WEEK 1 WRITE-UPS

71 Rip Hamilton   FINAL 62 Saturday Morning Hypothermia

Subject: Rip Hamilton gets a run for their money in 71-62 victory.

BY SHAWN WISE

In the first game of the season, Rip Hamilton literally didn’t show up ready to play. Number 1 overall pick, Jamal, didn’t show up until 3 minutes after tipoff. Immediately after subbing himself into the game, Jamal would miss his first two 3-point attempts. Also contributing to the slow start for Rip Hamilton, Jamil would go 0-4 from 3 in the first half, ending the half with just 1 point.

During the second half Jamal and Jamil would find their offensive rhythm. Jamal would have 22 of his eventual 37 points and Jamil would score 13. Ian provides a secondary downlow presence teams will have to account for, chipping in 11 rebounds and drawing 3 shooting fouls on post moves.

On the other side, Saturday Morning Hypothermia (SMH) started the game with great chemistry and was able to jump out to an early lead. SMH had great ball movement and would end up with 5 players in double figure points. Jorge was a defensive force in the first half with 3 blocks and 1 steal at the intermission. Jorge would finish with a team high 22 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks.

Ruff began to find his shot at the end of last season and was able to carry that shooting over to start this session, making 3-4 from deep. DTO and Dylan would contribute 11 and 10 points. SMH

Rip Hamilton sits on top of the power rankings and deserves to stay there until someone knocks them off.

Players of the game:

·         Jorge Morel: Jorge was the by far the best player for his team and was the only person on the court that stood a chance of trying to keep Jamal off the offensive boards.

·         Jamal Brown: Jamal had an “ugly” 37, 18, and 4 stat line by his standards. The rest of the league better be careful when he has a “good” game.

53 Ghost Rider   FINAL 51 To The Rak

Subject: Ghost Rider overcomes early deficit to beat The Rak in OT. 
By JAMIL BALL

Ghost Rider vs The Rak was by far the most entertaining matchup on the docket this morning. I didn’t write any pre-game lines this week, but I would’ve had the Rak as heavy favorites. Both teams looked a bit rusty earlier on, which resulted in lots of turnovers and a couple of missed layups, but there was clearly no shortage of confidence and enthusiasm as they continued to chuck. 

The 4th overall pick Cam Daniels made his CAC debut and didn’t disappoint with 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists. He even took on the challenge of guarding Kevin Devine, which some may argue had some undesired results, but never the less he played well.

Mike “Ghost” Fraher (22 points and 7 rebounds) anchored their offense. When they needed a basket Ghost stepped up consistently and they literally rode him to victory, no pun intended. 

Both teams would go into the half tied 27 - 27, to the dismay of the spectators it was pretty clear this game was going down to the wire. The star of the game was Kevin Devine (30 points, 20 rebounds, and 2 steals). Ghost Riders had no answer for this dude and despite Cam Daniels's efforts, he didn’t stand a chance in the post. 

The Rob Wood (14 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 steals) and Kevin Devine combination kept The Rak within reach, but they would inevitably run out of gas as the game went on. 

In the closing minutes with the game tied at 47, Kevin had a chance to win the game at the end of regulation. He got a good look in the paint, despite being surrounded by 3 defenders. This game would go into OT, but you could clearly tell the momentum was with the Ghost Riders. 

Musse would go on to hit a dagger, which put them in control of the game and allowed them to pull off a very close victory. 

Players of the game: 

• Kevin Devine - Was by far the best player on the court at all times in this matchup. I’m used to seeing him distribute the ball, so it’s nice to see him take a more aggressive approach offensively because his team needed it. 
• Mike “Ghost” Fraher - Ghost is just a bucket and was a huge reason his team was able to pull out the victory. The aren’t many guys who can score with the efficiency and consistency that he does. 

44 LEBOV   FINAL 52 Slick When Wet

Subject: No Adwaith, no problem as Slick When Wet pull of the upset 

By JAMIL BALL

Slick When Wet pulled off the biggest upset of the day. With Adwaith not in attendance, I didn’t think they stood a chance, but boy was I wrong! Slick When Wet led this one from start to finish and this matchup was never in doubt. 

Getting to the action, Led by their experienced captain EJ AKA Slick SWW had the best chemistry of any team that played today. Whatever deficit existed from a talent level, they were quickly able to overcome through fantastic ball movement, enthusiastic defense, and most importantly fantastic shooting from deep. 

SWW was significantly undermanned with only 4 starters in attendance, but it was an extremely balanced offensive output as all players were able to reach double digits (EJ (13 points and 8 Rebounds), Shawn (12 points and 22 rebounds), Alan (15 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists), and Patrick (12 points and 8 rebounds). 

I’ve covered this league for a couple of seasons now and I can’t say I’ve seen Patrick, EJ, or Shawn play as well as they did today on both ends of the court. Despite not being named play of the game, Patrick had a fantastic all-around game and hit multiple big shots! He was also very impressive on the defensive end, forcing turnovers and creating havoc. 

Despite LEBOV’s struggles on both ends of the court, you can tell they’ll improve as the season continues. Much of their struggles can be attributed to a lack of chemistry and rust. Djordje Vlajkovic didn’t struggle, his matchup with Shawn was extremely entertaining. 

Like Shawn, DV (22 points and 21 rebounds) would have a monster game in a losing effort. He did everything he could possibly do on both ends of the court. Adam Ellabidy (15 points and 7 rebounds) is on my “Rookie of The Session” radar, played extremely well and I think he’s just scratching the surface of what he’s capable of. 

Despite the loss, Lebov has the talent to be a contender in this league. I expect them to bounce back next week and I have no doubt Harry will play a lot better than he did today. 

Players of the game: 

• Djordje Vlajkovic - DV had a monster 20/20 game as he looks to make good on his plan to average ridiculous numbers throughout this season. 
• Shawn Wise - Shawn played more assertively than I’ve ever seen him play. Anytime someone grabs 22 rebounds and rejects 2 shots in a winning effort, they have to be in consideration for Player of the game! 

WEEK 1 WRITE-UPS

By Ian Cundall

Robel gets the last laugh in OT win over Harry

Kicking off the Winter 2023 B Draft season we had a matchup between Harry and Robel’s teams. As you’d expect, Harry had his team at the top of his preseason power rankings, while he had Robel’s near the bottom. With tip off seconds away Robel had not arrived so my hope for a competitive game was waning quickly. The start of the game did nothing to change my opinion as while both teams struggled, Harry’s team was struggling less mainly because of Ghost. He was on fire to start the game knocking down short jumpers and hook shots with ease as Robel’s team had no one to guard him (as predicted by me in the preview). Vladi was facilitating things well, aka getting the ball to Ghost and even though Tucker was struggling, he still commanded a lot of attention which gave Ghost that 1v1 matchup. It was 17-7 after another Ghost jump shot, but MacDonald finally got things going with a pair of drives to the rim. He was really the only offense for Robel’s team as he still hadn’t arrived and Joel, Costa and the Great One were off.

With 10 minutes left in the first half, it was 20-15 Harry’s team, but suddenly, the lights dimmed and ominous music started playing. Smoke started pouring in the doors and some cheap pyrotechnics went off. Out of the smoke a large figure emerged, Robel had arrived. You could see the fear come over Harry at this moment and I knew we were in for a game. Robel entered and immediately made an impact on defense grabbing a steal and blocking a shot which led to a Joel and-one to make it a two-point game. After another miss from Vladi, Ben got to the rim to tie it at 20-20, making it a 9-0 run for Robel’s team. Tucker finally stopped the bleeding with his first points of the game and Ghost knocked down a couple more shots giving Harry’s team some life. Robel would score four points in the last few of the half, so we went into halftime with Harry’s team holding a slim lead at 30-26. Ghost led the way for Harry’s team with 16 and Vladi had five points and seven assists.  Meanwhile, for Robel’s team, Ben had 12 and every other player had 2-5 points.

Both teams came out sluggish, but after a Joel three, Robel’s team grabbed their first lead since the early stages of the game. The offensive lull continued for the next few minutes as though both teams were getting good looks, nothing was falling. Eventually, after seven or so minutes of the second half had gone by, the lid over the basket came off and Vladi and the Great One exchanged threes. That really opened things up and both teams started to get going and went back and forth within a one basket window. A steal and basket by Ben gave Robel the lead at 41-40, but Gilles answered with a huge three to give Harry the lead back at 43-41. Costa answered with a nice drive to the basket, but then Tucker knocked down his only three to make it 46-43. Some good defense from Post Harry stymied Robel, but he was unable to stop Ben in transition, committing a Harry foul, as Ben threw up a ridiculous floater from the foul line that somehow went in. Ben missed the free throw, but that circus shot made it 48-47. Harry made up for his foul with a clutch jumper to make it 50-47, but a MacDonald layup and Joel steal and layup grabbed them the lead back at 51-50. There were only four minutes left at this point and it seemed clear this one was headed down to the wire.

With two minutes left, Costa knocked down a mid-range jumper to give Robel a three-point lead, but Vladi, who had struggled throughout from deep, knocked down a three to tie it up. Ben carried the ball up the court on the next possession and tried to get to the hoop, but was blocked off and kicked it out to the Great One who knocked down a three to give Robel the lead back. Harry decided not to call a timeout and let things play out and Vladi got a good look to tie it with just over 30 seconds left, but he missed. The rebound somehow made its way out to Ghost who found himself far enough behind the three-point that there was no doubt it was a three when it hit nothing but the net to tie things up at 58. With just over 20 seconds left, Robel decided to hold for the last shot, but the play was not going well and the best they could do was a contested baseline fade away from Joel which rimmed out, sending us to overtime at 58-58!

Overtime started with Harry missing two shots with a Costa miss in between. It was at this moment Joel took over. First, he hit a jumper to give his team a two-point lead. He then stole a bad pass to push the lead to four and made one of two free throws after another miss from Harry’s team, to make it a five-point game at 63-58. Harry’s team had fully fallen apart at this point, and after another Vladi miss, Joel would make one of two free throws again. As Harry’s team pushed looking for any sort of bucket to get them back in the game, Ben got a steal and passed it to Joel who was fouled and made one of two again. Things continued like this for the rest of the game with Harry’s team missing and Joel making one free throw before the game was called. Final 65-58 Robel.

Robel’s team

Joel A-: Quiet first half, but came alive in the second half and overtime, including scoring all seven points in the extra frame.

MacDonald A: Really impressive game with 25/18/6 and played excellent defense as well.

Robel B: Quiet game on offense, but his rim protection and activity on the defensive end really bothered Harry’s teams.

Great One B: Only knocked down two threes, but both came at key points and chipped in with nine rebounds.

Costa C+: Quiet debut, but had a couple nice moves to the hoop and a huge bucket late in regulation. 

Harry’s team

Ghost A: Only consistent scorer throughout, knocked down the game tying three at the end of regulation and did a nice job on the boards.

Vladi B-: Did a good job setting up the offense, but struggled with his shot.

Tucker D-: Have to get more than nine points from the first overall pick even on an off-night. Just didn’t seem to be looking for the ball and struggled to find his role around Vladi and Ghost.

Harry C-: Solid defense, but was off with his shot and had some strange decisions which cost his team.

Kenny C+: Typical trick or treat game with some good moments and some bad ones.

Gilles B: Knocked down a huge three in the second half and added solid defense.

