Godfrey the Cat, Rickmas Eve and AAA Division I and II boys predictions

Last year I mentioned that Earl Austin, Jr. and his cat, Godfrey, were busy getting ready for the St. Louis area boys high school conference predictions.  I don't know if Godfrey reads my blog but he is certainly welcome to any stats I put into the prognostications.  Earl, and probably Godfrey too, know much more about the basketball scene than I do.  I write about the statistics I digest and massage.  Earl (or Godfrey cuz I don't surmise to know who is boss on Earl's desk) writes about players and does a great job of assessing talent through observation and BallerTV this pandemic season.  Hopefully, many of the games will be live-streamed so that we don't lose any of PrepHoops' fine player analysis.  

I expect Earl to be posting conference predictions over at PrepHoops Missouri, so if you don't have $100 for an annual subscription, try it for a month or two at around $14.95 a month.

This is an exciting week for Missouri basketball as tryouts begin.  For my grandsons, a senior and a freshman, they call it "Rickmas Eve", a take-off on Christmas Eve, an exciting time when you are anticipating presents.  Rickmas Eve is coined after Rick Kirby, highly successful Parkway Central coach, who retired and volunteers with son, Austin Kirby, at Eureka.  Rick is a salty old gentleman (although a spring chicken compared to me) who tells the kids like it is, not mincing words, or so I am told.  As much as the senior loves playing for and being coached by Austin as head coach, he and the other boys get a real kick out of old Rick, and thus the reference to Rickmas Eve.  "Can't wait to get out on the hardwood and hear from the old coach".  I have heard many opposing team parents, and fans, complain about the unfair advantage that Eureka has with the coaching staff Austin Kirby has assembled in father Rick, Scott Allen, Trevor Noonan and Corey Choate.  Tough luck for those teams facing a well-coached team.  Good luck to all the boys and girls trying out for high school teams this coming month.

There are some outstanding teams in the Archdiocesan Athletic Association conferences.  

Archdiocesan Athletic Association (AAA) 

Both AAA conference division I and II have outstanding teams this coming year and I have rated them based upon returnees and return scoring.  Earl will probably give you a better view of individual player strengths.  I based my assessment on program success and the returnees.  Mine is a rear view mirror assessment and Earl (or Godfrey's) viewpoint is based upon individual potential.  

Trinity and St. Dominic's traded places with Trinity moving to I and St. Dom's to II.  I am not aware of any other changes.  There may be some player transfers I am not aware of either.

All of the teams in both divisions, save Trinity, should be better than last year and that means trouble for anyone playing them.  Here's how I see them finishing in their conference standings:

Division I

1. Cardinal Ritter

2. Father Tolton

3. St. Francis Borgia

4. Trinity

5. St. Mary's

Division II

1. Christian O'Fallon

2. St. Dominic's

3. Du Bourg

4. Lutheran St. Charles

5. Duchesne

Can't wait to see how that compares to Godfrey's, er, I mean Earl's picks.

And here's my prognostications for each team based on returnees and I will be starting up the boys and girls high school ratings in late November: