Here's the list: The Register's top 50 boys' basketball players of all time

Editor's note: This story was originally published in March 2018.

From Barnes to Wieskamp. Raef to the Roland Rocket.

The Des Moines Register took on an ambitious project — to select the 50 greatest Iowa high school boys' basketball players of all time.

It's a list with a lot of challenges. How do you consider players from different eras that span more than a century of basketball history?

Players were selected based on criteria similar to those used for the Register's top 50 wrestlers and for the top 50 girls' basketball players.

College and professional careers were not considered in our selections. So even if you were a player who went on to star in the NBA, you weren't guaranteed a spot. We weighed factors like performance, honors and the legacy that accompanied individuals.

Harrison Barnes and Doug McDermott, Ames teammates who won back-to-back state championships in 2009-10, are on the list. They're now side by side with the NBA's Dallas Mavericks.

Muscatine's Joe Wieskamp, who will lead his team to the state tournament this week, is the only current player to be selected.

Raef LaFrentz of MFL/Mar-Mac of Monona, who stood 6-11, is one of the tallest chosen. Gary Thompson, who earned the nickname "The Roland Rocket," stood more than a foot shorter.

IOWA'S GREATEST:

Statistics were considered, but they were not the sole determining factor in our selections — long a Register policy when choosing our all-state teams.

We also reached out to the public, offering readers a chance to provide their own nominees. Two well-known coaches, Tom Goodman and Don Hicks, submitted their own 50-member lists.

More than 100 names were suggested by readers. Hundreds of past players were considered.

MORE:John Naughton recalls 30 years and 30 sports memories at the Des Moines Register

The Register welcomes feedback on our list. But if you think we missed anyone, it's likely they simply didn't make the cut.

The earliest athlete among the 50 is Marcellus McMichael of Des Moines Roosevelt, a 1933 graduate who was the first four-time Des Moines Register all-state selection. The most recent is Iowa recruit Wieskamp. Every decade between them is represented on the list.

Here they are, in alphabetical order:

HARRISON BARNES, AMES

Barnes guided the Little Cyclones to a 53-game winning streak and two state championships. He scored 1,787 points in his career. Barnes went on to play at North Carolina and in the NBA.

HURL BEECHUM, D.M. NORTH

Beechum provided size (6-6) with outside shooting abilities. He scored nearly 1,600 points in his career. He was inducted into the Iowa High School Athletic Association's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.

JOE BERGMAN, CLINTON ST. MARY

A dominant post in the mid-1960s, Bergman went on to play at Creighton and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. He led St. Mary to a state runner-up finish in 1965 when Iowa has a one-class state tournament.

TODD BERKENPAS, MAPLE VALLEY (MAPLETON)

Berkenpas set the state's career scoring record with 2,536 points from 1978 to 1981. A guard who could hit from inside or outside. In 1981, he was named as the state's first Mr. Iowa Basketball.

JORDAN BOHANNON, LINN-MAR (MARION)

As a senior, Bohannon averaged 25.8 points a game. He was named Mr. Iowa Basketball in 2016. Chose to attend Iowa. One of four Bohannon brothers to play for Linn-Mar.

Leistikow:Why Bohannon's biggest fan — his older brother — hasn't missed one of his games

MATT BULLARD, W.D.M. VALLEY

Bullard grew to stand 6-10 but was best known as a great outside shooter. Perhaps one of the best centers to play a high post. Helped Valley to a state runner-up finish in 1984. Had an 11-year NBA career.

STEVE BURGASON, AMES

A tall and strong presence, he scored led Ames to a state championship and a 26-1 record in 1973. He scored a tournament best 63 points in three games. Burgason went on to play at Iowa State.

CARY COCHRAN, TRI-CENTER (NEOLA)

Cochran set the state's all-time scoring record in 1997 with 2,650 points. That mark held up until 2003, when it was broken by Wapsie Valley's Brooks McKowen. A prolific 3-point shooter.

NICK COLLISON, IOWA FALLS

Led his school to back-to-back state championships in 1997-98. Topped the Class 2A state tournament field both seasons. Shared Mr. Iowa Basketball honors in 1999. Later starred at Kansas and a lengthy NBA career.

BRIAN DAVID, CARROLL KUEMPER

Named Mr. Iowa Basketball in 1985 after leading Kuemper to a state championship. Dominant and tall (6-9), he went on to play for Arizona. He was named to the state's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001.

MIKE DAVIS, WATERLOO EAST

A three-time Des Moines Sunday Register all-stater, Davis led East to a 1990 big school state championship. Davis was named Mr. Iowa Basketball as a senior. Combined good height with agility.

RICKY DAVIS, DAVENPORT NORTH

Davis was an electrifying player who loved to dunk. He scored more than 1,600 career points. Davis went on to play at Iowa and in the NBA. A three-time Des Moines Sunday Register all-state selection.

JOE DYKSTRA, D.M. HOOVER

Dykstra was one of the top players in Des Moines history. A three-time Des Moines Sunday Register all-state selection who graduated in 1978. A gifted shooter who has been inducted into the state Basketball Hall of Fame.

BILL EVANS, NEVADA

A two-time Des Moines Register all-state selection in 1941-42. A versatile athlete who played basketball and baseball at Drake. Led Nevada to a state title in 1942, when he led the tournament in scoring.

NEIL FEGEBANK, PAULLINA

Fegebank was part of one of the most successful runs in Iowa high school history. Paullina won three consecutive state titles (1968-70) and 76 straight games. He was a three-time all-stater.

RAY FONTANA, ANKENY

A 1950 graduate, Fontana scored nearly 2,000 points during an era when players rarely reached 1,000 in a career. He led Ankeny to a state runner-up finish in 1950 when the state tournament had one class.

CHRIS GAINES, WATERLOO WEST

A 6-3 guard who could drive or shoot from the outside, Gaines was named Mr. Iowa Basketball in 1986. Went on to play at Hawaii. Named to the Iowa Basketball Hall of Fame.

MARK GANNON, IOWA CITY REGINA

Gannon stood 6-7 but could run the court with much smaller players. A two-time Des Moines Sunday Register first team all-state selection. Led Regina to a 50-game winning streak in the late 1970s.

MATT GATENS, IOWA CITY HIGH

A tremendous scorer, Gatens compiled nearly 2,000 career points. Named captain of the 2008 Class 4A all-tournament team. City High went 25-1 and won a state title. He earned Mr. Iowa Basketball honors.

TOMMY GOODMAN, SIOUX CITY NORTH

Goodman comes from a basketball family, the son and grandson of coaches. The 1985 graduate scored 27 points a game as a senior. A two-time Des Moines Sunday Register all-state guard.

ADAM HALUSKA, CARROLL

Scored 2,209 points in his career. A three-time first-team Class 3A all-state selection. Stood 6-5 but could handle the ball extremely well. As a senior in 2002, averaged 30 points and 10 rebounds.

BOB HANSEN, W.D.M. DOWLING CATHOLIC

Took Dowling to a state championship in 1979. Stood 6-5 and shot from outside, but could go inside, too. A two-time all-stater. Played on Iowa's NCAA Final Four team and won an NBA championship with the Chicago Bulls.

KIRK HINRICH, SIOUX CITY WEST

One of the greatest players from northwest Iowa, Hinrich both handled the ball and scored. Guided West to a state championship in 1999. Hinrich went on to play at Kansas and in the NBA.

FRED HOIBERG, AMES

Before he became known as The Mayor of Ames during his Iowa State career, Hoiberg was a high school star. He totaled 1,759 points in his career. Named Mr. Iowa Basketball in 1991.

JEFF HORNER, MASON CITY

Scored 2,194 points in his high school career and earned Mr. Iowa Basketball honors in 2002. A three-time first team Des Moines Sunday Register all-state selection. After playing at Iowa, he went into coaching.

DICK IVES, DIAGONAL

A big scorer in his day, Ives scored 640 in the 1942-43 season. Earned four letters at Iowa, where he was a three-time All-American. Elected to the state Basketball Hall of Fame.

PETER JOK, W.D.M. VALLEY

Jok's story of coming to Iowa as a South Sudanese refugee is inspiring. He learned to play basketball and developed incredible long range shooting skills. Mr. Iowa Basketball in 2013. Started his career at Roosevelt.

RANDY KRAAYENBRINK, PAULLINA

Led his team to back-to-back state championships in 1981 and 1982. Kraayenbrink tied for Mr. Iowa Basketball honors in 1982. A guard who could score outside or drive. Went on to play at Northern Iowa.

RAEF LAFRENTZ, MFL/MAR-MAC (MONONA)

A big man who could drive to the basket. Compiled 2,148 points in his career. Named Mr. Iowa Basketball in 1994. Went on to play at Kansas, earning All-American honors, and in the NBA.

BILL LOGAN, KEOKUK

A remarkable talent in the early 1950s. Led Keokuk to state in 1951 and 1952, leading the tournament in scoring both years. He had a whopping 190 points in those two seasons.

WADE LOOKINGBILL, FORT DODGE

Mr. Iowa Basketball of 1988, Lookingbill helped the Dodgers to a 23-1 record and a state championship as a senior. A two-time Des Moines Sunday Register all-state selection, picking up first team honors in 1988.

AL LORENZEN, C.R. KENNEDY

Lorenzen was one of the most decorated Iowa high school players of his generation. He was Mr. Iowa Basketball in 1984, taking his team to the state championship. He was an All-American and a major recruit.

DOUG MCDERMOTT, AMES

McDermott was a key piece of Ames' back-to-back title teams in 2009 and 2010. One of the greatest shooters for a man his size, McDermott stood 6-8 and was nearly unstoppable near the basket. Averaged more than 20 points as a senior.

BROOKS MCKOWEN, WAPSIE VALLEY (FAIRBANK)

Owns the state's career scoring record with 2,831 points, which he set in 2003. Scored 1,002 points in 2002-03, another record. Mr. Iowa Basketball as a senior. Played at Northern Iowa.

MARCELLUS MCMICHAEL, D.M. ROOSEVELT

McMichael was a phenom of his time, becoming the first Des Moines Sunday Register four-time all-state selection. Tall for a player in the 1930s. The 1933 graduate overcame childhood health problems to become one of the state's best.

LOREN MEYER, RUTHVEN-AYRSHIRE

A two-time Des Moines Sunday Register first-team all-state selection who used his 6-10 frame to dominate the competition. Strong and powerful, he scored 818 points as a senior in 1990-91.

DON NELSON, MARSHALLTOWN

A top player in one of the state's most storied programs. Nelson led Marshalltown to back-to-back championships in 1960 and 1961. He was an all-state both seasons. Nelson was named to the Basketball Hall of Fame.

DEAN OLIVER, MASON CITY

A rare four-time all-stater, Oliver was a point guard who could score as well as pass. Finished his career with nearly 2,000 points. He led Mason City to two consecutive state championships.

MARCUS PAIGE, LINN-MAR (MARION)

Paige is one of the greatest Iowa high school guards. Mr. Iowa Basketball in 2012 and an All-American. Scored 28.4 points a game as a senior. Went on to play at North Carolina.

CORDELL PEMSL, DUBUQUE WAHLERT

Pemsl was a strong and powerful post who stood 6-8. He scored 21.3 points as a senior in 2015-16. Also pulled down more than 10 rebounds a game. A three-time all-state selection.

ART SATHOFF, IOWA FALLS

One of the greatest rebounders in Iowa history. Had 1,669 points and 1,113 rebounds in his career. He had 488 rebounds in the 1987-88 season. His single game rebounding record is 28.

JESS SETTLES, WINFIELD-MOUNT UNION

Settles combined strength with power, running the court quickly while standing 6-7. Mr. Iowa Basketball in 1993. Career point total: 2,167. He was a three-time Register all-state selection.

TROY SKINNER, PALMER

Was part of a team that won 103 consecutive games in the late 1980s. Skinner Scored 2,497 points before going on to play at Iowa. Sank 142 3-pointers as a senior. A two-time all-state pick.

CHRIS STREET, INDIANOLA

Earned Des Moines Sunday Register all-state honors three times. Street stood 6-8 but could dominate with his agility as well as height. A two-time all-tournament selection at state.

Leistikow:Chris Street's legacy remains powerful, 25 years after his death

GARY THOMPSON, ROLAND

The Roland Rocket had one of the best-known nicknames from Iowa high school basketball history. In the 1952-53 season, he scored 837 points. He had 2,043 points in his career. An Iowa State legend.

LLOYD THORNBURG, PLEASANTVILLE

During the mid-1960s, Thornburg was one of the state's most dominant big men. He ranks No. 2 on the state's all-time rebounding list with 1,371, along with 1,570 points.

MORGAN WHEAT, W.D.M. VALLEY

Wheat was inducted into the state Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004. A 1988 graduate, he was a two-time Des Moines Sunday Register all-state choice. Wheat helped lead Valley to the 1987 state tournament.

CARL WIDSETH, DAVENPORT

Widseth led Davenport to three consecutive state championships in the 1950s. After high school, he went on to play at Tennessee, become that college's scoring record holder.

MURRAY WIER, MUSCATINE

Before Wieskamp, there was Wier, who went on to lead the NCAA in scoring. Wier was inducted into the state's Basketball Hall of Fame in in 1969. He also became a successful high school coach at Waterloo East, winning a state title in 1974.

JOE WIESKAMP, MUSCATINE

Wieskamp averaged more than 30 points per game as a senior and finished as Iowa's all-time leading scorer with 2,376 points. A tremendous shooter.

Note: Where applicable, a player’s high school of graduation is listed.

LeBron James, Serena Williams, Tom Brady: 1-50 rank of decade's ...

Ten years. In the world of sports, it can seem like an eternity.

As this decade began, the Yankees were reigning World Series champions, the Saints were about to win the franchise’s first Super Bowl title, Kobe Bryant was on his way to leading the Lakers to back-to-back NBA titles and Tiger Woods – with 14 major victories by the age of 34 – was seemingly a lock to break Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18.

How things have changed. The Yankees, Saints and Lakers have yet to return to the pinnacle of their sports, and Woods went 11 years before winning his 15th major.

Then again, some stars who ruled the sports world in 2010 have managed to stay on top. Which ones deserve recognition as the greatest athletes of the past decade?

Thirty-five members of the USA TODAY Sports staff voted to determine the top 50 athletes of the decade. Points were given in descending order, so an athlete who was voted No. 1 received 25 points, followed by No. 2 receiving 24 points and so on. Point totals are in parentheses.

1. LeBron James (786 points)

The start of the decade coincided with James entering his prime, having just turned 25. He delivered, playing in eight NBA Finals and winning three titles, being voted MVP twice and winning a gold medal in 2012. Plus nobody has scored more points since the start of the 2009-10 season than James. But it's his impact off the court that elevates James beyond other athletes of the 2010s, adding to his philanthropic efforts and becoming a leading voice on social and political issues.

2. Serena Williams (781 points)

Narrowly beat out by James, Williams is arguably the the greatest tennis player in history with 23 Grand Slam tournament singles titles, more than any man or woman in the Open Era. Not all of those majors came in this decade, but winning 10 of them – as well as Olympic golds in singles and doubles – after turning 30 might be an even more impressive feat.

3. Tom Brady (742 points)

A sixth-round draft choice in 2000, Brady's career has spanned two decades, and he's still going strong at 42. In the 2010s, he won two MVP awards (2010 season and '17) and led the Patriots to five Super Bowl appearances and three Super Bowl titles (2014 season, '16 and '18).

4. Simone Biles (740 points)

Biles hit the elite gymnastics scene as a 14-year-old in 2011. Two years later she claimed her first world championship gold medals, winning the floor exercise and all-around competitions. She won eight more golds at worlds in 2014-15 before leading the USA to team gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Individually, Biles won gold in the floor exercise, vault and all-around competitions with a bronze in the balance beam. After taking 2017 off, she returned by winning seven more individual golds at the 2018 and 2019 world championships.

TEAM OF THE DECADE:US women end 2010s where they started it, as world's best

COACH OF THE DECADE:In evaluating coaches, no one was better than Nick Saban

5. Usain Bolt (654 points)

Bolt was already an international star and Olympic champion when the decade started. But he added to his legacy by becoming the only sprinter to win gold medals in both the 100 and 200 meters in three consecutive Olympics (2008, 2012, 2016). He also won 11 gold medals at the track and field world championships from 2009 to 2015. And he currently holds the world record in both the 100 and the 200.

6. Mike Trout (610 points)

Trout made his major league debut in 2011 at 19 and a season later won the AL Rookie of the Year award and finished second in AL MVP voting. He hasn't slowed down since. An eight-time All-Star, Trout has won three MVP awards and finished second four times. The only blemish on his career is a lack of postseason success, but he's only 28.

7. Steph Curry (571 points)

The seventh overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft, Curry quickly established himself as one of the game’s best shooters. He led the NBA in 3-point field goals for five consecutive seasons, including a record 402 in 2015-16. An All-Star in each of the past six seasons, Curry was named the league’s MVP in 2015 as he led the Warriors to their first NBA title in 40 years. The following year, Curry repeated as MVP as the Warriors finished with an unprecedented 73-9 record but lost the NBA Finals in seven games to the Cavaliers. Entering the 2019-20 season, Curry and the Warriors have represented the Western Conference in each of the past five NBA Finals, winning three.

8. Lionel Messi (570 points)

In the decade’s greatest soccer rivalry, Messi comes out slightly ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo. A prolific goal-scorer, Messi has won a record six Ballon d’Or awards (five this decade) as the world’s top player. He has spent his entire pro career with Barcelona, where he holds the record of six Golden Boot awards as the leading scorer in the top division of the five major European leagues. The native of Argentina is his country’s all-time leading scorer with 70 goals in 138 international appearances. He also led Argentina to the 2014 World Cup final.

9. Michael Phelps (541 points)

Although many of his accomplishments came in the 2000s, Phelps arguably did enough alone in this decade to be considered the greatest swimmer in history. Following his unprecedented eight gold medal-winning performance at the 2008 Olympics, Phelps cut back his schedule – winning four golds and two silvers in 2012 in London. He was chosen as the U.S. flag bearer for the 2016 Rio Games, then added another five golds and one silver. His victories in the 200-meter butterfly and 200 medley made him, at 31, the oldest individual champion in Olympic swimming history.

FROM BASEBALL:Dream team, position-by-position for the decade

DARKEST MOMENT:Larry Nassar sexual abuse scandal rocked the world

10. Novak Djokovic (479 points)

Men's tennis has been ruled by three players this decade. Of the three, Djokovic holds the upper hand. Of his 16 Grand Slam tournament titles, 15 have come since 2011 – including all five Wimbledon crowns and six of his record seven Australian Open titles. His 2015 season, in which he won three majors and reached the final in a fourth, is considered one of the greatest in history.

11. Katie Ledecky (443 points)

Ledecky is quite simply the most dominant freestyle swimmer in history. At 15, she claimed her first Olympic title in 2012, setting a record for an American and winning the 800-meter freestyle by more than four seconds. Breaking world records and going undefeated in every international final she entered between the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, Ledecky hit more milestones at the 2016 Rio Games. She won gold in the 200-, 400- and 800-meter free, posting world-record times in the 400 and 800 that still stand. All told, she’s set 14 world records.

12. Kevin Durant (398 points)

Starting in the 2009-10 season, Durant led the league in points five years in a row with the Thunder, went to the 2012 Finals, was league MVP in 2013-14 and won Olympic gold medals in 2012 and 2016. But Durant didn’t become an NBA champion until he joined the Warriors in 2016. He won back-to-back titles (winning Finals MVP) and was the leading playoff scorer last season until he was hurt before the Finals.

13. Rafael Nadal (396 points)

The King of Clay won the French Open eight times during the decade and three of the four Grand Slam tournaments in 2010. He’s the reigning champion at the French and U.S. Open. Nadal was ranked No. 1 for 140 weeks, including now, and No. 2 for 133 weeks.

14. Cristiano Ronaldo (387 points)

He signed with Real Madrid before the turn of the decade and dominated, scoring 40 or more goals three times and winning back-to-back Ballon D’Or awards in 2013 and 2014 and 2016 and 2017. He was named the top forward as Portugal won UEFA Euro 2016. He transferred to Juventus in 2018 and led that team to a first-place finish in his first year.

15. Aaron Rodgers (297 points)

The Packers' quarterback was MVP of the 2011 Super Bowl XLV win against the Steelers, throwing for 304 yards and three touchdowns. He was NFL MVP in 2012, when the Packers went 15-1, and he had a career-best 4,643 passing yards and 45 TD passes. He picked up six All-Pro nods and won 10 or more games seven times, including this season.

16. Roger Federer (273 points)

He began the decade ranked No. 1 and finished No. 3. There was a lot of fluctuation in there, including a drop to 16, but he won five Grand Slam tournaments and the Federer-Nadal rivalry remains fun to watch.

17. Sidney Crosby (268 points)

The hockey world wondered if the Penguins' star would be able to return from a concussion suffered in the 2011 Winter Classic. He spent parts of two seasons on the sideline but came back strong. He led the league with 104 points in 2013-14 to win MVP and was playoff MVP twice as the Penguins won back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 2016 and 2017, the first NHL team to do that since the late 1990s.

FROM HOCKEY:The people, places, things that have changed NHL

FROM NASCAR:Top feuds feature familiar names, iconic moments from decade

18. Clayton Kershaw (256 points)

The Dodgers' pitcher dominated in the regular season, winning the Cy Young Award in 2011, 2013 and 2014. He was voted National League MVP in 2014, when he went 21-3 with a 1.77 ERA. He hasn’t been able to repeat that dominance in the postseason, though, with a combined 5.40 ERA in World Series games.

19. Alex Ovechkin (239 points)

The runaway NHL goal-scoring leader of the decade. The Capitals' star scored his 600th goal on March 12, 2018, and is closing in on 700. Ovechkin eliminated the one blemish on his career by winning the Stanley Cup in 2018.

20. Carli Lloyd (217 points)

A force on the U.S. Women’s National Team, she scored the winning goal in the 2012 Olympics, was captain of the 2015 World Cup team and had a hat trick in the championship game against Japan. She scored three goals in the 2019 World Cup as the USA repeated as champion.

21. American Pharoah (160 points)

Yes, horses are athletes too. American Pharoah won the Triple Crown in 2015, the first to do so since Affirmed in 1978. He took the Kentucky Derby by 1 length, the Preakness Stakes by 7 lengths and the Belmont Stakes by 5½ lengths. Trained by Bob Baffert, American Pharoah went on to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic, the first to win all four races in one year.

22. Floyd Mayweather Jr. (154 points)

Mayweather added to his perfect record by winning nine fights in the decade, including a 10th-round TKO of UFC fighter Conor McGregor in August 2017. That gave Mayweather a 50-0 record, surpassing Hall of Fame boxer Rocky Marciano’s 49-0 mark. Mayweather announced on Instagram in November that he was “coming out of retirement in 2020,” but no bout has been scheduled.

23. Max Scherzer (123 points)

Scherzer started the decade as an up-and-comer who just completed his first full season in the major leagues. He finishes the 2010s with the most strikeouts and wins in the decade, three Cy Young Awards and a newly earned World Series title.

24. Lindsey Vonn (119 points)

Vonn's decade as a skier was filled with remarkable achievements and excruciating injuries. She won Olympic gold in the downhill and a bronze in the super-G at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver. In 2013, she suffered torn knee ligaments and a broken leg and did not fully recover in time for the 2014 Olympics in Sochi. Vonn returned to the Games in 2018, taking bronze in the downhill. She announced her retirement in 2019 after claiming a record 82 World Cup victories, the most of any female skier in history. She also has seven world championship medals and was the first female skier to win medals at six world championships.

25. Mikaela Shiffrin (118 points)

The world’s dominant slalom skier has won the World Cup season title six times. Shiffrin, 24, also has won three consecutive overall World Cup titles. Currently tied for second on the list of World Cup victories with 62, Shiffrin could pass Ingemar Stenmark’s record of 86 before the Beijing Olympics in 2022. At the 2014 Olympics at 18, she became the youngest to win Olympic gold in slalom. Four years later, Shiffrin won gold in the giant slalom and silver in the combined.

26. Maya Moore (104 points)

The five-time, first-team All-WNBA honoree helped the Lynx win four championships since her rookie year in 2011. Moore was also named MVP in 2014. She has missed only one game in eight seasons, with career averages of 18.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. In February, Moore, 30, announced that she would sit out the 2019 season to focus on family and “some ministry dreams.”

27. James Harden (86 points)

A seven-time All-Star and two-time NBA scoring champion, Harden was the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year (2011-12) with the Thunder before he was traded to the Rockets. Since the trade, Harden, 30, has averaged 29.4 points and 7.7 assists. He’s led the NBA in scoring each of the past two seasons: 30.4 points in 2017-18 – when he was the league MVP – and 36.1 points in 2018-19.

28. Justin Verlander (83 points)

Verlander won two Cy Young Awards in the decade, including one in 2019 when he became the oldest pitcher to achieve the feat since 42-year-old Roger Clemens did it in 2004. Now 36, Verlander is second to Max Scherzer in wins and strikeouts in the 2010s and first in innings pitched. He also won a World Series title with the Astros in 2017.

29. Elena Delle Donne (69 points)

She is the first player in WNBA history to win MVP honors with two teams: the Sky in 2015 and the Mystics in 2019. A seven-year veteran, Delle Donne, 30, led the Mystics to the team’s first league championship in 2019. She is the first player in WNBA history to shoot over 50% from the field, over 40% from 3-point territory and over 90% from the free throw line in a season (2019).

30. Tiger Woods (57 points)

Woods hasn’t been the same since he crashed his Escalade outside his Florida mansion on the day after Thanksgiving in 2009. He endured personal scandal and several surgical procedures on his back. But Woods had his share of moments of triumph on the golf course. He was named PGA Tour Player of the Year in 2013 and won 11 tournaments in the 2010s. His Masters victory in 2019 was one of the decade's most dramatic moments and marked his 15th career major, keeping Woods within reach of Jack Nicklaus' record of 18.

31. Abby Wambach (55 points)

Inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in September, Wambach, 39, is the career-leading goal scorer in women's international soccer with 184 goals. In the 2010s, she was a member of the U.S. women's team that won gold at the 2012 Olympics and the 2015 World Cup. She was the FIFA world women's player of the year in 2012.

T32. Allyson Felix (49 points)

Felix finishes the decade as the most decorated woman in U.S. Olympic track and field history with nine medals. She captured three gold medals in 2012 and two more in 2016 to bring her career total to six, most of any female track and field athlete in Olympic history. She won her 12th gold at the world championships in 2019, her first since becoming a mother.

T32. Marcel Hirscher (49 points)

At just 30 years old, the Austrian is already widely considered the greatest Alpine skier ever. Hirscher won a record eight consecutive overall World Cup titles from 2012 to 2019, plus six titles each in the slalom and giant slalom disciplines and two Olympic gold medals in 2018.

34. Drew Brees (48 points)

Brees earned nine of his 13 career Pro Bowl nods in the 2010s and was the 2011 Offensive Player of the Year. He leads quarterbacks for the decade in touchdowns, yards, pass attempts and completions. He also finishes the decade as the NFL's career leader in passing yards and touchdowns.

35. Megan Rapinoe (46 points)

Rapinoe played in three World Cups during the decade, winning two, including the performance of a lifetime to lead the Americans to a second consecutive title in 2019. She was awarded the Golden Boot as the tournament’s top scorer with six goals and earned the Golden Ball as the best player.

36. Diana Taurasi (35 points)

Considered one of the greatest female basketball players in history, Taurasi spent the 2010s burnishing her Hall of Fame résumé. She earned five All-Star nods and seven All-WNBA selections during the decade and won her third WNBA championship and second Finals MVP in 2014. Taurasi became the WNBA’s all-time leader scorer in 2017 and won Olympic gold medals with the U.S. in 2012 and 2016.

37. Klay Thompson (35 points)

Thompson teamed with Steph Curry to form the Splash Brothers, the best shooting backcourt in NBA history and cornerstones of a Warriors dynasty that won three championships. Thompson was a five-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA third-team pick during the decade.

38. Patrick Kane (34 points)

The top pick in the 2007 draft, Kane became a cornerstone of the Blackhawks' teams that won three Stanley Cup championships during the decade. Kane won the Art Ross Trophy as NHL scoring champion and the Hart Trophy as league MVP in 2015-16, becoming the first American-born player to win each.

39. Alex Morgan (28 points)

Morgan became the latest international soccer star for the U.S. She appeared in three World Cups, helping the U.S. win the 2015 and 2019 titles. In April 2019, Morgan became the seventh American woman to score 100 international goals, and she finishes the decade with 107.

40. Lewis Hamilton (25 points)

Hamilton established himself as one of the most accomplished drivers in Formula One history with five championships in six years (2014-15, 2017-19). His six total championships and 84 race wins are both second behind Michael Schumacher, and Hamilton holds the F1 career record with 88 poles.

T41. Canelo Alvarez (21 points)

Canelo became one of boxing’s biggest draws this decade, signing a massive deal with the DAZN streaming service for his fights in 2018. In the ring, the four-division champion has gone an impressive 23-1-1 over the past 10 years.

T41. Sue Bird (21 points)

Bird finishes the decade among the best women to ever play basketball. She won two of her three WNBA titles (2010 and 2018), made five All-Star teams and three All-WNBA teams and became the league’s all-time assists leader in 2017. Bird also helped the U.S. win Olympic gold medals in 2012 and 2016.

T41. Aaron Donald (21 points)

The accolades started piling up in 2013 for Donald, as he was named the ACC defensive player of the year and cleaned up in award season, taking home the Nagurski Award, Bednarik Award, Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award. He continued in the NFL as he was named Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2014 and captured back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards in 2017 and 2018, the latter when he led the league with 20½ sacks.

T41. Brooks Koepka (21 points)

The 29-year-old golfer became one of the best big-game players on the planet in the last few years of the decade. He captured four major titles – twice taking home the PGA Championship (2018 and 2019) and twice winning the U.S. Open (2017 and 2018). When he wasn’t winning in 2019 he was in the hunt, finishing second at the Masters, second at the U.S. Open and fourth at the British Open.

45. Jon Jones (20 points)

There was plenty of controversy for “Bones” during the decade as he was stripped of his light heavyweight championship multiple times. But there was no disputing his dominance in the octagon. He never lost a UFC bout in the decade, racking up 16 wins.

46. JJ Watt (18 points)

Perhaps no defensive player was as dominant as Watt in the 2010s. He won three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards (2012, 2014, 2015) and twice led the league in sacks. Watt's career has been slowed of late by injuries, but in 2017 he made perhaps his biggest impact off the field when he was named the Walter Payton Man of the Year after helping to spearhead a massive fundraising effort in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.

47. Julio Jones (17 points)

The wide receiver began the decade as a star on Alabama as the Crimson Tide captured their first national championship in 17 years in January 2010. He was drafted by the Falcons with the sixth overall pick in 2011 and hasn’t slowed down, twice leading the league in receiving yards while clearing 900 yards in all but one year of his NFL career.

T48. Larry Fitzgerald (16 points)

Fitzgerald has spent the decade continuing to build one of the most impressive resumes of any wide receiver in NFL history. The greatest player in Arizona Cardinals history is now second in career receptions and yards and sixth in touchdowns. He also has the most receptions of the 2010s.

T48. Shaun White (16 points)

One of the most recognizable names in extreme sports, White won Olympic gold medals in snowboard halfpipe at the 2010 and 2018 Winter Games. He also spent the early part of the decade dominating at the X Games.

50. Adrian Peterson (14 points)

Peterson has rushed for over 9,000 yards this decade, claiming the rushing title in 2012 and 2015 – the former accompanied by the league MVP as he nearly broke Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record.

Others receiving votes

Jimmie Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Breanna Stewart, Mo Farah, Eliud Kipchoge, Kyle Busch, Justify, Lamar Jackson, Von Miller, Chandler Jones, Miguel Cabrera.

Which NBA players have led the league in all-time points scored?

Corrections and clarifications: In a previous version of this story, the year Kareem Abdul-Jabbar entered the NBA was misstated. It was 1969.

We know LeBron James is about to pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.

But who did Abdul-Jabbar pass? And when?

And what about the league’s all-time leading scorers before that?

Just six players have held the NBA’s scoring title, with Abdul-Jabbar atop the list the longest – it's been almost 40 years since he passed Wilt Chamberlain in 1984.

Follow every game: Latest NBA Scores and Schedules

James will become the seventh when he jumps Abdul-Jabbar sometime soon. At James’ scoring rate, he will score more than 40,000 points, and it may take another 40-some years before a player eclipses James.

Let’s take a look at who has been atop the NBA’s all-time scoring list:

Joe Fulks, 8,003 points

Fulks, who spent his eight-year career with the Philadelphia Warriors, won the scoring title (23.2 points per game) in the league’s first season in 1946-47 and led the league in scoring (22.1 points) the following season. Known for helping introduce the jump shot to the game, Fulks averaged a career-high 26 points in 1948-49 and retired after the 1953-54 season. Fulks attended what is now Murray State where his jersey is retired. Fulks set a then-NBA record with 61 points in 1949 and that remained the best single-game scoring effort until Elgin Baylor had 64 in 1959. Fulks, whose post-basketball career was the director of recreation at a state penitentiary, was killed in 1976 by his girlfriend’s son during a drunken argument over a handgun. He was 54. Fulks was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978.

COUNTDOWN: How close is LeBron to setting the NBA all-time scoring mark?

CAN YOU SURVIVE? New pro and college basketball survivor pools are here. Free to play; terms and conditions apply. Join now!

George Mikan, 10,156 points

Mikan entered the league in the 1948-49 season from DePaul and was a scorer from the start, putting up at least 30 points in five of his first 10 games. Like Fulks, he didn’t play long, just six-plus seasons, but Mikan averaged 23.1 points (and 13.4 rebounds). He was a six-time All-NBA selection, won the scoring title three times and won five NBA titles. Another dominant big man, the 6-10 Mikan was a masterful scorer at the basket, having perfected layups with his Mikan Drill – practicing right-handed and left-handed layups over and over. Mikan passed Fulks in the 1952-53 season. Mikan, who was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1959, helped change the game in multiple ways, including widening the lane and banning goaltending. As commissioner of the ABA, Mikan championed the 3-point line.

Dolph Schayes, 18,438 points

In 1958, during the third quarter of the Syracuse Nationals’ blowout victory against the Detroit Pistons, Schayes became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. A columnist for the Syracuse Post-Standard wrote, “with the record beckoning and his mates feeding him to help him set the mark, Schayes consistently passed off to better-positioned opponents rather than risk poor shots.” Schayes played 15 seasons, averaging 18.5 points for his career, including a career-high 24.9 in 1957-58. Schayes mastered getting to the foul line (7.9 attempts per game) and making free throws (84.9%). Schayes also played in 91% of his team’s games. He was a 12-time All-Star and 12-time All-NBA performer, entering the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1973.

Bob Pettit, 20,880 points

A couple of things about Pettit: 1) He was one of the first players to understand the value of weight training and dismissed those who thought putting on muscle would ruin his shot; 2) When Pettit, playing for the St. Louis Hawks, passed Schayes as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer in 1964, the game was stopped and Cardinals great Stan Musial presented him with the game ball, according to a United Press International story. In the era where big men dominated, Pettit averaged 26.4 points, including a career-high 31.1 (and 18.7 rebounds) in 1961-62. He led the league in scoring twice, was an All-Star in each of his 11 seasons and was named MVP twice. He entered the Hall of Fame in 1971.

Wilt Chamberlain, 31,419 points

Pettit did not own the record for long. With Chamberlain entering the league in 1959 and unstoppable as a scorer at 7-1, he took over as the all-time scoring leader on Feb. 14, 1966. Chamberlain scored 41 points against Detroit that day and held the record for 18 years. Chamberlain is remembered for his individual scoring feats, including the 100-point game that is one of the most unbreakable records in sports. Chamberlain had 113 games with at least 50 points (next closest is Michael Jordan at 31), including 45 such games in 1961-62, the season Chamberlain averaged 50.4 points. He led the league in scoring seven times, won two titles, earned All-NBA honors 10 times, was named MVP four times and became a Hall of Famer in 1979.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 38,387 points

Abdul-Jabbar laced ’em up year after year, for 20 seasons, torching opponents with his low-post game, including his famous sky hook. Coming from UCLA to the NBA in 1969, Abdul-Jabbar was a winner and ready to dominate. He averaged 28.8 points his rookie season, 31.7 the next and 34.8 the next and 30.2 in his fourth season. For 17 consecutive seasons, he averaged at least 22 points, most often in that 24-27 range. He shot 55.9% from the field and was a reliable 72.1% shooter from the foul line. No player has more MVPs than Abdul-Jabbar’s six. He was a 19-time All-Star, 15-time All-NBA selection, won six championships and was Finals MVP twice, joining other greats in the Hall of Fame in 1995.

Follow NBA reporter Jeff Zillgitt on Twitter @JeffZillgitt

azcentral Sports Awards Boys Athlete of the Week 2018-19

To nominate a Boys or Girls Athlete of the Week or an Academic All-Star, go to nominations.azcentral.com.

The azcentral Sports Awards will be at ASU Gammage on June 9. Go to sportsawards.azcentral.com for information and to purchase tickets.

May 17, 2019

TJ Clarkson, Gilbert Mesquite, Baseball

Mesquite ended its season in the 4A state championship game when it lost to second-seeded Salpointe Catholic Monday.

However, Mesquite senior TJ Clarkson has one of his best performances of the season for the Wildcats (28-5) in the semifinals on May 8.

The left handed pitcher threw a one-hitter and struck out 12 batters in Mesquite's 5-0 shutout off fifth-seed Chandler Seton Catholic Prep.

"My arm felt great," Clarkson said. "Our catcher Daniel Johnson did a great job calling the game and I just hit my spots."

Clarkson had a 9-1 starting record, 1.72 ERA through 65.2 innings pitched, 113 strikeouts, .404 batting average and 3 home runs this season.

May 10, 2019

Ashton Kroeger, Phoenix Country Day, Tennis

Phoenix Country Day freshman Ashton Kroeger became the Division III boys tennis singles champion on April 29.

Kroeger was the state single tournament's No. 3 seed, who cruised through the state tournament by dominating ever opponent in straight sets including top-seeded Wilder Cooke of The Gregory School in the title match 6-1, 6-2.

Kroeger ended the season with records of 9-1 for regular season singles and doubles, 2-2 and 4-0 for team playoff singles and doubles, respectively.

"Winning the state championship was the result of training both my mind and my body to keep pushing the limits and to never give up regardless of the circumstances," Kroeger said. "I am so grateful for the incredible coaching I have received and the support of my school Phoenix Country Day School and to my family and friends. This was an incredible experience for me as a freshman and as a tennis player."

May 3, 2019

Blake Avila, Yuma Gila Ridge, Baseball

Gila Ridge ended its regular season as the 4A Southwest division champions on a five-game win streak with major contributions from Blake Avila.

The sophomore shortstop and pitcher went 4-for-7 at the plate with five RBIs and two home runs against Goodyear Estrella Foothills on April 16 and the other when the Hawks (17-7-1) faced Yuma Cibola on April 22.

“Those two games I was just trying to put the ball in play and get on base to help my team win," Avila said. "I wasn’t trying to hit a home run, I just wanted to get on base. Whatever I can do to help my teammates win I will do.

"It feels awesome to be a part of this team and I am proud of what we have accomplished this season. No one thought we could win the region but we believed in ourselves and got the job done."

Avila had an impressive season hitting .406, .511 OPS, 30 home runs and 18 RBIs earned him a spot on the 4A Southwest All-Region first team and saw him named Gila Ridge Offensive Player of the Year.

He also has a 3-0 starting record with two saves and 2.93 ERA.

April 26, 2019

Alec Acevedo, Nogales, Baseball

Alec Acevedo is leading Nogales' charge as one of the state's hottest teams heading into the postseason. Nogales won eight out of its 10 games in April.

The 6-foot senior pitcher threw a complete game, five strikeouts, gave up three hits and one walk for the Apaches (22-4) in their 1-0 shutout of Tucson Sunnyside on April 16.

"I was just trying to do my best to help my team win," Acevedo said. "Even though we couldn't get the bats going, I trusted myself along with my coaches and defense. Everything eventually fell into place and we came home with the victory."

Acevedo has a perfect 5-0 starting pitching record, a 1.35 ERA, a .360 batting average, .423 OPS, 31 hits and 18 RBIs this season.

April 19, 2019

Seth Sweet-Chick, Goodyear Estrella Foothills, Baseball

Seth Sweet-Chick came up big at the plate in a road game this week for Estrella Foothills (22-4).

The 6-3 junior pitcher and Kansas-commit had three hits, including a home run, and four RBIs in the 17-0 rout of Yuma on April 12.

Sweet-Chick has a .411 batting average, .516 OPS and 30 RBIs.

“It was an overall great team win on the road," Sweet-Chick said. "Our bats were hot that day and we were able to put up big numbers on offense. The defense was outstanding all around the field. I’m honored to be part of such a great group of guys.”

April 12, 2019

Nathan Ward, Phoenix Mountain Pointe, Baseball

Nathan Ward pitched a no-hitter for Mountain Pointe (18-6) on April 5.

The 6-8 junior struck out 11 and allowed no walks in the Pride's 6-0 shutout road victory over Desert Vista.

He has a 4-1 record as a starter, 2.165 ERA, 37 strikeouts this season.

"It was a great team effort," Ward said. "Beating Desert Vista always feels good but to throw a no-hitter especially on their field is something we will never forget. I want to thank my family and friends for always believing in me"

April 5, 2019

Cade McGee, Tucson Salpointe Catholic, Baseball

Sophomore right-handed pitcher Cade McGee is leading Salpointe Catholic (14-5) as one of the 4A conference's top baseball teams.

McGee went 7-for-10 with two home runs, triple, double and seven RBIs in victories against Tucson Sahuaro, Casa Grande and Tucson Canyon Del Oro on March 22, 28 and 29, respectively.

"It was a fun week for the team — winning three power-point games is the most important thing," McGee said. "We are starting to figure things out and genuinely buy into the process that our coaches have been preaching to us about. We are excited and ready for the stretch run of our season."

March 29, 2019

Jonathan Hoebing, Scottsdale Desert Mountain, Baseball

Jonathan Hoebing had one of his best games for Desert Mountain (13-4) on March 20.

The junior pitcher and second baseman banged out a grand slam and seven RBIs to lead the Wolves in a 15-2 rout over Mesa Desert Ridge.

Hoebing improved his average to batting a solid .328 with a .406 OPS and 11 RBIs.

"When I got in the box that day of Desert Ridge, I felt comfortable at the plate and was ready to translate my hard work in practice, into the game," Hoebing said. "I started the day off well with a single that drove in two, which gave our team a momentum boost.

"During my last at-bat of the day, the bases were loaded and I came to the plate with the motive to drive in a run. However, when I saw the ball out of my hand, I knew it was my pitch. I was able to clear the fence for a grand slam."

March 22, 2019

Chandler Murphy, Peoria Liberty, Baseball

Liberty senior pitcher Chandler Murphy played the best game of his career on March 14 against Scottsdale Horizon.

