Best Big Man In 2004

Southwest Atlanta (GA) Christian School might be considered small with around 300 total students in grades K-12 but it is home to perhaps the top big man in the country for the 2004 class in Dwight Howard.

Howard, 6-foot-10, 225-pounds, has enjoyed an outstanding senior season to date by averaging 20 points, 17 rebounds and seven blocked shots per contest. He is shooting an amazing 72% from the field and is the main reason Southwest is 24-5 heading into their playoff game this Friday.

His head coach Courtney Brooks said that it was not hard to figure out the reason for their success.

"Dwight makes coaching very easy. He is a very unselfish player who makes everyone around him better," Brooks said. "A lot of players might become frustrated by the constant double and triple teams he has faced each night but it doesn't bother him. He just makes the extra pass to an open teammate which makes us a much better team."

Coach Brooks also indicated that Howard, who is rated 5-stars and the nations top prospect by Rivalshoops.com, works extremely hard on improving his basketball skills and takes nothing for granted.

"Dwight really gets after it in the gym. He works hard developing his game," Brooks said. "Inside and outside he is always trying to improve and when the others guys see that it's motivating to them."

"He could easily average 30 points or more for us but he is a team player and not worried about his individual numbers as much as our success. Dwight is just a great kid who is extremely talented. He is really big and even though he is still young he is very powerful."

To verify Coach Brooks claim one needs to go no further than Southwest's two-month-old gym where the shattered carcass of what used to be a backboard remains. Where a rim once stood now there is only a glaring hole in its absence.

"I was just in the gym practicing and when I dunked it just came apart," Howard said. "It was the first time I broke a backboard and I was sort of excited but mostly just surprised."

Howard has an early and extensive list of favorites, which reads like a who's who is collegiate basketball today with Duke, Georgia Tech, Florida, UNC, FSU, Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky, NC State, Wake Forest, Vanderbilt, Louisville, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia and Tennessee being listed as schools in contention for his signature.

As might be expected with a player of his stature the NBA talks will be hot and heavy until Howard makes his decision on whether to attend college or take his game to the next level.

But the thought of playing in the NBA is one Howard warms up to quickly.

"It's always been my dream to play in the league," he said. "If there is a chance that I could go straight out of high school then I would. But at the same time I realize education is very important and that basketball does not last forever. Right now I'm just taking a wait and see approach."

Howard plays summer basketball with one of the top AAU programs in the nation with Wallace Prather's Atlanta Celtics who have a good reputation for having some of the South's top players on their team year-in and year-out.

"I like playing in the summer because I get to travel and go head to head with the best players around the country. It helps me become a stronger and more experienced player," Howard said. "I enjoy it and I think that it gives me a chance to compete in a way that I can't in high school."

Howard carries a 3.0 GPA and indicated that he will make his decision known after his summer travels and before the start of his senior season.