Words. Austin Burton

To get at the heart of what makes Marcel Smith tick on the basketball court, just ask him to compare his game to an NBA player. While you might expect a 5-foot-7, 155-pound teenager from the Midwest to name Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook — maybe even Will Bynum — Smith has an unconventional answer: Derek Fisher.

It speaks to the maturity of Smith, a senior point guard at Melvindale (Mich.) Academy of Business and Technology that he’d name an unspectacular player like D-Fish, the five-time NBA champion who is known as a winner above anything else. MORE >

Words. Lucas Shapiro

Through hard work, dedication, and pure love for the sport, Nils Wagner has brought his video mixing company, HoopMixtape, to the top of its game. We often post his videos on High School Hoop — like this latest mix with Quincy Miller and Deuce Bello — and recently I was fortunate enough to get to talk to Nils himself. With thousands of avid basketball fans watching his videos daily, Wagner’s company as become a major force in showcasing the talents of high schoolers across the country to the masses who may otherwise never see them play until their senior-year All-American games. MORE >

Words. Austin Burton

It’s no secret that every high school star is looking ahead to a potential future in the NBA, but thanks to the League’s rulebook, any talk of “the next level” for now has to apply to college ball (or an overseas pro league).

With the NCAA season getting underway last week, we’ve gotten a look at some of the national Class of 2010′s best in their freshman debuts. Here is a recap of how the members of last season’s Dime/2K Sports H.S. All-American Team fared early in their next-level careers: MORE >

Words. Jason Jordan

We’re not so self-absorbed that we think our Top 10 list is gospel; let’s just say any argument that can be made to tweak this list can be countered masterfully.

Obviously, it’s tough to pick just 10 point guards over the course of a decade, but we decided the criteria would be based solely on what each player did at the high school level. We don’t care about college busts, NBA accolades, or catchy dances — it’s all about what a player did in high school and how dominant he was doing it. Here are the Top 10 high school point guards from 2000 to 2010. Let the debate begin… MORE >

Words. Austin Burton

Chicago will always hold a special place in basketball lore. Playground legends from Billy “The Kid” Harris to Will “The Thrill” Bynum, local heroes from Ben Wilson to Kevin Garnett, homegrown pros from Isiah Thomas to Derrick Rose, and adopted sons from Michael Jordan to Scottie Pippen have all played a role in making the Windy City one of the world’s basketball hotbeds and a place where legacies are made.

Next spring, the city will host a new crop of rising stars, as the McDonald’s High School All-American Game returns to Chicago for the first time since 1982. MORE >

Words. Jason Jordan

In the trendy and ever-evolving business that is basketball recruiting — where power equals influence, which often times equates to commitments — the ultimate powerful influential figure is one William Wesley.

Or is he?

“At least that’s the perception,” said Shawn Teague, whose son Marquis Teague is committed to Kentucky, the main school where Wesley is notorious for having influence. “He’s the guy everyone’s talking about. Especially with Kentucky’s recruiting.” MORE >