NBA high school draftees

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The NBA high school draftees are players who have been drafted to the National Basketball Association (NBA) straight out of high school without playing basketball at the collegiate level. The process of jumping directly from high school to the professional level is also known as going prep-to-pro. Since 2005, the practice of drafting high school players has been prohibited by the new collective bargaining agreement, which requires that players who entered the draft be 19 years of age and at least one year removed from high school.[1] Contrary to popular belief, the player does not have to play at least a year in college basketball: the player can choose to instead play in another professional league (like the NBA G League or especially somewhere overseas) like Brandon Jennings or Emmanuel Mudiay in Italy and China respectively; simply take the year off, as Mitchell Robinson and Darius Bazley did; or even hold themselves back a year in high school before declaring for the draft, like with Anfernee Simons or Thon Maker.

The NBA has long had a preference for players who played basketball at the collegiate level;[2] the vast majority of players to play in the NBA have had college experience. However, there have been numerous notable players who attended high school in the United States and then joined the NBA without playing college basketball.

History[]

Early years[]

In the early years of the NBA draft, a player had to finish his four-year college eligibility to be eligible for selection. Reggie Harding, who had graduated from high school but did not enroll in a college, became the first player drafted out of high school when the Detroit Pistons selected him in the fourth round of the 1962 draft.[3] However, the NBA rules at that time prohibited a high school player to play in the league until one year after his high school class graduated.[4][5] Thus, he spent a year playing in a minor basketball league before he was drafted again in the 1963 draft by the Pistons.[6] He finally entered the league in the 1963–64 season and played four seasons in the NBA and American Basketball Association (ABA).[7]

In 1971, the U.S. Supreme Court decision Haywood v. National Basketball Association ruled against the NBA's requirement that a player must wait four years after high school graduation (which in most cases was spent playing in college) before turning professional. This ruling allowed players to enter the NBA Draft without four years of college, provided they could give evidence of hardship to the NBA office.[8]

In 1974, the NBA's rival, the ABA, drafted high school star Moses Malone. He was immediately signed by the Utah Stars and became the first player to go directly from high school basketball to a professional league.[9] He became an instant success, averaging 18 points and 14 rebounds per game in his rookie season. He played in the ABA until the ABA–NBA merger in 1976. He then played 19 successful seasons with 7 NBA teams. He won the NBA championship, along with the Finals Most Valuable Player Award, with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1983. His other achievements include 3 Most Valuable Player Awards, 12 consecutive All-Star Game selections, 8 All-NBA Team selections and 6 rebounding titles. He has been inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and was also named in the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History list announced at the league's 50th anniversary in 1996.[10]

A year later, two high school players, Darryl Dawkins and Bill Willoughby, applied for hardship and were declared eligible to be selected in the 1975 draft.[11] They had applied and gave evidence of financial hardship to the league, which granted them the right to start earning a living by starting their professional careers earlier.[8] Dawkins was selected 5th by the Philadelphia 76ers while Willoughby was selected 19th by the Atlanta Hawks. Dawkins played 14 seasons and averaged 12 points and 6 rebounds per game. Willoughby played 8 seasons with 6 different teams and averaged only 6 points per game. Neither player reached the level of success that was expected. It is argued that they could have been better players if they had college basketball experience before entering the NBA.[12][13][14]

After Dawkins and Willoughby, no high schoolers were drafted for 14 years, though several players entered the league without playing college basketball. One player, Shawn Kemp, enrolled in college but never played any games due to personal problems. In 1989, a year after his high school graduation, he was drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics.[15] He played 14 seasons in the NBA and was selected to 6 All-Star Games and 3 All-NBA Teams.[16]

1995–2005[]

A man, wearing a green jersey with a word "BOSTON" and the number "5" written in the front, is standing in front of the crowd.
Kevin Garnett's high-profile migration from high school to the NBA in 1995 prompted many high schoolers to follow in his footsteps

In 1995, Kevin Garnett, USA Today's high school basketball player of the year, announced his intentions to forgo college, and declared himself eligible for the 1995 NBA draft. The move was highly controversial; the conventional wisdom at the time was that high-schoolers were neither emotionally nor physically mature enough for the rigors of the NBA game. On draft day, Garnett was selected with the #5 pick in the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Garnett led the Timberwolves to eight consecutive playoff berths and was a multiple All-Star during his time with the team. In 2004, the Wolves advanced to the Western Conference Finals before losing to the Lakers; Garnett was named Most Valuable Player that year. After a trade in the 2007 offseason to the Boston Celtics, he was a core player in the Celtics' first NBA title in over 20 years.

In 1996, two notable players made the jump from high school to the NBA. The first was Kobe Bryant, selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the 13th pick of the NBA draft, but traded almost immediately to the Los Angeles Lakers. The second was Jermaine O'Neal, selected by the Trail Blazers with the 17th pick. O'Neal was traded in 2000 to the Indiana Pacers (and later to the Miami Heat). In 1997, another All-Star caliber player, Tracy McGrady, was selected by the Toronto Raptors. In 1998, three high-schoolers were drafted with Al Harrington and Rashard Lewis experiencing the most success. Darius Miles became the highest high school player selected with the third pick in the 2000 NBA Draft, until the following year.

2005–2020[]

A man, wearing a green jersey with a word "BUCKS" and the number "3" written in the front, is dribbling a basketball.
Brandon Jennings spent a year playing in Italy before entering the NBA

Beginning 2005, both the NBA and the players' union started to discuss the possibility of implementing a new age requirement. The league lobbied for an age minimum of 20 while the union was against an age requirement.[17] Finally in July 2005, both sides compromised in the new collective bargaining agreement, requiring that the minimum age for entry into the NBA be 19 and that entrants be at least one year removed from high school.[18] For the first time, teams are also allowed to send players, with two years of NBA experience or less, to the NBA Development League (NBA D-League, now NBA G League).[17]

The terms of the new agreement ended the practice of drafting high school players, starting in the 2006 Draft. A high school player must now wait at least one year to be eligible for selection. However, they are not required to spend that year in college. In 2008, high school star Brandon Jennings decided to skip college and play professional basketball in Italy. After a year, he was eligible for the 2009 draft and was selected 10th by the Milwaukee Bucks.[19] In the 2010 draft, Latavious Williams, who did not qualify academically to go to college, spent a year playing in the NBA D-League before he was drafted in the second round.[20] Emmanuel Mudiay decided to take a route similar to that of Jennings by skipping college to play professionally in China in 2014 before being selected 7th by the Denver Nuggets a year later. Terrance Ferguson also opted out of college for professional play, this time in Australia in 2016 before being selected a year later by the Oklahoma City Thunder as the 21st pick of the 2017 draft. Most recently, in the 2020 draft, both LaMelo Ball and R. J. Hampton played professionally in Australia for different teams (the Illawarra Hawks for Ball, the New Zealand Breakers for Hampton) before entering the draft. Ball was selected 3rd by the Charlotte Hornets, while Hampton was selected by the Denver Nuggets via the Milwaukee Bucks and New Orleans Pelicans as the 24th pick of the 2020 draft.

While the rules discouraged high school players from entering, starting in the mid-2010s, more high schoolers opted to declare entry for the draft with the intent of being selected early. In the 2015 draft, Indian-born Satnam Singh Bhamara, who did not qualify academically to go to college, went straight to the NBA draft as a postgraduate student with him being at the IMG Academy for five years. He was taken by the Dallas Mavericks with the 52nd pick in the draft, thus becoming the first high school student to be drafted since the rule changes went into action. In the 2016 draft, one of the Top–10 players that was declared eligible for NCAA play in 2016, Thon Maker, decided to enter the draft instead as a postgraduate from Orangeville Prep in Orangeville, Ontario, Canada due to him originally declaring himself as eligible for college in 2015. Thon also marked the first player to be drafted directly from a Canadian high school, as well as the second player to enter as a postgraduate. He was the first high schooler to be drafted in the first round since 2005, being drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks with the tenth pick, becoming the first high school lottery pick since 2005.