By HARRY DEMAKES

Noah Peeks in week 1

I thought this had all the makings of a great week 1 game. Two veteran teams mixing in two rookies to their lineups. Etheridge’s team started their season off differently, by having everyone show up. Ian’s team has everyone too. TO THE ACTION! The biggest storyline coming into this game was the Pollock vs. Weinstein rivalry. Similar to the hammer and nail rivalry, this one was quite one sided throughout the years. This game was no different in the first half as Weinstein struggled to get anything going and Pollock did his thing. Couple this with Lagno being cold and everyone else on Etheridges squad being bad at shooting, led Ian’s team to pick up a decent sized lead. Pollock and Koller were doing most of the heavy lifting combining for 17 of Ian’s 32 points in the first half. Rookie Lucas wasn’t shy in his debut, scoring 7 of his own in the first half. He did lead the team with 4 attempts from deep in the first half. That’s something to keep an eye on as is Noah coming off the bench and shooting it every time he touches it. Ian’s team went into the half up 32-23. This game looked to be heading one way and it was, but the route wasn’t expected. BACK TO THE ACTION! Ian’s team really started to open up the game thanks to….Noah’s hot shooting, as all the shots he was taking finally started to go in. He hit 6 second half treys to break the spirit of his opponents in this half. Couple this with everyone else chipping in here and there, Etheridges team just didn’t have the firepower to stay close. Weinstein and Lagno did finally get things going in this half, but it was a lot of garbage time makes. Not to mention the lack of help else where and the poor defensive effort as a team. I think these guys will be good, but they need some time to jell or a Time Machine for Baxter. 73-54 Final for Ian

Grades: Pollock C+: Pretty pedestrian game for Samuel after starting strong.

Koller B: Solid game outplaying the ghost of Baxter.

Ian B+: Leading this team in assists with all the glory hounds is impressive.

Noah A+: Great game from 3, the best game he’ll have all year and possibly ever again.

Clarke B+: I like Clarkes effort and hustle out there.

Lucas B-: Not a bad debut. I see room for improvement.

Etheridges team:

Lagno C+: Show up in the first half before the game is over.

Weinstein C: Ditto and times 2 here.

Baxter C-: Did he play in the second half? Need more than nothing in a half.

Etheridge B-: Solid game from Mike.

Grinnell C+: Not bad, but I think he can do better.

Glynn C-: I KNOW he can do better.

Civale’s darkest days

Coming into this game I knew exactly what to expect, but Civales team demanded respect. They came into this game with full attendance, while Stairway to Deven was missing Marlier. TO THE ACTION! Stairway to Deven started off a bit slowly in this game, with everyone on their team wanting to touch the ball every chance they got. Everyone on this team outside of maybe Johnson thinks they’re Lebron out there with playmaking and only one of them might be right. AJ, new to this league, started slowly going 2 for 10 from 3. They weren’t really bad looks, but Masone was doing a decent job defensively. The captain Johnson, would pick up the slack though going 3 for 6 from deep in the first half. Everyone else contributed with multiple buckets inside. It was a good balanced effort for Stairway to Deven in the first half. On the other side of the ball, Masone and Cavano did their part as duel first round picks. They combined to score 22 of their teams 34 points. Good thing too, because Civale continued to assault the rim with brick after brick from deep. I’d say something clever about Civale’s talent here, but I need him on Wednesday. Break this slump! Stairway to Deven felt like they were in good control here, but they only went into the half up 36-34. Cavano, led all scorers with 13. BACK TO THE ACTION!

The second half continued the brick fest from deep for Civale’s team. Hanks went 0-4 from deep, 0-7 for the game, which should never happen. Civale and Masone combined to go 0-5. Cavano, didn’t even attempt one out of pure shame. Tommy BIG GUNS hit 2 of 3 to match everyone else’s total in the second half. BIG GUNS also led the team in second half scoring total. These guys offense went to die in the second half and as you could guess this didn’t lead to success. Meanwhile, young AJ found his groove in the latter frame going 3-5 from deep and scoring 19 points. Calvin added 14 of his own. They combined to outscore Civales team in the second half. Obviously, the led to a huge lead and we went into pickup mode for the rest of the evening. Johnson’s team is off and running, while Civale’s team is searching for answers.

Grades:

Civale F-: 0 offensive rebounds?ZERO?!?! This might have been Civale’s worse game ever.

Masone C+: Not his best game, had a tough assignment, but you got picked in the first round too.

Cavano C: 0 offensive rebounds?!?! Attempted only 3 treys? What is this?

Jeffries C: I hope he can give more than this. For his teams sake.

Hanks D: Once you miss the first 3 threes, you stop.

BIG GUNS A: Did all he could out there.

Stairway to Deven:

Calvin B+: Good game here, didn’t dribble across the court looking for drives.

Motha B: Not a bad day. Johnson claims he loves Motha 3s, something I’ll keep an eye on. J

ohnson A-: A Johnson double-double? I like it.

AJ A-: Three ball was off, but otherwise did what was expected.

Deven A: Can’t hate on anything here, very good game 1.

Cam flashes win with his lady in attendance The two newest captains took center stage in the prime time game of the week, with Cam taking on Silva. James was out for Silva’s team, even though he had the balls to show up the night before. Cams team had everyone.

TO THE ACTION!

CACs newest sharpshooter STAT, finally hit a 3 against someone other than me in the first half of this game. He also added 15 more points to tie Casey for the leading first half scorer. In other news, STAT will be drug tested before next weeks games. As I mentioned above, Casey would equal STATs hot start with 18 of his own. The ghost of Nestler, wasn’t doing much to slow him down. The leagues other Ian, was the next leading scorer in the game at 6 points. Nice production from him off the bench, The score was 18–18 Casey and STAT at the half. Everyone else combined for 20 points.

WOOF.

BACK TO THE ACTION!

The slogfest continued in the second half as both teams continued to drive into the big bodies in the post. Manny, finally joined the party, scoring 11 second half points, while Cam added 8. Casey, went invisible in this half, going an ugly 1-5 from the line. The greatest trick Casey ever pulled was fooling you into thinking he was a good free throw shooter. The electric one had a spark in the second half. Taha would score 6 points and had an assist. The ghost of Nestler even added 9. STAT continued is good play though 11 more, including another 3. Admittedly I missed the stretch run to hunt down my food, but it appears Cam iced this game from the line with his girl watching. Therefore he shall be known as Cam Big Dick Letalien. 60-52 Final.

Grades:

Casey C: Did he play in the second half? Someone teach him how to make a free throw too.

Manny C: Reverse Casey’s line, didn’t have a good first half, but my assistant loved his second half.

Cam A: Big Dick iced this one like a good first time captain.

X D+: These guys outdid all my hard work in one game. What happened?

Other Ian B: Did good off the bench. I liked what I saw.

Tom C: Use to be electric, then he betrayed me. Now look at him.

Silva’s team:

Nestler C-; Pretty pedestrian effort in this one. Didn’t even attempt a 3 in the first half.

STAT A: Another good STAT game. Is he back to an elite level?

Silva D: Not the way to start one’s captaincy.

Grey C: Had a couple buckets, but couldn’t convert the good looks

Tahaha C+: Came on strong late, but couldn’t hit a 3.

WEEK 1 WRITE-UPS

Robel vs Hooptopia 

By Jamil Ball

Subject: Team Robel uses a furious comeback to defeat Hooptopia 

After what seemed like an eternity, the 5v5 Draft Winter session opening night is finally here and it wouldn’t disappoint. Team Robel vs Hooptopia set the tone for a super competitive week 1. 

To start the season, I had Team Robel # 1 in my way-too-early rankings, and despite getting off to a slow start, they rounded into shape when Tyrone Mullings (12 points, 3 steals, and 4 rebounds) showed up at halftime. 

Hooptopia led by Ryan Nett got out to a hot start on both ends of the floor, jumping out to an 8 - 0 lead. Ryan (13 points, 2 steals, 2 blocks, and 8 rebounds) led the way for Hooptopia offensively. Despite the hot start, they struggled mightily to convert on the offensive end. 

Defensively, they had no answer for Robel (4 blocks and 12 rebounds). The stats do not reflect the overall impact he had on the game. His ability to draw double teams led to easy wide-open baskets for his teammates and they made them pay in the second half. 

Kevin, Cameron, and Musse were the primary benefactors and hit some huge shots, as they recovered from a slow start to pull away in the closing minutes. Last but not least, there’s Xavier (X) who struggled from beyond the arc, but was the team's second-leading scorer with 10 points.

As X and Tyrone build chemistry and get into basketball shape, their potential is going to be unlimited in a guard-dominated league. I am super excited to see this team progress as we get later into the season.

Despite suffering the loss, Andre Jones (7 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block) had a block that would’ve been featured on ESPN’s top 10 plays of the night. He blocked a shot by literally snatching it out of the air with one hand. I have been covering league games for a long time and admittedly, I have never seen a block that impressive! Shoutout to Dre! 

Players of the game:

• Robel Ghebremichael - His defense propelled this team to victory. 
• Ryan Nett - The # 2 Draft Pick, showed off a fantastic jump and played extremely well. I expect him to be more dominant as the season continues. 

COTE 52 vs DANZING With the Stars 45

by Andre Jones

Player of the game: Nick Mazzeo

COTE: 

Nick Mazzeo was on point as usual with 19 points shooting 40% from 3. His late 3 point shot in Overtime pretty much sealed the deal.

Jackson Cote started off hot and was causing Jacob Held fits on the defensive end but eventually got into foul trouble and fouled out. Scored 9 points and had 10 rebounds.

Liam Corrigan struggled for a bit but still managed to come away with 10 points.

Despite Jamil’s off night from 3 0/6. He still showed great leadership and defensive poise. He got fouled several times from his opponent Matt but no calls, a lot of hand checking. Scored 4 points with 6 assists.

Evan Valcourt was an absolute monster on the boards with 14.

DANZING With the Stars:

No Danzing really hurt this team but Jacob Held kept them close and helped put this team in contention to win. His scoring is what made this game go into Overtime. Jacob came away with 23 points and 22 rebounds and 4 blocks. He was a monster once he got Jackson Cote into foul trouble. Would’ve clearly been awarded player of the game if it weren't for his team losing.

Mike Garafolo scored 10 points and helped a lot with his physical play style. Shot the ball a lot and I do mean a lot.

Matthew Lewis showed up big with 2 clutch 3 point shots that shorten the lead going into the stretch of the 4 quarter helping his team go into Overtime. His overly physical play on Jamil is what kept the game close in my opinion. 

Once Ben gets back I believe DANZING With the Stars will be good to go.

Gear PF VS The Boston Three Party

By Jamil Ball

Subject: Boston Three Party upset Gear PF in double OT 

Game 2 was by far the most exciting game of the night. This matchup would future Gear PF and BostonThree Party, the top 2 teams in my Week 2 Power Rankings. Coming into the matchup, I was anxious to see the draft mystery man Hamza Abdul (27 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals) and he did not disappoint. 

Hamza would go on to lead all scores with 27 points. He shot 6 of 14 from beyond the arc, which was an impressive 42%, and hit big shot after big shot to keep his team within reach. His play was complemented by Corey Fein who connected on 4 threes of his own. Did I mention Corey shot 57% from three? I know it’s too early for a splash brothers comparison, but they were electric during the first week of the season. 

The Boston Three Party was equally impressive. This team is DEEP! Led by Rich DiSola’s team-high 22 points, 20 rebounds, and 2 blocks. They had 3 other players score double-digits (Beato, J. Abreu, and Matty J). 

Matty, Jonathan, and Beato shot the ball extremely well from deep combing for 11 made three-pointers on 16 attempts which equates to 69%. If they shot so well, why was this game so close? Because both of these teams are fucking good. 

The Hamza and DiSola matchup grew more entertaining as the game went out. The banter and commentary left all in attendance entertained. After going into double OT DiSola would get the last laugh, but I have no doubt Hamza is looking forward to their next matchup. 

Needless to say, with so many rookies on both sides I had no idea what to expect, but they all played extremely well and they’ll only get better as the season progresses. For Boston Three Party Nika, Matthew, and Eric look like complete studs. They all outplayed their draft slots and performed well when called upon. 

Gear PF featured 4 rookies, Deron, David, Henry, and Hamza played extremely well together. Their unselfishness and defensive intensity will be the reason, this team is one of the top teams in the league when it’s all said and done.

Players of the game:

• Rich DiSola - Rich continues to get better every time I see him play. Despite being down in the closing minutes, his confidence never wavered as he lead his team to victory. If I had to choose an MVP today, he’d be my choice. Very impressive game my guy! 
• Hamza Abdul - He played an outstanding game and is on my shortlist for MVP. 

Primetime 4.0 vs Shooters Over Bigs

By Jamil Ball

Subject: Primetime finally looks like a contender, as they destroy Shooters Over Bigs

Despite a fantastic night for Jonah Feldman (18 points, 1 steal, 2 blocks, and 8 rebounds) there weren’t many highlights on the night for Shooters Over Bigs. They were completely outclassed by a very motivated and focused Primetime 4.0.

Jacob “Luka” Miller’s 26 points and 5 rebounds on 60% shooting from beyond the arc set the tone for this game early on. Despite being without the 5th overall pick Manny Sutton, Primetime 4.0 jumped out to an early double-digit lead fueled by their defense. 

Rookies Adam Liu (9 points) and Eric Tung (10 points) created havoc by playing suffocating defense and forcing multiple turnovers that led to easy offensive baskets. Veterans Nick Keramaris, John Muccio, and Scott Glynn contributed significantly on the defensive end. 

This team has skyrocketed to # 3 in my week 2 power rankings and the best is yet to come. Next week’s matchup against Team Robel will be an opportunity for them to put the league on notice. 

I know the night didn’t go as expected Shooters Over Bigs, but on the bright side, rookies Alex Yuen (9 points and 9 rebounds) and Alejandro Osorio (9 points and 9 rebounds) looked extremely impressive on both ends of the court.

I have to say, I am extremely impressed with every rookie this season. The quality of the player, skill level, and character are a welcomed addition to this league. 

Players of the game:

• Jacob Miller - Jacob “Luka” Miller was impressive on both ends of the court. He’s certainly entered the MVP conversation with his fantastic play. 
• Adam Liu - Adam’s number doesn’t jump out at you, but he played so well on both ends of the court. I have a feeling, by the season's end, he will be one of my favorite players in this league. That kind of energy and effort is contagious. 

WEEK 1 

Game 1: Not A Dime Back: 69 - Shooters Shoot: 89

by Devin Quinlin

Shooters Shoot Dominate Second Half to Pull Away

It was a tale of two halves, as NADB led by 1 going into the break, 45-44. I watched these guys roll through B1 last session, and they are without a doubt an A League level team. Unfortunately, they were missing big man Dre Kontopidis and they were out of shape coming into this game against the well-oiled machine that is Shooters Shoot. Shooters Shoot looked sharp in the first half, but stepped on the gas early in the second to go up 12 with 15 minutes left in the game. They didn’t slow down, outscoring NADB 45 to 24 in the second half to win the game 89-69.

Shooters Shoot is my favorite team to watch in A because of their unselfish play and well-balanced team. Last session, David Reynolds was a fill-in off the bench, and while he proved he was a great player at this level, I did not expect him to start this game off going five of five from three. But, that’s exactly what he did, putting up 35 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal in the season opener. He shot seven of twelve from deep, hit both of his free-throws, and generally got whatever he wanted on offense. Hugh O’Neil came up with 26 points of his own, plus 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block. O’Neil has dominated inside for several sessions now, but he shot six of nine from three this game. He’s hit a few threes at a decent rate in the past, but if he can add a consistent three-point threat to this team’s offense, he immediately becomes an MVP candidate. Adam Lindhorst added 9 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists, always a steady and reliable player who does everything right. In the same vein, Stephen Tam picked up right where he left off with 6 points and 3 rebounds, plus a team-high 5 assists and a game-high 3 steals. Look for him to be among the league leaders in both of those categories. Shooters Shoot has also added three players for this session, two of whom played well in this game. I watched Eric Savage lead B1 in scoring last session on a god awful team that won 0 games on the season. He was clearly an A level player, and his scoring adds an immediate threat to this team. He finished with 8 points and 9 rebounds, but I was impressed with his 4 assists. In B1, he was looking exclusively for his shot (as he should have, his team was terrible), but he fit seamlessly with this team. Matt Pattyson is another great pickup for these guys after playing with the Mambas last session. He put up 8 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 blocks this game, bringing reliable outside shooting and smart offensive play. His main impact will be on the defensive end, where he’s an absolute menace. He puts up nice stats (2 blocks this game), but his general positioning and strength force opponents into tough shots and make it difficult to find rhythm. Two fantastic pickups for Shooters Shoot, and the fact that they dominated this game without their leading scorer Andrew Jaworski (2nd in MVP race last session) shows just how deep they are. We’ll see if they can overcome their playoff woes this session.

As mentioned, Not A Dime Back destroyed B1 in the fall, and I expect them to be able to compete with any team in A this session. They actually led at the half, but they ran out of gas in the second. Their lack of size also hurt them, but they were missing a big and I fully expect them to adjust quickly. Chris Connor led the way with 21 points, 3 rebounds, and 6 assists. He shot five of ten from three and converted four of his five free-throws, but exceeded his role as a scorer with his game-high 6 assists. NADB is similar to Shooters Shoot in that they have several guys who can go off in any game because of how well they share the ball. Jeff Coulter was the main beneficiary of his team’s passing in this game. Jeff is a fantastic off-ball cutter and finishes well inside, finishing this game with 15 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks. He probably won’t lead them in scoring too often, but he’s always reliable on both ends and will be a consistently great player in this league. Big man Marcus Giese looked sharp offensively against O’Neil with 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks. With the size disadvantage for once, he turned to his mid-range game to maintain his impact. As their only true big man this game, he struggled a bit to guard O’Neil and Reynolds while protecting the paint from drives, but the addition of Kontopidis will take pressure off of him against big teams in this league. Jon Luster put up a double-double with 12 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block, but he struggled this game by his own standards, going two of seven from three. I’m not looking forward to matching up with him next week, because I know he will bounce back immediately and establish himself as one of the top guards in the league and an MVP candidate going forward. Chris Cusano played well in his role with 7 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 4 blocks. He’s not the biggest guy, but his timing and positioning on defense has always been stellar, and his jumper is reliable, too. Mike Synott chipped in 1 rebound and 1 assist, and he’ll have to hunt his shot in this league. He’s an unselfish player who helps their offensive flow by moving the ball, but he’s also a three-point sniper and will need to let it fly to put his team over the top against other top teams.

Game 2: Skelton’s Boys: 53 - Zards: 83

by Devin Quinlin

Zards Back With a Vengeance, Blow Out Skelton’s Boys

Skelton’s Boys is another team who have been cruising through B1 for a while, and just like NADB, they kept this game close, down 30-31 at halftime. I warned them that NADB lost the game in the first 5 minutes of the second half, but the Dan Wohl - Sam Longwell duo was unstoppable and Zards did the exact same thing as Shooters Shoot, and soon enough this game was out of reach.

Zards had an early exit last session, but I would argue their spotty attendance was their biggest detractor after entering the season as the early favorites. Without Longwell and Dan Aronowitz in the semis, they struggled against a much bigger Spida Men team. But, with a full roster, these guys are the favorites to me. Longwell won MVP last session pretty easily, and he picked up right where he left off with 19 points, 5 rebounds, 9 assists, and 1 steal. He shot four of eight from three, and his skill makes you forget about how strong he is on drives to the hoop. His 9 assists was the highest across all games in the opening week. Dan Wohl came into the last session way off, starting off the first few games shooting like 28% from three. Still, he finished third in the MVP race as he found his rhythm, and he was locked in last night. Perhaps the best pure scorer in the league, he finished with 28 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. Five of ten from three, five of six from the line, solid finishing inside, good vision on the break, he can do it all. He’s definitely a league standout and will be looking for that MVP and the championship by the end of the year. Craig Melillo is not an MVP candidate, but he is a damn good player. He applies full-court pressure on defense and an absolute flamethrower on offense. He finished with 16 points on four of five from three, plus 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal. With guys like Longwell, Wohl, and Aronowitz getting a lot of defensive attention, Melillo will get a lot of open looks, and he will make them. Great piece for Zards. Mike Kearney led the league in assists last session, and he runs the point perfectly for these guys. He added 6 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals, knocking down two of three three-point attempts. He and Melillo are an aggressive defensive backcourt with good instincts, and they’ll get in passing lanes and get their team on the break quickly. Dana Flood filled-in for Zards tonight, and he will be joining them full time. He fits perfectly with their team, finishing with 14 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. He’s athletic to the rim and always manages to come up with a monster block every game. He’s a reliable shooter and his high IQ play will get him a lot of steals and easy assists. Zards are back, and they’re ready to go. We’ll see who can top them.

Skelton’s Boys hung around in the first, but they were not ready for the Zards to turn it all the way up in the second half. They definitely have A League level players, but they will need to adjust to the quicker pace in this league, where decisions have to be quicker and you can’t just take guys off the dribble because you’re simply better than they are. It might take them a few games, and going up against Zards is a tough first matchup, but I’m confident they will adjust and stay competitive with most (if not all) teams in this league. Erik Pettit put up 12 points and 8 rebounds on four threes, plus 1 steal. He’s a fantastic shooter, and once he gets his timing he’ll get back to being a three-level scorer instead of shooting deep threes to get his shot off. JP Barrett’s attendance has been questionable at lower level, but he looked the most A League ready this game. He was physical inside and had no problem battling down low, finishing with 11 points and 2 rebounds while hitting one three. They will need his physicality and fearlessness inside going forward. Brendan McNamara also looked ready to go, finishing with 10 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. As their only true big, he will be their most important player in terms of keeping them competitive against the size in this league. Like Barrett, he was physical and finished strong inside, adding a team-high 4 assists as well. Elijah Anderson put up 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 block, and his slow-paced Luka offensive style will adjust to this league quickly. Once he figures out how to get his shot off cleanly, he’ll emerge as their primary offensive threat. Similarly, guards Doug Horan and Travis Sinatro will adjust, Horan taking it strong inside for acrobatic finishes and Sinatro knocking down threes. Horan put up 7 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists while Sinatro chipped in 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, and 1 steal.

Game 3: Bormes’ Disciples: 66 - Spida Men: 55

by Devin Quinlin

Bormes’ Disciples Pull Off Gutsy Upset Against Defending Champs

I didn’t know anyone on the Bormes’ Disciples roster except for Sam Holtze, who had a stellar season with Deuces last session. He finished second in DPOY while facilitating well on a loaded roster. On this team, he is the guy, and he stepped into that role effortlessly. His defensive effort was the same, picking up 2 steals and generally being able to stay in front of anyone, but with more shot attempts, he dominated this game. He put up 26 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist, converting five of his six free-throws and a blistering five of seven from deep, including a deadly three to end the half, giving his team a 33-27 lead that they never surrendered. I’m excited to see what he does week to week as his team’s number 1 option. Jack Beck added 16 points and 3 rebounds. He’s got a quick trigger, going three of nine from deep (which I expect to improve) and three of four from the line, hitting some clutch free-throws to put the game out of reach. Mac Bohuny played well, too, chipping in 8 points, 5 boards, 2 assists, and 1 steal, showing off his athleticism with a strong baseline dunk, while Mike Conlin was a monster inside with 8 points of his own, plus 11 rebounds, and 1 steal. Mike Cerulli only had 4 points, but at his size I haven’t seen many players that athletic. He contributed 12 rebounds (6 each way), a game high 5 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. He’s like 5’8 and was soaring over Spida Men’s bigs to grab offensive rebounds, and he limited Jamal Brown to just 13 points. He and Holtze will be a brutal defensive backcourt to face. Will Jackowitz was a solid defensive presence inside, finishing with 3 blocks and altering plenty of shots as well. He hit one three and grabbed two rebounds as well. Charlie Mather chipped in 2 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals. Bohuny, Conlin, Jackowitz, and Mather shot a combined one of ten from three, but also have solid form and I expect them to hit a few more shots as they get into a rhythm as a team. Bormes’ Disciples are definitely an undersized group, but their effort, shooting, and savvy play will make them a contender against every team in this league.

