Nike Fall League (The Middle School Guys)

Over the last 3 weekends, several young players have been competing against some of the top high school players in the state. Every fall, Jerry Watson's fall basketball league is the place to meet for a quality run before the school season starts. Although the league is primarily designed for high school level players, on Saturdays in Columbus, several middle school-aged ballers can be found running the court with the big dogs. In most cases, the middle school guys are the smallest kids on the court, but despite their small stature, they seem to find a way to compete. Some of the standout performers I have seen over the past couple of weeks include 8th grader Rodrick "RJ" Mims Jr., a 4'11 PG from Whitehall, 8th grader Manual Powell Jr., a 5'0 PG from Gahanna, 8th grader Juan Ford a 5'9 WG from Huber Heights, 8th Grader Adam Gigax, a 6'3 PF from Mason, 7th grader Asante' Patterson, a 5'5 PG from Dayton, 7th grader Jimmer Ryan, a 5'7 WG from Blacklick and 6th grader DJ Tyree a 5'2 PG from Columbus. Although it is highly unlikely any of the above players will be selected MVP, or lead their respective teams in scoring, they are all gaining valuable experience playing with and against the older and more talented players. The league will conclude next weekend with the league playoffs. The BPR will be on hand to see how the little guys finish off the league.