2015/16 NKY Boys BBall 6th, 7th, & 8th

[Clyde]

I know playing up factors depend on school district. At Beechwood, do you know if he is allowed to play Middle School 8th grade and play High School levels too?

I am curious because if what ABBPlayer said above about his AAU coaches are coaching 8th grade, it would be interesting to see if he moves up and doesn't play 8th grade.

 

My bet is he will not play both at the same time. Either high school OR middle school.

[hoops_fan]

Who's gonna be the team to beat in the large school division this year 8th grade?

 

8th grade large school I would think is still looking at the final 4 from last year. Highlands and Summit View one side of the bracket, St Pius and Conner the other side, with Camp Ernest knocking on the door.

[justwannacoach]

Caleb is a great player but that was not the 8th player in the country that was for that D2 national tournament. I do agree though he should play freshman ball to get anything out of it. He will role in 8th grade small division

 

Caleb is very good. He is probably the best middle school guard in the State, and one of the best in the Midwest. I have seen most of the good ones on the AAU/travel circuit. His ranking at the Nationals was for Div I & Div II. All the 7th grade players were ranked in one group regardless of D-I or D-II. (And, they ranked him while he was playing injured at Nationals. In fact, he sat out one of our games because he was hurt).

 

You can't watch him for 5 minutes and appreciate his ability. You have to watch him over time, and see all the things that he does at a high level.

[Letsgetit]

Well he should have no problem playing jv or varsity then right?

[Letsgetit]

I no I seen a real good guard in clay county and a little spit fire from Calvary Christian it's a tall order to be better than those two guards but I'm just talking about ky not the whole Midwest

[justwannacoach]

I no I seen a real good guard in clay county and a little spit fire from Calvary Christian it's a tall order to be better than those two guards but I'm just talking about ky not the whole Midwest

 

Mason Rausch from Calvary is a good player. He played with Shining Stars. I have watched him play a lot. He will probably play JV at Calvary this season. Who does the Clay County kid play AAU for?

 

I think one important ingredient when evaluating these kids is seeing them play against top notch competition. Watching them play in a school game is not the same as watching them compete against high level competition where they can't just dominate physically.

 

good discussion....

[Letsgetit]

I agree to see real talent u need to see the kids play against other players outside of school ball. It seems to me there is a lot of talent in nky in this class of 8th graders it's just scattered all over I've seen nice players on about every team but it's usually just one on each team that is light years above the rest

[kyag]

I think it is Luke...if he is in 8th grade at St. Pius that is him. The kid can play, very skilled and understands the game.

[Letsgetit]

If he's 8th grade your probably talking about Michael Mayer yes he is a very skilled big man

[Clyde]

I think it is Luke...if he is in 8th grade at St. Pius that is him. The kid can play' date=' very skilled and understands the game.[/quote']

 

The youngest Maile is a sophomore.

[SSSGODWIN]

Because of who I am and who i coach there is nothing I can say that will be taken in proper context. Everyone will take this as a slight. I have the utmost respect for all the players mentioned. They've all worked hard and deserve 100% credit for their greatness.

 

But, perspective needs to be applied here. 2015 was a very odd year do to many issues for multiple teams.

 

Caleb Jefferson is with out a doubt the best point guard in Northern Ky. Possibly greater Cincy. (BallStars won't agree)

 

Considering, on another thread last winter I stated that I thought Mason Rusch (Calvary) was the best point guard in NKY and Michael Mayer was the best big man in NKY. That comment was a response to someone starting Turkey Foot had the best Point Guard. Clearly they don't.

 

I'm not a biased person when it comes to players. I'll call like it is.

 

I do think Caleb is the best in NKY. However, Caleb and Mason did NOT face each other this season. Mason's dad had open heart surgery just as Mason was recovering from a broken knee cap where he had a cast on all winter. Mason, also came down with Pneumonia the last two weekends we played in 2015. Mason, helped us beat the Rising Stars from Louisville with a 104° temperature. Then didn't play the balance of our season. Mason also is a 13 year old that hasn't hit puberty yet. Coming off a knee injury and not having that extra gear puberty provides held Mason back in 2015. Plus the family was under enormous stress and basketball had to take a back seat.

