1. Boo Williams Summer League (Hampton, Va.) - *5
A win in the finals of the National 17-under AAU Junior Boys' Basketball National Championship in Orlando, Fla., moved Boo Williams up four spots and into the nation's top spot. The Virginia powerhouse prevailed over Cincinnati AAU Black, 51-46, in the title game, with Tournament MVP honors going to 6-foot-8 Elton Brown of Warwick High (Newport News, Va.). J.J. Redick of Cave Spring High (Roanoke, Va.) and 6-foot-8 Jason Clark of Hargrave Military (Chatham, Va.) both finished with 12 points. Bryan Randall, a 6-foot-3 guard from Bruton High (Bruton, Va.), scored five straight points to ice the victory in the final minute of the game.

2. Atlanta Celtics (Atlanta, Ga.) - *3

	Jonathan Hargett led the Atlanta Celtics to a No. 2 national ranking this summer.

The Celtics proved their win at the Blue Cross/Blue Shield Tournament of Champions earlier in the summer was no fluke, as they played well at a number of other major tourneys. Their most impressive outing may have been the win at the prestigious adidas Big Time tourney in Las Vegas, where they edged the New York Ravens, 77-76, in the finals.

The Celtics have had some impressive alumni over the years, including Dion Glover, Jumaine Jones, Donnell Harvey and others. This year's crop of stars included Jonathan Hargett, who scored 21 points and was named tourney MVP in Vegas, swingman Greg Tinch and center Sani Ibrahim, who hauled down 19 rebounds against the Ravens. The 6-foot-5 Tinch also battled inside, getting 15 points and nine rebounds.

3. Cincinnati Black (Cincinnati, Ohio) - *12
Even though the talent was there at the beginning of the summer, not everyone in the AAU world was convinced that Cincinnati could play with the big boys. Cinci changed that opinion with a second-place finish in the National 17-under Junior Boys' Basketball National Championship.

Big-time prospects like Matt Sylvester (6-foot-7) of Moeller High (Cincinnati, Ohio), who led his team with 15 points, 6-foot-8 Jordan Cornette of St. Avier High (Cincinnati, Ohio), 6-foot-8 Adam Waleskowski of Alter High (Kettering, Ohio) and 6-foot-5 wing forward Keith Jackson of Purcell Marion High (Cincinnati, Ohio) came within just a few points of being crowned national champs.

4. Michigan Mustangs (Oak Park, Mich.) - *1
As far as individual talent is concerned, the Mustangs appeared to have the most heading into the summer. But even with national high school Player of the Year candidates Kevin Torbert of Northwestern High (Flint, Mich.) and Robert Whaley - in addition to nine other potential Division I players - the Mustangs made some early exits from major tournaments.

Although they made it to the semifinals of the Blue Cross/Blue Shield Tournament of Champions without Torbert and Whaley, and won the Show Me Shootout in Columbia, Mo. and Double Pump Easter Tournament in April, the Mustangs didn't do nearly as well down the summer stretch.

5. Georgia Stars (Atlanta, Ga.) - *4
The Stars, who made it to the finals of the Blue Cross/Blue Shield Tournament of Champions to start the summer, made it to the quarterfinals of the Super Showcase in Orlando before losing to Riverside Church, 63-58. Led by national player of the year candidate Kwame Brown (6-foot-11) of Glynn Academy (Brunswick, Ga.), the Stars have made it to at least the quarterfinals of every tourney they entered.

In addition to Brown, the Stars used the play of 6-foot-9 Josh Powell of Riverdale High (Riverdale, Ga.); Michael Dean-Liggons of Coosa High (Rome, Ga.), who scored 20 points against the Celtics at Blue Cross; Karl Hollinsworth, who hails from Jonesboro, Ga., but attends Mount Zion Christian Academy in North Carolina; Fred Gibson of Ware County High (Waycross, Ga.); and Jarius Glen of Avondale High (Avondale Estates, Ga.), to turn back almost all comers.

