B1 5v5 WED Week 3 Write-Ups
Game 1- Gravy Trains 2.0 vs. Orange OG’s
By: Ariel G.
What a way to kick off our Wednesday night with this high offensive octane match up against Gravy Trains 2.0 and Orange OG’s.A hard fought game but Orange OG’s were able to squeak out a 64-55 win. Both teams came out firing on all cylinders, specifically Gravy Trains 2.0 being carried by the hot shooting of Eric P. who went ⅘ from 3 in the first half. To combat the hot shooting of the Gravy Trains, Orange OG’s were able to knock down 7 first half 3’s of their own. On top of the hot shooting, Orange OG’s really utilized their pick and roll action to get good looks at the rim and kick outs to open shooters on the perimeter. Both teams were all over the floor, diving for loose balls, and snatching rebounds out mid air. Alex K. for Gravy Trains had 10 rebounds in the first half alone. It was a back and forth battle in the half, but Orange OG’s head into the 2nd half with a 32-27 advantage.
Gravy Trains would not be denied going into the second half, as they went on a 13-7 run out of the gates to take a 40-39 lead and force Orange OG’s into an early timeout. Both teams exchange offensive blows throughout the second half and the hot shooting continued as the teams combined to knock down 18 long range balls. As hot as Eric P. was in the first half for Gravy Trains, it was Brett A. and Zach B. who carried a lot of the offensive load in the second half finishing with 18 points and 11 points, respectively. Jesse O. had an all around game or the Orange OG’s as he packed the stat sheet with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Orange OG’s also had a secret weapon in Judah who came off the bench to give them 17 points. Orange OG’s outscored Gravy Train 25-15 in the second half to take the victory.
Game 2- Intramural Heroes vs. G League
Intramural heroes jumped out to an early league and never looked back as they put up 91 points in a 91-73 win over G League. Tim G. dominated from the tip off to the last buzzer as he finished with a double double with 20 points and 14 rebounds. He was an elite three level scorer in this game and G League had no match for him. The game went back and forth and Bradley R. was able to keep G League in the game in the first half from his hot shooting from 3, knocking down 3 in the first half. Not only was he an offensive terror, him and Giannis V. were both terrors on the defensive end as they combined for 12 steals between the two of them. Jamal B. also started to get going offensively and he finished the half on a 6-0 run. Despite their efforts, G League headed into halftime down 33-51.
Not at all discouraged by the 18 point deficit, G League came out with a spark and went on a 9-0 run to start the half and cut the lead to single digits. However, they did not have the fire power to keep up with the Intramural heroes who had four players who put up 20 points or more. G League got hot late from 3 and got contributions from behind the arc from Jack A., Colin M., Patrick K., and Bradley R. Although the second half was dead even with each team scoring 40 points, the 18 point first half deficit was too much for G League to overcome.
Game 3 - Commando vs. Jelly Not Jam
Commando came out smoking hot to start the game as team captain Max scored the first 12 points of the game to put them up 12-3 early. Jelly Not Jam was not helping their own cause as they turned the ball over on the first 4 possessions of the game and could not hit a shot from the field to start off. After a collision, Max has to go to the bench and Jelly Not Jam takes full advantage by going on a 12-6 run to take the lead. These 12 points mainly came from transition buckets at the rim or from beyond the arc. Dave R. was starting to come alive for Jelly Not Jam and he and Max were both in double digits in the first half. Despite the hot start, Commando goes into half time with only a 5 point lead.
Similarly to the first half, the second half is the Max show as he finishes the game with 26 points and 7 rebounds. His ability to score at will is frustrating for Jelly Not Jam so they start to play a little more physical with him. This physicality leads to 10 trips to the free throw line, where he was able to capitalize on 7 of them. Thankfully, Marcken L. and Griffin M. got hot late in the second half from 3 as they both knocked down two triples to keep the game within reach. Jake H. also did damage on the offensive end in the second half for Commando as he finished the game with 18 points. Slow start for Jelly Not Jam leads to a tough 8 point loss for them.
Game 4- Big Tuna vs. Tuesday Night Selects
This game between these two teams started off very slow. Both teams combined for only 8 in the first 5 minutes of the game. But when Big Tuna decided to turn it on, they really turned it on. They knocked down back-to-back-to-back 3’s on ensuing possessions to go up early. However, Kyle C. had a few tricks up his sleeve as he then hit back-to-back 3’s to get himself going. Late in the first half it seemed like fatigue set in for Tuesday Night Selects as they started to give up easy transition buckets and they ended the half giving up a 14-2 run.
Chris L. and Billy A. were the dynamic duo you never knew you needed as they put on an offensive clinic the entire game. Billy A. even tried to throw a lob for Chris to dunk from half court, unsuccessful however. Both finished with 24 and 26 points, respectively. Tuesday Night Selects would not go down without a fight though as they were making huge plays on offense and getting gritty stops on defense when needed. The defensive charge was led by Ben C. and Cam O. as they both came up with two steals a piece in key moments. Quinton D. tried to carry the team as he finished with 14 points, team high honor. However, 3 late triples from Bill, Chris, and Matt C. put the exclamation point on what turned out to be a 22 point blow out win for Big Tuna.
A 5v5 MON Week 3 Write-ups
BY NIYATI
Game 1 | Borme’s Disciples (76) - MostHated (53)
Holtze and the Borme’s Disciples Do It Again
Borme’s Disciples are 3-0 so far this season, impressively finishing on MostHated. The game was a fun one to see from the sidelines and almost seemed like a globetrotter game as Borme’s Disciples had a fun night with alley oop attempts and trick shot dunks. Sam Holtze always seemed to have a hand in the plays ending the night with 25 points, 2 steals and assists, 1 defensive glass and going 6 for 7 on free throws, all while staying true to 1 foul early in the first half.
Further supplementing the win was Mac Bohuny who had a stellar alley oop from noneother than Holtze himself. He ended the game with 17 points, 3 boards on each end, and 1 assist, block, and a stea to round it out. Mike Conlin had 15 points and Will Jackowitz had 12 points.
MostHated seemed to get off to a hot start going on a 8-0 run to start the game. A quick timeout by BD along with a technical foul on Anthony Barbosa quickly shifted the energy. Dakari “Sticks” Hannah-Wornum had 15 points, an astonishing 3 big time blocks, and a steal. James Lambert stuck to his guns in the paint with 13 points and 3 defensive boards. Unfortunately, MostHated lost the rhythm early and BD put the nail in the coffin with a reverse dunk by Mac Bohuny.
Game 2 | Ronin Blood Warriors (72) - Space & Pace (70)
Space & Pace Turnsover the Halftime Lead
Despite being up by a bucket at the half, Space & Pace couldn’t finish it out making them 1-2 after last week’s blowout against Hartbrakers. It truly was a nailbiter to the end as both Kevin Nunez (RBW) and James Welch (S&P) hit back to back 3’s to send the game to OT, tied 66 each.
Nunez and Isaac Lane were the stars for RBW once again this game as Nunez paved the way for the win with the tying 3 and an early dunk in the game taking the lead 10-7. He ended the night with 19 points, 5 defensive boards, 2 offensive boards, 2 assists and a block. Isaac Lane was once again a leading scorer with 22 of the 72 points RBW ended with. He also 6 offensive boards, 4 assists, and 2 defensive boards. It trul was a game of rebounds as Lane showed the hustle needed by chasing each of his missed attempts and converting on 6/8 of his rebounds. Alonzo Cooper had 10 points, 4 assists, 3 defensive boards, and 2 offensive boards. Ryan Canty had 10 points, 6 offensive boards, 1 defensive board and a block to help his team to the win.
Space & Pace hit an early rhythm that quickl crumbled. Up 2 at the half, they seemed the more dominant team on paper but things quickly shifted in the second half. Jason Marino hit a crucial bucket tying the game at 63 with a minute left in the matchup. Thinking quick S&P called a much needed timeout to think of a game plan. Unfortunately, despite being able to get to OT, RBW completely took over the game scoring 6-4.
Game 3 | Shooters Shoot (65) - Hartbrakers (64)
Shooters Shoot Barely Narrowly Get Win to Be Undefeated
This was the closest win for Shooters Shoot by far but nonetheless they got the deed done to be the only other team to be 3-0 this season. Despite having no bench, they were up 36-29 at halftime but quickly lost stamina leading to the close game.
SS went on an early 8-0 run in the first 3 minutes but quickly lost that lead as the Hartbrakers then scored their own run of 12 points in a span of 3 minutes. David Reynolds had 19 points, 5 defensive boards, 2 assists, and 1 offensive board. He was assisted by Luke Rogers and Matt Pattyson who had 17 points and 15 points, respectively. Although big man Hugh O’Neil only had 9 points, he helped under the rim with 4 offensive boards, 3 defensive board and a block at the glass. Zack Armen to Rogers is an elite combo that never fails to make their pass and hit their man.
Hartbrakers are now 0-3, not showing up for the first game of the season and then losing the next 2. This was the closest one for them yet with their attempt at a comeback with Devin Jensen sinking a triple to bring it to a 1 point game at 43-42 with Shooters Shoot up. Once again Devin Jensen led the game with 28 points, 4 defensive boards, and an assist. Tucker Landry was once again the assistant with 14 points, 4 boards, and a steal.
