The Top 10 2008 High School Recruits: 10 Years Later

Recently I saw a video by YouTuber KTO where he took a look back at the top 10 high football recruits in 2008 and how their careers turned out. So that gave me an idea to take a look at the top 10 high school basketball recruits from the 2008 ESPN 100 and take a look at where they are now 10 years later. Before I start, here are some the players who didn't crack the top 10 that might surprise you considering who did make it.

• Reggie Jackson ranked #94. Attended Boston College for three years before being drafted with the 24th pick by the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2011. Currently holds career averages of 12.4 points and 4.4 assists with 43% field goal shooting and 31% three-point shooting.
• Klay Thompson ranked #53. Attended Washington State for three years before being drafted with the 11th pick by the Golden State Warriors in the 2011 draft. Currently holds career averages of 19.2 points and career shooting percentages of 46% from the field and 42% from three-point range. Along with that, Thompson is a two-time member of the All-NBA 3rd team, a four-time all-star, and a three-time NBA Champion.
• Draymond Green ranked #36. Attended Michigan State for four years before being drafted with the 35th pick by the Golden State Warriors in the 2012 draft. Currently holds career averages of 9.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 44% from the field and 33% from three-point range. Along with that, Green is a two-time All-NBA team member (second & third once each), three-time All-Defensive 1st team member, three-time all-star, 2017 steals champion, 2017 Defensive Player of the Year, and a three-time NBA Champion.
• Greg Monroe ranked #20. Attended Georgetown for two years before being drafted with the 7th pick by the Detroit Pistons in the 2010 draft. Currently holds career averages of 13.7 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 1.1 steals while shooting 52% from the field. 
• Kemba Walker ranked #14. Attended Connecticut for three years before being drafted with the 9th overall pick by the Charlotte Bobcats in the 2011 draft. Currently holds career averages of 18.9 points, 5.4 assists, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 42% from the field and 36% from three-point range, and is also a two-time all-star.

So with that out of the way, here are the top 10 recruits from the ESPN 100 in 2008, and where they are now.

10. Willie Warren

 Rated as a top five guard in the country, Willie Warren was coming off a senior year at North Crowley High School in Fort Worth, Texas where he averaged 24.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.5 steals per game and was named a McDonald's All-American when he committed to Oklahoma University. In his freshman year with the Sooners, Warren would average 14.6 points and 1.1 steals per game shot 47% from the field and 37% from three-point range, and was named a member of the All-Big 12 second-team and the Big 12 Freshman of the Year. Despite being projected as a lottery pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, Warren opted to return to Oklahoma for his sophomore year and averaged 16.3 points, 4.1 assists and a steal per game while shooting 44% from the field and 31% from three-point range but struggled with injuries throughout the season. Warren would declare for the 2010 draft after two seasons in college, but he had fallen sharply since his freshman year. Warren would end up being selected with the 54th pick in the draft by the Los Angeles Clippers.

Warren has only played in one season in the NBA so far. In the 2010-11 season, Warren would play a total of 19 games with the Clippers and would average just 1.9 points and 1.4 assists per game while shooting 37% from the field and 33% from three-point range. Warren would also spend time in the D-League (now G-League) with the Bakersfield Jam during his rookie season and averaged 19.2 points, 5.7 assists, and a steal per game while shooting 45% from the field and 40% from three-point range. Warren would be released by the Clippers before the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season. Since then, Warren has played in both the G-League and overseas in Israel, Hungary, China, and Iran. In 2016, as a member of the Zhejiang Golden Bulls, he was selected as a Chinese Basketball Association All-Star. Warren did play three games with the G-League's Texas Legends this past season. but was quickly waived. Warren is just 28 still, but his chances of returning to the NBA seem slim at best right now.