 

In 2014 Mason could not hold the kid from Clay County. I don't know his name. That kid man handled Mason like I had never seen anyone do before.

 

In 2014 Mason controlled the BallStars point guard to a point of extreme frustration. He teamed with another team mate in 2015 to do they same. But it was a much tougher task this year. He alone caused the BallStars to consider us their biggest rival. (But we are friends and practice together) in 2014 Mason did more than hold his own head to head with Caleb. I would probably give that advantage to Mason. However, they didn't face each other this year. I expect Mason would have struggled more this year with Caleb. In fact, I would guess that he would struggle in a similar way that he did vs. the kid from Clay County. I expect that the puberty advantage those kids had on Mason will level out next year as he also will hit his spurt. Mason has to grown his game in new areas. He and Bryson Huddleston are two of the most fierce competitors I know. Mason is a cutthroat scorer in an up and down game. Moving forward with he will need to grow his half court game and learn to distribute the ball better. He is probably a better soccer player than he is basketball.

 

Caleb Jefferson has an enormous physical advantage that helps him get into the lane. He is extremely strong and quick enough to gain a step. Once he gets his body into you there is nothing you can do. His vision is superb and if you don't pick him up he can finish around the rim. If you help then he finds the open man. The only way to guard him is with someone much quicker or just as big and fast. If he needs to improve on something it is his out side shooting. When he gets to where defenses can't play zone against him then he will be dominant for as long as he has his physical advantage. In addition he seems like a super great kid. I have no idea how tall he will be.

 

The kid from Clay County is very similar but he deadly from outside and plays on a weak team though. ** He is supposed to be a Freshman** he's not a summer birthday kid either. He has a full 1 year advantage on these boys. I forget the team name, but they were always at KBA. He was on the Clay County team in 14' but not 15'. I'm certain he and Caleb faced each other. I don't see this kid growing into greatness. His body type won't support it but now it's an advantage. Because of the surrounding players I don't think there was any kind of advantage of Caleb.

 

Also missing from the list is the kid that played for The Stallions in 2014. (He did not play for them in 15') The last time I saw him play was a football game in the playoffs vs. The Union Raider. The kid has a bounce to his body and calves like Rex Chapman had. He's the fastest point guard I think I've ever seen in this state. Also, played for a bad team. I don't know his name. I don't think any of these kids could guard him one on one. Mason struggled against him in 14'

 

The Louisville Rising Stars and The Ville also have good point guards that are just as good as all these kids listed. It is nearly impossible to judge them all unless they have similar team mates etc... We were 2-1 against these two teams this year and the one loss was when Mason was out with Pnemonia. Personally, I thought the kid for Rising Stars was exceptional.

 

Let me also add. With Players going down this summer I had the chance to coach Grant Disken who plays for his father for NKY Rockets. This kid has less physical gifts than any kid mentioned here. Yet, he may be the craftiest kid I've seen play. He's a joy to work with. Our final tournament we had to play 3 kids that never had a single practice with us. Grant got a load of minutes because of his brains and ability to adapt. He makes his players around him better. I look forward to working with him in the future.

 

The KyPlaymakers didn't even play this year. The point guard they've had over the past couple seasons is probably the 3rd best PG in the state and probably better than all the kids I've listed so far. I think he was hurt this year. I'm not sure but I never saw him and the team didn't even play. They were the best team in the state in 2014. They beat the Mid-Ohio Pumas in the Bearcat and Mid-Ohio is probably the best team I've ever coached against and are Nationally ranked in the top 5ish in 2015.

 

******2015 was a really odd year in many ways. It may become the norm... Who knows.*******

 

The state of Ky is loaded with great guards. Those that have been mentioned above are equally as good as anyone in greater Cincinnati. There is one kid in Cincinnati that didn't play locally he may be the best in greater Cincy. I watched his middle school team play twice and he's electric. But, he was not anywhere around here in AAU events. In January his mother told me they were playing for XXXXX someone??!

 

All the kids mentioned above are not the best in Ky or the Midwest.