Game 4 | Team Takeover (49) - Skeleton’s Boys (61)
After a tough loss last week, Skelton’s Boys bounce back to be 2-1 in a blowout game this season. Led by Erik Pettit and Jon Basett who had 15 and 16 points respectively, Team Takeover was no match for their style of play. Brenden McNamara, Elijah Anderson, and Ben Timme showed up for the team in the paint grabbing boards left and right with 15 total boards among the 3. Although Andrew Yamin was contained to 6 points this game, he passed the ball around the court aggressively to secure the win.
After an intense matchup last week, it was gonna be interesting to see how TT faced against SB. although only down by 4 heading into the second half, they lost the rhythm a bit as the end of the game reached near. Once again, Jason Feliciano was the leading scorer with 14 points but only going 33% on 3-attempts and 40% on FTs. No one else was able to surpass 10 points to their name but Joel Nkounkou showed up big with boards, grabbing 5 off the glass and rim.
B2 5v5 MON Week 3 Write-Ups
BY ALEXA S
Game 1 - It Doesn’t Matter (66) vs Gino Time (96)
Gino Time could not be denied on this night getting huge contributions from several players in what may have been some of their best games so far this season. Erik M. could not be stopped going 8/11 (72%) from three point range and had 30 points. Gino Time had the lead for the most of the first half until It Doesn’t Matter came back to tie it up 24 apiece. After regrouping with a timeout, Gino Time pushed back to regain the lead once again into halftime 39-31. Gino Time dominated on the boards all game, especially Greg E. who had a monster game with 18 points and 14 rebounds, 4 of them offensive. The second half was when Gino Time took over, hitting 3 after 3. Max M. went off for 21 points, 3 rebounds and 6 assists and Darren H. did a little bit of everything with 17, 13 and 6 assists, 3 steals and a block. Tauren on IDM was swiping people pocket’s with 7 steals as well as adding in 11 points. Those turnovers couldn’t be converted as well as his team giving up too many offensive rebounds and ultimately IDM ended up losing by 30.
Game 2 - Wyld Stallyns (30) vs Thank You University (39)
This was a low scoring one and the pace was pretty slow for most of the game. However, the teams were evenly matched with multiple lead changes throughout the first half. Late in the first, Patrick G. had back-to-back And-1’s that cut the Wyld Stallyns deficit to one. The game remained close and Thank You University was up 20-18 at the half. For most of the second, neither team could get the ball to go through the hoop. Shaun H. did his best to keep Wyld Stallyns in the game, putting up 12 points, 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. Despite the effort it wasn’t enough as Thank You Uni never gave up the lead and won by 9. Eli V. led his team with 12 and 6. Kevin T. and Ben both had 6 points. Greg P. added 5, 7 and 4 assists.
Game 3 – Eastie Hoops (67) vs We Have Fun (40)
Eastie Hoops came out attacking the basket relentlessly and using good ball movement to get wide open shots. They went up 15-5 to start and the game was in their control until the final buzzer. Lots of turnovers by We Have Fun led to easy transition points and stat padding for Eastie. Although We Have Fun showed moments of life, it looked like Eastie Hoops had better conditioning and more team chemistry. With an 18 point lead after one half, Ryan W. hit consecutive 3s out the gate and crushed any momentum for the We Have Fun squad. Ryan ended up with 26 points, 5 boards, 4 assists, 2 steals and 3 seats while shooting just over 40% on 3PT. Lucas F. chipped in 14, 8 and 4 assists in the win. On the other side of the box score, Marc N. had a solid 11 points and 9 rebounds, while Chris A. and Rob Moran each had 8.
Game 4 – Tomahawks (44) vs Brick Squad (34)
Brick Squad got off to an early 8-0 start with all points coming from Malik R. The Tomahawks started to get going and after tying a few times the score was knotted up at 17 apiece. Players started talking some trash to each other and complaining of missed calls. The Tomahawks stayed poised and took the lead with around 7:00 minutes left in the 1st half, never trailing after that. They scored 11 straight points to lead 31-22 at halftime. Four of the starters managed to hit double figures with Sam B. leading the way with 13 and 8 rebounds. Brick Squad did indeed put up a lot of bricks and had trouble putting numbers on the scoreboard. Malik B. on the Brick Squad was able to get some production with 13 points and 12 rebounds.
Franchise League Week 3 Preview
BY KAP
WEEK 3 PREVIEW
Two weeks are in the books and the league is starting to take form. I am pretty confident that we have 4 legit contenders at this point, but that could very well change. Don’t forget the Corp started last season 0-2 and ended up winning it all. Will a team emerge from the shadows this season? Time will tell. Two teams that come to mind are Joel’s and Keith’s. The jury is still out on them. Week 3 should shed some more light on those guys.
But first… Week 2 Player of the Week – Your week 2 PoW is Tyler Masone. Young fella went OFF this past week, scoring a league high 37 points to go with 9 boards, 7 dimes and 0 TOs. Masone feasted on HOLLAND’s lack of defense and led Keith to his first win ages. Keith owes this guy a fruit basket at the minimum.
Week 2 Role Player of the Week – Your week 2 RPoW is the ageless Tommy Kahana. Tommy didn’t look a day older than 25 in his week 2 shooting clinic, dropping a team high 19 points on 5/8 shooting from deep. His performance was well timed as the Bens had off nights offensively.
Week 3 Matchups
6:15 – Super Hoopers vs. Poor House
This is a sneaky trap game for SH. The first thing that comes to mind is Ini’s defense on Rosi last season when these two squared off. Ini did a fantastic job limiting Rosi and making him work hard for buckets. If the matchup remains the same, SH will need to get more offense from the supporting cast, especially from yours truly and Frongi after last week’s trash. In fact, I am dubbing myself as a big x-factor in this game. I have no excuse this week as I will not be sitting behind the table prior to playing, so I will be locked and loaded. Vegas has SH as a big favorite here, but if Masone and Keith shoot the long ball like they did last week, watch out.
SH -7.5
Player to watch: Frongi – I think Frongi is going to have some favorable matchups in this one. He has a quick first step to the rim and should be able to use that to his advantage with either Keith, Matty J, Ghost or Stull covering him. FOOD!
7:05 – Mulholland Drive vs. FTR
Oh baby, this is a fun one, a lot of fecal matter on the court. Two of the league’s best square off in JDM and Harding in what figures to be an all out war. Let’s not forget that we also have Chas vs. Harry as well as LeBlanc vs Vladi. Wooooweeeee! Man, I don’t even know what to make of this game. Both teams have been all over the place in the early season. Each team has 1 win, both defeating Joel’s team, so this is a big test for both squads. My gut feeling says that FTR is the team to pick here. MD just hasn’t looked right, especially on offense. JMul hasn’t been great, Chas looks like a lost puppy and LeBlanc’s shot has abandoned him. Give me FTR behind the 3-headed monster of Harding, DP, Vladi.
FTR -3.5.
Players to watch: JMul – We need a JMul game here. Rebounds, threes, blocks. Make it happen you bum.
7:55 – Kawhi Me A River vs. All Length, No Girth
This is a big game for ALNG. Through two weeks they have competed, with a skeleton roster, ultimately coming up short in both games. Will they finally break through and get a dub? It’s going to be tough. KMAR has the personnel to match up nicely with ALNG. Ben Mac can make life difficult for Ruiz, Cavano can handle Joel and Koller can basically cover anyone. ALNG is going to struggle to score so their path to victory has to be to muck this game up. Stay close and make some key plays late. I expect a big Koller game though as he attends the Djordje buffet and leads his boys to a win.
KMAR -5.5.
Player to watch: Ruiz – Round 2 of the Ruiz watch. I think he will shoot better this week after having a game under his belt. His team is gonna need it!
8:45 – HOLLAND vs. The Corporation
Potential blowout in the late game, as HOLLAND has proven they cannot cover ANYONE. Woof their defense is bad, and against Mazz, Cawley and company you better D up. I’m sorry but I just can’t see a win here for HOLLAND. Maybe Bonvie goes nuts from deep? Maybe Syd has a meltdown and gets ejected? Maybe DQ outplays Mazz? Even if all of these things happen it will still be an uphill battle for HOLLAND. I am going to have to see a real defensive effort from them until I pick them to win a game.
Corp -15.5.
Player to watch: STAT – We need a grown mans game from STAT here. He has it in him. He can draw fouls on Syd and take him out of the game, mentally and literally! I think we will learn a lot about the landscape of the league this week. Looking forward to it. - KAP
Over-30 Legends Week 3 Write-Ups
BY CHAS & HANKS
Shorthanded Goyle dispatch Amir Mortals
Week 3 opened with Chas’ Hot Goyle Dojo taking on Harry’s Amir Mortals. Goyle was coming off a tough 1 point loss to Bros last week and Amir Mortals were coming off a strong showing taking home a win against DropStep Murphys. Goyle would be up against it, playing without Weinstein and Ian Marlier. Amir Mortals would be missing Amir himself. I was excited for this matchup as previous Goyle mainstay James Bohnaker was stolen by Harry in the draft and I was hoping to see if this would be a revenge game.
