Onyeka Okongwu’s announcement of his intention to enter the 2020 NBA Draft after a standout freshman season at USC sparked an interesting discussion on Wednesday. Okongwu figures to be the third former member of the 2015-16 Chino Hills side to be drafted into the NBA with LaMelo Ball joining him this year and Lonzo preceding the pair by a handful of years.
That trio, though, may not be the only members of that Huskies squad to make the NBA. LiAngelo Ball carved out a role in the G League prior to the cancelation of the developmental league. Eli Scott, the fifth starter of that state championship team, excelled with Loyola Marymount as a junior this season, earning Second Team All-West Coast Conference honors.
Following Okonguw’s announcement, Lonzo’s manager Darren Moore tweeted a question that was quote-tweeted by LaMelo and retweeted by Lonzo and sparked an interesting debate.
— Melo (@MELOD1P) March 25, 2020
It’s always tough to compare any sports teams across generations and decades. Given simply the vast amount of high schools across the country, it’s near impossible to compare the greatest high school teams ever. But the case for Chino Hills and what makes them great can be made.
First, the in-season resume speaks largely for itself. The Huskies finished a perfect 35-0 with a state title. The team averaged an eye-popping 97.9 points per game and eclipsed the century mark a staggering 18 times.
It wasn’t a cupcake schedule they did it again. Chino Hills beat Florida powerhouse Montverde Academy, ranked No. 3, during the holidays. They ran perennial power Mater Dei out of the gym in the state tournament.
Now, the team already will have a majority of its starting lineup in the NBA and could potentially put all five starters in the league. Does that make them the greatest high school team of all-time?