Comments on: Who’s the best-ever high school basketball player in Arizona?

By: Andy Morales

Andy Morales — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 14:52:45 +0000

Obert makes a good case but he does not go far enough to put to rest the 3A vs. “big school” schedule that the other players faced – he only came up with two games in Hawkins favor.

I’m sure there are more games that Corey Hawkins played well in against bigger opponents and better defenders but even if the total reaches a dozen it cannot match a player who plays in those games every week.

Mike Bibby only played for three years – Hawkins played four.

Both players have NBA dads – Henry Bibby and Hersey Hawkins. Hersey is reported to be an assistant at his son’s school.

This is where Sean Elliott comes into the picture….you might remember George Raveling’s and John Thompson’s utterly complete failure to coach a USA team made up of college players in 1988 – they did not place Elliott on the team because he played at Arizona.

Who did they rely on for scoring when they got rid of the PAC-10′s career scorer? Hawkins was capable but, come on – Bronze metal.

It was the last time USA put a team of amateurs on the court in the Olympics and the last time a team of amateur coaches were allowed to make team selections on their own.

I’m not sure if Bibby ever got to play Holbrook at home like Hawkins did when he scored 54 points in the 3A playoffs (in only three quarters of playing time). But, I wouldn’t like to see the box score from that game if it was ever to take place.

It may be impressive that his 54 points came in three quarters but can you imagine how many points Bibby could have scored in FOUR years of 3A ball?

That’s my take.

By: sundevil555

sundevil555 — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 02:11:53 +0000

The AZ Republic is in Phoenix…they should cover ASU more than UA. Just like the Tucson Citizen should focus more on UA. And the poll is about who is the best high school player, not who had the best pro career…Hawkins has clearly had a tremendous high school career and deserves recognition regardless of what he does in the future.

By: C. J. Morales

C. J. Morales — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 00:22:34 +0000

Did anone really expect anything else from the Arizona State Republic and ASU’s biggest – and I’m not talking Phat here - cheerleader next to Heiler (sp?), or is it Boivin, Bickley, Brickley? The whole staff at the ASU Repub? Please. Hawkins first has to show that he can compete and win vs top HS competition. Points are one thing, leading your team to championships against top level, big league competition is another entirely. Seriously, if there’s anyone out there in the center of the universe, otherwise known as Maricopa county, the Phoenix area, who says that Hawkins is better than Bibby, Elliott, Jefferson or Bayless at similar stages in their careers, call them out on it because it just ain’t so.

The other distinction one could boldly and clearly draw is what happens once Hawkins hits cold, dank, hollow echoey Fargo there at ASU compared to what the 4 ‘Cats above did with their time on Bobbi & Lute Olson Court at J. F. “Pop” McKale Memorial Center. And I’m not talking wins and losses necessarily. I mean playing for a team, a program, a Coach who takes on all comers to get better, to be the best. Not simply going somewhere to hopefully score more points vs. more suspect competition and getting the bulk of the playing time because you’re “it”. It’s about leading your team to becoming a program to be reckoned with over the long-haul. Bibby, Elliott, Jefferson and Bayless are worlds apart, and careers ahead, of where Hawkins is and projects to be. And people in the know should know this.