North Carolina boasts icons of the game
The Tar Heel State has some strong arguments for being atop the boys' basketball mountain.
AP Photo
Pete Maravich is one of the game changers who calls North Carolina home.
Among the countless players from the state who have excelled on the high school, college and professional levels are three who have, arguably, had major influences on the game: Pete Maravich, who increased the entertainment value of basketball while setting national college scoring records; David Thompson, who became an all-time college great at North Carolina State while setting standards for leaping ability; and Michael Jordan, who may be the best pro player ever and an advertising icon.
The state also boasts one of the nation's best college basketball rivalries, between North Carolina and Duke, and those two schools plus current unbeaten Wake Forest are among the nation's top-ranked programs.
"There is no question that North Carolina is the kingpin of boys' basketball," says Tim Stevens, a veteran prep writer for the Raleigh News-Observer. Stevens notes that "the second best five of North Carolina high school products probably is better than the first five of any other state. We're talking icons of the game, not just great players."
North Carolina's high school products traditionally match up favorably with many states and have been fertile sources of talent for the top-notch in-state college programs.
Who's Next?
There's a strange divide among secondary schools in North Carolina. In the public sector, consider Vance, North Mecklenburg, Panther Creek, Enloe and Athens Drive among the Class 4A schools. The 3A state polls like defending champion Kinston, Dudley, Lake Norman and Concord. West Bladen (2A) and Murphy (1A) are small school powers. The top team in the state is Christ School of Arden, with Word of God Academy in tow. Patterson School has been known to produce as many as 15 Division I players in one class, mainly postgraduates.
The state's top player is John Wall from Word of God, while centers Mason Plumlee of Christ School and John Kelly of Ravenscroft are both headed to Duke. The best public player is guard Garrius Adams, a Miami recruit.
Notable juniors are 6-foot-6 Reggie Bullock of Kinston and 6-9 C.J. Leslie of Word of God, headed to North Carolina and North Carolina State, respectively.
-- Christopher Lawlor
North Carolina, no doubt, is one of the meccas of boys' basketball in the land.
Top all-time North Carolina players:
Walt Bellamy (J.T. Barber, New Bern)
Henry Bibby (Person-Albion, Franklinton)
Brad Daugherty (Charles Owen, Swannanoa)
Walter Davis (South Mecklenburg, Charlotte)
Sleepy Floyd (Hunter Huss, Gastonia)
Phil Ford (Rocky Mount)
Antwan Jamison (Providence, Charlotte)
Michael Jordan (Laney, Wilmington)
Bobby Jones (South Mecklenburg, Charlotte)
Sam Jones (Laurinburg Institute, Laurinburg)
John Lucas (Hillside, Durham)
Pete Maravich (Broughton, Raleigh)
Tracy McGrady (Mt. Zion Christian, Durham)
Bob McAdoo (Ben Smith, Greensboro)
Chris Paul (West Forsyth, Winston-Salem)
Charlie Scott (Laurinburg Institute, Laurinburg)
David Thompson (Crest, Shelby)
James Worthy (Ashbrook, Gastonia)
Dominique Wilkins (Washington)
Buck Williams (Rocky Mount)
Doug Huff is a senior editor of ESPN RISE.
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