TSN's High School

Sporting News, The, March 26, 2001

ALL-AMERICANS

In the fall, Kelvin Torbert will be off to Michigan State for his first season with the Spartans. He'll arrive with high marks. Torbert is on THE SPORTING NEWS' inaugural High School All-American basketball team and is our Senior Player of the Year. In an effort to bring you thorough recruiting news, we have selected high school All-American teams to recognize young talent. Shavlik Randolph wins Junior Player of the Year honors, and LeBron James is TSN's Sophomore Player of the Year. All three players showed exceptional character throughout the season as well as superior basketball skills. The panel that determined our six All-American teams consists of TSN staff writer Luciana Chavez and recruiting analysts Stephen Wacaser, Van Coleman, Clint Jackson, Brick Oettinger and Dave Telep.

For the complete list of TSN All-American teams, more about each player of the year, coverage of the McDonald's High School All-American game festivities and more recruiting information, go to sportingnews.com/cbasketball/recruiting/.

Senior Player of the Year

Kelvin Torbert

Torbert first dunked when he was in the sixth grade. That was the first sign Torbert would be the next phenom in a long line of them from Flint, Mich. Northwestern High coach Grover Kirkland says Torbert, a 6-4, 210-pound wing, is the best of the bunch. He has a wide receiver's body and a high-jumper's hops. An unassuming but unrelenting competitor, Torbert can elevate above or power past opponents. Watch him do both simultaneously and you know the beauty of his game. Torbert put his stamp on the books this year by scoring in one game a school-record 50 points, two shy of Charlie Bell's city record. He likely will take Bell's place at Michigan State in the fall. In last week's Michigan state high school basketball playoffs, Torbert was pouring in 27 points a game, 8.2 rebounds and 2.5 steals.

Seniors first team

                            Hometown/
Name             Position   high school            College Choice

Kelvin Torbert     G/F      Flint, Mich./          Michigan State
                            Northwestern

Dajuan Wagner       G       Camdem, N.J./          Memphis
                            Camdem,

Kwame Brown         F       Brunswick, Ga./        Florida
                            Glynn Academy

Eddy Curry          C       South Holland, Ill./   DePaul
                            Thornwood

Tyson Chandler      C       Compton, Calif./       Undecided
                            Dominguez

Junior Player of the Year

Shavlik Randolph

Randolph (Raleigh, N.C./Broughton) is simply the best prospect out of North Carolina since Michael Jordan. In 2000-01, the 6-10, 215-pound forward averaged 27.6 points, 12.6 rebounds and 4.4 blocks and broke Pete Maravich's Broughton record with 50 points in one game.

Juniors first team

Name               Position   Hometown/High school

Raymond Felton        G       Latta, S.C./Latta
Anthony Roberson      G       Sanigaw, Mich./Saginaw
Shavlik Randolph      F       Raleigh, N.C./Broughton
Shelden Williams      F       Midwest City, Okla./Midwest City
Sani Ibrahim          C       Winchendon, Mass./Winchendon School

Sophomore Player of the Year

LeBron James

Just 16, James introduced himself to the nation with 33 points against powerhouse Oak Hill in January. Still working on another Ohio state Division III title with Akron's St. Vincent-St. Mary High last week, the 6-6, 205-pound shooting guard was averaging 25.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7 assists.

Sophomores first team

Name              Position   Hometown/high school

LeBron James         G       Akron, Ohio/St. Vincent-St. Mary's
Richard McBride      G       Springfield, Ill./Lanphier
Lodrick Stewart     F/G      Seattle/Rainier Beach
Major Wingate        F       Florence, S.C./Wilson
Shagari Alleyne      C       New York/Rice