Words. Austin Burton

For as long as they’re both in the NBA, whenever Kobe Bryant and LeBron James line up across from each other on the court, it’s never going to not be a nationally televised main event. In the NFL, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady can’t square off without the eyes of the entire nation watching. There’s just something about when the two best in their sport go head-to-head — even if it’s not really head-to-head — that makes it appointment viewing for anybody with a TV.

At 7 p.m. EST tonight on ESPN2, high school basketball’s Kobe-vs.-LeBron is going down, when Winter Park (FL) tips off against St. Patrick (NJ), showcasing the individual matchup of Austin Rivers vs. Michael Gilchrist. MORE >

Words. Austin Burton

When the No. 2 high school basketball player in the country suddenly falls out of the Top 50 in the middle of his senior season, clearly something has gone wrong. In the case of Quincy Miller (Westchester, NC), it was a torn ACL in his left knee suffered on Dec. 10. The injury ended what would have certainly been an All-American campaign and potentially a national Player of the Year run before it really began.

Miller’s season-ending injury dropped him out of the new High School Hoop National Top 50 Ranking, updated following the 2010-11 holiday tournament stretch of the schedule, where a lot of players were tested against national competition in high-profile matchups. MORE >

Words. Jason Jordan

Quinn Cook walks across Coach K Court inside of Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium, stylishly underdressed in a t-shirt, jeans and an oversized cap whipped to the back.

He’s all waves and smiles, as likable as something created by a Disney Imagineer, as he makes his way to his seat behind the Duke bench for its “Countdown to Craziness” event on Oct. 15 to kick off the new season. MORE >

Words. Shabazz Muhammad

Few players, if any, had as productive a summer as Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, NV) shooting guard Shabazz Muhammad — evidenced by his 32 ppg scoring average on the AAU scene. Now every school from North Carolina to Memphis to Duke is in hot pursuit, making for one of the most intriguing recruiting stories in the country.

Muhammad, a junior who is ranked No. 8 in the HSH National Top 50, has agreed to give us exclusive access by chronicling his thoughts in this regular diary where he’ll keep everyone updated on his high school season and the recruiting process: MORE >

Words. Jason Jordan

Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) point guard Quinn Cook will decide between Duke and UCLA on Thursday, according to his coach, Steve Smith.

Cook flirted with the possibility of entertaining his “dream school” North Carolina when coach Roy Williams began to turn up the heat in his recruitment of Cook recently, but after more consideration Cook decided to end the process sooner. He will make his announcement at Oak Hill. MORE >

Words. Austin Rivers

Winter Park (Fla.) senior guard Austin Rivers is the best player in the country. After de-committing from Florida in April, Rivers allowed Duke, North Carolina and Kansas to give chase, making his one of the most captivating recruiting stories in the country.

The younger son of Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers, Austin has agreed to give HSH exclusive access by chronicling his thoughts in a regular diary. In this entry he talks about his big decision: MORE >