Class of 2025 (8th Grade) National Team Rankings: Winter Edition

There’s no better time to unveil our initial “Prep Hoops Next National Team Rankings” than the present, with several major holiday tournaments concluded, and a number of exciting events on the calendar ahead that are sure to shake up the current arrangement of clubs.

Trust that you won’t find a more detailed list than the winter edition of our rankings release for the Class of 2025. Not only does this group feature the top 25 teams nationally, but we’ve also included a “watchlist”, which highlights an additional twenty-five 8th grade teams to monitor as the grassroots hoops season gets into full swing.

Before crying foul, there are a couple of things to consider when perusing these lists. The first is eligibility. In order to be considered for this list, teams cannot have more than two (2) players residing in a state different from the respective “home state” of that program.

Additionally, all players on the roster must reside in the “home state” or a bordering state. Due to the ongoing COVID pandemic, there are several teams that meet these criteria, but have welcomed “guest” players to compete with them intermittently. Those players were omitted when considering the respective teams’ positions on the ranking.

The second matter to consider is that these rankings, like all others, are simply an opinion intended to spark positive dialogue. As we recognize the teams featured on our rankings, we encourage omitted teams not to perceive their absence as a slight.

Our staff makes every effort to be as knowledgeable and accurate as possible, but the fact remains, rankings will change constantly. It’s still extremely early in the year and we are looking forward to catching many more teams in action during the coming months.

We’ll continue to monitor the youth hoops scene with each passing week to prepare for our next scheduled update which will occur at the official start of spring (the week following March 20th, 2021). To nominate your team for future consideration please email info@prephoopsnext.com!

8TH GRADE (’25) NATIONAL TEAM RANKINGS

RANK	LOGO	TEAM	STATE	WHY THEY'RE RANKED
1		Nightrydas Elite	Florida	Cruised to noteworthy MLK and Presidents' Day weekend championships.
2		Team Griffin	Oklahoma	Dominant in-region but excited to see them tested on the road in the future.
3		New York Lightning	New York	Small sample size but the roster and results to date are very promising.
4		Bates Fundamentals	Michigan	Began their year with several statement victories and a championship.
5		Team Takeover	Maryland	Perennial power has reloaded and always maximize their talent and effort.
6		U-PLAY Zone6	Arizona	Solid showings in-region with talent that will soon earn more respect nationally.
7		Rose City Rebels	Oregon	Deserve the right to be called on the top teams on the West Coast this season.
8		Drive Nation (O'Neal)	Texas	Solidifying their roster and bounced back with an impressive recent showing.
9		Vegas Elite (Blue)	Nevada	Several noteworthy wins have them in the mix among the West Coast's top tier.
10		F.C.A.A. Elite	Pennsylvania	This group has a special feel when representing their hometown organization.
11		New York Gauchos	New York	The most well-traveled team on this list is beginning to find roster consistency.
12		A.E.B.C.	Arizona	Starting to build their chemistry as a club and have the potential to rise up the list.
13		E1T1 (Rebels)	Florida	Yet to showcase their full roster but the pieces are there to make a major run.
14		Oakland Soldiers	California	They can leap teams should their record hold as their strength of schedule improves.
15		Houston Hoops Blue Chips	Texas	Gifted roster but must regain their health and focus to return to their dominant ways.
16		West Coast Select	Nevada	Play well together as a collective group and fresh off a championship appearance.
17		Expressions Elite	Massachusetts	Capable unit is trending in the right direction and clearly have more to prove.
18		Team All Or Nothing	California	Traveled the West Coast extensively and always show up ready to compete.
19		Boo Williams (Dreamchasers)	Virginia	Two impressive titles to start the season paired with a few recent close losses.
20		Utah Drive	Utah	Logged considerable mileage and are steadily improving as a collective group.
21		Southern Assault	Texas	Recently achieved the title run that had eluded them but in need of more consistency.
22		San Diego Soldiers	California	Statement showings to begin the year but will need to build upon early successes.
23		Pro Skills	Texas	Immense individual talent but still in need of a statement achievement as a team.
24		A.E.T. Elite	Oklahoma	Displayed vast potential but lack of consistent court time factors into the equation.
25		JL3 Elite	Texas	Love their chemistry as a club and they appear poised for a breakout moment soon.

8TH GRADE (’25) NATIONAL WATCHLIST

Stay tuned for more from Prep Hoops Next!