Murphy threw a no-hitter through seven innings as Liberty (8-5-1) beat Horizon 2-0 in the Boras Classic.

The 6-foot-3 right-hander committed to Arizona last November. He has an 0.81 ERA, 33 strikeouts and 3-1 as a starter this season. His best pitch is a two-seam fastball.

March 15, 2019

Cameron Bagshaw, Lake Havasu, Baseball

Cameron Bagshaw didn't let any Chino Valley (5-4) players get onto a bag in Lake Havasu's 7-0 shutout victory last Saturday.

In his second start of the season, the Lake Havasu (6-5) junior pitcher threw a no-hitter with 13 strikeouts and zero walks given up through six innings.

Bagshaw has a 1.47 ERA and credits his ardent pitching training with his father during the off-season for the no-hitter.

"Right away, I put myself in the mindset that I was going to go out there and give it all I had and I wasn't going to leave anything on the table," Bagshaw said. "Me and my dad have been working nonstop on my form and all the pitching training that we did all last summer led up to this moment.

March 8, 2019

Rey Meza, San Tan Valley Combs, Baseball

Combs senior second baseman Rey Meza is respected for his infield defense, but began this season with strong hitting streak through its initial three games.

The Coyotes (3-3) switched Meza to designated hitter and he went 8-for-9 in his at-bats.

Meza went 3-for-3 in Combs' 12-1 loss to Valley Christian. He also hit 2-for-2 with a double, triple, and had 2 RBIs in their 9-3 loss to Phoenix Christian, the Coyotes' second game during the Cougar Classic tournament on Feb. 20.

Combs got its first win of the season in a 24-0 shutout of Phoenix Cortez in which Rey was 3-for-4 with 2 doubles and 3 RBIs.

"I was not trying to hit the ball too hard, but just make solid contact," Meza said. "The DH position is easier than fielding and hitting because I can study the opposing pitcher a bit more."

March 1, 2019

Richard Herrera, Glendale, Baseball

Richard Herrera is off to a fast start on the mound for Glendale (2-2).

In the Cardinals' first matchup of the season on Feb. 20, the sophomore right-hander pitched a complete game where he allowed just one hit and had 12 strikeouts through five innings in a 10-0 shutout victory over Phoenix Camelback.

Herrera said his best pitch is his fastball. He credits going with his curveball instead of a change-up for his outstanding performance against Camelback.

"Most of the time, I was hitting my spots inside. Curveballs were on point," Herrera said.

Feb. 22, 2019

DaRon Holmes, Millennium, Basketball

DaRon Holmes has led sixth seed Millennium (22-6) to multiple upsets in the 5A boys basketball tournament en route to the title game against No. 1 Gilbert (28-1) on Monday at 8 p.m. at Wells Fargo Arena.

The 6-foot-9 sophomore small forward had 21 points, 14 rebounds and five blocked shots in the Tigers' 72-61 victory over No. 2 Glendale Apollo on Monday.

Holmes also had a triple-double of 21 points, 13 rebounds and 13 blocks in Millennium's 60-59 quarterfinal win over No. 3 Glendale Ironwood last Friday.

Holmes leads Millennium in scoring (19.4), rebounding (10.4), blocks (4.1), and steals (1.9) per game. He ranks second with 3.3 assists per contest.

Feb. 15, 2019

K.J. Patrick, Surprise Willow Canyon, Basketball

Surprise Willow Canyon senior guard Kelvin "K.J." Patrick gave a nearly-perfect showcase in the final game of his high school career.

The 6-foot Patrick bedazzled his home crowd with a memorable performance on Feb. 5 for the Wildcats (13-14) on Senior Night.

Patrick had 46 points on 19-for-23 shooting, which included five 3-pointers. He also chipped in 11 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals and had just two turnovers.

As if that wasn't enough, Patrick became Willow Canyon's all-time leading scorer with 1241 points.

Patrick ended the season with a team-high 21.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.4 steals per game.

Feb. 8, 2019

B.J. Burries, Globe, Basketball

The 2018-19 senior class is littered with elite talent in the state's boys public and prep school basketball landscape. Some of the biggest names from this crop include Nico Mannion of Phoenix Pinnacle, Shadow Mountain's Jaelen House, Terry Armstrong of Bella Vista Prep, and B.J. Burries of Globe.

"The scoring sets me apart from them," Burries said. "They know I'm a scorer so they just give me the ball and I don't really worry about scoring until after the game. I do what I gotta do to get the W."

B.J. Burries, the state's all-time leading scorer, dropped 58 points for the Tigers (25-2) as they routed San Carlos 108-77 Friday. The 5-11 guard reached 58 on just three 3-point shots made and hitting 13-for-13 from the free throw line. He has 3,315 total points in his career and is averaging 39 points per game this season.

Feb. 1, 2019

Abraham Rivera, Buckeye, Wrestling

Buckeye Union senior Abraham Rivera continues to prove he's one of the best in the 126-pound weight class.

The junior has a 38-1 record this season and has a 30-match win streak entering the boys wrestling sectionals Saturday. His only loss of the season happened at the Jerry Benson Tournament final.

Rivera was formerly ranked No. 5 as a sophomore and beat a No. 2-ranked wrestler in the state last year.

"Once the match is over, I watch it again on film to see whatever move I did that isn't as technical or clean as I know it should be, then I come in and work on it." Rivera said.

Jan. 25, 2019

Kino Bellinger, Sierra Vista Buena, Basketball

Sierra Vista Buena senior shooting guard Kino Bellinger had an outstanding performance and reached a milestone for the 17-8 Colts last week.

During Buena's 71-70 loss to Nogales on Jan. 15, Bellinger became the Colts' all-time leading scorer with 20 points and made six 3-pointers. He also reached the 1,400-point mark during Buena's win over The Gregory School on Jan. 21, where he had 10 points and 6 rebounds.

"Ever since I was a little kid, my dad has taught me everything I know about shooting," Bellinger says. "Also, my coach Marlon Humes taught me that from fifth grade to eighth grade."

Bellinger is undecided about which college he wants to attend, but wants to major in computer science.

Jan. 18, 2019

Shemar Wilson, Tolleson, Basketball

Tolleson senior Shemar Wilson had three consecutive dominant performances in the 6A conference during Week 8 of high school basketball.

The 6-8 forward/center posted 27 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks in Tolleson's Jan. 8 loss to Surprise Valley Vista; 23 points and 10 rebounds including a buzzer-beater to beat Phoenix Trevor Browne on Jan. 9; 18 points, 9 rebounds and two blocks during the Wolverines' loss to Surprise Shadow Ridge.

Wilson is averaging 17.3 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks for Tolleson (4-6). He claims that the biggest improvement this season has been his leadership.

"I'm a better leader because I have the most varsity experience," Wilson said. "We're hungry to get into the playoffs and I'm doing anything it takes to get there."

Jan. 10, 2019

Jakob Feng, Phoenix Country Day, Basketball

Senior Jakob Fengis, a three-year starter for Phoenix Country Day's basketball team is heating up in his senior season.

The 5-10 shooting guard put up back-to-back 27-point games in his team's first two contests of 2019, wins over Tonopah Valley and Chandler Prep

He has no plans to play college basketball. But with over 1,100 career points, he's one of the most prolific scorers in Phoenix Country Day basketball history.

Jan. 3, 2019

Arnold Dates, Brophy College Prep, Basketball

The Broncos won their first three games of the Visit Mesa Basketball Challenge before falling to Clark High of Las Vegas, the eventual tournament champion.

Arnold Dates played a big role in the paint throughout the tournament for Brophy. He led a balanced offensive attack with 10 points and five rebounds per game.

Brophy is currently ranked eighth in the AIA's 6A Conference rankings and has won seven of its last nine games.

Dec. 28, 2018

Eleuterio Gutierrez, Yuma Catholic, Soccer

Senior Eleuterio Gutierrez is looking for his fourth state championship in four years. With 15 goals this season, the second most in Arizona's 3A Conference, he's led Yuma Catholic to an undefeated start to the season.

On Dec. 18, Yuma Catholic beat Brawley (Calif.), 4-1.

Gutierrez has the ability to defend as well as he scores. He can can play forward or midfielder, and he leads the team in steals.

Dec. 21, 2018

Zach Hobbs, Mesa, Basketball

The senior etched his name in the Mesa basketball record book in more ways than one during last week's win over Phoenix North.

Hobbs' nine 3-pointers set a single-game school record. But shooting the three is something Hobbs has been doing his whole career at Mesa. His hot shooting night also helped him earn the record for most threes made in school history.

"I've had some nights where I've made like five or seven threes, but never nine," Hobbs. "It was just one of those nights for me, and we like to feed the hot hand on our team."

Mesa is 9-4 this season. Hobbs leads the team in scoring.

Dec. 14, 2018

Josh Baker, McClintock, Basketball

Week 3 of the high school basketball season belonged to Josh Baker.

The guard from Tempe McClintock scored 29 against Tempe Marcus de Niza, 30 against Queen Creek Casteel and 38 against Phoenix Horizon.

Baker also made plays on the other end of the court, stealing the ball 14 times during the three-game stretch.

McClintock won all three of those games.

The Chargers are 9-2 this season.

Dec. 7, 2018

B.J. Burries, Globe, Basketball

Last week, Globe's B.J. Burries scored 45 points, surpassing the 2,500 point mark for his career in a 86-68 win over Superior last week.

In the game against Superior, Burries was 10-10 from the free throw line and made five three pointers.

In the games since then, Burries scored 29 in a win against Willcox last Friday. Tuesday he scored 48 points in a win against rival school Miami.

Burries 32.7 points per game thus far, ranks him first in points in the state of Arizona.

Burries is unsure where he will attend college next year.

Nov. 29, 2018

Brennan Ogle, Glendale, Basketball

In his first varsity start, Brennan Ogle had 30 points and 22 rebounds in an 82-76 overtime win against Yuma Gila Ridge.

The Cardinals are 1-1 in the early going this season after a loss to Phoenix Thunderbird earlier this week.

Ogle also plays baseball. His favorite subjects are math and science.

He is unsure where he wants to go to college, but he does have an interest in welding.

Nov. 23, 2018

Morgan Fowler, Page, Cross country

Leading up to the AIA state championships at Cave Creek Golf Course in Phoenix, Morgan Fowler could barely walk due to a strained hip muscles.

But after much stretching and rehab, Fowler persevered and came in second (16:19) behind teammate Bowen Martin and ahead of another teammate Trent Holiday.

Fowler was a crucial part in Page winning its fifth straight Div. III title.

As a senior this season, Fowler had two first-place finishes and five seconds.

Fowler doesn't just enjoy the outdoors for running. He also spends time camping, fishing and hiking.

Nov. 16, 2018

Marcus Libman, Phoenix Pinnacle, WR

In a 41-20 6A win over Mesa Red Mountain, Phoenix Pinnacle wide receiver Marcus Libman caught 10 passes for 238 yards.

This season Libman has racked up 1,191 receiving yards with 64 catches and 14 touchdowns.

According to 247 sports, Libman has gotten recruiting attention from multiple schools including both Arizona and Arizona State.

Regardless of where Libman chooses to attend college, he plans on majoring in business.

Libman's father is an owner of a Culvers. If football doesn't work out Libman would like to follow his fathers footsteps in owning a business one day.

Pinnacle's win advances the No. 2 seed Pioneers to the 6A semifinals, where they will face No. 6 seed Perry on Friday at 7 p.m. at North Canyon High School.

Nov. 9, 2018

Braydon Janzen, Mesa Red Mountain, LB

In the opening round of the 6A playoffs Mesa Red Mountain took a 37-34 lead with 1:07 remaining in the fourth quarter thanks to a 60-yard touchdown pass from Darren Smith to Ramses Rivera.

On the next possession, linebacker Red Mountain linebacker Braydon Janzen sealed the victory with his second interception of the game. He had no interceptions on the season until Friday night.

Janzen had also 10 tackles to go with his two interceptions.

Janzen plans on attending Northern Arizona next year on the Lumberjack scholarship he received for achieving a 3.5 GPA or higher in his core classes required for admission.

Red Mountain, the No. 10 seed and the only lower seeded team to advance to the second round of the 6A bracket, takes on No. 2 Phoenix Pinnacle on Friday.

Nov. 2, 2018

Trevor Messing, Phoenix Thunderbird, QB

Senior quarterback Trevor Messing had an amazing season finale for Phoenix Thunderbird.

He completed 26 of his 36 passes for 569 yards and nine TDs while not tossing an interception in a 62-52 win over Phoenix St. Mary's. He finished the season with 3,239 yards and 39 TD passes.

Messing credits his hard work in the off-season in the weight room and with his quarterback coach for his success this season.

Messing also volunteers with boys team charity, an organization that does philanthropic projects around the community.

Messing is unsure where he wants to attend college but plans on studying kinesiology in hopes to become a physical therapist.

Thunderbird's win over St. Mary's snapped a three-game losing streak to finish the season and gave the Chiefs a 4-6 overall record.

Oct. 26, 2018

Rick Avelar, Sahuarita Walden Grove, football

Junior linebacker Rick Avelar had 20 tackles, seven of them for loss, and a forced fumble in a 57-6 win over Tucson Amphitheater that gave the Red Wolves their first-ever region title last Friday.

Avelar is the first defensive player to win the award this year.

“Everything I have been learning throughout the year had been slowly clicking. I felt like it all came together," Avelar said.

Avelar has 115 total tackles on the year, averaging 12.5 per game which leads the Walden Grove team.

Besides football, Avelar is a member of the National Honors Society, math club and Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

In his free time he enjoys working out and reading sports and military themed books. In college he plans to study pre-med in hopes to become an orthopedic surgeon.

Walden Grove is 7-2 heading into Friday's regular season finale and sits at No. 14 in the AIA rankings, although, by virtue of their region title, Avelar and the Red Wolves are locked in to a 4A tournament playoff spot.

Oct. 19, 2018

Austin Clark, Prescott, QB, Sr.

In a 44-27 win over Bullhead City Mohave, Austin Clark did most of his damage with his legs, running for for 312 yards on 26 carries with three rushing touchdowns.

Because the running game was so effective, Clark only threw three passes, completing two of them for 28 yards.

This is the second time this fall Clark has been named azcentral's Boys Athlete of the Week. The first time was last month for his performance against Glendale Deer Valley.

"It is absolutely surreal, I never would have guessed something like this would happen, let a lone happen twice," Clark said of receiving the most votes in the azcentral sports online poll.

