Week 2

Game 2 Get That D 67 vs West End Johnnies 70

 by CHAS BELLS

Talbot got things going with a drive, and Kerk doing his best Grant impression splashed a 3 5-0. Liam stopped the momentum with a 3. Talbot 3 ball, then he connected on a middy, Kerk with another sexy 3. Joel would cash a jumper, and then dime Harry 15-11. West Ends pssing was so good as Kerk/walker Give nd go magic. Get that D was hanging around though Harry 1-2, followed by a Joel J 17-14. Divine got cooking wth a cut, and then 2 of a steal, and then a nifty drive it was 29-20. Liam would connect on a 3 to keep pace, but Talbot was a man on mission as he slashed in for 2. West end would get the lead up to 13 after another Divine bucket but a nice push from Get that D at the end of the half Civale trey , and then Post Harry 38-30 at the break. 

Joel 3 out of the gate , then Civale trey ball, West end would punch back with a big run, and after a Talbot J it was 46-37 with 16 min to go.Talbot went down clutching his knee, and it doesnt look good WTF!! Joel stays with it and got 2, Civale hot from 3, Joel J but West end had an answer all night as Walker post, Kerk splash 3 made it 51-44. Liam wasnt done doing work as he drove in, and then hot another 3 it was just a 53-50 game with 9 to go. Paul got a midrange to go, followed by a big Divine 3 58-50. Joel J/Ini drive /Joel J, but Kerk was the killer tonight as he nailed a bigtime 3 64-56. Civale would not go quietly into the night as he got 2 straight 3’s to go 64-62. Divine converts nice scoop over 2 guys and it was FT time, but West End struggled to put this one way. Joel gets fouled shooitng a 3 he hits all of them 67-67, this one looked like OT. Divine the hero hits crazy floater , and then Get That D had a bad turnover to end it 70-67 thriller!!!!!!

Get that D

Harry-A-) I gota say Harry balled out, passing was good/D was good/ and POST HARRY was here

Joel-B+-He was solid, got lost on D a bit though 

Liam-B-) Quiet for stretches then would go on burst, but needs to be more spread out

Ini-C-0-4 ft’s and only 6 pts wont get it done

Civale-B-was toasty from 3 , but where are my rebounds ?

West End

Talbot-A- GET BETTER SOON MY MAN!!!!

Walker-B-) Was quiet but rebounded well 

Kerk-A+- Hero mode, played one of the best games ive seen him play

Divine-A-Game winner was crazy, but he finished over double teams a bunch 

Paul-B-Rebounded well, and splashed a J

Game 3 1$ for All All for $1 61 VS Luka 64

By CHAS BELLS

Oully came out storming hiting 3 and middy 5-0. Titties finishes obrd, but Keith J kept lead at 5 7-2 17 min. Tits and Oully trade hoops. Koller J, Tities 3 and we were knotted up at9 15 min. Young would give 1$ the edge as he got a 3 to go 16-15, but B.Mac was a bulldozer and ripped off a run byhimself and it was 24-16, as Titties connected. William would hit a ft, and J ball, but Tities jumper kept the edge 26-19. Keith $ a 3,but Koller ord leads to B.Mac trey 29-22. Gold finally in on the act finishes an obrd, but Koller with the 3 gave them fits. 1$ would go on a nice push to end the half Keith 3/Oully transition 2/ Young 3 it was 36-32 at the break. 

Tities continued his great night with a J, and then Koller post 40-32. William/B.Mac trade hoops. Williams hits 3 42-37, 42-39 after tough bucket from Keith. Koller middy/ B.Mac drive 48-39 trying to sneak away, but Keith 3 ball keeps them in it 48-42. B.Mac/Koller just kept getting buckets 55-42, but a big Dave 3 gave his team life, and Oully would hit a 3 of his own, and the got a layup 55-50 6 min to go. B.Mac crazy floater but Keith’s 3, made it just a 57-53 game. It would turn into FT time, but Luka could not put this one away, as another Keith 3 made it just 63-61. 1$ would have their chances but some bad possession down the stretch caused the game to end 64-61. 

