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!