NYBL's Pre-Season Top 10 National Team Rankings (Class of 2019)

The NYBL would like to introduce Team Rankings to our national media coverage and we will begin with the 7^th 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 7^th Grade (Class of 2019) and the 6^th Grade (Class of 2020).  Pre-Season Top 10 Rankings for the 6^th 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.

CP3

11)   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 7^th 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.

Texas Express

22)   Texas Express Elite (formerly Deron Williams Elite) - Texas – Texas Express is the AAU National Runner-Up and finished 3^rd 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 7^th 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.

  

All-Ohio Red-2013 NYBL Champions

33)  All–Ohio Red – Ohio – All-Ohio is the defending NYBL Champion and the 3^rd 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 swingman Jordan 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.

44)      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 Rode this 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 2^nd grade.

Team Rio National

55)   Team Rio National – New Jersey – They had a respectable showing finishing 8^th 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.

Team Takeover

66) Team Takeover (formerly ETU Select) – Washington, DC – This squad took 8^th at AAU Nationals and 11^th 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 Moore who 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 8^th Grade Team Takeover.  His addition could take Takeover to the top of the mountain in June.

South Carolina Hornets

77)  SC Hornets – South Carolina – The Hornets finished 7^th in the NYBL and didn’t medal at AAU Nationals finishing in 16^th 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.

88) George Hill Rising Stars – Indiana – G3 finished 10^th 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 10^th.  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.

99) Southern Stampede – Georgia – This team took 5^th 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 2^nd 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.

110)  CATS – Florida – New on the scene they had a good showing just missing medaling and finishing 14^th at 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.      6^th 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!!

Team Rio National Should Contend for NYBL Championship

When year two of the NYBL tips off in March 2014 in Washington DC, Team Rio National could be a favorite to claim a NYBL National Championship.  With all due respect to last year’s NYBL champion, Ohio Select; the reigning AAU National Champion, CPC, and Texas Express Elite (formally Deron Williams Elite), Team Rio has upgraded their roster significantly and has the talent to win it all.

Roster upgrades include: Scottie Lewis (played with the Garden City All-Stars last year), Jordan McCoy (played with Team Izod), AJ Hoggard (also ran with Team Izod) and Edward Sanchez (played with New Heights last year). With the additions, Team Rio has 8 players ranked in the NYBL Top 100. Team Rio’s full roster includes: Jordan McKoy, Chris Autino, AJ Hoggard, Bryan Antione, Jalen Gaffney, Alex Klatsky, Scottie Lewis Jalen Brooks and Edward Sanchez. By most accounts, Scottie Lewis is absolutely lighting it up, and could make a move on the top spot in the class with a strong showing in the NYBL this year.

The team’s dominance was on full display last weekend when they ran the table at the Tipoff Classic in New Jersey to claim the championship. On their trek to the title, Team Rio defeated fellow NYBL challenger Team Takeover (formally ETU Select) twice, the second time in the championship game. Not only is Team Rio associated with the NBA’s Mario Chalmers, the team has partnered with training guru Micah Lancaster. This relationship will insure that Team Rio’s players get good fundamental skill development.  

Brian Klatsky, Team Rio Director, is excited about his team’s potential. “Our goal is to be able to play with anybody in the country, and I think we will be,” said Klatsky. Klatsky stopped short of calling out CPC, All-Ohio and Team Texas Express, but I think it’s clear he wants to beat those teams and take home the NYBL championship rings.   Although Team Rio finished 8^th last year, with all of the roster additions, the New Jersey based team has to be serious contenders for the 2014 NYBL National Championship. Look for some serious match-ups n the NYBL this season!

Happy Thanksgiving From the NYBL

The NYBL would like to wish everybody a Happy Thanksgiving! Please take time to enjoy family and friends on this very special day!

PLAYER PROFILE: SCOTTIE LEWIS - 6’3” - WING FORWARD - TEAM RIO NATIONAL – NJ

Scottie Lewis-6'3 WF New Jersey

NYBL CONTINUES TO PROVIDE ELITE COMPETITION and MAXIMUM EXPOSURE

When you talk to scouts about what makes a basketball player successful most will talk about height, length and athleticism as one of the key components when projecting players and their potential.  Scottie Lewis has them all plus a lot of basketball skill to go with it.  Rewind to the first weekend in May 2013 in North Augusta, SC at the Riverview Park Activities Center for Session #2 of the NYBL (National Youth Basketball League) and the gym was buzzing as Scottie Lewis made his national debut with the Garden City All Stars from Savannah, GA and the talk around the gym was that he could be the best player in the Class of 2019.  The national platform that the NYBL has given Scottie to play against ELITE COMPETITION and gain MAXIMUM EXPOSURE has catapulted Lewis to a consensus National Top 5 player in the Class of 2019 literally overnight. 

