Supreme court decision: who's this year's top high school player? The debate is lively, and the verdict won't be rendered in the media, but on the hardwood

Sporting News, The, July 14, 2003 by Mike DeCourcy

The difference between this year's LeBron James and next year's LeBron James is that this year's bears that name on his birth certificate--and drives the most notorious SUV in the land and owns contract guarantees that place his net worth into nine figures. In other words, he is LeBron James. His successor as the nation's No. 1 high school basketball player must follow that act.

Though there is no shortage of aspirants for the position, none is banking on receiving the same treatment. "I don't think it's going to be anything like LeBron. Ite came at a great time, and he's so talented," says Sebastian Telfair, the preternaturally gifted point guard at Brooklyn's Lincoln High. "I don't think anybody in history will see a situation like LeBron's."

James became this nation's most celebrated prep athlete ever and last month saw the publicity validated with a huge Nike endorsement contract and his selection as the No. 1 player in the NBA draft. The new king will find his reign to be dramatically different.

* His throne will not go unchallenged. When the NCAA's summer evaluation period for basketball recruits began this week, there was no consensus in identifying the top player's identity. SchoolSports editor-in-chief Jon Segal nominated Telfair. TheInsiders.com's Dave Telep chose 6-10 power forward Dwight Howard of Atlanta. FutureStars owner Van Coleman picked Al Jefferson, a 6-9 center from Prentiss, Miss. All agree that 6-6 point guard Shaun Livingston of Peoria, Ill., is in the neighborhood.

* His title will be earned on the court. James did not compete last July because of a broken wrist and still remained several laps ahead of the competition. This year's top player will be determined through competition at the Adidas ABCD Camp, the Nike All-American Camp and various team competitions that will take place later this month in North Augusta, S.C., Orlando and Las Vegas.

* His future will be less certain. James likely would have been the NBA's first overall pick after either his sophomore or junior season at Akron's St. Vincent-St. Mary High. The next No. 1 might even attend college.

"On the whole, the class of 2003 was LeBron's class. All the other kids were diminished by his overpowering presence," says Adidas basketball chief Sonny Vaccaro, who has been following the prep talent scene since beginning the Dapper Dan all-star game in 1965. "I think this next class, as a whole, is one of the best to come around in a long time. As individuals, they can't follow LeBron. As a group, they can."

Shaun Livingston

* Measurements: 6-6, 175 pounds.

* High school: Central (Peoria, Ill.).

* Greatest strength: Superb playmaker for his size.

* Biggest area for improvement: Shooting consistency.

* Chance of jumping straight to pros: None. "I'm not strong enough," Livingston acknowledges.

The funny thing about Livingston is how frequently his teams win. Peoria won the Illinois state championship in March. Last spring, his Ft. Sooy No Limit club team won the prestigious Spiece Run-N-Slam title. That is by design. He focuses on running his team, which is nearly as great an advantage as his uncommon height.

Livingston effectively penetrates defenses. When finishing a play is more prudent than passing, he can get the ball to the rim. Adding some muscle will make him even better. He consumes protein powders and a variety of vitamins, lifts weights three times weekly and does nightly pushups, but he still is struggling to gain weight.

Although he has pure point guard skills, some college coaches can't help but wonder how dangerous he would be operating from a small forward position in combination with another true point guard. The top three schools he is considering all have young point guards: Illinois (Dee Brown), Arizona (Mustafa Shakur) and Duke (Sean Dockery).

"It'd be real different if I became No. 1," Livingston says. "The hype LeBron got--that's as much hype as you can get. I feel lucky just to be in my shoes, not deal with all the pressure he has to deal with."

Al Jefferson

* Measurements: 6-9, 265 pounds.

* High school: Prentiss (Miss.).

* Greatest strength: Exceptional footwork in the post.

* Biggest area for improvement: Relying less on brute force.

* Chance of jumping straight to pros: Committed to Arkansas, but many college coaches suspect he'll never wear a Razorbacks uniform.

Dropping roughly 25 pounds since last summer has made Jefferson more of a player. His efficiency as a post scorer now is his most overwhelming feature.

"He's not quite as athletic as Howard, but he's probably a more efficient player," Coleman says. "Last summer, it was all about being physical--pushing, shoving, beating people up. He needed to really learn how to play, and he took it to heart. He's kind of like a Henry Aaron--he grows on you when you watch him play."

Jefferson played exceedingly well while trying out in May for the U.S. junior national team. He made the first cut but chose to withdraw from further competition in order to remain stateside during July and compete at the Nike camp and in the AAU national tournament.