11th Annual CSAA (Formerly CSAL) 8th Grade Basketball Preseason Rankings

It's a new year and a new name for the league. As seen in a previous board topic, the CSAL has been disbanded and replaced with the CSAA. Instead of CYO and CSAL, there is now the CSAA which is comprised of Varsity (CSAL) and JV (CYO) leagues.

Last year's results:

2015-2016 Preseason Rankings/Result:
1. OLOM - lost in quarterfinals
2. St. Aloysius - lost in championship
3. St. George - won the championship
4. Holy Family - lost in first round
5. St. Jude - lost in quarterfinals
6. STM - lost in first round
7. CHS - lost in quarterfinals
8. Sacred Heart - lost in semifinals
9. St. Francis Xavier - did not make tourney
10. MBS - did not make tourney

Jamborees start tonight, so let's get to the much anticipated 2016-2017 Rankings:

1. St. George – Every so often we are lucky enough to witness greatness in sports – Michael Phelps 2012 Olympics, the 1996 Bulls, the 1972 Miami Dolphins, etc…This St. George team appears to be one of those rare occasions of sports greatness. Many analysts agree that they are the best St. George team since the 1998 (73-3 record) squad (which features 2 current CSAA coaches) or even better the 1997 (82-0 record) squad which is widely considered the greatest team in CSAL/CSAA history. That is saying something since St. George has won about 10 Elite 8/Big 10 Championships since those 2 historic seasons. This team has size, speed, depth, shooting, and anything else a coach could ask for. They haven’t lost a game in two years and have a Hall of Fame coaching staff. The Dragons have the ability to break other team's wills with entire 5 person substitutions similar to the 2000 Florida Gators team.

2. Our Lady of Mercy – In a normal season, this Blue jay team would be the best and nobody would question it. This isn’t a normal season. The Blue Jays have talent, although they may be a little thin at guard after losing one to CHS. They will run more full court man defense than anyone in the league which should cause some problems for opposing coaches. They won just about every 7th grade tournament that St. George wasn’t in last year. If anybody can take down the Dragons, it is the Blue Jays. Their home crowd may be sitting in pews, but they are still rowdy. Their size and strength down low will give the opposition problems. Can the Blue Jays make the lane a no fly zone for other teams?

3. St. Jude – This Cougar team is fearful of nobody. They play with grit and determination. They don’t have multiple 6 footers like last season, but this year’s team is more aggressive and will have better guard play. Depth in the front court could be an issue though. The best chance for the Cougars to make some noise is to make games ugly against quality opponents - turn up the tempo and force some turnovers. The most intriguing jamboree game matches up #3 St. Jude and #4 St. Aloysius which should have an ACC/Big 10 classic matchup feel to it.

4. St. Aloysius – St. Aloysius joins the Buffalo Bills with the distinction of losing 3 Championship games in a row. Their coaching triumvirate has taken a once mediocre program and turned them into a perennial contender. This year’s Lions squad looks very similar to ones in the previous seasons. They have length at all 5 positions and are a very good outside shooting squad. Their ¾ court 2-2-1 press should continue to give teams fits. Gregg Marshall has even attended practices on Stuart Ave. to make notes on how to improve his similar press at Wichita St. These top 4 are pretty set in stone, but after 4 there appears to be a drop off and things are wide open.

5. CHS (BR) – The typical wild card of CSAA (CSAL) is looking to break through from a perennial top 5 team into a championship game. This is going to be a tough season to do it with 4 distinct top teams. The Baby Bears are built like a Villanova team relying on an undersized, but skilled back court which will feature some knockdown shooting and multiple ball handlers. Their Son-Father coaching combo continue to employ a motion offense with dribble drive elements that when mastered can be highly effective. They have size in the front court, but it needs to be more dependable. Unlike other CSAA teams, the jamboree against St. John Plaquemine will be the first time this squad has taken the court together.

6. St. Jean Vianney – The Gators are led by their Kristaps Porzingis type point forward. He is a lengthy do it all player who also holds the responsibility of being their primary ball handler. The question is…do they have enough of a supporting cast to make some noise in the league? They have some bruisers down low, that should be able to provide some rebounding help. They need some guards to step up and knock down some outside shots in order to take on some of the scoring load.

7. St. Thomas More – STM won some close games as 7th graders last year, which definitely built some character going into their 8th grade season. They don’t have the size as some of their famed 90’s teams or even the 2015 crew, but they should still get some scoring from their front court. Their coach is known for designing some impressive offensive sets against both zone and man defense. One thing the Eagle Pride group can always count on is a rowdy student section for home games that still makes STM one of the toughest places to play.

8. Sacred Heart – Sacred Heart lost its point guard to CHS which creates a major void. Protecting the rock and avoiding turnovers will be an issue for the Tigers. Like most CSAA teams, expect for them to utilize a 2-1-2 zone for the most part on defense. Spacing on their smaller home court can be an issue which can create an advantage for defenses if handled properly. Their holiday tournament in a couple weeks always gets comparisons to the preseason NIT in regards to hype and competitiveness.

9. St. Theresa – Last year’s semi-final matchup between St. Theresa and St. George which resulted in a 59-57 loss for the Warriors, is considered one of the greatest games in Big 10/Elite 8 tournament history. Unfortunately for the Warriors, they do not possess the talent of last year’s team and don’t expect to compete with this year’s St. George crew. St. Theresa always takes pride in representing Ascension Parish and if you sleep on them will sneak up and beat you. They are well coached and always hustle.

10. MBS – MBS seems to always find themselves on the bubble much like Seth Greenberg’s days at Virginia Tech. They feature a couple football players that will be quality rebounders and should provide some strong low post defense. The Pelicans like to use some half court traps in order to create some havoc. They also rely heavily on outside shooting, so offensive rebounding will be key.