We did not know if we would make it to this point, but CSAA basketball starts this week. A possible bubble scenario in Disney World was thrown around in the fall, but unfortunately Disney could not meet the player’s demands of unlimited skittles, Dr. Pepper, hot pockets, and a brand new PS5 in each room.

Last year, Our Lady of Mercy was able to cut down the nets after a 4 year championship draught. They defeated St. Jude in the finals. According to CSAA records, this is OLOM’s 5th championship in 8 appearances.

Everyone is happy to finally have a season. After all, there are not many things the world needs more right now than middle school basketball.

Without further ado, here are this year’s rankings:

1. St. George – This team may look like the Celtics in their classic Green and White jerseys, but style wise they resemble the showtime Lakers. This Dragon squad looks to dominate and set themselves as one of the 5 best ever St. George teams along with the 1997, 1998, 2017, and 2019 teams. They boast incredible length at all five positions. It is hard to determine who their best player is, but most analysts including Bill Simmons feel it is their small forward, who shares a skillset similar to Gordon Hayward. As is tradition with the Dragon franchise, they look to pick up full court and not let up until the clock hits zero.

2. Our Lady of Mercy – The Blue Jays pose the biggest threat to St. George’s championship hopes. They like to run a 1-3-1 defense which utilizes their front court size to keep opposing teams uncomfortable and out of the paint. OLOM looks to win back to back titles, which is something they have not done since the 2009 & 2010 seasons. In order to do that, they will need impeccable guard play to match their strong front court which should win the rebounding battle every game.

3. St. Jude – The Cougars are a well-balanced team that prefer to play man to man defense. They are the most physical team in the league. If St. George is indeed the 2021 version of the showtime Lakers, they are poised to be the Bad Boy Pistons. They have multiple scorers and a combo guard that is on the Preseason watchlist for the Luke Zumo CSAA Player of the Year Award. Sean McDonough and Jay Bilas will be on the call tomorrow night as the Cougars welcome the St. Aloysius Lions in the Superior Grill CSAA Season Tipoff.

4. St. Aloysius – This team is not going to win the off the bus award, but don’t be fooled they can play with anyone. No doubt their “honorable coach” will have them ready to play come tourney time. Like LSU baseball, they always seem to peak at the right time late in the season. Their front court was depleted due to the transfer portal, so they will have to play a more up-tempo style. They will amp up their 1-3-1 defense into more of a trapping scheme. Now one of the premier programs in CSAA, they aren’t judged on the regular season, but if they can finally win the big one.

5. Holy Family – The West Bank Bears have a tremendous guard trio. All three of them are athletic and aggressive, which could be a matchup nightmare for opposing teams with a weaker back court. Their style compares to the late 90’s Michigan St. teams with Mateen Cleeves, Jason Richardson, and Mo Peterson. The question is can they get enough scoring and defense from their bigs. If so, they could be a Cinderella team come tournament time. If not, they could end up on the bubble.

6. CHS – Jon Rothstein was the first to report that the Baby Bears had three players called up to play with the 9th grade team, but despite that the cupboard is not bare. This year, they are more physically imposing than your typical CHS team. They have the depth and the athleticism to employ a fast-paced style that should cause some opposing teams’ trouble. With the Bears having less practice time than usual before games start, they will have to gel very quickly if they want to compete. Despite being ranked #6 in the league, because of all the uncertainty and their expected style of play, they were #2 on Zach Lowe’s league pass rankings.

7. St. Thomas More – The Eagles have a high energy intense coach who likes to press and play an aggressive man defense. Despite not having many ballhandlers, they surprisingly share the ball very well and are towards the top of the league in assists per game. They change up their defenses on the fly like Texas Tech which can cause problems for opposing players and coaches. Covid protocols will likely limit one of the best homecourt advantages and student sections in the league.

8. St. Jean Vianney – After years of mostly missing the Elite 8, the Gators have become a perennial tournament team. The had an impressive showing in the St. Jude tournament last season including a win over STM. The Gators lost a couple wing athletes during the offseason to opposing schools, which will greatly deplete their depth. Because of this, expect them to mostly play a 2-1-2 zone defense. They host CHS Wednesday night on the CSAA Network in an early ranked matchup which could have major implications with the shortened season.