6. New York City Ravens (New York, N.Y.) - *NR
Unranked and unheralded to start the summer, the Ravens reached the finals of the prestigious adidas Big Time tourney in Las Vegas, where they fell, 77-76, to the No. 2 Atlanta Celtics. Looks like Riverside isn't the only dominant squad out of the Big Apple.

7. Bloomington Red (Bloomington, Ind.) - *22
Everyone thought Bloomington would be as tough as ever, but not many expected the Red to make it to the semifinals of the National 17-under Junior Boys' Basketball National Championship. 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 High (Jeffersonville, Ind.), as well as rising juniors 6-foot-9 Chris Hunter of West High (Gary, Ind.) and 6-foot-8 Sean May of Bloomington North, proved everyone wrong.

8. Southern Cal All-Stars (Los Angeles, Calif.) - *2
Like the Michigan Mustangs, Southern Cal was loaded with talent, but didn't quite win as many tourneys as expected. Although the All-Stars made it tough on opponents, even Tyson Chandler of Dominguez High (Compton, Calif.), Mater Dei High's (Santa Ana, Calif.) twosome of 7-foot-1 Jamal Sampson and 6-foot-4 Cedric Bozeman, and 6-foot-6 Josh Childress of Mayfair High (Lakewood, Mich.) couldn't carry the All-Stars to the number of wins many people expected them to produce.

9. Riverside Church (New York, N.Y.) - *NR
Riverside, always a summer force to be reckoned with, was expected to be down this year. That was not the case at the AAU Super Showcase in Orlando, Fla., where the Hawks made it to the finals before falling to Athletes First of Oklahoma.

10. Team Florida (Orlando, Fla.) - *21
Like Bloomington Red, Team Florida was underrated heading into the summer. In fact, some didn't think it was even the best team in the Sunshine State.

The knock was Team Florida was too young and probably a year away from any "major" success. But rising juniors Amare Stoudemire of Lake Wales, Fla., who may transfer to Oak Hill Academy in Virginia this year; 6-foot-8 Yusuf Baker of Evans High (Orlando, Fla.); and 6-foot-3 Ryan Moore of Dr. Phillips High (Orlando, Fla.), proved otherwise. The group led Team Florida to the semifinals of the National 17-under Junior Boys' Basketball National Championship, where it fell to No. 1 Boo Williams by 11 points.

11. Houston Hoops (Houston, Texas) - *9
The Hoops made deep runs in almost every tourney they played in, including the Spiece Run ?N Slam All Star Classic, Boo Williams and Blue Grass Classic. But it was Houston's play at the Super Showcase in Orlando that elevated its status to the elite level.

If not for a 63-62 setback to Riverside in the semifinals of the Showcase, Houston would have played for the championship. Carlos Hurt, who played for Elsik High (Texas) last year but recently moved to Kentucky and will attend Moore High - he also 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.) led the way.

12. Pump ?N Run (Long Beach, Calif.) - *7
Coach Dana Pump's squad enjoyed another successful summer. Thanks to the play of twins Derrick and Eric Craven of Torrance, Calif., 6-foot-8 Dennis Latimore of Halstead, Kansas, 6-foot-10 Rick Rickert of East High (Duluth, Minn.) and Chris Hernandez of Clovis West High (Clovis, Calif.), who recently committed to Stanford, Pump ?N Run turned back most of its competition.

13. Illinois Gold (Chicago, Ill.) - *18
The Gold reached the quarterfinals of the National 17-under Junior Boys' Basketball National Championship before falling to No. 1 Boo Williams by five points. The play of top-five rising senior Eddy Curry (6-foot-11, 285 pounds) of Thornwood High (South Holland, Ill.) was the key. Najeeb Echols of Whitney Young High (Chicago, Ill.), Marcellus Sommerville of Peoria Central High (Peoria, Ill.) and point guard Jason Straight of Dunbar High (Chicago, Ill.) also performed well.

