NBATALK's Head of the Class: 1997 With more and more high school players making the jump straight to the NBA, high school scouting has taken on a much greater importance the last few years. NBA scouts and general managers regularly attend high school basketball games and this year as many as 5 or 6 high school players are seriously considering making themselves eligible for the draft. Prep Stars Recruiting Handbook has been ranking high school players for years and has teamed up with NBAtalk to take a look back at the Top 10 players in high school graduating classes since 1993. We also took a look at Prep Stars final high school rankings for each player and are also noting which players were voted to McDonald's All-American squad (McD). Class of 1997 What can we say . . . Marty Blake, lead NBA scout was wrong. Tracy McGrady a relative unknown until his junior year in high school had just declared for the NBA draft. Kevin Garnett was looking like a success, Kobe had potential, Jermaine O'Neal was mired at the end of a bench. McGrady, who was projected as a power forward by college scouts was too skinny, too young and too much of an unknown. McGrady, this year ranks 5th in the NBA in Points Per Game (26.1), 19th in the NBA in Blocks Per Game (1.70), 5th in the NBA in Minutes Per Game (41.1) and looks more and more like he's earned that comparison with Scottie Pippen. But mark our words . . . in 10 years, Lamar Odom, not McGrady, Brand or Davis will be the guy this class is remembered for. He defines the word versatile. Odom can truly play and dominate any position on the floor. He's shown strong leadership qualities and unselfishness in only his second year and he even has the Clippers winning now and then. Unbelievable. Still, you have to take your hats off to Prep Stars in 1997. They were right on the money with their top five: McGrady, Odom, Brand, Davis and Hughes. 1. Tracy McGrady, Orlando Magic (McD)(Prep Stars High School Rank: #1) Drafted in 1997, 9th pick What they said then: Some scouts had him projected as playing power forward at Kentucky. Read this little gem. 'He has the ability to be a major impact freshman. If you watch Antawn Jamison play at North Carolina, he has potential to be every bit as good, if not better. He's a very similar player: an explosive athlete around the basket. I don't see where they get the Pippen thing. He doesn't have long-range shooting skills. He can take it in the open court and make the drive. But at power forward he's at another level from the average high-major recruit.' (Van Coleman) What We Say Now: The ultimate all-around player, T-Mac has the hops, the handles, and the entire arsenal. He even plays defense. A tribute to McGrady's confidence is his quick escape from the shadows of cousin Vince Carter, returning to his roots in Orlando and virtually demanding to be 'the Man'. His numbers were already impressive, and now they're even better across the board. 2. Lamar Odom, LA Clippers (McD)(Prep Stars High School Rank: #2) Drafted in 1999, 4th pick What they said then: 'One of the nation's top five senior prospects, this rangy (210 pounds) lefty is a superb run/jump athlete with outstanding ballhandling skills. The only questions are the consistency of his flat outside shot (he does hit some threes) and his intensity level, which varies depending upon the perceived challenge. Does hustle on defense. His clever passes and exciting slamdunks will keep fans on the edge of their seats. Near-super prospect.' (Brick Oettinger, Prep Stars) What we say now: Odom's a freaky phenom with an a-positional slant and an ideal NBA body, there is very little Lamar can't do on the floor. Even more impressive is his leadership at such a tender age and his continued resilience facing the Clippers endless losses 3. Elton Brand, Chicago Bulls (McD)(Prep Stars High School Rank: #3) Drafted in 1999, 1st pick What they said then: 'Excellent rebounder takes the ball powerfully to the hoop/finishes proficiently (uses body wisely), has developed a baby jumphook, and hits the J reasonably well to 13-14 feet, but not beyond. Good athlete plays very hard at both ends/blocks shots and often fills lane on the break. Relentless, well-conditioned, long-armed winner already knows how to spread out & make himself wide.' (Brick Oettinger, Prep Stars) What we say now: Co-Rookie of the year silenced critics with endless inside banging and boarding, averaging 20 points-10 rebounds right off the bat, and bringing the Bulls an able inside presence on a nightly basis 4. Baron Davis, Charlotte Hornets (McD)(Prep Stars High School Rank: #5) Drafted in 1999, 3rd pick What they said then: 'Our No. 1 senior point guard nationally, he's a superb run/jump athlete who plays outstanding though gambling defense/gets bundles of steals via quick hands, drives/elevates/dishes or finishes with reliability, and sees the court/anticipates. He still must prove that his perimeter jumpshot is consistent, and he needs to go left with the dribble more often and better. Regardless, high big-time prospect.' (Brick Oettinger, Prep Stars) What we say now: Didn't exactly take the league by storm, especially for a number 3 pick chosen ahead of Lamar Odom. But this year Baron's blossomed as a solid starter and future star for Charlotte after getting more minutes at the point. 5. Larry Hughes, Golden State Warriors (McD)(Prep Stars High School Rank: #4) Drafted in 1998, 9th pick What they said then: 'Able to play either guard slot or even wing forward with great dexterity, Larry has a heady handle, good leadership ability, and an accurate jumpshot with a high release that is quite difficult to defend. Additionally, he's a slashing driver and ball-hawking defender who utilizes his impressive hops and sure hands to rebound surprisingly well.' (Prep Stars) What we say now: He's a nimble leaper overflowing with athletic ability and scoring potential, but the knock on Hughes is still his lukewarm shooting touch and lack of consistent defensive effort. 