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Andre Drummond

Where Will They Be?

Today, these are quite simply the sweetest 16 young athletes out there. And tomorrow? Only time will tell—but it's a good bet that these fresh faces will resurface in the big time, splashed across the pages of SI, soon enough

16 / CENTER /Middletown, Conn.

Achievements: Despite being limited to roughly half a game per outing because of a stress fracture in his foot, the 6'11" big man (a junior whom Rivals.com ranks as the top player in the class of 2012) averaged 13 points and nine rebounds for St. Thomas More School in Oakdale, Conn., and helped the Chancellors reach the semifinals of the National Prep Championship tournament. Andre also played for the U.S. team that won the FIBA U-17 world title in Germany in July, averaging 8.6 points and 6.8 rebounds in eight games.

First Steps: Andre first held a basketball when he was two years old: "My uncle put it in my hands and told me, 'This is going to make you the person that you are,'" he says. By the time Andre was a high school freshman, fellow students were already asking him for autographs.

Evokes: A cross between Dwight Howard and Kevin Garnett. Andre is big and powerful, and sometimes seems to believe he's a point guard—he doesn't think twice about putting the ball on the floor.

Coach's Comment: "He's got God-given abilities as an athlete," says St. Thomas More coach Jere Quinn. "He's walking around with a [winning] Powerball ticket in his pocket, but he's such a good kid—just polite and respectful."

What's Next: Despite the recruiting letters that fill his mailbox, Andre says he hasn't narrowed down his list of schools. (He's being courted by several Big East powers.) This summer he'll stay busy playing for his AAU team.

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