Greatest High School Basketball Teams of All Time
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Every state has its high school basketball legends. Players and teams so great they took up permanent space in the memories of basketball fans.
Some of those teams were even better than that. Collectively, they became legends who burnished their legacies with undefeated seasons, state championships and, in some cases, national championships.
These are the greatest high school basketball teams of all time, with just one rule. One school, one spot.
75. 2008-09 Bloomington South High School
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Location: Bloomington, Indiana
Record: 26-0
Head coach: J.R. Holmes
Key players: Dee Davis, Jordan Hulls, Matt Carlino, Erik Fromm
Bottom Line: 2008-09 Bloomington South High School
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Bloomington South is a great example of a team that didn't necessarily need to overpower teams with size to win a lot of games, going undefeated and winning a coveted Indiana state championship.
Bloomington South had two 6-foot guards who went on to play professional basketball, Jordan Hulls and Dee Davis, along with USA Today Coach of the Year J.R. Holmes on the bench.
Holmes broke the Indiana high school career wins record with his 807th win in 2019 but didn't stop there. In April 2021, at the end of his 52nd year as a high school basketball coach, he was named the AT&T National Coach of the Year.
74. 1927-28 Ashland High School
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Location: Ashland, Kentucky
Record: 37-0
Head coach: Jimmy Anderson
Key players: Ellis Johnson, Gene Strother
Bottom Line: 1927-28 Ashland High School
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The oldest team on this list gets the most basketball-crazy state in the country's foot in the door with Kentucky, where Ashland High School went undefeated and won a national championship in 1928.
Now known as Blazer High, it is still the only high school from Kentucky to win a national championship in boys basketball, where it capped off the year with a 15-10 win over Canton (Illinois) High at the National Interscholastic Tournament in Chicago.
Ellis Johnson was the star for Ashland and went on to become the first All-American for legendary head coach Adolph Rupp at the University of Kentucky while also starring in football, baseball, and track and field.
73. 1993-94 East Anchorage High School
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Location: Anchorage, Alaska
Record: 23-3
Head coach: Chuck White
Key players: Trajan Langdon, Mao Tosi
Bottom Line: 1993-94 East Anchorage High School
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The debate over who is the greatest high school basketball player in Alaska history boils down to three players — East's Trajan Langdon, Bartlett's Mario Chalmers and Juneau-Douglas High's Carlos Boozer.
Langdon was the one who paved the way for the other two as a three-time Alaska Gatorade Player of the Year and winner of three consecutive Class 4A state championships. Langdon did it 1994 with a future NFL defensive end in the frontcourt with 6-foot-6 center Mao Tosi — a devastating combo, regardless of what state you reside in.
Langdon was a McDonald's All-American, a three-time All-American at Duke and played three seasons in the NBA. He's currently the general manager for the New Orleans Pelicans.
72. 2006-07 The Patrick School
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Location: Elizabeth, New Jersey
Record: 30-2
Head coach: Kevin Boyle
Key players: Da'Quan Cook, Corey Fisher, Brad Haugabrook, Jeff Robinson
Bottom Line: 2006-07 The Patrick School
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The Patrick School did everything it could to win a national championship in 2007 but came up just short at No. 2 in the final USA Today Super 25 Poll.
That didn't take away from what the team actually accomplished, winning a second consecutive state championship behind 32 points from future Villanova star Corey Fisher in the championship game.
Head coach Kevin Boyle was named USA Today National Coach of the Year in 2007 as well. In his last year at TPS, Boyle had two future NBA players, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and 2012 NBA draft No. 1 overall pick Kyrie Irving.
71. 1963-64 Sentinel High School
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Location: Missoula, Montana
Record: 27-0
Head coach: Lou Rocheleau
Key players: Mike Lewis
Bottom Line: 1963-64 Sentinel High School
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Montana isn't known for being a hotbed of high school sports, but the team Missoula Sentinel High put together in 1963-64 was impossible to keep off the list. Interestingly enough, they could have won another state title in 1963, but the school board wouldn't allow the team to play in the state tournament.
Sentinel went 27-0 and won the 1964 state championship behind 6-foot-8 forward Mike Lewis, who averaged 35 points per game and was a Parade All-American before he starred at Duke, where he was an All-ACC selection and All-American
Lewis played six seasons in the ABA and was an ABA All-Star in 1971, but his career was cut short by an Achilles tendon injury.
Sentinel didn't win a state championship for almost a decade, before going back-to-back in 1972 and 1973. Sentinel lost in the state championship game three consecutive times before winning it all in 1986 — the 10th state title in school history.
Since 1986, Sentinel has lost in the state championship game three times, in 1987, 1992 and 2008.
70. 2009-10 Bishop Gorman High School
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Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Record: 30-2
Head coach: Grant Rice
Key players: Shabazz Muhammad, Ronnie Stanley, Xavier Grimble
Bottom Line: 2009-10 Bishop Gorman HIgh School
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Bishop Gorman High is known for being a football powerhouse, but in 2009-10, it featured one of the best high school teams in the nation.
Led by future NBA lottery pick Shabazz Muhammad and a a pair of future NFL players in Ronnie Stanley and Xavier Grimble, Bishop Gorman only lost to California powerhouse Mater Dei and to fellow Nevada standout Findlay Prep before winning the state championship.
Muhammad led the Gaels to another state championship as a senior in 2012.
69. 1994-95 St. Augustine High School
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Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Record: 37-1
Head coach: Bernard Griffith
Key players: Maurice Robertson, Eugene Edgerson
Bottom Line: 1994-95 St. Augustine High School
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Few teams have done what St. Augustine High did in 1994-95, climbing from unranked in the preseason all the way to the top of all the major national high school polls by the end of the year.
How'd the Purple Knights do it? They lost one game all year, but it was just the second game of the season. Then they reeled off 36 straight wins after that, capping it all with a 57-33 win over Baton Rouge Catholic High in the Class 5A state championship game.
St. Augustine star Eugene Edgerson wasn't done winning national championships.
Edgerson, a 6-foot-6, 235-pound forward, won a national championship at the University of Arizona and played on two Final Four teams with the Wildcats under the late Lute Olson.
68. 1983-84 Long Beach Polytechnic High School
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Location: Long Beach, California
Record: 31-2
Head coach: Ron Palmer
Key players: Chris Sandle, Morlon Wiley
Bottom Line: 1983-84 Long Beach Polytechnic High School
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You can still watch Long Beach Poly's thrilling 45-44 win over Mater Dei in the CIF championship game and see for yourself why this team made the list.
The player who led the way for Long Beach Poly was 6-foot-4 guard Morlon Wiley, who went on to start four years at nearby Long Beach State.
Wiley then played more than a decade of professional basketball, including seven seasons in the NBA.
67. 1987-88 Gulfport High School
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Location: Gulfport, Mississippi
Record: 40-3
Head coach: Bert Jenkins
Key players: Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, Leonard Bennett, Dwayne Davis
Bottom Line: 1987-88 Gulfport High School
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Led by senior guard Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (then known as Chris Jackson), Gulfport went 40-3 and won its second consecutive state championship in 1988, taking down a Murrah High team with two future NBA first-round draft picks, James Robinson and Lindsey Hunter, in the state championship game.