Kodra opened the scoring with a 3 and Harry walked up into a midrange J. Roberts got in the post for 2 and point-god Harry found Bohnaker for 3. Roberts and Kodra would get some buckets for Goyle and Harry would cash two more midrange shots to lead all scorers at that point. Harry would have to sub out with an apparent shoulder injury, it’s possible his shoulder was sore from carrying his team’s offense up to that point.
McPherson would step into a 3 and it was 13-12 Goyle with 12 minutes left in the half. Roberts, who was having a great game for Goyle was bleeding all over his jersey from a cut on his finger, but after wrapping it up, he would be back in the game. Jake Gold would hit a layup and a 3 and Piasta contributed on the offensive glass for Mortals. Harry and Ian Cundall added buckets for Mortals but Jake Gold would score 6 straight for Goyle and they took a 1 point lead into the break.
Coming out of the break, Roberts found Jake running the floor for 2 and hit a 3 of his own and he continued his strong play. McPherson got another 3, but overall he was having a poor shooting game. Chas, who was having a rough shooting night as well, found Jake for 3 and Roberts added another bucket. After Mcpherson got to the line and hit 1 of 2, Goyle was up 36-29 with 16:00 left.
At this point the scoring completely dried up for Mortals and Goyle would start to blow the top off the game. Roberts would bully his way for 6 straight points and was having a dominant game. Jake Gold hit another 3 and dimed up Chas for a layup and Goyle was on another level at this point with pace and ball movement. Mortals seemed stagnant and couldn’t get anything to fall. Roberts and Kodra primarily continued to add it on for Goyle and lead would get up to as high as 20 and Golye would run away with the shorthanded win, 60-44.
Goyle
Chas B- The shot was not falling, but contributed with strong defense, passing and leadership
Jake A shot well and contributed across the board
Roberts A+ 21/10/5, was a monster down low, and made heady plays. Left with a bloody jersey and the W
Kodra B – played strong defense on made great reads
Amir Mortals
McPherson C – I feel like there he has another gear he may be saving for the stretch run
Piasta A – great game, 12/12, lead AM in scoring and rebounding
Bohnaker C – went cold for a long stretch, maybe he was sabotaging
Harry C- really strong first half but the wheels fell off in the 2nd half
Cundall D This was not a great game from Ian, missed a few open looks
Week 3 Game 2 ShawHanks Vs Astrik
Ray Trey right away with and 1 3-0, then adds spin shot 5-0.Matty in the building at the 17 min mark, but Joel makes hook7-0. Hull working hard gets a scoop, then Paul $ a corner 3 7-5. Joel doing post things gets 2, but Hanks reposnds with a trey 9-8. Ray gets a 3 to go,but Hanks goes off glass for 2 12-10 10 min. Ray with tough taken Slim Reaper finally in on the cat with a 3 17-10. Matty slashes in but Feinstein gets lay up 19-12. Hanks post bucket, then Hull 2-2, then Hull hustle leads to matty trey we were all tied at 19 all! Matty gets to cup, but MJ ties things with floater. Peteet J , Frano J, Joel gets scoop, but Peteet sticks another J Hanks up 27-23 half.
Joel Gets to post work right away, and than again 27-27. Hull 1-2, but there goes that man Hook shot Joel, but Hanks gets his own 2 in the post. Some crazy action but after Joel obrd hustle it was 34-30 Astrik up. Frano gets middy, but Ray to rack, Hanks not backing down gets 3, and Frano ies it with hook 37-37. Joel just magical tonight gets another lay in, MJ runner, followed by ray smooth move 43-37, then ray $ a 3. Team Shawhanks would not quit, Frano gets 2 off cut, Hull 2-2, Hull 3, and then again and they had the lead 47-46! Ray to rizack, but Hull balling obrd put in 49-48. Joel gets 2 with nice run, Ray hits J, Ray deep 3, MJ jumper, Matty would get 2 t’s and that would be the ball game, Asterisk comes away 64-51.
Asterisk
Ray-B+- Didnt shoot efficenly, but his engine/efoort level is crazy. He is a unstoppable force
MJ-B-) Didnt shoot as well as he had, but had some nice floaters/J’s. Like to see more dimes
Joel-A- Solid day from joel, very good on bothe ends. He plays like this they are very tough to beat.
Fein-C- Seems frustrated with lack of looks, saw some eye rolls
Danner-D+- My main man got the yips right now
Carey-D- Not much impact tonight, needs those 3’s to go down
ShawHanks
Hanks-C+- Scored /rebounded fine but Joel really got the better of him in the post.
Frano-C-) This team needs way more than 10 pts
Peteet-B-) Always does the little things, 4 nice dimes
Hull-A- He was ballingggggggggg 17 rbs!! Looks like he is getting his legs.
Paul-C- Cashed a 3, struggled outside of that
Matty-D- The techs didnt cost them the game, but hes gota keep his head. 7 pts aint gonna cut it.
Week 3 Game 3 Overhated VS EJ
Big Lu gets busy in the post right out of the gate, Ghost nails jimmy 4-0 17 min. Dutton widow work, than Kielley dives in, followed by Lane of glass 6-4. Kielley continues run with obrd finish 8-4. Ghost does Ghost things with j, but Dutton keeps pcae with middy of his own, Skelley post work, Dutton drive, Kielley 3 off Dutton hustle 17-8. Cavano finnay in on the act with runner, Dias gets scoop to go, Cavano 1-2, but Skeeley stops run with p n toll 19-13, Dutton adds obrd put in 21-13. Dias leans in, then Ghost hits J 21-17 half.
Lindsey trey ball to start half 24-17. Ghost sticks J, but Dutton foster, Keilley j Overhated was balling, kielley gets 2 more in the post, and then Kielley was nailing 3’s by the time I looked up it was 40-27, and team slick never got close or recovered. Overhahted proving the haters wrong 46-37 as they go to 2-1.
Overrated
Skelley-B- Didnt score it, but did everything else at a high level.
Kielley-A- Dude is balling right now, showing he was worth that 8 pick.
Dutton-A-) Really coming into his own, looking liek the elader and heart of this squad.
Lane-C- Hustled hard not much results
Lindsey-C+- Hit a big 3 to send his team on the run to win.
Team Slick
Cavano-B- Would not quit, kept hustling his ass off. I had to love it.
Fraher-C+- Started red hot than went ice cold
Lu-C-) Really struglled tonight, Skelley struggled.
EJ-D- Really rough game
Stull-D+- Hustled but not results
Dias-C-)Passed well, cant get a 3 to be close.
Week 3 Game 4 Brothers VS Drop Step
Cody gets this party started with middy, but than Civale 1-2 2-1. Cody gets a 3 to go 5-1 18 min. Dany $ 3, J.Mul $ 3, then dany $ 3 holy holy 8-7. Cody banks ina 3 , this is a 3 party!! Frongo scoop 13-7. Joey tough take, but Cody trey ball money, but Joey not quitting gets another tough drive 16-11. Dany walking fire ball hits 3 16-14. J.Mul post, but Dany…….you guessed it hits another 3 18-17. Cody wants to be on fire as he hits another 3, Frongi hook shot 26-18 8 min. Frongi gets hot now as he hits 3, than 3-3 from the line after foul, followed by J.Mul 3, then J.Mul obrd hustle it was a god awful 36-21. The half did not get much better as Cody contunued being a walking fire ball, Dany hiting a bunch of 3’s trying to keep pae but it was 50-33 at the break.
Drop step showed impressive fight here Joey and 1, Murphy post, Joey tough mofoen take, suddenly it was 5-40 they were within striking distance. J.Mul j, and Cody 3 put and end to the run though, and they would run away. Closest things got was 68-59, but the Brothers were just too good, too hot tonight. They win 85-74 go to 3-0.
Brothers
S.Mul-B-) He was fine, just a soectataor of the 3 ball magic
J.Mul-A-) Rock solid night, they are tough to beat when he plays like this.
Frongi-A- 11 dimessssssssss, and was very efficient all over the court.
Cody-A+++++++++++- 11 +’s for 11 3’s
Tomar-C-) Rough shooting night
Drop Step
Joey-B+- Dude showed nice fight, never quits, just keeps making plays
Civale-B-) liked his activity tonight, need more 3 attempts though.
Dany-A- What a light outs shooting night 8-13 wow!!
Murphy-C+- took him awile to get going, sparked a mini run but that was it.
Clarke -C+- Hustled hard, missed some bunnies
Choa-A- Sliced in for a tough hoop!!
A 5v5 THU Week 2 Write-Ups
BY DEVIN QUINLIN
Game 1 | Suffolk: 106 - West Coast Elite: 91
Suffolk Beat WCE at Their Own Game, Drop 106 in Win
I didn’t think I would see the day where West Coast Elite play a solid game offensively and simply get outshot and outran by an opponent, but Suffolk did just that in our first game of the night. These guys came out in attack mode, and while they didn’t shoot particularly well from three, the downhill pressure and mid-range shot making got them out to a 60-38 lead at the half. WCE are an offensive juggernaut, and got the game a bit closer in the second half, but the result was never in doubt, as Suffolk won by a final score of 106-91.
