Who were Middle School Phenoms...

[WhoGotNext]

Who are some middle school kids that were considered a "Phenom" & would go on to play at least D1, 2 or 3 and who just didn't pan out?

Also, interested to read your take on middle school rankings and media attention it gets. Is it even necessary?

Just wondering.

 

[2016chd]

Not really fair to call these kids out since more times than not they simply matured earlier than most and the rest caught up rather than were just a waste of a true d1-2-3 talent

 

[TwitterLegend]

Alonzo Trier is the first one that I can think of off the top of my head, he was a 10-year old phenom and ended up being a Mcdonalds All-American and is now at Zona... not a supporter of middle school rankings/exposure. too young

 

[kiddman32]

This is from the 18 years I lived in Oregon... Nigel Williams-Goss was all the rage up there, even when he was 11.. I saw him play in a super-high-level AAU tournament when he was 11, playing against highly-ranked varsity HS kids from all over the country. He was somewhat overmatched physically, but despite that he did quite well. The next time I saw him play was after his 7th-grade season.

This is the ONLY time I have purposely gone out of my way to watch a 7th-grader play. It was well worth the time.

He played for the Oregon intermediate school all star team against Washington's intermediate all-star team, and he was the only 7th-grader on either roster. I'd say he was about 5'10" and rail-skinny.

Dude scored 50 points and led his team in basically every positive stat as they came from behind and won. A total dynamo.

I was soooooo looking forward to following his high-school career, but Nigel went to Findlay Prep instead, where he starred.

He played two solid years in a starting role for the most part at UW, but transferred to Gonzaga where he'll play next year.

I know this isn't a guy who "didn't pan out" as the orig. post asks for, but I just thought this might be an interesting read...

 

[jordan24]

Jason Kidd was a legend in middle school.

 

[kiddman32]

Jason Kidd was a legend in middle school.

Yup, I heard quite a bit about him before he got to St. Joe's. So, I went to his first game of his freshman year. A total freak who ran the team like a pro. I wish I *had* gone and seen him in middle school. I did make up for lost time during his HS years, seeing some 70 of his games. No other guard I've seen at the HS level has had his combination of size, strength, speed, court vision, moves, passing ability, and especially the *MIND* for the game. Not even close, really... I'd have to put Gary Payton a distant 2nd on my point-guard list.

I do remember seeing an interview of his high-flying teammate Adrian Ealy, who had played with him since they were 10 or so. Talking about those first games together, he said something like "Yeah, I'd score 6, J would score 20, and we'd win 26-6!"

Oh, speaking of Payton... The summer after J got out of high school, he played on a team in the San Francisco pro-am league. When Payton was in town, they'd play together on the same team, J at the 1 and Payton at the 2... That was one helluva backcourt...

 

[jordan24]

I have to agree with Payton being a distant 2nd to JKidd. The scary thing is that Gary Payton is in the Hall of Fame and Jason Kidd will be a sure first time admission to the HOF.
Yeah. I was at that Pro-Am game (what hoops fan wasn't? Lol) Kezar Pavilion was packed! I also recall Brian Shaw and Tim Hardaway were playing?
Growing up in SF, Ray Kelly,Terrence Mullins, Dwayne Fontana and Jaha Wilson were middle school legends in CYO and Middle School leagues. Ray Kelly was a little guy, but absolutely dazzled as a point guard earning him the nickname "Baby Magic". This was before all the Social Media and AAU hype that is around today.