Can I become a good basketball player without AAU?

The local AAU team in my town solely chooses it's players not on talent, but rather the players the coaches know and like. As a result I haven't been able to join one, despite the fact I can play good. I am an incoming freshman and want to join the Freshman Team for High School but I'm not sure I can since there is only 13 spots and the AAU team (which is run by the freshman coaches) has 12 spots. I am worried because those kids have the ability to practice with one another and get well with the coaches over the summer, while I can't. I practice around an hour to two hours in the morning, working on free throws, dribbling and ping. In the afternoon I ride my bike to the poorer parts of town and play streetball with the people that live there. Despite this, I feel I am at a major disadvantage. Can I still become a good player without having the privileges of AAU and off-season practice. If so, how can I try and get to be their level?