It’s hard to even start with someone in this game, as four of the five players for Suffolk went crazy. Sam Holtze had 24, 6 boards, 8 assists, and 2 steals, Steffon Mitchell had 25 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals, George Grillakis had 26 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals, and Bolden Brace had 26 and 13, plus 7 assists, 4 steals, and 1 block. Some overall strong statlines obviously, but I was impressed with the chemistry and pace from a team with only five guys. Holtze has to be the quickest mf on the planet, him breaking my ankles last session put me back on IR. He did a fantastic job getting downhill for finishes and mid-range turnarounds, but he’s a fantastic passer as well, finishing with a game-high 8 assists and consistently making the right decision after collapsing the defense. Grillakis also makes great decisions getting downhill, mostly because he just goes to his right and makes a layup every time. I can assure anyone reading this that he’s going to his right and that he will finish high off the glass through contact, but he did a nice job distributing in this one as well. Steffon Mitchell was a fill-in today, not sure how valid it is to have a guy averaging 17.3ppg in Norway this season fill-in, but Mitchell showed up and controlled the entire first half. He was hitting shots from all over the court, finishing four of twelve from deep, though he was like four for nine in the first half. Just a very controlled, smart player who got what he wanted offensively, not surprising that he’s a pro. Even with Mitchell filling in, Bolden Brace was still the best player on the court, shooting four of seven from deep and adding 7 assists. I can’t tell if he’s going half speed and not trying or if that’s just his game, but either way it works. Total dominance on both ends, WCE had no answer for him, and he’s the MVP frontrunner at the moment. Bret Edwards added 5 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block, shooting one of seven from deep. That said, he’s a football player, but he can definitely hoop. He’s got a nice looking shot, and as he gets more reps with his team, I think he’ll hit some big shots in close games when he’s left open. Suffolk is easily the early favorites to win it all, even without Mitchell in the lineup.
West Coast Elite played a decent game, just got outgunned in this one. Jack Fay led the way with 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists, shooting three of seven from deep and attacking well inside, even against Suffolk’s size. Collin Sawyer added 17 points, 9 rebounds, and 1 assist, attacking well and hitting two threes. Eric D’Aguanno added 15 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block, playing a decent game but shooting only three of eleven from deep. He’s a top three shooter in the league, and will undoubtedly bounce back in the coming weeks. Derek Retos got going in the second half to finish with 14 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals, going four of seven from deep on some deep bombs. Holtze did a nice job denying him the ball, but like all great shooters, he eventually found his spots and capitalized. Tom Palleschi added 11 points, 7 boards, 4 assists, and 1 steal, missing a few shots he would normally make but still playing solid and throwing dimes from the low post. Colin Richey made his session debut with a very solid performance of 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists, finishing well on the attack and throwing some solid passes as well. He’ll be a nice addition to this roster. Tough game for WCE, but I still consider them a top team in this division, and I expect them to bounce back.
Game 2 | Cobras: 67 - Not A Dime Back: 75
Cobras Hold Off Shorthanded NADB in Solid Win
NADB entered this game without their two main creators in Jon Luster and Dre Kontopidis. Everyone on the roster can play, but with clearly defined roles I was curious to see how guys would fill in, especially for Luster, who initiates the entire offense. The Cobras took a 41-37 lead into the half, and while NADB kept the game close, Cobras capitalized on the zone to maintain their lead and pull out a 75-67 win. Great team effort defensively, and some big shotmaking from a few guys helped them pull away at the end.
Warfa Abdillahi showed up right at the tip, and with no warm up, he started pulling immediately. He finished with 17 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals, and 1 block, going four of six from deep and pulling up for some tough makes in transition. DeAngelo Alston also went four of six from three to finish with 15 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal, but he brought tons of energy on the defensive end, organizing his team and acting as a clear vocal leader while backing it up with big shots on the other end. Carter Burruss hit three threes to add 15 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 big blocks, using his athleticism to find space, lock guys up, and patrol the whole court. Great to see him get aggressive on the offensive end, but I still think he should drive more. Ray Miller added 12 points, 3 boards, 5 assists, and 1 block, going two of four from deep while penetrating the zone well off the catch. I still think he has a lot more to give on the offensive end, despite a strong game in which he initiated great looks for his team. Yusuf Liban hit two threes to finish with 6 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 steal, and Jamal Fiin added 5 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 steal. Will Rowe finished with 5 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block, struggling to find spots in NADB’s zone and failing to convert on his threes. Still a top player, who will bounce back. Kevin Querusio added 1 rebound and 1 assist in the win.
For NADB, Chris Connor finished with 30 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal, going five for nine from deep, including some heavily contested threes down the stretch. He’s a great three level scorer, but he stepped up majorly in this game without Luster in the lineup. Jeff Coulter also stepped up, putting up 22 points, 8 boards, 2 assists, and 2 steals, showcasing his insane finishing skills. A few people in the gym noticed that this guy can finish anything, putting him at the top of the A League with 99 overall layup. Marcus Giese stepped into the facilitator role at the center spot without a true PG, finishing with 8 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks in a super well-rounded effort from the big man. I think he could look for his shot a bit more, but he does a lot for them defensively as their only true big, while also just being extremely reliable on offense. Chris Cusano added 5 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists, while Mike Synott chipped in 2 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists in the loss. Despite the shoddy attendance, decent outing from these guys in the loss, but credit to Cobras for closing it out at the end with some strong defense.
Game 3 | DRBL: 82 - We The Ones: 73
DRBL Pull Out Close Win Against We The Ones
As one of the league favorites, I did not expect DRBL to play a close game against WTOs. Credit to WTOs for improving significantly and making this a close game, but DRBL secured an 82-73 win by pulling it all together at the end on both ends.
Mike Thompson led the way with 18 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal, showing off his dynamic game and shooting two of six from three and four of five from the line. Strong outing from him, as he will be their go to guy in crunch time when his team needs to generate a good shot. Luka Vlajkovic was a bit less aggressive in this one, but still played a strong game with 13 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal, moving the ball well and hitting a few threes in the process. I expect him to get better looks as he gels with the team, but he’s a bucket either way. Anthony Colozzo hit two threes to finish with 12 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, and 1 steal, operating well in the P&R, and I expect him to hit a few more threes in the coming weeks. Lasse Gummerus added 11 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. He’s a knockdown shooter on offense (two for three) while providing some serious interior size on defense. Will Brodnitzki and Jonah St. Clair added 10 points each, with Brodnitzki chipping in 8 boards, 3 assists, and 2 steals and St. Clair adding 1 rebound and 1 assist on two of four from deep, both playing strong interior defense and finishing well, too. Salim Belkebir hit two threes as well, putting up 8 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, and 2 steals. These guys are a dynamic group, gambling on defense, pushing the pace on offense, and using momentum to their advantage at all times. Definitely one of the more exciting teams in the league, who are still among my favorites to win it all.
We The Ones have made a big leap this season with the addition of the Belhouchet brothers, and now Josh Bonnie in the backcourt. Bonnie showed up late to the game, but made an immediate impact with his energy alone. He finished with 22 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal, going four for eight from deep, attacking well in transition, and finding open guys for good shots. He doesn’t add much size, but his activity on defense more than makes up for that, and I expect him to take on a huge role for this team. Garrett Stanowicz continues to get buckets under any circumstances, putting up 25 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 4 blocks. He’s lethal in transition, has a strong mid-range catch and shoot, and busts his ass on every play. I expect him to make big plays on both ends for these guys and lead them in scoring. Karim Belhouchet really struggled shooting in this one, going zero for seven from three. That said, he’s still an excellent shooter (five for five FTs) and the threat of his shot allowed him to have a big impact regardless. He grabbed 3 rebounds, accumulated 3 steals, and led the game with 8 assists, finding guys for open looks even when he couldn’t hit himself. He will be their most important player, but has already shown his ability to play winning ball. Keith Baranowski added 8 points and 10 boards, plus 1 assist and 1 block. Keith was finishing well inside, and his 1 assist doesn’t reflect his solid passing either. Still, he’ll need to hit more jumpers to keep the defense honest and open things up for everyone. Jordan Carter chipped in 5 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist, while Aidan Stanowicz added 4 points, 8 boards, 1 assist, and 1 steal in the loss. Still, admirable effort from WTOs.
Game 4 | Bing Bong: 44 - Spida Men: 60
Spida Men Power Through Bing Bong with Defense, Size
In a game in which neither team shot particularly well, Spida Men capitalized on their interior presence and chemistry to pull away in the second half. They took a 32-26 lead into the half, expanding it to a 60-44 win as they pounded the ball inside. Ultimately, though, their strong defensive effort (eight steals, five blocks, thirty-one Drebs) put them over the top in this one.
