There's little doubt that LeBron James is the best high school player in the country this season, just as he was last year.

ESPN's Jay Bilas says James is the best high school player he's ever seen.  Howard Garfinkel, who runs the famous Five-Star basketball camp, concurs, and Garf has seen everyone including Michael Jordan, Lew Alcindor, and Oscar Robertson.

Last night, on ESPN 2, hoops fans got to see the subject of all the fuss.  And James didn't disappoint.

Competing against Oak Hill Academy, the best high school team in the country, a school that has lost just six games in the last six years, James scored 31 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and handed out six assists.  All five of Oak Hill's starters will receive scholarships from Division I schools next season.  None of them came close to matching James.

At 6-8 and 240, James has size and super-hero athleticism.  On a breakaway dunk in the first quarter, James was eyebrow level with the rim.  He later elevated with such explosiveness on a two-handed dunk, it seemed like he was playing on an eight-foot rim.

Unlike most of the past great high school players, James already has an NBA body.  In my own high school playing days, I had the opportunity to see guys like Grant Hill, Alonzo Mourning and Walt Williams.

Hill and Williams have been in the NBA for years and still don't have James' muscle.  Mourning had thick calves, but skinny arms in high school.  He played high school ball with the same ferocity he exhibited in the pros, but had twiggy arms until he got serious in Georgetown's weight room.

James is considerably bulkier than Jordan was in high school.  Jordan was a skinny kid who didn't start lifting weights until he'd been a pro for several years.

James is also bigger than most of the other recent high school to the NBA jumpers.  Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, Kevin Garnett, Tyson Chandler, and even Kwame Brown ? the best built of the bunch ? were smooth and slender in comparison.  Eddy Curry is bulky, but has more baby fat than muscle. The lone exception is Phoenix's Amare Stoudemire, who is a true power player already.

While his physical abilities have scouts panting, his skill and court sense have them delirious.  James gets more excited making good passes than shooting jumpers or throwing down spectacular dunks.

It's also a good sign that he passes confidently out of traps and double-teams.  His passes were often spectacular, but never forced.  That sort of maturity is startling from a kid who doesn't turn 18 for another couple weeks.  He has the athletic ability to get any shot he wants, but instead likes to include his teammates.

While James was without question the best player on the court, he still has work to do.  He has good upper body form on his jumper, but has poor lower body fundamentals.  He'll need an array of offensive moves when he gets to the NBA, but there's no reason for him to shoot 18-foot fadeaways over smaller high school opponents.

Better footwork would help him square to the basket, stop the sideways floating that characterizes his perimeter shooting, and improve his accuracy.  It would also help him increase the range on his shot, something he'll want when playing with the NBA's longer three-point shot.

His shot selection also needs some work.  He has the quickness and leaping ability to attack the basket and get the other team into foul trouble, but is too often content to shoot contested jumpers.  When he attacks with dribble penetration, he forces the defense to collapse on him.  Against Oak Hill, such plays ended up with him getting a high-percentage shot, drawing a foul, or creating open looks for teammates.

Of course, he is 17 years old. When he's entering his prime eight years from now, he'll likely have ironed out the few wrinkles. He already is more fundamentally sound than many NBA players, including some who went to major colleges.

How good James ends up being will be dependent on remaining healthy and a willingness to work.  Managing expectations and remaining confident through early trials ? and failures ? will be key.  As good as he is, history suggests it'll be a couple seasons before he's a major impact player in the NBA.

As the likely number one pick, fans will view him as a franchise savior.  If he struggles, he'll face criticism.  How he responds to that will play a role in how good he becomes.

There is no question James has the tools to be a great basketball player.  There's little doubt that his will be the first name called at next year's NBA draft.  After seeing him dismantle the best competition available at his level, it's apparent that whoever gets him will be happy with the selection for years to come.