25 iconic high school basketball players from Detroit

At 7-foot, Harding was certainly a dominating figure and lauded as the best player to ever grace the court for a Detroit Public School League squad. During his time at powerhouse Eastern, the school won three straight PSL  As a senior, Harding averaged 31.3 points, 25 rebounds, 10 blocks, and 8 assists. However, Harding's on-court accomplishments were usually overshadowed by the trouble he caused off it. Though Harding spent four seasons in the NBA, including three with his hometown Pistons, the streets ultimately sealed his fate, when he died of two gun shots to the head in September 1972, at age 30.

One of Detroit's favorite sons in terms of sports stardom, DeBusschere was a prep legend at the Motor City's famed Austin Catholic during the mid-to-late 1950s. He led the school to the 1957 Class A state title game, scoring 27 points in a losing effort. The following season, DeBusschere's squad won the state championship, where he had 32 points before fouling out. He then starred for the University of Detroit before landing with his hometown Pistons (1962-'68), who he also coached. DeBusschere, an eight-time NBA All-Star, won two titles with the New York Knicks and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1983.

Hailing from just outside the Detroit city limits, "Rudy T," the son of a shoemaker, was a high school All-American during his senior season. He didn't go far for colleges, starring at Michigan, where he was a two-time first-team All-Big Ten pick earned various All-American honors in 1970, Tomjanovich is Michigan's all-time leader in rebounds (1,039) and rebounding average (14.4). His 25.1 points per game average is second-best among all Wolverines. He was a five-time NBA All-Star and coached the Houston Rockets to two championships in 1994 and '95.

The great Haywood grew up in Mississippi, and eventually made his way to Detroit in 1964. He became a legend at Detroit powerhouse Pershing High School, and is arguably the greatest to ever suit up for the Doughboys, which is saying a lot. As a junior, the future Hall of Famer averaged 29 points and 17 rebounds to earn first-team Public School League and all-state honors. But as the senior in 1966-67, the 6-foot-7, 220-pound Haywood was unstoppable, averaging 25.4 points, 13 rebounds, 14 assists, and 12 blocks, while helping the vaunted Pershing squad become the first Detroit PSL state champ since 1940, and eventually win a Class A state championship as part of what's arguably the greatest high school team in Michigan history.

Nicknamed "The Musician," Jones starred for Northwestern High School. While he might be best known for nailing a 19-foot winner to give Spencer Hayward and Pershing their only loss of the 1966-67 season, and a Northwestern PSL title, Jones was long before considered one of the great basketball players in the city of Detroit. Jones was a playground star, but the highlight of his organized basketball career came at Northwestern, where it was also known he was illiterate and the school simply passed him along the system. With an alleged promise to play basketball at Michigan, Jones attended a junior college in Idaho, where he reportedly suffered a nervous breakdown. He died at age 49, of pneumonia in a psychiatric ward of a Detroit hospital in 1999.

A teammate of Spencer Haywood on those stellar Pershing teams. As a junior, Simpson scored 43 points in the state championship game for the Doughboys. He averaged 32 points as a senior at Pershing, and was invited to try out for the 1968 United States Olympic team. Simpson eventually went to Michigan State, where he led the Big Ten in scoring (29 ppg) in 1969-70, then was a five-time ABA All-Star. He also played for four NBA teams, including his hometown Pistons.

According to Detroit city basketball lore, the player who would eventually earn the legendary nickname of the "Iceman," Gervin didn't enjoy real prep success until he was a senior in high school. He apparently was cut from his high school team at King, on one occasion , but eventually made an impact. As a senior, Gervin averaged roughly 31 points and 20 rebounds as a senior at King, before landing at Eastern Michigan. Of course, it all led to a Hall-of-Famer NBA career as a nine-time All-Star and San Antonio Spurs legend.

