1. Michigan Mustangs (Oak Park, Mich.)
As far as individual talent is concerned, there is no AAU team even close to the Mustangs. Led by national high school Player of the Year candidates Kelvin Torbert of Northwestern High (Flint, Mich.) and Robert Whaley of Benton Harbor High (Benton Harbor, Mich.), the Mustangs have nine Division I-caliber players. Although they did fall to the Atlanta Celtics (ranked No. 3) in the semifinals of the Blue Cross/Blue Shield Tournament of Champions, they were without Torbert and Whaley. Prior to the Blue Cross tourney, the Mustangs won the Show Me Shootout in Columbia, Mo., and the Double-Pump Easter Tournament in April.

	Eddy Curry of the Illinois Gold.

But Torbert and Whaley, who have both verbally committed to the University of Missouri, are just the tip of the iceberg. Add highly regarded JaQuan Hart and Ricky Morgan of Northern High (Flint, Mich.), Paul Davis of Rochester High (Rochester, Mich.), who recently committed to Michigan State, juniors-to-be Matt Trannon of Northern High (Flint, Mich.) and Anthony Roberson of Saginaw High (Saginaw, Mich.), senior-to-be Jeff Ferguson of Benton Harbor High, who has also committed to Missouri, and rising sophomore-to-be Olu Famutimi, who is moving from Canada to attend Northwestern High in Flint, Mich., to the mix and the Mustangs should be unstoppable.

2. Southern Cal All-Stars (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Although we believe the Michigan Mustangs have the most talent in the nation, the Southern Cal All-Stars can make a strong case for being the No. 1 team in the nation. It all starts with 7-footer Tyson Chandler of Dominguez High (Compton, Calif.), but Mater Dei High twosome Jamal Sampson, 7-foot-1, and Cedric Bozeman, 6-foot-4, as well as 6-foot-6 Josh Childress of Mayfair High (Lakewood, Mich.), make the All-Stars a team few AAU squads can match up with. Southern Cal played well at the Boo Williams Spring Invitational as well as the Blue Grass Classic in Kentucky.

3. Atlanta Celtics (Atlanta, Ga.)
The Celtics proved worthy of the nation's top ranking by beating a number of highly respected AAU teams to capture the Blue Cross/Blue Shield Tournament of Champions last month for the third straight year. The path to the championship game was a rugged one, as the Celtics had to get past a talented Tallahassee Wildcats squad in the quarterfinals and the absolutely loaded Michigan Mustangs in the semifinals.

The finals featured a rare meeting between the Adidas-sponsored Celtics and Nike-sponsored Georgia Stars. With each team on separate sneaker company circuits, it's rare they ever meet up in the summer.

The Stars (see No. 4) feature 6-foot-11 senior-to-be Kwame Brown, who was named the tournament co-MVP, but they aren't as deep as the Celtics. The Atlanta C's inside-outside game proved too much for Georgia as they captured a 79-71 victory.

Hitting from long range for the Celtics were point guard Jonathan Hargett and junior-to-be Michael Ford, 6-foot-1. While they were drilling 3-pointers (13-for-23 as a team), 7-footers DeSaganna Diop of Oak Hill Academy (Va.) and Marcus Campbell of Westover High (Ga.), and 6-foot-10 Nigerian-import Sanni Ibrahim took care of the inside game. The threesome led the Celtics to a 44-29 rebounding edge. Greg Tinch of Westover High is also a top 25 prospect.

4. Georgia Stars (Atlanta, Ga.)
Although the Stars fell in the finals of the Blue Cross/Blue Shield Tournament of Champions, they beat a number of highly regarded teams in the process. With 6-foot-10 Kwame Brown, who many are calling the best player in the nation and who has verbally committed to attend Florida, the Stars are a force to be reckoned with.

But Brown is not the only weapon in the Stars' arsenal, as 6-foot-9 Josh Powell and Michael Dean-Liggons, who scored 20 points against the Celtics, can light it up. Karl Hollingsworth of Mt. Zion Academy (N.C.), Fred Gibson of Ware County High and Jarius Glen are also major talents. The Stars dropped the Friends of Hoop, 48-43, in the semifinals of the Blue Cross/Blue Shield tourney.

5. Boo Williams Summer League (Hampton, Va.)
Boo played well at its own tourney and at the Blue Grass Classic. This team is very hard to defend underneath the basket, as it features 6-foot-8 forward Jason Clark of Hargrave Military Academy and 6-foot-8 Elton Brown of Warwick High (Newport News, Va.). Junior-to-be J.J. Redick, 6-foot-4, of Cave Springs High (Roanoke, Va.), is also tough to guard around the perimeter.