Last season, the Spida Men finished as the 6 seed with a 4-5 record, but upset their way into a championship win. Their talent and chemistry is unquestionable, though they often underperform in the regular season. Still, as the defending champs, you have to give them the benefit of the doubt even with a lackluster performance in week 1. Jamal Brown put up 13 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals. He was definitely not expecting the excellent defense of an undersized team, but you have to give Bormes’ Disciples credit here. Still, Jamal is one of the best players in the league, and I expect him to go on a tear in the coming weeks. Tim Gallivan added 11 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks, though he only shot one of four from deep. Gallivan is a versatile stretch big who is a force in the paint defensively and can do it all on offense, and he pairs well with Danny Martin Jr. He actually arrived on time for this game, but an early start had him walking in the gym after the tip-off, which is definitely a disadvantage in terms of warming up and getting pre-game shots up. Going forward, game times may be changing slightly to adjust to the five game schedule, but the refs and I will make sure games start at the scheduled time from here on out, though we encourage everyone to arrive as early as possible to be ready to go for tip-off. Martin Jr. only had 5 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 blocks, but he’s still one of the best players in this league even at his age. I fully expect him to bounce back next game and have another elite session. Hallvard Lundevall is an explosive player with the skill to match, finishing with 10 points, 11 rebounds, and 1 steal. He can outjump almost anyone, but shot one of four from three and one of three from the line, but he’ll pick it up. Billy Battaglia and Nick Mazzeo are both excellent shooters and capable playmakers as well, with Mazz putting up 6 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 steal, hitting a three and converting an and-1, while Billy chipped in 5 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists. He shot one of six from three, which will undoubtedly improve over the session. Tough game for Spida Men, but I’m confident they will be ready to bounce back. Credit to Bormes’ Disciples, who have put the league on notice.

Game 4: West Coast Elite: 96 - SYTMTAC: 78

Game 5: Take the Under: 57 - Cobras: 64

by Devin Quinlin

Cobras Pull Out Sloppy Win Against Take the Under

Cobras are back with some returning players and some new additions as well, and they pulled out a win in our final game of week 1. They led 31-28 at the half, and controlled the second half to secure the victory.

Warfa Abdillahi led the way for the Cobras. Always a scoring threat, Warf put up 17 points, 7 boards, 4 assists, and 3 steals. He shot three of eight from deep and will be hunting his shot all session, taking on any and all defenders. Chris Cardoso played a strong game with 10 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block, leading both teams in assists and using his long frame to disrupt on defense and maneuver his way to easy finishes on offense. He missed all four of his threes, but I expect him to be a huge piece for them. Mike Gillespie added 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 assist, and he’s another guy who will be huge for them. He’s an explosive scorer who can hit the three, get to the rim, and consistently make his free-throws (four for four this game). Gabe Granberry was a force inside late in the second half, finishing the game with 8 points, 4 boards, 1 steal, and 1 block while shutting down any interior threat in the last 3-4 minutes. Jamal Fiin chipped in 7 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks, bringing his usual defensive intensity and pushing his team out in transition. Kevin Querusio and Carter Burruss put up 6 points each, with Querusio hitting two threes and grabbing 3 rebounds, while Burruss added 3 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block and threw down two thunderous dunks in transition. It’s one thing to dunk, it’s another thing to get your whole hand above the rim and have the ball bounce out to halfcourt after it goes through the hoop. I will not be jumping with him, but I’m sure someone will. Good luck with that.

Take the Under is another new team this session, and they kept the game close until the final minutes. Captain Nick Pellegrini was operating down low, finishing with 16 points on layups and hook shots, plus 7 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal. He’s strong and showed great touch. Stephen Valacer is another guy who moved up from B1 last session, and he’s another guy who belongs in A. He put up 13 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals while hitting two of his three shots from downtown. He’s a reliable player who almost never makes mistakes and is a great slasher. He had some strong finishes, but his passing is the best part of his game and he’ll be their primary playmaker this season. Matt Kroll added 12 points and 2 rebounds, hitting four of his eight threes and looking like their primary outside threat. Their other outside threat is Kordell Harris, whose lightning quick release led him to 9 points on three of eight shooting, plus 2 assists and 2 steals. Mike Wing hit a three to finish with 5 points and 4 rebounds, Joe Drost added 2 points, 6 boards, and 1 assist, while Sam Wamakima chipped in 4 rebounds. Corey Huerfano was a beast inside with 12 rebounds (7 offensive) and 2 assists. I’m honestly not sure what to expect from Take the Under this session, but they have some good players and look promising defensively. I’m excited to see where they end up.

By Devin Quinlin

Game 1: Treys For Days: 50 - Intramural Heroes: 68

Intramural Heroes Come Out Firing in Week 1 Win

Intramural Heroes make a Week 1 statement with a convincing 18 points win against Treys for Days. The big man combo of Cedric White and Tim Gallivan led the way on both ends, with other guys playing their roles well for a well-rounded team effort. White finished with a game high 25 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal on five of ten shooting from three. His jumper from deep and the midrange was automatic all game, including a devastating four bucket run late in the first half that essentially sealed the game. Gallivan put up 22 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block, converting both of his free-throw attempts and hitting two of five from deep. His length underneath makes him a menace on both sides of the ball, but his reliable three-pointer makes him one of the most versatile players in this league. Expect plenty of double-doubles from him this season. Ian MacLean added 14 points, 4 boards, 4 assists, and 3 steals as the third scoring option. He showed a nice outside shot (three of six from three), but was quick to the basket as well. He used that same quickness on defense, cutting guys off on the drive and picking up 3 steals. James Levine added 4 steals of his own, and while he couldn’t find his shot, he did everything else to finish with 7 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists (game high), and 4 steals. His unselfish play got his team plenty of open looks and kept everyone involved. Nick Weber didn’t score, but also made a strong impact with 5 rebounds (3 offensive), 3 assists, 1 steal, and 3 big blocks. His defensive effort was impressive.

Treys for Days were without their two best players in Wes Schroll and Dana Flood, and while they fought hard, they couldn’t keep up offensively. Kevin LaFrancis played well, putting up a team high 15 points and 7 rebounds, hitting five of seven free-throw attempts. Luke Davidson showcased his athleticism and strength to finish with 12 points, all on drives to the hoop. He added 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block. Captain Kevin McGovern chipped in 7 points, 5 boards, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. He always plays well, but never takes enough shots for a shooter of his caliber. George Thissell and Mike Thorsen added 6 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 steal each, with Thissell scoring inside and Thorsen hitting two threes, the only guy other than McGovern to hit a three for them. Thorsen added 2 assists as well, but Treys for Days will need to step up their three-point shooting to keep up with the scoring prowess of some of the other teams in this league.

Game 2: Mid-Range Magicians: 55 - Mainely Love: 65

Mainely Love Pull Away in Second Half to Secure Win

Heading into halftime down 35-39, Mainely Love stepped up to control the second half, hitting some clutch shots and bringing the defensive intensity to ultimately come out with the win. Harrison Taggart came into the game with minimal warmup and was a bit shaky at first, but quickly established himself as the best player on the court. He put up 24 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 steal, shooting four of seven from three and four of six from the line. He’s an effective three level scorer and made some good reads out of the pick and roll as well. James Morse also played well, finishing with 17 points on two threes and five of five from the FT line, while adding 2 rebounds, a game high 4 assists, and 1 steal. He did well to control his team’s offensive attack and found his guys for some nice buckets throughout the game. Big man Tom Palleschi contributed well, too. He added 14 points, 7 boards, 2 assists, and 2 blocks, dominating the block while also showing some versatility by hitting a three and taking guys off the dribble. Matt McDonough added 5 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block, but he’s a strong, explosive player who will bounce back offensively. Gabe Balzano-Brookes hit a three, grabbed 5 boards, and added 1 assist and 2 steals for a solid contribution, while CJ Jordan was all over the court, putting up 2 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, and 3 steals and making his presence felt underneath on both ends.

The Mid-Range Magicians were up at the half and generally played pretty well, but couldn’t hold on at the end. Clifford Bouchereau was the guy on offense, finishing with 18 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block on a blistering four of five from three. His jumper is smooth and he’s strong inside. James Smith added 9 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 steal on an efficient three of five from deep. Look for him to be a three-point threat all season. Zack Zahner put up 7 points and 2 rebounds, and while he missed some shots, his quick mid-range pull up is hard to stop, and I see him bouncing back in the coming weeks. Captain Giannis Valoumas put up 6 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, and 1 steal, all three of his buckets on shifty moves to get to the hoop or hit a mid-range jumper. He played the point steadily, but could be more aggressive with his shot. Andrew Bogut King battled hard inside with 6 points, 7 boards, and 1 steal, while Max McKee chipped in 5 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal. 

Game 3: Men’s League: 58 - FCHWPO: 57

Men’s League Pull Out the W on Game Winner at the Buzzer

In a close battle all game, Men’s League was down 29-30 at the half and kept the game close until the end. A Johnny McCarthy three ball put FCHWPO up 57-56 with about 10 seconds left, but Men’s League quickly got the ball up court and called a timeout at half court to advance the ball with about 8 seconds left. Men’s League got the ball to their leading scorer on the left wing, and Tyler Seibring hit a contested stepback in the midrange as the buzzer sounded to secure the win for his team. Seibring finished with a 17 point, 10 rebound double-double, plus 2 assists and 1 steal. He hit two of his four threes and three of his four FTs, finishing well inside and showcasing a smooth jumper all game. Charlie Bagin also played well, putting up 15 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, and 4 steals, shooting three of six from downtown. He scored the ball well, but his smart, steady play led his team’s offensive pacing and kept them in the game when FCHWPO made a second half run. Captain George Schultz put up 14 points on four threes, plus 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal. His quick jumper makes him a weapon from anywhere inside of halfcourt. Matt Goodwin added 6 points, 5 boards, and 1 steal, and Josh Salter chipped in 5 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist.

FCHWPO played well, but struggled from three and missed too many free-throws to secure the win. Johnny McCarthy missed a few shots early, but quickly got it going to finish with 20 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block. He shot three of five from three (really four of six but the court is small so foot on the line in the corner), but only one of three from the FT line. Still, his clutch shot at the end and his general play stood out this game. Eric Sellew also stood out, putting up 14 points, 16 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals, and 3 blocks. Talent-wise, Sellew is as good as anyone in the league. His size and length are unstoppable on the defensive end, but he needs to be more assertive on offense. I don’t see anyone stopping him if he bullies his way inside. Xander Kirshen added 10 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 blocks, while John Mulligan and Aidan Cyr added 6 points each. Mulligan added a steal, but missed all of his three point attempts, while Cyr added 5 boards, 2 assists, and 1 steal, but shot four of eight from the FT line. Meech Ramirez added 1 point and 3 rebounds in the loss. As a team, FCHWPO shot three of eleven from deep (all three by McCarthy) and ten of twenty-three from the free-throw line. I expect these guys to be one of the better teams in the league, and see them bouncing back offensively next week.