Playing out in suburban Pontiac, Russell was a pure prep specimen at 6-8 and well over 200 pounds. He led Pontiac Central to the Class A state title game in 1970, but lost to Pershing. A year later, Central fell to Detroit's Kettering High in the state semifinals. As a senior, Russell was MVP of the annual MVP of the Dapper Dan All-Star game, which showcased the best high school players in the country. He totaled 1,454 points for his prep career. Russell then played at Michigan, earning All-American status while averaging 23.7 points as a junior. He was an All-Star in the NBA for Cleveland in 1979.

One of the great scorers in Detroit PSL history, Fogle totaled more than 1,600 points during his career at Cooley. Fogle averaged 35.1 points during the 1971-'72 season, when he scored 73 points against Detroit's Cody High on Feb. 4, 1972. His 32 points in a quarter during that contest are still a state record. Fogle, who also averaged more than 18 rebounds per game, was also Michigan's Mr. Basketball that season, and a second-team Parade All-American.

One of the state's all-time great shooters, Davis averaged 27 points as a junior at Murray-Wright. He was even more productive as a high school senior, putting in 31 points per game while earning All-State honors. From there, Davis enjoyed a solid run at Dayton, played 10 years in the NBA, where he won a title with Portland in 1977. Davis also served as head coach for three different franchises (Philadelphia, Orlando, Memphis).

A standout in the north suburbs of Detroit, Flowers was retroactively named Michigan Mr. Basketball for the 1974-75 season. The complete package, Flowers averaged 28 points, while shooting 72 percent from the field, and 18 rebounds, as well as playing some smothering defense anywhere on the floor, as a senior. Following that stellar prep career, Flowers played at Notre Dame, where he saw action in 117 games over four seasons.

Standing 6-10, McCormick has long been a favorite basketball son in the state of Michigan. As a senior at Clarkston High, in the northern suburbs of Detroit, McCormick 24.7 points and 17.6 rebounds in 1979-'80, when he was an All-State selection and second-team Parade All-American selection. He was also retroactively named Michigan Mr. Basketball for 1980. Following a solid career at Michigan, McCormick played eight seasons in the NBA.

Known as "The Judge," Joubert was a varsity player at mighty city power Southwestern all four years of his prep career. A talented, physical performer, Joubert totaled 2,208 points during a high school run where he helped Southwestern to back-to-back appearances in the Class A state finals. As a senior in 1982-83, Joubert averaged 31.3 points, after scoring 30.6 per game as a junior, to win Michigan Mr. Basketball. He went on to record more than 1,500 points and 500 assists at Michigan.

Coleman was born in Alabama, but attended high school in Detroit, at the former Northern High, where he placed fourth in the 1986 Michigan Mr. Basketball voting. A physical presence, Coleman could be a man among boys at the prep level. That paved the way for him to enjoy an All-American collegiate career at Syracuse, where he was Big East Player of the Year in 1990 and then became an All-Star in the NBA for the New Jersey Nets.

At 6-10, Mills was certainly a force at Romulus, where he was a four-year standout and scored 50 points during one contest. Michigan's Mr. Basketball in 1986, Mills was also a two-time, first-team Parade All-American, an honor that was pretty special at the time. Mills stayed close to home to play at Michigan, where he totaled more than 1,400 points and nearly 700 rebounds and helped the Wolverines win the 1989 national championship. He then played 11 years in the NBA, scoring more than 7,000 points.

A self-proclaimed "late bloomer," in terms of high school stardom. However, Smith's senior campaign as perennial Motor City powerhouse Pershing remains one for the ages. He averaged 26 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, but was not a highly-recruited Division I prospect. At 6-7, colleges didn't consider Smith to be a worthy floor general, but he eventually landed at Michigan State and became the school's all-time leader with 2,263 points. He also ranks among the program's top 10 in assists (453) and rebounds (704). Smith then played parts of 16 NBA seasons, was an All-Star in 1998 and won a title with San Antonio in 2003.

A first-team All-Stater at the former Bishop Borgess High in suburban Detroit, Respert finished fourth in Michigan Mr. Basketball voting from 1989. A year earlier, he helped Borgess reach the Class B state final. That prep success opened the door for Respert to enjoy a stellar basketball career at Michigan State, where he scored a school-record 2,531 points. He was a two-time all-American and Big Ten Player of the Year in 1995. Respert spent time in NBA, bouncing around between four teams from 1995-'99.