In the 2018 draft, Anfernee Simons from the IMG Academy was also drafted in the NBA with the 24th pick, with Simons being a postgraduate there like Singh three years prior. In addition, Mitchell Robinson took a year off after high school due to exiting Western Kentucky University early without playing there, which left him drafted as the 36th pick. For the 2019 draft, both Jalen Lecque and Darius Bazley declared entry and left their names in the draft, with Bazley entering without any collegiate or professional play after graduating from high school the previous year. Darius Bazley was selected as the 23rd pick of that year's draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder, while Jalen Lecque went undrafted, but played for the Phoenix Suns during the 2019–20 NBA season. Most recently, in 2020, two players (Josh Hall & Kenyon Martin Jr.) declared entry as postgraduate students alongside Makur Maker and Tony Goodwin II at first.[21] However, by the November draft deadline, both Maker and Goodwin dropped their names from entry, with Micheal Lenoir and Nikolaos Okekuoyen declaring their entries back on August & November respectively. making for the highest amount of declarations from high school since 2005.[22] Out of all these players from this group that declared for 2020, only Kenyon Martin Jr. was selected in that year's draft, being taken by the Houston Rockets via trade with the Sacramento Kings in the second round as the 52nd pick; everyone else there went undrafted at the end.

Some players support the new age limit. Gerald Green called it "a smart move", saying that "[not everybody is] LeBron James ... He came in ready and he dominated the league. There's a lot of players that have to get developed. Me, I've got to get developed. But I guess that age limit, that one year of college experience, can get you more developed and I think that's pretty good."[17] Others, however, strongly criticize the rule. Andrew Bynum said "That's something I'll never understand. Because in no other business can the owner, or a stock trader, or a CEO of a company try to protect themselves by putting rules like that."[23] Former Florida Gators and current Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan believed that the rule made high schoolers feel like they were being punished.[24]

In December 2019, a recent report suggested that the NBA was looking to reverse their original ruling from 2005 to go back to having the age limit be 18 years old. If implemented, this would allow for players to enter the NBA directly from high school without any stipulations whatsoever. Also, starting in the 2020-21 season, the NBA G League implemented an alternative method for high school players to play professionally with the NBA G League Ignite, a select team featuring a mix of veterans and young prospects from as early as their senior years of high school. The younger players can play for at least one year there before declaring entry for future draft entries instead of going through postgraduate entry as draft prospects.

List[]

There have been 41 high school draftees in the NBA draft. Three draftees were selected first overall; Kwame Brown in 2001 NBA draft, LeBron James in 2003, and Dwight Howard in 2004 NBA draft. Two draftees went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award in their first season: LeBron James and 2002 draftee Amar'e Stoudemire.[25] Three draftees went on to win the Most Valuable Player Award: Kevin Garnett in 2004, Kobe Bryant in 2008, and LeBron James in 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2013.[26] Ten draftees have been selected to the All-Star Game and ten draftees have been selected to the All-NBA Team.

