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Who is the best men's basketball player from South Jersey?
Let the debate begin.
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, USA TODAY Sports will celebrate the 250 greatest American sports figures of all time. Alongside that national recognition, the USA TODAY Network will spotlight the roots of the country’s sports culture: the high school athletes and sports figures who shaped communities and defined their states.
In July, we will showcase our list of the top 250 overall athletes in South Jersey history.
But first we are going to take a look at athletes in their individual sports.
This week, we turn out attention to the men's basketball court. Here are our selections for the men's basketball players who defined the South Jersey region. The 10 players (listed in alphabetical order) were all standout players at the high school level before moving on to even greater heights at the collegiate and international levels.
The 1996 Shawnee graduate scored 1,595 career points and ushered in the second wave of the Renegades’ state championship run. Allen led Shawnee to two state championships before moving on to a Villanova Hall of Fame career across the river. Allen led the Wildcats with a 14.2 average as a senior, earning All-Big East honors.
Despite being undrafted, Allen played 10 seasons in the National Basketball Association, including four with the Miami Heat. He is currently in his 10th season as an NBA assistant coach and fifth with the Heat.
One of the most exciting basketball players to ever hit the hardwoods in South Jersey, Crispin made his name with breathtaking offensive runs and long-distance 3-pointers. Crispin scored 2,654 career points, averaging more than 32 points per game as a senior, when the Panthers won an NJSIAA state title.
At Penn State, Crispin led the Nittany Lions to their highest scoring seasons ever, alongside brother, Jon. Crispin played for the Lakers and Heat during the 2001-02 NBA. Crispin spent seven years as head coach at Rowan University before returning to Happy Valley as an assistant. He is currently the head coach at the Air Force Academy.
An immediate starter as a freshman at Shawnee, Earl helped put the Renegades onto the statewide basketball map. Earl led Shawnee to the 1992 NJSIAA Tournament of Champions title. He finished his career with 2,006 points.
A native of Atlantic City, Ford put Holy Spirit basketball on the map. As a senior he averaged 33 points per game and scored 1,507 career points. His high school accomplishments drew the attention of Villanova University, where he averaged 15.8 points per game, leading the Wildcats to three NCAA tournament appearances.
In 10 NBA seasons, with Detroit and Boston, Ford finished with a 9.2 career scoring average Ford coached for 10 seasons in the NBA, five with the Boston Celtics.
Earl scored 1,256 career points at Penn State, playing 119 games over six injury-plagued years. One of the smartest players to ever grace the South Jersey hardwoods, Earl gravitated naturally to coaching. After six seasons at Virginia Military Institute, Earl just completed his fourth year at University of Tennessee-Chattanooga.
There was never a doubt about Gause, who made his scholastic debut averaging 25 points per game as a Schalick freshman. Gause finished with 3,144 career points, which remains second in South Jersey career scoring. Gause also led the Cougars’ football teams to state championships in 2003 and 2004, setting then-south Jersey records with 39 touchdowns and 236 points.
Gause set his sights on defense at Seton Hall University. As a Pirates’ sophomore he led the Big East in steals and led Seton Hall in three of his four years.
In the entire history of South Jersey’s most storied basketball program, Smith’s name stands above all of them. Smith scored 1,276 career points in just three seasons, leading the Panthers to unbeaten seasons in both 1959 and 1960 and a 47-game win streak.
After playing at Tennessee State University, Smith returned to his native Camden, where he owned a candy store in the town’s Centerville section. Smith No. 44 was the first number retired by the school, which renamed the street bordering the school after Smith.
Thompson will always be remembered as a winner, leading the Panthers to the 1982 NJSIAA Group 4 championship and the consensus No. 1 team in America. Upon graduation, Thompson won 107 games at the University of Louisville. Thompson scored 1,685 career points and led the Cardinals to two Final Fours and the 1986 NCAA championship.
The 19th pick in the 1986 NBA draft, Thompson played five seasons in the NBA, winning the 1987 NBA championship with the Lakers.
