Who's the best HS athlete you've seen in person?

For me it would be Larry Lawrence from Cedar Rapids Jefferson in 1966-67. Great at both football and basketball.
 
List of the best...

Nick Collison...dominated
Harrison Barnes...by far best bball player I've seen
Fred Hoiberg....D1 athlete in bball and fball
Timmy D....FAST
Haluska....maybe the best all around
 
SDK46 said:
Nick Collison and Bart Chelsvig
Click to expand...

I'm not old enough to have seen Bart Chelsvig, but he did wrestle for my hometown and my dad said he was the best wrestler he has ever seen. I did see Nick Collison, and yes, completely dominant. I saw times when he would dunk with 2 guys hanging on him.
 
Vince Jackson

Drafted in 8th round by the Dodgers played in their organization until he blew out his knee

I can't remember it has been 18-20 years ago, but he either got a schollie offer from Iowa to play football and preferred walk-on status to play basketball or vice versa as I stated earlier can't remember which.

Was prodigy type athlete, ambidexterous(sp?) could do about everything, in every sport, with either hand.

Iowa male athlete of the year in 1991.

Flew under the radar because he played on marginal teams and in the Timmy D. Tavian Banks era.
 
LaRod Stephens(Howling)... Played against him in high school, went to Pitt and now plays for the Arizona Cardinals. Man was he quick, very small which was why he wasn't heavily recruited, I hung out with him some in college and would say he is only 5'6" or 5'7", don't know what they have him listed at in the NFL though.
 
Dean Oliver...had he not chosen to be a one sport athlete after his sophmore year, he would have been the best baseball player in the state as a senior. He would have been first team as a pitcher or as a center fielder. He could hit like no other and he was very very fast on the bases. He threw hard and had a nasty curve. When he was younger he was an outstanding sprinter in track and he could have been an all conference guy at rb or defensive back. Basketball speaks for itself. Unstoppable with the ball in his hands.

I went to Iowa at the same time as him and word was that Dean had an open invitiation to come and play baseball anytime he wanted.

Best all around baseball player I have ever seen in high school.
 
trj said:
Vince Jackson

Drafted in 8th round by the Dodgers played in their organization until he blew out his knee

I can't remember it has been 18-20 years ago, but he either got a schollie offer from Iowa to play football and preferred walk-on status to play basketball or vice versa as I stated earlier can't remember which.

Was prodigy type athlete, ambidexterous(sp?) could do about everything, in every sport, with either hand.

Iowa male athlete of the year in 1991.

Flew under the radar because he played on marginal teams and in the Timmy D. Tavian Banks era.
Click to expand...

He hit a home run off of me that may still be in the air today.... He was an incredible athlete from Davenport Central.

Best I ever saw in person was Mike Busch the guy could hit some monster home runs and a great football player to boot.
 
Interesting question. Ricky Davis has to be right up there. He was a fantastic athlete. But I'd have to say it is, without a doubt, Tavian Banks. That guy was unreal. We all know his football talent and his speed, but he was also one of the top U18 soccer players in the US. And a very skilled basketball player as well.
 
Well... the most famous HS athlete was Kyle Orton. We played against him when he was at South East Polk HS, and we 50-pointed them, so I'm not sure how impressive he actually looked...
 
Don't watch much HS football, so mine are BB players. Best HS "athlete" I've seen in person: Ricky Davis. Best HS player: Chris Street or Raef Lafrenz. But Raef wasn't a Hawkeye, so I'd have to give the edge to Chris. I also think Chris would've had a better pro career than Lafrenz did.
 
Ran in a track meet againt Roger Craig in the late 70s. Saw the soles of his shoes for 100yds and 400yds. Dude was a man among boys.
 
COLAHawk said:
Well... the most famous HS athlete was Kyle Orton. We played against him when he was at South East Polk HS, and we 50-pointed them, so I'm not sure how impressive he actually looked...
Click to expand...

so one of you had a career that peaked when you were 18?

my answer would be Harrison barnes.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Share this page

Top