6. 2004 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.)To call Oak Hill Academy a high school is a bit of a misnomer; it's more of a basketball breeding ground, an epicenter of incredible individual talent and an outstanding collection of teams.
Head coach Steve Smith has had several teams that people consider to be his best. His legendary 1993 squad featured Jerry Stackhouse and Jeff McInnis, and certainly has its place in Oak Hill history. The 2006 squad that featured Tywon Lawson and Michael Beasley would almost certainly have been undefeated if Kevin Durant stayed with the Warriors.
The 2006 Warriors team featured both Ty Lawson and Michael Beasley, but was not as dominant as the 2004 Warriors.
Photo by Jim Owens
Durant transferred out as Beasley transferred in, and ended up leading Montrose Christian (Md.) (along with current Maryland star Greivis Vasquez) to a buzzer-beater upset of Oak Hill at the close of the 2006 season.
Either of those squads would have presented challenges to more than a handful of college teams, but the Warriors squad that would have done the most damage in the NCAA tournament is the 2004 Oak Hill team.
Reloading after a 2003 season which saw them lose an uncharacteristic four games, the Warriors welcomed both Rajon Rondo from Kentucky and Josh Smith from Georgia. It would prove to be a perfect combination, as Oak Hill went 38-0 in 2004.
That season, Smith set the school's all-time scoring record with 980 points, averaging nearly 26 a night. Appropriately, Rondo set the school's all-time assist record, notching 494, good for 13 per game. Amazingly, he set another school record with 31 assists in a single game, breaking his own record of 27 that he achieved earlier in the year
Not impressed? How about 6-5 wing man (and current Clemson standout) K.C. Rivers' school record 15 3-pointers in one game. The team also featured five other future Division I players, including DayShawn Wright (Syracuse) and Anthony Wright (Michigan).
It's not hard to imagine how the 2004 Oak Hill team would have been a tough first round opponent for some college teams. Josh Smith, the quickest player to 500 blocks in NBA history, would have quelled most teams' interior play. Offensively, his ferocious dunks would have intimidated players three or four years his senior.
On the perimeter, Rondo and the rest of the backcourt may have been beaten occasionally on defense by some more physical guards, but would have been quick enough to create off the dribble offensively.
Head coach Steve Smith has faced plenty of teams with NBA talent, let alone Division I players. His 2004 team would not have been intimidated, and would not have gone home after its first game.
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