Top 10 High School Shooting Guards of the Last 10 Years
Words. Jason Jordan
When the game is on the line and there’s only time for one more shot, it doesn’t require a coaching genius to surmise that the best chance you’ve got to emerge victorious is to get the ball into the hands of your scorer. Often times, that player is the shooting guard.
Just like when I ranked the Top 10 point guards of the last decade, this ranking of the 10 best two-guards of the decade is solely based on what each player accomplished in high school and AAU ball. I’m not factoring in college stats or NBA Draft position — it’s all about what you did before you got there, with a heavy emphasis on the AAU circuit against the best players in the country. Let the debate begin…
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10. (tie) JOHN JENKINS, Station Camp (TN), 2009
Jenkins was a PARADE and Reebok All-American as a senior, averaging 42.3 points per game, good enough for second-place on Tennessee’s all-time list of single-season performances. Jenkins ended his career with 3,192 total points, but only started to get national attention at the NBA Players Association Top 100 Camp before his senior year, when he led the camp with 17.8 ppg against the best players in the country.
Where he is now: Sophomore at Vanderbilt
10. (tie) JON SCHEYER, Glenbrook North (IL), 2006
Scheyer averaged 32 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals per game as a senior. He also has one legendary moment that has been called one of the most amazing performances ever seen in high school. In a one-man comeback effort against Proviso West H.S., Scheyer scored 21 points in 75 seconds to single-handedly keep Glenbrook’s 35-game win streak alive. Scheyer is No. 4 on Illinois’ all-time scoring list (3,034) and is the only player in state history to finish his career ranked in the top 10 in points, rebounds, assists and steals. Scheyer was just as successful on the AAU circuit while running with the Illinois Warriors, leading them to the Nike Peach Jam title in 2004.
Where he is now: Pro rookie, recently cut by L.A. Clippers
10. (tie) JRUE HOLIDAY, Campbell Hall (CA), 2008
Holiday averaged 26 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and five steals as a senior and led Campbell Hall to a California state title. In the McDonald’s All-American Game, Holiday posted 14 points, five rebounds, five steals and three assists for the West. He was also named 2008 Gatorade National Player of the Year, and whether he was running with the RC Bulls, West Coast All-Stars, Belmont Shore, or Pump N’ Run on the AAU circuit, Holiday consistently dominated the competition.
Where he is now: 2nd-year pro, Philadelphia 76ers
9. J.J. REDICK, Cave Spring (VA), 2002
A day after winning the 3-point shootout at the McDonald’s All-American Game, Redick was named MVP of the game itself, scoring 26 points on 10-of-15 shooting (5-of-6 from three-point range). Redick averaged 29 points, five rebounds and four assists his senior year, and dropped 43 points in the state championship game. Redick is Virginia’s all-time 3A leading scorer with 2,215 points, and helped Boo Williams AAU win two national championships.
Where he is now: 4th-year pro, Orlando Magic
8. GERALD GREEN, Gulf Shores (TX), 2005
Green averaged 33 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks per game as a senior. That was good enough to be picked for the McDonald’s All-American Game, where he led all scorers with 24 points and won the Slam Dunk Contest with a performance that is still re-run on ESPNU occasionally. Green was named MVP of the ABCD Camp’s All Star game in 2004. And the scary thing about Green was that he hadn’t start playing basketball until his sophomore year of high school.
Where he is now: Overseas. (Played last season in Russia)
7. J.R. SMITH, St. Benedict’s Prep (NJ), 2004
J.R. led the East to a 126-96 rout of the West in the McDonald’s All-American Game and earned MVP after leading all scorers with 25 points — a performance so impressive it propelled the North Carolina commit to declare for the NBA Draft. Smith also took home MVP at the Roundball Classic. He averaged 29 points, seven rebounds and six assists as a senior, and was a nightmare for nearly every team while running with The Playaz during AAU season. Smith was a sniper from the perimeter who was a legit threat to drop a 40-piece on any given night, and used his 44-inch vertical to finish over the best of them.
Where he is now: 7th-year pro, Denver Nuggets
6. ERIC GORDON, North Central (IN), 2007
Gordon averaged 30 points, seven rebounds and four assists during his senior year en route to being named Indiana’s “Mr. Basketball” as well as a McDonald’s All-American and Jordan Brand All-American. One of the most impressive things about Gordon was that he managed to shine in the summer while playing alongside superstars. Whether it was sharing the backcourt with Derrick Rose on the Mean Streets AAU, or sharing the spotlight with Greg Oden on Spiece Indy Heat AAU, Gordon always managed to standout among the stars. He was so good that the recruiting war between Illinois and Indiana to get him got so out of hand that Gordon’s high school had to hire security for him due to threats he was receiving.