Jamal Brown led the scoring with 14 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 steals. While Jamal still doesn’t quite look like himself, he played a strong overall game, attacking well inside, hitting a few threes, and throwing out 5 assists. A few of his 5 steals were timely defensive stops that got his team four or five point swings, and I only expect him to find his groove as the season progresses. Billy Battaglia hit two threes to add 12 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, and 2 steals, showing off his versatility on the offensive end and using his shooting threat to find openings in the defense. Tim Gallivan made the first left handed layup of his career to finish with 10 points, 13 boards, 2 assists, and 3 blocks, simply dominating inside on both ends. He also went zero for four from three, so he has plenty more to contribute, as his long ball is one of the best parts of his game. Still, a lefty layup from Gallivan is a storyline in its own right, and I’m proud of him for even attempting one. Cedric White once again showed up late, and once again entered the game, immediately got buckets, and subbed out. He hit his only three point attempt and three lefty hooks (probably) to finish with 9 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists, showing off some nice touch inside. Danny Martin Jr. added 8 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block, not his best game but still a solid outing down low. Lucio Dahlstedt-Brown hit a three to add 5 points and 2 assists, and Hallvard Lundevall finished with 2 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block, also showing up very late to this one. A solid effort from the Spida Men on defense, and I think their offense will pick up over the course of the season.
Bing Bong are still a strong team in my opinion, despite their offensive struggles. Griffin Perry got off to a hot start, finishing with 15 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block. He’s strong inside and hit two threes as well. He was pretty frustrated late in the second half after a few defensive lapses by his team, noting that “these mfs got out of bounds plays,” always a disheartening realization in a men’s league game. Aside from Perry’s 15, no one else scored in double digits for Bing Bong. Gavin Keough finished with 9 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block, hitting only one of his seven three-point attempts and getting some unlucky rolls on the rim. Tyler Lennon also couldn’t find the range, but hit three nice floaters in the lane to finish with 6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 3 steals. I fully expect both of these guys to bounce back offensively. Aaron Jaynes added 4 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals, bringing the energy on both ends, while Steve Azums came up with 4 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 steal, both guys rebounding well. Mike Boaheng hit a three to add 3 points and 3 rebounds, Andrew Frazer also hit a three for 3 points and 1 board, while Dante Duncan had 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals in the loss. Bing Bong have the pieces, but will need to figure out their substitutions and lineups to allow guys to find a rhythm.
B2 5v5 THU Week 2 Write-Ups
BY ALEXA S.
Game 1 - A Team Has No Name (61) vs Clever Trevors (68)
This was a tightly contested game throughout with both teams trading baskets for most of the first half. Clever Trevors were able to find some separation but A Team Has No Name would not let up with Ben S. knocking down key shots. He shot very efficiently going 5/6 (83%) from three point range and finished with 23 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists. Mike C. also contributed 17 of his own along with 8 boards and 4 assists. A Team With No Name went up 49-48 mid-way through the second but that didn’t last long as the Clever Trevors got production from the entire team and took back the lead. Andrew C. on CT’s hit a dagger from outside the arc that would seal the game. #1 lead the way with 15 points and 5 boards, while Trevor L. and Pat. H had 13 and 12 points respectively.
Game 2 - Seal Team 69 (84) vs Terminator (75)
Jack S. on Seal Team got going from the jump with 3 threes and gave Seal Team 69 the lead early on. The Terminators were able to offset this hot start, with Fozan being aggressive and setting the tone for his squad in the early going. Seal Team held on to the lead for most of the first half. However, the Terminators were able to stay within the same with big shots from Sam J. who ended up with 31 points, on 7/10 3PT%. Fozan also chipped in 30 points with 5 treys of his own. Terminators were up going into halftime but the second half was all about the Seal Team
who took back the lead and never looked back, ending their night with a 9 point victory. Caleb G. had a solid game going for Seal Team going for 18 points, 7 boards, 7 dimes and Jack S. stayed hot all game finishing with 30, hitting 6 threes overall and a team leading 8 assists.
Game 3 - Rock Lobsters (33) vs Lexington Steals (41)
The pace of the game was slow at the start with only one shot made after 4 minutes of play. The bench encouraged their teams to pick up the energy and the intensity from the players started to improve from there. Lexington Steals kept the lead by forcing lots of turnovers and good post play by James L. who lead the team with 12 points, 9 rebounds, 1 steal and a block. Rock Lobsters struggled to get going offensively but managed to stay in it, down only 3 at the half. Orry S. on the Rock Lobsters held it down with 10 points and was the only player scoring in double digits for his team. Balanced scoring from the Lexington Steals proved to be too much in the end and they took home the W.
Game 4 - World Ball (52) vs Furious Rim Ticklers (60)
The final score makes it seem that the game was closer than it actually was for the majority of the game. The Furious Rim Ticklers managed to keep a double digit lead for much of the game, going up by as much as 19 at the start of the second half. Remy B. helped to keep World Ball in the game with timely 3’s and finished with 14 points. Kevin P. gave a good effort putting up 16 points and adding 7 rebounds for World Ball as well. Their production helped their squad chip away at the large deficit, getting as close as 52-48 with 4:00 minutes to go. Tensions rose towards the end of the game, with one player being subbed off by the ref to cool off. The Rim Ticklers pulled away after that and secured the win. Brad M. was a major factor for the Rim Ticklers with 18 points and the duo of Brian P. and Jeff Y. came in clutch each dropping 15.
Franchise League Week 2 Write-Ups
WEEK 2 WRITE-UPS
Game 1:
Kawhi Me A River vs. Mulholland Drive
ReKAP
Week 2 kicked off with a solid matchup in Kawhi Me A River vs. Mulholland Drive and this game was expected to be backyard brawl. KMAR was fully staffed while MD was missing Houston, which I thought would be a mild factor in the result. JDM, coming off a rough week 1 showing, looked like a completely different player right out of the gates. He was looking spry, crushing KMAR on the offensive glass and providing MD with a nice early game jolt. He had 3 offensive rebounds and a couple putbacks within the first 3 minutes as MD jumped out to the early lead.
MD would maintain control for most of the first half, until the Tommy-Cavano-LaPorte show kicked off. These guys led KMAR to a quick 9-0 run to take 3-point lead late in the half. These guys were excellent in this game combining to go 10/15 from deep! However, the first half would end up with a MD 32-31 lead, but KMAR had to be happy with that considering the Bens were kind of non-factors.
In the second half the game kind of got away from MD. The shots weren’t falling, especially for LeBlanc who struggled to shoot the rock. Meanwhile, on the other end, Tommy went nuts. Old man Kahana turned back the clock going 5/8 from deep and really providing KMAR with a much-needed spark.
This was a really good game down the stretch. MD would claw back and the cut the deficit to 1 after a JDM three. The balanced KMAR attack would end up being too much though. Amazing three-point shooting and some late free throws would propel KMAR to the win.
KMAR wins 65-59.
Grades:
Koller (C): The points weren’t there, but everything else was. Normally a guy with 11 rebounds, 4 blocks and 6 dimes would get a strong grade, but the bar is high for Koller.
Ben Mac (B): Not too much to say here. Solid game for Ben Mac, but nothing special. He did hit half his threes which is a big for this guy so I will credit him there.
Cavano (A-): Really nice bounce back game for Cavano. He was very good in this game, hitting 3/5 from deep on his way to 11 points, 10 rebounds and 4 dimes. He had his fingerprints all over this game.
Tommy (A): Tommy was the MVP of the game. 19 points on 5/8 from deep. Not much else in the stats department but it doesn’t matter if he is shooting like this. Great game from the seasoned vet!
LaPorte (A): LaPorte just continues to roll off the bench. This guy is making an early case for 5th man of the year. He knocked down 2 treys in this one and made all the right plays.
JJ (B): JJ did his thing again off the bench, doing all the little things and giving his team a nice boost. Not much in counting stats, but he did have 8 points on efficient shooting.
JDM (A): It’s amazing what a week can do. JDM was a completely different player this week, going nuts for 25 points, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 13 rebounds and 7 dimes. Didn’t get the win, but he still played his ass off.
LeBlanc (C): Not a great game for LeBlanc, despite scoring 19. It was an inefficient 19. The 3 ball just wasn’t there for him tonight. You don’t see many nights like this from LeBlanc so we will chalk this up to an off week.
JMul (C+): JMul’s grade was salvaged because he did a nice job on Koller, but on offense he was non-existent. Collected 4 offensive rebounds though which is solid.
Craig (D): Not a good Craig game. Took some sketchy shots and fouled a lot. Credit him for snagging 8 rebounds though and preventing the “F” grade!
Chas (C-): A game to forget for Chas. He wasn’t completely awful, but he wasn’t good. Contributed 6 points, but played too tentative at times, especially when shooting the long ball. Let it fly with confidence my guy!
Week 2 Game 2 Super VS Corp
BY CHAS
Mulv got us started with a cutting hoop, and then Oully added a transition lay in 4-0. Mazz walk up 3 , yup that good 4-3, then Walker 1-2 to tie things at 4 16min. Rosi strong to the cup, but Mazz responds with 3. Rosi nailed a 3 bomb of his own, and he liked that so much he $ another 12-7. Big Lu got busy in the post, but Rosi was busy from deeep cannes another 3. Jakobson addes runner 17-9. EJ gets a 3 to go , they needed that, but Jakobson sticks J 19-12. Mazz dives in, but Oully keep pace with middy 21-14. Mulv gets 2 down low, Rosi 2-2 25-14. Mazz Jimmy, but Oully 3, followed by Sydorko tech (hand slaps forehead emoji).