Abdul-Rauf was one of the most highly recruited players in the country coming out of high school and played two seasons for LSU, where he was an All-American both years, then was the No. 3 overall pick in the 1990 NBA draft.
66. 1994-95 Minneapolis North Community High School
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Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Record: 30-0
Head coach: Robin Ingram
Key players: Khalid El-Amin
Bottom Line: 1994-95 Minneapolis North Community High School
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This was the first of three consecutive state championships for Minneapolis North High, but the only one of the three to go undefeated.
North was led by a future NCAA All-American and national champion in sophomore point guard Khalid El-Amin, a three-time All-State selection who led UConn to one of the most shocking upsets of all time in the 1999 NCAA championship game against Duke.
In 1995, El-Amin was pulling off similar feats. Two starters for North were declared ineligible the day before the state championship game, but he put the team on his back and beat Staples-Motley High 54-52 for the title.
After Khalid El-Amin led Minneapolis North Community High to three consecutive state championships, the school didn't win another state title until 2003, then not again after that until winning back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017.
65. 1985-86 Camden High School
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Location: Camden, New Jersey
Record: 30-0
Head coach: Clarence Turner
Key players: Curtis Walls, Lee Wall, Louis Banks, Sean Turner, Larry Cohen, Reggie Lawrence, Kevin Smith, Dennis Brown, Davis Nieves, Vic Carstarphen
Bottom Line: 1985-86 Camden High School
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Camden High's 1986 team went unbeaten and was rewarded with a national championship from USA Today when it came out on top in the final Super 25 Poll.
What's amazing about the team is that few names jump off the page from Camden High that were on the roster that year — a true testament to how well head coach Clarence Turner's team was run.
Of the three players from Camden to make it to the NBA in school history, none were on the national championship team.
64. 2004-05 Niagara Falls High School
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Location: Niagara Falls, New York
Record: 28-1
Head coach: Dan Bazzani
Key players: Paul Harris, Jonny Flynn
Bottom Line: 2004-05 Niagara Falls High School
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When teams from New York end up on the national stage, it's usually coming out of New York City. That wasn't the case with Niagara Falls High, which went 28-1 in 2004-05 and won the first national title in school history.
Niagara Falls had a future NBA first-round draft pick in sophomore guard Johnny Flynn, who averaged 15.2 points, 5.6 assists and 3.4 rebounds.
Flynn, who played collegiately at Syracuse, had the perfect complement in wing Paul Harris, who earned a reputation as an elite shutdown defender against some of the nation's top players.
63. 1980-81 Quincy Senior High School
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Location: Quincy, Illinois
Record: 33-0
Head coach: Jerry Leggett
Key players: Michael Payne, Bruce Douglas
Bottom Line: 1980-81 Quincy Senior High School
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Quincy High's unbeaten 33-0 season in 1980-81 was part of a 64-game winning streak, with the 1981 team winning the mythical national title and the second state title in school history and first since 1934.
Quincy was never more dominant than when they hit the state tournament, winning four games by an average of almost 30 points.
Quincy was led by a pair of future Big Ten standouts, 6-foot-10 center Michael Payne (Iowa) and 6-foot-3 guard Bruce Douglas (Illinois), who played in the NBA for one season.
While Quincy High has not won a state basketball championship since 1981, the school still holds Illinois records for most appearances at the state tournament (32) and most games played in the state tournament (89).
62. 1979-80 Inglewood High School
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Location: Inglewood, California
Record: 29-0
Head coach: Vince Combs
Key players: Jay Humphries, Ralph Jackson
Bottom Line: 1979-80 Inglewood High School
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Inglewood High took down Long Beach Poly for the 1980 CIF state championship in front of approximately 10,644 fans and became the first team to go undefeated in 11 years in the CIF.
While the greatest player in Inglewood High history is undoubtedly Basketball Hall of Famer Paul Pierce, the greatest team tag belongs to the 1979-80 squad.
Two players off the team ended up playing in the NBA — Jay Humphries and Ralph Jackson. Inglewood has not played for a state championship since its undefeated team won it all in 1980.
61. 1968-69 Compton High School
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Location: Compton, California
Record: 30-0
Head coach: Bill Armstrong
Key players: Larry Hollyfield, Mike Hopwood, Biff Burrell, Reynaldo Brown, Keith Lee, Louie Nelson
Bottom Line: 1968-69 Compton High School
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Compton High won back-to-back CIF state championships and back-to-back national championships in 1968 and 1969 as part of a 66-game winning streak over the final two seasons.
Six players off the Compton High national championship teams led by head coach Bill Armstrong went on to play Division I basketball.
The best of the bunch was Larry Hollyfield, a 6-foot-5 guard/forward who won eight consecutive championships during his career — four at Compton High, one California juco title in an unbeaten season at Compton Junior College, then three consecutive national championships at UCLA.
Compton High hasn't played in a CIF State Championship Game since 1969 but has played for the Southern California Championship and lost three times — in 1998, 2010 and 2014.
60. 1996-97 Peoria Manual High School
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Location: Peoria, Illinois
Record: 31-1
Head coach: Wayne McClain
Key players: Frank Williams, Sergio McClain, Marcus Griffin
Bottom Line: 1996-97 Peoria Manual High School
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High school national championships in boys basketball come with the same momentum as winning a college football national championship. You can lose early, but you can't lose late.
Peoria Manual High lost its only game of the season to Chicago Carver early in the season, then stormed back to set up a state semifinals showdown with another nationally ranked team in Thornton High. In front of 11,522 fans, future Illinois star Frank Williams guided them to the 65-62 win.
Peoria Manual closed out the year with its fourth straight championship and was led in scoring by head coach Wayne McClain's son, Sergio McClain.
59. 1981-82 Calvert Hall College High School
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Location: Towson, Maryland
Record: 34-0
Head coach: Mark Amatucci
Key players: Duane Ferrell, James "Pop" Tubman, Marc Wilson, Paul Edwards, Pat Sass
Bottom Line: 1981-82 Calvert Hall College High School
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The template for how tough a high school basketball league can be has to include the Baltimore Catholic League. The Baltimore Sun said that the Calvert Hall 1981-82 team was the greatest in BCL history on the league's 50th anniversary.
Calvert Hall played a national schedule that year that included wins over D.C.'s Spingarn High and a victory in a 1-2 matchup against Camden (New Jersey) High.
If only they would've gotten to play Dunbar High, would it have been the greatest game ever?
Forward Duane Ferrell went on to star at Georgia Tech and played 11 seasons in the NBA.
58. 1997-98 St. John's Catholic Prep
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Location: Buckeystown, Maryland
Record: 25-0
Head coach: Stu Vetter
Key players: Damien Wilkins, Jason Capel
Bottom Line: 1997-98 St. John's Catholic Prep
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Any list of greatest high school basketball coaches needs to include Stu Vetter, who led two different schools to national titles — Flint Hill Academy in 1987 and St. John's Catholic Prep in 1988.
At St. John's Catholic Prep, Vetter had the advantage of two future college stars on the team with Damien Wilkins and Jason Capel, who took down a nationally ranked schedule with tournaments in Hawaii, North Carolina and Maryland.
