Advertisement

NBA draft shows the jury's still out on power prep programs

Photo: Brad Penner, USA TODAY

There’s a lot of talk in high school basketball about the impact of elite boarding school basketball programs such as Oak Hill, Huntington Prep, Montverde Academy and Findlay Prep.

That concern is likely to grow if the NBA abolishes its one-and-done rule for the 2020 class. The logic is obvious. Top players feel they can get better by facing the tougher competition that these hoops finishing schools provide, both in practice and in their demanding schedules.

However, if you look at the impact of elite boarding schools that do not have fifth-year seniors or post-graduate players on the three most recent NBA drafts, they barely left a blip.

Of the 117 players who went to U.S. high schools who were taken in the past three NBA drafts, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) has had three players taken (Harry Giles, Dwayne Bacon and Sindarius Thornwell) while Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.), and Huntington Prep (Huntington, W.Va.)  have had two players selected.

That’s hardly a landslide because that means the other 110 draftees who attended U.S. high schools came from someplace else.

Oak Hill, known for its tradition of producing NBA talent, not surprisingly leads the nation with three players taken over the past three drafts and the Warriors lead the nation with 10 former players who saw minutes in the league last season. They also lead the national all-time list with 29 graduates who have gone on to play in the NBA.

Findlay Prep, which has only been around for 12 years, is next with nine former players who saw minutes in the league last season.

More News