6. Coast to Coast (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.)
The threesome of Kelvin Brown, a 6-foot-5 forward from Dillard High (Ft. Lauderdale), 6-foot-8 Ed Nelson of St. Thomas Aquinas High (Ft. Lauderdale) and 6-foot-5 wing forward Winsome Frazier of Northwestern High (Miami, Fla.) make Coast to Coast a dangerous team. It proved to be one of nation's best by making it to the semifinals of the Blue Grass Classic.

7. Pump 'N Run (Long Beach, Calif.)
Coach Dana Pump may have as many Division I prospects as the No. 1 Michigan Mustangs, but they lack team continuity because many of its players come from all over the country. Size is not a problem, as Pump 'N Run features 6-foot-8 twin towers Derrick and Errick Craven of Bishop Montgomery High (Carson, Calif.), 6-foot-8 Dennis Latimore of Halstead, Kan., 6-foot-10 Rick Rickert of East High (Duluth, Minn.) and Chris Hernandez of Clovis West High (Clovis, Calif.), who recently committed to Stanford, all take up space in the paint.

8. Wisconsin Playground Warriors (Milwaukee, Wis.)
The Warriors won the Blue Grass Classic and performed well at Boo Williams behind the play of 5-foot-11 point guard Travis Diener of Fond du Lac, Wis., 6-foot-3 Deonte Tatum and Joah Tucker, both of Vincent High in Milwaukee.

9. Houston Hoops (Houston, Texas)
Houston made deep runs at the Spiece Run 'N Slam All Star Classic, Boo Williams and Blue Grass Classic. Carlos Hurt of Alief-Elsik High (Alief, Texas), who just committed to Louisville, Emeka Okafor of Bellaire High (Houston, Texas) and football/basketball stud Marcus Spears, 6-foot-5, 270-pounds, of Southern Lab High (Baton Rouge, La.) all headline the Hoops' roster.

10. New Orleans Jazz (New Orleans, La.)
The winner of the Adidas Big Time tourney in Las Vegas last year is once again loaded with talent. Recent Alabama signee Maurice Williams of Murrah High (Jackson, Miss.), 6-foot-4 Dwayne Mitchell of Kennedy High (New Orleans, La.), who has committed to Mississippi State, and top 30 junior prospect Derek Burditt, 6-foot-7, of John Ehret High (Marrero, La.), can all shoot out the lights.

Best of the Rest

11. Illinois Fire (Chicago, Ill.)
Illinois should be able to leap into our Top 10 by summer's end. Lavar Seals, a 6-foot-2 off guard from Providence St. Mel High (Chicago, Ill.), who just committed to Sienna, 6-foot-3 Luther Head of Manley High (Chicago, Ill.) and Sean Dockery of Julian High (Chicago, Ill.) are a formidable threesome. The team dominated its own tournament and played well at the Blue Cross/Blue Shield.

12. Cincinnati AAU (Cincinnati, Ohio)
The city of Cincinnati has plenty of hoop talent right now and Cincinnati AAU is tapping into it. Leading the way are major Division I prospects Matt Sylvester, a 6-foot-7 forward from Moeller High (Cincinnati, Ohio), Jordan Cornette, 6-foot-8, of St. Avier High (Cincinnati, Ohio), Adam Waleskowski, 6-foot-8, of Alter High (Kettering, Ohio) and 6-foot-5 wing forward Keith Jackson of Purcell Marion High (Cincinnati, Ohio).

13. Shreveport/Bossier Select (Shreveport, La.)
Corey Dean of Ruston, La., 6-foot-5 Antonio Hudson of Grambling Lab High and 6-foot-9 center Wayne Powell of Peabody High (Alexandria, La.) can play with anybody. If the rest of this Louisiana powerhouse plays up to its level, it could be a force to reckon with.

14. Houston Superstars (Houston, Texas)
The Superstars boast a backcourt from Class 5A state champion Willowridge High (Sugarland, Texas) with 5-foot-11 point guard Terrance Ford and off guards Daniel Ewing, 6-foot-3, and Kenny Taylor, 6-foot-2. Curtis Walker, who was the starting center for Willowridge at 6-foot-8, gives Houston a strong inside presence.

15. D.C. Assault (Washington, D.C.)
Skywalker James White, who will transfer from Newport Prep in Maryland to Crispus Attacks High in York, Pa., is the leader for Assault, but 6-foot-9 Rob Little of Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) and Mauricio Branwell of Dunbar High in Washington, D.C, who will attend prep school this year, are also major talents.

