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THE JUNIOR FRONTCOURTMEN

By Brick Oettinger
Brick@prepstars.com
November 11, 2002

Though prep seniors cannot sign their letters of intent until Wednesday, this week we're taking an early look at the Class of 2004. In this column we've ranked the best frontcourt prospects in the junior class. Among those positions considered are centers, big forwards and wing forwards.

Note that we, as always, include those individuals who will be fifth-year seniors in 2003-04, and others not mentioned below will no doubt enter that category later on, most likely (though not always) for academic reasons.

The junior class is shaping up to be a very good one, though it remains to be seen if there are any potential superstars, such as Ohio senior WF LeBron James is in the Class of 2003.

Interestingly, nine of the pre-season top 45 junior frontcourt players (or 20 per cent!) already have announced extremely early oral commitments to their colleges of choice. Six of those nine plan to attend Big Ten schools, while two will be headed to the Atlantic Coast Conference and one to the Big East.

It’s obvious that the South (including the Southwest) is producing a disproportionately high percentage of the elite junior prospects. In fact, seven of the top eight frontcourtmen in the Class of 2004, nine of the top 11 and 11 of the top 16 hail from the Southern states! However, the one high school that provides a pair of the junior frontcourt players listed below are from the East, at Newark (NJ) St. Benedict’s (J.R. Smith and Stanley Branch).

TERRIFIC 13 JUNIOR FRONTCOURT PROSPECTS

1. Al Jefferson 6-9 C Prentiss (MS) High Undecided

Deluxe post scorer weighs 275 and doesn’t need to get any heavier.

2. LaMarcus Aldridge 6-11 BF/C Dallas (TX) Seagoville Undecided

With 15 or 20 more pounds, this highly skilled 215-pound athlete could be bound directly for the NBA out of high school.

3. Josh Smith 6-8 WF/BF Powder Springs (GA) McEachern Undecided

Talented southpaw leaper has all the tools except consistency.

4. Earl "J.R." Smith 6-6 WF/WG Newark (NJ) St. Benedict’s Undecided

Emerged over the summer as an elite prospect thanks to excellent scoring ability.

5. Roy Bright 6-6 WF/BF Durham (NC) Northern Undecided

A very good athlete and superb overall prospect who needs to shore up his academics.

6. Mike Williams 6-9 BF Camden (AL) Wilcox Central Undecided

This aggressive 225-pounder is a prototypical power forward and will be one of the nation's highest-recruited players.

7. D.J. White 6-8 BF Tuscaloosa (AL) Hillcrest Undecided

Has impressed us with the improvement in his game since the Summer of 2001.

8. Brian Johnson 6-9 C/BF Arlington (VA) Bishop O’Connell Undecided

Excellent in the tryouts for the USA 18-under Junior National Team, this mobile 230-pound Laurinburg (N.C.) native didn't turn 16 until the late summer.

9. Ron Coleman 6-6 WF Romulus (MI) High MICHIGAN

With a sweet jump shot and the ability to finish drives, he can score a lot of different ways.

10. Dwight Howard 6-10 BF/C Atlanta (GA) Southwest Atlanta Christian Undecided

Rangy, fast-developing insider gets up and down the court like a racehorse.

11. Ra’Sean Dickey 6-9 C/BF Bennettsville (SC) Marlboro County Undecided

Physical 245-pounder already knows how to utilize sophisticated power moves.

12. Brandon Rush 6-6 WF Kansas City (MO) Westport Undecided

Older brothers JaRon (ex-UCLA) and Kareem (ex-Missouri) were McDonald’s All-Americans, and smooth Brandon might be, too.

13. Marvin Williams 6-8 WF/BF Bremerton (WA) High Undecided

We were a little disappointed with the relatively unassertive performances of this versatile combo forward at the adidas Big Time tournament in Las Vegas, but he possesses loads of ability and easily could move up in these rankings.

THE NEXT 25

14. Roy Hibbert 7-0 C North Bethesda (MD) Georgetown Prep GEORGETOWN

15. Randolph Morris 6-11 C Fairburn (GA) Landmark Christian Undecided

16. Cedric Simmons 6-9 BF/C Shallotte (NC) West Brunswick N.C. STATE

17. Greg Steimsma 6-11 C Randolph (WI) High WISCONSIN

18. Marvin "Rell" Porter 6-6 WF/BF Pittsburg (TX) High Undecided

19. Kalen Grimes 6-9 BF/C Florissant (MO) Hazelwood Central Undecided

20. Stanley Branch 6-8 BF/WF Newark (NJ) St. Benedict’s Undecided

21. Malik Hairston 6-6 WF/BF Detroit (MI) Renaissance Undecided

22. Glen Davis 6-8 C Baton Rouge (LA) University High Undecided

23. Timothy Pierce 6-6 WF Oakland (CA) Fremont Undecided

24. Juan Palacios 6-8 BF Centereach (NY) Our Savior North American Undecided

25. Robert Vaden 6-5 WF Indianapolis (IN) Cathedral PURDUE

26. Marquise Gray 6-7 BF Flint (MI) Beecher MICHIGAN STATE

27. Robert Swift 6-11 C Bakersfield (CA) Garces Undecided

28. Mohamed Tangara 6-10 C/BF Durham (NC) Mount Zion Christian Undecided

29. Brian Laing 6-4 WF Bronx (NY) St. Raymond’s Undecided

30. Luke Bonner 6-9 BF Manchester (NH) Trinity Undecided

31. Cameron Stanley 6-7 WF Raleigh (NC) Millbrook WAKE FOREST

32. Jermaine Bell 6-11 C/BF Bradenton (FL) IMG Pendleton Undecided

33. David Burgess 6-10 C Irvine (CA) Woodbridge Undecided

34. Marshall Brown 6-7 WF/BF Austin (TX) Johnson Undecided

35. James Mays 6-8 BF Garner (NC) High Undecided

36. Steven Hill 6-11 C Branson (MO) High Undecided

37. Jerome Johnson 6-9 C Potomac (MD) Bullis Prep Undecided

38. Kevin Langford 6-8 BF/WF Crowley (TX) North Undecided