by Alex Schwartz

Back in early April, I released a list of the top 25 players in New Jersey. Now it is time to increase the number of players ranked and put out my thoughts on the state's top 45 players, only including upperclassmen. The reason freshman and sophomores are not a considered for this is that they tough to rank with older players considering that the list is based primarily on how good the ballers are right now (though potential is considered too). The players eligible to be ranked are only those that currently attend a high school in the Garden State—thus a player like Pitt-bound Isaiah Epps '10 is ineligible as he has left the state—regardless of where they are from originally. So, right here you will find Northstar Basketball's rankings of the top 45 players in New Jersey in the classes of 2010 and 2011. Check it out:

New Jersey's Fab 45 Upperclassmen
Rank. Name, Class, Position, Height, High School, College
1. Michael Gilchrist, 2011, SF, 6'7, St. Patrick's, uncommitted- the best player in America regardless of class can do it all on the court—his J does need some work—and plays with a very high motor
2. Kyrie Irving, 2010, PG, 6'2, St. Patrick's, uncommitted- maybe the most complete player in the class of 2010, he is a point guard who scores the ball, plays D, and can also distribute
3. Dion Waiters, 2010, SG, 6'3, Life Center Academy, Syracuse- the combo guard is a fantastic scorer and has a good frame, but is slightly undersized
4. Myck Kabongo, 2011, PG, 6'1, St. Benedict's, Texas- a very talented floor leader who can not only dish the rock, but also put it in the hoop
5. Tyrone Johnson, 2011, PG, 6'1, Plainfield, uncommitted- a star flying under the radar, he has a strong frame, can really score, shoots well, and is good off the bounce too
6. Sidiki Johnson, 2011, PF, 6'7, St. Benedict's, Arizona- combo forward is a quality rebounder and a big-time scorer as well as a superb athlete
7. Julian Washburn, 2010, SF, 6'7, St. Patrick's, uncommitted- long wing has basketball genes, can score the ball and is a good shooter
8. Shaq Thomas, 2011, SF, 6'6, NIA Prep, uncommitted- the lanky wing's shot continues to improve, and when paired with hisoutstanding athletic ability and length, he is a very good offensiveplayer
9. Devon Collier, 2010, PF, 6'7, St. Anthony's, uncommitted- an intriguing player due to his length, he can really block shots and also rebounds well
10. Daryus Quarles, 2010, SF, 6'7, Paulsboro, St. Joseph's- long 3 is a nice-looking prospect due to his length, shooting ability, and overall skill set
11. Fuquan Edwin, 2010, SF, 6'5, Paterson Catholic, Seton Hall- combo forward's handle needs some work, but he plays hard, is a tremendous athlete, and a good rebounder with an improving J
12. Derrick Williams, 2010, PF, 6'7, St. Anthony's, uncommitted-  a bruising big man with a huge frame who is ferocious on the glass and scores in the paint
13. Eli Carter, 2010, PG, 6'2, St. Anthony's, uncommitted- a floor general who can really score the basketball and even stroke it from deep
14. Sterling Gibbs, 2011, PG, 6'1, Seton Hall Prep, uncommitted- ever improving, the PG can get to the rim with ease, shoot the three, and also gets teammates involved
15. Ron Roberts, 2010, PF, 6'7, St. Peter's Prep, uncommitted- an athletic big man with a nice frame, he plays hard and rebounds the basketball
16. Ashton Pankey, 2010, PF, 6'8, St. Anthony's, uncommitted- needs to improve his consistency, but the post player can block shots and rebound
17. Desmond Hubert, 2011, C, 6'9, New Egypt, uncommitted- still raw, the long and lanky big man blocks everything in sight, but is still working on his offensive game
18. Derrick Randall, 2011, PF, 6'8, Paterson Catholic, uncommitted- well built post player works hard, rebounds the rock, blocks shots, and can score
19. Frantz Massenat, 2010, PG, 6'3, Trenton Catholic, Drexel- a smart lead guard with good size, he can drive to the rim and his shot is improving
20. Aaron Brown, 2010, SF, 6'5, St. Benedict's, uncommitted- a wing with a high basketball IQ and a solid all-around game, his range extends beyond the arc
21. Mike Poole, 2010, SF, 6'5, St. Benedict's, uncommitted- the skilled wing is a quality athlete whose forte is putting the ball in the hoop
22. Ishaq Pitt, 2010, SF, 6'4, St. John Vianney, uncommitted- strong and well built wing who can score the ball and also drive past defenders and score at the rim
23. Myles Davis, 2011, SG, 6'2, St. Peter's Prep, uncommitted- an elite shooter who can also handle a bit, the only thing holding him back is his size
24. Derrick Gordon, 2011, SG, 6'3, St. Patrick's, Western Kentucky- a very athletic wing who can really score the ball, he is also a solid defensive player and a true competitor
25. Jarrod Davis, 2011, SF, 6'4, Lakewood, uncommitted- it starts and ends with athleticism for the high-flying wing prospect, but his J is getting better
26. Myles Mack, 2011, PG, 5'8, Paterson Catholic, uncommitted- if he wasn't so undersized he would be much higher, as the combo guard is an elite scorer and shooter
27. Vaughn Gray, 2011, SF, 6'4, Don Bosco Prep, uncommitted- a solid small forward who is a solid player with a nice all-around game
28. Blaise Mbargorba, 2011, C, 7'0, St. Benedict's, uncommitted- the tallest player listed, the long post player works hard, rebounds, and blocks shots
29. JP Kambola, 2010, C, 6'10, St. Benedict's, uncommitted- another long big man who is still raw, but has talent, the Canadian is an intriguing player
30. Lionel Gomis, 2011, C, 6'10, Blair Academy, uncommitted- the long and lanky post prospect plays hard, defends, rebounds, and can score when needed
31. Aishon White, 2010, SG, 6'3, NIA Prep, uncommitted- a guard who is all about putting the ball in the hoop, he can stroke it from deep
32. Keith Lumpkin, 2011, C, 6'10, St. Peter's Prep, uncommitted- a star on the football field too, a pure low post player, he has great size, blocks shots, and boards well
33. Gilvydas Biruta, 2010, C, 6'9, St. Benedict's, uncommitted- a big man with a solid frame, he goes hard and is an intelligent player
34. Rob Poole, 2011, SF, 6'5, Paul VI, uncommitted- the wing has nice size, is an above-average athlete, and he can really shoot the trey
35. Khalid Lewis El, 2011, SG, 6'3, Trenton Catholic, uncommitted- versatile enough to play the 1 through 3, a superb athlete, he can really score the ball and also defend
36. Sean Grennan, 2011, SG, 6'2, Monsignor Donovan, uncommitted- although he is undersized, he pairs his knockdown shooting ability with solid athleticism
37. John Golden, 2010, SG, 6'5, Peddie School, uncommitted- another long wing who can shoot the rock, he can also get to the cup and has nice athletic ability
38. Matt Lopez, 2010, C, 6'10, Washington Township, La Salle- the post player is not extremely skilled, but he has great size, runs the floor well, and has a solid basketball IQ
39. Hakeem Harris, 2010, PG, 6'1, Blair Academy, uncommitted- the combo guard has a nice feel for the game, scores the ball, and shoots it well from deep
40. Markese Tucker, 2010, PF, 6'5, Trenton Catholic, uncommitted- a strong combo forward with nice range on his J who rebounds well
41. Dondre Whitmore, 2010, PG, 5'8, Trenton Catholic, uncommitted- an undersized combo guard, he is lightning quick and a top-notch scorer
42. Jarelle Reischel, 2011, SG, 6'4, Pt. Pleasant Beach, uncommitted- the wing prospect continues to improve and pairs a terrific handle with some outside shooting ability
43. Tyquan Goodlet, 2011, SG, 6'3, St. Anthony's, uncommitted- a well-built guard who works hard and does a very good job of scoring the ball
44. Shawn Valentine, 2011, SF, 6'6, Winslow Township, uncommitted- the long and lanky forward is a work in progress, but he is athletic and has the tools to be very good
45. Kelvin Amayo, 2011, SG, 6'4, NIA Prep, uncommitted- a sturdy combo guard with solid athleticism who can shoot the ball as well as distribute it

