Top Players in the State

[GCPioneer]

I actually don't keep up with AAU ball except on the girls side somewhat and that's only with the local girls team that finished like 5th or 6th in the nation last year. The players on it were Amber Rechis and Grace Ann Swaim from Westview, Poston and Gray from Milan, Butler from GC, and a couple of other girls...I believe I'll make an attempt to keep up with AAU boys ball this year. I have heard about several of the AAU teams in middle and west TN but have never kept up with them.

[yankees8589]

I actually don't keep up with AAU ball except on the girls side somewhat and that's only with the local girls team that finished like 5th or 6th in the nation last year. The players on it were Amber Rechis and Grace Ann Swaim from Westview, Poston and Gray from Milan, Butler from GC, and a couple of other girls...I believe I'll make an attempt to keep up with AAU boys ball this year. I have heard about several of the AAU teams in middle and west TN but have never kept up with them.

 

When the season starts and all the players decide who they are going to play for I can give you the teams. Most all the teams have their own web sites. I can also give you a very good site to follow all the Tn kids and you can narrow everything down to West TN if you like. Some of the kids I will be keeping a close eye on this summer are CJ Crittendon (DC), Jay Murphy, Chris Reaves, and Ricky Tisdale (all from Bolivar), Casey Prather (Jackson NS) the Greer kid (West Carrol) Tavaruos Johnson (Liberty) and a handfull of others. I know two of the kids from Bolivar have already been asked to play for the Nashville Celtics but havn't decided if they will play for them or one of the teams out of Memphis. The MID STATE BALLERZ are a team I always follow....they usually field 3 or 4 teams from different age groups and have a select and elite team they field as well. Scotty Hopson from Hopkinsville KY played for them last summer..he is a consensus top 10 player nationally.

[beavo5]

When the season starts and all the players decide who they are going to play for I can give you the teams. Most all the teams have their own web sites. I can also give you a very good site to follow all the Tn kids and you can narrow everything down to West TN if you like. Some of the kids I will be keeping a close eye on this summer are CJ Crittendon (DC), Jay Murphy, Chris Reaves, and Ricky Tisdale (all from Bolivar), Casey Prather (Jackson NS) the Greer kid (West Carrol) Tavaruos Johnson (Liberty) and a handfull of others. I know two of the kids from Bolivar have already been asked to play for the Nashville Celtics but havn't decided if they will play for them or one of the teams out of Memphis. The MID STATE BALLERZ are a team I always follow....they usually field 3 or 4 teams from different age groups and have a select and elite team they field as well. Scotty Hopson from Hopkinsville KY played for them last summer..he is a consensus top 10 player nationally.

 

Yankees, make sure you let me know about those kids over the AAU season!

[yankees8589]

Yankees, make sure you let me know about those kids over the AAU season!

 

Will do!!!!

[HHSnumber1fan]

The MID STATE BALLERZ are a team I always follow....they usually field 3 or 4 teams from different age groups and have a select and elite team they field as well. Scotty Hopson from Hopkinsville KY played for them last summer..he is a consensus top 10 player nationally.

 

Now I see why you like Kevin "Larry Bird" Giltner so much. Did you see him first hand with the Ballerz??? I know he switched, but that is who he started out with.

[yankees8589]

Now I see why you like Kevin "Larry Bird" Giltner so much. Did you see him first hand with the Ballerz??? I know he switched, but that is who he started out with.

 

I never saw Giltner with the Ballerz..my first time was a Harpeth game and I walked away very impressed and have been following him ever since. Giltner Bird is one of my alltime fav highschool players. Look forward to watching him on TV next season. I am now officialy a Wofford fan!!!!

[warmachine7954]

I think Prather plays for the Celtics too. AAU is how kids get recognized, there are some kids that don't play AAU and they sneek under the radar. I don't think MJ Brown plays AAU and he was one of the top 20 players in the state. I haven't seen MJ in any recruiting news.

[yankees8589]

I think Prather plays for the Celtics too. AAU is how kids get recognized, there are some kids that don't play AAU and they sneek under the radar. I don't think MJ Brown plays AAU and he was one of the top 20 players in the state. I haven't seen MJ in any recruiting news.

 

I think MJ played for the WEST TN ALLSTARS of something like that..to be honest I don't remeber the name. I beleive it was some kids from NW tn and Western KY...I don't think they played a full schedule like most AAU teams but they played in some nice tournements but nothing like the Ballerz or some of the other teams. I'm sure some UC people could answer the question as to waht the name of the team and roster was. Not playing for a more well known team that plays a big national AAU schedule may have hurt his recruiting. I personally beleive scouts and coaches pay more attention to AAU than highschool schedules simply because of the competetion and players at the AAU level are at a higher level...then they follow these kids progress during the highschool regular season and then back to AAU until they become seniors. The AAU tournements are crawling with college coaches.

[beavo5]

I think MJ played for the WEST TN ALLSTARS of something like that..to be honest I don't remeber the name. I beleive it was some kids from NW tn and Western KY...I don't think they played a full schedule like most AAU teams but they played in some nice tournements but nothing like the Ballerz or some of the other teams. I'm sure some UC people could answer the question as to waht the name of the team and roster was. Not playing for a more well known team that plays a big national AAU schedule may have hurt his recruiting. I personally beleive scouts and coaches pay more attention to AAU than highschool schedules simply because of the competetion and players at the AAU level are at a higher level...then they follow these kids progress during the highschool regular season and then back to AAU until they become seniors. The AAU tournements are crawling with college coaches.

 

Not sure about what team MJ plays for... You're right about AAU ball! The competition in AAU is better than the regular season cause in AAU you are playing loaded teams day in and day out as in high school ball some teams aren't loaded and some are! AAU ball is more like college ball than high school ball! Thats why college coaches are at the tournaments to see who stands out in a group of All-Stars!

[terop]

Yes you are correct. Some of the big prep basketball programs of the top of my head are Laurinburg prep NC, the Patterson School NC, Hargrave Military Virginia, and Oak Hill Virginia..I know alot of college coaches are going that route now for players.I think Nashville has another prep school by the name of Pioneer Christian. Baksetball is crazy now..prep schools, aau, sponsors and on and on..this stuff was unheard of 20 years ago. Not sure if you follow the AAU teams over the summer...if not you should. They play allover the southeast , southweast, and some in the midwest for the most part....it's amazing that all the local kids get to play like that over the summer and get tons of exposure. I often wonder how many local kids from 15 to 25 years ago would have played at least mid major with the exposure kids get today. The talent has always been here...all over West Tn. I love watching these kids play and better themselves.

 

I totally agree...aau has really taken off. I remember playing 10,11 years ago and their was only like 1 West TN team outside of Memphis..and by the way Brock from Ridgeway is average right now.

[mrbigster]

Thanks for the insight. I did those rankings a few months ago for a deadline, the new ones have Avery at 39. I heard from a couple of mid-mjaors coaches they liked him when they went to see M.J.

 

Warm machine..beavo 5 and yankees 8589..All you guys seem to be correct..It has probably hurt M.J..Channin Geanes and others for not playing AAU ball..There must be a new update out or about to come out..Russell Avery has moved up from 55 to the 39th spot and was told that he probably should be higher but what hurts him is that he doesn't play AAU ball..Said it would be nice if he played AAU ball to see his skills and not be in a confined team concept..The quote above was from Prep Hoops!

[GCPioneer]

terop, I guess I should've asked you as you are more with the Memphis ball...So you think Marterence Brock is average right now? Do you think he'll be in the top 50 Sophomores in Tennessee...He's obviously a pretty solid player considering he's a main sub for AAA state champs Ridgeway.