By Russell Samora & Amber Thoma
Remember NBA great Donnell Harvey? Neither do we. Despite being the #1 high school recruit in 2000—something that you think would indicate future NBA stardom—he put together a meager career in the league, averaging around 5 points per game over 5 years. On the flip side is LeBron James—the #1 high school recruit just a few years later—and we all know what he’s been up to.
This disparity got us thinking, are these top 100 recruit lists any indication of making it to the NBA, let alone becoming a star?
It must be really hard to assess top talent when the pool is so large in high school. Now that we’ve entered the YouTube era, hype surrounding players can inflate in an instant. Sure, LeBron paved the way with some nationally televised games, but now millions of people are watching Zion Williamsonthrow down dunks in warm ups, or Lamelo Ball hit threes from half court in eight grade.