Ohio's Greatest High School Player Ever

Who was the best player in high school?

  • Total voters
    109
  • Poll closed .
eastisbest said:
In D2 wasn't it? With a hand picked surrounding cast? And still managed to lose to a bunch of baseball players?

Different eras are different. I'd have to give Lucas and James their due but wouldn't have any real way to pick one over the other. I can't envision either being less dominant in the other era. James much more well rounded mentally and better prepared or by nature for the attention and I think that's what separates his success in the NBA and outside of basketball. Kellogg wouldn't even be in the discussion though. Clearly in the next group with Jackson and several others by MY opinion.
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Actually LeBron’s freshman and sophomore years SVSM were D3, then moved up to D2 his junior and senior years.
 
It’s difficult to compare different era’s, Lucas dominated his era just as much as LeBron dominated his. For me it’s:

1 - LeBeon James
2 - Jerry Lucas
3 - Clark Kellog
4 - Jim Jackson
5 - Don May
6 - Jay Burson
7 - Luke Kennard

Again, no wrong answers but I think James & Lucas definitely separated themselves from the rest.
 
WJ-OSU-STEELERS said:
It’s difficult to compare different era’s, Lucas dominated his era just as much as LeBron dominated his. For me it’s:

1 - LeBeon James
2 - Jerry Lucas
3 - Clark Kellog
4 - Jim Jackson
5 - Don May
6 - Jay Burson
7 - Luke Kennard

Again, no wrong answers but I think James & Lucas definitely separated themselves from the rest.
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I looked more into Don May's story. He has a resume deserving to be included in this discussion, but he may not even have been the best player on his own team! That honor could go to his Belmont HS teammate Bill Hosket. Here is a snippet from Wikipedia about the two.

"Don May was born in Dayton, Ohio, one of seven children of Edward S. May and Stella (Streit) May,[1] and attended Belmont High School, where he played alongside another future college All-American and NBA player, Bill Hosket.[2] The two once combined for 88 points in one game (50 by Hosket, 38 by May).[3] Belmont captured the 1964 Ohio state championship with ease, winning the state semifinal and final by 24 and 29 points, respectively.[4] Coached by John Ross, the Bison went 26-1 (with the loss in overtime after both May and Hosket fouled out)[5] and May and Hosket were the first teammates ever to be named first-team All-Ohio.[6][7]"

May went on to Dayton where he led the Flyers to the NCAA Final Four in his junior year. They knocked off 4th ranked North Carolina before falling to Alcindor's UCLA team in the final. As a senior, he led Dayton to an NIT title over a Kansas team featuring future NBA star JoJo White. Hosket went on to play at Ohio State. He was on the gold medal US Olympic team in 1968. May and Hosket both went on to the NBA where they were teammates on the Knicks championship team in 1970.
 
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WJ-OSU-STEELERS said:
It’s difficult to compare different era’s, Lucas dominated his era just as much as LeBron dominated his. For me it’s:

1 - LeBeon James
2 - Jerry Lucas
3 - Clark Kellog
4 - Jim Jackson
5 - Don May
6 - Jay Burson
7 - Luke Kennard

Again, no wrong answers but I think James & Lucas definitely separated themselves from the rest.
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Pretty good list, but Kevin Grevey of Hamilton Taft '71 would be no lower than #5 on that list--did everything and more that Don May or Luke Kennard did in HS, college and the pros with the world champion Bullets in 1977-78---Burson was a fine scorer but really no impact after college. Grevey left Kentucky in 1975 as the 3rd leading scorer of all-time at UK vs. elite competition and only able to play 3 years as Frosh still could not play varsity in 1971-72 and no 3 pt shot in college. Scored 34 points in his final game vs. UCLA in the National Championship--check it out on youtube---
 
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I too agree that Lucas & LeBron are clearly the top 2. After that, yes that's where were splitting different sizes of hair. I too like WJ-OSU-Steelers list and agree there are probably 10 or so others that fit in this 2nd category. The thing that is always hard to overlook is that we are asking to judge these players specifically based upon what they did in HS...yet its tough to speculate without considering what they did in college or the NBA.
As in other sports, some guys are other-worldly in HS, then prove mortal beyond, whereas some are just really really good in HS, but like Jim Paxon and John Havlichek, go on to become NBA All-Stars. Begging again the question, who were the best while still in HS. Fun to opinionate...
 
nooks said:
I too agree that Lucas & LeBron are clearly the top 2. After that, yes that's where were splitting different sizes of hair. I too like WJ-OSU-Steelers list and agree there are probably 10 or so others that fit in this 2nd category. The thing that is always hard to overlook is that we are asking to judge these players specifically based upon what they did in HS...yet its tough to speculate without considering what they did in college or the NBA.
As in other sports, some guys are other-worldly in HS, then prove mortal beyond, whereas some are just really really good in HS, but like Jim Paxon and John Havlichek, go on to become NBA All-Stars. Begging again the question, who were the best while still in HS. Fun to opinionate...
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Agree--as I said earlier in the thread if you just take what Grevey did in HS at the top level HS ball at the time, and no 3 point shot,--averaging 32.8 his senior year and almost 24 ppg for 3 years he would certainly be in the 3-7 range---I saw him in person many times as he was 3 years before me and played against his brother Bryan who went to South Carolina, and coached against his brother Scott who went to Pitt, and youngest brother Norm who played on some very good Dayton teams--tremendous Hamilton basketball family.
 
I remember those Hamilton Taft teams from the early 70's, didn't know the players, but now it makes sense that someone like Grevey was the sparkplug...Was he there the year Dayton Chaminade won State? 1970, I believe...
 
