OH MY! 2002 Mcdonald All Americans: Only 5 in NBA
Wow this class was suppose to be special and only 5 fucking players was on a roster this past season.
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebask...s-allamericans
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebask...s-allamericans
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Class of 2002 a cautionary tale for today's All-Americans
CBSSports.com Senior Writer Aug. 10, 2011Tell Jeff your opinion! |
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| Amar'e and Carmelo first played together at Madison Square Garden as high schoolers. (Getty Images) |
It was tabbed as one of the most powerful groups in years, stacked with just about everything you could ask for -- talented big men, quality point guards, big-time shooters and athletic wings.
The McDonald's All-American Class of 2002.
However, it's a decade later and only a handful could be found occupying NBA rosters last season.
Amar'e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, Raymond Felton, Chris Bosh and J.J. Redick.
Yes, that's it.
"Are you serious?" Redick said when informed there were only five NBA guys. "That is nuts. No way."
"Those numbers are alarming," added former UNC star Sean May, who spent last year in Turkey. "We had one of the best high school classes ever."
It serves as a cautionary tale to the youth of today, those who sit high atop the rankings and are coddled by coaches, shoe company executives as well as agents and runners.
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The numbers are irrelevant.
"They don't mean a thing," said former Duke forward Shavlik Randolph, who once held the No. 1 spot in the class early in his Broughton High (N.C.) days. "If you're ranked high, that means there's a guy that isn't ranked who's probably outworking you."
"It's a curse," admitted Evan Burns, a top-10 player who spent one season at San Diego State after failing to qualify to play at UCLA.
Sure, there are some of the 24 who played at Madison Square Garden on April 5, 2002, who could be in the league right now if not for bad luck. Jason Fraser endured seven surgeries in his Villanova career, Paul Davis has battled through a torn ACL and back issues and May spent last season in Turkey, largely because of knee issues that have bothered him since he entered the NBA.
There are others that were just flat overrated -- and shouldn't have been ranked anywhere near McDonald's All-American status. Guys like Elijah Ingram, Sean Dockery, Travis Garrison and Michael Thompson.
And there are some who admittedly bought into the hype.
"That was my problem," said Burns, an elite player coming out of Fairfax High in California who is now a production assistant in Los Angeles. "I don't want to admit it went to my head, but I know it did."
"You can lose sight of a lot of things and start to buy into how great you are," added Bracey Wright, who was ranked about 50 spots higher than high school teammate Deron Williams yet has played 425 fewer NBA games. "Sometimes your mind isn't in the right place and you can lose focus."
"People are telling you that the NBA is a given coming out of high school," added Garrison, the ex-Maryland forward who played in the Ukraine last year. "So you start to believe it. I'm sure other guys felt the same way."
Wright admitted it affected him, especially when he arrived at Indiana.
"I think I was still wrapped up in the persona of who everyone said I was," Wright added. "The rankings led me to not work as hard and not be as hungry as I was."
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| Rashad McCants, mulling playing overseas this season, says NBA GMs are 'blackballing' him.(Getty Images) |
Nearly one half of the guys that spent the first week of April 2002 in New York City for the famed game haven't even logged a single game in the NBA. That list includes Fraser, DeAngelo Collins, Burns, Daniel Horton, Dockery, Brad Buckman, Ingram, Garrison, Thompson, Eric Williams and Torin Francis.
Thirteen players from the highly regarded group spent last season somewhere overseas. That doesn't include Rashad McCants, who had a short stint in the NBDL, Horton -- who didn't play anywhere because of injury -- in addition to Fraser, Burns, Dockery and Thompson, all of whom are out of basketball.
"It should tell the kids coming up that you need to have something to fall back on," May said. "Did anyone think that Deron Williams would be an elite player in the league? Nobody did. You just never know."
While Williams was ranked in the bottom half of every recruit guru's Top 100 a decade ago, McCants' name could be found just below Amar'e and Carmelo. He was a shoo-in as an NBA lifer, and many even figured he'd be an All-Star at the highest level. Instead, McCants was persuaded to accept a stint with the NBDL's Texas Legends last season in hopes of getting another shot in the NBA.
It never happened and now McCants, who has started his own entertainment company, is contemplating playing overseas this season.
"They are blackballing me," McCants said of the NBA general managers. "They won't let me back in."
However, one NBA general manager told CBSSports.com that it's because McCants' talent just doesn't outweigh the "other baggage."
"He's not a bad guy and hasn't done anything wrong," the GM said. "But he's had his chances and didn't succeed and now the mindset of general managers is to try and find the 'next' guy. McCants hasn't played in two years now."