Scottie is an inside outside threat as he has patient post moves and a very nice looking jump shot with a developing handle that was on full display in the NYBL Top 20 All Star Game back in September.  The NYBL All Star Game ran in conjunction with the Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase where Lewis also participated and killed the competition en route to making the Top 20 All Star game.  Lewis projects to be a Wing Forward in high school and college.  Recently moving from Georgia to New Jersey, Scottie is scheduled to run with Team Rio National sponsored by Mario Chalmers of the Miami Heat this upcoming AAU season.  The NYBL projects with the addition of Lewis that Team Rio National should debut in the Pre-Season NYBL National 7^th Grade rankings as a Top 10 team.  We want to congratulate Scottie on his recent successes.   Keep working hard as this is just the beginning.  Take a look at a National Article that was published by Bleacher Report (link below) highlighting Scottie Lewis.

Bleacher Report Article

NYBL Partners With Dunk Dog

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

NYBL to Partner with DunkDog.com

As our motto promises, the National Youth Basketball League’s (NYBL) mission is to provide “Elite Competition and Maximum Exposure.” To this end, in an effort to maximize exposure for the teams and players in our league, the NYBL has entered into a media partnership agreement with DunkDog.com to provide coverage for the 2014 NYBL season. DunkDog.com’s Sr. National Scouting/Recruiting Coordinator Spencer Pulliam is a long-time supporter of middle school basketball, and has provided quality media exposure to numerous youth for nearly a decade.

During the 2014 season, DunkDog.com will work exclusively with the NYBL to provide our teams and players with a high level of exposure and opportunities to place themselves on the collegiate radar. In fact, for each of the four sessions, including the ‘NYBL All-Star Weekend’, Pulliam says DunkDog.com will publish previews, session recaps, as well player and team evaluations. In addition, the site’s popular weekly podcast, known as the ‘Slamcast’ will return for the 2014 season and provide an audio platform for live coach and player interviews. With DunkDog.com as a media partner, the NYBL is poised to remain a significant force in middle school basketball in coming years! Please join us at the NYBL in welcoming Spencer Pulliam and DunkDog.com to the NYBL family!

NYBL Release National Top 100 Player List

Wendell Moore-2019's #1 Ranked Player

The NYBL staff has worked very hard to compile the most complete and accurate National Basketball Class of 2019 Top 100 Ranking.  The NYBL staff has had the pleasure of watching and evaluating these players during the competitive inaugural NYBL season, the 6^th Grade AAU Nationals in Hampton, VA, at the Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase where the NYBL All Star Top 20 and Top 40 games took place and at various other tournaments and camps around the country this past AAU season.  These rankings represent post season rankings that will be updated after this upcoming year’s AAU season at which time we will also release National Rankings for the Class of 2020.  When looking at our rankings we take into account the performance, production and potential of the prospect.  Also the player’s IQ and Skill Set come into the equation when we evaluate players.

Although many things can change between a player’s 6^th grade year and his senior year of high school, we believe that this is a good starting point in the evaluation process for those talented players who are trying to earn college scholarships.  We understand that there will be debate that some players should be placed higher or lower in the rankings, and that players will move in and out of the class due to the reclassification phenomenon from year-to-year and certain players will get better and others will not, some will stop growing and others will sprout up, but it’s our goal to provide the best and most accurate list through our evaluation process.  So let’s dig in and analyze the Class of 2019 Top 100 National Basketball Rankings.

Jeremiah Francis-NYBL's Top PG

The Perimeter Rules 2019

Right now the breakdown of the Top 100 is heavily weighted to the perimeter.  The class doesn’t seem to have the overall size that the 2018 class does, but that could change as there is a lot of good height on the Watch List and the class is still very young so there is always a potential that the perimeter strength of the class could shift to the post down the road.  There are 22 Point Guards, 22 Shooting Guards, 22 Wing Forwards, 18 Power Forwards, and 16 Centers that comprise the Top 100.  58 of the Top 100 played in the NYBL.  We have also included a 35-player Watch List of players that we are monitoring and who could crack the Top 100 rankings when they are updated next fall.