Game 4: Bears: 74 - Hartbreakers: 83

Hartbreakers Overcome Gritty Bears Team

The Hartbreakers are back looking to return to B1 glory and secure another championship, and are off to a good start with their Week 1 win over the Bears. They were up 40-33 at the half, and held off a strong Bears run to win 83-74 at the end. Devin Jensen is, without a doubt, the best player in this league, and he showed why from the start. Jensen put up 30 with 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block. He shot six of nine from three (nice) and four of five from the line (his ‘miss’ was a lane violation on a teammate), and generally got whatever he wanted on offense. He even hit his signature bank shot three from the right wing, the ultimate form of basketball disrespect. There are other impressive players in this league, and I’m excited to see those matchups as the season progresses, but for now Jensen is the runaway MVP. It helps having other guys on your team who can play, and the Hartbreakers have no shortage. Tucker Landy put up 14 and 8, plus 3 assists and 1 steal with his usual efficient, well-rounded play. He’ll be a top player all season, as will teammate Sam Dowden. Dowden put up 13 points, 9 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block, and while he missed all his threes, that will likely change in future games. Tim DeMatteo put up 10 points and 5 rebounds, always reliable on defense and strong down low and in the midrange. Sean Dempsey and Oliver Hart each had two threes to finish with 8 points, with Dempsey adding 2 rebounds and 2 assists and Hart chipping in 4 boards and 3 assists. Given that Phil wasn’t even here, this team looks dangerous, but as always, the biggest issue for them is attendance.

Bears were outsized here, no other way to put it. I expected them to get blown out, but these guys came to play. They can shoot, move the ball well, and get after it on defense. Danny Shapiro only got better as the game progressed, leading his team with 22 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. He hit a few threes, but his midrange jumper in transition was perfect. By the time the Hartbreakers started to focus on him, it was too late. Will Ross was hot as well, hitting four of his first five threes in the first half. He finished with 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 assist, and played most of the game going hard on both sides of the ball. Look for him to be a sniper all year. John Bolland also had a well-rounded game with 17 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal. He was strong inside, but showed some finesse on his jump shot as well. His 4 assists tied for a team high, along with Sam Blomberg and Jake Thompkins. Blomberg was impressive at the point guard spot, adding 11 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 steal, and he also drew a charge in the second half, a category in which he now leads the league. Thompkins couldn’t find his shot this game, but put up 4 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals in addition to the 4 assists. I expect him to bounce back and be a shooting threat as well. The Bears might be undersized, but they were missing a few big guys, and they also have the best (and only) coach in the league in Jason Behrens, who, despite not playing finished with 2 fouls (no one will foul out in the regular season, but once playoffs start we will not be assigning fouls randomly to keep guys in the game). Behrens called a killer second half time-out and was active with the substitutions in the first half, but his energy was down in the second half. Hopefully he’ll bounce back for his guys next week.

Franchise League Week 1 Write-ups

Game 1: Hart Foundation vs $1 for All and All for $1
By THE KING

I didn’t have high hopes coming into this game, with Ouellette and Gold being out for Keith’s team. The spread felt the same way as it was deep in the double digits, with HF giving a whole lot of points and rightfully so. HF, had everyone show up for them, while Keith’s team ended up missing Jamaal too and needed Devin to fill-in the entire game. That seemed like an upgrade for Keith, but would it matter. TO THE ACTION!

Boy, did this game suck for the first 10 minutes (and then the following 30), with both teams, but especially Keith’s team struggling to get going. Rookie Tyler Young put on the kind of shooting display captain’s see in their nightmares when drafting a rookie, as he went 0 for 5 from deep in the first half. His shot didn’t look too bad, but it was wayyyy off in this game. DTO and Keith weren’t much help either, as they combined to go 1 for 7 from 3. Keith claims he can shoot 3s, but my eyes and the stats say different. The only one who looked ok, was the one guy not on the team.

On the other side of the court, HF looked pretty lackadaisical themselves, turning the ball over a bunch in the first half. Although, JDM continued his torrid pace from last season, registering a first half double-double and leading all scorers by far, with 16 first half points. The good passing of this team continued as well with multiple guys dishing out at least 2 assists. Something I love seeing from teams. Move that rock people and everyone eats.

HF went into the half with a commanding and insurmountable 34-21 lead. Both teams looked like trash and I wanted to cancel the game here, but I was told we had to play a second half. BACK TO THE ACTION!

At some point in this half, JDM was assaulted by Devin and that put a stop to his good game. To the surprise of no one, that kind of halted HF’s offense in the second half. Armstrong looked like he lost all his powers the mullet gave him. He wasn’t efficient at all from deep and didn’t get anything going on the inside either. These guys only had 23 second half points, which considering their opponent is pretty fucking awful. Leblanc was the only bright spot with 8 second half points. WOOF! 

Of course HF’s putrid offense was nothing compared to the continued bag of crap from Keith’s team who kept shooting 3s no matter how many they bricked. Rookie Young, would post another 0 for 5 from deep and Keith added an 0 for 4 in this half as well. At least Keith was able to show some sort of a pulse down low and get to the line. Devin, also caught the disease of 3-pointers from his teammates and went 0 for 5 himself in the second half. If you’re counting at home that’s three players combining to go 0 for 14 from deep. YUCK! 

This game took the form of the worst kind of pick-up game late and merifully Marlon called it with a minute and a half left. No one came out the better from this game.

Grades

Keith D+: Keith told anyone who would listen how good he was and that depth didn’t matter, then he laid this egg week 1. 

DTO C+: I guess he played ok, but I barely noticed him in this game.

Young D: There’s no way to spin going 0 for 10 from 3 with zero points.

Devin B-: Decent fill-in job with no notice of playing.

Hart Foundation:

JDM A: He was great until he got hurt, then did nothing, but he didn’t need to, so why push yourself?

Brett  C-: Brett was pretty mediocre out there, he should start trying to grow back that mullet ASAP.

Chas C+: Not a bad Chas game, but he was struggling a bit with pressure when bringing up the ball. Something to take note of.

Leblanc B+: Solid debut from Leblanc, who I’ve lowered my expectations for, so this is now a good game.

JJ C+: Not too shabby, but I’d like to see at least one first half stat.
Craig A+++: Not for his performance, but for getting himself into a lot better shape. What a stud he’s looking like now.

by CHAS
Game 2

STAT vs Get that D

Liam ripped off 5 pts in about 30 sec, and Harry's Team jumped out 5-0 18min. Joel added another J, but Landon got a middy to go 7-2. Ini scoop /Civale 3/Liam 3 it was an ugly 15-4. Nair in the building now but Harrys team still working, Ini O board put in 17-4. Joel and J.Mul trade J's 19-6. Nair and Mulville both got floaters to go, but Liam kept pace with a drive. Lando put in, Nair trey ball, then Nair powers in for a post bucket, and then he cashed a J, followed by another Landon J wow what a run 24-21. They were not done Stat trey $ we were tied, but a Shaffer 3 ball at the buzzer gave Harry the edge 27-24. 

Joel picked up where he left off and splashed a 3 29-24. J.Mul orb and then J, but Joel so hot right now hits another 3 32-26. Mulville put in but there goes Joel again for 3 35-28.Stat Drive but , yup its a theme Joel canned another 3 off Harry dime 38-31 16 min to go ! J.Mul hits J, but Harry hits the captain J47-33. Nair bucket off cut, Mulv J, Nair high off the window, Mulvil 3,  what a run but after an Ini up n under it was 49-42.. Stat 3 ball was up and good, he liked that so much he hit another 3, and then Nair wanted to be cool so he hit a 3 they had the lead 51-49!! Liam hits both ft's to tie it at 51 all. Harry had a big stop on Stat, and then Liam with a filthy take for the lead. Nair calmly cashed a J to tie things. Stata converts a big time drive , J.Mul steal, Lanon ft's and that's all she wrote. What a comeback ! 

Stats Team 

Stat-A-) He had some defensive lapses but man were those 3's and drive huge. His motor was very good this game. 

MulVille-B- Quiet but solid game, hustled hard on the boards and converted tough buckets in the lane. 

J.Mul-C+- Little quiet in his Franchise return , getting settled in with his new squad. had a big steal at the end.

Landon-B- I thought he was solid with made the most of his minutes/opportunities. 

Nair-A-) Really came in a provided some real fire power. Gota love the 3 blcks/ 3 steals as well 

Get That D 

Harry-B-) Not much stats, but I thought he played well. Big D in a huge spot, just couldn't get his guys to close out, or that's what he said. 

Ini-B-) he was good very quiet in the 2nd half. needs to be the alpha on this squad. 

Shaffer-A-) Was red fire hot, but had some big defensive lapses down the stretch. 

Civale-D- He knows it was bad 

Liam-A- best 1$ player ever 

Game 3

Mac vs Mazz

Sexy Tities got us started going 1-2 from the line. Mazz splashed a 3 , got get out on that 3-1 18 min. Cawley J, but Tits high off glass. Koller lost by the D gets an easy bucket 5-5 16 min. Tits with a dime to Mac, and then Mac by himself to the cup 9-5. Mazz keeping his team in it with the trey 9-8. Cavano answers with a  3 of his own, and then Koller liked that so much he swished a trey ball, he would add a running basket, then a middy, and then a post bucket it was 21-9 wow! Willy Aleen would get on the act nailing two deep ass 3 balls 27-14 after a Cawley bucket stops the floodgates. Tits, and Evan traded buckets , but Corp could not afford to trade, as they do it again after buckets from Cawley, and Mac. Mals would cap off the impressive half with a buzzer-beating 3 it was an ugly 38-21 at the half. 

Koller picked up where he left off going 2-2 40-21. Mazz found Luigi with a  dime, Cawley to the cup for a mini run, Evan hits a 3 after a Willy bucket 43-29. Mac/Cawley trade buckets. Cavano J , but Mazz's team still fighting Luigi obrd put in /Cawley j 47-35. Koller would go on a 6-0 run pretty much putting this one away, Mazz's team would get with in 11 but this one was over 69-56. 

Mac's Team 

Cavano-B- He was solid, finding his role on his team, I expect even more production. 

Titts-B-) Didnt score it a ton, but he was a terror on D, his hustle was awsome

Mac-A- One of the best players of the night. Was dominant on both ends 

Koller-A- Ditto Mac, if they play like this going to be nearly impossible to beat then. 

Willy-B- rock solid rookie debut , loves the deep 3!

Mal-A++++++++_ Legend get better, and get back and kick our ass! 

Corp

Mazz-C+- Prolly would have been a lower grade but Mazz never gave up despite the tough game, he had 4 blocks and was coaching hard. 

Sydorko-B-) Alays brings a strong effort, thought he was rusty on both ends tonight

Evan-B- Thought he was to quiet on D, thought he rebounded and shot well though. 

cawley-C+- Scored well, but rebounding was lacking alot

Drew-D- Come on man !! to many turnovers, he will have better nights. 

Luigi-B-) Thought he hustled well, kinda a bright spot for them

Game 4 

Rosi vs Talbot

Grant trey ball master nails a 3 right out of the gate 3-0. Hardin smooth as butter J 3-2. Frongi converts Harding dime 4-3 18:30. Talbot nice drive, but Frongi crispy from 3, and then adds scoop shot 9-5. Rosi kept it going with a deep trey11-5 16 min mark. Harding 2-2 , but Divine in action with a post bucket 13-7. Harding 2-2 again 15-7. Talbot filthy drive, but Rosi answers with a  J. Grant 3 ball its goodTalbot would splash 3 straight 3's suddenly his squad was up 21-18 7 min. Harding answered with a sick jumper 21-20. Walker with the big boy move in the post, but Frongi lined up a 3 and it was good, followed by a Rosi and 1 nice push from them 25-23 after missed ft. Harding pushed the lead to 4 with a  smooth J, and then Jakobson got in on the act with 2 broken play layups. t the break it was 31-24. 

Frongi and 1 to start half to put them up 10, but Grant canned a 3 to keep pace.

Grant would add a finish off the window, Divine J lead was cut to 36-31. Jakobson ended the mini run with a hoop. Talbot wasn't done as he drove in, and then Divine in the post 38-36 13 min to go in the ball game. Dive post, talbot drive thy had the lead 40-36. Momentum was swinging and swung hard as Kerk the Man lined up deep from 3 and it was a big one. Rosi squad could not recover, as Walker started pounding them in the post, they would get it to with in 7 , but that's all she wrote. Team talbot shuts everyone up 55-47. 

Team Rosi

Rosi-C-) Not sure I've seen him play this inefficiently before, very weird game from him. 7 dimes is nice though.

Harding C-)-Kept them in it, but seemed to be rushing a lot. When he uses his smoothness he's great but got flustered tonight 

Frongi-B-) Started well but kinda disappeared 

Stull-C- Hustled hard had a dime, he will have better days

Jakobson-C+- Got buckets but got roasted in the post. 

Team Talbot

Talbot-A+- He plays this this they are a true contender

Divine-B- took him awhile but when he got working int he post it was the key

Grant-A-) Provided scoring and 7 dimes, very impressive 

Kerk-B-Did his big man thing, and hit the game changing 3 

Orlinksi-C-He hsutled hard , not much on the stat sheet. 

Walker-C+- He was good at the end, but they ill need more. 

OLD Preview

by CHAS

Holy moly a new year, and a new CAC session, we got the fireworks started early. Even before the draft the cap’s where wheeling n dealing, Harry and I struck an excellent deal, and Joel was hot on the phones making a deal with S.Mul/and Skelley which passed along the number 1 pick which usually does not get traded, just a stupid start, more insanity to come. 

Pick : 1 Skelley Takes Gold: Skelley was not fucking around, and made damn well sure he could run the core of his Tuesday team back. I love it, go get you’re guys, and he gets The Golden One, look for him to come in with an extra large chip on his shoulder, teams better be ready. Grade:A:

Pick: 2 Harry Takes Cawley: Harry like me likes playing with certain guys , and Cawley is right up there on the tipp top of his list. Good trade for Harry good trade for me, as Harry gets his defender/scorer versatile star Grade:A-)

Pick 3 Joel Takes Cavano: Did I talk about insanity , I love Cavano I really do, but I would take Casey here, it was a no brainer. Doesn’t kill Joels team they are top 3 but wasn’t one of the favorite picks here.Grade: B-)

Pick 4 Randal Takes Arria: I get it, he’s you’re cousin, TRADE and get the value you baby. Arria is tremendous, but trade and get hmi multiple weapons, got a dock the grade for lack of hustle haha. Grade:D

Pick 5 EJ Takes Casey: No one has ever accused slick of being sane, but man was this a great move to get the best player at pick fucking 5, Grade A fucking +

Pick 6 Scott Takes J.Mul: Brotherssssssssss, I got so scared he was stealing Weinstein from me, but he doesn’t commit brotherly treason, and gets a big man that seems to be getting better every game. Grade: B+)

Pick 7 Chas takes Weinstein: yuppppppppppp, everyone prob assumed when I didn’t just take Casey what I was doing , part one of my plan check! Grade:A

Pick 8 Hanks Takes Kap-Playoff game or no  playoff game this was a great fucking pick here  gets the best leader in the league Grade:A

Pick 9 Hanks Takes Irvine-That big player rater was attractive, especially the O boards, people thought this was early but Kap will get the best out of a guy like this, we shall see Grade B-

Pick 10 Chas Takes Evan- step 2 checkkkkkkkk, sexxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, Grade A

Pick 11 Ej takes Civale- mann going to be hard to outscore this team. gonna need to step his game on D but there’s was right where he should have went Grade B:

Pick 12 Joel Takes Dany- They get their floor general, this was great pick, Dany is a bulldog Grade-A)

Pick 13 Joe Takes Lagno- Did this work last session ? Maybe Joe just want to have fun, and say fuck it , there were some nice bigs on the board here, this was one of my least favorite picks here. I love Paul but I would have taken Bohnaker/matty O easy here Grade D)

Pick 14 J.Mul takes Kielley- I love Kielley , made it to the ship wit him, but I think there were better options here, gives them crazy size but presents other issues Grade C-)

Pick 15 Harry takes Matty O-  This was a fuckign steal, one of my favorite picks. Matty gonna turn heads, Cawley/Matty is versatile and dangerous ! Grade A)

Pick 16 Skelley Takes Dunton-Could have traded here I thought, but like me man on a mission to run it back Grade C+

Pick 17 Scott Takes  Cody- I was very intrigued by this man, heard good things, will he bring the ball handling? looks like he’s a walking bucket though Grade:B

Pick 18 Chas Gets Bohnaker- step 3 check, we did it !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just to play with these guys again is like winning the ship all over again Grade A+

Pick 19 Joel Takes Frongi- I did not think frongi or Bohnaker would still be here, great freaking pick. Versatility passing leadership all check the box Grade A

Pick 20 Randal Takes Murphy- I Understood this pick, gun to my head I would have taken B.Robb here, but he needed a big man, and Murphy provides just that Grade B

Pick 21 Skelley Takes Worth-Runback complete !!I thought Worth got better each week, he will need to take another rleap for this team to contend , can he do it Grade B

Pick 22 Ej Takes B.Robb-Thought this was an absolute steal here, EJ doing great things, gets his concrete block 3 pt shotting, rebounding machine Grade A

Pick 23 Chas Takes Goldensthein- I had this man circled, I think he is going to be very good for us. Bring toughness and defensive versatility, lets partyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy Grae A-)

Pick 24-25 Hanks Takes Calderan/Luigi- Hanks gets the most improved player of the year in Paul, he will be another solid facilitator guy who can stretch the floor Grade B+- Sanon -Ive heard some things, hustles hard and is a big man that Kap can coach up Grade C

Pick 26 Harry Takes Ian- Loving this draft by Harry, ian could have went 5 picks before this. Gets the iQ vet Grade A

Pick 27 Scott Takes Clarke- Clarke is a hustker banger, didn’t you have enough already, I would have taken RiverDinero here Grade C-)

Pick 28 Joel Takes Staiger –  Joel gets his buddy, its all about the love man, grab you’re guys Grade B

Pick 29 Randal takes Butter- Joe dot hate me, I didn’t like this pick, /carlosDanner/eloi would have helped more I think Grade C-)

Pick 30 Scott Takes Bonvie-I to remember Bonvie wet from 3 but couldn’t move the best its been 10 years since then so we shall see. Grade C

Pick 31- Harry Takes River-God dammit harryyyyyyyyyyyyy, what a steal he gets MR.ROLLMEDOWNTHERIVERDINERO what a Chasmanian maniac he is Grade A

Pick 32- Skelley Takes Pizza- Guess Skelley missed when Pizza said he’s coming back from an Achilles, I LOVE PIZZA though for the vibes alone Grade C

Pick 33 EJ Takes Danner –Yiu had to make that trade with scott and take my guy haha, great defender gets super hot from 3 Grade A

Pick 34- Chas Takes Eloi-Love this dude, Me and him always respected eahcoters games, he hits 3’s, but the most underrated part of his game is his passing dude can dime peeps up!!! Grade A-)

Pick 35 Joel Takes Stull-good pick here, will hit 3’s hustle his butt off, and provides goot bball IQ Grade B

Pick 36 Joe Takes Zeng- No idea here 

Pick 37 Skelley takes Lindsey- Love the Lindsey man!!!! Grade B

Pick 38- Ej gets Amir-I was strongly considering Amir at 33 so this has to be another Grade A, what a draft fore EJ!

Pick 39 Harry gets Carey-A++++++++++++++++++ SEXXXX, god I love this guy , hit 6 3’s in the playoffs!

Pick 40-Hanks takes Cohen -?????????/

Power Rankings

8. Randal – don’t punch me please

7. Skelley- Bulintin board rankings for them. Lot to prove here on Mondays

6.Hanks- I question how patient Kap will be with coaching these new guys up. Could be great could be really a tough situation

5.Scott- This team is either going to be friggin nasty or have some serious issues. i cant even tell right now haha 

4. Harry-Love this teams verstality 

3.Joel- This team is a true contender, going to be hard to matchup with for anyone. 

2. Ej- Could not have drafted better IMO

1. Chas- gota knock us off. We ready!!

by CHAS

Here we go boys, the league has a real scribeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, and it’s me Chasito, The Chasmanian Devil!!!!!! Gonna try and bring some fire, and excitement to the coverage, as this league was straight-Sex last session, and it’s what you great players deserve !! I will start us off with a segment I like to call, The bad/ugly/Good/Sexy.

Team Xavier :Landon/Nair/J.Mul/Paul/Mullvill 

The Bad: Does anybody see a Pg here? The O, might be quite gross at times. Lagno will have to develop some P-n roll skills on this team as he has 4 big men to work off, which I have never really seen him do. The spacing could become a real issue, as these guys try and figure out where/how they fit. 

The Ugly: This team is really deep, and stocked full of guys who are used to playing solid minutes, will they 1st be ok with limited rolls/less shots, and 2nd will their play be hurt by lack of flow/comfortability?Is Nair ready to be a true number 1 in a league more competitive than the SDL?

The Good: Size might lead to spacing issues, but it also may lead to a ton of 2nd chance opportunities and easy buckets, mismatching all dat jazz. I love the 3 point-shooting variety of Nair/Lagno/J.Mul/ Mullvill, this team could beat anyone if they are feeling it from beyond the arc.

The Sexy: Have you guys ever seen Xavier’s wardrobe, straight GQ pretty boy swag this man def fucks, hide you’re wives. Def sowing up to the 1st game in His peacoat and scarf just to intimidate us! Rookies are also sexy, the new guy on the street Nair/j.Mul will have a lot of eyes on him as well. 

Team Shaffer: Harry/Kap/Civale/Ini/Liam

The Bad: Obvi kap missing the playoff game is no Bueno, and this team looks like they really need him, which most teams would need their floor general. This team only poses a minimal threat from trey ball land, if Civale/Kap are off gonna makes it really hard for them to win the game. I love my man Harry but I think he is going to find himself in some tough matchups in this deep league, how will he adjust and use his IQ remains to be seen. 

The Ugly: You up bid my man Evan so I can’t get him, then trade him, that is as ugly as it gets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ruining dreams!! Also when Harry played in sneakers without socks when he plays ball, holy fuck………………..holy fuck, I think this happened once but I never forgot, never !!!!. This is a dead horse issue but Civale must be engaged on the D end, or Kap/Harry are going to show an ugly side, which could lead to team issues. 

The Good: All very smart players on this squad, and they will really need to use that IQ, a lot to figure out, but I think if any group of guys can get the most out of themselves it may be this one. Love the defensive versatility of Liam/Joel/Ini/Kap could really disrupt the other team’s game plan. I don’t think I have seen a team with Kap not be top half of the league so history is on their side here. 

The Sexy: You ever look at Joels Shaffers Instagram, this dudes life is lavishhhhhhhhh, he travels the world, hits up raves, and almost has weekly heart attacks from red bull and vodka’s , my man out here living that sexy life. In my eyes, Defense is the sexiest thing in the world, and Harry has quite of few studs on that end, they gonna be in rock fights, and an ugly game is always sexy to me. 

