and its coach Dick Vitale, to a pair of Group 1 championships. Cason's basketball career took a tragic turn when academics kept him out of Long Beach State (coached by Jerry Tarkanian) and he eventually flunked out of Rutgers. He died homeless at age 43 from complications due to AIDS.

1970 — Tom McMillen
School: Mansfield (Pa.)
Resume: A two-time Parade All-American, McMillen led the nation in scoring as a senior with an average of 47.7 points. He scored over 48 points 13 times and had a high of 67 points. Played in the NBA and became a United States Congressman.

1969 — George McGinnis
School: Washington (Ind.)
Resume: An All-American in football and basketball, McGinnis was a first team Parade All-American in basketball after scoring 1,009 points in 31 games. He scored 2,075 points in his career.

1968 — Ralph Simpson
School: Pershing (Detroit)
Resume: Teamed with Spencer Haywood in 1967 to win a state championship. Even more of a scorer as a senior, averaging 36 points per game, although Pershing did not return to the state finals. An all-star in the NBA and ABA.

1967 — Howard Porter
School: Booker (Sarasota, Fla.)
Resume: Considered at the time to be the greatest player to ever come out of Florida. Averaged 38 points per game in leading Booker to a 33-1 record. Became a three-time NCAA All-American at Villanova.

1966 — Calvin Murphy
School: Norwalk (Conn.)
Resume: Averaged 40.3 points per game in leading Norwalk to Class L championship. Scored 59 points in the championship game. Led the nation in scoring while in college at Niagara.

1965 — Lew Alcindor
School: Power Memorial
Resume: Finished with 96-6 career record, including 71 in a row, and 2,067 career points. First three-time Parade All-American. Named "Mr. Basketball" twice. Three-time NCAA Player of the Year and NBA Hall of Famer.

1964 — Lew Alcindor
School: Power Memorial
Resume: Finished the season with 55 wins in a row (22-0 in 1964) while averaging 27 points and 19 rebounds.

1963 — Edgar Lacy
School: Jefferson (Los Angeles)
Resume: Player of the Year in the Los Angeles City Section and a two-time Parade All-America first team selection. Lacy averaged 29.9 points per game as a senior.

1962 — Mike Silliman
School: St. Xavier (Cincinnati)
Resume: Mr. Basketball in Kentucky after leading St. Xavier to state title. Averaged 24.1 points and 20 rebounds while earning All-America honors by Parade and Scholastic Coach.

1961 — Bill Bradley
School: Crystal City (Mo.)
Resume: Regarded as greatest player to ever come out of Missouri at the time, Bradley averaged 36.1 points per game as a senior and had 3,066 in his career. Had an All-America career at Princeton.

1960 — Connie Hawkins
School: Boys  (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Resume: Led Boys to two straight PSAL championships to go with 40 straight wins. Hawkins averaged 26.8 points per game and was first team Parade All-American.

1959 — Bill Raftery
School: St. Cecilia
Resume: The state player of the year in New Jersey and a Parade All-America first team player, Raftery set the state career scoring record with 2,151 points. After a 20-year coaching career, Raftery spent 30 years as a color analyst for CBS on NCAA basketball games.

1958 — Jerry Lucas
School: Middletown (Ohio)
Resume: Averaged 33 points per game and scored 2,460 in his career. Led Middletown to 76 straight wins, but lost in the semifinals in 1958. Named "Mr. Basketball" in 1957 and 1958. A three-time NCAA All-American and an NBA Hall of Famer.

1957 — Jerry Lucas
School: Middletown (Ohio)
Resume: Averaged 36 points per game in leading Middletown to undefeated record and state championship. All-state first team as a sophomore and junior, leading Middletown to No. 1 national ranking both seasons.

1956 — Oscar Robertson
School: Indianapolis Crispus Attucks (Indianapolis)
Resume: Averaged 24 points per game and led Crispus Attucks to a 62-1 record over two seasons with 45 straight wins. Became three-time NCAA All-America en route to Hall of Fame NBA career. Named "Mr. Basketball."

1955 — Wilt Chamberlain
School: Overbrook (Philadelphia)
Resume: Averaged 44.4 points per game in 19 games while leading Overbrook to a 18-1 record. Named All-American by Picture Week (Parade did not select All-Americans until 1957). Retired from NBA as league's all-time scorer.

1954 — Archie Dees
School: Mt. Carmel (Ill.)
Resume: One of only three people to be twice named the Big Ten Most Valuable Player, Dees got his start at Mt. Carmel, where he earned all-state honors and was named the MVP of the Chuck Taylor All-Star Game.

1953 — Earl Adkins
School: Ashland (Ky.)
Resume: The top vote-getter on the Kentucky All-State team, Adkins played in the Chuck Taylor All-Star Game and was named the contest's MVP. He scored 1,392 points in his career and he went on to play at the University of Kentucky.

