The NYBL would like to introduce Team Rankings to our national media coverage and we will begin with the 7th grade teams (Class of 2019). Pre-Season we are releasing the National Top 10 along with Teams to Watch. As the AAU travel season gets into to the swing of things and we get the chance to evaluate teams we will expand our rankings to a Top 25. The first Top 25 will be released early next year in March and this will be called our Early Season Rankings. In May we will release our Mid–Season Rankings and finally in July we will release our Final Rankings. We will release rankings for the 7th Grade (Class of 2019) and the 6th Grade (Class of 2020). Pre-Season Top 10 Rankings for the 6th grade teams (Class of 2020) will be released in early January.
When we evaluate teams we look at many things but usually the best players are on the best teams. This will be evident when you look at the team rankings and you look at the NYBL National Player Rankings and see how many Top 100 players are on the top teams. We also take into account order of finish last year at AAU Nationals and at the NYBL Finals along with a very important piece of player movement and additions. Right now it seems that the West Coast is not that strong as far as overall talent and top tier teams for the Class of 2019 compared to other classes so we are waiting for some teams to emerge along with some top players. We feel that the Pre-Season Top 8 teams have a chance to take home the NYBL crown or the AAU National Championship or maybe both. We are anxious to see how the season unfolds.
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| CP3 |
1) CP3 (formerly Carolina PREPS) – North Carolina – CP3 is the defending AAU National Champion and the NYBL Runner-Up from last season. They boast six Top 100 ranked players led by most ranking services #1 player Wendell Moore. The Langley twins hold down the backcourt and with the addition of 6’4” Nicholas Evtimov this will give them the added size needed for the 7th grade level. Mike Green is a certified sniper from the outside and Chaz Gwyn adds versatility and athleticism on both ends of the floor. CP3 has size and athleticism and they play very fast. Their personnel and style of play might have them back at the top come June.
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| Texas Express |
2) Texas Express Elite (formerly Deron Williams Elite) - Texas – Texas Express is the AAU National Runner-Up and finished 3rd in the NYBL. DeVion Harmon, Chris Harris, and Tyrese Maxey all Top 30 players make up the most feared backcourt in the country. With the addition of 6’3” Le’Jon Doss (Top 20 player) in the paint this strengthens their interior presence and potentially one of their weaknesses moving to the 7th Grade level. Texas Express plays with intensity and toughness on both ends of the floor and they don’t mind letting bombs fly from the 3 point line. If they are hot which was most of last year they will run you out of the gym.
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| All-Ohio Red-2013 NYBL Champions |
3) All–Ohio Red – Ohio – All-Ohio is the defending NYBL Champion and the 3rd place finisher at AAU Nationals. With five Top 100 players and arguably the deepest team in the country All-Ohio has the size, talent and depth to be #1 in July. Jeremiah Francis is the #1 PG in the country and it joined by swingmanJordan Mitchell as the Top 10 player duo that makes Red go. They are the stars but you can argue the depth of talented players like Gerard Reynolds holding down the paint, 3 point specialist Jaidon Lipscomb, or combo guards Greg Tribble and Demarco Bradley applying tremendous defensive pressure are what make this team dangerous. They love to press you and make you make mistakes turning them into easy points.
4) Memphis War Eagles – Tennessee – Final 4 AAU Nationals the last two years. Memphis has become a hotbed for basketball and the 2019 crew is no exception to this trend. Chandler Lawson who missed last year’s Nationals with an injury will be back and he is a consensus Top 5 nationally ranked kid. DJ Jeffries is a wing forward that many scouts believe have a bright future and he really showed out at Nationals in July. Joe Cooper will be at the controls again and he will have all the weapons he needs as many think he is one of the top passers in the country. With the rumored addition of 6’5” post Kyle Rodethis talented bunch has the size and necessary pieces to win both the NYBL and AAU Nationals. They will be playing at home for Nationals in Memphis where they hoisted the championship trophy back in 2ndgrade.
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| Team Rio National |
5) Team Rio National – New Jersey – They had a respectable showing finishing 8th in the NYBL but did not attend AAU Nationals. Brian Klatsky was figuring out what he could do to improve his chances for next year and his solution was merging with Team IZOD to make the best team north of the Mason Dixon line. The cherry on top came when National Top 5 player Scottie Lewis moved to NJ and he was added to the team. With six Top 100 players Rio has a chance to make some noise this year nationally. Around Scottie Lewis, they have a floor general in AJ Hoggard that will run the show, Brian Antoine and AJ Gaffney that can fill it up from deep, wing forward Jordan McKoy that had a breakout year last year before his season ending injury but is back to full health and with the Ed Sanchez working the paint and the addition of Re-class guard Jalen Brooks this team has very few holes.