57. 1987-88 Carlisle High School
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Location: Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Record: 30-0
Head coach: Dave Lebo
Key players: Billy Owens, Michael Coleman
Bottom Line: 1987-88 Carlisle High School
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First things first. Props to The Sentinel for putting together this powerhouse online package about Carlisle High's four consecutive state championship teams that detailed the lives of the school's players and coaches before, during and after their time in the spotlight.
The 1988 Carlisle High team featured one of the greatest high school basketball players of all time in future Syracuse star and No. 3 NBA draft overall pick Billy Owens, who was on all four state title teams, scored 3,000 career points and earned comparisons to Magic Johnson coming out of high school.
The four consecutive state championships won by Carlisle High in the mid/late 1980s were the only four in school history.
56. 2000-01 Willowridge High School
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Location: Houston, Texas
Record: 39-0
Head coach: Ronnie Courtney
Key players: Daniel Ewing, T.J. Ford
Bottom Line: 2000-01 Willowridge High School
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The Willowridge High squad in 2000-01 was led by a pair of McDonald's All-Americans who went on to star in college and play in the NBA with Daniel Ewing and T.J. Ford. They went 75-1 over their final two seasons together at Willowridge.
Guiding them from the sideline was head coach Ronnie Courtney, who was named 2001 USA Today Coach of the Year and won back-to-back state titles with the duo in 2000 and 2001. Courtney went from Willowridge to being a Division I head coach at Texas Southern, where he coached for six years before going back to the high school ranks.
Courtney won another state title at George Bush High School in 2010 and retired in 2018.
55. 1986-87 Flint Hill Academy
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Location: Oakton, Virginia
Record: 23-0
Head coach: Stu Vetter
Key players: Dennis Scott, Arron Bain
Bottom Line: 1986-87 Flint Hill Academy
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Dennis Scott led Flint Hill to a national runner-up finish as a junior in 1986, then took them all the way to the top of the USA Today Super 25 rankings as a senior in 1987.
Scott led Flint Hill to a 46-0 record over his final two seasons and was named the Naismith National Player of the Year as a senior when he averaged 24 points and 11 rebounds and, more importantly, was able to play all five positions.
Scott was probably a player ahead of his time. At 6-foot-8, he was a 3-point shooter and one of the best long-distance shooters of the 1990s, when he played 11 seasons in the NBA.
54. 1958-59 Archbishop John Carroll High School
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Location: Washington, D.C.
Record: 33-0
Head coach: Bob Dwyer
Key players: John Thompson, Edward Malloy, Tom Hooper, George Leftwich
Bottom Line: 1958-59 Archbishop John Carroll High School
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You could take the frontcourt from Archbishop John Carroll High's 1958-59 squad and line it up against any high school team in the country today and come out on top. Matching 6-foot-10 posts and future NBA players John Thompson and Tom Hoover would have been just fine.
Thompson went on to star at Providence and became one of the most legendary college basketball head coaches of all time at Georgetown, where he won an NCAA championship in 1984. Hoover played at Villanova and was the No. 6 overall pick in the 1963 NBA draft.
Another starter, Edward "Monk" Malloy, became president at the University of Notre Dame.
53. 1987-88 St. Nicholas of Tolentine High School
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Location: Bronx, New York
Record: 30-1
Head coach: John Sarandrea
Key players: Malik Sealy, Brian Reese, Adrian Autry
Bottom Line: 1987-88 St. Nicholas of Tolentine High School
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St. Nicholas went from the Bronx to the top of the nation in high school basketball thanks to 6-foot-7 star forward and future NBA player Malik Sealy, who averaged 21.4 points and 10.4 rebounds while shooting 65.4 percent from the field.
Sealy was at his best in the postseason, when he was named MVP of both the CHSAA Tournament and state tournament in taking down fellow New York teams that included future NBA stars Jamal Mashburn (Cardinal Hayes) and Kenny Anderson (Archbishop Malloy). St. Nicholas' only loss came to New Jersey powerhouse St. Anthony's in a tournament in Hawaii.
52. 2001-02 Lincoln High School
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Location: Dallas, Texas
Record: 40-0
Head coach: Leonard Bishop
Key players: Chris Bosh, Bryan Hopkins
Bottom Line: 2001-02 Lincoln High School
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Woe unto the unfortunate post players who had to try and guard a young Chris Bosh for Lincoln High during the 2001-02 season, because the future Basketball Hall of Famer was an absolute nightmare to try and contain.
Lincoln beat three other nationally ranked teams on the way to going 40-0 and routing Beaumont Ozen, 71-51, in the Class 4A state championship game.
Capping off the year at the top of the national polls made Lincoln the first Texas team in 27 years to win a mythical national championship, following Kashmere High and grabbing the national title from a Carmelo Anthony-led Oak Hill Academy squad after they suffered an upset loss to Mater Dei (California).
51. 1989-90 Raytown South High School
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Location: Raytown, Missouri
Record: 32-0
Head coach: Bud Lathrop
Key players: Jevon Crudup, Deric Cofield, Steve Aldrich, Scott Fidler, Andy Nicholson, Bryan Harris, Jesse Battles
Bottom Line: 1989-90 Raytown South High School
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The 1989-90 Raytown South boys basketball team went undefeated and won a state championship despite losing its best player before the season started, when star center and University of Kansas signee Chris Lindley had his foot severed in a train accident.
Jevon Crudup was the straw that stirred the drink for Raytown South, which finished No. 4 in the final USA Today Top 25 poll. Crudup averaged 28.9 points and 13.0 rebounds as a senior, went on to star for the University of Missouri and was a second-round draft pick by the Detroit Pistons in 1994.
Head coach Bud Lathrop finished his career with a 955-300 overall record, with 924 of those wins coming at Raytown South, including four state titles.
50. 1976-77 North Eugene High School
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Location: Eugene, Oregon
Record: 26-0
Head coach: Buddy Holland
Key players: Danny Ainge, Rodger Bates, Mike O'Neill, Greg Niko, Steve Moulton, Greg Jacobson
Bottom Line: 1976-77 North Eugene High School
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Few high school athletes anywhere, ever, can compare with Danny Ainge at North Eugene High School. He led his school to back-to-back state championships in basketball in 1976 and 1977, including an unbeaten season in the latter, when he was one of six All-State selections.
Ainge also was a two-time All-State quarterback and one of the top high school baseball players in the nation as well. He starred in basketball for BYU but also played in the majors for the Toronto Blue Jays, where he became the youngest player in franchise history to hit a home run.
After three years playing Major League Baseball, Ainge turned his focus to basketball, where he won NBA championships with the Boston Celtics in 1984 and 1986.
49. 2012-13 Lone Peak High School
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Location: Highland, Utah
Record: 26-1
Head coach: Quincy Lewis
Key players: Nick Emery, T.J. Haws, Erik Mika, Talon Shumway, Connor Toolson
Bottom Line: 2012-13 Lone Peak High School
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MaxPreps said Lone Peak High was the top public school team in the country in 2012-13. Led by back-to-back Utah Mr. Basketball picks Nick Emery and T.J. Haws, they won the Class 6A state championship.