Honorable Mentions (alphabetical order)
Kazembe Abif, 2010, PF, 6'5, University, uncommitted
Anthony D'Orazio, 2010, PG, 6'1, Camden Catholic, Lehigh
Justin Harris, 2011, PF, 6'7, Paramus Catholic, uncommitted
Jayon James, 2010, SF, 6'5, Paterson Catholic, uncommitted
Ramon Johnson, 2011, PF, 6'7, Newark Central, uncommitted
Ryan McKeaney, 2010, C, 6'9, Cherokee, Vermont
Xavier Mumford, 2010, SG, 6'3, St. Benedict's, uncommitted
Wayne Newsom, 2010, PF, 6'7, Piscataway, uncommitted
Charles Oliver, 2011, SG, 6'3, Seton Hall Prep, uncommitted
Jermaine Peart, 2010, SF, 6'5, Paterson Catholic, uncommitted
Luke Piotrowski, 2011, C, 6'10, Atlantic Christian, uncommitted
Chase Plummer, 2010, PF, 6'5, St. Patrick's, UMBC
Chris Santo, 2011, SG, 6'4, Cherry Hill East, uncommitted
Shondel Stewart, 2010, SG, 6'1, Paterson Kennedy, uncommitted
Anthony Taylor, 2010, PG, 6'1, Egg Harbor Township, Longwood

Notes on New Jersey's Fab 45 Upperclassmen
- There are 22 seniors (2010) and 23 juniors (2011) on the list
- Of the 22 different schools represented, eight of them have multiple players listed: St. Benedict's (7), St. Anthony's (5), St. Patrick's (4), Trenton Catholic (4), NIA Prep (3), Paterson Catholic (3), St. Peter's Prep (3), and Blair Academy (2)
- Eight of the players have made their college choices, with five being seniors and three being juniors
- The position breakdown is as follows: twelve small forwards, 10 shooting guards, nine point guards, seven centers, and seven power forwards

Note- photo is of Michael Gilchrist and is from http://www.nj.com/