Team Talbot: Dierkshied/Divine/Kerk/Walker/Orlinski 

The Bad: Losing Kraft to this squad could prove to be very costly. As volatile as he was when he was right he was a real difference-maker and quite the athlete. I see some issues with the 3 ball on this squad as well, might allow teams to pack the paint, and only lock in focus on Derkshied who is wettt! I like this team I don’t love this team, so I think they battle but come up short on most nights. 

The Ugly: If Walker/Kerk are out they could have some real size issues and could get pounded in the post as some of these teams are enormous. I do see some ugliness potential in their defense, I think they will get buckets, but will give up a bunch as well. 

The Good: If you have Greg Talbot then the team is going to compete at a high level, dude is all balls. Derkshied had his one-year adjustment and now might come to flame us, even more, this session, I love the idea of having the concrete block that is Walker setting screens for him getting him open. 

The Sexy: Kerk is a walking sex machine, and his captain knows, it that’s why he’s always throwing him the big bucks, making sure I can’t get this STUD. Kerk is everything that is sexy about the CAC great teammate/a great dude/ his hustle and energy are unmatched. 

Team Mazz: Cawley/Sydorko/Evan/Luigi /Drew!

The Bad: Not much bad with his squad, but I would say bench happiness, will these dudes be ok with very limited roles, Drew for one expecting to be on the floor contributing could lead to some negative vibes. 

The Ugly: I don’t want to pick on Luigi but he was in both of my drafts so I got a lot of intel on him. I heard he has trouble understanding his role and will force a lot of shots through double teams, which is not going to sit well with strong personalities like Mazz/Sydorko

The Good: mannnnnnn this team is nasty I think. The starting 4 is the strongest in the league IMO and the roles are clearly defined, going to be very hard to knock these guys off. Mazz drawing the D has so many options, he could get the bucket , dump down to Sydorko /hit Evan for trey/ or dime up Cawley on the wing, not going to be easy to deal with. There is defense here as well, Cawley/Evan/Sydorko this team can defend all areas of the court. YIKES!

The Sexy: Everyone knows when I walked in the goddamn door, that I was gonna order some Kodra. He is my basketball husband, and I don’t care how that sounds , actually, I will scream it from the mountaintop. I LOVE EVANNNNNNNNNNNN. 

Team Rosi: Frongi/Harding/Jacobs/Stull/Djorde 

The Bad: Pretty obvious here, bad that they couldn’t run back their ship team, they thought they could when Rosi switched to captain, but the league was smart and ended the run back! This team lacks some bulk outside of my man Djorde could be an issue against some of these bigger teams. 

The Ugly: Can Frongi continue this high level of play ? He was a walking fire ball in the finals, if he takes a step back, I think it could pose some real issues for this squad. The bench could have issues in this deep league especially if Djorde is out. 

The Good: What a fucking duo on Harding/Rosi teams are going to have to really pick their poison. Got the two best pure scorers besides Mazz on one squad, has to be a major strength and trouble for this league. The love the family aspect here, as the bond Rosi/Frongi has is infectious and usually spread great vibes to their squads, such as undervalued thing. 

The Sexy: I was very turned on last session watching Djorde getting my team 2nd chance after 2nd chance, after 2nd chance with his hustle and relentlessness, you give Rosi/Harding 2nd and 3rd chances , it has no choice but to be sexy.  

Team Keith: Gold/Oullette/ Young/David-Tar/ Jamaal

The Bad: I like the team Keith put together, but with his size, and the $$ he had , I expected him to create more mismatches with his team building, but we all have our own style. I don’t know Jamaal at all, but I didn’t love his stats, Young is my size, and David is not much bigger could lead to some very tough matchups, Jet, and me had this issue last session as we were a very small and def lead to some tough moments for us. This team also lacks some rebounding outisde of their cap. 

The Ugly: Ohhhhhhhh man, I am hoping Kieth has turned over a new leaf with his negativity, but he must deal with the ups/downs of the game better. Gold/Oully have strong personalities,and they are not going to be down with that shit. They must stick together or this could be as UGLY as it gets

The Good: That trio oh babbbbbby , I am so excited to watch Gold with some serious weapons at his disposal, Kieth getting him at 26$was such a fucking steal, I misread the market so bad I fully expected him to go for 35+, he will have a chip watch out! The Golden one p n roll with Redbarron causing open looks for automatic 3-ball hitter Oully. Could be the thing to bring this team to the promised land. 

The Sexy: Have you ever seen Kieths filming chops, he brings the SEX to the finals!! this dude is as dedicated to this CAC thing as any of us, and I love it, it’s about making these leagues as fun as possible for the whole community ! Also watching Oully/Gold pure form on those 3 balls is straight beauty whoops I mean Sexy!

Team JDM: Brett/Leblanc/Chas/Craig/JJ 

The Bad: Hard to do this for my own team but here we go. Obviously our team will be much different. My team was enormous in the last session, and now we are not so enormous. Going to take us a while to adjust and figure out the best way to flow/work together with this new open-playing style. Craig going to have to take some big leaps for us, and I am encouraged by this though as he got better every game last session, he’s getting back in shape watch out! JJ and I will have some tough matchups off the bench as this league is this deep and huge. 

The Ugly: Oh man if Craig is out, or gets hurt we got some major size issues. Not going to be easy for us with the bigger teams. We are ready to scrap though! 

The Good: We have a fucking superstar trio of our own. In the finals it was glaring, we needed another 3pts shooter/ and facilitator, and we got both of those things in the man that we call Darth Leblanc. Leblanc is known to get the best out of guys, and if he can get even more out of Brett/JDM that we saw last session, holy fuck we may be cooking with gas! 

The Sexy: First off did you see Hitmans hair cut last session,……….. enough said kid is sex. Have you ever looked into JDM’s eyes?……………..Its like hearing the Beatles for the first time. For real the real sex is that CAC basketball is backkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk, my nipples are cutting glasssss!!!

Team Mac: Koller/Titties/Willy/ Frank/Cavano 

The Bad:  3pts shooting would be an easy thing to question on this team, teams could really pack the paint and make things tough on them. Spacing with also be interesting see how Mac/ Titties cans share the court as they have similar playing style if I can remember , could lead to some cluster fuckiness. 

The Ugly: No true PG, so it may take a few weeks for this team to find rythm/ and nice open looks. I could see them really struggling out of the gate having an ugly start to the session. No idea on willy, he could be ugly there’s no way to tell right now. 

The Good: I think this team will be very underrated on D, I think they can match up with anyone on that end, and that could be the staple of this club. Koller/Chirs are very mobile big me, and I see the getting a ton of transition buckets with all o them running the floor together. 

The Sexy: Koller was a huge part of getting me my 1st ship in like 5 years so he knows I stalk him,………you’re new furniture looks great from your living room window!! When you have Frank Mals on you’re team its going to be a fun awsome session,and that’s pretty darn sexual to me. 

Post Draft Power Rankings That will Make Everyone Mad at me

8.Talbot

7.Harry

6.Kieth

5.Mac

4.Xavier 

3.Hart Foundation

2.Rosi

1. Mazz

FRANCHISE TITLE RANKINGS

by FRONGI

Had trouble sleeping last night and this was rattling around my brain so figured I’d put it out there for the world to see. A ranking of all the Wednesday Franchise (formerly Franchise B) champions. Since Covid there hasn’t been an A draft league which has resulted in this league becoming somewhere between a traditional A and B league. 

13) Winter 2018: Scumbaginario. Rankled last due to one of the all time scumbag draft league moves – bringing in a good rookie with a fake name so other captains wouldn’t know who he was, and signing him on the cheap. Fuck off.

12) Spring 2019: Cream Team 3-6 Cawley/Bernstein/Agozzino/Dennis/Cervini. How did this team win a championship? This is a testament to Cawley, truly. Cinderella run, Cinderella story, but not one of the better champs.

11) Spring 2017: Mean Machine 4-5. McDonald/Coburn/Carlucci/Spaulding/Rubin. Rode defense to a title run in the playoffs. Not the best session talent wise.

10) Spring 2016 Vandelay 5-4: Tenney/McCusker/Frongi/Weindling. And you thought I would be a homer and put my teams near the top! Benefited from Seitz absence in semis, but the other top teams were no joke. Some fun duos in this first Franchise B session. Beat Rosiello/Koller in the finals, but if they hadn’t knocked off Fermon and Cawley for us it may have been a different story.

9) Winter 2017: The Second Coming 6-3. Howard/Bradshaw/Barto/Kari. Best team of a relatively weak session where the top guys were spread out on different teams. Keith could get buckets though. 

8) Winter 2019: Hold my Dirk 6-3 McDonald/Haas/Coburn/Walker/Sheff/Doyle. +10 point differential. Good team, average session for the league. The whole of this team is as better than the sum of its parts. Points off for losing in the first round of the very next session with the EXACT same team. All 6 guys! Plus they had other versions of similar teams one or two other times that also fell short, so can’t bump them up higher then this.

7) Fall 2017: Vandelay Industries 6-3. Koller/Joel Shaffer/Frongi/Jet/Cundall. Benefited from Cavano absence in the finals. Average talent session. Can’t be ranked any higher when I had to drop 30 to win in the finals!

Starting with #6 is where I see a jump in quality.

6) Fall 2019: Basket Cases 5-4 Hof/Koller/Buckley/Cundall/Sheffield. Hof missed a bunch of regular season games, hence the 5-4 record. Supporting cast was a great fit for Hof.

5) Spring 2018: I’m the Kaptain 5-4. Hof/Kap/ Walker/Dennis/Rubin. Barey beat a 3-6 team without McDonald in the finals, as well as other teams knocking off the 9-0 and 8-1 regular season teams. But Kap also dropped 40 to win without Hof in the semis. Very similar to team #6.

These top 4 teams were all very good and the order could be mixed although I am confident in #1.

4) Fall 2018: DXL 9-0. Hof/Cawley/Walker /Dennis/Sisko. Only undefeated champs in league history. Strong team, literally. +10 point differential. Might be getting under-ranked here. They lack a secondary three point threat or a third “scorer” but the results speak for themselves.

3) Fall 2016: Vandelay 8-1. Cawley/Gans/ McCusker/Frongi/Cundall. Dominated the league, beat every team, +13 ppg, beat Rosiello and Fermon in the semis without McCusker. Peak 20’s versions of all players, Gans and McCusker 45% from deep.

2) Spring 2022: Uncle Drew’s Boys 5-5 Hof/McDonald/Cavano/Calderan/DTO. The Tuesday A draft did not return post Covid, leading to the Wednesday Franchise B becoming a tougher league than ever before. This team took down a previously undefeated team with Tenney/Harding which isn’t easy to do. Other champs had better records but in weaker leagues with weaker teams in my opinion. Cavano as a #3 to Hof and McDonald wouldn’t have been possible in the past. Willing to overlook the record a little bit. 

1) Fall 2022: Cavano Soup 6-3. Rosiello/ Ouellette/Cavano/Frongi/DTO. This was the toughest session so far. You had the two headed monster of Brett and JDM, superstar Lisella, deep Kraft&Friends, and the Mazz/Lithio duo. In the past a duo like JDM and Brett or Eric and Ryan would not have had much help, but with the talent this past session both teams had guys who could contribute 1-6. Again, having two top 8 guys plus Cavano just wasn’t possible prior to Covid.

Way Too Early Power Rankings!

The SDL Winter 23 draft has commenced, so it’s time for the Way Too Early Power Rankings. There weren’t many notable fireworks, aside from a forced trade and 2 rookies drafted within the Top 4 picks. 