1952 — Bruce Brothers
School: Quincy (Ill.)
Resume: Brothers earned MVP honors at the Chuck Taylor All-Star Game, making him the unofficial national player of the year and an All-American. Brothers was the top player in Illinois, earning all-state honors and finishing as the highest scorer in the state tournament.

1951 — Tom Gola
School: La Salle College (Wyndmoor, Pa.)
Resume: Scored over 1,700 points in his career and was a two-time all-state selection. He played in the Chuck Taylor All-Star Game and was named MVP, thus earning him national player of the year honors. He was a three-time All-America at La Salle College and a five-time All-Star in the NBA.

1950 — Bob Pettit
School: Baton Rouge (La.)
Resume: Although he didn't play high school basketball until a growth spurt following his sophomore year, Pettit led Baton Rouge to a state championship in 1950 and was named to the Chuck Taylor All-Star Game where he was named All-American. He had a Hall of Fame career in college at LSU and in the NBA.

1949 — Cliff Hagan
School: Owensboro (Owensboro, Ky.)
Resume: Led Owensboro to a state championship in 1949, scoring 41 points in the title game and 97 in the tournament, both tournament records. He averaged 24 points per game and was the top vote-getter on the all-state team. He had an All-America career at Kentucky and played 14 years in the NBA.

1948 — Bill Mikvy
School: Palmerton (Pa.)
Resume: Known at Temple as the "Owl without a Vowel", Milkvy set an NCAA record with 73 points in one game. In high school, he was the top player on the Pennsylvania all-state team, beating out the likes of future NCAA All-American Dick Groat.

1947 — Sherman White
School: Dwight Morrow (Englewood, N.J.)
Resume: Considered one of the greatest players to ever come from New Jersey, as he earned all-state honors as a senior by averaging 24.75 points per game (693 points in 28 games) while leading Morrow to a 28-0 record. White never played in the NBA, however, after becoming involved in a point-shaving scandal while he was playing at Long Island University. Prior to his arrest in the matter, White had been named the NCAA Player of the Year by the Sporting News.

1946 — Bob Cousy
School: Andrew Jackson (Cambria Heights, N.Y.), closed in 1994, reopened as Campus Magnet (Cambria Heights, N.Y.)
Resume: The top player in New York City, leading Jackson to the Queens borough championship while leading the city in scoring (according to his biography by Bill Reynolds). Cousy went on to an All-America career at Holy Cross, and a Hall of Fame career with the Boston Celtics.

1945 — Wallace "Wah Wah" Jones
School: Harlan (Ky.)
Resume: Believed to have set a national career scoring record of 2,162 points (Dwight Eddleman had already scored 2,702), Jones was all-state twice in basketball and football and once in baseball. He scored 828 points as a senior and led Harlan to a state title. All-America in college at Kentucky in both football (under coach Bear Bryant) and in basketball (under coach Adolph Rupp).

1944 — Alex Groza
School: Martins Ferry (Ohio)
Resume: Easily the leading scorer in the state as a senior while leading Martins Ferry to the state tournament, where it lost in the semifinals. Groza went on to an All-America career at Kentucky, but had a professional career cut short due to his involvement in an NCAA cheating scandal.

1943 — Arnie Ferrin
School: Ogden (Utah)
Resume:One of the leading scorers in Utah as a senior and he earned back-to-back all-state honors. In college, Ferrin led Utah to an NCAA championship as a freshman (where he was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player) and was All-America four years in a row.

1942 — Dwight Eddleman
School: Centralia (Ill.)
Resume: Scored 834 points in 39 games as a senior and was named to the all-state team for the third time. He finished his career with 2,702 career points, which would remain the national record for 27 years.

1941 — Dwight Eddleman
School: Centralia (Ill.)
Resume: In leading Centralia to a third-place finish after being upset in the semifinals by Morton, Eddleman was the highest scoring player in the country with 969 points in 45 games. He was also well on his way to becoming the nation's all-time leading scorer.

1940 — Andy Phillip
School: Granite City (Ill.)
Resume: An NCAA and Basketball Hall of Famer, Phillip led Granite City to a state championship in 1940 and earned all-state honors. He later earned National MVP honors while at Illinois as a member of the "Whiz Kids."

1939 — Allie Paine
School: Central (Oklahoma City, Okla.), closed in 1981
Resume: Earned all-state honors while leading Central to the state championship game. He went on to an All-America career at Oklahoma, where he helped lead the Sooners to the NCAA finals in 1947.0

1938 — Otto Graham
School: Waukegan (Ill.)
Resume: One of the leading scorers in the state, Graham earned all-state first team honors. Also a standout football players, Graham graduated at midyear in 1939 and headed to Northwestern before embarking on a Hall of Fame football career. He also earned All-America honors in basketball while at Northwestern.