Localfan said:
Nick Weatherspoon
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Matter of opinion i know but Nick Weatherspoon wasn't even the best player in the State that year possibly. Ed Ratliff and Bo Lamar were pretty darn good also.
Neither Witherspoon or Ratliff had stellar NBA Careers , Nick RD 1 Pick 13 and Ratliff RD 1 Pick 6 in 1973.
Ratliff had the more stellar College Career : nick was 1st Team all Big Ten while Ratliff was a consensus 2x 1st Team All American.
 
nooks said:
I remember those Hamilton Taft teams from the early 70's, didn't know the players, but now it makes sense that someone like Grevey was the sparkplug...Was he there the year Dayton Chaminade won State? 1970, I believe...
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Yes Grevey was a junior on that 69-70 team, but actually Hamilton Garfield defeated Hamilton Badin in the District Championship game at Millett Hall in front of 8000 fans. The GMC was just a 5 team league in 1969-70, but was loaded with talent at Garfield, Taft, Middletown, Fairfield and Princeton as Garfield was AA State Runner-up in the 1967-68 season ---Friday night games in the GMC those days were filled gyms by the end of the 1st quarter of the JV game---HS basketball was tremendous in those days.
 
cdub4 said:
Lebron came 45 about years after LeBron.

I have all the respect in the world for Lucas, but I have seen clips of sports from the 50s and 60s.

The all around talent of HS basketball IMO was better in James day than in Lucas.

I have seen clips of baseball, basketball, and football from the 50s and 60s. Athletes have progressively gotten better over time.

Personally I think Lucas' and James' legacies and resumes are similarly remarkable...so I generally always going to side with who came second...especially when you are talking over 4 decades difference.
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4 decades from now they will the same about Lebron that you said about Lucas. As far as a High School basketball player goes Lebron would be #3 for me behind Kellogg and Lucas. I have never witnessed anything like Kellogg's performance against Columbus East in '79...and I have been to every state tournament since '69.
 
sheldoncooper said:
Zac Jackson - Akron Manchester
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Wasn't Mike Phillips from there also ? If so i would think he was Manchester's best ever player. Led them to a 26-0 season in 1974 and the State Championship Was a NCAA Champion at Kentucky and 2nd and 3rd Team all SEC , Played 11 Years overseas as a Pro . Not sure if he still is but was in the Top 10 of All time points scored in Ohio.
 
Who was the guy who starred at Miami of Ohio around the early 80's, then became an All-star in the NBA? Was about a 6'6 swingman...Dayton almost signed him and it is speculated that had they, he might have made the difference in Dayton's 1984 NCAA elite 8 run.
 
nooks said:
Who was the guy who starred at Miami of Ohio around the early 80's, then became an All-star in the NBA? Was about a 6'6 swingman...Dayton almost signed him and it is speculated that had they, he might have made the difference in Dayton's 1984 NCAA elite 8 run.
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Ron Harper.
 
nwwarrior09 said:
Ron Harper.
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I've been a big fan of Ron Harper since his days at Miami and then with the Cavaliers. But here is a little snippet about his high school career that I had never heard before.

"In high school, he first attended Belmont High School in Dayton,[4] but was cut from the freshman team and didn't play as a sophomore. He later transferred to Kiser High School in Dayton and as a senior averaged 20.5 points, 13.4 rebounds, five assists, five steals and six blocked shots and was named first-team All-Ohio.[5] He graduated from Kiser in 1982.[6]" (Courtesy of Wikipedia)
 
Yup...That's the guy. He would certainly have to be considered in that next class just down from Lucas & James as well. Thanks for the info.
 
I live in Southwest Ohio and there’s been a lot of great players from this area. Mark Baker, Kirk Taylor, Daequan Cook, Greg Stokes, Butch and Chris Carter, LaSalle Thompson just to name a few. I’m not saying any of them are better then Lucas or James but there have been plenty in this part of the state that were very good and fun to watch.
 
Since you're mentioning the Carter brothers, somewhere down the line we should probably do a thread on other great "duel sport" athletes.
Another couple of guys who again were not quite up to the thin air of this thread, but led their team's to state basketball titles, were former Ohio State running back Keith Byars, from Dayton Roth and a kid named (Jerry?)Grote, from Cincinnati Elder. Again, all SW guys.
 
CometCountry said:
Jerry Lucas of Middletown HS---now put in those who are 2nd place.

"Averaged 34 points over a three-year prep career that included undefeated state and national championship seasons in 1956 and 1957. The Middies suffered a one-point loss in the state semifinals (63-62 to Columbus North) his senior season that snapped a state-record 76-game win streak. Finished with 2,460 career points, which ranks 12th in state history. Established legend as a sophomore when he dropped 53 points in a state semifinal win over Cleveland East and 44 in the state final win over Canton McKinley. Two-time Mr. Basketball USA winner in HS.
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Great post coach. A lot of people have no clue and for many of those they just do not know.
 
CometCountry said:
Yes Grevey was a junior on that 69-70 team, but actually Hamilton Garfield defeated Hamilton Badin in the District Championship game at Millett Hall in front of 8000 fans. The GMC was just a 5 team league in 1969-70, but was loaded with talent at Garfield, Taft, Middletown, Fairfield and Princeton as Garfield was AA State Runner-up in the 1967-68 season ---Friday night games in the GMC those days were filled gyms by the end of the 1st quarter of the JV game---HS basketball was tremendous in those days.
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Too bad those GMC games were before video.
 
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