Who do you think is the greatest all around high school athlete of all time in Western Pa ?
- Thread starter Evenattheturn
- Start date
This is not about what happened after high school,just what was accomplished in high school.
Probably Groat but that's too long ago. Hard to compare eras.
1. Arrington
2. Pryor
Next up would be hard. Maybe Darrelle Revis. People forget he could have been a lower D1 bball player had he concentrated on hoops. Or Ty Law
I heard Montana was a good hooper.
Probably Pryor in my lifetime. Was a legit D1 hooper and great qb. A lot of kids who excel in football are good basketball players too ( like revis) but Pryor had great height too.
Ditka I guess if you want to go back to black and white tv era. Dude could play like 4 sports including wrestling.
Probably Pryor in my lifetime. Was a legit D1 hooper and great qb. A lot of kids who excel in football are good basketball players too ( like revis) but Pryor had great height too.
Ditka I guess if you want to go back to black and white tv era. Dude could play like 4 sports including wrestling.
Pryor played basketball at a 2A school, though, correct? At that low a level, his skills are magnified. Not saying that he wasn't a great athlete, he was, but you have to take the competition level into account.
For recent times, I'd probably go with Lavar.
For recent times, I'd probably go with Lavar.
Dwight Collins is in this discussion for sure. Parade HS All-American: FB,BB, TF!
Brian Davis.....H2P
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He played on a Top 5 AAU team with Blair, DJ Kennedy, DeAndre Kane, and Jon Baldwin. 2 of those guys played in the NBA. Kane was 1st Team All Big 12 and Baldwin had a D1 basketball offer from Marquette. But Pryor was the best player on that team. I thought he was a 1 and Done lottery pick. Should have stuck with basketball.
Dick Groat. I mean NL MVP, and a top 5 NBA draft pick and All American at Duke jesus...... That's hard to top.
Pryor's downfall in basketball is like many swingman once they get to the college level. They were so physically dominant, they scored and dunked on everyone. But they never developed a consistent jump shot. Think about how athletic Gilbert Brown was......
If we are talking greatest athlete from the area (not HS athlete) I agree that Dick Groat gets the nod. Remember Dick began his professional athletic career IN the NBA! He only quit the NBA
because he didn't think he could make enough money there.
all his adult life; Dick was very open and honest about basketball being his favorite sport!
because he didn't think he could make enough money there.
all his adult life; Dick was very open and honest about basketball being his favorite sport!
He was considered a tweener for big-time basketball, as I recall. He was 6'4" and wasn't a guard.
Jon Baldwin merits consideration. He was a 5 star national recruit in football, had legit DI Basketball offers including Marquette and was a state medalist in track.
No. He was considered a PG. His handle was excellent. That is what set him apart and was why he was as high as Top 10 when he committed as a sophomore. Was viewed as one of those big PG's that the NBA loves. Think Bub Carrington now. I'd say though that Pryor was a level above Carrington.
I get Groat as GOAT, but with all these other names you have to throw Marino in, he was a great baseball player as well .
He was a tweener. Pitt did offer him early, as I recall, but even as dumb as he was he knew his chances were better in football. I'm pretty sure he told some people that he even preferred basketball to football.
Dick Groat, don't think it is particularly close. MLB MVP, World Series champ, top 5 NBA draft pick and first basketball player to have his number retired at Duke.
Best in my lifetime is probably Lavar Arrington. Neal Walker, Darrell Revis, Tyrell Pryor and Jon Baldwin also up there.
If by tweener you mean not a natural PG and not a natural SG, ok, maybe but that usually not what "tweener" means in basketball terms
Best of all time in high school-not in or after college or pro-that was the title of my original post.
You can have the rest. I'll take Lauryn Williams from Rochester. Because none of those previously mentioned can top this: 👇 👇👇
hint-Parade Magazine all American in both football and basketball and state sprint champ in the big school classification. No one has come close to the high school accomplishments of DWIGHT COLLINS.
Wow! What was your reaction when you saw that incredible performance, live and in person?
More on Lauryn Williams, World Class Athlete from the WPIAL: 👇 👇👇
Greatest all time effort in the 40 years that I worked that meet. If you remember,it was the lead in to the Wide World of Sports program for a long time.
I saw that race live and I must say it was unbelievable.
Especially in the state finals against the highest seeded team
That was in the mid 40s, the 1940s. It’s a wonderful life was filmed when he was in high school. Judy garland was still jail bait
Not sure many people were alive back then.
