AJC > Sports > Highschools > Blog > Archives > 2009 > January > 21 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USTake 10: Top Georgia basketball stars who never won state titles
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
South Atlanta basketball star Derrick Favors has everything — the defensive presence, the athleticism and even the outside, corner 3-pointer. But when we started examining Favors’ resumé after his commitment to Georgia Tech, we noticed one glaring omission.
Favors has never won a high school championship. Many of the great ones have, including Dwight Howard, Kenny Walker, Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Louis Williams. The Hornets have been bounced in the first round three consecutive years.
At least he’s still got one more postseason to write his name in history. Not every star finishes the career with a title.
Here are 10 Georgia high school basketball legends who never won state championships:
10: Dale Ellis, Marietta (1979) — The former Tennessee and NBA standout didn’t win a championship during his time at Marietta. He did produce a remarkable professional career in which he finished third all-time in 3-point shots made with 1,719 and holds the NBA record for most minutes played during a game after scoring 53 points in 69 minutes (out of 73) during a five-overtime game in 1989.
9: Angel Robinson, Marietta (2005) — Since we’re thinking about Marietta, how about throwing in a girls player? Robinson finished as the Blue Devils all-time leading scorer and led MHS to its first regular-season title since 1970 and first region tournament title since 1958. But her stellar career, which included averaging 23.8 points, 16 rebounds, 2.5 assists and six blocks per game, never included a state championship. Blame Collins Hill.
8: Kwame Brown, Glynn Academy (2001) — Hope that Favors is more Dwight Howard than Brown. The McDonald’s All-American was the first high school player to ever be a No. 1 draft pick. Despite finishing as Glynn Academy’s all-time leading rebounder and second in scoring, Brown never guided his team to a title.
7: Horace Grant, Hancock Central (1983) — Grant was a solid high school player who got better with time. He has three NBA championship rings. Before Grant was rocking the Rec Specs, he was playing big at Hancock Central and not collecting rings.
6: Dale Davis, Stephens County (1987) — Davis was the 13th pick of the 1991 NBA Draft and bounced around the league as an effective power forward for several years. We assumed he and Antonio Davis were brothers, but were in fact, dead wrong. Neither Davis ever guided Stephens County to the top.
5: Zaza Pachulia, Ulkerspor (2003) — We’re not sure which county Ulkerspor High School is in, but they weren’t listed on the GHSA championships listings. Pachulia is a current NBA player for the Hawks, and Wikipedia lists him as “a very successful basketball player at a very early age in Georgia.” Would someone get back to us on where he played? Is that in Augusta? Just kidding, of course.
4: Jarvis Hayes, Douglass (1999) — Hayes holds the rare honor of leading two different conferences in scoring during his college career. He did so first at Western Carolina, then again at Georgia. No high school championship, though. Hayes, who plays with the New Jersey Nets, can find solace in this Web site (jarvishayes.net).
3: Tree Rollins, Crisp County (1973) — Rollins was a defensive and shot-blocking force during his time in the pros and at Clemson, where he became the first athlete of any sport to have his number retired. His NBA career lasted 18 seasons, and he recently has coached in the NBDL and WNBA. He’s still looking for a high school crown, however.
2: Pervis Ellison, Savannah (1985) — “Never Nervous Pervis” made history as only the second freshman ever to be named the Most Outstanding Player in the Final Four (1986) following Louisville’s second national title. That likely made up for the fact that Ellison never won a high school title. He was chosen as the No. 1 overall pick in 1989. Signing bonuses cure bad memories.
1: Walt Frazier, Howard (1964) — Nothing like winning a pair of professional basketball titles but never getting one in high school. Frazier, the only Hall of Fame player from Georgia, was the NBA MVP in 1975 but never claimed a Peach State crown.
Go on. Take Ten. Can you recall any Georgia (the state, not country) greats who never won a championship? Who are the boys or girls players you remember? Here’s your chance to share your point of view.
More hoops talk: Ga. Sports Writers Statewide Poll • AJC Metro Atlanta Top 10
Permalink | Comments (7) | Post your comment | Categories: Take Ten
Comments
By Ernest
January 21, 2009 7:16 PM | Link to this
Al Wood of Jones County comes to mind. I think he graduated in 1977.
By Slinger
January 23, 2009 1:09 AM | Link to this
Ernest, You are right about Al Wood, ‘77 graduate of the Greyhounds of Jones County. He got knocked out in the first round his soph and senior years, but did make the finals his junior year, losing to West Fulton.
By ATLborn
January 26, 2009 10:48 AM | Link to this
Octavius Thomas of George High (Now South Atlanta). He was hands down one, if not the, top player to play HS B-ball in GA. He averaged 37 points, 10 assists and about 7 steals a game. Took his team to the Class AA final his junior year but lost by a point or two. That was the year when the ATL had three high schools playing for the championship in 3 of the (then) four classifications. Douglass in quad A, Southside in 3 - A and George in AA. All three ATL teams lost that year. I believe it was ‘91.
By hamma
January 26, 2009 3:54 PM | Link to this
Vincent Banks of South Atlanta and Chris Morris of Douglass High probably two of the best not to win a state title.
By Charles
January 26, 2009 8:55 PM | Link to this
Jackie Dorsey , Archer High and Mike Tree Mitchell, Price High . That was partly the fault of Southwest High, two time State Basketball Champs led by All Everything Anthony Flanagan.
By hilarious
January 27, 2009 11:21 AM | Link to this
Zaza Pachulia is from the Country Georgia in Europe not here in the states. Ulkerspor is a high school out there…lmao
By zwinner
January 28, 2009 1:38 PM | Link to this
What about Derek Kiupers of Northwood… best point guard I ever saw hands down!