It’s the most wonderful time of the year. In a couple of weeks, the smell of popcorn & candy will fill gyms all around the Greater Baton Rouge Area along with the sounds of double dribbles, whistles, & crying siblings and the sights of agonizing coaches, eager middle school ballers, & tense parents. Sure, some important rankings for another sport came out last night, but it is now time for the 14th Annual CSAA 8th Grade Basketball Preseason Rankings.

Last year, we predicted the top 4 teams correctly in order along with 7 of the 8 Elite Tournament Teams. St. George had a dominating season and went undefeated which sets them in the class of some of the all time greats. They breezed through the Elite 8 including their 20 point plus victory in the Championship Game over St. Aloysius. Our Lady of Mercy defeated CHS (BR) in a close battle for 3rd Place.

As usual, the transfer portal was busy this summer, which has had a major effect on the rankings along with growth spurts. The Sacred Heart tournament bracket should be released soon, and we expect many of the top teams to compete in this annual Holiday Showdown to kick off the season. Here are the 2019 Preseason Rankings:

1. St. Aloysius – According to CSAA records, St. Aloysius has been the runner up 6 times in the past 30 years with 0 Elite 8 Championships. (Editor’s Note: These records are incomplete.) This year they have added a strong voice in the athletic department who happens to be a past Elite 8 Championship Coach. The Lions current honorable coach always has his team prepared and peaking come March, but they just need to get over that championship game hump. This year they have supreme talent and athleticism, with multiple shooters and a very deep rotation similar to last year’s Toronto Raptors. They should dominate the glass with their high energy Kenneth Faried type forwards. Expect them use their height on defense with a 1-3-1 zone attack. The Lions won the 7th Grade Championship and look to continue their momentum in 8th grade.

2. Our Lady of Mercy – The Blue Jays are excited to unveil their brand new very nice gym with some comfortable seating. If they are going to be a championship caliber team, they will need to close out games better than they did in their 7th grade season. Some may argue they rely a little too heavily on the outside shoot, but that is the way the game is trending these days. Since 2005, the Mid City crew has not had a title drought of more than 4 years. If they aren’t victorious this season, they will break that streak and make it 5. They are hoping that a couple incoming transfers will have a Joe Burrow effect and propel this team to the top in March.

3. St. Jude - This Cougars team starts with their old school Bill Lambeer type center who Jay Bilas already called a CSAA Player of the Year Candidate. He has an old school throwback mean streak, and if he can stay out of foul trouble, he will dominate the paint. Playing inside out allows them to get consistent open perimeter shots for their guards. They did an excellent job of closing out games last season by playing smart on defense and knocking down free throws at a high percentage. Their guard play will need to improve this season in order for them to move up in the rankings.

4. St. George – The Dragons dynasty continued last year, and they have now won 6 of the last 8 Elite 8’s, but this 8th grade team will not start the season ranked #1. They have good balance between their front court and back court but are not as deep as your typical St. George team. They tend to play better when it is an ugly up-tempo game, and they can use their aggressive full court trapping style. Their forwards run the floor well but struggled to score last year when challenged in the post. Championships are now expected not hoped for off of Siegen Lane, and you should see this team take a major step forward from 7th to 8th Grade.

5. St. Alphonsus – This team will not play as fast as last year’s 8th Grade Hornets team which may have set some CSAA pace records, but they will still play an up-tempo style under their aggressive no-nonsense coach. A lack of depth may force their coach to slow down their pace a little bit and could be a potential issue against some of the deeper top tier teams. This team will refuse to be intimidated by anyone and will push the top teams to the limit. They play a fun brand of basketball with a chip on their shoulder.

6. CHS (BR) – The Bears expect to play one of the fastest styles in the league and may compete with the likes of the Houston Rockets for 3 pointers attempted per minute. They possess a deep rotation and some very raw front court talent that they hope can be molded come tournament time. It may take a while for the Baby Bears to gel, but if they do, it could spell some serious trouble for the rest of the league. They should be able to put up some points with their spread dribble drive attack, but the questions is can they play defense well enough to get stops. The Coach donning the Orange Sports Coat is hoping to surprise some teams and win his second Elite 8 Championship in 3 years.

7. Sacred Heart – The Tigers easily have the tallest coaching staff in the league coming in with an average height of 6’5. Unfortunately, their team happens to be one of the shortest teams in the league. They do have some undersized guards in the mold of Kyle Lowry that can fill it up from 3. Teams sitting back in a soft zone against them need to beware of the shooters. The Tigers look to avoid the bubble by notching some quality wins in their early season December tournament.

8. St Theresa – The Warriors have one of the best front court duos in the league. They have a very tall old school Shawn Bradley type center who needs to play a little more unselfish this season and a stretch 4 resembling Kevin Love who will no doubt be one of the best sharp shooters in the league. Their guards need to develop in order for them to compete and ultimately complement their bigs. If they find the right matchup against a guard dominant team come March Madness, the boys from Ascension could pull a major upset.