1$

Keith-A-)Shooting was very good, gota call timeouts and get better plays at the end there. 

Gold-C+-6 dimes is good, but he was hesitant today, he will get better every week 

Oully-B-he was good, this teams needs hm to be great. Take more shots 

Young-B-)Much better outing , getting more comfortable 

Dave-C-) My main man been very quiet so far 

William-B-played ok, but I love his energy , that stuff goes a long way. 

Luka

B.Mac-A-) Bullozing and stuffing stas sheets, thats what he does 

Koller-A+- My MVP of the session so far

Tities-A-All over the fuckign place, looking like steal of draft 

Willy-C-)Mama said their be days like this 

Game 4 Super Hoopers 77 vs STAT 69

By CHAS BELLS

Mulv got things going witha  trey ball, Harding responds with smooth J. B.Mac /Nair got cutting baskets 7-2 17 min. Frongi trying to get his team going hits 3 8-5. Mulv obrd work, but Rosi splashes 3, and Harding ties it with drive 10-10. Nair j, Harding steal and finish. Rosi would break the tie with 2 straight walk up 3’s 20-14 Super up. Stat bucket but Rosi 3 , you might want to cover that 23-19. Mulv sick pass to Nair, Djorde hook shot to keep pace 25-21 10 min. Harding nice finish, but Mulv hits floater, Stat put in, and another Mulv bucket lead to this game being tied ar 32 all. Djorde /STAT trade post hoops, but a Landon 3 gave Stats team the 37-34 lead at the break. 

Harding J , and then another hoop off broken play 38-37 Super back up. Rosi 2-2, but Nair with some razzle dazzle hits middy, Mulv 1-2 to tie things 40-40. Harding 3 ball, but Landon hits a 3 of hs own. Nair liked that so much he hit 2 straight 3’s and then added a J it was a shocking 51-43. Rosi big time 3, why are they letting him shoot? Nair 2-2, Harding drive/Stat 1-2, but then another Nair 57-48. Rosi always turns on in these moments , and he gets a 3 to go, and a runner, after a harding  3 it was 60-56 Stat up. Nair 3 ball up it was good his 5th of the half 63-56. Jakobson nice J, then Rosi tough drive brought them closer. 1 min to go Stas team misses easy shot openign the door for a rosi walk 3 it was up and gooooooooooood we go to OT. 

Harding trey, but Nair 3 to tie it. Super would run away after that as Stats team just could connect 77-69 great game, greta win for super. 

Stats team

Nair-A-Kids a starrrrrrrr

Landon-B-Nice shooting, he got cooked on the perimiter a lil biy

Mulv-A-) One of the best games Ive seen from him

Stat-B-Good numbers but gota call timeouts and change the D when Rosi is cooking

Super

Rosi-A- Big giant balls 3 ballllllllllllllllllll

Harding-A-Was the smooth assassin killer

Frongi-C+-started well , kinda disappeared 

Jakobson-C-) they need a little more from him. 

Djorde-B+-He plays like this he will always give youre team a chance to win

Week 2

By WADA KING

NNHS(65) vs Plenty Of Lotion(55) 

NNHS with a dominant win 

First game of week two was a dominant win for NNHS from start to finish. Which is not surprising because of their dominant win last week against Jack Daniels. The only surprise was how bad plenty of lotion played after losing big last week, and the expectation coming into this game was they would play much better. As for the game NNHS was very good and they seemed to be a step ahead of plenty of lotion on both ends on the court. They was playing beautiful basketball, from moving the ball on the half court setting to making the perfect pass during a fast break. Leading the charge for the great passing was philip and mike accumulating a total of 9 assists combined. Their great ball movement and defense led them to a 37-21 lead at the half.  But credit to plenty of lotion, they made a big push led by last week's superstar Guy to give NNHS a little sweat. But even though they went on a run unfortunately for plenty of lotion it was not enough to get them over a very good team like NNHS.

