The debate around water coolers, barbershops and playgrounds used to be Pine Crest guard Brandon Knight's standing as an all-time Broward great.

That resounding yes came after Knight, the nation's top-ranked prospect, led the Panthers to the first of their two Class 3A state titles as a sophomore.

As the 6-4 Knight enters the final chapter of what already is a record-setting career, the question being asked is how Knight's credentials stack up to the likes of former Florida prep phenoms turned NBA superstars Vince Carter and Amar'e Stoudemire.

``I haven't really thought about how I compare to other guys,'' Knight said. ``There were a lot of great players that came before me. Amar'e and Vince. I really don't think about it. I just think about trying to do the best I can while I am here.''

What cannot be debated is Knight's near obsessive drive to excel. Because being good wasn't good enough, Knight stayed long after practice to hone his skills and can now choose between perennial NCAA title contenders Kansas, Kentucky, Syracuse, Florida, and Connecticut.

The extra hours Knight spent in the library and late in the night studying has paid off with a 4.2 GPA at one of the toughest academic institutions in Florida.

Knight credits his father, Efrem, and mother, Tonya, for instilling his work ethic.

``When people said I played great, I look at the things I missed,'' Knight said. ``A certain shot or pass I should have made. If I get a question wrong on a test and knew I should have picked another answer, I get down on myself. The drive started when I was younger and having a father figure to push me. Even when I felt I did good, he felt I could do better.''

Knight burnished his superstar credentials when he became just the third junior after reigning NBA MVP LeBron James and Greg Oden to win Gatorade National Player of the Year.

That came after Knight put on a performance for the ages in the Region 4-3A Finals against Miami La Salle. Knight scored an amazing 27 of his game-high 52 points in the fourth quarter to help Pine Crest rally from an 11-point deficit with four minutes remaining on the road.

``Probably the most exciting game and most unbelievable individual performance of a high-school athlete I have ever seen,'' Pine Crest coach David Beckerman said.

Having coached against all three players, Dillard five-time state champion basketball coach Darryl Burrows has unique insight into the comparisons.

``Brandon should be up there,'' Burrows said. ``He is amongst a unique class of players. I would definitely say he would be in that elite group of kids and we have had quite a few of them. He is an extremely intelligent player.''

Since Beckerman named Knight a starter in the 8th grade, the Panthers have gone 114-12, made three consecutive trips to the Class 3A Final Four and won back-to-back state titles in 2008 and 2009.

``I think a player should be judged on how much they win,'' Knight said. ``To win, get better individually and as a team. I think that winning three state titles in five years would stack up pretty nicely. A lot of people say I am ready for the NBA right now. I look at it like I'm still a high school player. Before I am ready for that level I have to be able to dominate college first and I haven't gotten to college yet.''