Dorell Wright was a generational talent at the high school ranks, as he started his basketball journey in Los Angeles at Washington Preparatory School. Dorell then transferred to Leuzinger High School in Lawndale, CA, where his game began to take off and turn heads nationwide. This allowed him to play for a fifth year at South Kent, where he dropped over 29 points per game under coach Raphael Chillious. 

While Dorell Wright initially declared for DePaul for college, he ultimately decided to go into the NBA Draft out of high school, as he was drafted 19th overall to the Miami Heat. He played for the Heat until 2010 and won an NBA Championship alongside Dwayne Wade and Shaquille O’Neal. His NBA career continued through 2016 as he had stints with the Golden State Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers, and Philadelphia 76ers before returning to the Heat. Following his second time in Miami, Wright played overseas until 2020.

Along with his incredible basketball talents, Dorell Wright has done a lot of philanthropic work. After his playing career, Wright founded the Wright Legacy Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to cultivating young scholars into productive and active participants in society. The Wright Legacy Foundation, also co-run by his brother Deion Wright and his wife Mia Wright, gives money to schools in need for advanced classroom training and educational advancement, providing more opportunities for athletes to take the collegiate step. Furthermore, Dorell Wright is still an active member of the South Kent School community, as he is a member of the Board of Trustees.

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Andray Blatche’s superb year at South Kent moved him up to no. 4 in the high school rankings nationwide. This enabled him to get drafted right out of high school in 2005 by the Washington Wizards, as he was selected 49th overall. He spent 7 seasons with the Wizards, where he had his best season in the NBA, averaging 16.8 points and 8 rebounds per game. He then went to Brooklyn for two seasons, where he averaged 10.8 points per game shooting just under 50% from the field. After the 2013-14 season, Blatche concluded his career in China, playing overseas until 2019.

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After graduating in 2004, Jermaine Middleton played two years at Central Connecticut State University, followed by another two years at Northwood University in Palm Beach. Middleton helped Northwood make the final eight teams of the NAIA National Tournament. Then, Jermaine Middleton played for Rochester and St. Joseph of the Premier Basketball League. In 2011, he signed a contract to play with the Harlem Globetrotters, the team he retired with in 2015. Jermaine Middleton currently lives in San Antonio, working in business with the company SafeLace.

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After his stellar play on the Hillside, Jack McClinton signed to play with Siena University. He then transferred to the University of Miami, where he caught the attention of NBA scouts. McClinton’s hard work and perseverance earned him Third Team All-ACC honors in 2007 and  First Team All-ACC honors two years in a row (2008, 2009). 

In 2009, Jack was selected 51st overall by the San Antonio Spurs where he played for a year. Subsequently, McClinton played overseas through 2012 with Aliaga Petkim (Turkey), Gilboa Galil (Israel), and BC Budivelnyk (Ukraine). His last stint as a professional basketball player came with the Reno Bighorns, now the Stockton Kings, the G League affiliate of the Sacramento Kings.

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Isaiah Thomas would then forgo his last year of eligibility and was drafted 60th overall by the Sacramento Kings. Thomas was an instant impact player following the 2011 draft as he won Rookie of the Month twice and finished seventh in the Rookie of the Year voting. After playing for the Kings, Thomas went to the Phoenix Suns for a season and two seasons with the Celtics. Isaiah Thomas played the best basketball of his career with the Boston Celtics, dropping 42 points in the 2016 playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks. In his last year with the Celtics, Thomas scored 20 or more points in 20 of his first 21 games. After a disappointing exit from the 2017 playoffs, Thomas then bounced around the league until 2022, playing for his childhood team Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, Washington Wizards, New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks, and the Charlotte Hornets. Isaiah Thomas finished his illustrious career averaging 17.7 points per game, proving that the only size that matters is of your heart.

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The Louisville Cardinals snatched Smith first, as he evolved from a role player to a superstar. In 2012, he showcased his defensive prowess, tallying 87 steals in 39 games, a Louisville school record. The Cardinals went on to win the Big East Championship before advancing to the Final Four, where they lost to the eventual national champion Kentucky Wildcats.

