ESPN RISE

Nobody knows high school sports like ESPN RISE, and we've seen just about every movie made about basketball and believe the majority of the best are centered on high school hoops. Clichés abound in most efforts, yet a few can be considered classics.

But what exactly is a sports movie?

Some flicks have characters who play a sport in passing. In others, the athletic atmosphere is so central to the plot it's like a leading actor. John Travolta trying out for the track team in "Grease" doesn't cut it. Robin Williams obsessing about a dropped pass years before in a high school rivalry in "Best of Times" does.

Factors involved in our ranking include overall likability, acting, believability and the favorable -- or unfavorable -- opinions of prominent reviewers.

1. "Hoosiers" (1987)

Overview: One of the best movies of any genre, "Hoosiers" depicts a small town's march to the state final in the days when schools of all enrollment sizes in Indiana battled for a single-class state crown. Everybody loves the underdog, but even more important here is the theme of making a comeback. The Hickory Huskers lose their top player but regroup under a new coach (Gene Hackman). The coach recruits one player's alcoholic father to be his assistant and eventually lures back the top player. Can all three find redemption? The outcome is obvious, but the journey is thrilling.

The Good: Any film with two of America's best actors, Hackman and Dennis Hopper as the assistant, is bound to be compelling. The key, though, is the realism of the school, particularly the support and criticism of parents, boosters and the administration.

The Bad: Not much, although the pattern is familiar as losing team gets new coach, struggles at first, eventually finds itself and wins in the end.

2. "Hoop Dreams" (1994)

Overview: Some would argue a documentary shouldn't be compared with traditional movies, but you couldn't write a script as insightful, revealing and heartbreaking as this. Two Chicago hoop hopefuls are tracked for four years in their journey through the recruiting process. One critic from the Washington Post said "Hoop Dreams" is "the most powerful movie about sports ever made." Noted film critic Roger Ebert ranked it as his favorite movie of the decade.

The Good: "Hoop Dreams" captures the confidence issues, family problems, financial constraints, injuries, academic concerns and successes and stumbling blocks that face many student-athletes.

The Bad: Go to the bathroom and have a big meal before you watch this movie, as it's a few minutes short of three hours.

3. "He Got Game" (1998)

Overview: This Spike Lee joint is not for the easily offended, but given Lee's passion for basketball it's not surprising he'd make a film on the sport. Denzel Washington is his usual stellar self as Jake Shuttlesworth, in prison for 15 years for accidentally killing his wife. His son Jesus (played by a very believable Ray Allen of the Boston Celtics) happens to be the top recruit in the country, and a week before he is to pick his college, his father is given a temporary parole to persuade Jesus to attend the governor's alma mater. If Jesus ends up there, his father would receive a commuted sentence. Ultimately, the movie works because of the raw interactions between father and son trying to heal a dysfunctional relationship.

The Good: Lee skillfully uses symbolism to make his point. One example is the religious allegory of the main character, not coincidentally named Jesus, being tempted like the New Testament Christ in the wilderness, by coaches offering modern-day lures such as sex and money. The crowds constantly chant "Jesus Saves" and the movie reveals how people tend to go to extremes "worshipping" celebrities such as athletes.

The Bad: The movie has an interesting contrast in musical styles as the classical sounds of American composer Aaron Copeland alternate with the more street-appropriate rap music of Public Enemy. The idea is bold but distracts in key emotional scenes.

4. "Love And Basketball" (2000)

Overview: This film is broken up into quarters, starting when leads Quincy (Omar Epps) and Monica (Sanaa Lathan) meet at age 11 and she wows him in a driveway game of hoops. Their time in high school is only one of the quarters, but it's a crucial developmental time in their relationship and growth on and off the court. Quincy is a heavily recruited high school hotshot, and Monica is slower in her hoop development. Eventually both go on to college and face conflict in their feelings for each other and whether their basketball careers can continue after college.

The Good: The film effectively shows the huge contrast between boys and girls basketball. For example, Quincy plays in state-of-the-art gyms in front of huge crowds, while Monica competes in tiny, dilapidated gyms.

The Bad: What is the point of detailing the affairs of Monica's father?

5. "White Men Can't Jump" (1992)

Overview: Former college-level player Billy Hoyle (Woody Harrelson) flees his native New Jersey to avoid a gambling debt. He ventures to the famous outdoor courts of SoCal's Venice Beach to hustle streetball players who assume he can't play because he is white. He beats Sidney Deane (Wesley Snipes) out of $60, but Deane realizes the two can hustle other streetballers who doubt Deane can team with such an "inferior" talent as Hoyle to beat them.

The Good: Harrelson and Snipes can play, and the passion they have for the game is evident in their acting. If you want some laughs, this is the basketball movie for you. That former California prep standouts Gary Payton and Marques Johnson make cameos and real-life L.A. streetball legend Freeman Williams (Duck Johnson) is portrayed as one of the film's top streetballers adds credibility.

The Bad: Hoyle and Deane are obviously not good enough to make a living as streetball hustlers. It's also hard to fathom the two would make a duo after Deane double-crosses Hoyle halfway through the movie, but overall it delivers a good message about loyalty, commitment and the ability of people from different backgrounds to come together for a common purpose.

6. "Glory Road" (2006)

The plot deals with the events leading to the 1966 men's division I championship, in which the late Don Haskins (Josh Lucas) leads the first all African-American starting lineup to the NCAA title over Adolph Rupp (Jon Voight) and high-powered Kentucky. It's not a documentary, but testimonials from actual athletes who played in that game -- including Pat Riley -- add relevance.

7. "Teen Wolf" (1985)

A likable Michael J. Fox is a baby-faced werewolf who is outed but doesn't hide his, uh, handicap. Instead, he uses his animal magnetism to learn about himself and help his team win. Kind of outlandish, although the message of developing self-confidence is commendable and the plot is action-packed.

8. "Hooked: The Legend of Demetrius 'Hook' Mitchell" (2004)

There are tons of basketball documentaries about players who never make it to the big time, but this one is the most compelling and memorable. "Hook" is a star at McClymonds High in West Oakland, Calif., during the mid-1980s whose career is derailed mainly by drug problems. The movie is compelling because Mitchell could play at a high level (unlike many self-proclaimed playground legends), footage of Mitchell's exploits exists, such as him dunking over cars and motorcycles, and despite his advancing age "Hook" dominates on prison basketball teams.

9. "Above The Rim" (1994)

The setting is the star: Harlem's Rucker Park, where Dr. J and Wilt the Stilt played pick-up games in the 1970s. The protagonist, a high school hoops whiz, is hoping to get a full ride to Georgetown but must avoid a drug dealer played by the late Tupac Shakur.

10. Blue Chips (1994)

You could field a good team with the star power here: Shaquille O'Neal, Penny Hardaway, Bob Cousy, Larry Bird and Bob Knight, who seems to be the coach Nick Nolte's character is patterned after. A moral play evolves as Nolte's squad is short on talent and two of the three stud recruits want something under the table. The issues of point-shaving and recruiting improprieties are relevant and somewhat realistic but are dealt with simply as black-and-white problems.

Films that missed the cut (listed alphabetically): Air Up There (1994); Basketball Diaries (1995); Crossover (2006); Finding Forrester (2000); Like Mike (2002); More Than Just A Game (2009); Pistol: The Birth Of A Legend (1991); Rebound: The Legend of Earl "The Goat" Manigault (1996); Semi-pro (2008); Sunset Park (1996); Space Jam (1996); The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh (1979); The Sixth Man (1997).

Note: Some of these films are rated "R" and may not be appropriate for young teens.