31-16 after a Frongi lay in, Super pouring it on as Jaksbosn finishes , Rosi off window 35-16. Mazz stops bleeding with drive, but Rosi 6 th dime to Jakobsn was pure 37-18 at the break. Mulv Obrd put in and this one was getting ugly, after some action and another Rosi 3 it was 43-26, and I was about to stop taking notes. Mazz would not go down without a fight as he would follow a Sydorko spin shot with a three, then Mazz steos through double, then Mazz trey, and how about another trey suddenly it was 43-34. Rosi continued his stellar night with a J, Walker tries to keep pace with post, but Rosi splashes 3 48-36. Mazz deep 3 swishhhhhhhh, hes locked in now, as he lines up another, nothing but the buttom of the net 48-42. Rosi huge response 3 ball, but Mazz just wont stop hittign 3’s, the score go to 54-50, looking like the Corp had super on their heals, but Oully with the big balls 3 ball, Rosi would add a dagger 3 and Super escapes the Mazzalanch 62-53.
Super Rosi-A+- Walking fireball, and did it in big moments as well. Dude is a savage.
Kap-C- 5 dimes is good, 3 points is not. Also had 3 turnovers, I always expect more impact from Kapadon.
Oulley-B- Solid game, nothing crazy just did his job. F
rongi-C- One of the lowest ive seen him score in a awile. Kept the positivity , passed well though.
Mulv-B-) Not a tone of buckets but liked his activity on theboards and on D.
Jakobson-B-Strong 1st half, didnt do much in the 2nd, but when hes hitting that middy it makes this team very tough.
Corp
Mazz-A+- Loved how things were going so bad, but his mental toughness was really on display. Never quit, nearly pulled off, and epic comeback. I loved it!
Sydorko-D- I dont want to be a preacher here, which ive def been guilty of letting my emotions get to me, but man, you are only hurting youre team by flipping out. Jokes on me though because they won the ship anyways with this similar problem so who says i’m right? I was impressed that he calmed down ,and didnt pick up his 5th foul though.
Walker-D+- Very quiet game from one on my favorites.
Big Lu-C-) Rebounding was very good, but again let the ref in his head, and showed have been t’ed up himself. Mental toughnes baby !!
EJ-C+- Hit a 3 , thought he fought hard on the boards, and played some good D on frongi
Game 3
Poor House vs. Holland
ReKAP
HOLLAND took the court with 3 this week with Mulvehill filling in against a fully staffed Poor House team. Would Keith finally get a win, his first one in 85 years? My guess pregame was that he would, and you could tell his team wanted this one too. Onto the action! T
he story early on was the play of Tyler Masone. HOLLAND had absolutely no answer for this guy. Mazz sitting next to me at the scorer’s table said, “Masone is gonna have a huge game tonight” and he was right. Masone was a beast from inside and out. He stroked his first three ball of the game, an excellent sign after last week’s trash. He scored at will at the rim and really looked good out there. HOLLAND had no answer for Masone.
Despite being undermanned, STAT, King, Bonvie and Mulvehill fill in battled in the first half. They hung around and kept this game within reach. STAT was doing a nice job getting his teammates open shots, as King and Bonvie knocked down early triples. Offense was flowing nicely for HOLLAND, in fact, for both teams, as defense was optional. This was a very high scoring game in the first half, and I wondered if HOLLAND could sustain this for a full 40. PH led 48-38 at the break.
Poor House would “pour” it on in the second half. Keith got going, knocking down a couple treys and providing elite energy that sub-less HOLLAND couldn’t match. Ghost started to find the range and Masone continued to destroy anyone who tried to cover him. Matty J made sure to get in the act as well, connecting on a couple long balls. Just like that we had a good old-fashioned blowout! Credit to HOLLAND for playing hard and competing for a half. It’s hard to win when you are missing half your team especially in a league of this quality. Most of the second half ended up being a fun stat-padding affair for both teams, with PH coming away with the 102-79 win.
Congrats Keith!
Grades
Masone (A+): The RARE A+! Masone played a perfect game. He went nuclear, dropping a game high 37 points to go with 9 rebounds, 7 dimes and 0 turnovers. Monster bounce back from week 1.
Keith (A): Not much mention of Keith above, but he really did play an excellent game. This is the first time in a WHILE I have seen him make some outside shots. He was straight up cookin’ in this one, stuffing the shit out of the stat sheet on his way to his first win in many moons.
Ghost (B+): Strong game for Ghost, who chipped in 10 points and a few rebounds. Played his role just fine and did what his team needed to secure the dub.
Johnson (B): Not a great percentage from deep, but Johnson was able to connect on a trio of triples nonetheless. Above average game for him but nothing to rant and rave about.
Ini (B): Ini made his season debut and struggled offensively but stuffed the stat sheet otherwise. He played strong D as usual and had a couple of nice blocks. The 4 dimes was nice too.
Stull (C): Didn’t do much, but his team came away with the easy dub. He was active on the glass, collecting 6 boards, which was good to see.
STAT (B): Despite the blowout, I thought STAT played a very solid game. He had some strong finishes around the rim and moved the ball well. He gets docked because his team got smoked but he did have a good individual game. 8 dimes and only 2 TOs too.
King (C): Not a great game for King. The stats look ok, but I thought he struggled to get into the flow of the game. Not great from deep and had tunnel vision at times. I think he will improve as his team continues to figure out how to gel.
Bonvie (C): Tough game for Bonvie who was forced into 40 minutes of action. I will give him credit for knocking down 5 treys, albeit on 15 attempts. He held his own out there in a difficult situation and should see better days going forward.
Game 4:
All Length, No Girth vs. FTR
ReKAP
There was a lot of buzz heading into the nighcap, with ALNG welcoming their newest addition in Jovan Ruiz. I was intrigued to see how this guy would mesh with his new teammates. ALNG would roll with 5 for this one while FTR would be fully staffed. This was a damn good game for the most part, especially in the first half. Bakolas for ALNG came out swinging, draining 4 of 5 threes in the first half and really setting the tone for ALNG. He really had it going early and often. Joel would contribute a vicious block on Vladi that sent the ball straight to hell, in a half that ended up being a nightmare for Vladi. He was NOT good in the first half.
Lucky for him, Harding was back in action, and he looked like a guy who had been practicing in Italy. His middy was on point, and he did his usual thing getting to the rim against hapless defenders. Harding had some help from DP as well, who has looked sensational through two weeks. We had a tightly contested first half, that ended with a spectacular play from Bakolas to Reilly for a deep 3, giving ALNG a slim 2 point lead the break.
Most of the second half was hotly contested with the two teams exchanging blows in what was a close game. Eventually Vladi decided to show up and take matters into his own hands. After being a complete non-factor for 30 minutes Vladi found the stroke, knocking down 3 late triples to give FTR some breathing room. His surge really ended up being the difference down the stretch. ALNG was not able to recover, as FTR escapes with their first win, 73-62.
Grades:
Joel (B+): Very solid game for Joel. Had a double-double and shot well from deep. Needed more dimes to get into the “A” range but he had a nice game regardless.
Djordje (A): Another incredible game by Djordje. This guy is on a tear! 14 points and 20 rebounds!? Where did this guy come from!? If his team had a win he might be a legit MVP candidate.
Reilly (D): Aside from his end of the half three, this was a game to forget for Reilly. He got blocked by Vladi TWICE and his shot looked horrendous. This one was a far cry from his week 1 success.
Bakolas (A-): Bakolas was awesome in the first half from deep really pacing his team on offense. He disappeared in the second half offensively, but he did enough overall to warrant a strong grade.
Ruiz (C): Expectations were high coming in for Ruiz and I would say it was a mixed bag. He was way off from deep, but he had some grown man finishes at the rim. He also had a couple clutch buckets late to try and keep ALNG in the game. Looking forward to seeing how he responds next game.
Vladi (C): The tale of two halves. F in the first, A in the second. Made the clutch threes when it mattered most. Overall a shit Vladi game but he was instrumental in helping his team get the win.
Liam (B): Liam had a nice game, playing his role well. Knocked down a trey and rebounded the ball well. Added a couple blocks and looks to be fitting in nicely with his new squad.
DP (A): DP came through with another excellent game. Anytime DP is making 2 of 3 from deep the opposing team is in trouble. He looks extra spry this season, especially on the glass. I might have to actually start respecting his game.
Harry (B+): Pretty good Harry game here. Stuffed the stat sheet with 7 boards, 2 dimes, a vicious block, and a bucket. Did his best to limit Djordje but this has proven to be a tall task this season.
Harding (A): Harding returned to action with a purpose, dropping a cool 30 to go with 9 boards. He picked up right where he left off and should be putting up numbers like this all season. That is, if Vladi gets out of his way.
KapVP
It’s only two weeks I know but here is your early MVP ladder!
1. @e_rosie1
2.@Mr 63
3. @dp
4. @djvlajkovic
5. @bkoller297
B Draft Week 2 Write-Ups
WEEK 2 WRITEUPS
Humpty Cundall has fallen down and no Kollers can put him together again!
BY HARRY
Gray Matters had a very disappointing opening night, falling to a Lynch-less Young Bucks squad. Now they face a bigger challenge against Mountains out of Mulvehills, who is earning there number 3 preseason power ranking so far. Ian's team was missing Lamaar, Civale had everyone. TO THE ACTION!