A man, wearing a green jersey with a word "BOSTON" and the number "5" written in the front, is standing on a basketball court.
Kevin Garnett was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1995.
A man, wearing a purple jersey with a word "LAKERS" and the number "24" written in the front, is standing in front of the crowd.
Kobe Bryant was selected by the Charlotte Hornets in 1996.
A man, wearing a red jersey with a word "MIAMI" and the number "7" written in the front, is walking on a basketball court.
Jermaine O'Neal was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in 1996.
A man, wearing a white jersey with a word "ROCKETS" and the number "1" written in the front, is walking on a basketball court.
Tracy McGrady was selected by the Toronto Raptors in 1997.
A man wearing a purple jersey with a word "PHOENIX" written in the front, is holding a basketball.
Amar'e Stoudemire was selected by the Phoenix Suns in 2002.
LeBron James was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003.
A man, wearing a blue jersey with a word "ORLANDO" and the number "12" written in the front, is standing in front of the crowd.
Dwight Howard was selected by the Orlando Magic in 2004.
Pos. G F C
Position Guard Forward Center
^ Denotes player who has been inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
* Denotes player who has been selected for at least one All-Star Game and All-NBA Team
+ Denotes player who has been selected for at least one All-Star Game
# Denotes player who has never appeared in an NBA regular season or playoff game
Draft[a] Round Pick Player Pos. Nationality Draft team High school (city) Ref.
1975 1 5 Darryl Dawkins C  United States Philadelphia 76ers Maynard Evans High School (Orlando, Florida) [27]
1975 2 19 Bill Willoughby F  United States Atlanta Hawks Dwight Morrow High School (Englewood, New Jersey) [28]
1995 1 5 Kevin Garnett^ F  United States Minnesota Timberwolves Farragut Career Academy (Chicago, Illinois) [29]
1996 1 13 Kobe Bryant^ G  United States Charlotte Hornets Lower Merion High School (Ardmore, Pennsylvania) [30]
1996 1 17 Jermaine O'Neal* F/C  United States Portland Trail Blazers Eau Claire High School (Columbia, South Carolina) [31]
1997 1 9 Tracy McGrady^ F  United States Toronto Raptors Mount Zion Christian Academy (Durham, North Carolina) [32]
1998 1 25 Al Harrington F  United States Indiana Pacers St. Patrick High School (Elizabeth, New Jersey) [33]
1998 2 32 Rashard Lewis+ F  United States Seattle SuperSonics Alief Elsik High School (Houston, Texas) [34]
1998 2 40 Korleone Young F  United States Detroit Pistons Hargrave Military Academy (Chatham, Virginia) [35]
1999 1 5 Jonathan Bender F  United States Toronto Raptors Picayune Memorial High School (Picayune, Mississippi) [36]
1999 1 29 Leon Smith C  United States Dallas Mavericks Martin Luther King High School (Chicago) [37]
2000 1 3 Darius Miles F  United States Los Angeles Clippers East St. Louis High School (East St. Louis, Illinois) [38]
2000 1 23 DeShawn Stevenson G  United States Utah Jazz Washington Union High School (Fresno, California) [39]
2001 1 1 Kwame Brown F  United States Washington Wizards Glynn Academy (Brunswick, Georgia) [40]
2001 1 2 Tyson Chandler* C  United States Los Angeles Clippers Dominguez High School (Compton, California) [41]
2001 1 4 Eddy Curry C  United States Chicago Bulls Thornwood High School (South Holland, Illinois) [42]
2001 1 8 DeSagana Diop C  Senegal Cleveland Cavaliers Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Virginia) [43]
2001 2 46 Ousmane Cisse# F  Mali Denver Nuggets St. Jude High School (Montgomery, Alabama) [44]
2002 1 9 Amar'e Stoudemire* F/C  United States Phoenix Suns Cypress Creek High School (Orlando, Florida) [45]
2003 1 1 LeBron James* F  United States Cleveland Cavaliers St. Vincent – St. Mary High School (Akron, Ohio) [46]
2003 1 23 Travis Outlaw F  United States Portland Trail Blazers Starkville High School (Starkville, Mississippi) [47]
2003 1 26 Ndudi Ebi F  United Kingdom
 Nigeria[1] 		Minnesota Timberwolves Westbury Christian School (Houston, Texas) [48]
2003 1 27 Kendrick Perkins C  United States Memphis Grizzlies Clifton J. Ozen High School (Beaumont, Texas) [49]
2003 2 48 James Lang C  United States New Orleans Hornets (Birmingham, Alabama) [50]
2004 1 1 Dwight Howard* F/C  United States Orlando Magic Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy (Atlanta, Georgia) [51]
2004 1 4 Shaun Livingston G  United States Los Angeles Clippers Peoria High School (Peoria, Illinois) [52]
2004 1 12 Robert Swift C  United States Seattle SuperSonics Bakersfield High School (Bakersfield, California) [53]
2004 1 13 Sebastian Telfair G  United States Portland Trail Blazers Abraham Lincoln High School (Brooklyn, New York) [54]
2004 1 15 Al Jefferson F  United States Boston Celtics Prentiss High School (Prentiss, Mississippi) [55]
2004 1 17 Josh Smith F  United States Atlanta Hawks Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Virginia) [56]
2004 1 18 J. R. Smith G  United States New Orleans Hornets Saint Benedict's Preparatory School (Newark, New Jersey) [57]
2004 1 19 Dorell Wright G/F  United States Miami Heat South Kent Preparatory School (South Kent, Connecticut) [58][59]
2005 1 6 Martell Webster G/F  United States Portland Trail Blazers Seattle Preparatory School (Seattle, Washington) [60]
2005 1 10 Andrew Bynum+ C  United States Los Angeles Lakers St. Joseph High School (Metuchen, New Jersey) [61]
2005 1 18 Gerald Green F  United States Boston Celtics Gulf Shores Academy (Houston, Texas) [62]
2005 2 34 C. J. Miles G  United States Utah Jazz Skyline High School (Dallas, Texas) [63]
2005 2 35 Ricky Sánchez# F  Puerto Rico Portland Trail Blazers IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida) [64]
2005 2 40 Monta Ellis G  United States Golden State Warriors Lanier High School (Jackson, Mississippi) [65]
2005 2 45 Louis Williams G  United States Philadelphia 76ers South Gwinnett High School (Snellville, Georgia) [66]
2005 2 49 Andray Blatche F  United States
 Philippines[2] 		Washington Wizards South Kent Preparatory School (South Kent, Connecticut) [67]
2005 2 56 Amir Johnson F  United States Detroit Pistons Westchester High School (Los Angeles, California) [68]

^ 1: While Ndudi Ebi was originally born and raised in London, England, he also holds Nigerian nationality due to his parents being born and raised there.
^ 2: Andray Blatche was born and raised in Syracuse, New York and holds American nationality, but he had become a naturalized Filipino since June 2014 and has officially represented the Philippines since.

