No one covered the national scope of club basketball in 2021 like Jr All Star we touched topics people were scared to think about and brought the biggest stories to the internet in 2021. From the Rise of Jason Kidd Select to the Philly Belles exit from the EYBL you heard it here first. Here are our Top 10 questions headed into the 2022 season.
#1 – What happens with the calendar this year and in the future?
Despite all the assurances there is still a January vote on changing the recruiting calendar for women’s basketball which would be a seismic shift in the way club basketball operates. If it happens this year it will be an utter free for all as most teams have locked in at least their plans for 2022 already. If it happens in 2023 you will see changes at every level of the club game going forward with reduced days and operating on the weekend model instead of the week model which I cant lie I am in favor of.
#2 – How will all these new independent leagues work? Will they draw coaches? How successful will they be at mirroring the shoe leagues?
You always read on social media how a team doesn’t need a shoe league but somehow the just joined a non-shoe league trying to mirror a shoe league. Club basketball logic I guess. But right now you have 5 leagues touting to be launching outside of the shoe companies in 2022 – You have the Select 40 operated by Premier Basketball and Select Events, the Elite 40 operated by Ohio Basketball, you have the Insider Exposure League, Blue Star League and you have ASGR. 40 is quite ambitious where I think the shoe leagues are struggling to find 24-32 teams worth shipping $10,000 worth of shoes to so how will these leagues work? Will they be the next big thing and literally you have to be in a league or in a year will it revert back to just hodgepodge picking your own schedule? I think there will be some major winners and losers in the league arms race and it will be interesting to see how it all works. When you look at the leagues if each league averages 40 programs and there are 5 non shoe leagues and 3 shoe leagues you’re looking at 240 clubs who are committed to events based on league affiliation. I struggle to do a Top 100-150 at the end of the year. I would like to see these other 90 teams.
#3 – Who will be the most successful “new” shoe league team? – What qualifies? Someone who didn’t play in that league last year and is in it now. Our candidates?
Arkansas Mavericks – Loss less than a handful of games last year as an independent and sport our #1 player in the class of 2023 in Mikayla Williams. The Mavs have joined the UAA for 2022 and a way to early pre-season ranking would see them somewhere in the top 5-10 of the league.
Wisconsin Flight – The Flight were a perennial Final Four team in the UAA and won the 16U title in the UAA last year. Will they see the same success in 2022 in the EYBL. I think the flight are somewhere between 8-16 in the league and could in a perfect scenario could finish top 4 in the EYBL.
Team Elite – Had a tough year on the court not so much from a talent perspective but more personalities and adding new players their last season of club. Team Elite joins the 3SSB this year and is one of two programs in Georgia which has a shoe sponsorship in 2022. Team Elite had good young players and if they can just keep them in the pipe I think they bounce back from 2021 with a Top 8 adidas finish.
#4 – Can FBC remain the top club in the country?
Last year FBC might have had the top 2 teams in the country let alone just the top team. This year FBC the Family probably comes in at #1 nationally after playing up and winning Under Armour last year but FBC United will need to be retooled to repeat what they were in the past. There is beyond an over saturation of clubs nationally teams are just not as good as they have been in the past so maybe there will not be much competition but the Family right now is far and away the best team on paper rolling into 2022. Other Contenders Could be: Sports City U; Jason Kidd Select; Cy Fair; and Cal Stars.
#5 – Did Nike Destabilize the Northeast with the New Jersey Gemz Project?
Last year the Philly Belles were out and Philly Rise came to the rescue for players in the Northeast but Nike has now decided to replace the New Jersey Sparks with the New Jersey Gemz which brings up a big question. Who will the players at St. John Vianney play for? Will they return to Philly Rise or stay with their high school coach and the New Jersey Gemz? Oh how things have changed in two years from the Philly Belles being a Top 5-10 Nike team to now wondering if there is even a top 5-10 nike team in that Philly, New York, New Jersey area. What Zoe Brooks decides will be critical to what happens in the Northeast in 2022 and beyond. Will she stay with Philly Rise or join her high school coach with the New Jersey Gemz?