9. Scotty Hopson

Coming out of University Heights Academy in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, Scotty Hopson was ranked a five-star recruit and was considered one of the top five best players in the country by Rivals.com. Following his senior year, during which he was named a McDonald's All-American, Hopson committed to play at Tennessee University, where he would go on to play three seasons as a member of the Volunteers. After two seasons where he put up slightly disappointing numbers of 10.7 points and 3.1 rebounds per game while shooting 44% from the field and 34% from three-point range, Hopson would show flashes of the five-star recruit he as considered in his junior year. During that year, Hopson averaged 17 points and 3.3 rebounds, shot 45% from the field and 38% from three-point range, and was named to the All-SEC first-team. Hopson would declare for the 2011 NBA Draft but would end up going undrafted.

Hopson would play overseas in Greece, Israel, and Turkey for three years before being signed by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Hopson played just two games with the Cavs while also spending time in the D-League with the Canton Charge. Hopson would then be traded a total of four times in three months, going from the Hornets to the Pelicans to the Rockets to the Kings. Following that game of Scotty Hopson hot potato, he was released by the Kings. Hopson would return to the D-League with Sioux Falls Skyforce for the 2014-15 season, during which he averaged 19.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and a steal, shot 53% from the field and 35% from three-point range, and set the Skyforce single-game scoring record with 52 against the Reno Bighorns. Hopson would go back overseas following that season, playing in Spain, China, Croatia, Israel, and Turkey over the course of three years. Hopson played one game this past season with Dallas Maverick while on a 10-day contract, recording one point and assist each, but was not given another 10-day contract.

8. DeMar DeRozan

And now we have unarguably the best player on this entire list in DeMar DeRozan. During his four years at Compton High School in Compton, California, DeRozan was an absolute phenom, averaging over 20 points and 7 rebounds per game every year and led his school to two Moore League championship wins. During his senior year, DeRozan averaged 29.2 points and 7.9 rebounds, won the Moore League Championship, won the Moore League MVP, made the California All-State team, and was named a McDonald's All-American. Ranked as one of the top prospects in the country, DeRozan committed to play at the University of South Carolina, where he would play just one season as a Trojan. In that season, DeRozan averaged 13.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per game while shooting 52% from the field for USC and won the Pac-10 Tournament MVP. DeRozan opted to forego his last three years of eligibility and declared for the 2009 NBA Draft, where he would be drafted with the 9th pick by the Toronto Raptors. 

While his stats in college weren't the most impressive, DeRozan has more than made up for it with his phenomenal play in the NBA. DeRozan would spend the first nine years of his NBA career playing with the Raptors and establishing himself as one of the top shooting guards in the NBA today. For his career in Toronto, DeRozan averaged 19.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and a steal per game while shooting 45% from the field. Along the way, DeRozan was named to the All-NBA 2nd and 3rd teams one time each and was selected as an all-star four times. Following a trade this offseason that sent him to the San Antonio Spurs for their disgruntled star Kawhi Leonard, DeRozan looks set to tear it up in the Western Conference the same way he tore up the Eastern Conference for nine years.

7. Tyler Zeller

By his senior year, Tyler Zeller had become one of the most dominant big men in not just the state of Indiana, but the entire country. While attending Washington High School in Washington, Indiana, Zeller was a part of one of the most dominant basketball program in the state, already having three sectional titles and a state Class 3A championship to his name before his senior year. In that year, Zeller led the team to another sectional title and another Class 3A championship (during which he set an Indiana state championship scoring record of 47) while averaging 33.1 points and 11 rebounds per game and shooting 69% (nice) from the field. Zeller was also named a McDonald's All-American and Mr. Basketball in Indiana, an award his brother Luke had three years earlier and his brother Cody would win three years later. Zeller would end up committing to North Carolina. While a combination of injuries and lack of playing time left Zeller on the bench for most of his freshman & sophomore seasons, Zeller would eventually develop into one of the ACC's best players, earning two All-ACC team selections (one first and one second) in his final two years and in his senior year was named ACC Player of the Year and a Consensus second-team All American. Zeller would declare for the 2012 NBA Draft and would be selected with the 17th pick by the Dallas Mavericks.

