Could Shawn Kemp, Jr. End Up a Husky?

Last time I checked in on Shawn Kemp, Jr., he was a 6-7 wingman considered a fairly decent prospect in Georgia.

Now, Kemp is considered one of the top prospects in the nation, and, according to Glenn LaFollette of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, a recruiting target of Lorenzo Romar.

As you might expect, Kemp is a pretty good basketball player--a 6-9 dunk machine who Rivals rates as the #9 center in the class of '09. (Yes, the class of '09).

What you might not expect is that Kemp didn't play organized basketball until just before starting high school. He tells the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Glenn LaFollette: "When I was in eighth grade, I was just playing with some friends, and they told me to try and dunk. It was easier than I thought it'd be. That's when I started playing again."

He's averaging only 11 points per game, but he's shooting 70% and he's blocked 41 shots. Oddly, for the son of an NBA superstar, he's really just learning the game now. And, reports LaFollette, doctors say he'll likely grow another four or five inches.

LaFollette reports that Kentucky, Washington, Florida and Nebraska are among the schools recruiting Kemp.

An athletic, 7-2 dunk machine might look pretty good on the Hec Ed hardwood, don't you think?

In case you were too young or too not in Seattle to have fully experienced the Shawn Kemp Sr. era, this NBA-TV look at his top 10 dunks--culminating with the legendary "Lister Blister"--will educate.