Collins was an enigma coming out of Inglewood High (Calif.) who tried to make the jump from high school. He also places blame -- and claims the Miami Heat would have won the NBA title if they had him on their roster this past season.
"I know right now I'd be playing in the NBA if I didn't get all the bad press right before the draft," said Collins, who blames an ESPN "Outside the Lines" report. "When I saw that, I knew I'd never play in the NBA."
Despite Collins' assertions that the media stood in the way of his NBA dream, he told CBSSports.com he is more than content over in China, where he is currently averaging 24.1 points, 13.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 4.4 blocks a game.
Collins is only one of the many ex-McDonald's All-Americans who appears to have come to grips with the fact they won't ever step on the court for an NBA game -- while others realize it's unlikely they won't return to The Association.
Thompson, who barely played at Duke and then was a role guy at Northwestern, has thrived in the financial industry, recently joining the firm Jackson Wabash in Chicago.
"I miss playing with a passion," Thompson said. "But there comes a point in your life where you have to transition to play the bills -- and that's what I had to do. I felt that I could make as much money doing this as going overseas."
But the majority of the McDonald's All-Americans from the Class of 2002 are enjoying life playing abroad.
"Obviously, my dream is to play in the NBA," said Buckman, a former Texas forward who spent parts of last season in three countries -- Germany, Croatia and Turkey. "But life in Europe is pretty amazing. I've had a blast."
"Basketball over here is good," added ex-Wake Forest big man Eric Williams. "It's not as easy as people think and guys get multi-million contracts. I've made tons of money and the best part is it's all tax-free. Life isn't all that different than being in the NBA -- except you're in another country."
Williams earned $200,000 his first season in Italy, made $300,000 this past season and has his rent and use of a car paid for by the team. Anthony Roberson earned $375,000 a year ago, his first in Italy.
Fraser said it's not the notoriety -- or lack thereof -- that has been the most difficult aspect for him.
"Realizing how close I was to having financial freedom," said Fraser, who currently works as an admission representative for a college. "Not the lifestyle as a star. The lifestyle of not having to struggle."
"Get your degree," Thompson said. "Everyone that was there won't be there when it goes sour. Everyone blowing smoke up your ass won't be there. Go to a good school because, at the end of the day, you have yourself. No one is going to help you."
"Education is key," Fraser added. "You need it. Period. Education helps you develop as a man."
Burns, who can be found playing down at the local YMCA these days, sometimes finds himself caught reflecting back to that week in New York City, what seems like yesterday, and a vivid conversation he shared Redick.
"J.J. knew exactly what he wanted," Burns said. "He was humble and worked. We were all talking about the NBA and how quickly we were going to get there and he was talking about playing at Duke for four years and getting an education. That's what he told me and look at him now."
The crazy aspect is that Redick wasn't necessarily preparing himself for the NBA. He said he took an Italian class his junior year because his plan was to play overseas.
"I wanted to be able to speak Italian," said Redick, who scored 26 points and was the MVP of the McDonald's Game. "At that point, I really didn't think I would ever play in the NBA."
But Redick's a rare breed among those who are indulged and pampered in the grassroots basketball scene.
"It's difficult because so many things are given to you," Burns said. "Your mentality changes."
And so, in many cases, did their entire lives.
2002 McDonald's All-Americans: Where are they now?
CBSSports.com Senior WriterTell Jeff your opinion! |
Only five of the 24 McDonald's All-Americans from a decade ago spent time in the NBA this past season. I spoke to each of the other 19 players to find out where they have been -- and where they are now.