Zeller would quickly be traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a five-player trade and would the first two seasons of his career. In those two seasons, Zeller would average 6.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game while shooting 52% from the field and was named to the All-Rookie 2nd team in his rookie season. Zeller would be shipped up to the Boston Celtics following his sophomore season in the league as part of a three-team trade. Zeller would play three seasons with the Celtics, during which he averaged 7.1 points and 4 rebounds per game and shot 52% from the field. Zeller was waived the Celtics in 2017 before the season started and signed by the Brooklyn Nets two months later. Zeller would only play half a season with the Nets before being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. For his career so far, Zeller holds averages of 7 points and 4.4 rebounds with career shooting percentages of 51% from the field. While he's carved out a decent little career for himself, it's a far cry from the dominant beast he was in high school.

6. JaMychal Green

While football might be the sport that Alabama is more used to being dominant in, back in 2008 the state had what seemed like a star in the making in JaMychal Green. Attending St. Jude High School in Montgomery, Alabama, Green had become one of the state's best players by the end of his senior year, leading his team to two Class A State Championships in 2006 and 2008, being named Player of the Year by the Alabama Sportswriters Association three times, was named Alabama Mr. Basketball in 2008, and was a McDonald's All-American. Opting to stay in his home state, Green committed to Alabama and played all four seasons of his eligibility with the Crimson Tide. For those four years, Green would average 13.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, a steal and 1.7 blocks per game while shooting 52% from the field. Green would really peak in his final two years at Alabama, where he averaged 14.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game, shot 53% from the field and was named to an All-SEC team in both years (first in his junior year and second in his third.) Green would declare for the 2012 NBA Draft but would go undrafted.

Following the draft, Green was signed by the San Antonio Spurs following the Summer League but was waived four days later. Green would spend the next two and a half years playing in both the D-League and in France, while also being signed and cut without playing a game on two occasions (once by the Los Angeles Clippers and once by the Spurs again.) In the 2014-15 season, Green would sign a 10-day contract with the Spurs and finally get to play his first NBA games, playing four games and averaging 2 points and 1.5 rebounds per game while shooting 57% from the field. Green wouldn't receive another 10-day contract from the Spurs, but did get one from the Memphis Grizzlies and would play there for the rest of the season, and has been there for the last three years. For his time in Memphis so far, Green has averages of 8.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game while shooting 48% from the field and 35% from three-point range. Green has also worked his way into the starting rotation for the Grizzlies, even playing over former All-Star Zach Randolph for one season before Randolph left the team. Green might not have reached the dominant status his high school performances suggested, but he's become a reliable player in the league and looks set to continue to start for the Grizzlies next season.

5. BJ Mullens

I live in Ohio, and I only remembered who Byron "BJ" Mullens is because he played at THE Ohio State University (I have to call it that or else I lose my Ohio citizenship.) But THE Ohio State University clearly heard about him, because Buckeyes' head coach Thad Matta offered him a scholarship before he was even in high school. Before his freshman year at Canal Winchester High School in Canal Winchester, Ohio, Mullens accepted the offer from Matta and spent the next four years proving that THE Ohio State University did not make a mistake. In his senior year, Mullens averaged 26 points and 15 rebounds per game and was named a McDonald's All-American. By the end of his senior year, Mullens was rated as a top five prospect in the country, with Rivals.com even ranking him #1. Mullens would go on to play one season at THE Ohio State University, averaging an underwhelming 8.8 points and 4.7 rebounds per game while shooting 64% from the field for the Buckeyes. Mullens declared for the 2009 NBA Draft and was selected with the 24th pick by the Dallas Mavericks.

The Mavericks would end up trading Mullens on draft night to the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he would the first two seasons of his career. During that time, Mullens played in just 26 games (13 each season) and averaged just 1.5 points and 1.3 rebounds per game while shooting 34% from the field. Mullens would also spend time in the D-League with the Tulsa 66ers in those two seasons. During the 2011 lockout, Mullens was traded to the Charlotte Bobcats, who he would play with for his two most productive seasons. For those two years, Mullens averaged 9.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game while shooting 41% from the field and 30% from three-point range. Mullens would sign with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2013 and would play half a season there before being traded to the Philidelphia 76ers. Following that season, Mullens would spend time playing in the D-League with the Sioux Falls Skyforce and overseas in China, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Iran, before finding his way back to the now G-League. Mullens played for the Lakeland Magic this past season, averaging 19.6 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game while shooting 51% from the field over 11 games.