Clark is quick to give credit to his offensive line for both performances, describing them as "dominant."

"There was kids on the floor every single play, just from the line," Clark said.

According to MaxPreps, Clark iaverages 187 rushing yards per game. On the season he has rushed for 1,497 yards and 19 touchdowns.

Clark has the Badgers (6-2) riding a three-game winning streak and sitting 12th in the 4A Conference rankings.

Oct. 12, 2018

Ty Thompson, Gilbert Mesquite, QB, So.

Ty Thompson completed 16 of 24 passes for 389 yards and six TDs in a 49-15 victory over San Tan Valley Poston Butte. He did all of this after breaking his non-throwing hand (left hand) on the first series of the game.

“It was really fun. I thought my team did a really good job helping me out, (and) coaches called some really good plays,” Thompson said.

It was Mesquite's fifth consecutive victory after an 0-3 start.

Thompson has the Wildcats on the verge of a 4A Conference playoff spot, as they are 17th in the AIA rankings, with the top 16 qualifying for the postseason.

Thompson is also a member of the Mesquite junior varsity baseball team. In his free time he enjoys watching UFC and playing Fortnite. Thompson believes he is the best on the team at Fortnite, even though some of his teammates might disagree.

According to Max Preps, Thompson has thrown for 1,954 yards and 18 touchdowns this season. Thompson also has six rushing touchdowns.

Mesquite is off this Friday and returns to action Oct. 19 at Tempe Marcos de Niza before closing out the regular season against Scottsdale Saguaro.

Logan Brannan, Prescott Valley Bradshaw Mountain, SS/RB/KR, Sr.

In a 42-7 victory win over Flagstaff, Bradshaw Mountain's Logan Brannan was the undefeated Bears' Swiss Army knife who dominated on offense and defense.

He had 100 all-purpose yards, 16 tackles including two for losses, a sack, an interception, a blocked punt and a blocked field goal in the game.

Brannan was also this week's top vote-getter in the azcentral sports Top Performer poll.

"Flagstaff was a really run-heavy team and the way our defense is set up, we were able to stop their run really well, and they would have to just run outside a lot," Brannan explains about the game. "I'm also a linebacker so they ran it right to me."

The 5-foot-10, 190-pound senior averages 9.4 tackle per game and has 66 total this season. Brannan has scored six touchdown, boasting a 60.4 yards per game average.

Brannan wants to become a history major in college. He considers himself a bookworm during his time away from football.

"I like to read," Brannan says. "I'm a bit of a nerd on the weekends."

Brannan and Bradshaw Mountain (7-0) host rival Prescott (4-2) on Friday.

Sept. 28, 2018

Nicc Quinones, Glendale Cactus, FS, Jr.

Glendale Cactus junior free safety Nicc Quinones had a monster defensive performance last Friday night, posting 17 tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and, for good measure, he returned a fumble for a touchdown.

Quinones' effort led the Cobras to a 48-15 win over Buckeye Youngker.

He has 55 tackles in five games so far this season, an average of 11 per game.

Quinones says his dream school is UCLA, where he hopes to play football. If not UCLA, he says he still considering other schools in California so that his family can watch him play football. Whenever his football career ends, Quinones aspires to become a firefighter.

Cactus (4-1) and hosts Glendale Deer Valley (0-5) on Friday night.

Sept. 21,2018

Will Plummer, Gilbert, QB, Sr.

In a wild 74-57 loss to Peoria Sunrise Mountain, Gilbert quarterback Will Plummer completed 41 of 70 passes for 668 yards and six touchdowns, ran for 22 yards and a score and had a sack at linebacker.

On Wednesday, he was the top vote-getter in the azcentral sports Top Performer poll.

Plummer says he did not realize his yardage total until after the game.

"I figured I was a little over 300 or 400 yards that game but we weren’t running the ball very well, so the pass is open and they weren’t covering it so we were taking advantage of it all night,” Plummer said.

This is Plummer's first year as the starting quarterback at Gilbert, replacing his older brother Jack, who threw for 2,861 yards, 35 touchdowns and seven interceptions a year ago. Jack is currently a back-up quarterback at Purdue.

After high school, Plummer wants to go to a school to play football and study aviation to become a pilot after college.

Sept. 14, 2018

Austin Clark, Prescott, QB, Sr.

Prescott's Austin Clark set a school record on Sept. 7 with seven rushing touchdowns in a 56-7 rout of Glendale Deer Valley. He finished the game with 398 yards on 24 carries.

“I got to credit the entire night to the (offensive) line. There is no way I could have done what I did without them," Clark said.

The Badgers lost their season opener 40-17 but have outscored their last two opponents 99-7.

When Clark is away from the football field he likes exploring the ocean. His hobbies include free diving and scuba diving. "It's a whole new world what you can see under water," Clark says.

Clark hopes to play college football and plans to study either marketing or chemical engineering. One day he hopes to open his own chemical engineering firm.

Sept. 7, 2018

Taren Rose, Phoenix Thunderbird, football, Sr.

In a 49-35 win over Glendale Deer Valley, Taren Rose ran 11 times for 112 yards and three TDs, caught seven passes for 124 yards and two more TDs, returned a kickoff 73 yards and returned an interception 30 yards.

Along with football, Rose plays shortstop and left field for the Thunderbird baseball team. In his free time he enjoys relaxing at home playing Fortnite.

Rose, whose favorite team is the Arizona Cardinals, is hoping for a scholarship to play football at the next level. In college he wants to study biomedical engineering.

“I think it is just fascinating working on cures and trying to help out the community and the world,” Rose said.

Aug. 31, 2018

Kohner Cullimore, Gilbert Highland, RB/SS, Sr.

In a game that began on a Friday night and ended on a Saturday morning, Cullimore had 190 yards and three TDs rushing and had 103 receiving yards. He also threw a TD pass and had 10 tackles on defense in a 49-28 win over Chandler Hamilton. Cullimore was the leading vote-getter in the azcentral sports online poll for Top Performer.

Return to this page all season long to see each week's athlete.

Aaron Rodgers, Wisconsin's best athletes, sports figures ranked

If we created a Wisconsin sports Mount Rushmore, would Aaron Rodgers be on it?

Perhaps that depends on how Packers fans rank their legendary quarterbacks, with Brett Favre and Bart Starr to consider as well. Do Packers candidates get dibs over other sports? How will Rodgers ultimately be remembered?

We won't try to answer the question and narrow it down quite that far, but if someone knew nothing of the Badger State's sports history, here's our take on 20 icons who stand out (listed alphabetically):

Hank Aaron

Aaron may be primarily associated with the Atlanta Braves; it's the team for which he played when he broke baseball's home run record. But he spent more time playing in Milwaukee than outside of it. For 12 seasons, he was the pride of the Milwaukee Braves, making the All-Star team every year after his rookie season and earning MVP honors in 1957. Though the franchise relocated, he spent the final two years of his career back in Milwaukee as a Brewer, in 1975 and '76. In the years thereafter, he became a remarkable ambassador for the game and his legend continued growing until his death in 2021.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

When Milwaukee won a coin flip for the right to pick first in the 1969 NBA draft, the franchise's fortunes were instantly altered. He came into the league as Lew Alcindor and led the Bucks to their first title in 1971, plus a return to the Finals in 1974. He is still one of the most iconic players in league history and the NBA's all-time leading scorer. The majority of his career was spent with the Los Angeles Lakers, but for six years, Milwaukee was home to the most dominant center in hoops history.

Barry Alvarez

When Barry Alvarez became head football coach at the University of Wisconsin, the Badgers hadn't had a winning season since 1984. But from 1990 to 2005, he turned the program around, bringing it to its first Rose Bowl in 30 years and winning that game in 1993 and then two more. When he jumped upstairs as UW athletics director, he oversaw a program that enjoyed sustained success in football and basketball, along with cross country, volleyball and women's hockey. He retired from that post in 2021.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

He's only 27 years old after all, but already, Milwaukee has seen the teenager from Greece rise from an unknown No. 15 overall pick into one of the most dominant forces in the NBA. The two-time MVP solidified his permanence in the top tier of Wisconsin greatness when he led the Bucks to the 2021 NBA championship in the most dramatic of circumstances. His decision to stay in Milwaukee and sign the Supermax extension prior to the 2020-21 title season broadcast to the world that this was where he wanted to be, eschewing at least one comparison to his predecessor in Milwaukee basketball greatness, Abdul-Jabbar.

Bonnie Blair

Wisconsin doesn't lack for great Winter Olympians, from the sheer dominance of five-time gold medalist Eric Heiden to the redemption arc of Dan Jansen to Mark Johnson, the face of Wisconsin hockey who also played a prominent role in the Miracle on Ice. But Blair, who moved to West Allis to train for her biggest events, may be the most revered as a five-time gold medalist and six-time Olympic medalist, with appearances in four Olympiads. She was one of Sports Illustrated's Sportsmen of the Year in 1994 and became the national face of speedskating for a generation.

Ryan Braun

There's no getting around the infamous suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs in 2013, nor the defiant press conference proclaiming his innocence after the 2011 season. But Braun was the face of a new wave of Brewers success, with an unforgettable 2008 home run as one of several iconic moments in his career. He spent all 14 of his seasons with the Brewers, winning Rookie of the Year and an MVP award with six all-star appearances. Braun led Milwaukee to the playoffs in 2008, 2011, 2018, 2019 and 2020; before his arrival, the Brewers hadn't been to the postseason sine 1982.

Ron Dayne

From 1996-99 at the University of Wisconsin, Dayne captivated college football and became the NCAA Division I all-time leading rusher — and still is, if you ignore the NCAA's unwillingness to calculate bowl statistics prior to 2002. He was taken 11th overall by the New York Giants in the draft, but his career will always be tied to his days as a Badger, when he racked up 7,125 yards and earned Rose Bowl MVP when Wisconsin triumphed in 1999 and 2000. He also won the 1999 Heisman Trophy.

Brett Favre

The three-time NFL Most Valuable Player emerged from relatively humble beginnings to captivate a fan base with his "gunslinger" style of quarterbacking. He made 11 Pro Bowls, led the team to two Super Bowls and won one of them. Though his exit was complicated, he engineered countless memorable moments in his Packers career, became the NFL's all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns and helped resuscitate a long-struggling franchise.

Eric Heiden

His time to shine was a relatively short window, but what a window it was. Competing in Lake Placid at the 1980 Olympics, the 21-year-old Madison native won an unprecedented five gold medals in speedskating, winning the 500, 1,000, 1,500, 5,000 and 10,000. No winter Olympian has duplicated the feat since.

Don Hutson

Perhaps it's a reach because Hutson's tenure ran so long ago, from 1935-45, and the vast majority of Wisconsin sports fans probably wouldn't recognize his face if they saw it. But there's a good argument that Hutson is the single greatest player in Packers history. Part of three championships and holder of 18 NFL records by the time he retired, Hutson revolutionized the wide receiver position. The Packers practice facility next to Lambeau Field is named for the two-time MVP.

More:Green and Golden: The 100 most outstanding players in Green Bay Packers history

Vince Lombardi

The bespectacled Brooklyn native became the archetype for an era of football. The hard-nosed head coach led the Packers to six NFL championships and wins in Super Bowl I and II. The Super Bowl trophy and the street on which Lambeau Field resides are both named for him.

Eddie Mathews

Mathews made nine all-star teams during his 13 seasons with the Milwaukee Braves, during which he became regarded as one of the top third basemen in baseball. The Hall of Famer was central to the team's 1957 World Series championship and twice finished as MVP runner-up in the National League.

Al McGuire

One of the state's most colorful characters, McGuire was head coach of Marquette basketball from 1964 to 1977, reaching the Final Four twice and capping his run with the 1977 national championship. He went into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992 and established a career in broadcasting after he finished coaching. Even today, he's the biggest name in Marquette basketball (sorry, Dwyane).

Paul Molitor

Side-by-side with Robin Yount, he was the face of Milwaukee's arrival as a bona fide threat in the 1980s, and he became one of the great hitters in the game. The MLB Hall of Famer engineered a memorable 39-game hitting streak and made five all-star teams in Milwaukee before the club let him walk away. He won a World Series in Toronto in 1993 (and was World Series MVP).

Aaron Rodgers

Brett Favre was a seemingly impossible act to follow, and yet the Packers struck gold again with a second straight Hall of Fame quarterback. Rodgers led the Packers to a Super Bowl triumph and became the best passer in football after famously falling to the 24th overall pick in the 2005 NFL draft. He surpassed Favre when he enjoyed a late-career renaissance and won his third and fourth NFL MVP trophies in 2020 and 2021, leading the Packers to the top seed in the NFC both times.

Bo Ryan

He may be a native of Chester, Pennsylvania, but he's the perfect Wisconsin story, finding success in the UW system at Platteville (four Division III national championships) and Milwaukee before becoming Badgers head basketball coach in 2001. Though the program had reached a Final Four in 2000, Ryan took Wisconsin to a new level, never missing an NCAA tournament and winning four Big Ten regular-season titles. The crown jewel was consecutive trips to the Final Four in 2014 and 2015, including a win over undefeated Kentucky in the latter year to reach the NCAA championship game.

Bud Selig

His overriding legacy as commissioner of Major League Baseball may be complicated, but you can't deny what Selig did for Milwaukee baseball. The Milwaukee businessman worked tirelessly to bring a franchise back after the Milwaukee Braves left following the 1965 season, and in 1970, the Milwaukee Brewers arrived. Selig served as the franchise's owner until he had to step away to run MLB at large, first as acting commissioner in 1992. As commissioner, he established the Wild Card, and he's remained unapologetically Milwaukeean. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2017.

Bart Starr

From 1956 to 1971, Starr wore Green and Gold, earning MVP in each of the first two Super Bowls and helping to solidify tiny Green Bay as a football powerhouse. He's a five-time NFL champion and one-time MVP (1966), with a post-playing career that included eight seasons as head coach in Green Bay. He'll forever be associated with the Ice Bowl triumph that earned the Packers a spot in the second Super Bowl, and he'll also be remembered as a kind and charitable person off the field.

More:Legendary Packers quarterback Bart Starr dies at age 85

Bob Uecker

It could be argued the face of the Milwaukee Brewers has ironically always been its voice. The charismatic and comically gifted Uecker has been involved in acting, other TV appearances, commercials and even professional wrestling, but he'll always be the radio voice of the Brewers — as he has been since 1971. Even through the leanest of seasons, Milwaukee fans always had Uecker to entertain them throughout the summer.

