Prep Class of 2000 Capsule

[Joe Hironaka <j.hironaka@unesco.org>]

    Don't worry I know this post is of very limited interest to the vast
majority of Celtics list subscribers, but below is a (condensed) version
of some of TSN's top-rated incoming college freshmen, some of whom could
eventually be part of the banner 2001 NBA draft.

    BTW, it is worth noting that Darius Miles (although rated #1 Most
Versatile, #2 Best Defender, #3 Best Leaper) and DeShawn Stevenson (#3
Best Driver, #6 Most Versatile) did not even get top ten ratings in the
majority of the categories. By contrast, heralded power forwards like
Zach Randolph and Eddie Griffin along with Andre Brown, Jason Parker,
Mario Austin, Alton Ford etc. were consistently in the top-five. It is
rather uncommon for this many natural power forwards with NBA size to be
in one prep class. Also, the 2000 prep class is well known for its four
heralded NYC pointguards (Cook, Barrett, Queen and Brown). Meanwhile,
6-2 Duke University point guard recruit Chris Duhon (from Slidell,
Louisiana) was named the National High School Player of the Year, while
the Sporting News/Prep Stars Recruiting Handbook's final rating lists
the top three prep prospects as 6-7 Gerald Wallace (Alabama), 6-9 Eddie
Griffin (Seton Hall) and 6-9 Zach Randolph (Michigan State).

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BEST REBOUNDER
1. 6-9 Marion (Ind.) High C/PF Zach Randolph was the most dominant
player around the basket at the Youth Development Festival last summer
in Colorado Springs and in both of the major post-season all-star games
he played in this spring.

BEST PLAYMAKER
1. 6-1 Middle Village (N.Y.) Christ the King PG Omar Cook (St. John’s)
is extra-quick with the ball and has both court vision and zip on his
passes that were unmatched in high school basketball this past season.

BEST SHOT-BLOCKER
1. 6-9 Philadelphia (Pa.) Roman Catholic PF/SF Eddie Griffin (Seton
Hall) combines great lateral mobility, long arms, outstanding
anticipation and excellent leaping ability.

BEST DRIVER
1. 6-1 Astoria (N.Y.) St. John’s Prep PG Taliek Brown is very quick,
strong, a clever dribbler and the possessor of impressive body control
that enables him to acrobatically finish slashing drives among the
trees.

BEST THREE-POINT SHOOTER
1. 6-2 Slidell (La.) Salmen PG/WG Chris Duhon (Duke) easily won the
3-point shooting contest at the prestigious McDonald’s All American
Game, thanks to great range and accuracy, and a quick shot release.

BEST DEFENDER
1. 6-1 Middle Village (N.Y.) Christ the King PG Omar Cook (St. John’s)
uses his superb quickness (referred to above) of both feet and hands,
physical strength, and admirable intensity to intimidate many foes into
not even trying to bring the ball downcourt when checked by him.

BEST INTERIOR PASSER
1. 6-9 York (Ala.) Sumter County PF/C Mario Austin (NBA or Mississippi
State) is a deft, highly alert passer from either the low post or the
high post to cutters and to open shooters on the perimeter.

BEST MID-RANGE PULL-UP JUMPSHOOTER
1. 6-6 Columbia (S.C.) Keenan WG Jerome Harper (juco) is a dangerous
three-point marksman yet even deadlier on mid-range pull-ups off the
dribble (but wait until you see junior Kelvin Torbert!).

BEST LOW POST MOVES
1. 6-9 Marion (Ind.) High C/PF Zach Randolph (Michigan State) is a
powerful 270-pound lefthander with a smooth dropstep and textbook ball-
and head-fakes, spins, up-and-under, and any other kind of post move you
can think of.

BEST JUMPHOOK
1. 6-9 Chicago (Ill.) Leo PF/C Andre Brown (DePaul) is a prolific low
post scorer who wields a jumphook that is even more reliable than his
short- to mid-range jumpshot.

BEST LEAPER
1. 6-7 Childersburg (Ala.) High SF Gerald Wallace (Alabama) is a
spectacularly explosive skywalker who, with continued hard work on his
already good skills, could become a superstar.

QUICKEST
1. 5-9 Manhattan (N.Y.) Rice PG Andre Barrett (Seton Hall) is so shifty
he must be guarded very loosely when he has the ball,and this gives him
room to fire up three-pointers.

STRONGEST
1. 6-9 Marion (Ind.) High C/PF Zach Randolph (Michigan State) isn’t the
heaviest prep player at 270 pounds, but he carries his weight better
than all of the others except 6-11, 300-pound junior superstar Eddy
Curry, who’s another Shaq.

MOST VERSATILE
1. 6-9 East St. Louis (Ill.) Senior High SF Darius Miles (NBA or St.
John’s) has the size, leap, quickness, shot and ballhandling ability to
play any position on the court, if needed!