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| Team Takeover |
6) Team Takeover (formerly ETU Select) – Washington, DC – This squad took 8th at AAU Nationals and 11th in the NYBL. With 5 players ranked in the Top 100 Takeover has the talent to make a run. Top 5 PG Tyler Brelsford will run the show and Terrance Williams who had a breakout year last year will patrol the paint along with the new addition of 6’4” BJ Joyner who is a very skilled post player. Ultra athletic Jay Heath’s addition on the wing will add a different dimension to this team and nationally ranked combo guard Jahmir Young compliments Brelsford in the backcourt. It is rumored that Justin Moorewho is a nationally ranked Top 10 player will join this group in Memphis for AAU Nationals and some other selected tournaments. He is currently running with the 8th Grade Team Takeover. His addition could take Takeover to the top of the mountain in June.
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| South Carolina Hornets |
7) SC Hornets – South Carolina – The Hornets finished 7th in the NYBL and didn’t medal at AAU Nationals finishing in 16th place after coming off a Runner-up finish in Cocoa Beach, FL the season before. They had higher expectations and this team was much better than their finish last season. With three Top 100 players and a very strong starting lineup the Hornets had to add depth and it is rumored that they did just that by adding 6’7” Jaylen Jackson who is rumored to be a sleeper in the class and could be a Top 25 prospect. Naseem Khaalid is a Top 10 PG that will lead this squad along with the inside - outside versatile threat of Tommy Bruner and the post presence of Juwan Gary. Watch out for the Hornets to get back to the top and be in the thick of things come June.
8) George Hill Rising Stars – Indiana – G3 finished 10th at AAU Nationals last season. After a shake-up in the Indy basketball landscape last season with a lot of player movement just a season after the Indy Hoosiers won the crown in Cocoa Beach many top players moved to different teams so George Hill and the Hoosiers combined teams and they finished 10th. The rumor mill is that George Hill back on their own without the Hoosiers has built a top team to compete for an NYBL crown and an AAU National Championship this season. With three Top 20 players in Dexter Shouse, Marquise Walker and Simon Banks along with two other Top 100 players in Keion Brooks and AJ White, George Hill can make a deep run in June.
9) Southern Stampede – Georgia – This team took 5th both in the NYBL and at AAU Nationals. This team previous of last year played under the club Worldwide and has been in the mix since 2nd Grade and we don’t see any reason why they won’t be in it again this year. They are led by Top 10 prospect Chris Hinton who last year had a breakout season and was the focal point of their offense as they played with an inside out mentality as the guards loved to feed the big man in the paint. Kyle Sturdivant is a big guard and with his skill set is a mismatch problem for many teams and Anthony Edwards can really fill it up from beyond the arc. Look for Southern Stampede to be in the conversation come June.
10) CATS – Florida – New on the scene they had a good showing just missing medaling and finishing 14that AAU Nationals. Florida is usually known as a football state but they have also been turning out some good ballers and you can’t look past 6’8” Balsa Koprovica who arguably could be the top prospect in the Class of 2019. Balsa’s skill set is advanced and he is complemented by wing guard Max Demeus who is a Top 50 player that put up big scoring numbers in Hampton. Look for the CATS to upgrade their roster and we look forward to seeing them more out on the circuit this year as they get battle tested so they can make a run in June.
Teams to Watch (in no particular order)
1. Metro Flyers – New Jersey
2. Carolina Chaos – North Carolina
3. Team Teague – Indiana
4. Baltimore Finest – Maryland
5. 6th Man Warriors – Virginia
6. Charlotte Rivals – North Carolina
7. City Stars – California
8. Rens – New York
9. ATR – Louisiana
10. CIA Bounce – Canada
11. Team Nelson – Pennsylvania
12. Academy Prep Hawks – Virginia
13. Jacksonville Magic – Florida
14. Arkansas Soldierz – Arkansas
15. i10 Celtics - California
16. AZ Monsoon - Arizona
17. Future Phenoms - Texas
It's important to note that at least 7 of the top 10, and another 7 of the top 15 "Teams to
Watch" will be participating in the NYBL in 2014! The league will again offer the most
"national" competition and elite exposure! The above rankings are proof that no other
league in the country can offer the attention to middle school hoops as the NYBL! Don't be
fooled, the NYBL will continue to be the "premier middle school basketball league in the
country!!