Russ Smith then became a bonafide scorer in 2013, averaging 18.7 points per game, earning him First Team All-Big East Honors. He would help orchestrate another Big East Championship run while winning the National Championship against Michigan. In 2014, Louisville moved to the American Athletic Conference (AAC), but that did not slow him down, as he won All First Team Honors yet again, carrying the Cardinals to a Sweet 16 run. Smith finished in the top ten of voting for the Naismith Player of the Year Award, which elevated his draft positioning to 47th in the 2014 NBA Draft. Russ Smith was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers, then quickly traded to the New Orleans Pelicans. 

Despite Smith’s NBA career ending in 2015, he has made his mark in professional basketball. He continued playing in the G League with the Iowa Energy and the Delaware 87ers until 2017. Russ Smith’s most impressive professional stint took place in China, as he won two scoring titles with the Fujian Sturgeons (2017, 2019) and the NBL China Player of the Year (2017). 

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After a successful finish to his high school career, Waiters took his talents to Syracuse to play for the Orange under legendary coach Jim Boeheim. Waiter was a steady contributor his freshman year, averaging 7 points per game. He improved drastically throughout the season, as his 18-point breakout performance against Marquette in the NCAA Tournament increased his draft stock. Waiters would carry this momentum into his sophomore season, averaging 12.2 points, 2.5 assists, and 2.3 rebounds per game, earning him All-Big East Third Team and Tournament Team Honors. Additionally, he also won Big East Sixth Man of the Year.

His breakout campaign moved him up the NBA Draft List, as he was selected 4th overall in the 2012 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. In his four seasons with the Cavs, Dion made headlines with an impressive rookie season, qualifying as the 4th best rookie by NBA.com and finishing fifth in Rookie of the Year voting. Also, Waiters recorded his first double-double with the Cavaliers in March of 2014 against the Miami Heat. Waiters would then spend two seasons with the Thunder as a key sixth man, helping lead the team to the Western Conference Semifinals against the San Antonio Spurs. Then, he signed with the Miami Heat for 4 years, as he tied his career high in points with 33 in a game against the Golden State Warriors. During the 2019-20 season, Waiters was then traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he won his first NBA Championship against his former team, the Miami Heat.

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Maurice Harkless went on to play one year at St. John’s University, winning the Big East Rookie of the Year and scoring double figures 26 times, highlighted by a 32 point game against Providence. Harkless declared for the 2012 draft, where he was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers and traded to the Orlando Magic. Harkless spent 10 years in the NBA with the Magic, Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks, Miami Heat, and the Sacramento Kings, averaging 6.9 points per game. He currently plays for the Rip City Remix of the G League.

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Ledo was drafted in 2013 by the Dallas Mavericks, the city he called home until 2015 when he went to the New York Knicks. After finishing a 10 day contract in New York, Ledo played professionally in the D League, and he has moved back and forth between Europe and Asia from 2016 to present day. Personal accolades for Richard Ledo include being a 2016 D League All Star (2016), a Super Ligi scoring title (2017), and a Polish Cup title (2019.)

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During his time as a Wolverine, Stauskas immediately became an impact player as he averaged 11 points per game as a freshman. He was also named BIG TEN Freshman of the Week three times, helping his team earn a no. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament and finishing as the National Runner-Up to Louisville. Stauskas’s sophomore year caught the attention of NBA Scouts, as he notched 17.5 points per game, good for third in the conference. Because of his breakout season, Nik Stauskas received several conference and national awards such as Big Ten Player of the Year, All-Big Ten First Team, Associated Press All-America Second Team, and the John R. Wooden All-America Team. The hard work and dedication that winter resulted in Stauskas being named as the 8th overall pick of the 2014 NBA Draft to the Sacramento Kings, becoming the highest draft pick from Michigan since Jamal Crawford in 2000.

While Nik Stauskas played for the Kings through 2015, he also made stops with the Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, Portland Trail Blazers, and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Stauskas was known for his ability to shoot quickly off the catch, showcasing the ability to pull up from anywhere on the floor. With the Nets, he held the record for most three pointers coming off the bench in a single game (7). In November of 2016, Stauskas scored 21 points on 8-9 shooting in a win over the Phoenix Suns. His career high in an NBA game was 24 points against the Detroit Pistons in 2016, and he also had back to back 20 point games during that campaign. Furthermore, Stauskas represented Canada in the 2015 FIBA Americas championship, scoring 111 points in 9 games and helping Canada win the bronze medal.

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