Lone Peak's only loss that season came to Florida powerhouse Montverde Academy, but the team's record included six wins over teams that were nationally ranked during the season. Emery and Haws both went on to play for BYU, where Haws was a two-time All-WCC selection.
48. 1986-87 Marion High School
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Location: Marion, Indiana
Record: 29-1
Head coach: Bill Green
Key players: Jay Edwards, Lyndon Jones, Nikki Mallory, Lefon Bowens, Jay Teagle, Eric Ewer, Daric Keys, Kyle Persinge
Bottom Line: 1986-87 Marion High School
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In the famous single-class system of high school basketball in Indiana, only two teams ever won three consecutive state titles — Franklin High from 1920 to 1922 and Marion High from 1985 to 1987.
Marion went 84-4 over that period, capped by a 69-56 win over Richmond in the 1987 state championship game, and had nine of its players go on to play college basketball. How popular were the Marion High teams in this stretch? They reportedly had 6,000 season-ticket holders.
Marion's star backcourt of Jay Edwards and Lyndon Jones both played for Indiana University, where Edwards was the Big Ten Player of the Year in 1989. Marion High's eight state championships in boys basketball are the most in Indiana history, but the "Purple Reign" teams that won three consecutive titles from 1985 to 1987 are still the most well known.
47. 2015-16 Chaminade College Prep
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Location: St. Louis, Missouri
Record: 26-6
Head coach: Frank Bennett
Key players: Jayson Tatum, Tyler Cook, William Gladson
Bottom Line: 2015-16 Chaminade College Prep
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No one could hold a candle to Chaminade College Prep's Jayson Tatum during his final two years as a high school player, when he led his school to the Class 5A state championships in 2016.
Even as a high schooler, Tatum was developing a reputation for lighting up the scorebook. The three-time Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year and McDonald's All-American had six 40-point games as a senior.
Tatum went on to star for Duke, where he played one season before he was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft.
46. 1992-93 Wichita South High School
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Location: Wichita, Kansas
Record: 25-0
Head coach: Steve Eck
Key players: B.J. Williams, Jamall Walker, Manny Dies, Mark Eck, Robert Lolar
Bottom Line: 1992-93 Wichita South High School
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Wichita South High is the second team from Wichita, Kansas, to make the list and was coached by legendary high school coach Steve Eck, who won six Class 6A state championships with the Titans from 1986 to 1996.
His 1992-93 team had a gaggle of future Division I talent in forward and Class 6A Player of the Year B.J. Williams (Kansas), forward Manny Dies (Kansas State), point guard Jamall Walker (Saint Louis) and his nephew, Mark Eck, who led Fort Hays State to an NCAA Division II national championship in 1996.
45. 2006-07 Huntington High School
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Location: Huntington, West Virginia
Record: 25-2
Head coach: Lloyd McGuffin
Key players: O.J. Mayo, Patrick Patterson, Jamaal Williams, Michael Taylor
Bottom Line: 2006-07 Huntington High School
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O.J. Mayo began playing high school basketball when he was a seventh-grader in Kentucky, where he was an All-State pick as an eighth-grader before transferring to a high school in Ohio for the first three years of high school.
Mayo played his final season at Huntington High and was named National Player of the Year while playing alongside another future NBA player, Patrick Patterson. Mayo had 41 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in the 2007 Class AAA state championship game — a 103-61 win over South Charleston.
44. 1978-79 Washington (N.C.) High School
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Location: Washington, North Carolina
Record: 29-0
Head coach: Dave Smith
Key players: Dominique Wilkins
Bottom Line: 1978-79 Washington (N.C.) High School
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Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins led Washington High to back-to-back Class 3A state championships in his final two years of high school, including a 29-0 season as a senior.
The 6-foot-8 forward began to pick up national attention as a senior when he had 48 points, 27 rebounds, 8 blocks and 9 dunks in a win over a much larger school — a performance that earned him a spot in Sports Illustrated's "Faces in the Crowd" section.
Can you imagine the sheer terror of trying to guard "The Human Highlight Film" in high school?
43. 1995-96 Lower Merion High School
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Location: Ardmore, Pennsylvania
Record: 31-3
Head coach: Gregg Downer
Key players: Kobe Bryant, Guy Stewart, Dave Rosenberg, Evan Monsky
Bottom Line: 1995-96 Lower Merion High School
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Future NBA superstar and Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant was the first freshman to start on the varsity for Lower Merion High. And they went 4-20.
By his senior season, Bryant was the most heralded high school basketball player in the United States and led Lower Merion to a state championship while averaging 30.8 points, 12.0 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 4.0 steals and 3.8 blocked shots. He was named the Naismith Player of the Year and drafted No. 13 overall in the NBA draft several months later.
In December 2010, the school named its new gymnasium after Bryant after he donated $500,000 to refurbish the gymnasium — one of many times Bryant gave back to his alma mater.
After Bryant's death in a helicopter crash in January 2020, the school hosted a memorial service in the gym named after the fallen star. His No. 33 Lower Merion jersey now hangs above one of the entrances.
42. 2016-17 Westtown School
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Location: West Chester, Pennsylvania
Record: 29-3
Head coach: Seth Berger
Key players: Mo Bamba, Cam Reddish, Brandon Randolph, Anthony Ochefu, Jake Forrester
Bottom Line: 2016-17 Westtown School
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Westtown School's 2016-17 team was one of the more dominant high school basketball teams of all time. It featured a starting five of all future Division I players and two future NBA draft picks, Mo Bamba and Cam Reddish, the No. 10 overall pick in 2018.
The team, which also was featured in the 2018 documentary "We Town," won consecutive Independent Schools state titles in 2016 and 2017.
41. 2006-07 Simeon Career Academy
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Location: Chicago, Illinois
Record: 33-2
Head coach: Robert Smith
Key players: Derrick Rose, Bryant Orange, Timothy Flowers, Kevin Johnson
Bottom Line: 2006-07 Simeon Career Academy
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There aren't too many high school basketball players with the electro-shock hops of Simeon Career Academy's Derrick Rose, a future NBA Most Valuable Player who made Simeon the first Chicago Public League School team to win back-to-back state championships.
Rose and Simeon won titles in 2006 and 2007. In his final season, he averaged 25.2 points, 9.1 assists, 8.8 rebounds and 3.4 steals and was named Illinois Mr. Basketball and a McDonald's All-American.
40. 1976-77 Everett High School
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Location: Lansing, Michigan
Record: 27-1
Head coach: George Fox
Key players: Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Paul Dawson, Larry Hunter
Bottom Line: 1976-77 Everett High School
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The team featuring the greatest high school basketball player in Michigan history needed to be on the list. Earvin "Magic" Johnson led Lansing's Everett High to a state championship in 1977 when he averaged 28.8 points and 16.8 rebounds.
High school assists were not a stat they were recording yet. But we're guessing Magic may have averaged a triple-double.
The 1977 state champions were inducted into the Lansing Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.