Terminator(43) vs Hess Express(67)

Rebound is key

Coming into this game with an 0-1 record Hess Express made sure that they get a W this week. They completely punished the Terminator on the bounds and it led to so many second or even third chance buckets at the rim. They also played well defensively against a team in the terminator who had an impressive win last week. Hess in the first half had well balanced scoring from top to bottom and that led them to having a 15 point lead going into the second. At the end of the game there was 4 players in double digits for Hess.

Eastie Hoops(80) vs Jack Daniels(61) 

Eastie looking dominant again

Coming into this game eastie hoops was a very heavy favorite after last week's dominant win against Plenty of Lotion. And unfortunately for Jack Daniels they have faced what seems to be the best two teams so far in NNHS last week and Eastie Hoops this week. But going into the game Eastie hoops picked up right where they left from last week. They are a very good and smart basketball team on both ways of the court. As always everyone did their job, Joseph was a rebounding machine with 12 rebounds, the two point guards Kyle and Lucas dropping dimes to their teammates with them getting 6 and 4 assists respectively. They both also shot a crazy 66% from the three as well. Overall it was a team effort that led to this dominant win for Eastie Hoops.

Miyagi Fang(60) vs Players Make Plays(47)

Miyagi-Fang first W

After a tough close loss last week to the Terminators, Miyagi Fang came to play in this game. This was a tough physical game and there was a lot of fouling going on from both teams. But Miyagi-Fang capitalized from all the physicality from shooting well from the free throw line. They also had a player like vladi who was 5 for 5 from the 3 point line. Players make plays tried to comeback but it was not enough because they could not stop Miyagi. 

B2 5v5 Thursday Nights W23

 By WADA KING

Clevor Trevors 67 vs Furious Rim Ticklers 68

Down to the wire

Good game overall between both teams from start to overtime. On both sides of the ball Furious Rim Tickler came out strong in the first half. Leading the pack for Furious Rim Tickler was Brian who was on fire the whole game. He played a big part into the Rim Tickler having a lead going into the second half. In the second half Clevor trevor played better than they played in the first and their defensive intensity led by Lucas who was destroying the rebounds as well as getting 3 steals and 4 assist. Offensively Clevor had 4 players with double digit points helping them to take this game to overtime. But unfortunately for them it was not enough for them to get over the Rim Ticklers.

Gino Time 49 vs A Team Has No Name 71

This was a Josh Brandanese game

Gino time is a hell of a team and they have solid players who also played well in this game. But unfortunately for Gino Time A Team Has No Name is also a good team and they have Josh Brandanese. Josh was lights out this game and honestly made it look easy. His stat line was 33 points, 6 for 9 from the 3 (66%), 2 steals, as well as 4 assists. His presence also made it easier for his teammates who didn’t mind feeding him the ball at all. But outside of josh everybody else did their job and helped the team win in a blowout game.

The Lab 62 vs Dm-Pire 41

The Lab with a convincing win

Dm-Pire played good in the first half of this game and they were led by Ethan who was very aggressive the whole game. But the Lab seemed to be the better team on this day. The Lab took the game over in the second and just had too much offensive power for DM. Notable players like Travis had the game high 21 points, Colin with a dominant 13 pts 12 rebs and 5 assist. They had other players who chipped in as well for this dominant win.

Week 1 Write-Ups

Game 1 Hot Goyle Winter Vs The Gold Show

Hot Goyle Summer 65 Skelley 58

by HANKS

Game 1 featured Chas running back his championship squad Hot Goyle Summer into its winter incarnation taking on Skelley’s team. Derek traded up to snag the number 1 pick specifically to take Gold and looked to fill out his draft with the rest of his crew. Hot Goyle Winter was the favorite coming into this game due to their championship pedigree but Gold can be a one man scoring machine so it looked to be a great matchup. 