4. Jrue Holiday

The son of two former Arizona State Sun Devils, basketball ran in the family for Jrue Holiday. Attending Campbell Hall High School in North Hollywood, California, Holiday kept that tradition going as he became a star player in Studio City. In his senior year, Holiday averaged a monster stat line of 25.9 points, 11.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists, and 4.8 steals per game while leading his team to the California Division IV state championship. Along with that, Holiday was named a McDonald's All-American and the 2008 Gatorade National Player of the Year. Ranked as the top point guard in the class of 2008, Holiday committed to UCLA, where he would play one season with the Bruins and averaged 8.5 points, 3.7 assists, and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 45% from the field and 31% from three-point range and made the Pac-10 All-Freshman team. Holiday would forego his remaining three years of eligibility and declared for the 2009 NBA Draft, where he was selected with the 17th pick by Philadelphiaphia 76ers.

Holiday would spend the first four years of his career playing with the Sixers, during which he averaged 13.4 points, 5.8 assists, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 44% from the field and 37% from three-point range. In his final year in Philadelphia, Holiday would average 17.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 8 assists, and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 43% from the field and 37% from three-point range in a season that saw him earn his first all-star appearance. Holiday's time with the 76ers came to an end during the 2013 draft when he was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans for Nerlens Noel and a first-round draft pick. Holiday has spent the last five seasons with the Pelicans, currently averaging 16.5 points, 6.6 assists, and 1.5 steals per game for his career there while shooting 46% from the field and 35% from three-point range. This past season, Holiday averaged a career-high 19 points, a career-high 4.5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1.5 steals per game while shooting a career-best 49% from the field and 34% from three-point range and was named to the 2018 All-Defensive 1st team.

3. Tyreke Evans

When someone is getting compared Tracy McGrady when they're only a sophomore, you have to imagine that they are something special. That was the case for Tyreke Evans. Attending American Christian High School in Aston, Pennsylvania, Evans was considered a star player before he was even a senior. And when he was a senior, he was flat out dominant. For his senior year, Evans averaged 32.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 4.3 steals per game and was named the McDonald's All American MVP. Following that insane year, Evans committed to Memphis, where he would play one season as a Tiger under coach John Calipari. In that year, Evans averaged 17.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 2.1 steals per game while shooting 46% from the field. Additionally, Evans was named the Conference USA Freshman of the Year, the Conference USA tournament MVP, and was named to the All-Conference USA 1st team. Evans declared for the 2009 NBA Draft following his freshman year and was selected with the 4th pick by the Sacramento Kings.
Evans would spend the first four years of his career with the Kings. In his rookie season, Evans won the Rookie of the Year after averaging 20.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 46% from the field and looked set to be the NBA's next star. The following three years saw Evans regress but still put up good numbers, with averages of 16.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.4 steals per game and 45% field goal shooting during that time. Evans was traded during the 2013 offseason to the New Orleans Pelicans as part of a three-team trade. Evans would play three and a half years with the Pelicans, where he continued to decline and averaged 14.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.2 steals while shooting 44% from the field and 30% from three-point range. Evans was traded back to the Kings midway through the 2016-17 season as part of the DeMarcus Cousins trade. Evans would sign with the Memphis Grizzlies the next season and had somewhat of a bounce-back year, averaging 19.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 45% from the field and 40% from three-point range. Now with the Indiana Pacers, hopefully Evans can keep up the strong play he had last year and one day become an all-star potentially.