Gray Matters offense really looked bad in week 1, especially during the second half and that continued in the first half of this game. They combined to go 0-8 from 3 in the opening frame, but they did get to the line 12 times, which is pretty impressive. They went 9-12 at the line, which is also pretty good. Koller, led the way with 11 first half points, but that's where the good news ended for these guys. Despite going to the line 12 times, they only managed 23 points, which is GASTLY! Issac, did hit a jumper and a lay-up early on, so maybe he was starting to figure it out?
On the other side of the ball MOOM continued their torrid start. 5 of their 6 guys scored multiple baskets in the first half, with James leading the way with 12 points. MacDonald, continued to spray the ball around and get everyone involved. Ian's team as well as many others do a bad job of noticing when MacDonald is just hunting shooters to dribble screen hand-off to. Everyone seems very confident in their roles on this team and it shows in the movement.
MOOM had firm control of this game as we went into the half, leading 37-23. A 14 point lead on Gray Matters might as well be a 100 at this point. BACK TO THE ACTION!
Apparently, MOOM got concerned about making it home to the Celtics on time and took the second half off. Their offense hit the skids, which was the second week in a row that this happened without any real explanation. I will say, outside of OTTOMATIC, they do have a bunch of guys are capable of missing a whole lot in a row. AKA a bunch of hot and cold players, which is something to monitor.
Lucky for them, both of their games this season have been against the new 7th and 8th ranked teams in my mind. MacDonald led the team with 8 second half points and James had 6. Gross!
Of course that didn't matter, because somehow Gray Matters offense just keeps getting worse as time goes on. Issac, hit some shots early, but couldn't get on the board in the second half. Gray, went 0-7 from three in the game. Ian, would end up leading the team with 9 second half points. Simply put, there's just way too much pressure on guys to do things they probably aren't capable of. Ian and Gray are good open shot shooters, but now they're expected to score enough to open up the floor and be 2nd/3rd options. That won't cut it. Koller isn't a 1 option either. His offensive game is way too limited without someone there to open the floor up. Every game is tough for a top option, but you still have to score.
MOOM cruised to an easy win against the helpless Gray Matter. MOOM continues their rise as contenders, while Gray Matters searches for Cancun vacation spots.
Gray Matters:
Koller B-: Koller's defense was "adequate" against MacDonald, but again you can't have 6 point halves as 1 option.
Ian B: 12 points from Ian is normally quite good, but not on this team. He struggled from deep, 1-6.
Gray D+: Good game on the boards, but 0-7 won't get it done.
Issac C-: Got it going a little, but 1 board? I need more boards with the height.
Tahahaha C-; Where's my electricity?
MOOM:
Ben B: Similar to last week, filled it up, but was on cruise control for 40 minutes.
James B+: Good shooting game by James, but I feel like he could have played a lot better.
Civale C+: Another block?!?! Lordy, but his shot was off in this one. I guess he's just a defensive player now.
Hanks D: Hanks sucked.
Lucas C+: I liked the hustle, but will this kid ever make a free throw?
OTTOMATIC A+: 6 points, 2 steals, 1 block, 7 rebounds. OTTOMATIC is a 10 on the erection scale right now.
Angry Ian Hulks up on 5 weeks and counting
By HARRY
The Great Clasby welcomed back their namesake last week after a tough 1-point loss to my team the week before. A good week for them to build chemistry, because they were facing the short handed 5WNC squad missing Jamil and obviously Nair too. Robel was out for the Great Clasby. TO THE ACTION!
5WNC did welcome back AAAAAAAOOOOOOOO, who was sporting some kind of weird haircut. KD and I were trying to figure it out, but couldn't come up with anything. It looked like a pony tail, but not at the same time. AO was in a foreign country the week before, so maybe that explains it? Anyhow, the weird haircut AO was balling out early in this game, scoring 10 first half points, along with three steals and 5 boards, plus an assist. Lots of good energy from AO in this one.
Maneval looked a lot better to with a fellow SDL guy back on his team, scoring 10 first half points. He did take 7 threes though to get there, although he was the only to make any. The rest of his team went 0-7 from deep, not great. On the other end, the Great Clasby held an early lead, but Scroggins was held without a made FG in the first half. He went 0-5 from deep, perhaps he was too concerned with the Celtics game going on at the time.
Thankfully for the Great Clasby, Angry Ian was on fire, scoring 12 first half points, adding 4 boards and 2 assists. He did get angry at one point too and tossed his headband away. All in all, angry Ian was giving us everything! A true man of the people. Clasby, also looked pretty good himself, scoring 9 first half points, with 2 steals, 4 boards and 2 assists. The Great Clasby was doing a real good job of moving the rock around the court. Great Clasby went into the half with an oddly small, 34-28 lead. Of course when you get nothing from the 1 pick in a half and you go in ahead, then that's a good sign and I'm not just saying that, because I know it's true. BACK TO THE ACTION!
Scroggins awoke from his first half slumber, scoring 21 first half points. He got his jumper going and continued his excellence from the line, going 7-7 for the game. However, the real story was his teammates passing. Clasby/Angry-Ian/Silva/Great One all combined for 12 second half assists. This team was crying about the lack of ball movement last game and really stepped it up here. I love it when a good plan comes together. Let us see if they can continue to do this against better competition.
5WNC put forth an admirable effort, but they were just out gunned in this game (no pun intended). They just couldn't connect from deep either, after a tough first half they matched it in the second half, shooting 2-14 from 3 again. 4-28 from 3 won't do the trick in any game, especially this one. Troy, would be the only one on his team to reach double digits, scoring 11 in the second half. These guys are a long way from getting Nair back. They've also had a tough schedule to be fair as well. The Great Clasby ran away with this game late, only a Big Guns three at the buzzer salvaged pride. 79-56 Final.
5WNC
Troy C+: He did a good job on defense or as well as you can on Scroggins, but his shot was off from 3.
Maneval C: Promising first half, but his shot from 3 was also quite off, going 2-11 won't cut it.
AAAAAAOOOOOO B: AO looked good on the court, except from.....you guessed it, 3. Is 6 steals a career high?
Big Guns B+: Got himself to double-digits which I love, but he missed some easy looks too.
The Great Clasby
Scroggins C: No first half FGs? Gotta call that out, finished with decent stats though.
Great One A-: Very nice, well rounded Great One game.
Angry Ian A+: Doesn't get much better from Angry Ian. He did go 0-3 from line, but had a near triple-double.
Clasby B: Played nicely to start his season, could have been "A" if he wore the right championship gear.
Silva B: Nice Silva game here as well, got his team moving the ball.
Free throws are hard
BY CUNDALL
Apologies for the late writeup, but after what I witnessed last Thursday, I needed a few days to process it. Let’s be honest this game should have been good, but it really wasn’t and whoever the equivalent of Tom Emanski (look it up if you don’t know who that is) is for basketball would have been appalled with what they just watched. With that lead in I know you all can’t wait for the write-up so to the action we go! The big news at tip off was Jack was out for The Counselors. Even though he was the 27th pick Jack showed his far better than that dropping 23/14 the first week, so his absence was the first warning sign for Noah’s squad. Harry’s squad was fully staffed with Pollock finally returning from his cross-country tour celebrating last seasons B Draft championship. Both teams struggled out the gate with points at a premium. Eventually Pollock remembered how to make a layup and got Harry’s team on the board, but other than him they didn’t have much going as six minutes into the game the score was 8-4. As we expected it was the Pollock vs. AJ show to this point as AJ was literally the only person who could hit the rim, let alone make a shot, on Noah’s team. He had the first six points for The Counselors as Harry’s team jumped out to an early 9-6 lead.
The energy started to shift when Karim entered off the bench and he immediately made an impact on both ends. He got on the board quickly and made a couple other nice plays. With 10 minutes left in the first half Harry’s team led 11-6 and things didn’t get any better over the next few minutes, save for AJ knocking down his first three of the half after several misses. It was 16-9 with seven minutes left and if Harry’s team could make a free throw it would have been far worse. Weinstein knocked down both his free throws, but the rest of the team went 1-9 from the line in the first half. The inability to make free throws was jarring, as was Stat’s inability to make a field goal. After going scoreless last week with only three minutes left in the half, he still had a blank 2PM field on the stat sheet. Finally, after 58 minutes of action to start the B Draft season and numerous layups thrown off the backboard, Harry’s nightmare ended and Stat made a layup! That layup propelled Harry’s lead to double digits and was soon followed by Harry making a very impressive layup on the fast break after an outlet pass from Sam. We don’t get to see Harry as the first man out on the break often, so all I can think of was the new haircut he was sporting made all the difference. That was the last notable play of the half as Harry’s team led 26-15 in an absolute brick fest. Pollock led the way for Harry’s team with eight points, but everyone else chipped in between two and five points. For Noah’s team, AJ had nine, Joel had four and David was the only other person to score.