Chas started things off with a 3, showing Team Skelley they can’t leave him open from deep and Gold responded by getting to the rim for a layup. Derek added a putback. Gold would pour in his team's next 8 points but Goyle continued to play tough, with Weinstein getting to the line and Chas banking in a tough And-1. Chas dimed up Kodra for a 3 and had another layup and it was 16-12 Goyle with 12 left to play. Gold continued to make his case for being the number 1 pick, finishing the half with 19 points. Goyle stayed in it by moving the ball well and getting great looks and would take the lead on a Weinstein midrange jumper, going into the half up 31-28. 

Gold, Kodra and Skelley all scored to start the second half and Goyle held on to a 3 point lead. Kodra got a tough and-1 layup but Gold would answer with a 3 and it was still Goyle by 3 with 14 left to play. Weinstein would score 6 straight and keep getting to the line and Chas hit another 3 and Goyle held on to their lead. Gold would then hit 3 straight 3’s from halfcourt and within a minute, Goyle’s lead was down to 4. Everytime Team Skelley made a run however, Goyle had answers. This time it was Kodra for 3 and a layup. Gold connected on a big 4 point play late, but with time winding down, they would be forced to send Goyle to the line, where Chas, Kodra and Weinstein hit just enough to keep the lead safe. Goyle would escape the Josh Gold barrage with a 7 point win. It’s safe to say Gold needed some help from his teammates on the offensive end, adding Dunton should help. Goyle looks to be the same well-oiled machine they were last season, and will be one of the top tier teams once again. 

Hot Goyle

Bohnaker C- couldn't get the shots to fall, but played solid defense and rebounded

Chas A made some great assists and got buckets, even with an injured hamstring

Weinstein A consistent offensive production, 8/9 from the free throw line

Kodra A hit a few big 3s and was aggressive getting to the rim

Skelley

Gold A+ 43 points, several highlight plays, was a menace

Skelley B+ executed some nice pick and rolls with Josh, but was exploited on defense

Worth C he needs to be more aggressive on offense, he can hit shots, needs to take more

Piasta  C- rough night coming off injury, he will be more impactful as the season progresses

Lindsey C had a bucket

Game 2 Hanks Vs Randal

By CHAS

Frano got his busy day started with a nice hook shot. Arria running the floor got 2, then Lagno added a 3 ball. Frano kep tpace with a post bucket, and then cashed a J, then added an Obrd put in he was balling 8-5 Hanks up. Lagno 3, but Paul also hits 3 11-8. Randal/Murphy got buckets followed by an Arria 3, Murphy and 1, then Randal finish they were rolling 19-10. Frano stopped the bleeding with an and 1 but a Lagno 3 contiinued the assault, Arria strong drive, Lagno finish, things really went off the rails from here Arria kept running, kept getting layups it was 40-22 at the break. 

Things did not get better in the 2nd half Arria continued to be a bucket, the closest the score would get would be 46-32, but it was an Ugly night without Kap , for Hanksey’s squad. 77-52.

Team Randal

Randal-B+-Contiuing his versailtle play from last session. Setting up his boys on O, snatching steals 

Arria-A-Nearly a flawless game, dude just jept beatign them down the court over and over again. 

Lagno-A-)Was toasty from 3 , snatching boards looked really really good 

Murphy-B-Rock solid big man night, layed controlled and poised. 

Team Hanks

Paul-B-) Good numbers but they were not the most impactful. 5 dimes is always nice. 

Hanks-D- We all have games like this sometimes, he will bounce back

Luigi-B-) Dude hustles hard I love it, just gota play a little more controlled 

Frano-A- 30 pts/14 rbs and still get beta by over 20, not a good trend 

Tomar-B-)Hustled hard coudlnt get one of those 3 balls to go. 

