Monroe quietly asserts himself as 2008's top prospect

	With size (6-9, 200) and good instincts, Louisiana's Greg Monroe dominated the USA Basketball Youth Development Festival in Colorado Springs. Steven Maikoski/USA Basketball
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The adjectives most often ascribed to Greg Monroe tend to revolve around the same theme: humble, quiet, soft-spoken, polite, reserved, respectful, nice. Monroe exudes those same attributes on the basketball court, which may help explain why the 6-foot-9, 200-pound high school senior from greater New Orleans is not a household name -- even though almost every national scouting service rates him as the No. 1 player in the class of 2008.

If anything, Monroe can be too nice on the court. After he seemed uninspired in a few AAU tournaments this spring, some recruitniks wrote Monroe might not be worthy of their No. 1-ranking. His reluctance to assert himself at times during his junior season led to his high school's elimination in the third round of the state playoffs. "I've talked to him about that," says Tyron Mouzon, Monroe's coach at Helen Cox High in Harvey, La. "He has to learn to pick his spots and take over games, because he is the star. But I wouldn't call it a fault because I believe when the time comes, he's going to step up and be that type of player."

Monroe was that type of player last week in Colorado Springs, Colo., where he dominated play at USA Basketball's Youth Development Festival. Playing five games in three days along with 29 of the top juniors and seniors in the country, Monroe led all players at the event in rebounds (12.6 per game) and blocks (3.6) and was fourth in scoring (24.0). He also dished out 2.8 assists per game and made 60 percent of his shots. If there were any questions as to whether Monroe is the best high school player in America, he answered them emphatically at the festival.

"A lot of these kids haven't played against someone with his size and skills. He definitely takes up a lot of space in there," said Drew Gordon, a 6-9 forward from San Jose, Calif., who has committed to UCLA. "Being ranked No. 1 is bittersweet because a lot of people want to talk bad about you. I'd like to get there myself, but it's definitely going to the right person."

Monroe might not have as much flair as some other, better-known players -- most notably guards Tyreke Evans, Brandon Jennings, Lance Stephenson and Jrue Holiday -- but he is much better-equipped to have an immediate impact on the college level. Monroe is a throwback big man who knows how to use his size, length and instincts to dominate around the goal. He did most of his scoring in the paint in Colorado Springs, but he also demonstrated an impressive arsenal of skills. He repeatedly drove to the rim from 15-feet out, he dished pretty passes, he showed off polished post moves and he was a devastating finisher on the break. Monroe is especially hard to guard because his strong hand is his left, even though he does everything else -- write, eat, throw, kick, swing a bat -- with his right.

Monroe, who just turned 17 on June 4, professes to be unconcerned with the opinions of outsiders. He likes to refer to himself demurely as "Big Ol' Greg" and says he hopes to get a "little rep" on the national recruiting circuit that begins in full force next month. "Nobody would disagree with being the No. 1-player, but if you're 1 or 26, you're still going to college," he says. "New Orleans isn't one of those big, media-hyped basketball cities. It's really known for football. My main thing right now is to get a full scholarship."