More on the 2002 McDonald's All-Americans: Class of 2002 a cautionary tale for today's All-Americans
 | 1. Amar’e Stoudemire, 6-10, 240, PF |
| High school: Too many to list | College: None (committed to Memphis, but went straight to the NBA) | |
| Drafted: 2002 (9th overall by Phoenix) | Career NBA games: 594 | Last season: New York | |
| The consensus top-ranked player in the nation in the Class of 2002 and has lived up to the hype, as a Rookie of the Year honors and a six-time NBA All-Star. He spent the first eight seasons of his career in Phoenix before signing with the New York Knicks as a free agent in 2010. Career averages of 21.9 points and 8.8 rebounds per game in the NBA. | |
 | 2. Carmelo Anthony, 6-8, 230, F |
| High school: Towson Catholic (Md.) | College: Syracuse | |
| Drafted: 2003 (3rd overall by Denver) | Career NBA games: 591 | Last season: New York | |
| 'Melo won a national title in his lone college season at Syracuse and is a four-time NBA All-Star. He spent his first seven seasons in Denver before being dealt to New York this past February. Anthony has averaged more than 20 points per game each season since entering the league and has career numbers of 24.8 points and 6.3 boards a game. | |
 | 3. Raymond Felton, 6-1, 205, PG |
| High school: Latta High (S.C.) | College: North Carolina | |
| Drafted: 2005 (5th by Charlotte) | Career NBA games: 474 | Last season: New York and Denver | |
| Felton spent three years in Chapel Hill and helped the Tar Heels win the national title in 2005. He was in Charlotte for the first five years of his NBA career before signing with New York in 2010 and then being dealt to Denver in a three-way deal. Felton's career NBA averages are 13.7 points and 6.7 assists. | |
 | 4. Rashad McCants, 6-4, 200, SG |
| High school: Erwin (Asheville, N.C.); New Hampton Prep (N.H.) | College: North Carolina | |
| Drafted: 2005 (14th by Minnesota) | Career NBA games: 249 | Last season: NBDL (Texas Legends) | |
| Blessed with enough talent to be an NBA All-Star, McCants can't manage to get back into the league. He spent his first four seasons in Minnesota and averaged 14.9 points in 2007-08, but was traded to Sacramento in February of 2009 and spent only 24 games with the Kings. He hasn't played in the NBA since and spent 10 games a year ago with the Texas Legends in the NBDL. McCants told me he'll likely sign in Europe while also trying to get his independent entertainment company -- called YBG Entertainment Group -- off the ground. | |
 | 5. Chris Bosh, 6-11, 235, PF |
| High school: Lincoln High (Texas) | College: Georgia Tech | |
| Drafted: 2003 (4th by Toronto) | Career NBA games: 586 | Last season: Miami | |
| Bosh spent one year in college before going to the NBA, where he was stuck in anonymity in Toronto for the first seven years before signing with Miami prior to this past season. Bosh is a five-time All-Star who is averaging 20 points and 9.2 rebounds for his career. | |
 | 6. Jason Fraser, 6-9, 225, PF |
| High school: Amityville (N.Y.) | College: Villanova | |
| Drafted: Undrafted | Career NBA games: 0 | Last season: Did not play | |
| I'll admit it. Fraser is my favorite kid in the entire class. Has a huge personality and is extremely bright. Fraser was once regarded as a can't-miss kid, a big-time defensive player and shot-blocker who was a terrific outlet passer. However, injuries derailed his career and he was never the same player as on the summer circuit and in high school. Fraser went into insurance after his injury-riddled four-year Villanova career (he had seven surgeries), then played a year in New Zealand, with the Globetrotters and also for the New York Wizards of the EBA. He is currently working as an admissions representative for a college in New York, is married and has a 5-year-old daughter. | |
 | 7. Paul Davis, 6-11, 270, C |
| High school: Rochester High (Mich.) | College: Michigan State | |
| Drafted: 2006 (34th by Los Angeles Clippers) | Career NBA games: 82 | Last season: Spain | |
| Davis had a nice, productive four-year career at Michigan State (he averaged 17.5 points and 9.1 rebounds as a senior) and was drafted in the second round in 2006. He played sparingly for the Clippers in his first three seasons before catching on with the Washington Wizards for the first half of the 2009-10 campaign. He spent a couple months with the Maine Red Claws in the NBDL before finishing the season in Spain. Davis returned to Spain last season and spent the entire year there. Davis also made an appearance on the Millionaire Matchmaker a few years back. | |
 | 8. Sean May, 6-9, 265, PF |
| High school: Bloomington North (Ind.) | College: North Carolina | |
| Drafted: 2005 (13th by Charlotte) | Career NBA games: 119 | Last season: Turkey | |
| May has had a rough go with his health since he was drafted. He was on the same UNC team with Felton and McCants that won the national title in 2005 and then spent four years in Charlotte, but missed all of 2007-08 because of knee surgery. May spent 2009 in Sacramento and then signed with New Jersey prior to last season, but broke his foot and was forced to play in Turkey after getting healthy. May, who is married, said he is down to 260 pounds, is healthy and is hoping to get back to the NBA. | |