More:On the 50th anniversary of becoming the Brewers' Hall of Fame radio voice, Bob Uecker stayed true to form

Robin Yount

He is the only member of the Baseball Hall of Fame who spent his entire playing career with the Milwaukee Brewers. From an exciting 18-year-old infielder in 1974 to a 37-year-old veteran in 1993, his 20 years in the organization made him the quintessential Brewer, with two MVPs and the franchise's lone World Series appearance mixed in.

Bonus: Earl "Curly" Lambeau

Perhaps he predates what we consider to be the modern history of Wisconsin sports, and perhaps you'd be hard pressed to picture his face. But it's hard to deny that a man whose very last name still resonates in this state (and the sports world at large) doesn't belong somewhere on this list. He was a great player in the 1920s, but he's known as the founder and first head coach of the Packers, creating a brand that remains one of the sports world's biggest a century later. Arguably the most famous structure in Wisconsin bears his name.

Others: Davante Adams, Ray Allen, Alan Ameche, Dick Bennett, Cecil Cooper, Craig Counsell, Rollie Fingers, Elroy Hirsch, Paul Hornung, Bob Johnson, Mark Johnson, Marques Johnson, Frank Kaminsky, Matt Kenseth, Alan Kulwicki, Sidney Moncrief, Don Nelson, Ray Nitschke, Andy North, Pat Richter, Oscar Robertson, Warren Spahn, Jim Taylor, Joe Thomas, Dwyane Wade, J.J. Watt, Reggie White, Christian Yelich.

JR Radcliffe can be reached at (262) 361-9141 or jradcliffe@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JRRadcliffe.

Memphis Bicentennial: Top 50 sports figures in Bluff City history

Sports has given Memphis plenty to be proud of for much of its 200 years.

As the Bluff City celebrates its bicentennial, The Commercial Appeal put together a list of 50 of the top sports figures in its history. Some will inevitably disagree with one or more inclusions, which is OK — some might even encourage it.

The basic criteria for the list are that the person was either born in Memphis or made their name here.

Presenting to you the 50 most notable sports figures in Bluff City history (in alphabetical order).

Tony Allen: Known as "The Grindfather," as well as a member of the Grizzlies' "Core Four," Allen became a fan favorite and a defining member of the team's "Grit and Grind" era, essentially coining the phrase. From 2010 to 2017, Allen scored All-NBA Defensive Team honors six times and was key in each of the four playoff series wins in franchise history. As important as anyone to Memphis and the Grizzlies, Allen once told The Commercial Appeal it was a two-way street. “My heart is here. That big ol' blue face, that Grizzly bear, that’s where my heart is.”

Support local journalism:5 benefits of a Commercial Appeal subscription

Gene Bartow: Led Memphis State to an 82-32 overall record in four seasons as head coach. The Tigers' most successful campaign on Bartow's watch was the 1972-73 season when Memphis State reached the national championship game — the first of the program's two title game appearances. He was named NABC National Coach of the Year in 1973 and inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009. Bartow went on to coach at Illinois, UCLA (where he succeeded the legendary John Wooden) and UAB, where he later served as athletics director from 1977 to 2000. A personal favorite of legendary Memphis broadcaster, Jack Eaton, who once said: "... Bartow, he was the master."

Betty Booker: The all-time leading scorer in Lady Tigers history, Booker racked up 2,835 points over four years without the benefit of the 3-point line. She became the first-ever University of Memphis student-athlete elected to the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 2005. Booker, who later coached basketball, volleyball and track at White Station for 14 years, remains tied (with Tamika Whitmore) for the highest career per-game scoring average (20.7).

Isaac Bruce: He played just two seasons for the Tigers, but they were eye-opening. The St. Louis Rams made him a second-round pick in the 1994 NFL Draft. He went on to collect the fifth-most receiving yards in NFL history and win a Super Bowl.

John Calipari: Undoubtedly one of the least popular names on the list among Memphians, Calipari compiled 214 wins in nine seasons as Memphis coach. Those 214 victories are second-most by a Tigers coach in program history (Larry Finch's 220 is the record). Memphis won the NIT in 2002 and Calipari guided the Tigers to four Sweet 16 appearances as well as the national championship game in 2008. The school was forced to vacate all of its wins during the 2007-2008 season when Derrick Rose's SAT score was invalidated.

Phil Cannon: The Memphis native eventually became synonymous with the FedEx St. Jude Golf Classic — the city's first major professional sporting event — when he served as the tournament's director from 1999 to 2015. But his relationship with the FESJC (now the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational) began as a volunteer in 1966, when he was a 14-year-old high school student at White Station. Cannon became a full-time employee in 1990. He also wore several other sports-related hats around Memphis, including being a longtime press box PA announcer for football games at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium and serving as the Mid-South Coliseum general manager for five years in the 1980s.

Stubby Clapp: Was given the nickname "Mayor of Memphis" during his four-season playing career with the Redbirds. Clapp's 418 hits are third-most in team history, while his 258 runs scored are second-most. The St. Louis Cardinals' current first base coach spent two seasons as the team's manager, winning Pacific Coast League Manager of the Year honors both years and leading the Redbirds to back-to-back PCL championships as well as the AAA National Championship in 2018. His jersey is the only one ever retired by the Redbirds.

Mike Conley: The longest-tenured Grizzlies player in franchise history, the team made Conley its point guard after drafting him fourth overall in 2007. In 12 seasons, the former Ohio State star has rewritten the Grizzlies' record book. He currently holds nine team records (second only to longtime teammate Marc Gasol), including points, games, assists, steals and 3-pointers.

Chris Douglas-Roberts: Starred at Memphis from 2005 to 2008, finishing his Tigers career as the program's 10th-leading scorer all-time. Douglas-Roberts (who later legally changed his name to Supreme Bey) was the team's leading scorer during the 2007-08 season, when the team reached the national championship game. He became the school's third Associated Press first-team All-American in men's basketball and there has not been one since. Douglas-Roberts is also the only Sports Illustrated first-team All-American and was later the 40th overall pick in the NBA draft.

A.F. "Bud" Dudley: A native of Philadelphia and a former athletics director at Villanova, Dudley founded the Liberty Bowl in 1959 and served as its executive director until 1994. First played in Philadelphia, then Atlantic City, the game was moved to Memphis in 1965. Dudley's plan after leaving Atlantic City was to keep moving the game's locale each year, but he was once quoted as saying, "After I got to Memphis, I never got to the other cities." The Liberty Bowl currently stands as the eighth-oldest active bowl game.

Jack Eaton: A true Memphis sports icon, Eaton was the "Voice of the Tigers" from 1964 to 1991, and WMC-TV's sports director from 1956 to 1991. He also called play-by-play for Memphis State basketball and Ole Miss football from 1959 to 1963 and was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.

Jake Elliott: Less than a decade after Stephen Gostkowski rewrote the Tigers' record book, Elliott put his own stamp on the program. Aided by a school-record 81 made field goals (currently the eighth-most in NCAA history), his 445 points are the most in Memphis history and 14th-most in NCAA history. The Bengals made Elliott the first kicker drafted in 2017 (fifth round), but he was claimed off the practice squad by the Eagles. Elliott set numerous NFL rookie records in 2017, including the longest field goal by a rookie kicker in a Super Bowl, when his 46-yarder helped Philadelphia win Super Bowl LII.

Larry Finch: Considered by many to be among the most important sports figures in Memphis history, Finch first made a name for himself as a basketball star at Melrose High. As a player, he is fourth on the Tigers' all-time scoring list and still holds the record for most points in a single game (48, on Jan. 20, 1973, against St. Joseph's). He averaged 26.8 points per game during Memphis State's run to the national title game in the 1972-1973 season. Finch was named the Tigers' head coach in 1986, made six NCAA tournament appearances and remains the program's all-time winningest coach (220-130 overall record). "Very few people have meant more to bring the community together in their sphere than Larry Finch," Cato Johnson, a member of the university's board of trustees, said last year.

Avron Fogelman: A retired real estate developer, Fogelman (a Central High grad) has left an indelible mark on Memphis sports. At 30, the Memphis-born Fogelman became president of the ABA's Memphis Pros. He is largely responsible for bringing pro baseball back to the Bluff City in 1978, when the Chicks (then a minor league affiliate of the Kansas City Royals) were introduced. Fogelman, who also brought the WFL's Grizzlies/Southmen and the NASL's Rogues to town, was later a part-owner of the Royals for nine seasons (including 1985, when the team won its first World Series).

Marc Gasol: The second-longest tenured Grizzly, Gasol became a Memphian in 2001 when his older brother, Pau, joined the team. After attending Lausanne and earning Division II Mr. Basketball honors in 2003, he spent several seasons in Spain before the Lakers drafted him 48th overall in 2007 and subsequently traded his rights to the Grizzlies. The three-time All-Star, Defensive Player of the Year (2013) and "Core Four" designee was traded to the Toronto Raptors in February 2019 as the Grizzlies' franchise leader in field goals, rebounds, free throws and blocks.

Pau Gasol: The only Grizzly on this list outside the "Core Four," but arguably as instrumental to the team's success as anyone. The elder Gasol's NBA career began in Memphis when the Grizzlies traded for him after he was picked third overall in the draft by the Atlanta Hawks. He won the Rookie of the Year award in 2002 and spent the next six seasons in the Bluff City, helping the team reach the playoffs three times. In 2008, the Grizzlies traded Gasol for — among others — his younger brother, Marc.

Stephen Gostkowski: A record-breaking placekicker at Memphis from 2002-05, Gostkowski also played baseball for the Tigers. He threw 65 ⅓ innings as a freshman and is still the only person in Conference USA history to make the All-Freshman team in both football and baseball. You know the rest: fourth-round pick of the Patriots, three-time Super Bowl champ, four-time Pro Bowler and an NFL-record 479 consecutive extra points made.

Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway: Born and raised in Memphis, the Treadwell and Memphis State alum became a household name after being taken third overall in the 1993 NBA draft. The consensus first-team All-American, four-time All-Star and gold-medal winner at the 1996 Olympics, Hardaway got into coaching at Lester Middle School in 2011. He later coached AAU ball and helped lead East High to three state championships before being hired as head coach at Memphis.

Michael Heisley: The man responsible for turning Memphis into a major league sports town. Heisley orchestrated the Grizzlies' move from Vancouver to the Bluff City in 2001. The billionaire businessman, who died in 2014 — two years after selling his controlling stake in the franchise to Robert Pera — was also largely responsible for getting the organization involved in the community, forming the Memphis Grizzlies Charitable Foundation to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Claude Humphrey: A star football and basketball player at old Lester High, Humphrey was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons with the third overall pick in 1968. The Hall of Famer was taken ahead of fellow future Hall of Famers Larry Csonka, Curley Culp and Ken Stabler. Humphrey won the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year award in 1968 and finished his career with 126.5 career sacks — unofficially, since the NFL didn't keep sacks as an official stat until 1982.

Jerry Johnson: The longtime (and legendary) LeMoyne-Owen men's basketball coach led the Magicians for 46 seasons, guiding them to the Division III national championship in 1975. According to the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, Johnson learned basketball from John McLendon, who played basketball at Kansas when the school's athletic director was James Naismith (the inventor of the sport). Johnson's 821 career victories are the 21st-most in NCAA history.

George Lapides: As renowned a sports journalist as there's been in Memphis, Lapides became the sports editor and columnist for the old Memphis Press-Scimitar at 27 and held the position until it closed in 1983. Lapides seemingly had a hand in all things related to sports in the Bluff City before he died in 2016. He spent 10 years as WREG-TV's sports editor, was Rhodes College's athletic director for one year and the general manager of the Memphis Chicks, but more notably hosted a sports talk radio show for 45 years, first on WHER, then on WHBQ. "Sports Time" was the longest-running sports radio show in the country.

Jerry Lawler: The WWE Hall of Famer, dubbed "The King," has held more recognized championship belts than any other professional wrestler in history. Born in Memphis in 1949, his family moved to Ohio for eight years, returning to the Bluff City when Lawler was in high school. After more than two decades as one of the most popular figures in Memphis wrestling (during which time he notoriously feuded with comedian Andy Kaufman), Lawler signed with WWE where he worked as both an in-ring performer as well as a key member of the company's broadcast team.

Keith Lee: The Tigers' all-time leading scorer and rebounder, Lee was a four-time Associated Press All-American and was the first AP first-team selection in school history. A native of West Memphis, Arkansas, the 6-foot-11 forward helped Memphis State reach the NCAA Tournament three times in four seasons. The Chicago Bulls used the 11th overall pick in the 1985 draft to take Lee, who spent three seasons in the NBA.

Tim McCarver: The Christian Brothers alum enjoyed as successful a broadcast career as he did as a player. A member of the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame, McCarver made his MLB debut at 17 years old and eventually became a two-time World Series champion, a two-time All-Star and spent 21 years in the big leagues. Memphis' minor league baseball teams played at Tim McCarver Stadium until 2000, when the Redbirds moved to AutoZone Park. During his broadcast career, he called a then-record 23 World Series and 20 All-Star games. In 2012, he won the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasting.

Nikki McCray: The Collierville native helped lead Pat Summitt's Tennessee Lady Vols to a national championship in 1991. She later became a two-time Olympic gold medalist and a three-time WNBA All-Star. McCray was also a part of an NCAA championship in 2017 as an assistant coach at South Carolina. She is currently the head coach at Old Dominion. In 2015, McCray, already part of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, became the first female from Tennessee inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame.

Shaun Micheel: The Memphis native and Christian Brothers alum went into the 2003 PGA Championship (his only PGA Tour win) at the age of 33 and ranked 169th in the world. Micheel's approach shot on No. 18 at Oak Hill that clinched his victory was described by commentator Jim Nantz this way: "One of the great shots you'll ever see under championship pressure. Three inches." In 2006, he claimed the runner-up prize at the same tournament, finishing second to Tiger Woods. In 2010, he became just the second player ever to double eagle at the U.S. Open.

Cary Middlecoff: One of the leading professional golfers of his era, the Christian Brothers alum's 40 PGA Tour wins is still 10th-most all-time. The World Golf Hall of Famer won two U.S. Opens and a Masters, and was part of three Ryder Cup-winning teams. At the time of his retirement in the early 1960s, Middlecoff had won more money than anyone on the PGA Tour. He once said, "I don't deny I'm nervous. I have always maintained that a man who is not nervous is either an idiot or has never been close enough to winning to get nervous."

