16th Annual CSAA (Formerly CSAL) 8th Grade Basketball Preseason Rankings

Due to Covid Restrictions, scouting was limited last season, but our staff did their best to gather as much intel as possible for these heralded rankings. Gyms should be at full capacity this year, which means some games may even break the 50 person attendance mark.

Last year, St George defeated OLOM in the Championship 66-20 after defeating CHS in the Semi Finals 66-16 and were then rightfully crowned the greatest team in CSAA history. No team this year looks to challenge that status, but the excitement for this season has dominated the recent talk on local sports radio and has been palpable around the Greater Baton Rouge area all the way from Central to Donaldsonville.

Jamborees start tonight and without further ado, here are the rankings:

1. St. Aloysius – There are only 3 known people to have won a CSAA Elite 8 Championship both as a player and a coach. One of them has a son who is the leader on this Lions team and is a sniper from 3 point territory. Aloysius last preseason #1 ranking was in 2018, and they ended up finishing in 3rd place that season. Will the Lions finally cut down the nets (we believe for the 1st time) after 6 championship game losses? This team, which is as complete of a team as they come, appears to be their best chance to do it. They possess excellent skill in their backcourt and a center downlow with the post moves arsenal of Kevin McHale.

2. St. George – Rumor has it that the Dragons will be honoring the 25th Anniversary of the 1997 St. George team at halftime of one of their games this season. The ‘97 team which had a 3 year record of 82-0 was widely held as the greatest team in CSAA history until last year’s 2021 St. George team. This year’s Dragons are led by the son of a former LSU/NBA basketball player. Although St. Aloysius beat them every time they played last season (and once already this year in the Dunham tournament), at this point they appear to be the biggest threat to the Lions cutting down the nets. The Dragons are looking to win their 8th Championship in 12 seasons and will need the supporting cast to shift over from their Bruin Bowl Championship and get into basketball mode quickly.

3. CHS BR – The Baby Bears are looking to make a big splash with a deep batch of talent, and they are looking to win it all for the 2nd time in 5 seasons. Their starting 5 will consist of both impressive size and skill. Word from CBS Basketball Analyst, Seth Davis, after stopping by the Cave on Claycut is that they have a much deeper bench than the typical CHS 8th grade team. If this team can come together quickly, they will be dangerous come tourney time. Rumor has it that Will Wade modeled his defensive strategy this season after watching a Bears practice. The Bears will face a hungry unranked Sacred Heart team on the road on Wednesday for the jamboree.

4. St. Alphonsus – Led by a hardnosed coach, the Hornets will certainly compete in every game. They lost their starting PG to the transfer portal, which will hurt their ball handling, but feature some big men down low that will not be intimidated by anyone. The boys in Central continue to look like Mid-West offensive lineman and will certainly have one of the largest front courts in the league. Parents better get the Icy Hot ready after a team plays the Hornets, because it will no doubt be physical. The Hornets will get a chance to move up the rankings quickly as they play #3 CHS in the first round of the Sacred Heart tournament.

5. OLOM – The Blue Jays are the 2nd winningest program in CSAA history. They are looking to make it to their 3rd straight championship game. It will be a tough challenge, but they do boast a very good pick and roll combo that possess the chemistry of Stockton and Malone. Their point guard and leader has a good CSAA basketball pedigree. In order for them to continue their championship game streak, their role players will have to step up. This is the lowest preseason ranking in 10 years for this program which will no doubt have them playing with a chip on their shoulder.

6. SJV – The Gators have become a perennial Elite 8 team after a down time for their program in the 90’s and 00’s. ESPN Sideline Reporter, Cassidy Hubbarth, said that their gym has become one of the top 3 best atmospheres in CSAA since it was built and creates a major home court advantage which they look to capitalize on this season. They received a very tough draw for the jamboree having to travel all the way across Baton Rouge to #1 St. Aloysius. This game has been named the ESPN Tipoff Classic Game and will feature Dan Shulman and Jay Bilas on the call.

7. MBS – After not being ranked last preseason and flying under the radar all last year, the Pelicans come in at #7 in our preseason rankings. They did end up making the Elite 8 last season but suffered a first-round loss to Our Lady of Mercy. MBS has a chance to make a major statement this week when they host St. George at the Pelican Nest in the jamboree tonight. Other teams fear hearing the infamous “Maroon White” chant when the Pelicans close out a victory at home.

8. St. Jude – Bracketologist Joe Lunardi has already questioned why we have the Cougars and not Sacred Heart in this 8th and final spot. St Jude was hit hardest by the transfer portal this offseason and had to move some players up from their JV squad. They lost at least 2 front court starters, so they will be a guard heavy team. They are going to have to embrace the 3 point shot at Utah Jazz levels in order to stay in games against tough competition. The Cougars are on the bubble to start the season for the first time in a very long time.