Other players[]

The following players also played in the NBA or were drafted without playing college basketball; however, these players did not get drafted or join the NBA directly after their high school graduation.

Year[b] Debut[c] Player Pos. Nationality High school (city) Notes Ref.
—[d] 1946 Tony Kappen G  United States Forest Hills High School (Queens, New York)
  • Played in the ABL before making his BAA debut
  • The first player to play in the BAA/NBA without any college experience
  • Made his BAA debut at the age of 27
 [69][70][71]
—[d] 1946 Connie Simmons F/C  United States Flushing High School (Flushing, New York)
  • The second player to play in the BAA/NBA without any college experience
  • Made his BAA debut at the age of 21
 [72][73]
—[d] 1948 Joe Graboski F/C  United States Tuley High School (Chicago)
  • The third and final player to play in the BAA before its merger as the NBA
  • Made his BAA debut at the age of 18
 [74][75]
1960 1969 Connie Hawkins^ F/C  United States Boys High School (Brooklyn, New York)
  • Was permanently banned by the NBA due to a point shaving scandal in college, but was later reinstated in 1969
  • Attended University of Iowa
  • Played in the ABL and the ABA, as well as with the Harlem Globetrotters, before making his NBA debut
 [76][77][78]
1974 1976 Moses Malone^ F/C  United States Petersburg High School (Petersburg, Virginia) [79]
1988 1989 Shawn Kemp* F/C  United States Concord High School (Elkhart, Indiana)
  • Attended University of Kentucky and Trinity Valley Community College
  • Drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1989 NBA draft (1st round, 17th pick)
 [80][81]
1986 1992 Lloyd Daniels G  United States Andrew Jackson High School (Queens, New York) [82][83][84]
1993 1996 Thomas Hamilton C  United States Martin Luther King High School (Chicago)
  • Attended University of Pittsburgh
  • Declared for the 1994 NBA draft but went undrafted
 [85][86]
1996 2000 Stephen Jackson F  United States Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Virginia)
  • Attended Butler Community College
  • Drafted by the Phoenix Suns in the 1997 NBA draft (2nd round, 43rd pick)
 [87][88]
2001 2015 Marcelo Huertas G  Brazil
 Italy 		Coppell High School (Coppell, Texas)
  • Was born in Brazil and played for the Esporte Clube Pinheiros before moving to the U.S.A. around 2000.
  • Played senior year in Coppell High School before beginning his professional international career.
  • Went undrafted in the 2005 NBA draft.
  • Played in Brazil, Spain, and Italy before making his NBA debut in 2015.
 [89]
2004 2005 Jackie Butler F/C  United States (Virginia Beach, Virginia)
  • Initially committed to Mississippi State University and, later on, the University of Tennessee
  • Declared for the 2004 NBA draft but went undrafted
  • Played in the CBA before making his NBA debut
 [90][91][92]
2008 2009 Brandon Jennings G  United States Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Virginia)
  • Initially committed to the University of Southern California and, later on, the University of Arizona
  • Played in the Italian professional league in the 2008–09 season
  • Drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2009 NBA draft (1st round, 10th pick)
 [93][94]
2009 Latavious Williams# F  United States Christian Life Center Academy (Humble, Texas)
  • Initially committed to the University of Memphis
  • Played in the NBA D-League in the 2009–10 season
  • Drafted by the Miami Heat in the 2010 NBA draft (2nd round, 43rd pick)
 [95][96]
2010 2011 Enes Kanter F/C  Turkey (Simi Valley, California)
  • Previously played in both youth squads and professionally in Turkey
  • Moved to the United States in 2009 and played basketball in his senior year of high school
  • Attended the University of Kentucky, but was barred from playing due to his previous time spent in Turkey
  • Drafted by the Utah Jazz in the 2011 NBA draft (1st round, 3rd pick)
2010 2011 Jeremy Tyler C  United States San Diego High School (San Diego)
  • Initially committed to the University of Louisville
  • Left high school after his junior year in 2009
  • Played in the Israeli league in the 2009–10 season
  • Played in the Japanese league in the 2010–11 season
  • Drafted by the Charlotte Bobcats in the 2011 NBA draft (2nd round, 39th pick)
 [97][98]
2012 2013 Ricky Ledo G  United States South Kent High School (South Kent, Connecticut)
  • Attended Providence College
  • Drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2013 NBA draft (2nd round, 43rd pick)
2013 2015 Cristiano Felício C  Brazil (Sacramento, California)
  • Was born in Brazil and played professionally there before moving in his senior year.
  • Tried to get a scholarship for the University of Oregon, but was deemed ineligible.
  • Returned to playing professionally in Brazil.
  • Went undrafted in 2014, but got picked up by the Chicago Bulls in 2015
2014 2015 Emmanuel Mudiay PG  Democratic Republic of the Congo
 United States 		Prime Prep Academy (Dallas, Texas)
2014 2016 Georgios Papagiannis C  Greece Westtown School (West Chester, Pennsylvania)
  • Was born in Greece and played professionally for Peristeri at 14 before moving in his freshman year
  • Went to Westtown as a junior before moving back to Greece
  • Played professionally for the Panathinaikos while also attending the American School in Athens, Greece
  • Drafted by the Phoenix Suns and traded to the Sacramento Kings in the 2016 NBA draft (1st round, 13th pick)
2016 2017 Terrance Ferguson SG  United States (Dallas, Texas)
  • Initially committed to the University of Arizona
  • Played in the Australian professional league in the 2016–17 season
  • Drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2017 NBA draft (1st round, 21st pick)
2017 2018 Mitchell Robinson C  United States Chalmette High School (Chalmette, Louisiana)
  • Initially committed to and briefly attended Western Kentucky University
  • Decided to sit out on professional competition and instead trained on his own
  • Drafted by the New York Knicks in the 2018 NBA draft (2nd round, 36th pick)
2017 2019 Brian Bowen SG/SF  United States La Lumiere School (La Porte, Indiana)
  • Attended the University of Louisville and attempted to transfer to the University of South Carolina
  • Dropped out of college to play in the Australian professional league for the 2018–19 season
  • Went undrafted in the 2019 NBA draft, but signed a two-way contract with the Indiana Pacers that year
2018 2019 Darius Bazley PF  United States Princeton High School (Sharonville, Ohio)
  • Initially committed to Syracuse University
  • Briefly committed to the NBA G League before opting out to train on his own
  • Had an internship with New Balance around this time
  • Drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies and traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2019 NBA draft (1st round, 23rd pick)
2019 2020 Jalen Lecque PG  United States Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, New Hampshire)
  • Originally planned on graduating in 2018
  • Initially committed to North Carolina State University
  • Declared for the 2019 NBA draft, but went undrafted
  • Signed with the Phoenix Suns during free agency, but did not play until 2020
2019 2020 LaMelo Ball PG  United States (Geneva, Ohio)
  • Initially committed to UCLA
  • Pulled out of Chino Hills High School as junior, but returned to high school as a senior
  • First played professionally in the Lithuanian professional league and the JBA in 2018
  • Also played in the Australian professional league for the 2019–20 season
  • Drafted by the Charlotte Hornets in the 2020 NBA draft (1st round, 3rd pick)
2019 2020 R. J. Hampton PG/SG  United States Little Elm High School (Little Elm, Texas)
  • Declared to play professionally in New Zealand instead of college
  • Also played in the Australian professional league for the 2019–20 season alongside New Zealand
  • Drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks and traded to the New Orleans Pelicans and then the Denver Nuggets in the 2020 NBA draft (1st round, 24th pick)

Controversy[]

Further information: National Basketball Association criticisms and controversies § Age limit

Despite the success of some high school players drafted, the entry of high school players into the NBA remains controversial. Critics say that high school players are not mentally and physically mature or prepared enough to handle the pressure of professional play. Thus, they are more likely to fail.[14][99] Instead, they believe that colleges are useful at filtering out players who can dominate against weak competition in high school, but cannot succeed at a higher level of play. They also think that the influx of high schoolers bypassing colleges in favor of the NBA has caused collegiate game to deteriorate. Universities are wary of spending time recruiting, as many players are financially motivated to turn pro fresh out of high school.[99][100]

