Semoball

High School Basketball Forum: High school basketball leapers under 6 foot????

Posted by GreatFun on Sun, Feb 6, 2011, at 12:35 PM:

I would like some opinions on who the most dynamic and impressive leapers have been, past or present, UNDER 6 foot.

Specifically, I recall at kid at Cape Central named Antwan Ross around 1990 that could jump out of the gym. He was about 5'10-5'11ish and could dunk two hands, behind the back, and much more.

Keith Ressel was another guy around 1988-89 at Notre Dame, only about 5'10ish, and he could leap really well too.

Bobby Hatchett and Drew Thomas were super impressive too, but I am not sure if Hatchett is under 6 foot?

Any other thoughts from anyone?

Replies (47)

  • Branch

    -- Posted by centraltyga on Sun, Feb 6, 2011, at 12:41 PM
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    just a thought, keith holmes at the Christmas tournament in Carbondale got a dunk, and he's 5'5.

    -- Posted by BuckMajor on Sun, Feb 6, 2011, at 12:44 PM
  • Holy cow, 5 foot 5???? Sounds like Spud Webb, now that guy was incredible! Does Holmes play for Carbondale?

    How tall is Branch? And does he throw it down in games often, or just practice? I only saw him play ND at Show Me Center and I didn't get to see him get any chances to dunk.

    Out of curiosity, a bit of research revealed that the average NBA vertical leap is about 28-29 inches.

    -- Posted by GreatFun on Sun, Feb 6, 2011, at 12:52 PM
  • Drew Thomas is 6'1", but Hatchett is about 5'10". One of the best that I saw was Sherome Cole from Richland (about 5'9") but with ridiculously long arms and a great vertical.

    -- Posted by Crash Davis on Sun, Feb 6, 2011, at 1:18 PM
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    Holmes plays for NMCC.

    -- Posted by BuckMajor on Sun, Feb 6, 2011, at 1:30 PM
  • Branch has only thrown it down in practice. He went up for one at seckman but threw it off the other side of the rim.

    greatfun are you sure about those nba verticles? That seems kind of low but I guess when you're taller than 6'6" you don't have to jump very high.

    -- Posted by BB-BORE on Sun, Feb 6, 2011, at 1:33 PM
  • I mistakenly thought Hatchett was taller than Drew Thomas.

    As for my source on the NBA verticals, that surprised me too. I just did a Yahoo or Google search on "average NBA vertical jump" and pretty much every result said 28 inches. I don't know how they compiled that stat but it looked like a consensus.

    It does make the NBA players dunks a bit less impressive considering their height, AND the taller a person is, the longer their arms too. So for a guy 5'10 and under to be able to dunk is really impressive.

    -- Posted by GreatFun on Sun, Feb 6, 2011, at 2:47 PM
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    Fred Garmon from Kennett... I think he's 5'10

    -- Posted by lilbigboy on Sun, Feb 6, 2011, at 2:54 PM
  • Fred Garmon got some bunnies also Tevin Walker from Portageville..

    -- Posted by Ktownballer18 on Sun, Feb 6, 2011, at 3:27 PM
  • Allen Hatchett from Sikeston in the mid 90's was under 6' and I can't remember his first name but West from Sikeston in the mid to late 90's was probably one of the best i've seen.

    -- Posted by Fatboy1972 on Sun, Feb 6, 2011, at 3:29 PM
  • Blake Gaddis from nd when they won state. Didn't play very much but could do windmills, two handed, reverses and 360s on a good day

    -- Posted by ndsportsfan on Sun, Feb 6, 2011, at 3:50 PM
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    Fatboy, are you possibly thinking of Marshaun West?

    -- Posted by yah-yah on Sun, Feb 6, 2011, at 4:40 PM
  • That was Marshaun West from Sikeston. He could jump out of the gym. I believe he ended up at Notre Dame on a track scholarship and set the long or high jump record as a freshman. I could have my facts wrong though. I believe he was about 6' or 6' 1". Nonetheless, it was impressive to see him leap. Sikeston used to run an iso play with him when teams played them man. It usually ended with some poor kid getting posterized.