 | 9. DeAngelo Collins, 6-10, 230, PF |
| High school: Inglewood (Calif.) | College: None | |
| Drafted: Undrafted | Career NBA games: 0 | Last season: China | |
| Collins was an enigma coming out of high school in California. Blessed with size and talent, he opted to try and go to the NBA and wasn't drafted. He said it was largely because of an ESPN Outside the Lines report a couple days prior to the draft that focused on an off-court fight. Collins has played in Turkey, Philippines, Argentina, Italy, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, the NBDL, the ABA and most recently, China, where he is putting up huge numbers (24.1 ppg, 13.6 rpg, 4.8 apg, 4.4 bpg). Collins is married with a 3-year-old son. | |
 | 10. J.J. Redick, 6-4, 190, SG |
| High school: Cave Spring (Va.) | College: Duke | |
| Drafted: 2006 (11th by Orlando) | Career NBA games: 281 | Last season: Orlando | |
| Redick left Duke as the school's all-time leading scorer and has been a solid player in the NBA over the past five seasons, averaging a career-high 10.1 points per game this past season with the Magic. Redick was married about a year ago. | |
 | 11. Bracey Wright, 6-3, 210, SG |
| High school: The Colony (Texas) | College: Indiana | |
| Drafted: 2005 (47th overall by Minnesota) | Career NBA games: 26 | Last season: France, Croatia | |
| Wright was, at one time, considered the best prospect on a high school team that also featured Deron Williams. Wright scored nearly 1,500 points in three seasons at Indiana before deciding to leave a year early. He was taken in the second round by Minnesota, played 26 total games over two seasons before bouncing around Europe. Wright spent 2007-08 in Greece, the next season split between Spain and Greece, then headed to Belgium and was in both France and Croatia last season. Wright, who is married with a 1-year-old son, just inked a two-year deal to play in Spain. | |
 | 12. Evan Burns, 6-7, 220, SF |
| High school: Fairfax (Calif.) | College: San Diego State | |
| Drafted: Undrafted | Career NBA games: 0 | Last season: Did not play | |
| Burns played on the same high school team with Craig Smith and initially signed with UCLA. However, he was academically ineligible and wound up playing at San Diego State for only one season, averaging 9.2 points per game, before being tossed off the team because of academics. Burns was extremely talented, but knee issues hindered his ability to play anywhere. Burns did have a brief stint in the NBDL with Sioux Falls in 2008, but suffered another knee injury and hasn't played since. Burns is single and working as a production assistant in Los Angeles. | |
 | 13. Shavlik Randolph, 6-10, 240, PF |
| High school: Broughton (N.C.) | College: Duke | |
| Drafted: Undrafted | Career NBA games: 95 | Last season: Puerto Rico | |
| Randolph was the subject of a Tobacco Road war between Duke, UNC and N.C. State in high school and was, at one time, ranked No. 1 in the entire class. Randolph averaged 6.3 points per game in three seasons at Duke before declaring for the NBA after his junior season. He wasn't drafted, but caught on with Philadelphia and signed a multi-year deal with the 76ers. However, a dislocated ankle forced him to miss the entire 2006 campaign. He then played in Portland for a year and was set to play in Miami last season, but wound up having hip surgery and going to Puerto Rico in April after getting healthy. | |
 | 14. Daniel Horton, 6-3, 205, G |
| High school: Cedar Hill (Texas) | College: Michigan | |
| Drafted: Undrafted | Career NBA games: 0 | Last season: Did not play | |
| Horton played in Turkey his first season after leaving Michigan, then spent the last month in the D-League. His second pro season was split between France and the D-League and then a shoulder injury forced him to miss the entire next year. He then returned to France, where he suffered an ankle injury that forced him to miss three months. Two years ago, Horton -- who is married and has two children -- had a short stint in the NBDL. | |
 | 15. Anthony Roberson, 6-2, 180, G |
| High school: Saginaw (Mich.) | College: Florida | |
| Drafted: Undrafted | Career NBA games: 65 | Last season: Italy | |
| Roberson spent three seasons in Gainesville for Billy Donovan before deciding to leave school. He went undrafted, but signed with the Memphis Grizzlies and played 16 games as a rookie. Then he spent the following season in Golden State before going overseas for a year to Israel and Turkey. It was back to the NBA in 2008, signing with the Bulls and going to New York as part of a deal. Roberson has found success the past two seasons in France and Italy. | |
 | 16. Dee Brown, 6-0, 185, G |
| High school: Proviso East (Ill.) | College: Illinois | |
| Drafted: 2006 (46th by Utah) | Career NBA games: 68 | Last season: China, Puerto Rico | |