Anthony Miller: The youngest person to appear on the list, Miller starred at Christian Brothers before walking on at Memphis and eventually becoming the school's all-time leading receiver. Drafted 51st overall (second round) by the Chicago Bears in 2018, Miller led the team with seven touchdown catches, becoming the team's first rookie since Willie Gault (1983) with at least seven.

Sputnik Monroe: A true superstar in professional wrestling when superstars were few and far between. Inducted into the Legacy Wing of the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018, Monroe made waves during his time in Memphis that stretched far beyond the Bluff City and the realm of professional wrestling. He is credited with desegregating Ellis Auditorium in the late 1950s after refusing to perform unless black fans were allowed to buy tickets for any seat they wanted. As written by The Commercial Appeal's John Beifuss in 2017: "Race, pop culture, politics — Sputnik drop-kicked them to the canvas by palling around with 'coloreds' and insisting on the desegregation of wrestling matches at Ellis Auditorium at a time when the rule of Jim Crow was as accepted as the teaching of Jesus Christ."

Johnny Neumann: Recruited out of Overton High by the likes of John Wooden and Adolph Rupp, Neumann eventually signed with Ole Miss and led the nation in scoring (40.1 points per game) as a sophomore – still the fourth-highest single-season average only behind Pete Maravich's three varsity years. That earned him All-America status and he was named SEC Player of the Year in his only varsity season with the Rebels. Neumann averaged 13.2 points per game in eight seasons as a pro.

Michael Oher: The former five-star recruit out of Briarcrest became a household name before ever stepping foot on a national stage. The subject of "The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game," Oher's life story was first chronicled in book form in 2006. The film adaptation was a box-office success and scored Sandra Bullock an Academy Award for her portrayal of Oher's real-life adoptive mother, Leigh Anne Tuohy. The film was released just months after Oher became a first-round draft pick of the Baltimore Ravens. He won a Super Bowl ring with the team in 2013. He last played for the Carolina Panthers in 2016.

Cindy Parlow: Born in Memphis in 1978, the Germantown alum won the Hermann Trophy (women's college soccer's equivalent of the Heisman) twice at North Carolina, was a four-time All-American and a three-time national champion. Parlow (now Cindy Parlow Cone) went on to win two gold medals and became a FIFA Women's World Cup champion in 1999. She was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2018.

Elliot Perry: A McDonald's All-American at Treadwell, Perry's success at the high school level landed him a scholarship to play for his hometown Memphis State Tigers. Perry is still the program's second-leading scorer (2,209) and is one of only two players in school history to score more than 2,000 points in his career. The 37th overall pick in the 1991 NBA draft, Perry played in 547 games with seven teams, including the Grizzlies.

Allie Prescott: A star baseball player at Kinsbury (a two-time Commercial Appeal All-City honoree and the paper's Player of the Year in 1965), Prescott was a 33rd-round draft pick of the Baltimore Orioles the same year. But he chose to play for Memphis State, where he earned all-Missouri Valley Conference honors as a pitcher. He later became general manager of the Memphis Chicks and the Redbirds, and was heavily involved in getting AutoZone Park built. On May 14, 2019, Prescott was named interim athletic director at Memphis.

Thompson Prothro: Nicknamed "Doc" because the Memphis native was a practicing dentist before signing his first professional baseball contract at 26. Prothro, who attended the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, managed the Memphis Chicks to four Southern Association championships (1928, 1930, 1934 and 1944). Prothro later became the manager of the Philadelphia Phillies and led them to a 138-320 record, earning him the distinction of the worst managerial record in MLB history for anyone with at least three full seasons.

Zach Randolph: Referred to in the wake of his departure as "the greatest of all Grizzlies" by The Commercial Appeal after receiving 92 percent of the vote. It isn't difficult to comprehend what made him so popular and why he will always be part of the "Core Four." The only times Randolph made the NBA All-Star team came during his time with the Grizzlies and his double-double (25 and 14) in Game 1 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs in 2011 led the team to its first playoff win. His 21.5 points per game and 9.2 rebounding average in the same series against the top-seeded Spurs propelled the Grizzlies to the franchise's first playoff series victory.

Andy Roberts: A member of the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, the Christian Brothers grad is also part of the University of Memphis M-Club Hall of Fame, the U.S. Racquetball Association Hall of Fame and the International Racquetball Hall of Fame. Roberts helped lead Memphis to two National Intercollegiate Racquetball championships.

Ronnie Robinson: The "Big Cat," Robinson spent much of his playing career as Larry Finch's running mate, first at Melrose and later at Memphis State. The duo, whose jersey numbers were both retired on Nov. 30, 1974 (just more than a year after they led the Tigers to their first national championship game appearance) were part of the first Memphis State team to produce the school's first NCAA Tournament victory (in 1973). Robinson's 12.8 rebounds per game is still the top mark in program history.

Derrick Rose: Perhaps the person on this list with the shortest tenure in the Bluff City, but this is where Rose became a household name. He led the Tigers to their second (and most recent) NCAA Tournament championship game appearance in 2008 — although, technically, every win from that season has been vacated — scoring 14.9 points per game in the regular season and putting up 25 in the team's Final Four win over UCLA. Went on to win the NBA's Rookie of the Year award in 2009 and an MVP award in 2011.

Kyle Rote Jr.: National Soccer Hall of Famer who served as both coach and general manager for the Memphis Americans of the Major Indoor Soccer League. Also a member of the sports halls of fame in Tennessee and his native Texas, Rote Jr. founded Athletic Resource Management, a sports representation agency in Memphis where super-agent Jimmy Sexton once served as president.

Verties Sails: A legendary basketball coach whose coaching career began as an assistant at Melrose during Larry Finch's time as a player with the Golden Wildcats, Sails led Melrose to a state championship as the head coach in 1974. After five years as an assistant at Memphis State, he spent the next 33 as head men's basketball coach at Southwest Tennessee Community College (then Shelby State), where the Tennessee Sports Hall of Famer led the Saluquis to 709 wins and 16 Tennessee Community College Athletic Association championships.

Harry Schuh: Considered by many to be the best offensive lineman in Tigers history, Schuh earned All-America status at Memphis State in 1963 and 1964. The Tennessee Sports and M-Club Hall of Famer is one of just six Tiger football players to have his jersey number retired and was the third overall pick in the 1965 AFL draft. He won an AFL championship with the Oakland Raiders in 1967 and was a two-time AFL All-Star. Schuh was also part of the second AFL-NFL World Championship Game (later known as Super Bowl II).

Jimmy Sexton: The Memphis-born super-agent, Sexton has been referred to as "the most powerful man in college football." He holds the distinction of being the youngest agent ever certified by the NFL Players' Association and made his first big splash representing Hall of Famer Reggie White. Among those represented by Sexton (co-head of Creative Artists Agency's football division and a 1982 Evangelical Christian School grad) are Alabama football coach Nick Saban (as well as 10 of the other 13 SEC football coaches), Scottie Pippen, Bill Parcells and Isaac Bruce.

Rochelle Stevens: A graduate of Melrose, Stevens became a state champion and national high school All-American with the Golden Wildcats. An 11-time NCAA All-American at Morgan State, she later won a gold medal in the women's 4x400 at the 1996 Olympics. She also won silver at the 1992 Olympics in the same event.

Bill Terry: Nicknamed "Memphis Bill," the Atlanta native spent most of his youth in the Bluff City. After five unspectacular seasons in the minor leagues, Terry operated a filling station and played semi-pro baseball in Memphis for four years. Acquired by the New York Giants in 1922, he became a regular in 1927. Elected to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 1954, he was the last National League player to hit .400. He also managed the Giants from 1932 to 1941.

Andre Turner: Dubbed the "Little General," Turner will forever reside in Memphis lore as one of the best guards in Tigers history. After a standout high school career at Mitchell, Turner became Memphis State's vocal leader from 1983 to 1986 ("If I hit the court and I felt someone wasn't giving all they could give, I didn't hesitate about saying something," he once said). Turner averaged 14.8 points and 7.6 assists per game during the Tigers' run to the Final Four in 1985, leading one television broadcaster to remark at the end of the quarterfinal win over Oklahoma: "As far as Memphis State is concerned, you can understand why they want the ball in the hands of Andre Turner." His 763 career assists remains the most in Memphis history — 124 more than Chris Garner, who has the second-most.

DeAngelo Williams: Arguably the most accomplished and decorated football player in Tigers history, Williams is Memphis' only 6,000-yard rusher and has scored more touchdowns than any other Tiger. His 6,026 rushing yards is still fifth-most in NCAA history. Williams was a first-round pick in the 2006 draft by the Carolina Panthers, and amassed more than 10,000 yards of offense during an 11-year career that ended with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2016.

James Earl Wright: A pioneer of sorts when it comes to Memphis Tigers football. Wright held 10 school records at the conclusion of his collegiate career and parlayed his success into a becoming a third-round selection of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1961. It was Wright who quarterbacked the Tigers into the big-time. In 1960 at Crump Stadium, Wright and Co. led mighty Ole Miss 20-19 at halftime. Memphis State eventually lost 31-20, but that was the game that opened the eyes of many around Memphis and the country. Legendary Alabama coach Bear Bryant was once quoted saying, “James Earl Wright is too good to play for any team other than Alabama."

Lorenzen Wright: Born in Oxford, Wright's family moved to Memphis while he was still in high school. He played his senior season at Booker T. Washington and became a consensus second-team All-American at Memphis in 1996. The same year, he was drafted seventh overall and averaged 7.9 points and 6.3 rebounds during a 13-year NBA career. In 2010, Wright was found in Germantown after he had been shot and killed. His ex-wife, Sherra Wright, and Billy Turner were arrested and charged with first-degree murder. They are set to go on trial for his death on Sept. 16, 2019.

The Just-Missed List

Hubie Brown: Guided the Grizzlies to the franchise's first playoff appearance in his only full season as the team's coach. Won NBA Coach of the Year honors in 2003-2004.

Dave Casinelli: The former Tiger fullback has the third-most rushing yards in program history and was its leading rusher for more than four decades. Led the nation in rushing yards and scoring as a senior in 1963.

Billy Dunavant: Founded the Racquet Club of Memphis in 1972 and brought the U.S. National Indoor Tennis Championships to Memphis in 1975. Owner of the USFL's Memphis Showboats, who also tried (in vain) to bring an NFL franchise to the Bluff City.

Steve Ehrhart: Executive director of the Liberty Bowl since 1994. Former vice president and general manager of the XFL's Memphis Maniax. Ehrhart also served as executive director of the USFL, while also running the Memphis Showboats.

Sylvester Ford: Spent more than four decades as a high school basketball coach in Memphis and won 687 games, "Big Time" became a legend at Fairley. Ford coached there from 1987 to 2012. The 1993 state championship team finished 37-1 and is considered by many to be one of the most dominant in Memphis history.

Dean Jernigan: Memphis Redbirds founder who is responsible for bringing professional baseball back to Memphis and getting AutoZone Park built downtown.

Paxton Lynch: Second-leading passer in Memphis football history (8,863 yards in three seasons). A first-round draft pick of the Denver Broncos in 2016.

John Pennel: Born in Memphis in 1940 and inducted into the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame in 2004. The first man to clear 17 feet in the pole vault.

Elma Roane: A star basketball and softball player for Memphis Messick, Roane later became women's athletic director at Memphis State, and coached basketball, volleyball and badminton from 1955 to 1970.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: Born in Memphis, raised in Olive Branch, Stenhouse was the 2011 and 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series champion. He won the 2017 Geico 500 and the 2017 Coke Zero 400. In 2013, he was named the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year.

10 who could make the next list

James Wiseman: The nation's top high school basketball recruit, who played at East High for two seasons and signed with Memphis.

Darrell Henderson: The Tigers' second-leading rusher of all time, who was taken in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams.

Jaren Jackson Jr.: Fourth overall pick of the Grizzlies in the 2018 draft. Averaged 13.8 points and 4.7 rebounds during an injury-shortened rookie season.

Rachel Heck: St. Agnes junior (committed to Stanford) ranked as high as 11th in the World Amateur Golf rankings. She has already competed in two professional majors (2017 U.S. Women's Open and 2018 Evian Championship).

Eric Gray: Former Lausanne running back, who holds the Tennessee state record for career touchdowns (138). Enrolled at UT in January 2019.

Maurice Hampton: Starred at MUS in football and baseball. DII-AA Mr. Football in 2018. Signed with LSU football and committed to play baseball at LSU. Projected first-round MLB draft pick.

Mike Norvell: Memphis football coach since 2016. Led the Tigers to 26 wins in his first three seasons. Guided Memphis to AAC West division titles in 2017 and 2018.

Jeremiah Martin: Became the 52nd player in Memphis history to join the 1,000-point club. His 708 points in 2018-19 are second-most by a senior in Tigers history, 13 shy of Larry Finch's record.

Avery Downing: Houston High grad, paralyzed at 13 years old in a gymnastics accident, who won national championships with the Alabama women's wheelchair basketball team and the Crimson Tide's women's wheelchair tennis team in 2019.

D.J. Jeffries: Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year (2019). Won a state championship in 2018. Signed with Memphis.

The Alltime greatest men's basketball players from Mississippi

As Mississippi celebrates its 200th birthday, the Clarion Ledger is joining in the celebration of the state’s history by picking bicentennial teams.

After careful deliberation, a decision was made to include only those raised in Mississippi. This excludes some athletes who were born here (usually because of parents’ military obligations) but quickly moved elsewhere, and those who came from out-of-state to attend one of the universities. While some made a deep and lifelong connection to Mississippi, others viewed college as a way station to something else. That’s fine, but we wanted to celebrate Mississippians, and we found this to be the best way to do so.

We made decisions based on total career impact, including high school, college and professional accomplishments. For the baseball and football teams, we were position-specific, while the goal for basketball was to create a starting five that could play a game. Because they’d need someone to coach them, we also included a coach or manager with each team.

Up first is men’s basketball. Women’s basketball, baseballand football will follow the rest of this week.

Monta Ellis (Jackson)

Follow every game: Latest NBA Scores and Schedules

He averaged 17.8 points per game, the highest-scoring average among those eligible for this team, during 12 seasons in the NBA. Ellis’ career has always been about scoring — he was a high school all-american at Lanier with 4,167 points that skipped college to go to the NBA Draft. His best seasons came with the Golden State Warriors, including a most improved player award, but he also had successful seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, Dallas Mavericks and Indiana Pacers. The NBA has changed, and a pound-and-drive guard like Ellis is out of favor, but it doesn't diminish the talent or his career.

Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (Gulfport)

Formerly known as Chris Jackson, Abdul-Rauf completes our backcourt by giving us two brilliant scorers. He was a star at Gulfport, making the McDonald’s All-American Game. He set NCAA records for scoring as a freshman at LSU, averaging 30.2 points per game. A two-time All-American and SEC player of the year, he went third overall in the 1990 NBA Draft and averaged 14.6 points per game in nine seasons in the NBA. The controversy surrounding him and the national anthem plagued his career, but Abdul-Rauf won a NBA most improved player award, was one of the greatest free-throw shooters of all time and is still hooping, playing in the Big 3 league this summer.

More:The A-Gap: Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf deserves to be in the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame

Purvis Short (Hattiesburg)

The Rainbowman (known as such for his high, arching jumper) will play for us on the wing. After high school (Blair Center) Short went to Jackson State, where he became the school’s all-time leading scorer. He was the fifth pick in the 1978 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors and was a highly effective sixth man for several years before emerging as a starter by 1982. He scored nearly 20 points a game with the Warriors, and finished with a 17.3 average in 12 seasons with the Warriors, Houston Rockets and New Jersey Nets. Short was a really efficient scorer, making 47.4 percent of his field goal attempts.

Sam Lacey (Indianola)

After playing at Gentry, Lacey went west to New Mexico State, where the 6-foot-10 big man led NMSU to a 74-14 record in three seasons and, in 1970, the team’s first and only Final Four appearance. He was the fifth overall pick in that year’s NBA Draft by the Cincinnati Royals (later the Kansas City Kings), and is one of only five NBA players with 100 blocks and 100 steals in six consecutive seasons. Lacey was an all-star in 1975 and when he retired in 1983 had 9,867 rebounds, 10,303 points and 1,160 blocks and 999 steals. The Kings have since retired his number. Lacey died in 2014 at the age of 66.

Al Jefferson (Monticello)

The second high school-to-NBA guy on this list, Jefferson was a five-star recruit at Prentiss who went in the first round of the 2004 NBA Draft to the Boston Celtics. After learning the NBA game with the Celtics, the 6-foot-10 Jefferson was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves and really started to flourish, with two seasons averaging at least 20 points a game. He played well with the Utah Jazz, and was a third-team All-NBA selection in 2014 with the Charlotte Hornets. Jefferson is now in his 14th season, and his second for the Indiana Pacers. He has career averages of 15.9 points and 8.5 rebounds a game, and is in the top 10 in active players in rebounds and blocks.

Coach Babe McCarthy (Baldwyn)

McCarthy was a heck of a coach, winning four Southeastern Conference championships for Mississippi State in five seasons, and then crossed the color line in the segregated South in 1963 in order to take the Bulldogs to the NCAA tournament. McCarthy won 169 games in 10 years at MSU, with four 20-win seasons (when teams typically played only 25 games) and was three times named the SEC coach of the year. He later coached in the ABA, twice winning coach of the year and was the first coach to win 200 games in the league. McCarthy died in 1975 at the age of 51.

Others considered: Mo Williams, Gerald Glass, Wendell Ladner, Antonio McDyess, Clarence Weatherspoon, Erick Dampier and coach Bert Jenkins.

Reaction to LeBron becoming the NBA's career scoring leader

AP

Reaction from social media and elsewhere poured in after LeBron James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.

___

“Congratulations to LeBron on breaking one of the most hallowed records in all of sports by becoming the NBA’s all-time scoring leader. It’s a towering achievement that speaks to his sustained excellence over 20 seasons in the league. And quite amazingly, LeBron continues to play at an elite level and his basketball history is still being written.” — NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.

___

“Wow, never in my lifetime did I think I would see two NBA athletes score over 38,000 points! I still remember when my Showtime teammate, the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, broke the record. It was an honor to be the guy to pass it to him and cement his legacy!” — Los Angeles Lakers great Magic Johnson.

Follow every game: Latest NBA Scores and Schedules

___

"Congratulations (at)KingJames!!!! This man has been in the spotlight and burdened with the highest expectations since he was a teenager. And he’s done nothing but exceed those expectations and build a historic legacy. What an incredible accomplishment!" — Entertainer John Legend, on Twitter.

___

“We gave the keys to the whole entire business to an 18-year-old kid and now he’s 38 years old and he’s still dominating. I don’t think we should be surprised. I think we should congratulate him and celebrate him as much as possible, continue to enjoy the shows that he puts on.” — Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving.

___

“Congrats (at)KingJames … legendary stuff right there #38388” — Golden State guard Stephen Curry, on Twitter.

___

“Congrats on the achievement! @KingJames, you’ve shown that we can do it at the highest level welcome to the All-Time club.” — former running back Emmitt Smith, the NFL's career leader in yards rushing, on Twitter.

___

”I never thought anyone would break Kareem’s record. But being here tonight, knowing that LeBron would probably go on to break the record, and having Kareem here simultaneously, was an iconic night. LeBron James pretty much copied, but just enhanced the formula that Kareem had. … I don’t think anyone else will break LeBron’s record.” — Lakers Hall of Famer and Spectrum SportsNet analyst James Worthy.

___

“The most important individual record in the sport, a record that most people thought would never be broken.” — former NBA coach Stan Van Gundy, now an analyst for TNT.

___

“This record says a lot about who he is and how multifaceted he really is. He’s an elite caliber of player. He’s one of one. We hadn’t seen anything like him before, his size, his athleticism, his shooting capabilities, his playmaking capabilities. And he’s all about team. That’s the thing that shines through.” — Los Angeles Lakers coach Darvin Ham.

___

“LeBron, he's a confident man. He knows he’s a hell of a player. He knows what he’s accomplished. But he still has his humility. He hasn’t lost it." — San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.

LeBron's Miami era, as told by teammate Shane Battier

AP

(Editor's Note: Shane Battier is a former Miami Heat teammate of LeBron James, who is poised to become the NBA's all-time leading scorer. Battier played in the NBA for 13 seasons, the last three of them with James in Miami. He shared some memorable moments with The Associated Press of what he witnessed during their time together with the Heat.)

There was a night that I’ll never forget as long as I live, and it made me have just such a deeper appreciation for who LeBron James was as a person, as a man, as a player.

We were in Boston in 2012, during the playoffs, no love lost from Boston fans. We’re walking to dinner and a car slows down next to us. A guy said, “Hey LeBron, I hate you, you suck.” He rolls up the window and proceeds down the street.

As players we’re used to being called names and whatnot. But at that moment I understood all the stuff he had to deal with from Day 1 and being on the cover of Sports Illustrated at 16 and being No. 1 in the draft and being the most hyped athlete maybe ever, the most famous athlete maybe ever at every step of the way. There wasn’t a moment where he could hide behind a teammate, hide behind a coach.

He’s always proven he can handle it. He handled it that time, too.

Follow every game: Latest NBA Scores and Schedules

The next night was Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals. We all know what Game 6 was for us, right? If we lose Game 6, then we all have new addresses the next year. The Big Three is a Dumpster fire of an experiment that failed at the highest level. And legacies were on the line, from LeBron to Pat Riley to Erik Spoelstra, you name it. We knew what the implications of losing that Game 6 would be. (Editor’s Note: Miami trailed the Celtics, 3-2 and James had 45 points, 15 rebounds and five assists in Game 6 to save the season, one where the Heat went on to win the NBA title.)

I played baseball growing up. The way he played that night was the closest thing to watching a no-hitter, a perfect game. We sort of nudged, sort of elbowed each other on the bench and said, “Oh my gosh, this guy’s a monster.” We didn’t want to talk about it. We tried to be cool. But, I’m sorry, we’d never seen anything like this. And we’ve all seen everything in the game. You want to look up determination in the dictionary? It’d be LeBron James. It was the greatest display of will that I saw in my entire career because of the circumstances, because of the consequences, because of the team we played. The Celtics had no shot that night. I had never seen anything like it, even to this day.

In my mind, he’s the greatest player of all time. I’m biased, I know that, but I’m allowed to be. And I know we said this with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, we said this with Wilt Chamberlain, we said this with Michael Jordan, but I don’t think we’ll see someone like LeBron James ever again.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

We asked state preps writers: Who is the best Indiana high school ...

Best gym? Best stadium? Best rivalry? Asked and answered. But the final question of our four-pack posed to preps writers from across the state might be the hardest.

Who is the best Indiana high school athlete you've covered?

Kyle Neddenriep, IndyStar

My first thought is Gary Harris, the former Hamilton Southeastern and Michigan State star who is now a seven-year NBA veteran and still is just 26 years old. Harris was not only IndyStar Mr. Basketball in 2012, but he was also a Big Ten Conference-caliber wide receiver on the football field.

Another who comes to mind immediately is Lawrence Central linebacker Cam McGrone, whose ability to gobble up ground and make a sure tackle was unlike anything I had seen at the high school level.

Another one who comes to mind is Jackie Young, the 2016 Miss Basketball from Princeton. Young became the state’s all-time leading scorer, but her court sense and passing ability is what set her apart. And she just made it look so easy.

And how could you not marvel at the talent of Dawand Jones of Ben Davis? Jones is a 6-8, 360-pound offensive lineman at Ohio State with a likely future in the NFL. But I’m not sure I will ever see a player with his size move like he did on the basketball court.

Sam King, Lafayette Journal & Courier

Tough category. So many great ones with varying degrees of athleticism and accolades. NBA lottery picks. NFL players. Major League Baseball players. Olympians. It's unfair to choose one, but if forced, I am going with George Karlaftis, who was a three-sport standout at West Lafayette High School and current defensive end for Purdue. Karlaftis helped the Red Devils basketball program win two sectional titles, but was more well known for his performances in football and shot put.

No one in IHSAA history has won three boys shot put state titles. Had Karlaftis not graduated early to enroll at Purdue and participate in spring football, he likely would have been the first, having become the first sophomore to win the event since 1946 in 2017. As a senior on the gridiron, he helped the Red Devils win a Class 3A state championship with a 15-0 record and received national defensive player of the year at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Not bad for someone who moved to Indiana from Greece as a teenager and had no clue about American football.

Robby General, Muncie Star Press

This one was tough and, after mulling it over, I couldn’t come up with one.

In basketball, I’ve never seen someone play like Blackford’s Luke Brown. Brown hits near-half-court shots with ease and has faked me out (from the stands) with his no-look passes, not to mention the numerous personal accolades he’s racked up during his four high school seasons in Hartford City.

In diving, Delta’s Sam Bennett — a two-time state diving champion — might be one of the most talented and committed student-athletes I’ve covered. What he’s overcome to get there is equally inspiring. During the COVID-19 quarantine, the Purdue commit acquired a dry board and continued practicing his craft in a foam pit in his driveway. During an offseason where finding a pool to train in could’ve set him back, Bennett came within a few points of breaking the state diving record in 2021. Bennett said he wants to be an Olympian one day, and I don’t doubt that he can get there.

In track, Cathedral’s Cole Hocker was another exceptional athlete I’ve seen. I was able to cover Hocker when I was a sports clerk in Indianapolis in 2019. He hardly broke a sweat as he broke a city record in the 800 then and, now, the Oregon freshman is headed to the Olympics.

Kyle Sokeland, Evansville Courier & Press

Jackie Young and Lilly King were just before my time in Evansville, so this might get some overlap. But it's the truth. The answer to who is the best athlete I have covered is Colson Montgomery. It may be like that for a long time.

What this kid has done the past four years is mind boggling. The starting quarterback on a regional-championship team in his only year of varsity football. The basketball program’s all-time leading scorer, and he had one of the best individual tournament runs I’ve watched. A state champion, starting shortstop on three state finals teams, and first-round MLB draft pick. My favorite part: He shoots left-handed in basketball but throws a baseball with his right. Life just seems unfair, doesn’t it?

Yes, he had help in the form of a talented senior class alongside him at Southridge. Montgomery always delivered though. The best athlete in every sense of the word.

Hendrix Magley, Evansville Courier & Press

During his freshman year at Southridge, Colson Montgomery broke the Raiders’ boys basketball single-game scoring record with a 39-point outburst. With his instant stardom on the hardwood, I figured basketball would be his main sport. Then someone told me, “Wait until you see him play baseball.” I thought they were crazy.

Turns out, they were right.

Montgomery was selected by the Chicago White Sox with the 22nd overall pick of July's Major League Baseball draft. He started to receive professional interest right away but saw that peak during his senior season. MLB scouts were at every single game as it’s likely a representative from every single team flew to Southern Indiana to see him play at least once. It was a spectacle to behold.

While his play on the diamond and court (as well as gridiron) were impressive, his personality is perhaps what captured me the most. Despite his success and constant media attention, Montgomery always remained humble. He never took anything for granted and continued to work hard. It’s led him to where he’s at today.

Tom Noie, South Bend Tribune

Working through a pre-game layup line, former South Bend Clay power forward Lee Nailon looked up into the seating section before a game and held up two fingers. Asked after another dominating performance what that signal meant, Nailon laughed and said that was how many dunks he’d get that night.

He got more than two, but that was Nailon at his dominant best. Even in high school, in a career that would end with a 1993 state championship, Nailon just looked and played at a different level. He was, as they like to say, a walking bucket. He scored 1,069 career points and grabbed almost as many rebounds. Others in Northern Indiana — Demetrius Jackson comes to mind — who scored more and went on to earn McDonald’s All American honors, but nobody looked the part more than Nailon. He just seemed like someone who could go for 20 points and 20 rebounds any night he wanted.

He stood 6-8 even as a high school kid, but seemed way taller than seven feet. Few could guard him. Not many wanted to.

Nailon went on to play collegiately at TCU, where he was among the national leaders in scoring and rebounding. He was a second-round NBA draft pick and had a long professional career here and abroad. It all started with four forceful years with the Colonials. He was the quintessential man among boys. Too good and too talented for any and all opponents.

He was, they like to say about guys like that today, a problem.

Jeff Bartlett, Bedford Times-Mail

Bedford North Lawrence basketball star Dominique McBryde was a brilliant all-around athlete, as were BNL football greats Jay Thomas and McCall Ray.

But this one is actually easier because one clearly stands above the rest.

Of course, we're speaking about the great Damon Bailey, who led Bedford North Lawrence to the 1990 boys basketball state championship and remains the all-time leading scorer in hoops-crazy Indiana with 3,134 career points. He then went on to become one of IU's all-time great all-around players.

Bailey could leap like a gazelle and run like a cheetah, which allowed him to simply out-motor most foes. With those physical attributes, he could've been great at any sport. Thankfully for all, he chose basketball.

When he combined his one-step-ahead mental game and unselfishness with the speed and strength, we were given a gift from the basketball gods.