39. 1956-57 Middletown High School
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Location: Middletown, Ohio
Record: 25-0
Head coach: Paul Walker
Key players: Jerry Lucas, Larry Emrick, Tom Sizer
Bottom Line: 1956-57 Middletown High School
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Hall of Famer Jerry Lucas was the star player on the second of back-to-back, undefeated state and national championship teams at Middletown High. He was at his most dominant as a junior in 1956-57, when he scored 45 points in the state semifinals.
Lucas, at 6-foot-8, was unlike any player anyone had ever seen. He was listed as a center but was by far the team's best outside shooter.
In three seasons with Lucas, the Middies went 76-1.
38. 1976-77 West Philadelphia High School
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Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Record: 30-0
Head coach: Joe Goldenberg
Key players: Gene Banks, Joe Garrett, Clarence Tillman, Darryl Warwick, Mike Powell, Vincent Ross, Tyrell Biggs, Pee Wee Thomas
Bottom Line: 1976-77 West Philadelphia High School
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West Philadelphia High won a mythical national championship in 1977 behind three-time high school All-American Gene "Tinkerbell" Banks, a 6-foot-7 forward who went on to star at Duke and play in the NBA for six seasons.
Banks scored 31 points for the Speedboys in a 72-52 win over Father Judge High in the city championship game. Alongside Tom Gola, Wilt Chamberlain and Kobe Bryant, Banks is often thought of as one of the greatest Philly-area high school players of all time.
37. 1963-64 Parker High School
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Location: Birmingham, Alabama
Record: 43-1
Head coach: William H. Brown
Key players: Samuel Pierce, Willie Minor
Bottom Line: 1963-64 Parker High School
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With no scheduling limitations, the 1963-64 Birmingham Parker High team played a whopping 44 games and was named National Black High School champions in an era before integrated schools had made their way to all parts of the United States.
After Parker won the Class AA state championship, they played in a national tournament, where they took down the defending national champions from Pearl (Tennessee) High before beating Armstrong (Virginia) High in the finals.
Samuel Pierce played for Vanderbilt and became the first Black player in SEC history.
36. 2002-03 Woodlawn High School
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Location: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Record: 39-0
Head coach: Kenny Almond
Key players: RoShon Jacobs, Kentrell Gransberry, Darnell Lazare
Bottom Line: 2002-03 Woodlawn High School
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The only team in the U.S. who could say they were better than Woodlawn in 2002-03 was the Lebron James-led St. Vincent-St. Mary (Ohio) High squad.
Woodlawn went a staggering 39-0 — unheard of scheduling even for the last 20 years — and finished No. 2 in all the major national polls. They also became the first Louisiana team to win back-to-back state championships in the large school division.
Woodlawn star RoShon Jacobs went on to become an All-Southland pick in both football and basketball for Louisiana-Monroe. Center Kentrell Gransberry became an All-Big East pick at the University of South Florida.
35. 1989-90 King College Prep
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Location: Chicago, Illinois
Record: 32-0
Head coach: Landon Cox
Key players: Jamie Brandon, Damian Porter, Fred Sculfield, Anton Little, Rashard Griffith
Bottom Line: 1989-90 King College Prep
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Any conversation about the greatest teams and greatest players in Chicago high school basketball history should include King College Prep and 6-foot-4 Jamie Brandon, a three-time All-State pick who finished his career as the No. 3 scorer in state history.
As a senior in 1989-90, Brandon led King to a 32-0 record and the state championship before being named mythical national champions by USA Today.
Brandon, who originally committed to play for Illinois, teamed with Shaquille O'Neal at LSU and helped lead the Tigers to a Sweet 16 appearance.
34. 2004-05 Lanier High School
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Location: Jackson, Mississippi
Record: 35-2
Head coach: Thomas Billups
Key players: Monta Ellis, R.L. Thornton
Bottom Line: 2004-05 Lanier High School
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High School All-American and Mississippi Player of the Year Monta Ellis capped his career with a second state championship for Lanier High and did it with one of the more amazing statistical seasons we've ever seen — 41.0 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 4.5 steals.
Lanier finished ranked No. 3 in the USA Today Top 25.
Ellis, a 6-foot-3 guard , was supposed to play for Mississippi State but made the improbable leap to the NBA in the final year high school players were allowed to go straight into the draft. He was picked No. 40 overall.
33. 1998-99 Hargrave Military Academy
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Location: Chatham, Virginia
Record: 27-3
Head coach: Kevin Keatts
Key players: Josh Howard, David West
Bottom Line: 1998-99 Hargrave Military Academy
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The Hargrave Military Academy 1998-99 basketball team was an absolute problem.
What were teams supposed to do when they faced off against Hargrave, led by current North Carolina State head coach Kevin Keatts and future NBA stars Josh Howard and David West? Pray for a rainout?
Keatts, Howard and West were all inducted into the Hargrave Hall of Fame in 2011.
32. 2019-20 Minnehaha Academy
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Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Record: 26-3
Head coach: Lance Johnson
Key players: Jalen Suggs, Chet Holmgren
Bottom Line: 2019-20 Minnehaha Academy
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The 2019-20 Minnehaha Academy team didn't need a state tournament to tell us what we already knew — they just don't make high school basketball teams like this very often.
Minnehaha featured a pair of future NBA draft lottery picks in future Gonzaga star Jalen Suggs and 2021 Gatorade Player of the Year Chet Holmgren, a 7-foot center.
Minnehaha won its third state championship in four years in 2021. They likely would have won four straight state championships if the 2019-20 season hadn't gotten shut down.
31. 1974-75 Kashmere High School
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Location: Houston, Texas
Record: 46-0
Head coach: Weldon Drew
Key players: Karl Godine, Jarvis Williams, Carl Byrd, Madison Lane
Bottom Line: 1974-75 Kashmere High School
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You're not reading that wrong. Kashmere High went 46-0 in 1974-75 in an era where states weren't quite as stringent on scheduling limits.
That was just part of an 83-game winning streak for Kashmere, which was led by future Texas A&M star Karl Godine and Jarvis Williams.
Kashmere brought home more than just a Class 4A state title in 1975. It also earned one of high school basketball's mythical national championships from the National Sports News Service.
30. 2008-09 Findlay Prep
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Location: Henderson, Nevada
Record: 30-0
Head coach: Michael Peck
Key players: Avery Bradley, Tristan Thompson, Cory Joseph
Bottom Line: 2008-09 Findlay Prep
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Findlay Prep featured a roster with three future NBA players — Avery Bradley, Tristan Thompson and Cory Joseph.
It was Bradley who was the star on this team, however, as the No. 7 overall recruit in the country. Bradley averaged 19 points per game, and playing all over the country in tournaments, he brought home MVP at every single one.
This was a two-year stretch under head coach Michael Peck in which Findlay went 61-1.
29. 1980-81 Cambridge Rindge and Latin School
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Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts
Record: 26-0
Head coach: Mike Jarvis
Key players: Patrick Ewing, Kevin Headley
Bottom Line: 1980-81 Cambridge Rindge and Latin School
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Patrick Ewing swept National Player of the Year awards at Cambridge Ridge and Latin School in 1981 after leading his school to a third consecutive state championship.
One of the most highly recruited high school basketball players of all time, Ewing was coached by future Division I head coach Mike Jarvis and went 94-5 in four seasons.