    -- Posted by rocketsbro on Sun, Feb 6, 2011, at 4:40 PM
  • DD Gillespie from scc he was about 6 or 6'1 he could throw it down. Brandon Washington I think was his name could get up

    -- Posted by BG10 on Sun, Feb 6, 2011, at 5:12 PM
  • I'm 5'7 with a 34 inch vertical but i cant dunk i can grab rim

    -- Posted by CapeTiger4 on Sun, Feb 6, 2011, at 6:29 PM
  • Allen Hatchett was 5'10 and was built like a running back with tree trunks for legs so it was kind of freakish to watch him go up and hammer them. He had a nasty one in the state semifinals at Hearnes against Vashon. Mashawn West was on that team too. The best leaper I've seen, probably other than Cal Lane.

    -- Posted by semohoops on Sun, Feb 6, 2011, at 8:04 PM
  • Allen Hatchett was fun to watch. I remember that dunk at the Hearnes Center. The best part about it was the look on the Vashon's player's face that said, "Did that really just happen?"

    -- Posted by rocketsbro on Sun, Feb 6, 2011, at 8:14 PM
  • Yes, Marshawn West graduated from Notre Dame and won the Big East MVP and was All-American in track and field. He set Fighting Irish school records in the long jump and is way up on the list in the 100 and 200 meter dashes. He could've been an Olympian if he chose that path. He wasn't a great basketball player but he sure was exciting to watch. You'd get a handful of freakish athletic plays per game that just left you shaking your head.

    -- Posted by semohoops on Sun, Feb 6, 2011, at 9:28 PM
  • A 40" vertical is a lot less common than most people realize. Here is a link to the NBA Pre-Draft measurements which includes a lot of interesting information including no-step verticals, max verticals, wingspans, reach, no-step vertical reach, and max vertical reach. All of this information was obtained during the NBA Pre-Draft workouts. The highest recorded no-step vertical was 39.5" by Nick Young and Kenny Gregory.

    http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-pre-draft-measurements/?year=All&sort2=DESC&draf...

    -- Posted by Crash Davis on Sun, Feb 6, 2011, at 10:31 PM
  • For every high-flier you have in the NBA, you have 7-footers such as Ilguaskas or aging stars that just don't jump like they used to, but they are extremely tall and long-armed. Not many 7-footers are out there with 30-inch verticals. Maybe Kevin Garnett in his prime? There's not many.

    -- Posted by semohoops on Sun, Feb 6, 2011, at 10:39 PM
  • We used to call Brandon Washington Go-Go Gadget Legs (Sorry Inspector)! He had some hops!

    -- Posted by mandm96 on Sun, Feb 6, 2011, at 10:45 PM
  • DD was about 5'9 and Drew was 5'11 almost 6 foot

    -- Posted by baller on Mon, Feb 7, 2011, at 7:32 AM
  • Branch is about 5'10 or 5'11

    -- Posted by centraltyga on Mon, Feb 7, 2011, at 7:34 AM
  • what about watts from central. hes about 5'7

    -- Posted by centraltyga on Mon, Feb 7, 2011, at 7:34 AM
  • Stephen Simmers from Zalma this year...he is about 5'10, he can get up.

    -- Posted by bigriver333 on Mon, Feb 7, 2011, at 8:46 AM
  • Marcus Biles - Charleston 5'8'' PG

    I will never forget when he blocked Tyler Hansbrough's dunk attempt.

    Picture of the Block:

    http://semoball.com/blogs/rosener/entry/22932

    Comments about the Block:

    http://www.semoball.com/blogs/rosener/entry/16043/

    -- Posted by USC_2860 on Mon, Feb 7, 2011, at 10:40 AM
  • ^ Haha wow, thats pretty impressive, not trying to turn this into a sikeston game, but the picture of martex last year block tolberts dunk is almost identical

    -- Posted by Dustin Ruby on Mon, Feb 7, 2011, at 11:38 AM
  • Great pics on those links people!

    Without starting an entire new thread for just one simple question, seeing the Hansborough pics makes me want to ask "What was Poplar Bluff's record during Tyler's senior season, and if they had any losses, who did they lose to?" Were they actually the underdog in the championship game vs Vashon?

    -- Posted by GreatFun on Mon, Feb 7, 2011, at 12:01 PM
  • The problem for many small guys that we are talking about under this thread is that it usually goes without saying, the smaller the player, the smaller the hands too. I have seen some great leapers around 5'8 who could jump out of the gym and get way above the rim, but to take the ball up with them was difficult to impossible as they could simply not palm it or hold on to it well. Having said that, it is quite alot of fun to watch some of these under 6 foot or even under 5'10 players goof around with a volleyball during practice! That is quite entertaining

    -- Posted by GreatFun on Mon, Feb 7, 2011, at 12:04 PM
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    The Mules were 27-4 in Tyler's senior season. I couldn't find who they ended up losing games to.