| Brown was drafted in the second round by Utah and played 49 games as a rookie. Then it was off to Turkey for a year before spending 2008-09 at three stops: Washington, Phoenix and Israel, where he won a title with Maccabi Tel Aviv. Brown, who is engaged and has three children, played in Italy two years ago, was in China and then Puerto Rico this past season and will return to Italy and play for a team in Rome next season. | |
 | 17. Hassan Adams, 6-4, 220, SF |
| High school: Westchester (Calif.) | College: Arizona | |
| Drafted: 2006 (54th by New Jersey) | Career NBA games: 73 | Last season: Philippines | |
| The ultra-athletic, undersized Adams spent four years in Tucson and wound up averaging 14.0 points and 5.4 rebounds for his career. He was taken in the second round by New Jersey, played 61 games as a rookie before going to Italy his second professional season. Adams signed with Toronto in 2008, played in a dozen games before being dealt to the Los Angeles Clippers. Adams, who is single, played in Serbia in 2009-10, in the Philippines last season and still hasn't made a decision where he'll play this year. | |
 | 18. Sean Dockery, 6-2, 185, PG |
| High school: Julian (Ill.) | College: Duke | |
| Drafted: Undrafted | Career NBA games: 0 | Last season: Did not play | |
| After a four-year career in Durham, Dockery went overseas and spent time in Poland, Germany, France and Romania for the next three years. Most recently, he's worked for a company that produces parties in Chicago. Dockery, who has a 2-year-old son, said he recently accepted a position to return to Duke that will deal with both community relations and basketball. | |
 | 19. Brad Buckman, 6-9, 245, PF |
| High school: Austin Westlake (Texas) | College: Texas | |
| Drafted: Undrafted | Career NBA games: 0 | Last season: Germany, Croatia, Turkey | |
| Buckman played four years at Texas, averaging 8.5 points and 6.3 boards in his career before going undrafted and heading to Greece -- where he got into some trouble. Buckman was taking medication for ADD, failed a drug test and was banned from Greece for two years and also from playing anywhere in Europe for one season. After a brief stint in the NBDL, he went to Romania, then to Cypress, Israel and Turkey over the next four years. This past season Buckman started in Germany, went to Croatia and finished in Turkey. | |
 | 20. Elijah Ingram, 6-0, 175, PG |
| High school: St. Anthony (N.J.) | College: St. John’s, New Mexico State | |
| Drafted: Undrafted | Career NBA games: 0 | Last season: Brazil | |
| Ingram played a year and a half at St. John's, averaging 11.5 points and 2.5 assists, before withdrawing from school and transferring to New Mexico State -- where he averaged 11.9 points and 2.8 assists while finishing his college career. Ingram spent a year in the NBDL with the Albuquerque team before heading to Turkey. After a year sitting home because of injury, Ingram -- who has a 6-year-old son -- played in Brazil last season and is set to play in Finland next year. | |
 | 21. Travis Garrison, 6-8, 240, PF |
| High school: DeMatha (Md.) | College: Maryland | |
| Drafted: Undrafted | Career NBA games: 0 | Last season: Ukraine | |
| Garrison spent four seasons at Maryland -- with his best year coming as a junior when he averaged 10.1 points and 6.5 rebounds. Garrison has bounced around as a professional, starting out in the NBDL and also spending time over the past four years in South Korea, Spain, Venezuela, Turkey and the Ukraine. Garrison is married and has a son who will turn 2 in September. | |
 | 22. Michael Thompson, 6-10, 250, C |
| High school: Providence Catholic (Ill.) | College: Duke, Northwestern | |
| Drafted: Undrafted | Career NBA games: 0 | Last season: Did not play | |
| Thompson barely played in his 1½ years at Duke before transferring back closer to home to finish out his college career at Northwestern. Thompson went into the financial industry out of high school and has been extremely successful in that arena. He recently joined the firm of Jackson Wabash. | |
 | 23. Eric Williams, 6-9, 280, C |
| High school: Wake Forest-Rolesville High (N.C.) | College: Wake Forest | |
| Drafted: Undrafted | Career NBA games: 0 | Last season: Italy | |
| Williams spent four years at Wake and averaged 13.5 points and 6.6 rebounds over his career before going undrafted. Since then, he has played in Italy and earned about $300,000 per season. He has not made a decision where he'll sign next season, but said he'd prefer a change of scenery -- and the opportunity to experience a different culture. Williams is married with a 2-year-old son. | |
 | 24. Torin Francis, 6-11, 260, PF |
| High school: Tabor Academy (Mass.) | College: Notre Dame | |
| Drafted: Undrafted | Career NBA games: 0 | Last season: Turkey-Greece-Venezuela | |
| Francis admits he should have left college after his freshman season, when he averaged 11.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. Instead, he remained at Notre Dame for four years, battled back injuries and has bounced around overseas since he left South Bend. Francis spent his first two seasons in Italy, has also been in Greece, Turkey and Israel. He is married with two children and recently signed a contract to play in Germany next season. | |
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