#6 – Who survives in the DMV
As a mortal club director I can tell you one thing that scares us most is some huge parent or money person comes in and runs a team. Someone like, oh Kevin Durant. Durant has unlimited resources through Nike and his own fortune to fund a team at a level a motral club director cannot (just someone running a team). You saw it in the past with Ken Griffey Jr in Florida and now with Team Durant getting an EYBL deal you have four programs in the DMV fighting for players. Team Takeover who has been in the #1 spot for a few years, Boo Williams who is Boo Williams, and Fairfax Stars who produced a Top 5 2022 in the country this year. But Kevin Durant and Team Durant have good players which really makes this a battle for survival in the 2022 season. Boo Willimas has been hurt with the emergence of the Carolina Flames because North Carolina had some of the best players in the country they were able to pick off each year. This is a battle to watch in 2022 because there will be a clear loser.
#7 – Who comes out as the winner for the Battle for Atlanta?
Like the DMV there is a real battle going on in Atlanta. We Covered the addition of the Supreme Team because the Supreme Team will impact both Florida and Georgia heavily and possibly even trickle into North and South Carolina. Right now the creation of the Supreme Team leaves about 10 quality players who played on Essence EYBL 15 or 16 last year up for grabs from Doug Register’s Essence Xtreme group. Will they return to Essence without Register, or play in the UAA with the Supreme Team? If they chose to stay in Florida, Essence is a Top 20 team in the country and potentially goes to a Nike Nationals Final Four. If they go to Georgia with Doug then I am not sure there is enough talent in Florida to get Essence over .500 in 2022. How things play out with those 10 kids will impact North and South Carolina a lot too because the best players in the Carolina’s the last few years have played for? Yep, that’s right FBC. The Carolina Flames are reportedly winning a few more of those battles but despite Atlanta being a bit down the battle this year will determine who dominates the classes of 2024 and 2025 in one of the most talented cities in America. Dont forget Team Elite either who is holding quality players and hoping to get better potentially from the fall out of the Essence Supreme Team situation.
#8 – Do we even get to play a full season?
COVID again! I pulled up the college basketball scores today and I saw more cancellations then games played so we might be gearing up for a dark spring again once the NCAA Tournament is over beare.
#9 – The Battle for #1 in 2023 and 2024
In 2023 its a four way race and really depends on flavor, connection, and circuit you have:
Mikayla Williams – LA – Plays for Arkansas Mavericks who a Top 25 college coach told me is the next Mya Moore
Ciera Toomey – PA – Plays for Independent NEPA Elite and a legendary scout told me is the next Elena Delledonne
Judea Watkins – CA – Who for the longest has been the Top player in her class and is highly connected to basketball royalty in Southern California and plays with Cal Swish.
Breya Cunningham – CA – Who doesnt make flashy highlight videos but is a generational traditional post who is a lock sure things at the next level.
In 2024 I see it as a 3 way race between
Joyce Edwards 6-3 F SC – And this might be a one way race because every time I see Edwards I am more impressed. Despite being so good, much of the peripheral nonsense does not seem to affect her she’s very very good.
Olivia Olson 6-2 W MN – One of the greatest players ever from Minnesota is pro ready right now can shoot it from anywhere has a strong physical frame and is a competitor.
Jaloni Cambridge 5-8 G TN – And when you have a premium position like Point Guard it gets more value and Cambridge as a freshman was one of the best if not the best point guard in the country playing against 3 different graduating classes and passed every test. Hard to imagine what her future and upside look like.
#10 – Keep an Eye on Our #1 Player in the 2025, 2026, and 2027 Classes
Lauren Hassell 6-3 F 2027 TN – Ok maybe you know her but this is the next great player in the country stay tuned and make sure if you can you watch her. 6-3 Guards are hard to come by they’re even harder to come by in middle school.
Jenica Lewis 5-10 2026 IA – We did a pretty good article on the best 2026’s nationally which got a lot of traction. Lewis has the offers of a Top 10 rising junior and the game to back it. Playing 16U last year its not hard to see why we have her #1 in 2026.
Zakiyah Johnson 5-11 2025 G – Watched highlights from Naples this weekend and she’s the real deal just a killer and our #1 2025.
