St. Louis American Sports Editor Earl Austin Jr. has just completed his 25th year of covering high school sports in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Throughout the summer, Earl will be reminiscing about his top moments from his 25-year career. Also, he will be putting together his 25-year All-Star teams from the different sports that he has covered. This week, Earl presents to you his 25-Year Anniversary All-Star Boys Basketball Team. Let the barber shop talk begin.
Forward: Darius Miles (East St. Louis ’00): A freakish 6’9” athlete with great length and a high basketball IQ made Miles one of the most entertaining players of his era. He was arguably the most dominant shot-blocker that this area has ever seen. Darius would routinely grab the rebound, run the fast break and finish with a spectacular pass or a thunderous dunk. Miles enjoyed many triple-double evenings with points, rebounds and blocked shots. He was a McDonald’s All-American in 2000 and the No. 3 selection in the NBA Draft that season, thus becoming the only basketball player from the STL area to be drafted out of high school.
Forward: Craig Upchurch (Beaumont ’87): One of the most versatile performers that I’ve ever witnessed, the 6’8” wizard played everything from point guard to center while at Beaumont. He could do it all. One night against Sumner, Upchurch had 59 points, 21 rebounds, seven assists, eight steals and five blocks. He was a smooth performer who could hit the 3-pointer, drop the no-look dime, snatch the rebound or dunk with force. Upchurch was a graceful performer who made the game look easy. He went on to have a tremendous career at the University of Houston.
Center: LaPhonso Ellis (East St. Louis Lincoln ’88): The top big man of the era, the 6’9” Ellis led Lincoln to consecutive Illinois Class 2A state championships in 1987 and 1988. The “Phonz” was a dominant post player who can score from inside or outside, plus rebound and blocks shots. He was also an exemplary leader for those great Lincoln teams. Ellis was a McDonald’s All-American who went on to enjoy a stellar career at Notre Dame. He was also an excellent NBA player with the Denver Nuggets before injuries curtailed his pro career.
Guard: Larry Hughes (CBC ’97): One of the most spectacular guards ever to play in St. Louis, the 6’5” Hughes was a highlight-reel performer throughout his career with the Cadets. He led CBC to the Class 4A state championship in 1997 and the St. Louis Eagles to the Amateur Athletic Union national championship during the summer of ’96. Hughes was a prolific scorer who can make buckets anywhere on the court with this tremendous athleticism and skill-set. He enjoyed one great year at Saint Louis University where he was the National Freshman of the Year. Hughes played in the NBA for 12 seasons.
Guard: Bradley Beal (Chaminade ’11): An All-American performer at Chaminde, Beal received every accolade imaginable from being a McDonald’s All-American, a two-time gold medalist in international competition to being named the National Prep Player of the Year in 2011. One of the best shooters ever to play in St. Louis, Beal led Chaminade to a state title in 2009 and averaged more than 30 points a game during a spectacular senior year. After one year of college at Florida, Beal will be one of the top selections in tonight’s NBA Draft.
