Thursday, July 1, 2010

(Sam Parker) Spotlight South 13U AAU Nationals Report: Part 2 (National Ranking Changes)

Is Horace Spencer The New #1 Player in The Country?

Memphis, TN - Some of the best rising eighth grade teams and players in the country are on display this week in the Bluff City. The beautiful Mississippi River is serving as a backdrop for the 2010 13U AAU National Championships, and as pool play wrapped up Wednesday evening, now is a perfect time to reflect on the highlights the class of 2015 has provided to this point. So what have we learned?

(PART II): Expect HUGE changes in the national player rankings.

Ranking young players is far from an exact science, and the class of 2015 is yet another perfect example of how childhood phenoms often flameout and give way to the future stars of high school, college, and professional basketball. Based on this event, there isn’t a ranking list for the 2015 crop that comes close to being accurate. Expect major changes in terms of national rankings following this week in Memphis, as several new prospects have emerged, and many former highly ranked phenoms haven’t grown physically and/or haven’t continued to expand their skills on the hardwood. If you are a player reading this who fails to make the national rankings, honestly, you should be both happy and relieved. New players emerge seemingly daily on the recruiting trail in the 13U, 14U, and 15U divisions and more well-known prospects are given motivation to re-emerge within their age group. Additionally, there are many prospects “playing up” from the class of 2016 that have made significant bleeps on the recruiting radar this week.