Have enjoyed the threads of nostalgia, so let's try this: Who were the best high school basketball players you either played against or watched. Only requirement is that the players later played college ball.
Against: Kent Hollenbeck (UK)'
Watched: Ron Widby, Jimmie England, Bill Justus (all UT) Rupert Breedlove (Oglethorpe).
Years later: Leon Douglas (UA) and Dominique Wilkins (Dawgs)
Against: P.J. Tucker (Texas), Chris Wilcox (Maryland) Enloe HS, Raleigh, NC. Fun fact: Wilcox kicked me in the face when I pump faked him on a 3. Wilcox was a monster 6’9’’. He was a freak.
Shavlik Randolph (Duke) Broughton HS, Raleigh, NC. He was the Best High School Player I’ve ever played against. He tuned us up for 37 in the Quarterfinals of State.
Reggie Love (Duke) Providence Day HS, Charlotte, NC. He was pretty good. I did okay against. He wasn’t as athletic as you’d think. Helluva a beer pong player though, although Me and my buddy handled Love and Chris Duhon in beer pong. #Winning Not bad for Obama’s right hand man.
Chris Hobbs (Clemson) East Chapel Hil HS . He was a monster just like Wilcox. State Champ. Played against him once and with him at some camps. He was already having knee problems as a junior. Really nice guy that passed away way too early from heart problems.
Brendan Haywood (UNC) Dudley HS, Greensboro, NC. He was huge and kind of did what he did at UNC, dunked and got rebounds. We beat his ass in State my freshman year when I got moved up to Varsity during the postseason. I got garbage minutes, so I mostly watched Haywood.
Serge Zwikker (UNC) Played pickup against him. Still can’t believe he had the career he did after playing pickup against him.
I used to play pickup ball at the TRECS against Cedric Houston, Gerald Riggs Jr. and other NFL guys when they would come back and workout during the Summer. Those games hurt. A lot. They were like playing against the 80’s Pistons, but they didn’t mean to. They just beat the $hit out of you because that’s what they were used to.