Three juniors already named ESPNHS All-Americans headline a group of 60 elite players selected to the 2011-12 ESPNHS Underclass All-American boys' basketball watch list.
Headlining this year's watch list heading into the intense AAU summer season are junior forwards Jabari Parker of Simeon (Chicago), this year's National Junior Player of the Year, Julius Randle of Prestonwood Christian (Plano, Texas) and Aaron Gordon of Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.).
While the trio and the 57 other honorees all had standout campaigns for their high school teams, others are sure to emerge this summer as bona fide All-America candidates heading into the 2012-13 season. Nearly every summer on the circuit, well-known players are eclipsed by lesser-known commodities, and every so often a prospect comes out of nowhere to emerge as a Mr. Basketball USA candidate.
The last player to make such a quantum leap was Kentucky's Anthony Davis, who attended Perspectives Charter (Chicago). In the spring of 2010, he was a virtual unknown on the high school basketball scene. Two years later, he's the likely No. 1 pick of the 2012 NBA draft.
Parker and Randle were Mr. Basketball USA candidates as juniors, and Sophomore Player of the Year Andrew Wiggins of Huntington Prep (Huntington, W.Va.) will likely be in the same situation next season. The 6-foot-7 wing averaged 24.2 points and 8.5 rebounds for a 28-2 team and his play so far this spring has put him in the conversation as the best player in the country, regardless of class.
Wiggins just missed making the ESPNHS All-America team, while guard Tyus Jones of Apple Valley (Minn.) just missed selection to the 30-player honorable mention list. Jones' play so far in the Nike EYBL puts him right on par with any underclass guard in the country, including honorable mention pick Kasey Hill of Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.). The Minnesota Gatorade State Player of the Year is the EYBL's third-leading scorer (20.8) and is leading in assists (6.5) through the first two sessions.
2011-12 Underclass All-American watch list
Juniors to watch (2013)
C -- BeeJay Anya, DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) 6-9
G -- Anthony Barber, Hampton (Va.) 6-2
F -- Jabari Bird, Salesian (Richmond, Calif.) 6-5
F -- Brian Bridgewater, Episcopal (Baton Rouge, La.) 6-6
G -- Aquille Carr, Patterson (Baltimore, Md.) 5-6
G -- Stephen Clark, Douglass (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 5-10
G -- Nick Emery, Lone Peak (Highland, Utah) 6-1
G -- Tyler Ennis, St. Benedict's Prep (Newark, N.J.) 6-3
G -- Conner Frankamp, North (Wichita, Kan.) 6-1
G -- Keith Frazier, Kimball (Dallas) 6-5
F -- Aaron Gordon, Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.) 6-8
G -- Isaac Hamilton, St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) 6-5
G -- Aaron Harrison, Fort Bend Travis (Richmond, Texas) 6-4
G -- Andrew Harrison, Fort Bend Travis (Richmond, Texas) 6-4
F -- Isaiah Hicks, Oxford (Oxford, N.C.), 6-9
G -- Kasey Hill, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-1
F -- Rondae Jefferson, Chester (Chester, Pa.) 6-7
F -- Kris Jenkins, Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) 6-6
G -- JaJuan Johnson, Southwind (Memphis, Tenn.) 6-5
G -- Matt Jones, DeSoto (DeSoto, Texas) 6-4
F -- Nick King, East (Memphis, Tenn.) 6-7
F -- Jabari Parker, Simeon (Chicago) 6-8
G -- Juwan Parker, Booker T. Washington (Tulsa, Okla.) 6-4
F -- Bobby Portis, Hall (Little Rock, Ark.) 6-9
F -- Roschon Prince, Poly (Long Beach, Calif.) 6-6
F -- Julius Randle, Prestonwood Christian (Plano, Texas) 6-9
G -- Tahj Shamsid-Deen, Columbia (Decatur, Ga.) 5-10
C -- Chris Walker, Holmes County (Bonifay, Fla.) 6-9
C -- Jonathan Williams III, Southwind (Memphis, Tenn.) 6-9
G -- Nigel Williams-Goss, Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) 6-3
2012 Junior of the Year: Jabari Parker
Sophomores to watch (2014)
C -- Cliff Alexander, Curie (Chicago) 6-9
F -- Evan Bailey, Jackson (Massillon, Ohio) 6-5
G -- Casey Benson, Corona del Sol (Tempe, Ariz.) 6-2
G -- Joel Berry, Lake Highland Prep (Orlando, Fla.) 6-1
F -- Trevon Bluiett, Park Tudor (Indianapolis) 6-5
G -- Parker Jackson-Cartwright, Loyola (Los Angeles) 5-9
G -- T.J. Haws, Lone Peak (Highland, Utah) 6-2
G -- Tadric Jackson, Tift County (Tifton, Ga.) 6-2
F -- Stanley Johnson, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 6-6
G -- Tyus Jones, Apple Valley (Minn.) 6-1
F -- Jalen Lindsey, Christ Presbyterian Academy (Nashville, Tenn.) 6-6
F -- Kevon Looney, Hamilton (Milwaukee, Wis.) 6-7
F -- Trey Lyles, Arsenal Tech (Indianapolis, Ind.) 6-8
F -- Ja'Quon Newton, Neumann Goretti (Philadelphia) 6-3
C -- Jahlil Okafor, Whitney Young (Chicago) 6-9
F -- L.J. Peak, Gaffney (Gaffney, S.C.) 6-4
F -- Wayne Seldon, Tilton School (Tilton, N.H.) 6-5
G -- Romelo Trimble, Bishop O'Connell (Arlington, Va.) 6-2
G -- Isaiah Whitehead, Lincoln (Brooklyn, N.Y.) 6-4
F -- Andrew Wiggins, Huntington Prep (Huntington, W.Va.) 6-7
2012 Sophomore of the Year: Andrew Wiggins
Freshmen to watch (2015)
G -- Tyler Dorsey, Ribet Academy (Los Angeles) 6-4
G -- Isaiah Briscoe, St. Benedict's Prep (Newark, N.J.) 6-2
C -- Marcus Derrickson, Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) 6-7
G -- Hyron Edwards, Central (East Chicago, Ind.) 6-0
F -- K.J. Lawson, East (Memphis, Tenn.) 6-5
G -- Marcus LoVett Jr., Providence (Burbank, Calif.) 5-11
F -- Mickey Mitchell, Prestonwood Christian (Plano, Texas) 6-6
G -- Malik Newman, Callaway (Jackson, Miss.) 6-2
C -- Diamond Stone, Dominican (Whitefish Bay, Wis.) 6-9
F -- Karl Towns, St. Joseph (Metuchen, N.J.) 6-11
2012 Freshman Player of the Year: Malik Newman
Note: All selections based on high school accomplishment. Similar to the Mr. Basketball USA honor, those ineligible due to age or academics are not eligible for this honor.
Ronnie Flores is a senior editor for ESPNHS. He can be reached at ronnie.flores@espn.com. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonFloresESPN