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Former Marquette University coach Buzz Williams set the bar, so to speak, about nine months ago when he extended a scholarship offer to Philip Flory of Wisconsin Rapids before the 6-foot-3 wing guard attended his first class at Lincoln High School.

Flory later accepted the offer and plans to follow in the footsteps of his father, Mike, as a player at Marquette.

Though no scholarship offers have yet to be handed out to the bumper crop of basketball players currently in the eighth grade in Wisconsin, collegiate coaches are nonetheless very much aware of who they are and where they will attend school.

"Buzz changed things a bit when he gave Flory the offer last year," said Cedarburg coach Tom Diener, whose son, John, is one of the state's premier class of 2018 prospects. "Nationally, it's getting younger and younger with college coaches knowing about kids. There's no doubt about it."

Diener knows of where he speaks.

He has coached many NCAA Division I players during his long coaching career that included stops at Milwaukee Vincent and Milwaukee Hamilton prior to his current gig at Cedarburg.

"There has been a shift toward summer basketball so college coaches are becoming more aware of kids at a younger age," Diener said. "I don't necessarily like it, but you have to remember, it's just so darn competitive with college coaches."

John Diener, a 6-3 combination guard, is definitely one of the better eighth-grade players in the state and coach Diener has already had conversations with several collegiate coaches about his son.

"I've had casual conversations with a few coaches about John," said Diener, who won five WIAA state championships during his tenure at Milwaukee Vincent. "Nobody has offered him a scholarship, but this class is going to be very good. I think there will be several Division I players in the class from throughout the state."

Like John Diener, Kaukauna's Jordan McCabe already is attracting attention from Division I coaches.

The 5-foot-10 point guard is exceptionally advanced for his age from a skill standpoint, particularly his ball handling.

Social media has certainly played a role in getting the word out about these young phenoms. A You Tube video of McCabe at last check had more than 355,000 views as fans, coaches and other players flock to watch McCabe work his magic with the basketball in his hands.

Among the college coaches who have taken notice of McCabe are Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan, first-year Marquette coach Steve Wojciechowski and Xavier coach Chris Mack.

McCabe was invited to the Wisconsin Adanced Instruction Camp, an event usually reserved for juniors and seniors, on June 19-20.

He will also take unofficial visits to Marquette (next week) and Xavier (before the end of May).

McCabe and Diener are teammates on the talented Wisconsin Playground Warriors 14U squad coached by longtime travel-team mentor Ritchie Davis.

Davis has coached more NCAA Division I players during his 20-plus years of experience than any other club coach in the state, including former Appleton West and Wisconsin star Brian Butch, current Badger Sam Dekker and current North Carolina Tar Heel J.P. Tokoto, among many others.

"Those schools are not the only ones to contact me on Jordan," Davis said. "It's crazy. College coaches are reaching out to me about kids before they even finish their eighth grade year of school. This is not normal."

Though the top players in Wisconsin's class of 2018 have yet to step foot in high school as enrolled students, their names already dot recruiting lists for high-major schools across the country.

They may be young and green, but they are also proven performers on the grassroots circuit, which makes them known to college coaches always searching for an edge on the recruiting scene.

Another player receiving plenty of early attention is Joey Hauser, an athletic and skilled 6-foot-5 wing player from Stevens Point. Hauser's older brother, Sam, is the top-ranked class of 2016 prospect in the state in the latest WisSports.net Player Rankings.

Here's a list of some of the top players in the state's class of 2018, listed in alphabetical order ...

Max Alba, Franklin

Danny Alexopoulos, Whitnall

Matthew Barber, 6-5, F, Cedarburg

Drew Blair, Waterford

Carson Clark, Markesan

John Diener, 6-3, G, Cedarburg

Sam Ferris, Xavier

James Hansen, 5-11, G, Wrightstown

Joey Hauser, 6-5, WF, Stevens Point

Tyler Herro, 6-0, G, Whitnall

KeShawn Justice, 6-3, F, Madison East

Mitch Listau, 6-1, G, Waunakee

Austin Lopez, Ripon

Preston Maccoux, 6-0, G, Mukwonago

Conley Malone, Aquinas

Jordan McCabe, 5-10, G, Kaukauna

Troy Mikaelian, The Prairie School

Bryce Miller, 5-10, G, New Berlin Eisenhower

Carson Moe, Oconto

Jared Petrie, Sheboygan Falls

Josh Pitz, Appleton West

Hunter Plamann, 5-11, G, Appleton Xavier

Jack Plumb, 6-6, F, Bay Port

Luke Reader, Bangor

Marlon Ruffin, Sun Prairie

Tony Ruesga, Darlington

Derek Sabin, 6-5, F, Slinger

Mitchel Schneider, Roncalli

Carson Schroeder, Bay Port

Mason Steffan, 6-1, G, Waunakee

Jared Van Bramer, 6-4, F, Sturgeon Bay

Collin Wanek, 6-6, F, Manitowoc Lincoln

Mason Wideman, Amherst

Sam Wilke, Beaver Dam

Brunard Williams, 6-3, F, Milwaukee