On the other hand, proponents argue that there is no valid reason to exclude high school players. Michael McCann, writer of law article "Illegal Defense: The Irrational Economics of Banning High School Players from the NBA Draft", contends that players drafted straight out of high school can do as well as any other players in the NBA. The article finds that "on average, these [high school] players perform better in every major statistical category than does the average NBA player".[101] Others instead believe that the problem was due to the lack of established farm system in basketball until recently. In other major sports, such as baseball and hockey, it is common for young players to develop in their minor league systems.[99]

See also[]

Notes[]

  • a Each year is linked to an article about that particular NBA Draft.
  • b Year denotes the year when the player graduated from high school.
  • c Debut denotes the year when the player made his NBA debut. Each year is linked to an article about that particular NBA season.
  • d Information not available

References[]

  1. ^ Nance, Roscoe (June 21, 2005). "Teen draftees grounded until 19 under new deal". USA Today. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
  2. ^ Knight, Athelia (March 23, 2000). "NBA Ponders New League; It Would Develop College-Age Players". The Washington Post. p. D1. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  3. ^ "Royals Snap Up Lucas". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. March 27, 1962. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
  4. ^ "Pistons Can't Use 7-Foot Prep". Lawrence Journal-World. July 3, 1962. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
  5. ^ Hilton, Dan (July 14, 2008). "Doesn't the Extra Year Help Teams?". NBA.com/Suns. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
  6. ^ "This Game Called What's The Name". Toledo Blade. January 7, 1963. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
  7. ^ "Reggie Harding Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
  8. ^ a b "Spencer Haywood Bio". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
  9. ^ Deford, Frank (February 19, 1979). "Bounding Into Prominence". Sports Illustrated. Time Warner Company. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
  10. ^ "Moses Malone Bio". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
  11. ^ "Burden, Dantley top list". Lawrence Journal-World. May 9, 1975. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
  12. ^ Broussard, Chris (November 16, 2003). "Why Pros Spent 20 Years Shunning High Schoolers". The New York Times. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
  13. ^ McCallum, Jack (June 26, 1995). "Hoop Dream". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on January 16, 2010. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
  14. ^ a b James, Michael (March 22, 1995). "Garnett Is No Gem For NBA". Daily News. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
  15. ^ "Shawn Kemp Bio". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on February 15, 2004. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
  16. ^ "Shawn Kemp Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
  17. ^ a b c Beck, Howard (June 28, 2005). "Draft Will Close Book on High School Stars". The New York Times. Retrieved August 8, 2010.
  18. ^ "NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement Ratified and Signed". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. July 30, 2005. Archived from the original on December 2, 2010. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
  19. ^ . ESPN Internet Ventures. July 28, 2010 puts new path to NBA on full display http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4269987%7Ctitle=Jennings puts new path to NBA on full display. Retrieved July 28, 2010. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help); Missing or empty |title= (help)
  20. ^ Cranston, Mark (June 25, 2009). USA Today eyes high school-D-League-NBA route https://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/2010-06-22-1196621112_x.htm%7Ctitle=Williams eyes high school-D-League-NBA route. Retrieved July 28, 2010. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help); Missing or empty |title= (help)
  21. ^ "2020 NBA Draft Early Entrants List". Archived from the original on 2020-05-23.
  22. ^ "List of early-entry candidates to withdraw from 2020 NBA Draft".
  23. ^ Thamel, Pete (July 12, 2009). "Few High School Stars Expected to Follow European Detour to N.B.A." The New York Times. Retrieved August 8, 2010.
  24. ^ Rhoden, William C. (March 20, 2007). "Growing to Appreciate the N.B.A.'s Age Limit". The New York Times. Retrieved August 8, 2010.
  25. ^ "Rookie of the Year". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on March 29, 2010. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
  26. ^ "Most Valuable Player". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
  27. ^ "Darryl Dawkins Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  28. ^ "Bill Willoughby Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  29. ^ "Kevin Garnett Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  30. ^ "Kobe Bryant Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  31. ^ "Jermaine O'Neal Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  32. ^ "Tracy McGrady Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  33. ^ "Al Harrington Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  34. ^ "Rashard Lewis Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  35. ^ "Korleone Young Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  36. ^ "Jonathan Bender Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  37. ^ "Leon Smith Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  38. ^ "Darius Miles Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  39. ^ "DeShawn Stevenson Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  40. ^ "Kwame Brown Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  41. ^ "Tyson Chandler Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  42. ^ "Eddy Curry Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  43. ^ "DeSagana Diop Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  44. ^ "Player Profile: Ousmane Cisse". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  45. ^ "Amare Stoudemire Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  46. ^ "LeBron James Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  47. ^ "Travis Outlaw Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  48. ^ "Ndubi Ebi Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  49. ^ "Kendrick Perkins Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  50. ^ "James Lang Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  51. ^ "Dwight Howard Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  52. ^ "Shaun Livingston Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  53. ^ "Robert Swift Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  54. ^ "Sebastian Telfair Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  55. ^ "Al Jefferson Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  56. ^ "Josh Smith Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  57. ^ "J.R. Smith Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  58. ^ "Dorell Wright Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  59. ^ "Prospect Profile: Dorell Wright". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  60. ^ "Martell Webster Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  61. ^ "Andrew Bynum Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  62. ^ "Gerald Green Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  63. ^ "C. J. Miles Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  64. ^ "Fifty Early Entry Candidates Withdraw". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. June 22, 2005. Archived from the original on April 27, 2007. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  65. ^ "Monta Ellis Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  66. ^ "Louis Williams Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  67. ^ "Andray Blatche Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  68. ^ "Amir Johnson Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  69. ^ "Tony Kappen Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  70. ^ O'Mealy, Ryan Canner (March 19, 2010). "Jeremy Tyler: Preps-to-Passports". ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  71. ^ "American Basketball League Statistics 1938–39 To 1952–53". The Association for Professional Basketball Research. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  72. ^ "Connie Simmons Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  73. ^ Butler, Dylan (February 11, 2010). "The Butler Did It". New York Post. NYP Holdings, Inc. Archived from the original on October 25, 2011. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  74. ^ "Joe Graboski Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  75. ^ "Joe Graboski of Olympians Jumps From Preps to Pros". The Milwaukee Journal. October 29, 1952. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  76. ^ "Connie Hawkins Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved January 1, 2011.
  77. ^ Flatter, Ron (November 19, 2003). "Layups: More Info on Connie Hawkins". ESPN. Retrieved January 1, 2011.
  78. ^ "Connie Hawkins Bio". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved January 1, 2011.
  79. ^ "Moses Malone Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  80. ^ "Shawn Kemp Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  81. ^ "Shawn Kemp Bio". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on February 15, 2004. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  82. ^ "Lloyd Daniels Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  83. ^ "Lloyd Daniel's Next Stop: Long Island". The New York Times. April 30, 1992. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  84. ^ Gup, Ted; Doyle, Brian (April 3, 1989). "Education: Playing To Win in Vegas". Time. Archived from the original on March 9, 2008. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  85. ^ "Thomas Hamilton Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  86. ^ "Thomas Hamilton Bio". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on March 7, 2011. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  87. ^ "Stephen Jackson Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  88. ^ "Hawks Sign Free Agent Stephen Jackson". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. October 3, 2003. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  89. ^ "Marcelo Huertas Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
  90. ^ "Jackie Butler Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  91. ^ "Jackie Butler Bio". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on November 9, 2012. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  92. ^ "Spurs Sign Jackie Butler". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. July 21, 2006. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  93. ^ "Brandon Jennings Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  94. ^ "Draft 2009 Prospects: Brandon Jennings". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on August 20, 2009. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  95. ^ "Draft 2010 Prospects: Latavious Williams". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  96. ^ "2010 NBA Draft". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
  97. ^ "Tyler intrigues as NBA draft nears". ESPN Internet Ventures. June 15, 2011. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
  98. ^ "2011 NBA Draft". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved December 2, 2011.
  99. ^ a b c Sappenfield, Mark (May 22, 2001). "Straight to the NBA--without a stop at college". Christian Science Monitor. Vol. 93, Issue 124, p. 1.
  100. ^ Freeman, Mike (April 5, 2002). "Sports of The Times; Young Star Stays Cool in Spotlight". The New York Times. Retrieved August 8, 2010.
  101. ^ Ewell, Christian (May 18, 2004). "Difficult jump shot: preps to NBA; Basketball: More and more try the leap, but for every LeBron James who flourishes, there are a lot of James Langs who don't". The Baltimore Sun. p. 1 C.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""