1937 — George Glamack
School: Allentown Prep (Pa.), closed in 1939
Resume: One of the leading scorers in the northeast as a senior at Allentown Prep, Glamack went on to an All-America career at North Carolina. According to his UNC bio, Glamack was known as the "Blind Bomber" due to poor eyesight and he relied on the lines on the floor to guide his shooting.

1936 — Ralph Vaughn
School: Frankfort (Ind.)
Resume: Vaughn was a high-scoring forward at Frankfort, earning all-state honors two seasons and leading Frankfort to a state championship in 1936. He was an All-American at Southern California as a senior.

1935 — Lou Boudreau
School: Thornton (Harvey, Ill.)
Resume: Known more for his Hall of Fame baseball career, Boudreau was a standout basketball player at Thornton. He led the team to three straight state championship games, finishing first in 1933. He made the all-state team three times, earning state MVP honors twice. He was an All-America in college at Illinois before embarking on a professional baseball career.

1934 — Meyer Bloom
School: Trenton Central (Trenton, N.J.)
Resume: Bloom earned all-state honors twice and helped Trenton Central to a 71-2 record and three state championships from 1932-34. He went on to a Hall of Fame career at Temple.

1933 — Hank Luisetti
School: Galileo (San Francisco)
Resume: Luisetti with his one-handed shooting style that enabled him to become the first college player to score 50 points in a game while at Stanford. At Galileo, he was the San Francisco City player of the year by the San Francisco Examiner.

1932 — Rip Kaplinsky
School: Jefferson (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Resume: Named the captain of the Jefferson team as a sophomore, Kaplinsky was lauded as one of the best players to ever play in the PSAL at the time. He went on to play three seasons at St. John's and played professionally in early versions of professional basketball.

1931 — Norman Cottom
School: Wiley, consolidated to become Terre Haute South Vigo (Terre Haute, Ind.)
Resume: Cottom earned all-state honors and was recognized with the Gimbel Award following the state tournament for his mental attitude. He was a two-time All-American while at Purdue.

1930 — Ed "Moose" Krause
School: De La Salle (Chicago)
Resume: One of the all-time great athletes to play at Notre Dame, lettering in four sports and earning All-America honors in basketball three times. He was part of the great De La Salle (Chicago) teams that won back-to-back National Catholic Interscholastic Tournament championships in 1929 and 1930.

1929 — Elwood Romney
School: Dixie (St. George, Utah)
Resume: A three-time first team all-state player, including captain his senior year, Romney went on to earn All-America honors at BYU. He was a cousin of Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican Presidential candidate.

1928 — Ellis Johnson
School: Blazer (Ashland, Ky.)
Resume: Johnson was the top player for an Ashland team that won the National Invitational Tournament with a 15-10 win over Canton. Johnson earned all-tournament honors and went on to play three sports at Kentucky where he was an inaugural member of the school's Hall of Fame.

1927 — John Wooden
School: Martinsville (Ind.)
Resume: Wooden led his team to three straight state championship games, winning the title in 1927 as a junior. He was a college All-American at Purdue for three seasons before embarking on a coaching career that included 10 NCAA titles at UCLA.

1926 — Branch McCracken
School: Monrovia (Ind.)
Resume: Considered a "big man" at 6-foot-4, McCracken led small-town Monrovia to a pair of tri-state tournament championships in 1925 and 1926 and was named the MVP of the tournament as a senior. He went on to play at Indiana and as a coach led Indiana to a pair of national championships.

1925 — Berry Dunham
School: Wichita, now known as East (Wichita, Kan.)
Resume: Dunham was the captain of a Wichita team that won the National Invitational Tournament in Chicago with a 27-6 win over El Reno (Okla.). Dunham earned all-tournament honors and went on to be a three-time AAU All-American from 1930-32 while leading a Wichita AAU team to three straight national championships.

1924 — Bennie Oosterbaan
School: Muskegon (Mich.)
Resume: A four-sport star in high school, Oosterbaan earned All-America honors as a junior by making the all-tournament team at the national invitational in Chicago. At Michigan, Oosterbaan went on to become a three-time All-American in football, a two-time All-American in basketball and an All-Big Ten selection in baseball.

1923 — Herb Proudfit
School: Kansas City, now known as Wyandotte (Kansas City, Kan.)
Resume: Kansas City, now known as Wyandotte, won the National Invitational Tournament in Chicago with a 43-21 win over Rockford (Ill.). Proudfit was the top player on a team that went 33-0 including a 234-2 win over the Rainbow Club and also earned all-tournament honors.

1922 — Bobby Thompson
School: Passaic (N.J.)
Resume: Thompson was the top player on the "Wonder Team" from Passaic that went 33-0 en route to a 159-game win streak between 1919 and 1925. Thompson is believed to be the first player to score over 1,000 points in a season, although his exact total is not known.