Torreys, Falcons and Mavs dominate the inaugural "Jay Vee" Awards

Junior Varsity basketball is a vitally important, yet grossly undervalued piece of the HS basketball system. In an era where freshmen come in with the mentality that making JV is somehow a failure, it's important to note that many of San Diego's top players didn't play significant varsity minutes - or make the team at all - as freshmen.

They got their start on the JV level, learning their program's system and culture and preparing for their time to shine on the varsity level.

This year, I decided to try to honor the teams, players and games at the JV level with an award known as the "Jay Vee." At this point, the award is simply bragging rights, or possibly one of the T-shirts I have from previous Creme of the County games, but it's something.

I will admit that this was quite the undertaking. I got literally thousands of nominations and sifted through them for weeks, talking to coaches to get a clearer picture about what was what. In the end, I will still likely have slighted some of you, and for that I apologize.

Without further ado, the first annual "Jay Vees."