14. Long Island Panthers (Long Island, N.Y.) - *19
The key to the Panthers' successful summer, which included a berth in the finals of the adidas Double Pump Best of Summer tourney, may have been when they convinced 6-foot-10 Mark Kornecny of Holy Cross (Waterbury, Conn.) to join three of New York City's finest rising juniors - 6-foot-6 Curtis Sumpter, 6-foot-8 Charlie Villanueva and 6-foot-5 Lenny Cooke, as well as top-five rising sophomore Major Wingate of Florence, S.C. It obviously didn't hurt, based on the Panthers' deep runs in just about every event they entered.

15. Houston Superstars (Houston, Texas) - *14
The Superstars captured the adidas Double Pump Best of Summer tourney with a 70-65 win over Long Island to elevate their status. The fact that they had the entire backcourt of Class 5A state champion Willowridge High (Sugarland, Texas) in 5-foot-11 Terrance Ford, 6-foot-3 Daniel Ewing and 6-foot-2 Kenny Taylor - in addition to Curtis Walker, who was the starting center for Willowridge this past winter - didn't hurt.

16. Wisconsin Playground Warriors (Milwaukee, Wis.) - *8
The Playground Warriors could have played better in July, but 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, earlier in summer.

17. New Orleans Jazz (New Orleans, La.) - *10
The Jazz, winners of the adidas Big Time tourney in Las Vegas last year, didn't fare so well in 2000. But New Orleans still had a good summer behind the play of 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 rising junior Derek Burditt (6-foot-7) of John Ehret High (Marrero, La.).

18. Coast to Coast (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) - *6
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.) led their squad to the semifinals of the Blue Grass Classic. However, results in tourneys later in the summer season weren't as fruitful.

19. Illinois Fire (Chicago, Ill.) - *11
The Fire dominated their own tournament and played well at Blue Cross/Blue Shield, but didn't play as well down the stretch. 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.) were enough to keep the Fire hot.

20. Shreveport/Bossier Select (Shreveport, La.) - *13
The Select played well in spots, but 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.) didn't get the support they needed.

21. D.C. Assault (Washington, D.C.) - *15
The Assault didn't have a bad summer, but it could have been better, considering they boasted highly regarded James White, who will transfer from Newport Prep in Maryland to Crispus Attucks in York, Pa., 6-foot-9 Rob Little of Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) and Mauricio Branwell, formerly of Dunbar High (Washington, D.C.), who will attend prep school this year.

22. Illinois Warriors (Chicago, Ill.) - *16
Another strong Illinois team that played well and, with a little luck, could have finished among the nation's top 10. The Warriors had talent, as evidenced by a slew of Big 10 signees. Pierce of Westmont High (Westmont, Ill.) has committed to Iowa, 6-foot-6 Roger Powell of Township High (Joliet, Ill.) has committed to Illinois, 6-foot-4 Neil Plank of Mount Zion High (Mount Zion, Ill.) has committed to Wisconsin, 5-foot-9 Eric Robinson of Guilford High (Rockford, Ill.) is headed to Minnesota and 6-foot-7 Kevin Menard of Lincoln-Way High (New Lenox, Ill.) has committed to Marquette.

23. Boston Athletic Basketball Club (Boston, Mass.) - *17
The Club's overall record was strong, but Leo Papile's squad didn't play a very tough schedule. Jermaine Watson and highly touted 6-foot-9 rising junior Torin Francis, both of Tabor Academy in Marion, Mass., Marshall Strickland of the Winchendon School and Tom McLaughlin of Andover, Mass., were solid, nonetheless.

24. Tallahassee Wildcats (Tallahassee, Fla.) - *20
This north Florida juggernaut could be a top 10 team in 2001 if it has the same roster it played with at Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Team members this year included Charles Frederick of Pope John 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.).

25. Team Texas (Dallas, Texas) - *25
Team Texas rode the play of 6-foot-8 Jason Maxiell of Newman Smith High (Carrolton, Texas), 6-foot Keith Langford of North Crowley, who has committed to Mississippi State, rising junior Bracey Wright of The Colony High and 6-foot-5 Seneca Collins of Duncanville High.