Where he is now: 3rd-year pro, L.A. Clippers
5. DESHAWN STEVENSON, Washington (CA), 2000
Stevenson was so dominant, some observers (usually opposing fans) were asking to see his birth certificate to prove he was actually in high school. As a junior, Stevenson led Washington to a state championship, and after he committed to play at Kansas, Roy Williams called him the “most gifted recruit ever.” If it’s true that the numbers don’t lie, then Williams’ statement could be dead-on. Stevenson averaged 31 points, 10 rebounds and six assists per game his senior year. He dropped 25 points in the McDonald’s All-American Game, where he was also crowned Slam Dunk champ.
Where he is now: 11th-year pro, Dallas Mavericks
4. MONTA ELLIS, Lanier (MS), 2005
Ellis averaged 39 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and 4.5 steals as a senior and knocked down 49 percent of his three-pointers. His career highlight was a 72-point game against Greenwood, a team he’d lit up for 65 earlier that same season. In a close loss to No. 1-ranked Oak Hill Academy (VA), Monta put up 42 points, the most ever scored against Oak Hill at the time. Ellis also dominated the competition in the summer while running with the Magnolia Stars.
Where he is now: 5th-year pro, Golden State Warriors
3. LENNY COOKE, Valley Regional (NJ), 2002
After averaging 25 points, 10 rebounds and six assists as a junior, Cooke averaged 31.5 points through the first eight games of his senior season. But after he turned 19 years old, he was athletically ineligible according to the athletic administration’s rules in New Jersey. The Brooklyn, N.Y., native had played his sophomore year at LaSalle Academy in NYC and averaged 30 points and 12 boards. More importantly, Cooke starred against the best competition on the AAU circuit, running with the NY Gauchos. And in 2000, he was named MVP of the prestigious adidas ABCD camp. Cooke was obviously dominant on the prep level, but no one on this list was dominant to the point of embarrassing opponents like Cooke was. Call it the New York City flair, but Cooke’s goal was to humiliate the guy lined up across from him, and often times he succeeded.
Where he is now: Out of basketball, last played in the CBA in 2007.
2. LEBRON JAMES, St. Vincent-St. Mary (OH), 2003
James averaged 31.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 3.4 steals as a senior and finished third on Ohio’s all-time scoring list, tallying 2,646 points. The summer before his junior year, LeBron was the youngest player ever invited to the USA Basketball Development Festival, and the only underclassman. He proceeded to break the event’s scoring record, racking up 120 points in five games and being named MVP. After that, LeBron went to ABCD camp, where his profile grew to unfathomable levels. Going into the week, the player attracting the most attention was senior-to-be Lenny Cooke. The two matched up toward the end of the camp, and James dropped 24 points while holding Cooke to just nine, and drilled a 25-footer at the buzzer to secure his team’s win. A legend was born.
Where he is now: 8th-year pro, Miami Heat
1. DAJUAN WAGNER, Camden (NJ), 2001
Wagner averaged 42.5 points per game and became New Jersey’s all-time scoring leader with 3,462 points. Honestly, we could stop there, but there’s so much more. Wagner’s list of accolades could be made into a novel: Naismith Player of the Year award winner, USA Today Player of the Year, first-team All-American pick by The Sporting News, countless New Jersey local and regional P.O.Y. and All-State nods, nine games where he scored 50-plus points, a 25-point effort in the McDonald’s All-American Game, etc. Though there were many, Wagner’s crowning achievement came when he led Camden to a 157-67 thrashing of local Gloucester Township, scoring 100 points in the process. Crazy thing is, Wagner could’ve scored plenty more, but he was taken out of the game with four minutes to play, content with reaching the century mark.
Where he is now: Last played in 2008 in Poland
Honorable Mention: Martell Webster (Seattle Prep, WA); Louis Williams (South Gwinnett, GA); Lance Stephenson (Lincoln, NY); Bracey Wright (The Colony, TX); Xavier Henry (Putnam City, OK); Dwyane Wade (Richards, IL); Wayne Ellington (Episcopal, PA); Julius Hodge (St. Raymond, NY); Kenny Boynton (American Heritage, FL); Will Barton (Brewster, NH); Hassan Adams (Westchester,CA).