With Ewing on its roster, Cambridge could beat just about anybody. Ewing won a national championship with Georgetown in 1984 and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008.
28. 1966-67 Booker High School
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Location: Sarasota, Florida
Record: 33-1
Head coach: Al Baker
Key players: Howard Porter, Hugh Yancy, Arthur Johnson
Bottom Line: 1966-67 Booker High School
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In our wildest dreams we get to see a game between the 1966-67 Booker High state championship team and the 2019-20 Montverde Academy national championship team to determine the greatest high school team in Florida history.
Booker went 33-1 and won the FIAA state title — consisting of only segregated, all-Black schools. The team was led by Parade All-American Howard Porter and future MLB pitcher Hugh Yancy.
Howard Porter went on to become a three-time All-American at Villanova and led his team to the NCAA championship game against UCLA in 1971, where he was named the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player despite losing in the title game. He also played seven years in the NBA.
27. 1959-60 McClymonds High School
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Location: Oakland, California
Record: 22-0
Head coach: Paul Harless
Key players: Paul Silas, Joe Ellis, Aaron Pointer
Bottom Line: 1959-60 McClymonds High School
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There were two future NBA players on McClymonds High's unbeaten 1959-60 team — Paul Silas and Joe Ellis.
McClymonds, which also counts NBA legend Bill Russell among its former players, also featured another star, future MLB outfielder Aaron Pointer.
Pointer wasn't even the most famous person in his family. Not by a long shot. He's the older brother of Ruth, Bonnie, Anita and Joan Pointer. Also known as the world-famous, Grammy Award-winning musical group The Pointer Sisters.
This was the third of three consecutive national title teams for McClymonds.
26. 2009-10 Yates High School
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Location: Houston, Texas
Record: 32-0
Head coach: Greg Wise
Key players: Joseph Young, Brandon Peters
Bottom Line: 2009-10 Yates High School
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Yates High School gets all the love from us because they were a public school and won a national championship in the modern era of prep schools and diploma mills. That's a truly remarkable feat for coach Greg Wise's squad.
Yates won its second straight Class 4A state title in Texas and won games by an average of 40 points on the way to a 32-0 record.
Yates set a national record by scoring at least 100 points in 15 consecutive games.
They ended the year on a 58-game winning streak and defeated state champions from three different states, including national No. 2 Philadelphia Neumann-Goretti High.
25. 1979-80 West Memphis High School
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Location: West Memphis, Arkansas
Record: 30-0
Head coach: Bill Terwilliger
Key players: Michael Cage, Keith Lee
Bottom Line: 1979-80 West Memphis High School
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Imagine trying to prepare your team to face West Memphis High during the 1979-80 season.
The undefeated Arkansas state championship team reached as high as No. 3 in the nation in the polls and featured two future NBA lottery picks, 6-foot-9 forward Michael Cage and 6-10 center Keith Lee, with Cage as the alpha dog of the group.
Cage played in college for San Diego State, where he was a two-time WAC Player of the Year and an All-American in 1984, then played 15 seasons in the NBA.
24. 1955-56 Crispus Attucks High School
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Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Record: 31-0
Head coach: Ray Crowe
Key players: Oscar Robertson, Albert Maxey, Bill Brown, Stan Patton, Edgar Searcy
Bottom Line: 1955-56 Crispus Attucks High School
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Crispus Attucks High's most famous team was the 1955 state championship team, which became the first all-Black school to win a state championship in Indiana history.
The best team their school ever had was the next year, when future NBA legend Oscar Robertson was a senior and led the team to 31-0 record and was named Mr. Basketball in Indiana.
The Tigers had one close game in the sectional final but won games that season by an average of 28 points and won by an average of 23 points in the state tournament. Attucks went 62-1 over the last two seasons with Robertson as its star.
23. 2016-17 Nathan Hale High School
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Location: Seattle, Washington
Record: 29-0
Head coach: Brandon Roy
Key players: Michael Porter Jr.
Bottom Line: 2016-17 Nathan Hale High School
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Coached by a former NBA star in Brandon Roy, Nathan Hale High grabbed a state championship and a handful of national championships by going unbeaten behind future NBA star forward Michael Porter Jr.
Not everyone was a fan of how Nathan Hale put its team together, though. Porter Jr.'s father was hired as an assistant coach by the University of Washington before the season and brought his five-star recruit son with him to Seattle.
Porter Jr. averaged 36.2 points, 13.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 3.2 steals, 2.7 blocks and was named Gatorade National Player of the Year. Then, he went to play for the University of Missouri for his one college season.
22. 1954-55 Overbrook High School
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Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Record: 20-0
Head coach: Cecil Mosenson
Key players: Wilt Chamberlain, Vince Miller, Marty Hughes, Howard Johnson, Dave Shapiro
Bottom Line: 1954-55 Overbrook High School
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Wilt Chamberlain led Cecil Mosenson's Overbrook High teams to back-to-back Philadelphia city championships in his final two seasons and was never more dominant than in his senior season of 1954-55.
That year, Chamberlain scored over 70 points twice and 90 points once. He also reportedly spent time playing professionally under an alias during this time. And stories of what some colleges offered him (diamonds, movie roles, cash) are even unbelievable in today's day and age.
21. 1984-85 Spingarn High School
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Location: Washington, D.C.
Record: 31-0
Head coach: John Wood
Key players: Sherman Douglas
Bottom Line: 1984-85 Spingarn High School
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The two most sought-after players in the country in 1984-85 resided in the D.C. area with 6-foot-11 DeMatha High forward/center Danny Ferry and Spingarn High point guard Sherman Douglas, just 6-foot-1 and 160 pounds.
And it was Douglas who led his team to the city championship (over DeMatha) and mythical national championship as he averaged 26 points, 6.0 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 steals.
Was Douglas, who starred at Syracuse and played 13 seasons in the NBA, the greatest player to ever come out of Spingarn? Hall of Famers Elgin Baylor and Dave Bing might have something to say about that.
20. 1984-85 Flint Northwestern High School
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Location: Flint, Michigan
Record: 28-0
Head coach: Grover Kirkland
Key players: Glen Rice, Andre Rison, Jeff Grayer
Bottom Line: 1984-85 Flint Northwestern High School
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Being in the stands for a Flint Northwestern High basketball game in the mid-1980s must have been a treat. You got to see future NFL All-Pro wide receiver Andre Rison tossing alley-oop passes to future NBA All-Star Glen Rice. Simply breathtaking.
Michigan has had a lot of great teams — several made this list — but a young Rice was truly the show here. Four years later, he led Michigan to the 1989 NCAA championship. Three years later, Rison led Michigan State to the Rose Bowl.
Oh, did we mention 10-year NBA veteran and first-round draft pick Jeff Grayer was also on the roster?
19. 1978-79 Southwest Macon High School
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Location: Macon, Georgia
Record: 28-0
Head coach: Duck Richardson
Key players: Jeff Malone, Terry Fair, Bobby Jones, Michael Hunt, Hook McCarthy, Eric Hightower
Bottom Line: 1978-79 Southwest Macon High School
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Southwest Macon High coach Duck Richardson was so hard on his players they gave him a truly deplorable nickname we won't repeat here — feel free to look it up if you're so inclined — but the results are impossible to argue.