After last season was dominated by Team Ball (12 – 0), We have 6 new captains, 20 returning players, 3 rookies, and so much more parity in the league. 

I don’t know about your guys, but I am looking forward to seeing what these new guys can do. Moving on, here are your Winter 2023 pre-season Power Rankings.

Power Rankings

6. SHEFFIELD

Gordon shocked the world by drafting rookie Cam Daniels with the 4th overall pick. Admittedly, I did not see this coming, especially with Kevin Devine still available. Nevertheless, their season will hinge on his productivity.

Strengths: 

• Depth – This team has plenty of depth 1 – 6.  Everyone on this team can hoop and understands how to play effective team basketball. 
• Size – In an SDL league devoid of a lot of size, Gordon’s team has plenty of size and length and may be one of the bigger teams in the league. Ghost, Ben, and Sheffield all have the ability to play big. 

Weaknesses: 

• Scoring – Aside from Ghost, I don’t know who will score consistently for this team. Obviously, Cam is the wildcard, so I am optimistic about this point. 
• Cam and Musse Pairing – Musse is most effective with the ball in his hand. He likes to lead and initiate the offense. Can Cam adjust? Is he comfortable playing off the ball? Time will tell. 

Draft Grades

• 4- Cam Daniels B+  – After Jamal and Adwaith were drafted, there wasn’t anywhere close to the equivalent talent on the board. I would’ve gone with Kevin Devine here, but I respect the gamble in hopes of catching lightning in a bottle. 
• 9 – Mike “Ghost” Fraher A – Ghost is an absolute cheat code and was a steal at # 9. He went 8th last season and only led his team to the championship by way of an undefeated season. 12 – 0! 
• 16 – Musse Kassa B+ – Musse is still battling back from a horrific injury. Last session his team finished in last place with a 3 – 7 record. On a positive note, Musse looked better and better as the seasons continued and will be a steal at pick # 16. 
• 21 – Ben Butterworth A – Ben is a massive pain in the ass that’s going to give offensive players fits. His ability to hit the three will stretch the floor and keep defenders honest. 
• 28 – Neil Aggarwal N/A – The forced trade by Balcerzak really benefited and added depth to this team. Neil is a solid two-way player and a great locker room guy. I am disappointed he’s no longer on my team, but I am ecstatic he’s still in the league. 

5. Rakusin 

Steve got off to a fantastic start grabbing Kevin Devine at 5 and Robert Wood with the 8th pick. Emmanuel Okharedia (Tim Hardaway) was a head-scratcher at 17. E-Man is a heck of a player, so don’t get it twisted, but I feel like DTO would have been a better fit with the players he previously drafted. 

While Emmanual isn’t your traditional point guard, he’s a terrific defender that got better as the season went on. If nothing else, he and Steve will have a ton of chemistry as they played together last session. 

Strengths: 

• Balance – This team has a good combination of size and guard play. Steve, Rob, and Kevin are all capable of guarding bigger opponents. While Emmanuel and Cameron will be a fantastic defensive duo at the guard spot. 
• Shooting – Devin, Chris, Cameron, and Rob are all capable scorers. With Kevin in attendance, I don’t think they will have any issues generating offense. 

Weaknesses: 

• Attendance – Kevin has a track record of missing a couple of games per session. Without Kevin in the lineup, this team is mediocre at best. 

Draft Grades

• 5 – Kevin Devine A+ – In my opinion, Kevin was a top 3 player in this draft, so to get him at 5 was an absolute steal. 
• 8 – Rob Wood A – Rob Wood and Kevin Devine are going to be an absolute nightmare in the pick-roll. Rob was a monster last session, despite his team’s struggles, and is primed to be an All-star this session. 
• 17 – Emmanuel Okharedia B – As indicated above, I question how Emmanuel fits on this team. He’s at his best with the ball in his hands. Nevertheless, I know E-Man is a hooper and he will leave it all on the floor. 
• 20 – Cameron Daniel – Cameron is so underrated, I need him on my team next session. I can’t believe he fell to 20! 
• 29 – Chris  Stull A – Potent three-point shooter that will make you pay if you leave him open. Fantastic floor spacer at 29. 

4. Ruff

The are a lot of variables I considered when rankings Ruff’s team. Ruff’s return to CAC basketball after a 3-year hiatus was not as productive as his previous seasons and he really struggled to find his shooting stroke. 

Their success will rely on how effective Ruff and Charles can be on the offensive end. This team has the makeup and depth to be one, if not the best team in this league if Ruff and Charles can be consistent threats offensively.

Strengths: 

• Depth – This team has plenty of depth 1 – 6.  Everyone on this team can hoop and understands how to play effective team basketball. 
• Size – Jorge and Dylan give team Ruff two dynamic bigs and strong rebounders. Both of these guys can score and impact the game on the offensive end in all three phases.
• DTO – David is coming off one of his best statistical CAC seasons and is going to be a highly productive player for them. 

Weaknesses: 

• Scoring – This team has no shortage of depth and talent, but I don’t see a go-to scorer. Charles may fill that role, but offensively I can see this team struggling. 

Draft Grades

• 6 – Jorge Morel A – Best player available without a doubt. Jorge is a defensive nightmare, he has steadily improved offensively every season. In the last session, Jorge was drafted 17, so his improved draft slot is direct evidence of those improvements. 
• 7 – Dylan Costa A – Dylan was more than worthy of a first-round pick. Coming off an All-star season, I think he will mesh well with Ruff and his assortment of guards. 
• 18 – Charles Maneval A – I am not familiar with Charles, but he averaged 21.6 back in 2020. Getting a guy capable of averaging 20+ in the 3rd round 
• 19 – DTO A – David always goes ridiculously low in the draft and I have no idea why. All this dude does is win and work his ass off. 
• 30- Tommy Ng A – Tommy was not the worst player in the draft. His three-point shooting and hardnose defense will set the tone for this team. Tommy is another guy who continues to improve every season and was pretty impactful last season. 

3. SLICK WHEN WET

My tenure with Slick When Wet lasted a whole 10 minutes until Slick “Erik” traded me for Shawn Wise. Once I am healthy, Slick is going to regret this decision. The last time I saw Shawn, I lit his ass up at LA Fitness, but I digress. 

Led by the last session MVP Adwaith Nair this team will be one of the top teams in the league. This team features 3 All-Stars (Alan, Shawn, and Adwaith) and a fantastic supporting cast (Andre, Patrick, and Slick). 

Strengths: 

• 3 Point Shooting – Adwaith, Alan, Slick, and Patrick are all very capable shooters. I wouldn’t be surprised if they averaged a minimum of 30 3-point attempts per game and shoot 35% on average. 
• Adwaith Nair – There are only 3 dudes in the league that can cover this dude one-on-one (Kevin Devine, Jamal, and maybe Lucas). Offensively, this dude definitely has the Mamba mentality and will score effortlessly.

Weaknesses: 

• Size – Shawn is the only real big on this team and I can certainly see them struggling against bigger teams when he’s out of the game. Adwaith can definitely assist here, but it may create potential matchup challenges. 
• Attendance – Adwaith will miss games, so who steps offensively when he’s unavailable? Aside from Alan, I don’t see any other shot creators on this team. Might be an issue, might not. 

Draft Grades

• 2 – Adwaith Nair A+ – Top returning player in the SDL. His play last session motivated Jamal to join, but he’s my MVP until someone proves otherwise. 
• 12 – Shawn Wise B+ – if I was 6” taller, I’d argue I was the better fit, but Slick’s decision to trade for Shawn was a no-brainer with the lack of size available at 12. 
• 14 – Alan Orellana A – They needed a point guard and Alan was clearly the best available player. This league wouldn’t have been the same without him, so with that said, our rivalry will continue. 
• 23 – Patrick Blaikie A – Patrick is an excellent shooter and will fit excellently along this cast of characters. 
• 24 – Andre Jones A+ – Dre is always one of the most productive and underrated players. His Marcus Smart-like style will definitely put him in the running for defensive player of the year. 

2. Rip Hamilton

Kevin lucked out in the draft lottery and earned the opportunity to draft first, there was no doubt in my mind he was taking Jamal Brown first. Admittedly, I am going to miss him officiating my games, but I won’t miss denying his constant requests to play. 

Jamal undoubtedly will be almost impossible to stop and Kevin did an excellent job surrounding him with impact players. I think Ian Murphy was a draft steal, I’d argue he’s a top 3 big man in this league.

After a somewhat forced trade, our team looks extremely different than draft night, but I truly believe we will be one of the top teams in the league when it’s all said and done.

Strengths: 

• Scoring – Barring any unforeseen attendance issues,  Jamal,  Ian, Kevin, and I have the potential to be a fantastic offensive quartet. We are all capable of scoring at all three phases, which will keep the defense honest. 
• Familiarity – Chemistry shouldn’t be an issue, as we’ve all played together at some point with the exception of Ian Murphy. I think we’re going to have a lot of fun if nothing else. 

Weaknesses: 

• Guard play – The only true guards/ball-handlers on this team is Jamal in myself. This could be a potential challenge in the event we encounter attendance issues. Fully staffed, I don’t see this being an issue.
• Defense – I could see us struggling against a guard-dominant lineup. I also don’t think I have ever seen Jamal play defense, so this is something to keep an eye on. 

Draft Grades

• 1 – Jamal Brown A+ – Offensively this dude is unguardable. 
• 11 – Jamil Ball B+ – I still think I was drafted too high. I am a 3rd round player, please keep this in mind for future drafts. I am actually kind of disgruntled about this at the moment. 
• 13 – Ian Murphy A – Again, I’d argue Ian is one of the top bigs in the draft. The fact he fell to the 3rd round was an unexpected turn of events. 
• 27 –  Christian Balcerzak N/A – Christian was acquired via a trade, but he’s a very welcomed addition. Christian will be solid on both ends of the court and is a very capable shooter. 
• 28 – Evan O’Neil N/A – Evan, one of the best teammates ever, was acquired via a trade and is a defensive menace. During our last season together, the White Mamba himself led us to an SDL championship. We have not received our championship gear yet, but I am sure Tibbs is somewhere working on it. 

1. LEBOV

This ranking is dependent on the performance of rookies Lucas Guliano and Noah Landy. Harry took a calculated gamble and I am pretty confident it’s going to pay off. This team has an embarrassment of riches at the guard spot and a fantastic big Djordje Vlajkovic. This team is primed to be one of the top teams in the league.

Strengths:

• Scoring – I don’t think this team will have any issue generating offense. 1 – 6, they are all very capable scorers.
• Defense – Despite the lack of size, I don’t think they will lack toughness. 

Weaknesses: 

• Size – Aside from Djordje this team has absolutely no size at all. I imagine Lucas can probably assist here, but I think guarding the likes of Jamal, Shawn Wise Ian Murphy, and Jorge Morel can get ugly. 

Draft Grades

• 3 – Lucas Guliano B+ – I love the pick, but with Kevin Devine still available this has the potential to come back and haunt Harrison. 
• 10 – Djordje Vlajkovic A – I had  Djordje in my top 6, so getting him at 10 was an absolute steal. He has aspirations of averaging 20/20 this season, but I do not see that happening.  
• 15 – Adam Ellabidy A – Average 13 points In his lone CAC season. Will be a solid addition to an already potent lineup.  
• 22 – Noah Landy A – Drafting a Tyrese Maxey kind of player in 4th round is always a solid addition. Hopefully, this kid can play!  
• 25 – Andrew Marra N/A – Definitely wanted him on my team, but I’ll live. Andre is a solid all-around player and will contribute on both ends of the court. He gives this team fantastic depth.