The second half started with Karim again getting to the hoop and exposing the lack of rim protection for The Counselors. AJ finally started to wake up, however knocking down another three to keep it within striking distance. Unfortunately, for the Counselors that layup in the first half seemed to wake up Stat as he also realized their was nobody who could slow him down at the rim and he started to go down there whenever he wanted. He was very active on the offensive glass and when he got to the bucket finished, scoring eight second half points. Meanwhile, after Harry’s team shot 3-11 from the line in the first half, Noah’s team sought to top it. They missed all eight of their free throw attempts in the second half, which really limited their comeback chances. They did, however wake up from three as AJ made a couple more, but each time Trick or Treat had an answer. It was 43-28 Harry’s team with 10 minutes left and over the next few minutes Harry knocked down a big three, showing off again that his new haircut was a game changer and so did Weinstein which kept the lead at a comfortable 16 points, 51-35. With four minutes left Harry’s team led 57-41 and it seemed like all they had to do was run out the clock. Unfortunately Pollock had other plans and started turning the ball over, while Joel knocked down two threes and we had a 10 point game. That was as close as it would get, however as Harry’s team would tack on a couple late buckets to come away with a 63-49 win. More important than the final score, however was that both teams combined to go 5-25 from the free throw line, including 0-10 in the second half. Both teams also shot better from three than the free throw line.
Trick or Treat
Pollock C-: Ok first half, but was very quiet for the majority of the second half and didn’t hit a single three.
Weinstein B: Didn’t have as big an impact with the shots spread around more, but did hit both his free throws which was an accomplishment for this game.
Stat B-: Rough first half, but picked it up in the second half big time. No made free throws dings the grade.
Harry B+: Really solid game with a three, athletic layup and good captain decisions.
Karim B+: Active on both ends and at least made one free throw.
Kenny B+: Nice game on both ends and chipped in double digit points.
The Counselors
AJ B: Led his team in scoring and defended Pollock well, but struggled with his shot.
Joel C+: Awful first half, but much better in the second half and even knocked down a few threes.
Noah D: Didn’t have it at all today.
David B: Solid debut, very active on the glass and chipped in eight points.
Brett C: Worked hard and got into good positions, but need to see him knock down a few more shots.
Throw in the white flag
By HARRY
Danner 18 came into this game suffering a pretty emphatic week 1 loss and Casey responded by ditching his team in week 2. They did welcome Danner and Glynn though. Meanwhile, Cam welcomed his second round pick, Nick Lynch to the team and everyone else was there. TO THE ACTION!
It was a tight back and forth affair in the first half. Matthew Miller came out strong though. He's really good at getting to the line, going 4-4 from the charity stripe in the opening frame. His shot was also falling too, mid-range, inside the paint and he added a 3. He doesn't seem to get tired or take any plays off, especially on offense.
Danner 18 tried to fight back though, with Marcellus coming through big, scoring 8 first half points. Danner 18's offense was pretty pathetic, but Marcellus big buckets kept it close for them. He really struggled badly in week 1, but I'll just blame Casey's bad passes on that. They need him to convert down low on high percentages opportunities.
Despite Marcellus and his efforts, Miller had built such a big lead on Danner 18 that it didn't seem they could crawl out of it. Calderan hit an early 3, but Cavano couldn't find the hoop. He was true to his word in taking a bunch of shots and naturally, he missed all of them. Cavano went 0-7 from deep in the first half and you aren't going to beat Matthew Miller that way.
Glynn and Danner hit a bucket apiece late, but a late Marcellus heave at the buzzer went wide. Danner 18 officially lost the first half to Matthew Miller 17-15. Oh ya and a bunch of other guys scored a whole lot of points on Danner 18 too. DTO had 15 1h points and the Young Bucks went into the half up 44-15.
Despite the embarrassment of losing to one guy in a half, Danner 18 still took the floor in the second half. There is no level of embarrassment to keep Chris Cavano from continuing to play and chuck. Cavano, scored 21 second half points, including hitting four threes. Calderan, also awoke from his first half coma and scored 9 second half points. Danner chipped in with a couple of threes too and Danner 18 was showing signs of life or maybe the Young Bucks just couldn't believe these guys would keep playing and stop us from watching the Celtics.
The lead would actually get down to single digits for one possession in the second half until Miller got a couple buckets to push the lead back. Nick Lynch was quiet until he started trying to dunk and failed twice. SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! Cam led his team with 10 second half points and a bunch of missed lay-ups and bad passes. Lucky for the Young Bucks that Danner 18 decided not to play the first half, because they sucked in the second half.
Young Bucks hold on to win 75-57
Danner 18
Cavano D: I don't care what Cavano's final line is, you can put a giant F next to them for FLUFF, because that's what they are, fluff stats.
Danner D+; Somehow Danner is known a 3-point shooter, but he doesn't shoot many anymore. Why?
Glynn D: Glynn was taking pregame shots and I don't know why, because he didn't take any game shots.
Calderan D: Calderan is the 3rd option on this team, so he needs to score consistently.
Marcellus B-: Marcellus was the only one showed up in the first half.
Young Bucks:
Miller A: Another impressive performance, I want to see him against a good team though.
Lynch D+: Filled it up, but missed two dunks, which brings shame upon all us bigs.
DTO A+: DTO looks pretty good when I'm not throwing his shit on Saturdays.
Cam A-: Lots of good defense, but refuses to make his free throws still.
Landy C-: Did he even play?
Bauman B: Very good first half, which for a role player is all you can ask of.
5v5 Draft Week 2 Write-Ups
Week 2 - Write Up Victorious Secret VS. The Motha Effect
by Jamil
This was a fantastic matchup between 2 very talented teams that suffered tough week 1 losses. After struggling mightily in week 1, The Motha Effect had fantastic chemistry from the start. Nate Guzzi (25 points 6 rebounds, and 7 assists) and Nika (15 points and 14 rebounds) were the catalyst for the improved play.
Nate Guzzi was impactful on both ends of the court (2 steals and 2 blocks) and was extremely assertive in scoring the ball. Nika on the other hand, dominated the paint and the offensive glass to the tune of 6 offensive rebounds. I’ve watched him play over the past two sessions and this was by far the best I’ve ever seen him play.
The Motha Effect would jump out to an early lead, in a game that looked posed to be an absolute blowout, but Victorious Secret wasn’t prepared to go out without a fight. #5v5Draft rookie Jonathan Allen (15 points, 3 steals, and 9 rebounds) played well despite his team trailing in the scoring column. Fellow Rookie Ron Cabeza would have a quiet first half, as he returned from injury but would eventually get it going.
The Motha Effect would go into the half leading 39 - 27 with no signs of slowing down. Motha (13 points and 10 rebounds) Kunal (10 points and 5 rebounds), and Hamza (9 points and 6 rebounds) would all contribute to a very convincing win for The Motha Effect, as they re-establish themselves as a championship contender and one of the top teams in this league.
Week 2 - Write Up The Cambridge Rats VS. Primetime 5.0
By Jamil
Both teams started off slow in this week 2 matchup. Ben Danzig (17 Points and 9 rebounds) got the offense rolling early for Primetime 5.0. His ability to score at all three levels was on full display as he would score in a variety of ways.
Marquis struggled mightly to start the game, but there was an unsung hero by the name of Steve Rakusin (15 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists) that kept The Cambridge Rats within reach of the lead. Steve was incredible on both ends of the floor, but his 5 of 5 clip from three had to be a new personal best.
After some early struggles, Jacob Miller (22 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists) hit his groove midway through the first half and controlled the pace of the game. He had the three-ball dropping (3) and penetrated at will for easy scores.
Primetime 5.0 would go into the half with the lead, but Marquis Victor (35 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 blocks) was saving his best for the second half. Marquis went on to hit 5 of his 7 triples in the second half and 3 absolutely monster rejections getting it done on both ends of the court.
Shawn Wise (10 points and 15 rebounds) was a man amongst boys, putting his week 1 struggles in the rearview mirror and re-establishing himself as of the top centers in the league.
The Cambridge Rats would go on to beat PrimeTime 5.0 by double-digits despite playing reasonably well.
Week 2 - Write Up All the Smoke VS. Can’t Miss Keramaris
BY WISE
Can’t Miss Keramaris came into the game missing their MVP candidate, Jacob Held. Unfortunately for All the Smoke, they would be missing their big man, Kola Olugbade, and Jamil would have to play through nagging leg injury. With Brian Horan not able to make the start of the game, All the Smoke would have to start the game with just 5 players. Can’t Miss Keramaris would jump out to an early lead on an undermanned and undersized All the Smoke team.
They jumped out to a 35-23 lead at half and never looked back. Eric Li looked like a mix of Dikembe Mutombo and Steve Nash. Eric was definitely the most impactful player on the court for the first 22 minutes. He had 4 of his 5 blocks and 5 assists in the first half and looked like he was well on his way to a triple double. He would finish the game with 14 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 blocks and a steal.
Mazz made All the Smoke pay when they left him open behind the arc and would finish making 7 three-pointers in the game. He would finish the game with 30 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals. This game was pretty ugly for All the Smoke from start to finish. Can’t Miss Keramaris capitalized on their bad turnovers and push the ball in transition for easy points. Jamil, Tyrone and Kashawn all would end the game with double digit points but I don’t think any of them would feel like they played well. All the Smoke was able to dig deep and rally back for a couple of minutes in the second half and cut the lead from 18 to single digits. However, they would run out of steam and lose by 18 in the end.
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