Southwest Macon won a state championship in 1978 and followed that with a mythical national title in 1979 led by Terry Fair and Jeff Malone.
Fair went on to star at the University of Georgia then played 11 years of professional basketball overseas, mostly in Israel's top league. Malone was the SEC Player of the Year in 1983 at Mississippi State, then played 13 seasons in the NBA, where he averaged 19.0 points for his career and was a two-time All-Star.
18. 2015-16 Chino Hills High School
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Location: Chino HIlls, California
Record: 35-0
Head coach: Steve Baik
Key players: Lonzo Ball, LiAngelo Ball, LaMelo Ball, Onyeka Okongwu, Eli Soctt, Andre Ball, Cameron Shelton
Bottom Line: 2015-16 Chino Hills High School
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Led by two future NBA draft lottery picks in brothers Lonzo Ball and LaMelo Ball (who was then just 5-foot-11 but would grow to 6-7), Chino Hills High was a national phenomenon in 2015-16 as they took down a schedule full of the nation's best teams.
Middle brother LiAngelo Ball, who actually led the team in scoring, was also key as Chino Hills took down ranked team after ranked team, including wins over Montverde Academy (Florida), Jefferson (New York), Bishop Gorman (Nevada) and Bishop MOntgomery (California).
17. 1992-93 Simon Gratz High School
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Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Record: 31-0
Head coach: Bill Ellerbee
Key players: Rasheed Wallace, Rondell Turner, Jamahal Redmond, Lynard Stewart, Reds Smith, Terrel Stokes, Alem Watson
Bottom Line: 1992-93 Simon Gratz High School
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Few high school big men in history can hold a candle to Philadelphia Simon Gratz High star Rasheed Wallace, who averaged 16 points, 15 rebounds and 7 blocks per game as a senior in 1992-93.
Wallace, who went on to star at UNC and play 16 seasons in the NBA, was the big story and was featured in Sports Illustrated that year. In Philadelphia-area prep hoops history, you can count him alongside players like Wilt Chamberlain and Kobe Bryant as the all-time greats.
16. 1990-91 Proviso East High School
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Location: Maywood, Illinois
Record: 32-1
Head coach: Bill Hitt
Key players: Sherrell Ford, Michael Finley, Donnie Boyce
Bottom Line: 1990-91 Proviso East High School
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Proviso East won the 1991 Class AA state championship with one of the more talented high school rosters we've ever seen — the Pirates had three players selected in the 1995 NBA Draft with Illinois Mr. Basketball Sherrell Ford (Illinois-Chicago), Michael Finley (Wisconsin) and Donnie Boyce (Colorado).
The trio — known as "The Three Amigos" — beat Peoria Manual 68-61 in the state championship game and were coached by a Proviso East alum in Bill Hitt.
Boyce is on his second stint as Proviso East's head coach after being re-hired in 2016.
15. 1963-64 Power Memorial Academy
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Location: New York City
Record: 30-0
Head coach: Jack Donohue
Key players: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Bottom Line: 1963-64 Power Memorial Academy
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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar should always be in the discussion when it comes to the greatest basketball players of all time. Few have dominated on every level like the 7-foot-2 center did.
Then known as Lew Alcindor, he led New York City's Power Memorial High to a 71-game winning streak and three consecutive city championships and was a two-time Parade All-American.
He also set the NYC scoring record and went 79-2 in those three seasons, with two national championships and one national runner-up finish.
14. 2009-10 Ames High School
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Location: Ames, Iowa
Record: 27-0
Head coach: Vance Downs
Key players: Harrison Barnes, Doug McDermott
Bottom Line: 2009-10 Ames High School
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Probably one of the more underrated teams on this list (if you can even say that), Ames High was led by a pair of future NBA first-round draft picks in Harrison Barnes and Doug McDermott.
Ames went 27-0 in 2009-10 — their second consecutive state championship — Vance Downs was named USA Today National Coach of the Year and the team finished No. 3 in the national rankings and won a Class 4A state championship.
13. 1976-77 Wichita Heights High School
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Location: Wichita, Kansas
Record: 23-0
Head coach: Lafayette Norwood
Key players: Antoine Carr, Darnell Valentine
Bottom Line: 1976-77 Wichita Heights High School
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In basketball-crazy Kansas, one high school team stands above all the rest — the 1976-77 Wichita Heights High team led by future NBA first-round draft picks Darnell Valentine and Antoine "Big Dog" Carr.
The two Parade All-Americans coached by Lafayette Norwood saw little in the way of competition throughout the year. They led state powerhouse Kansas City Wyandotte 25-0 to start the state championship game on the way to a 92-52 victory.
Valentine played 10 seasons in the NBA, while Carr played 16 seasons.
12. 1970-71 Washington High School
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Location: East Chicago, Indiana
Record: 29-0
Head coach: John Molodet
Key players: Pete Trgovich, Junior Bridgeman, Tim Stoddard, Darnell Adell, Ruben Bailey
Bottom Line: 1970-71 Washington High School
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East Chicago Washington High averaged 95 points per game during the 1970-71 season, led by a bevy of future pro and college talent. They also had size that could match up with anyone they played, led by 6-foot-6 leading scorer Pete Trgovich, 6-5 senior Junior Bridgeman and 6-7 senior Tim Stoddard.
Washington went unbeaten on the way to the state championship. Trgovich won two national titles at UCLA, Stoddard won a national championship at North Carolina State and pitched 11 seasons in the majors.
Bridgeman was a two-time Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year for Louisville, then played 12 seasons in the NBA — as of 2023 his empire of fast-food restaurants and catering/events services had made him one of the richest men in America, with an estimated net worth of $600 million.
11. 1999-2000 Dominguez High School
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Location: Compton, California
Record: 35-2
Head coach: Russell Otis
Key players: Tyson Chandler, Sherman Gay, Marcus Moore, Ellis Moore, Ellis Myles
Bottom Line: 1999-2000 Dominguez High School
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Tyson Chandler was such a great basketball talent that the 7-foot-1 center was featured on "60 Minutes" before he even played a high school basketball game, and by the time he reached his junior year at Dominquez High, the hype was out of control.
Chandler and Dominguez delivered and became the first and only California team to win a mythical national title in the era of weekly high school polls, along with their state title.
The team later became enveloped in scandal when head coach Russell Otis was charged with sexually molesting one of his former players and stealing money from the team's Nike sponsorship.
10. 1971-72 Thornridge High School
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Location: Dolton, Illinois
Record: 33-0
Head coach: Ron Ferguson
Key players: Quinn Buckner, Mike Bonczyk, Boyd Batts
Bottom Line: 1971-72 Thornridge High School
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Quinn Buckner was a winner wherever he went, starting with his time at Dolton Thornridge High, where he was a Parade All-American and led the team to a 33-0 record in 1971-72, state title and mythical national title.
Buckner, who was also the Illinois Player of the Year in football, also won a gold medal in the Olympics, led Indiana to an undefeated NCAA championship season in 1976 and won an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics.
