Today in our All-Decade series we take a look at the All-Decade first and second teams.
For listing purposes, the All-Decade teams are based on play at the high school level and also takes into account where each player ranked among their class. Otherwise, this would just be an All-NBA type list, which isn’t what we are going for.
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ALL-DECADE: Ranking the No. 1 prospects from 2010-19 | BIggest recruiting headlines from 10 years ago
2020 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Position
MORE: Early period winners and losers | Five-star Isaiah Jackson commits to Kentucky
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FIRST TEAM
PG - Lonzo Ball, UCLA
Why him? If we were going strictly by post high school performance, Kyrie Irving (a top-five player in 2010) would rank No. 1 here. But, based off of play in high school Ball gets the nod. Prior to his lone season at UCLA, Ball was as debated a player as we’ve ever seen. At the end of the day, he’s the best high school passer of the Rivals.com era, entertained fans across the country and led Chino Hills to big wins from coast to coast.
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SG - Austin Rivers, Duke
Why him? Make no mistake about it, Rivers was a monster at the high school level before moving on to Duke. Whether it was during the summer circuit or with his high school team, Rivers regularly put up huge numbers and nobody was capable of slowing him down.
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SF - Andrew Wiggins, Kansas
Why him? He’s the most successful of the players ranked No. 1 overall during the last decade and he’s come pretty close to backing up his can’t miss label. Arguably the most high flying wing of the decade, Wiggins dunks and his patented spin move put him all over highlight reels. He was also a great defensive player on the high school level.
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PF - Anthony Davis, Kentucky
Why him? As we’ve written several times, Davis should have been No. 1 in 2011 but nonetheless he is the best power forward of the last decade. His transformation from gangly, goggled guard to dominating and skilled big man over the course of 18 months is one of the most remarkable things we’ve seen. He’s also been as successful in college and the pros as any highly decorated prospect in the last decade.
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C - DeAndre Ayton, Arizona
Why him? Pound for pound there simply hasn’t been a more dominant high school center in the last decade. Many bigs are ranked on potential and the hope that they grow into their body but the 7-footer from The Bahamas was a monster from the moment we first saw him as an eighth grader. Size, athleticism, production – he had the entire package.
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SECOND TEAM
PG - Cole Anthony, North Carolina
Why him? The point guards were probably the toughest group to decide on but Anthony wins out because of four years of big-time production. As the son of an NBA player coming out of New York City, the spotlight was always shining bright on Anthony in a similar manner to how it did with Austin Rivers. To Anthony’s credit, he never ran from that spotlight and he always produced.
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SG - Josh Jackson, Kansas
Why him? To this day, Jackson is as fierce of a competitor as there has been during the Rivals.com era. His peers didn’t like playing against him, he knew it and he relished in it. He talked trash, he played above the rim, he created off the dribble, he played defense and he rarely lost any high level head-to-head matchup.
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SF - R.J. Barrett, Duke
Why him? Few players in the last 10 years can boast the type of resumé that Barrett built during his high school years. He won in International play with Team Canada and he was a huge winner at the high school level with Montverde. Like countryman Andrew Wiggins he arrived in the United States early in his high school years and proved to be as good as the hype.
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PF - Julius Randle, Kentucky
Why him? The Texan has turned into a really good NBA player and that’s no surprise given the total monster he was during his high school days. He was as physical as any player that we have seen in the last decade and he wasn’t one to run from competition. Given that he was being hyped before he even began middle school, how he turned out is pretty incredible.
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C - James Wiseman, Memphis
Why him? Only a few games into his college career and currently in the spotlight over an NCAA eligibility issue, Wiseman wasn’t always dominant in his high school days. But, when he turned it on and was totally engaged, few were better. He had size, he had athleticism, he could run and he had touch.
