by Alex Schwartz

The 2008-2009 high school basketball season has come to a conclusion and the AAU circuit has begun. Over the past year I have had a chance to observe many of the elite players in the state of New Jersey. Over the past week, I have compiled a list of the top players who attend high schools in the Garden State. Right here, I'll provide you with my rankings of the top 25 ballers in the state of New Jersey, one of the most talent-rich states in the nation. These rankings are regardless of class and are about how good the player is right now, not based off of potential. Without further ado, here's how I ranked the best of the best in NJ, with a little information on the players' games as well:

NEW JERSEY'S TOP 25 BALLERS

Rank. Name, Year, Position, High School, College (if committed)- scouting info
1. Michael Gilchrist, 2011, SF/PF, St. Patrick's- a long and lanky underclassmen, Gilchrist is already a superstar and was named the New Jersey Gatorade Player of the Year
2. Kyrie Irving, 2010, PG, St. Patrick's- there is not anything on the court that Irving cannot do, as he is effective in every aspect of the game, including defense
3. Dexter Strickland, 2009, PG/SG, St. Patrick's, North Carolina- a true combo guard, Strickland, a McDonald's All-American, is a great scorer and can distribute too
4. Dominic Cheek, 2009, SG, St. Anthony's, Villanova*- another McDonald's All-American, Cheek has nice size for a scoring wing and is a quality three-point shooter
5. Dion Waiters, 2010, PG/SG, Life Center Academy, Syracuse*- a score first guard, Waiters is tough and can shoot the rock
6. Isaiah Epps, 2010, PG, Plainfield, Pitt*- he has nice size for a point guard, can get to the hole and also score from long range
7. Markus Kennedy, 2010, PF/C, Living Faith- a very efficient offensive player with a big body, Kennedy can score in the low post and also hit a mid-range jumper
8. Lamar Patterson, 2009, SG, St. Benedict's, Pitt- a player with nice size and a good frame who plays smart basketball and shoots the ball well
9. Tamir "Pop" Jackson, 2009, PG, St. Benedict's, Rice- he runs an offensive well, is quick, and has a high basketball IQ
10. Paris Bennett, 2009, SF/PF, St. Patrick's, George Mason- a wide body with good size, Bennett does all the little things and can score in the paint or knock down a jumper
11. Austin Johnson, 2009, PF/C, Blair Academy, Rutgers- a low post big man, Johnson has a wide frame that he uses well around the hole
12. Daryus Quarles, 2010, SF, Life Center Academy, St. Joseph's*- he is a good athlete with nice size who can shoot it as well
13. Lance Brown, 2009, SG, Paterson Catholic, Fordham-  he is a big-time athlete who can score in bunches
14. Tyrone Johnson, 2011, PG, Plainfield- a phenomenal athlete who can shoot it from deep or take it to the cup
15. Myck Kabongo, 2011, PG, St. Benedict's, Texas*- a talented player with some shooting ability, Kabongo does a good job as a floor leader
16. Myles Davis, 2011, SG, St. Peter's Prep- he is a lethal three-point shooter with a nice frame
17. Justin Crosgile, 2009, PG/SG, DePaul, St. Joseph's- a score-first point guard with a knack for putting the ball in the hoop, Crosgile can drive or drain a long distance shot
18. Ron Roberts, 2010, PF, St. Peter's Prep- a tough, physical, hard-working interior player who rebounds well
19. Fuquan Edwin, 2010, SF, Paterson Catholic- he is long and does a very good job of getting to the rack and scoring
20. Devon Collier, 2010, PF, St. Anthony's- with good height and a solid frame, Collier is effective in the post
21. Derrick Williams, 2010, PF, St. Anthony's- a big man who is physical and works hard, Williams is a fantastic rebounder
22. Dylan Talley, 2009, PG, Life Center Academy, Binghamton- he has good size, is quick, and can shoot it or take the ball to the hoop
23. Karon Abraham, 2009, PG/SG, Paterson Eastside, Robert Morris- a fast guard who has a scorers mentality, Abraham can shoot the ball well from deep
24. Myles Mack, 2011, PG, Paterson Catholic- a floor leader with the ability to score from behind the arc, Mack also has good quickness
25. Ashton Pankey, 2010, PF, St. Anthony's- a big man who blocks shots and rebounds the ball well

Notes:
- the star indicates that a player has not signed NLI with said school yet and is just a verbal commitment

- there are six schools with multiple players on the list: four on the list from St. Patrick's, four from St. Anthony's, three from Life Center Academy, three from Paterson Catholic, two from Plainfield, and two from St. Peter's Prep

- there are 10 seniors, 10 juniors, five sophomores, and zero freshman on the list

- there are seven players on the list who are not actually from New Jersey: Dion Waiters (PA), Markus Kennedy (PA), Lamar Patterson (PA), Austin Johnson (PA), Myck Kabongo (CAN), Devon Collier (NY), and Ashton Pankey (NY)

Note- photo is of Tamir Jackson and is from http://scouthoops.scout.com/