NYBL Official 2020 Top Performer List

Shemar Morrow, Jordan Toles, Jason Harris, Zion Harmon & Javion Ross

A couple of weeks ago the NYBL released their official Top Performer List for the class of 2019. As promised, below is a link to the league’s 2020 list.  As most NYBL observers suspect, heading that list as the Session MVP is the Oakland’s Soldiers’ Shemar Morrow. Morrow’s 53 point performance in the opening session in Washington D.C. was not only eye-popping, but garnered him and the league national attention from mainstream media. Moreover, the fact he threw down a dunk in this same game only solidified his #1 ranking in the country.

Make no mistake; Morrow was not the only player who made a name for himself in the nation’s capital. Joining Morrow on the “1^st team” were Jordan Toles (Banneker Kings), who is a consensus top 3 player in the class; Zion Harmon (Team Glory), arguably the top 5^th grader in the nation; Javion “Hobby” Ross (Carolina Kings), who put up gaudy numbers in Session #1: and Jason Harris (West Coast All-Stars), another top 10 nationally ranked player and arguably the top guy on the west coast.

Other guys to keep an eye on include: Kyree Walker (Oakland Soldiers), Paris Dawson (West Coast All-Stars), Domingus Stephens (Team Glory) and Trey Patterson (Team Nation). Session #2 in Atlanta this weekend will provide another platform for other standout performers to emerge. The top performers from session-to-session will position themselves to receive coveted invitations to the league’s All-Star games in August. We can’t wait to get to Atlanta!

Official Top Performer List (2020)

NYBL Release Power 16 Team Rankings

Oakland Soldiers-#1 Ranked team

Two weeks ago we released our initial Power 32 Teaming rankings for the class of 2019.  Below is a link to the 2020 Power 16 Team Rankings. Because this is the first year the class of 2020 has participated in the league, we are still trying to evaluate the teams in that division.  What we do know at this point in the NYBL season is that the Oakland Soldiers have established themselves as the clear front-runner to claim an NYBL National Championship in June. With a “national” roster full of elite players, including the consensus #1 player in the country (Shemar Morrow), the Soldiers went 5-0 in the opening session and staked their claim as the top dog.

DC Premier also enjoyed a nice run in the nation’s capital, finishing 5-0 on the weekend, as did the West Coast All-Stars. Although the All-Stars dropped a close one to Team Takeover who was filling in for the weekend, they have the horses to win the title. The Banneker Kings finished 4-1 in Session #1, and they too, have a chance to make a deep run in Columbus. Team Nation, Team Glory and the Worldwide Wildcats are all grouped together in the next tier of teams, but any one of teams in this trio can get hot and make a run in the championship session. Session #2 in Atlanta should go a long in defining the pecking order in this division.

NYBL Power 16Team Rankings

Official Session #1 Top Performers Released

Barrett, Lewis, Days, Gary & Mitchell-1st Team Performers

Since the conclusion of the NYBL’s Session #1 in Washington D.C., the standout performances have been well documented by various scouting services and media outlets. However, below is a link to the league’s official 7^th grade “Top Performer” list, which will be used to determine who will receive invitations to the NYBL all-star games, which will be held as part of the “NYBL All-Star Weekend” in August.

The league’s All-Star Weekend will consistent of multiple (2-3) all-star games in addition to a camp, which will feature guest speakers, skill and drill sessions and regular games. Participation in the all-star games is by invitation, while participation in the camp will be open to every NYBL participant as well as other nationally ranked players from outside of the league. Finally, the championship ring ceremony will also be held as part of the festivities.

In terms of the Top Performer list, the players are listed as part of teams, from 1st team to Honorable Mention. Obviously, the players listed on the 1^st team were the better performers than the players listed as Honorable mention. Also, in general, the teams that did the best in Session # 1 tended to get more players on the list than the teams that did not do as well. Also, we will start from scratch after Session #2 and a new list will be created based solely on Session #2 performances. We will be developing new lists at the conclusion of each session. The league will release the 6^th grade list in a couple of days. A link to that list will appear at the bottom of this story.

Official Top PerformerList (2019)

Official Top Performer List (2020)

N.Y.B.L. Power 32 Team Rankings Released

All-Ohio Red (2019) Debuts at #1

Not only does the NYBL spotlight the top individual talent in the country, the league provides exposure to many of the top teams in the nation as well. Although the level of competition in the league has been well documented, the link below seeks to rank the best of the best that currently participate in the N.Y.B.L.

Heading into Session #1 in Washington D.C. a couple of weeks ago, the CP3 All-Stars, the defending AAU National Champions, were the consensus #1 team in the class of 2019, after having collected a handful of early championships. However, a defeat at the hands of Texas Express Elite early on day one in D.C. upset the natural order of things.  Just when everyone was about to anoint Josh Woodson’s squad top dog, the South Carolina Hornets staged an upset that now gives them a legitimate claim to the thrown.

Lost in the early conversation was Demorko Bradley’s All-Ohio Red team. Despite being the reigning NYBL champions, including a top 3 finish at the AAU Nationals last year, All-Ohio some how had slipped in the public opinion polls. However, their stellar play in the Nation’s capital has put them back in the conversation as potential winners. A 5-0 start in the opening weekend is always a great way to start. The overhauled Team Rio National had a lot of momentum heading into the season, and a 4-1 record keeps their title hopes alive. Mike Saunder’s George Hill Rising Stars squad is new to the league this year and their 1 loss in District Heights proves they are also contenders.

The state of North Carolina has reason to poke their chest out, as they have 3 teams (CP3, Team United & Carolina Chaos) debuting in the top 10. Team United is new to the league and already has 5 wins to their credit. Mike Dobbins’ Carolina Chaos is still looking for respect after a great 2013 campaign and a 4-1 start (5-0 due to forfeit). Don’t let Team Takeover’s 3-2 record fool you; they played one of the toughest schedules in the league in D.C. and they have the talent to upset some teams if they aren’t careful. A couple of sleeper teams include the Brampton Warriors and Butler Elite, both of whom are loaded with talent and are well coached. Either team could get hot in Columbus and upset a higher seed

Below is a link to the league’s official team rankings, which will be updated at the conclusion of each session. We will not only consider than win/loss record, but also the strength of schedule. As is the case with all rankings, there is some subjectivity, but we tried to use common sense when formulating the rankings. In addition, we ranked all 32 teams in the 7^th grade division this time, but going forward, only the top 25 teams will be ranked. Finally, later in the week we will release the 6^th grade rankings as well as the official Session #1 Top Performer list. For now, let the debate begin!

N.Y.B.L.Power 32 Team Rankings