Scottie Lewis-WF New Jersey

Wing Forwards are the Cream of the Crop

10 of the top 30 players are wing forwards led by Shariff Kenny who plays for DC Assault and plays up with the 2018 team that won the AAU National Championship two seasons ago as 6^th Graders.  Kenny is followed by Chandler Lawson, Scottie Lewis, Jordan Mitchell and Thomas Bruner as the Top 5 Wing Forwards in the class.

Kobe Langley-Carolina Prep's Floor General

Carolina Preps have Major Talent

Wendell Moore checks in as the overall #1 prospect and top power forward in the class.  He was the horse that helped lead the Carolina Preps to the National Championship at AAU Nationals and a second place finish in the NYBL.  The Preps have 5 other players that teamed up with Moore to bring home the crown in Hampton debuting in the Top 100. Kobe Langley, Keyshaun Langley, Mike Green, Chaz Gwyn, Max Farthing all are ranked 63 or higher.

Tyler Brelsford-DMV's Top PG

The DMV is Strong with Ballers

5 of the Top 25 teams in the 2013 6^th Grade DI Final AAU Power Rankings hail from the DMV which is DC, Maryland and Northern VA.   #8 ETU Select, #11 Baltimore’s Finest, #15 DC Assault, #17 Team Takeover, #22 MADE Elite shows the elite level talent that is in the DMV for the Class of 2019.  Metro Sixers also won the Classic Bracket which would make them the 26^th best team in the country.  These top elite nationally ranked team explains why 19 of the Top 100 players reside in Maryland (12), Washington, DC (2), and Virginia (5).  Shariff Kenny, Justin Moore, Levar Allen, Gerard Mungo, Tyler Brelsford are the Top 5 ranked players in the DMV and are all ranked in the Top 27 in the class. The NYBL will take the next 5 weeks to analyze the five Position Rankings starting with the Point Guards next week.  After that we will begin to release our Pre-Season Team Rankings. Let the debate begin!

NYBL Top 100 Player List

NYBL Press Release

Season #2 of National Youth Basketball League Promises More Competition & Exposure

Columbus, Ohio (October 6, 2014) – Season #2 of the National Youth Basketball League (NYBL) promises even more competition and exposure, as the league will expand from 3 sessions and one 24-team division, to 4 sessions and up to 100 teams in 3 grade divisions. Beginning in Washington DC on March 22, 2014, the league plans to host 40 seventh grade teams (2019), 32-40 sixth grade teams (2020) and 20 fifth grade teams (2021). In terms of the competitiveness of the league last season, of the 8 teams that advanced to Elite 8 at the 6^th grade AAU Nationals in Jully, 7 of those teams participated in the NYBL this year, including both teams in the tournament finals and the reigning Nationals Champions!

As was the case in the inaugural season, the level of exposure generated by the NYBL will be unprecedented, as the league will partner with more of the major media outlets the traditionally cover middle school basketball. Not only will media outlets such as Basketball Spotlight, Dunk Dog, Buckeye Prep Report, Middle School Hoops and the Hoops Report be covering every move the NYBL makes, but the league’s new official website will be offering more coverage including session-by-session recaps, top performer lists, player and team profiles, special feature stories as well as national individual and team rankings. In fact, the NYBL will soon publish its list of the top 100 players in the class of 2019 on its official website.

In terms of the format, the same basic principles will be in place for season #2. Each of the teams in their respective divisions will be divided into four, 5-10 team divisions (depending on the division), and during each of 4 sessions, each team will play a total of 5 games (3 games on Saturday and 2 games on Sunday) against teams from an opposing division. Team standings, individual player stats, team and individual player profiles and photo galleries will be posted on the NYBL’s new website (http://www.nyblelite.blogspot.com), and at the conclusion of the first 3 sessions, the NYBL will culminate in a national championship in Columbus, Ohio the weekend of June 7th & 8th 2014. Because the league will feature most of the nation’s top teams in each grade division, session #4 will be considered a true “National Championship!”

2014 NYBL Session Dates & Locations:

Session #1                             March 22 – March 23, 2014                            Washington DC

Session #2                             May 3 – May 4, 2014                                         Atlanta, Georgia

Session #3                             May 17 – May 18, 2014                                     Louisville, Kentucky

Session #4                             June 7 – June 8, 2014,                                      Columbus, Ohio

All-Star Weekend               August 22 – August 24, 2014                          Washington DC

To ensure that the NYBL is second to none in organization, competition and exposure there are some very time sensitive items that are required for all participating teams. Below are the links it is imperative that all deadlines are met.

