AAU Preview: Top Independent High School Programs
As February is here and the spring is near, AAU season for high school is getting close. In Northern California the AAU scene is heavy with programs that have been in the different shoe circuits the past few years like the Oakland Soldiers, Team Arsenal, Team Lillard and more, but there are a number of programs that have been able to sustain success independently. Independent AAU programs have to find ways to stay competitive without having the finances that sponsored programs have, which can make it difficult to maintain success. However, these programs have been able to stay consistent. Here are some of the top Independent programs in Nor-Cal.
Lakeshow (East Bay)
Lakeshow has been able to produce a lot of college basketball players over the years, and find ways to stay competitive even against some of the sponsored programs. Expect them to remain competitive in 2018.
Nor-Cal Tar-Heels (Stockton)
Coach Anthony Bell runs an excellent program out of the 209 area. His team did well in the Las Vegas Big Foot Hoops Tournament in 2017, and his program continues to grow and develop.
Team Rampage (Vallejo)
The Rampage program develops their players and find ways to stay competitive with keeping local talent together. They have produced 15 college basketball players in a three year existence, and play in some of the biggest tournaments on the west-coast.
YBA (Sacramento)
Coach Brandon Cole found a way to uplift YBA once he took over in the middle of the summer. His 17 and under team featured talent all over Nor-Cal, and YBA’s 16 and under group won the Las Vegas Big Foot Hoops tournament in the platinum division.
Team Select (Antioch, Pittsburg)
Coach Ruben Garcia runs an excellent program out of the East Bay County. His 16 and under team was loaded with talent last year and will be competitive this summer.
Bay City (San Francisco, CA)
Matt Durell runs a high quality program out of San Francisco and his 17 and under group will be good this year. Stuart Hall’s point guard Miles Amos will be one of the main players off of that team.
Other Teams to Lookout for:
- SF Rebels
- SF Work Hard Play Hard
- T.U.F.
- Seaside’s Finest
- Palo Alto Flight
- The Crew
- Team Superstar
- RMG
- Bay Area Warriors
- Bay Area Mambas