16. Illinois Warriors (Chicago, Ill.)
The Warriors have the talent to rival any Big 10 Conference team right now, with four players having already committed to Big 10 teams and another to Marquette. Pierre Pierce of Westmont, Ill., has committed to Iowa, 6-foot-6 Roger Powell of Joliet, Ill., has committed to Illinois, 6-foot-4 Neil Plank of Mount Zion, Ill., has committed to Wisconsin, and 5-foot-9 Eric Robinson of Guilford High (Rockford, Ill.), is headed to Minnesota. Kevin Menard of Lincolnway High (New Lenox, Ill.) has committed to Marquette.

17. Boston Athletic Basketball Club (Boston, Mass.)
Boston Celtics scout Leo Papile obviously knows talent, and has always assembled plenty of it to make up his BABC squad. One of the most winning AAU programs over the past 10 years, BABC has stayed primarily within New England to recruit its talent. With Jermaine Watson and highly touted 6-foot-9 junior Torin Francis, both of Tabor Academy in Marion, Mass., Marshall Strickland of the Winchendon School (Mass.) and Tom McLaughlin of Andover, Mass., expect BABC to dominate wherever it plays.

18. Illinois Gold (Chicago, Ill.)
Top five senior-to-be Eddy Curry, who stands 6-foot-11 and is 285 pounds and nicknamed "Baby Shaq is of Thornwood High (Calumet City, Ill.) and will be tough for anyone to stop. But the Gold also have top talents in Najeeb Echols of Whitney-Young High (Chicago, Ill.), 6-foot-6 Marcellus Sommerville of Peoria Central High and point guard Jason Straight of Dunbar (Chicago, Ill.).

19. Long Island Panthers (Long Island, N.Y.)
The Panthers convinced 6-foot-10 Mark Kornecny of Holy Cross High (Waterbury, Conn.) to join three of New York City's finest juniors-to-be in 6-foot-6 Curtis Sumpter, 6-foot-8 Charlie Villanueva and 6-foot-5 Lenny Cooke, as well as sophomore-to-be Major Wingate of Florence, S.C., to create one of the finest teams in AAU.

20. Tallahassee Wildcats (Tallahassee, Fla.)
This northern Florida juggernaut could be a Top 10 team if it has the same roster it played with at Blue Cross/Blue Shield. But it remains to be seen who will participate in the other AAU events. Definite starters appear to be Charles Frederick of Pope Paul II High (Boca Raton, Fla.), 6-foot-6 Derek Stribling of Lake Region High (Eagle lake, Fla.) and 6-foot-6 Jackie Manual of Cardinal Newman High (West Palm Beach, Fla.).

21. Team Florida (Orlando, Fla.)
Team Florida is probably a year away from major success. Right now, it boasts junior-to-be Amare Stoudemire of Lake Wales High ? he may transfer to Oak Hill Academy (Va.) ? 6-foot-8 Yusuf Baker of Evans High (Orlando) and 6-foot-3 Ryan Moore of Dr. Phillips High (Orlando)

22. Bloomington Red (Bloomington, Ind.)
A traditional Midwest powerhouse, Bloomington Red is as hot as ever with the threesome of Chris Thomas of Pike High (Bloomington, Ind.), a 6-foot-1 point guard who has committed to Notre Dame, Sean Kline of North High (Huntington, Ind.), who has committed to Indiana, and 6-foot-6 Dennis Coutee of Jeffersonville, Ind. Add two juniors-to-be in big men Chris Hunter, 6-foot-9, of West High (Gary, Ind.) and Sean May, 6-foot-8, of Bloomington North, son of former Indiana All-American Scott May, and Bloomington may have one of its best teams ever.

23. Tim Thomas Playaz (Patterson, N.J.)
Sponsored by Milwaukee Bucks star and current free agent Tim Thomas, the Playaz will rely on the talents of 6-foot-5 John Allen of Coatesville, Pa., 6-foot-8 Brandon Brigman of St. John Neumann (Philadelphia, Pa.) and Elijah Ingram, who many are touting as the next great point guard out of famed St. Anthony's High School in Jersey City.

24. Portland Legends (Portland, Ore.)
Aaron Miles and Michael Lee of state champion Jefferson High (Portland, Ore.) lead this West Coast power.

25. Team Texas (Dallas, Texas)
Team Texas may wind up as the top AAU squad from the Lone Star State if 6-foot-8 Jason Maxiell of Newman Smith High (Carrollton, Texas), Keith Langford, 6-foot, of North Crowley High who has committed to Mississippi State, outstanding rising junior Dracey Wright of The Colony High and 6-foot-5 Seneca Collins of Duncanville High can play up to their potential.