NYBL Team Commitment Deposit Due on or Before December 6th, 2013

https://lineage.wufoo.com/forms/nybl-team-commitment-deposit/

Player Profile Form (must be completed for each player by March 1st 2014)

https://lineage.wufoo.com/forms/nybl-player-profile-form/

NYBL Team Registration (Must be completed with entry fee balance by January 31st , 2014

https://lineage.wufoo.com/forms/nybl-team-registration

PLEASE CALL NYBL STAFF WITH ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS

Rob Taylor  (614) 203-2929

NYBL All-Star Game Set to Tip Off

NYBL Top 20 All-Star Teams

When the National Youth Basketball League (NYBL) was developed 2 basic promises were made. First, we promised a high level of competition. We think we delivered on that promise as evidenced by the fact that of the top 8 finishers at the recent 6^th grade AAU Nationals, 7 of the teams played in the NYBL, including 3 of the Final 4 teams as well as the eventual national champion. Secondly, we promised a high level of exposure. Over the course of the NYBL, numerous stories and features have been written highlighting the standout performers from session to session. In an effort to further showcase the significant amount of talent the NYBL was fortunate to amass, the league decided to host a NBA-styled all-star game to close out the inaugural season.

To this end, the best talent that the NYBL has to offer will be on full display in Columbus, Ohio on September 21^st when the ball is tipped on the inaugural NYBL All-Star game. More specifically, there will be 2 all-star games which will feature the league’s top 40 players. The “Top 20” game is the more prestigious of the 2 games and will feature the league’s top 20 players.  Because there was so much talent in the NYBL, 1 all-star game would not do the league justice.  Therefore, the “Top 40” game will feature the league’s next best 20 players.  Make no mistake, those next 20 players can ball, and could have very easily made the top game.

In terms of the selection process, at the conclusion of each of the league’s 3 sessions, top performers lists were developed which contained the top 40 performers for that particular session. From there, the players on the list were broken down by position and where they were selected on the list (i.e., 1^st team, 2^nd team etc). As a further example, players that appeared more frequently on the top performer lists and/or were selected as 1^st and 2^nd teamers were selected for the “Top 20” game.

The 2 NYBL all-star games will be played on Saturday, September 21^st in conjunction with the Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase, and will part of a slate of all-star games that will include Ohio North vs South games in grades 7^th -11^th, and 8^th grade “Ohio vs Indiana” and “Ohio vs Kentucky” games. In addition to their participation in the NYBL all-star games, the players will be afforded the opportunity to participate in the elite showcase where they will compete against other players from across the country that did not necessarily play in the NYBL. As part of the showcase, players will play 4 additional games and could possibly be selected for a final showcase all-star game late Sunday afternoon.

Awards will be given out for MVPs for all of the all-star games and exposure opportunities will be maximized. In fact, within the next couple of days we will be releasing individual player profiles for each player selected for the game. Below are links to the all-star selections as well as the session by session top performer lists.

NYBL All-Game Rosters

NYBL Session I Top Performers

NYBL Session I Top Performers Pictures

NYBL Session II Top Performers

NYBL Session II Top Performers Pictures

NYBL Session III Top Performers

NYBL Top 20 West All-Stars

As we have pointed out on numerous occasions, besides a high level of competition, the National Youth Basketball League (NYBL) is all about providing our players with a high level of exposure! As we get closer to the inaugural NYBL All-Star game, the league will be releasing individual player profiles of each of the 40 players who will be participating in the games. We will start with the Top 20 Game’s East All-Stars and work our way through the Top 40 game’s West All-Stars. Below is a link to the West All-Stars and East All-stars player profiles. Enjoy!

Top 20 Game West All-Stars

Top 20 Game East All-Stars

As we have pointed out on numerous occasions, besides a high level of competition, the National Youth Basketball League (NYBL) is all about providing our players with a high level of exposure! As we get closer to the inaugural NYBL All-Star game, the league will be releasing individual player profiles of each of the 40 players who will be participating in the games. We will start with the Top 20 Game’s East All-Stars and work our way through the Top 40 game’s West All-Stars. Below is a link to the East All-stars player profiles. Enjoy!

Top 20 Game East All-Stars