Basketball Rankings Coming Out Earlier

Jenifer, on the other hand, can shoot from beyond the three-point line and dribble behind his back with ease, perhaps a result of watching his favorite AND1 videotapes, which celebrate playground basketball.

"He has the mentality of a 13- or 14-year-old," said Lee, who played for the New Jersey Nets during the 1990-91 season. "How many 8-year-olds have you seen teams play a box-and-one [defense] to defend?"

Do you think he's the best in his grade?

"By far," Lee said.

Could he play in the NBA someday?

"Yes," Lee said.

Another fan chimed in, "Watch, he'll put on a dribbling exhibition."

Lee was doing more than just watching on Friday night, however, getting kicked out of the building by referees for screaming and yelling. After the game, in which the Bombers lost, the referees were escorted into a locker room and a Bombers fan attempted to get inside to confront the them. The fan, yelling and cursing, had to be pulled away as the young players looked on.

The practice of ranking grammar school-aged children is hit and miss. Years ago, Hoop Scoop, a Louisville-based recruiting publication, rated Brooklyn, N.Y., playground star Sebastian Telfair as the top sixth-grader in the nation. But the search for the next Telfair started even before Telfair, 19, became the player who was selected 13th in last month's NBA draft straight from high school.

During last year's Adidas ABCD Camp, arguably the premier summer showcase for high school stars, Telfair said his 9-year-old brother, Ethan, would be better than he is. "We're trying to get him to be the first player to go to the NBA from eighth grade," Telfair said then.

Conversely, Florida's Jason Bennett was ranked as one of the premier middle school players in part because he stood 7 feet. Now, as Bennett prepares for his junior year, his rank has slipped to barely in the top 100 in Hoop Scoop's ratings.

And consider Buffalo's Jermaine Bushae, whom Sportscensus.com ranked the nation's top fifth-grader three years ago. One problem: The Buffalo News found no record of Bushae in the Buffalo area.

While the tournament was devoid of college coaches, new Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers made an appearance but -- he swore -- only to watch his son, Spencer, compete on a Florida team.

Rivers has another son in middle school, who -- Rivers is told -- is ranked nationally. "I think he's ranked in the top five," Rivers said. "That's a bunch of crap. Nobody knows. There's probably a kid his age really good who's never picked up a ball yet."