No one grew more as player than Thompson did in his years at Lenape. A 6-foot-1 freshman was 6-8 as a senior before topping out at 6-11 as an NBA pro. Thomspon led the Indians to the 2004 NJSIAA Group 4 championship with an undefeated regular season.
Choosing to stay nearby at Rider University, Thompson brought the Broncs to national prominence scoring 2,040 career points with 1,171 rebounds, averaging 20-plus points and 10-plus rebounds as a junior and senior. Thompson was the 12th pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, eventually playing more games for the Sacramento Kings in seven of his eight NBA seasons.
The greatest scorer in New Jersey scholastic basketball history, Wagner scored 3,462 career points, including one of just two 1,000-point seasons in South Jersey history. On January 16, 2001, Wagner scored 100 points against Camden County Tech, including 10 3-pointers.
Wagner scored 21.2 points per game in his only season at the University of Memphis, scoring 32 points on two different occasions. Wagner was the sixth pick of the 2002 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers, averaging 13.4 points per game as a rookie. His NBA career was limited to four seasons due to injury and illness.
The scion of South Jersey’s first family of high school basketball, Wagner was a silky smooth 6-foot-5 scoring guard with unlimited range before the 3-point era. Wagner was the first in a long line of Camden players that played at the University of Louisville.
Wagner led the Cardinals to three Final Four appearances and the 1986 NCAA championship. Wagner played in 144 career games, starting his final 111. A second-round pick of the Losa Angeles Lakers, Wagner was a rookie for the 1988 NBA champions.
Who’s the greatest South Jersey men's basketball player of all time?
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Who's South Jersey's all-time best men's basketball player? VOTE now
Continue reading...
Let the debate begin.
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, USA TODAY Sports will celebrate the 250 greatest American sports figures of all time. Alongside that national recognition, the USA TODAY Network will spotlight the roots of the country’s sports culture: the high school athletes and sports figures who shaped communities and defined their states.
In July, we will showcase our list of the top 250 overall athletes in South Jersey history.
But first we are going to take a look at athletes in their individual sports.
This week, we turn out attention to the men's basketball court. Here are our selections for the men's basketball players who defined the South Jersey region. The 10 players (listed in alphabetical order) were all standout players at the high school level before moving on to even greater heights at the collegiate and international levels.
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Malik Allen, Shawnee
The 1996 Shawnee graduate scored 1,595 career points and ushered in the second wave of the Renegades’ state championship run. Allen led Shawnee to two state championships before moving on to a Villanova Hall of Fame career across the river. Allen led the Wildcats with a 14.2 average as a senior, earning All-Big East honors.
Despite being undrafted, Allen played 10 seasons in the National Basketball Association, including four with the Miami Heat. He is currently in his 10th season as an NBA assistant coach and fifth with the Heat.
You must be registered for see images attach
Joe Crispin, Pitman
One of the most exciting basketball players to ever hit the hardwoods in South Jersey, Crispin made his name with breathtaking offensive runs and long-distance 3-pointers. Crispin scored 2,654 career points, averaging more than 32 points per game as a senior, when the Panthers won an NJSIAA state title.
At Penn State, Crispin led the Nittany Lions to their highest scoring seasons ever, alongside brother, Jon. Crispin played for the Lakers and Heat during the 2001-02 NBA. Crispin spent seven years as head coach at Rowan University before returning to Happy Valley as an assistant. He is currently the head coach at the Air Force Academy.
You must be registered for see images attach
Dan Earl, Shawnee
An immediate starter as a freshman at Shawnee, Earl helped put the Renegades onto the statewide basketball map. Earl led Shawnee to the 1992 NJSIAA Tournament of Champions title. He finished his career with 2,006 points.
Chris Ford, Holy Spirit
A native of Atlantic City, Ford put Holy Spirit basketball on the map. As a senior he averaged 33 points per game and scored 1,507 career points. His high school accomplishments drew the attention of Villanova University, where he averaged 15.8 points per game, leading the Wildcats to three NCAA tournament appearances.