 

There are two true Elite kids are playing on National Travel teams and never see game time in the state of Ky.

 

Vito Tisdale (Western Ky) plays for We All Can Go. Possibly the best 7th grade team in the Nation last year. I have seen ranked as high as top 15 in the Nation. ***But, I've never seen him play. No comment from me.***

 

But, I do know something about

Justin Powell from Oldham County is a 6'2" point guard. He used to play on the Memphis War Eagles this year he played for World Wide Celtics from Atlanta. Since we were so low on players, Justin was planning to play with us in the The Battle Of The Bridges tournament before he got the invite to the Chris Paul Guard invitational camp. He made the All Star team in that event. He has been ranked by many as the best player in Ky. He is by far the most talented kid in the class of 2020 I've ever seen play. As a 5th grader he often would come to Florence and play in Final Four Events that Jason Betts would run at the old Midwest hoops. He would play for the Spiece team that would roll all of us.This is where I got to meet him and his father Mike. He also formerly played with The Ville. But doesn't play in Ky any more. As an 7th grader he can dunk a basketball and shoot threes just inside half court. Genetically speaking he will have the body to play high Division One in college and has already received a scholarship offer from Memphis University.

 

He has the body of a Luke Dawalt, ball handling of Mason Rusch and outside shooting similar to Kevin Centers but more range. He's expected to grow to about 6'-5". May possibly be the closest player Ky has had since Rex Chapman. He's super strong and super fast but His passing skills may be his best skill of all.

 

I don't have a problem saying that he is the best 2020 player I've ever seen play.

 

However moving forward. 7th and 8th kids ranking is truly irrelevant. There are kids right now that will surpass many of the kids mentioned on this thread as their bodies change. Over the last year, I have adjusted and will continue to adjust based on body type and projections. I'm 6'5 230 and the oldest kid on my team is my son. He has a thyroid issue and his body doesn't produce testosterone... Yet. (Say a prayer) he is 5'0" and 90lbs. He hasn't grown hardly in 4 years. He is 14 and doctors said his body is equal to an 11 year old. This isn't about him though he may never play basketball again. But it is about THE NEXT KID that is just starting to grow. As 7th and 8th graders almost all the teams look the same. Some kids will stop growing and some kids will start growing. The kids that continue to grow and work will elevate above the rest.

 

I mentioned above Kevin Centers. Since our summer break in June he has grown a couple inches. Genetically, I expect him to reach 6'4" ~ 6'-5" and be a point guard. The kid deserves so much credit for the amount of work he puts in. Also, I have another kid who's grandpa was a running back for Ohio State under woody Hayes. He also has genetics that will put him around 6'5". He's one of the best players I've ever coached. Unfortunately he went down with a serious concussion in our win over The Ville in the last tournament t of the season. I mention these two because "today" they are similar to other players they face. But, in 3 years they have the genetic potential to be D1 size guards. There are 200 more kids in this state just like them. They just haven't developed yet. There are so many kids playing basketball not on AAU teams it really isn't fair to compare "who is the best". I have kids available that I know of that didn't play high level AAU that are just as good as some of these we've mentioned. I have kids from Mason County on my team. The Mason county 8th team has been raped by the 9th grade team for this upcoming season. (4 kids moving up) But, Mason Co. Didn't even win their region in 7th grade ball last year. There are great players all over.

 

I'm not in a rush. But, I'm really looking forward to seeing how these kids grow into young men.

[TNT-MB1]

What league do teams such as WAlton, Williamstown & Gallatin play in???

[justwannacoach]

Other top 8th grade players, who play multiple positions and can dominate the game in a variety of ways -

 

Michael Mayer, Pius

Jared Hicks, Conner

Paul Kremer, St Marys

Neil Green, St Agnes

[Letsgetit]

What about Grey, IHM, summit view, camp Ernest, grant Cty. R there any players to watch at those schools @justwannacoach

[Horace]

So is Jefferson at Beechwood another case like Von Handorf at Villa. I would think that with what Beechwood has in the way of varsity players would definitely open up varsity time for Jefferson, a lot of varsity time. They have to be looking for a scorer with Jacob Huff gone to graduation.