Words. Aron Phillips

Perry Ellis needs no introduction around here, so just sit back and enjoy some highlights from the 2011 Best Buy Classic in Chicago.

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Words. High School Hoop

It’s tough to honestly pick an All-American team. Gone are the days when so much of the nation’s high school basketball talent was concentrated in major cities like New York, L.A., Chicago and Philly – now the game is everywhere, with superstars coming out of small Midwestern towns, previously overlooked Northwest suburbs and the football territories of the Deep South, to name a few. So even in an era where YouTube highlights and regular national TV broadcasts allow more people to see more high school stars outside their own area code, the sheer volume of quality players spread around the map can be overwhelming. As a result, hype and reputation play too much of a role in determining who gets what awards and honors, and people make lazy picks, sometimes without even having seen a kid play. MORE >

Words. Casey Mack

Rodney Purvis is moving on up. The former No. 1 prospect in the national Class of 2013 is giving up that crown to conquer a bigger challenge. Anxious to join the college ranks (and presumably the NBA) sooner rather than later, Purvis has decided to move up to the 2012 senior class.

The 6-3 guard from Upper Room Christian (Raleigh, NC) had reclassified before he began his high school career to gain an extra year of experience. Now with all of the top schools like Duke, Texas, North Carolina and Kentucky after him, Purvis doesn’t want to prolong his college debut any longer than he needs to. MORE >

Words. High School Hoop

The most distinct difference in the HSH/2K Sports national Top 50 player ranking and everyone else’s is that we disregard class. To us, a baller is a baller; doesn’t matter how old you are or when you’re slated to graduate.

Our rankings also aren’t based on what type of prospect you’ll be in the future, what college you pick or don’t pick, or what city you’re from. For this updated version of the Top 50 — the first we’ve done since the Class of 2010 seniors graduated — all that matters is what you did on this summer’s AAU circuit and what you did last season. We had eyes and ears at pretty much every major event, and saw every player on this list multiple times. MORE >

Words. Aron Phillips

It’s safe to say that in one year, John Calipari has turned Kentucky into NBA U. With five players slated to go in the first 20 picks of this year’s NBA Draft, and commitments last week from top-five players in the Class of 2010 (