In 10 NBA seasons, with Detroit and Boston, Ford finished with a 9.2 career scoring average Ford coached for 10 seasons in the NBA, five with the Boston Celtics.
Earl scored 1,256 career points at Penn State, playing 119 games over six injury-plagued years. One of the smartest players to ever grace the South Jersey hardwoods, Earl gravitated naturally to coaching. After six seasons at Virginia Military Institute, Earl just completed his fourth year at University of Tennessee-Chattanooga.
Paul Gause, Schalick
There was never a doubt about Gause, who made his scholastic debut averaging 25 points per game as a Schalick freshman. Gause finished with 3,144 career points, which remains second in South Jersey career scoring. Gause also led the Cougars’ football teams to state championships in 2003 and 2004, setting then-south Jersey records with 39 touchdowns and 236 points.
Gause set his sights on defense at Seton Hall University. As a Pirates’ sophomore he led the Big East in steals and led Seton Hall in three of his four years.
You must be registered for see images attach
Ron ‘Itchy’ Smith, Camden
In the entire history of South Jersey’s most storied basketball program, Smith’s name stands above all of them. Smith scored 1,276 career points in just three seasons, leading the Panthers to unbeaten seasons in both 1959 and 1960 and a 47-game win streak.
After playing at Tennessee State University, Smith returned to his native Camden, where he owned a candy store in the town’s Centerville section. Smith No. 44 was the first number retired by the school, which renamed the street bordering the school after Smith.
You must be registered for see images attach
Billy Thompson, Camden
Thompson will always be remembered as a winner, leading the Panthers to the 1982 NJSIAA Group 4 championship and the consensus No. 1 team in America. Upon graduation, Thompson won 107 games at the University of Louisville. Thompson scored 1,685 career points and led the Cardinals to two Final Fours and the 1986 NCAA championship.
The 19th pick in the 1986 NBA draft, Thompson played five seasons in the NBA, winning the 1987 NBA championship with the Lakers.
You must be registered for see images attach
Jason Thompson, Lenape
No one grew more as player than Thompson did in his years at Lenape. A 6-foot-1 freshman was 6-8 as a senior before topping out at 6-11 as an NBA pro. Thomspon led the Indians to the 2004 NJSIAA Group 4 championship with an undefeated regular season.
Choosing to stay nearby at Rider University, Thompson brought the Broncs to national prominence scoring 2,040 career points with 1,171 rebounds, averaging 20-plus points and 10-plus rebounds as a junior and senior. Thompson was the 12th pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, eventually playing more games for the Sacramento Kings in seven of his eight NBA seasons.
You must be registered for see images attach
Dajuan Wagner, Camden
The greatest scorer in New Jersey scholastic basketball history, Wagner scored 3,462 career points, including one of just two 1,000-point seasons in South Jersey history. On January 16, 2001, Wagner scored 100 points against Camden County Tech, including 10 3-pointers.
Wagner scored 21.2 points per game in his only season at the University of Memphis, scoring 32 points on two different occasions. Wagner was the sixth pick of the 2002 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers, averaging 13.4 points per game as a rookie. His NBA career was limited to four seasons due to injury and illness.
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Milt Wagner, Camden
The scion of South Jersey’s first family of high school basketball, Wagner was a silky smooth 6-foot-5 scoring guard with unlimited range before the 3-point era. Wagner was the first in a long line of Camden players that played at the University of Louisville.
Wagner led the Cardinals to three Final Four appearances and the 1986 NCAA championship. Wagner played in 144 career games, starting his final 111. A second-round pick of the Losa Angeles Lakers, Wagner was a rookie for the 1988 NBA champions.
Who’s the greatest South Jersey men's basketball player of all time?
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Who's South Jersey's all-time best men's basketball player? VOTE now
Continue reading...
