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In addition to his basketball awards and accomplishments, he also served as the co-president of the student government association and sang in the chorus (his nickname is choirboyﾔ).

Howard has been compared to Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan and David Robinson, but Dwight is focused on just being Dwight Howard. At only 18 years old, Howard has the complete package: runs the floor, shoots from the outside, handles the ball well, can drive to the basket.

Teachers and friends will tell you the kid called Choirboy by his All-America peers is delightful to be around, polite, respectful and, most to the point, careful of pride. But there is also a focused self-awareness to the soon-to-be star. He describes himself as a mix of Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan on the court and David Robinson off it. He says he's ready to step out of sleepy southwest Atlanta, where churches seem to outnumber the gas stations and liquor stores combined, to be the NBA's next big thing. Choirboy? Not quite. "I expect to take hits," Howard says. "I'll even respect their hits. But when I get back up, I just may hit them back. Harder."

Scouts think Howard will settle in as a Garnett like 3, floating between post and perimeter depending on the lineup. And while Howard admits to daydreaming about dunking on KG and floating jump hooks over Shaq, he's smart enough to know those guys are still just a bit out of his incredibly long reach. He might as well fantasize while he can, though. "They're all going to come after me," says Howard. "I don't blame them. I'd do the same."

As for the inevitable temptation of the flesh, Howard says he often has dreams in which he's forced to choose between God and beautiful women. He chooses God every time. But he's not a monk. At a recent photo shoot he flirted playfully with a female photographer before telling her to repent for getting a tattoo.

But despite his strong convictions and some sniping whispers that you can't get a straight answer from him that doesn't revolve around God, Howard doesn't wear his religion on his sleeve. "I'm not going to preach to people when I get to the NBA," he says. "I'm just going to lead my life by example. If kids see me and want to be like me, that's great. If they don't, that's fine too." When he was in ninth grade Howard scrolled eight lofty goals onto a piece of paper and taped it above his bed. One of those goals was to go No.1 in the draft. Another was to redesign the NBA logo with a cross.