I don't know about the best, but I do know I was one of the worst under 6'10" ayers to ever play HS basketball.

 

Here is one of those.

 

Tony Key from Russellville was probably the most dominant that I can remember seeing. Granted, my time only goes back to the late 90's. No questioning Key's talent though. I think Van Hoose was more skilled from a basketball fundamentals standpoint, but Key was just so physically imposing.

 

Will never forget going to the Sweet 16 and Russellville's fans wearing t-shirts that said "A Shattering Season" on the front and had a list of the dates and games that he'd broke backboards in that season. If I'm not mistaken, didn't he break like 6 backboards that year?

Key made in rain in Glasgow that evening.

 

Here is one of those.

 

Oh my lawd.

 

His reaction was like, eh... just pound my chest. Looked like he'd already grown accustomed to breaking backboards by that point.

Dan Langhi was listed at 6'9 in high school, 6'11 as a Senior at Vanderbilt; was a 2nd round NBA draft pick.

 

Brad Lair, of Monticello, did indeed play when the center jump followed each made basket. Teams with a big center had a phenomenal advantage. The rules were not changed (college & high school) to let the opposing team in-bound the ball after a made basket...until the 1937-38 season.

 

Langhi's state tournament effort in '95 still is fresh in my memory. The guy was about 10 foot tall that evening. I still wish we could have faced up against Breck.

I'm going to roll with Key and Bender being the two most talented big men that I've seen. Key left either during his junior or senior year, which really makes you wonder how much better you might have seen from him.

 

Saw Jarius Sykes of North Hardin (Louisville commit) a few times and Marquis Estill as well (ironically, both came to Clay County for a regular season game and then all 3 made State), but you could see their limits even then. Same for Van Hoose as far as seeing his ceiling.

Jim McDaniel, no question in my mind. Took WKU to Final Four, I believe.

Agree that Jim McDaniels is the pick, although someone in another thread brought up Tom Boerwinkle, who played at MMI in the 1960's. He went on to Tennessee, where he was an All-American and was the 4th player taken in the 1968 NBA draft. Dude played in the NBA for 10 years (all for the Chicago Bulls) and scored over 4500 points in his NBA career. Had 37 rebounds in one game. Has to be considered.

Oh my lawd.

 

His reaction was like, eh... just pound my chest. Looked like he'd already grown accustomed to breaking backboards by that point.

 

I though the same thing. He was relatively nonchalant about it.

Seems like the consensus from everyone who can go back that far says McDaniels.

For those of us of a certain age, we remember watching Jim McDaniels score 35 points against in Western's 107-83 victory over UK in the 1971 Mideast Regional semi-final. Western then beat Ohio State in the regional final, before losing to Howard Porter and Villanova in the national sem-final game in double overtime. Western beat Kansas in the third place game 77-75 (yes, there used to be a third place game). McDaniels led all scorers in the NCAA tournament that year. Western's participation in the NCAA tournament was later vacated when it was determined that McDaniels had received improper benefits from an agent during the season.

For those of us of a certain age, we remember watching Jim McDaniels score 35 points against in Western's 107-83 victory over UK in the 1971 Mideast Regional semi-final. Western then beat Ohio State in the regional final, before losing to Howard Porter and Villanova in the national sem-final game in double overtime. Western beat Kansas in the third place game 77-75 (yes, there used to be a third place game). McDaniels led all scorers in the NCAA tournament that year. Western's participation in the NCAA tournament was later vacated when it was determined that McDaniels had received improper benefits from an agent during the season.

 

I was there when WKU decimated UK at Athens, Georgia. And previous to that I watched McDaniels decimate my high school team. He and Wesley Unseld (only 6'8") were undoubtedly the two best big men to ever come out of the Kentucky high school level.

 

Two of the four teams in that year's Final Four had their spot vacated, WKU & Villanova and Villanova's Howard Porter, the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four was discovered to have signed a pro contract previous to the NCAA Tournament.

 

But I'll guarantee you that the NCAA will NEVER vacate the winning team's spot. That is sacrosanct and perhaps part of the reason that UCLA program was never touched by NCAA until after John Wooden had been retired for several seasons (then the hammer came down).

Saw Jim play in the Sweet Sixteen for Allen County in I believe 1967 or 1968. Would have loved to see what he could have done in the Sweet Sixteen, if he was allowed to dunk the ball back them but it was against the rules.

 

The biggest thing I remember in watching him play at Freedom Hall, was him playing with for little guys, who did nothing all night but try to get him the ball!

 

The man was something!

I'll add another to the list. Robert Miller of Louisville Central and went on to make the University of Cincinnati Hall of Fame. Oh, and Jared Carter of Scott County and UK.

 

The most interesting thing that I find about this thread is that we are going back 50+ years in time and have only named about fifteen players who were 6'10" or better. That means, on average, a big man comes along about once in every four years.

 

Amazing in my opinion.

 

Jim McDaniel of Allen County and Western Kentucky University gets my vote.

I'll add another to the list. Robert Miller of Louisville Central and went on to make the University of Cincinnati Hall of Fame. Oh, and Jared Carter of Scott County and UK.

 

The most interesting thing that I find about this thread is that we are going back 50+ years in time and have only named about fifteen players who were 6'10" or better. That means, on average, a big man comes along about once in every four years.

 

Amazing in my opinion.

 

Jim McDaniel of Allen County and Western Kentucky University gets my vote.

Good memory on Miller and Carter.