* Follow Jason on Twitter @JayJayESPNDime
* Email Jason at jasonj@dimemag.com
* Follow High School Hoop on Twitter @HighSchoolHoop
A shame what has happened to some of these guys especially cook, just idiots..man
come on dajuan wagner higher than lebron? these lists that you make are just crazy. first I thought Sebastian Telfair isn’t a top 10 high school point guard? and now you’ve out done yourself by saying that Lebron isn’t even #1 in the past 10 year in his own position!?!?!?! do you not remember all the crazy hype that LeBron had coming out of high school? The S.I covers, multiple games on ESPN, the Hummer controversy? I mean come on. LeBron is arguably the top high school basketball player ever! except maybe to Kareem, The Big O, and Wilt the Stilt
were talking about their production and dominance in high school, quite frankly dajuan was more dominant in HS
National Ranked #1 Team His senior year, top five Nationally his last two. The Back to Back Gatorade POY (never been done… at the time), 3 State Titles, 1 National Title, ALL-USA 3 YEARS IN A ROW (never been done), Mr. Basketball of OH 3 year running. Won all three Prep Allstar game MVPS. No one on the board will argue dominance against LBJ. If scorring was that important to JJ, then Lance Stephenson wouldve made the top 10.
The year Dajuan was in it (McD’s)… reddick won.
I would put Louis Williams ahead of Reddick, Schyer, Jenkins and Holiday. He and Mercer were crazy in HS.
Also what about Johnathan Hargrett? I think he was from West Virgina or Virginia.
Lastly, I don’t care how you twist it, Lebron and Lenny Cooke were in NOW WAY SHAPE OR FORM shooting guards in highschool. No way. Lebron is the SF/PF on his team (even though he was the tallest and should have been in the post before Romeo Travis). as for Lenny Cooke….i don’t know, he just wasn’t a SG with that big body and frame.
Dude ease up on the mancrush talking about Lebron and Cook’s “frames” they were definitely shooting guards. I went to plenty of st vincent-st mary games and he was a SG! Plus all the recruiting outlets had him listed as the top SG in the country. I will say that I ain’t feeling the 3way tie! Pick one.
Surprised mike jones (of maryland) didn’t at least make HM. Anyone happen to know what his college stats were like? I just remember him being highly touted out of high school, and he had one of the purest jumpers i’d ever seen. Too bad he never made it in the pros, but I know he’s playing overseas right now.
Whoops, I meant high school stats. Anyone?
He averaged about 9points agame
U seriously pausing me when u are using manny pack as your sn? Is that short for Manny packed your fudge?
Grow up bro… You said they weren’t SG’s, you were wrong. Next topic.
Oh yeah monta was the truth as was mo williams in hs…. in that oak hill game josh smith gave the mvp trophy he won to monta, and monta killed louis williams when they played lol
i didnt kno jrue was a sg…but i really like dajuan back in the day
Lenny Cooke was surely a SF, so he should not be listed here. Lebron was borderline G/F, but listed as SG. At least there are no huge mistakes on this list, like leaving Bassy off the top ten PGs.
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/recruiting/player-Lenny-Cooke-325
Scheyer’s 21 points in 75 seconds game actually resulted in a loss…the ref called a nonsense offensive foul as he ran up the court with the ball on what would’ve been Glenbrook’s last offensive possession of the game.
Nonetheless, one of the greatest performances in memory.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEjogKE7voY
I always hoped that Juanny would make it back!
rivals may have listed lenny as a sf, but espn, hoopscoop, scout, prepstars, all star sports all listed him as a sg. im from ny and if you saw lenny play you’d KNOW he was a sg! i would’ve had him above lebron! he was better in hs.
Lebron 24 – Lenny Cooke 9. And after that match up No one ever heard from him again. Next Topic.
So true!!!
And lebron was younger. Did you even read the article dude? Really!? Lenny Cooke was better than Lebron. Lebron made his name off thrashing Lenny Cooke on a National stage… 1 on 1. Pish Posh
i agree on telfair too! but not as high as most think. he got torched a lot during the summer but you’ve gotta have ny’s greatest on the list.
It’s hard to think that JamesOn Curry(the all-time leading scorer in North Carolina history and the first player to have a triple-double in USA basketball 17-under) and Demarcus Nelson (leading scorer in California history and top 5 in rebounds) aren’t on the list. If the list is based on high school I think they should be on the list
I hate to say it but JamesOn was nice but he messed up!!
lebron is a 3 and lance stephenson is top ten peroid.da juan is the most productive h.s player this decade hands down.lenny is the most dissappointing.i wish he had went to school, he was a ruckers legend.people forget shannon brown was a beast and people were comparing him to iverson in h.s.He should have been top ten also
Man Dajuan Def deserve numba one.. He was hanging with A.I and Jay Z in high school. Hes def the most coveted HS SG in history.. Dominated all 2 guards in Jersey. Even bust Shabazz ass.. for the chip