9. 1994-95 Farragut Academy
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Location: Chicago, Illinois
Record: 28-2
Head coach: Willie Nelson
Key players: Kevin Garnett, Ronnie
Bottom Line: 1994-95 Farragut Academy
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Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett transferred to Chicago's Farragut Career Academy before his senior year in 1994-95 and created one of the greatest high school basketball duos of all time when he paired up with fellow phenom Ronnie Fields, who was one year behind him in school.
Garnett was the National Player of the Year in 1995 and became the first high school player picked in the NBA draft in 20 years, when he was selected No. 5 overall by the MInnesota Timberwolves.
8. 2005-06 Lawrence North High School
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Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Record: 29-0
Head coach: Jack Keefer
Key players: Greg Oden, Mike Conley Jr., Stephen Van Treese, Damian Windham
Bottom Line: 2005-06 Lawrence North High School
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Few high school basketball duos can match up with Lawrence North High's Michael Conley Jr. and Greg Oden, who led their school to three consecutive state championships and ended their careers on a 50-game winning streak.
Oden was one of the most heralded recruits of the last 30 years and a two-time Parade All-American and the National Player of the Year. He teamed with Conley to lead Ohio State to the 2007 NCAA championship game, and the two were picked No. 1 and No. 4 overall in the 2007 NBA draft.
7. 1989-90 Southwestern High School
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Location: Detroit, Michigan
Record: 30-1
Head coach: Perry Watson
Key players: Jalen Rose, Vashon Leonard, Howard Eisley, Garland Mance, Elton Carter
Bottom Line: 1989-90 Southwestern High School
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Detroit Southwestern High lost in the state championship game seven of the previous eight seasons before 1990. That was when superstar junior guard Jalen Rose led them to the first of back-to-back state titles.
Rose was hardly a one-man show for the Prospectors. He was just one of three future NBA players on the roster alongside junior Voshon Lenard and senior Howard Eisley.
Rose was the real prize, though. He went on to help lead Michigan to back-to-back Final Fours, alongside childhood friend Chris Webber, and played 14 seasons in the NBA.
6. 1992-93 Oak Hill Academy
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Location: Mouth of Wilson, Virginia
Record: 36-0
Head coach: Steve Smith
Key players: Jerry Stackhouse, Jeff McGinnis, Mark Blount, Makhtar Ndiaye, Alex Sanders, Curtis Staples, Jermaine Smith, Mike Brittain, Tavares Johnson
Bottom Line: 1992-93 Oak Hill Academy
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The truly bananas fact about Oak Hill Academy's 1992-93 season is that six of the 36 wins were against college teams on the way to winning the school's first mythical high school national championship.
Oak Hill featured a starting lineup with four future NBA players — Jerry Stackhouse, Jeff McGinnis, Mark Blount and Makhtar Ddiaye — and had another five future Division I players on the roster.
Even at that, no one outshined Stackhouse. He was either the No. 1 or No. 2 recruit in the country depending on which service you looked at, and ended up playing alongside the guy he shared those top rankings with at the University of North Carolina — Simon Gratz High's Rasheed Wallace.
5. 1972-73 DeMatha Catholic High School
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Location: Hyattsville, Maryland
Record: 30-1
Head coach: Morgan Wooten
Key players: Adrian Dantley, Kenny Carr, Billy Langloh, Eric Coard, Ron Satterthwaite, Buzzy O'Connell, Vern Allen
Bottom Line: 1972-73 DeMatha Catholic High School
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By far the most difficult school to pick just one team from, we give the edge to Morgan Wooten's 1972-73 squad mainly because of the presence of Adrian Dantley and Kenny Carr, who would both become NBA lottery picks.
Dantley, 6-foot-6, and Carr, 6-7, absolutely terrorized opponents, and Wooten was a master at getting the most out of them. UCLA coach John Wooden once called Wooten "the finest coach on any level … high school, college, or pro. I stand in awe of him."
The only loss for DeMatha that season? Longtime rival Dunbar High.
4. 2019-20 Montverde Academy
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Location: Montverde, Florida
Record: 25-0
Head coach: Kevin Boyle
Key players: Cade Cunningham, Scottie Barnes, Moses Moody, Caleb Houstan, Day'Ron Sharpe
Bottom Line: 2019-20 Montverde Academy
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It's not recency bias to just believe what your eyes tell you. And our eyes tell us that the 2019-20 Montverde Academy team is one of the best collections of high school talent we've ever seen.
Led by 2021 NBA draft No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham, the Eagles had just one game decided by single digits on the way to a 25-0 record and mythical national title.
It wasn't just Cunningham who stood out for Montverde. Teammates Scottie Barnes and Moses Moody were also lottery picks in 2021.
3. 2002-03 St. Vincent-St. Mary High School
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Location: Akron, Ohio
Record: 26-0
Head coach: Dru Joyce II
Key players: LeBron James, Dru Joyce III, Sian Cotton, Romeo Travis
Bottom Line: 2002-03 St. Vincent-St. Mary High School
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The world was introduced to LeBron James in 2001-02 via a Sports Illustrated cover featuring the St. Vincent-St. Mary High star, and ESPN made the deft decision to start broadcasting his games on national television.
James, who became the NBA's career leading scorer in 2023, would have been the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft after his junior season for sure and maybe his sophomore season and was a three-time Parade All-American and two-time National Player of the Year.
James was briefly suspended this year over an investigation into improper benefits, then reinstated, and the Irish not only won their third state title in four years but also took down national powers Mater Dei, Westchester and Oak Hill.
2. 1982-83 Dunbar High School
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Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Record: 31-0
Head coach: Bob Wade
Key players: Reggie Williams, Muggsy Bogues, Keith James, Mike Brown, Tim Dawson, Reggie Lewis
Bottom Line: 1982-83 Dunbar High School
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It's easy to understand why most people look at the 1982-83 Dunbar High squad as the de facto greatest high school basketball team of all time.
The Poets went wire-to-wire as the No. 1 team in the country in the USA Today poll and beat opponents by an average margin of victory of 36.5 points.
Dunbar finished the season 31-0 and beat teams from seven different states in the process. They were led by a pair of future NBA first-round draft picks, Muggsy Bogues and National Player of the Year Reggie Williams, and brought another first-round pick off the bench with the late Reggie Lewis.
1. 1988-89 St. Anthony High School
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Location: Jersey City, New Jersey
Record: 32-0
Head coach: Bob Hurley
Key players: Bobby Hurley, Rodrick Rhodes, Jerry Walker, Terry DeHere, Danny Hurley
Bottom Line: 1988-89 St. Anthony High School
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The first of St. Anthony High head coach Bob Hurley Sr.'s four national championships came with his son, Bobby Hurley, leading the team at point guard.
Bobby Hurley was one of three future NBA players on the roster alongside Rodrick Rhodes and Terry Dehere, as St. Anthony defeated teams from 10 different states on the way to a 32-0 record.
Hurley Sr. would be St. Anthony High's coach for 45 years, staying at the school until the day it closed in 2017. In that time, Hurley won 26 state championships, four national championships and was named USA Today National Coach of the Year three times.