A Detroit native, Webber, who peaked at 6-foot-9, prepped at the famed Detroit Country Day School, where he led the program to three Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) Class B state championships. During his senior season, Webber averaged 29.4 points and 13 rebounds, and was also Mr. Basketball in Michigan and MVP of the annual McDonald's All-American Game. A star at Michigan, Webber, where he called the infamous "time out" against North Carolina in the 1993 national title contest, then was NBA Rookie of the Year in 1994 with Golden State and a five-time All-Star.

Runner-up to future Michigan and "Fab Five" teammate Chris Webber for Michigan Mr. Basketball in 1991, Rose starred for Southwestern coaching legend Perry Watson. In addition to Rose, Southwestern's 1990 squad, the first of two straight state champions, also featured future NBA products Howard Eisley and Voshon Leonard. A do-everything performer for the Prospectors, the McDonald's All-American and two-time Parade All-American remains one of the most versatile players in Michigan high school history. 

Following the footsteps of Chris Webber at Detroit Country Day, Battier was Michigan's Mr. Basketball in 1997. He helped lead Country Day to three consecutive Class B state championships as one of the most complete players of the time. At the end of the 1996-97 season, Battier was also named a first-team Parade All-American and Naismith Player of the Year. Following an All-American at Duke, where he was national player of the year and a NCAA champion in 2001, Battier won two NBA titles with the Miami Heat in 2012 and '13.

Fife ranks among the all-time leaders in state history with 2,287 points while branding himself another star at Clarkston. Following his senior season, Fife was named Mr. Basketball in Michigan, a McDonald’s and Parade All-American. However, Fife's college career at Indiana was essentially defined by his stellar defense. He recorded a program-record 180 steals. Fife went on to a career in coaching, where he ran the Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne program from 2005-'11.

Three times, Harris earned all-state love while starring for Redford, including a first-team selection as a junior and senior. During his final prep season, Harris averaged 33.5 points, 11.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists en route to taking home Michigan Mr. Basketball honors. He helped Redford win three PSL titles and twice score 50 or more points during his high school career. At Michigan, Harris was an all-Big Ten performer three times and played parts of four seasons in the NBA, but enjoyed success playing in Greece.

Young starred for two suburban Detroit schools during a stellar prep basketball career. As a junior at Troy High School, Young averaged 25 points and 10 rebounds. Then a season later, for Rochester, he averaged 27 points, 16 rebounds, and 5 assists. He earned all-state honors at each school, was a McDonald's All-American and participated in the Jordan Brand Classic. Young then went to Kentucky, where he averaged 14.3 points in one season, helping the Wildcats reach the NCAA title game. He was drafted 17th overall by Boston in 2014.

There aren't many more decorated players in the state of Michigan than Loyer, who might be the best player in Clarkston High history -- which is staying a lot. Loyer was a four-year starter and won two state championships at Clarkston, and ranks among Michigan's all-time leaders with 2,325 points. In addition, Michigan's Mr. Basketball in 2018, Loyer is the state's career leader in consecutive made free throws in a season (119), made free throws (634) and points for a quarter in a postseason game (19). Loyer began his college career at Michigan State, then transferred to Davidson, where he earned second-team All-Atlantic 10 honors. 

As of March 2025, McKenney was headed to Michigan once his senior season at this current powerhouse Detroit area Catholic school. McKenney hails from Flint, but played his entire high school career at St. Mary's. Also named a McDonald's All-American in 2025, McKenney is one of the most touted prospects in state history. He was named Michigan Associated Press Division 1 Player of the Year in 2023 and 2024. As junior in 2023-24, McKenney averaged 22.9 points, 10.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists while leading St. Mary's to the state title. In December 2024, McKenney, who was a member of the United States national under-18 team , became St. Mary's all-time leading scorer, breaking Kalin Lucas' record of 1,688 points.