6. Ron Artest, Chicago Bulls (McD)(Prep Stars High School Rank: #14) Drafted in 1999, 16th pick What they said then: 'National top-20 caliber prospect is a slick stop-and-go dribbler who drives very effectively and rebounds quite strongly for a WF. Has improved his arching jumper (still shot off his shoulder), and is now a legitimate three-point threat. Runs relentlessly and uses his impressive leap to slam with gusto. Competitor plays with great intensity. Physical player executes traps on defense very well. High big-time prospect.' (Prep Stars) What we say now: Second-year man was a mid-round sleeper surprise, bringing intense defense and able stopping ability to the struggling Bulls. Cementing his spot as a scrappy, young defensive specialist. 7. Marcus Fizer, Chicago Bulls (McD)(Prep Stars High School Rank: #29) Drafted in 2000, 4th pick What they said then: 'Husky (233 pounds), bespectacled combo F with good grades is sneaky quick, a fine dribbler who drives hard and effectively, and a strong rebounder who leaps pretty well. Additionally, he's an accurate perimeter jumpshooter (especially from the corner), runs the court well, and he makes some fine passes. Emerged this summer as a high big-time prospect,' (Brick Oettinger, Prep Stars) What we say now: Buried on the Bulls bench behind front-court fixture Elton Brand, the jury's still out on Fizer till he starts playing stretches with some significant minutes. 8. Khalid El-Amin, Chicago Bulls (McD)(Prep Stars High School Rank: #11) Drafted in 2000, 34th pick What they said then: 'One of the top senior point guards in the nation. He's still quick, an outstanding dribbler and passer, an excellent contested three-point jumpshooter off the dribble or pass, and alert and physical on defense!! He sometimes gets too fancy, and occasionally he's careless, but he can still accelerate past people or shoot it accurately in their face. High big-time prospect to possible near-super.' (Brick Oettinger, Prep Stars) What we say now: Despite his undersized stature and flawed shooting, El-Amin has outhustled lottery pick Jamal Crawford to become the Bulls most consistent rookie. He's an able playmaker with good court smarts, obviously honed during his 4-year tenure and championship run in Connecticut. 9. Chris Mihm, Cleveland Cavs (Prep Stars High School Rank: #36) Drafted in 2000, 7th pick What they said then: Didn't get a lot of attention until his senior season. 'The thing about Chris is, being 6-11, he's very agile for his size. He's very mobile. He has the ability to go inside and outside' What we say now: Saw his stock drop following some poor pre-draft workouts, Mihm wound up on the Cavs without much fanfare. Stuck on the bench behind Ilguaskas early in the season, opportunity is now knocking with Big Z back on the injured list and Mihm getting more minutes on the floor. 10t. Brendan Haywood, North Carolina Tar Heels (McD)(Prep Stars High School Rank: #16) College Senior What they said then: 'Powerful man-mountain (266 pounds) emerged last summer as the nation's No. 2 senior big man, behind only Chris Burgess. Specimen is an outstanding rebounder, rejector and slam-dunker, and he recently developed an accurate 13-foot turnaround jumper off the glass. Space-eater uses his body well to play good post defense. Still needs to learn to use drop-step and fakes, and to add a jumphook to his arsenal. At just 16 years old, he also must be careful not to get too heavy.' (Brick Oettinger, Prep Stars) What we say now: Haywood has not always produced the numbers he should, but NBA scouts love his body. He is a good shotblocking presence, who showed more of an offense game this past season. Haywood is loaded with potential, but he has to show that he wants to dominate. Haywood has been compared to Golden State center Erick Dampier. 10t. Shane Battier, Duke Blue Devils (Prep Stars High School Rank: #7) College Senior What they said then: 'The most cerebral (3.95 gpa) & fundamentally sound senior in the nation is also very athletic and impressively skilled. Put it all together and you have one of the top five prospects, unquestionably, in the prep class of 1997. No, his hands aren't big, and no, he doesn't leap like Chris Webber, but he passes, screens, blocks off/rebounds, horses, uses both hands, dribbles, rejects shots and shoots to 17 feet with great dexterity.' (Brick Oettinger, Prep Stars) What we say now: Battier is perhaps the top defensive player in the country and he is not afraid to take the charge. He does a little bit of everything on the court, but needs to show more of a scoring mentality at times and some scouts questions his explosiveness. Battier has improved his outside shot has been compared to former Tar Heel forward George Lynch. What ever happened to: Chris Burgess, Utah Utes (McD)(Prep Stars High School Rank: #8) What they said then: 'One of the nation's top three or four senior prospects heading into the season, has loads of talent but sometimes tries to do too much. Runs the court very well, jumps pretty well, has well- developed post moves (drop step, up and under), catches everything he touches, dives for loose balls, and scores in bunches via jumpshots (to 22 feet), dunks and jumphooks. On defense, uses his strength (235 pounds) well and has good reject timing. Overall, good (though not great) athlete with outstanding skills reminds us of a combination of Bill Walton and Christian Laettner.' What we say now: 'Burgess was voted Sporting News' high school Player of the Year as a senior and he followed in the footsteps of fellow Californian Cherokee Parks to sign with Duke. He was part of an outstanding recruiting that included Shane Battier, William Avery and Elton Brand. Unfortunately, Burgess got lost in the mix and was out of shape as a freshman and he played in less than six minutes in five of the last six Blue Devil games, going scoreless in each of those contests. His numbers only slightly improved as a sophomore and Burgess, a Mormon, decided to transfer to Utah. His numbers have been inconsistent this season as he has scored in double figures just six times in the Utes' first 13 games. Burgess is a good outside threat, but he lacks the athleticism to play small forward and he does not have the bulk to play power forward. Burgess has gone from a player who talked about possibly entering the draft out of high school to a forward who is the fifth leading scorer on a 7-6 team. ' ------------------