    -- Posted by sideline starter on Mon, Feb 7, 2011, at 12:08 PM
  • I don't know about local teams but PB lost to Lawrence North in Indianoplis, where Greg Oden went to, and Springfield Kickapoo in the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions. I don't know about the other two.

    -- Posted by Fatboy1972 on Mon, Feb 7, 2011, at 12:19 PM
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    http://www.standard-democrat.com/story/1596407.html

    Here is the photo of Martez Evans who was somewhere south of six foot and played for Sikeston last year blocking Tolbert.

    -- Posted by sideline starter on Mon, Feb 7, 2011, at 12:22 PM
  • See the resemblence?

    -- Posted by Dustin Ruby on Mon, Feb 7, 2011, at 12:25 PM
  • Martez was 5'9". He could definitely jump out of the gym. Could dunk easily. Yes, that picture is very similar to the Biles-Hansbrough picture.

    -- Posted by semohoops on Mon, Feb 7, 2011, at 12:44 PM
  • If I'm not mistaken, Tyler H. missed a few games at the beginning of the season and they lost 1 or 2 during that stretch.

    -- Posted by hsbballfan on Mon, Feb 7, 2011, at 12:55 PM
  • Alonzo Louis from Malden was about 5'8" and had some ridiculous hops.

    -- Posted by baseballfan2010 on Mon, Feb 7, 2011, at 1:24 PM
  • Terry meade had a 44 when he was at semo.

    -- Posted by BB-BORE on Mon, Feb 7, 2011, at 2:36 PM
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    I was going to say Terry, but he wasn't sub 6 foot. Absolute highest jumper I played against.

    -- Posted by TheSentinel on Mon, Feb 7, 2011, at 2:52 PM
  • Frog Williams Randy Timmons jr

    -- Posted by braves win on Mon, Feb 7, 2011, at 3:20 PM
  • I know he taller than 6'0" but someone with a true 40+ inch verticle needs to be mentioned.

    -- Posted by BB-BORE on Mon, Feb 7, 2011, at 4:09 PM
  • Agreed, glad you brought up the Meade vertical despite the thread title. Very deserving. That is outstanding. I just checked Spudd Webb's very own website where it states that his vertical leap was 42 inches. I thought that was good!

    -- Posted by GreatFun on Mon, Feb 7, 2011, at 5:16 PM
  • He was over 6' tall (he told someone 6'1 1/2" with his shoes on), but Kurt Garris from Perryville had some tremendous hops and was the best dunker ever from the area. He won the slam dunk contest at the Southeast Alumni game two years in a row, against players on up to 6'9". He played against Marques Haynes and the Magicians in a game at Perryville and Haynes started recruiting him for his team after the game. Garris toured with wth Magicians for the remainder of that (1991-1992, I think)season. Haynes was planning to take his team to China the following year, but the team folded for the lack of financial backing. Garris later developed knee problems which ended his professional chances and curtailed his dunking ability. In reality, if the right people had seen Garris in his prime, he probably could have played for the Harlem Globetrotters.

    -- Posted by hoopsguru on Tue, Feb 8, 2011, at 7:25 PM
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    Caruthersville had a 5'9 dunker back around 02 or 03 his name was Chris Springer. He won the dunk contest that night by almost jumping from the free throw line. Not quite the free throw line but maybe a foot in front of it. Amazing hops.

    -- Posted by Cheesehead. on Tue, Feb 8, 2011, at 7:47 PM
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    And his name was springer haha

    -- Posted by BuckMajor on Tue, Feb 8, 2011, at 8:14 PM
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    haha yeah kinda ironic..

    -- Posted by Cheesehead. on Tue, Feb 8, 2011, at 8:16 PM
  • Tevin Walker from Portageville. The shortest starter on Portageville, but the one with the most dunks.

    -- Posted by paulbd on Tue, Feb 8, 2011, at 9:49 PM
  • One note on vertical jump measurements. In years past the measurement was most often for a one-step jump. Almost all measurements in recent times are for no step jumps. There can be a significant difference between the two.

    -- Posted by hoopsguru on Tue, Feb 8, 2011, at 10:26 PM

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