2. Samardo Samuels

As a Cleveland Cavaliers fan, the fact that at one point Samardo Samuels was considered one of the future stars of basketball absolutely baffles me. Samuels first gained attention in the basketball world while playing basketball at Saint Benedict's Preparatory School in Newark, New Jersey, where he and future NBA player Tristan Thompson led the school to a 24-1 record in Samuel's senior year. With his high school career over, Samuels opted to attend Louisville and played under Rick Pitino for two seasons. Samuels would reach the peak of his college career in his sophomore year, as he led the Cardinals in scoring & rebounding and averaged 15.3 points, 7 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 52% from the field. For his entire college career, Samuels averaged 13.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 55% from the field. Instead of playing two more years in Louisville, Samuels opted to enter the 2010 NBA Draft. Unfortunately, he would not be selected in the draft, but he wouldn't have to wait long to start his NBA career.
Less than a month after the draft, Samuels would get picked up by the Cleveland Cavaliers on a three-year, $2.3 million deal. Samuels would play all three of those seasons with the Cavaliers, playing in 109 games over those three years and averaged 5.9 points and 3.4 rebounds per game while shooting 45% from the field, and also spent time in the D-League with both the Erie BayHawks and the Canton Charge. Samuels would be waived by the Cavs midway through the final year of his contract and has not played in the NBA since. After finishing out the year with Reno Bighorns in the D-League, Samuels would head overseas and has played there ever since. Between 2013 and 2018, Samuels has played basketball in Israel, Italy, Spain, China, Serbia, and France. During that time, Samuels played three seasons in the EuroLeague (two with Italy's Emporio Armani Milano and one with Spain's FC Barcelona Lassa) and averaged 9.7 points and 4 rebounds per game while shooting 52% from the field. This past season, Samuels played with France's Limoges CSP, averaged 11 points and 4 rebounds, and re-signed for the next season. While he's achieved some success outside of the NBA, it's still a far cry away from being considered one of the best young basketball players in the country.

1. Brandon Jennings

And finally, we have arguably the most highly coveted high school basketball player of the last 10 years in Brandon Jennings. After attending Dominguez High School in Compton for his first two years of high school, Jennings transferred to Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia, a high school with a basketball program that has seen the likes of Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, and Rajon Rondo play for them. Jennings would play his final two years of high school basketball with the Warriors and absolutely dominated. In his senior year, Jennings would average 35.5 points per game, set the school record for the most points in a season with 1,312, and was named the Naismith Prep Player of the Year (an award also won by Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Dwight Howard.) Heavily considered the #1 prospect in the class of 2008, Jennings would be a huge grab for any college that landed him. While USC was initially Jennings destination after high school, Jennings decided to take another path and signed with Lottomatica Roma in Italy, becoming the first American player to skip college and play in the EuroLeague. In his single season in Italy, Jennings averaged 7.6 points, 1.6 assists, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 39% from the field. Now eligible to enter the NBA draft, Jennings declared for 2009 draft and was selected 10th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks.
Jennings' rookie season had its ups and downs, as he shot below 40% from the field but he did show signs of being the explosive scorer he was in high school. The most notable moment for him during the season was an incredible 55 point performance against the Golden State Warriors, which was in just his 7th professional game. That performance gave Jennings the record for the youngest player to score more than 50 points in a game. Jennings would finish out his rookie season with averages of 15.5 points, 5.7 assists, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 37% from the field and 37% from three-point range, and was named to the All-Rookie 1st team. Jennings would play his first four seasons with the Bucks, averaging 17 points, 5.7 assists, and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 39% from the field and 35% from three-point range. After those four years, Jennings was sent in a sign-and-trade deal to the Detroit Pistons, where he would play for two and a half seasons. Jennings averaged 14.1 points, 6.6 assists, and 1.1 steals per game and shot 38% from the field and 34% from three-point range. Jennings would be traded midway through the 2015-16 season to the Orlando Magic, where he finished out the year. Jennings would sign with the New York Knicks the next season, only to be waived and picked up by the Washington Wizards for the remainder of the season. Jennings would spend most of the 2017-18 season playing in China before he made the move to the Wisconsin Herd of the G-League. Jennings would end up receiving two 10-day contracts from the Bucks and signed a contract, but he would be waived in the offseason. Jenning will spend next season playing overseas in Russia with Zenit Saint Petersburg. While his career started off hot, Jennings now seems far from the star player he was destined to be, and while he'll probably play in the NBA again one day, the likelihood of him being a starter are slim at best.

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