Number One- Nation's Best

This triumvirate represents some of the nation's best out of the Class of 2001.

By Frank Rusnak
It's the end of the road for this year's seniors and while most of the nation's top players will be going on to prominent college careers, an alarmingly high number of players are making the jump into the NBA.

All together, there have been 12 prep players selected in the NBA Draft since Kevin Garnett brought back the trend in 1995. But that number could possibly increase by 50-percent after the June 27 NBA Draft. Ranging from Mali, Africa-native Ousmane Cisse to Oak Hill Academy's 7-foot wonder DeSagana Diop, almost anyone who has held time at the number one spot nationally has already declared for the draft.

...Chandler runs the court like a man a foot shorter and at a generous 220 lbs., he intimidates on defense like a man a horse heavier.

Tyson Chandler
-California's 7'1" NBA-bound prep star.

The 2001 Class was full of an abundance of highly skilled, athletically gifted, NBA-trigger happy players, but it is tough to classify one player that is above the pack.

For the six young men looking to make the leap of their life, there are still many question marks that dangle above their heads.

Tony Key of Centennial High School in California, for example, is a virtual unknown to NBA scouts. Averaging 24 points and 16 rebounds while standing a very NBA worthy 7-feet tall, the scouts are slowly taking notice, but where the Kentucky-native is being projected at, he should count his blessings if he even gets selected.

While the chiseled Cisse already has a NBA physique, he needs a pair of high-heels to match up to the NBA power players vertically, standing a generous 6'7". Still very raw, not possessing any serious low-post game, his understanding of the game is far from its pinnacle.

Along with Cisse, fellow African-native, DeSagana Diop, has a long way to go with his comprehension with the intricacies of the game, but at 7-feet and 300 lbs. he has scouts making their clipboards wet with saliva. Failing to start for his high school team until halfway through his junior campaign, Diop has good hands and is quick up and down the court, but still with a lot to be desired.

One of the most enticing players has to be Georgia's 6'11" Kwame Brown. Physically well-to-do, with good offensive tools to work with, Brown is a fierce competitor not opposed to getting his hands dirty during the course of a game. Signing with Florida, Brown has now, much to the chagrin of Gator fans, made his name available for the draft.

However, one of the best has choose to postpone his trip through the green room to greet David Stern, to instead stroll the green pastures of the Memphis University campus. Committed to John Calipari's Tigers, DaJuan Wagner will join his father, Milt, at Memphis.

Milt, a former star at Louisville and NBA player, was offered and accepted a job on Calipari's staff...before DaJuan committed to Memphis, for whatever that is worth. After his senior year was played out, DaJuan, a 6'2" combo guard, and his pops become the first father-son combo to both have played in the McDonald's All-American game, as the younger Wagner poured in a team high 25 points. (Milt played in the 1981 game with Michael Jordan.)

But with all of his vast accomplishments, including a 2000 New Jersey State Championship and being crowned New Jersey's all-time leading scorer while averaging 44 points his senior year, they all fail in comparison to what transpired on January 16, 2001. DaJuan poured in bucket after bucket in every way seemingly possible while he scored 100-points as Camden High team topped an overmatched Gloucester Township Technical School by a mark of 157-67.

Despite his remarkable accomplishments, it was a 7-footer from Southern California that has been in the national media spotlight the most out of all the stars of 2001.

It all began for Dominguez High's Tyson Chandler as a freshman, when he was profiled on a 60 Minutes special. Even at that age, Chandler was still thinking of omitting college altogether in his ultimate plan of playing in the NBA. At 7'1", Chandler is a rail-thin athletic wonder that has unearthly amounts of what many NBA GM's are starting to covet more than acquired skill---potential.

Averaging 26 points, 15 rebounds and 8 blocked shots his senior year for the Dons, Chandler runs the court like a man a foot shorter and at a generous 220 lbs., he intimidates on defense like a man a horse heavier. With a smooth outside shot and a capable handle, combined with his sleight of build, Chandler will no doubt be spending little time around the basket with the NBA's behemoths.

One that will not be afraid of those behemoths, most likely because he will soon become one of their kind, is Thornwood's Eddy Curry. Already possessing an NBA-body, no surprise when Curry entered his name in the draft instead of fulfilling his commitment to DePaul, where he had earlier committed.

At 6'11" and a fluctuating 300 lbs., Curry averaged 22 points and 10 rebounds this past season for his Thunderbirds in leading them to the state finals. With overpowering strength, good basketball smarts, soft hands and a gentle touch around the hoop, when Curry came to play fully inspired, there was no one succeeding in stopping this Hulk figure.

In the post season, Curry participated in the McDonald's All-American Game, where he finished with 28 points and took home the MVP honors of the stars-studded game. Curry has begun his NBA journey with a smart move in hiring Michael Jordan's physical trainer, Tim Grover.

Fault-finders point to his unsuccessful battle with Chandler during a shootout in St. Louis this year. But, realistically, Curry was in better shape for his death-bed than to be making the long haul from Chicago to do battle with the Chandler and his Dominguez team, which constantly double and triple teamed Curry.

Well, if their dreams come true, Chandler and Curry, along with Key, Cisse, Diop, Brown, and Wagner in due time, will all be able to go up against one another in the future, but next time on a much larger stage.