Ohio's Top 30 Rising Eighth Graders

Ashon Riggens

Below is a link to the top 30 seventh graders in Ohio.  For those kids who made the list, congratulations.  For those who did not make the cut this time, keep working.  It's my hope that players use the list as motivation to either stay on the list, or make the list.  It should be understood that just because a player's name is listed, does not mean they will continue to be listed in the future.  I have seen it happen too many times, a player gains some recognition and feels like they do not need to continue to work, allowing other players to out work them, then displace them as a top player in the state. 

Having been through this process many times with my own 2 sons, I fully understand how difficult it is for kids when their name do not appear on top player type lists.  I also understand how parents and coaches feel when they believe their son has been slighted or is not receiving the recognition they think they deserve.  The only advice I can give you, if you care about these type of lists, your son needs to get exposure, and you need to insure he plays against the best talent possible, either in AAU-type tournaments, camps or showcases.  If your son is not playing where people can see him play and evaluate his talent, then his game will continue to be under appreciated.

In addition, you will read on various message boards that rankings at this age "don't mean anything."  Don't believe that.  I get calls, texts and emails all of the time asking for the names of the top young players in the state.  College coaches are tracking these young players as we speak.  In addition, some kids enjoy more opportunities if they are highly ranked at a young age.  These opportunities can help with thier development and gain them additional exposure. With that said, I would agree that ranking kids this age does not always serve as good predictor of where a kid will end up by the time they are high school seniors, nor does making a list like this garuntee a college scholarship.  In fact, there are a number of kids not listed here who will go on to surpass some of the kids on this list for various reasons. 

That's ebough of that, now to the top 30 list.  At this point, I have decided not to rank the players from 1-30, but rather list them alphabetically, as it has been my experience that doing so thise early causes way too many hard feelings at this point.  However, as I continue to watch the players (and others) over the next several months, and as I get more comfortable ranking the kids, I will start fine tuning the list in and effort to better establish who the top kids truly are.  As I see more kids who deserve a top 30 ranking, I will be adding and subtracting names as I go, based on what I see at various events.  So, with out further preaching, below is a link to Buckeye Prep's top 30rising eighth graders.  Also, below are pictures of many players on the list.  Enjoy!

Top 30 Rising Eighth Graders

Player Pictures