Game 3 Joels Vs EJ

By CHAS

EJ was wet to start the ball game 3-0. Frongi started his big day off with a trey ball of his own 3-3. Stotcha/B.Robb both traded 3’s no feildgoals here 6-6. Dany/Joel converted floaters, B.Robb powered in for 2 but Dany splashed a 3 ball, followed by a Staiger 3 16-8. Civale in on the cat gets two in the post 16-10 15 min. Joel/Civale both score in the post, and then Staiger added a J 20-12. Casey wets a 3, then adds an Obrd put in better box him out, Civale post work made it a 1 pt game 20-19. Dany changes the momentum with a 3, but Casey was heating up as he connected on long 23-22 12 min. Civale would hit another 3 after a frongi j and we were tied at 25 all. Casey hits 3 , Dany dimes up Joel 29-29. Frongi 3 ball, then Dany/Civale trade 2’s 34-31. Frongi floater , then Dany 3 trying to pull away 40-31. Civale post , B.Robb 3 put an end to that41-39. Frongi continued his assault with another floater , and then a layup in transition it was 47-41 at the break, what a half!

Joel post got 2, but Civale was hot from 3, Dany would convert a drive to try and cool things 51-44. Nope another Civale 3, B.robb/Casey would both finish O boards and we were tied at 51 with 17 min to go. Dany floater, but B.Robb J, Staiger would geta  3 to go for the edge56-53. Civale post, Casey 3 they ahd the lead 58-56. Frongi in blackout mode cashes a 3 for the lead, but Casey wasnt having it as he hit another trey, EJ with the razzle dazzle post move, then Casey steal and finish they were rolling, Danner dimed up B.Robb 67-59. Frongi would not go quietly into the night as he cashed a middy then $ a 3 67-64 they have life! Nope Casey 3 u and good , Civale 3, Casey drive, and this one looked over. Joels boys would not quit, Frongi filthy floater, Joel hots a captain 3 it was 78-74, but Casey smelled blood, and convrted 2 straight easy bucktes for the win 83-76. 

EJ’s Team

Casey-A+-Man on a mission, league may be in trouble 

B.Robb-A-Was solid all ove the court, he plays like this they are an easy contender 

Danner-C+-His defense was good again, like to see some buckets

EJ-B-)Managed the game well, had the razzle dazzle post move

Amir-D-Momma said there be days like this 

Civale-A-Perfect game for him n this team. Arrow up. 

Joels Team

Joel-B+-Thought he was very good, maybe needed to shoot even more. 

Dany-B+-solid for most but faded down the stretch

Frongi-A-What an outing !! got beat up int he post a bit, but mad he was a fucking scoring machine. 

Staiger-B-) he will ne a good piece for them, liek to see one more of those 3’s go in. 

Stull-D-Ditto Amir, there will be better nights. 

Game 4 Harry Vs S.Mul 

By CHAS

Cawley went 2-2 to start this one off 2-0. Brother to Brother J.Mul finds S.Mul 2-2 17:40 to go. Ian J, Matty 3, and then obrd put in 9-3. Cody would get a floater to go 9-5 15 min mark. Ian trey was good, and Matty added a drive 14-5. Kielley would come on the scene with a trey, and he liked it so he did it again 14-11 13 min. Cawley 2 after a nice cut, Clarke would go 1-2, and Keilley with a slashing drive, Clarke would tie things with an off window floater 16 all. Matty/s.Mul trade buckets, but Clarke working finishes obrd20-18 9 min. S.Mul orbd work of his own, but Cawley calms things going 2-2. There goes that man Baller Bonvie for trey swishhhhhh 25-20, Clarke gets 2 after Bonvie hustle 27-20. Cawley post put in then shake shimmy J 27-24. S.Mul /Cawley would trade buckets to end the half 29-26. 

Baller Bonvie lined up a deep 3 to start the half 32-26. Matty drive to keep pace 32-28. Kielley would get 2 straight buckets, followed by a Bonvie trey thisone was getting away from Harrys sqaud , Kielley canned a 3 to make things worse 42-29. Kielley would add 2 ft’s, but then Matty middy, and then River 3 ball to cut the lead to 10 44-34 13 min to go. Clarke /Matty trade 2’s, but then a J.Mul trey 49-38 10 to go. S.Mul’s team would go ona  6 -0 run after that , and that was all she wrote. Harry did not look pleased on the sidelines as they fell 66-57. 

Harrys Team

Harry-C+) he boarded well. I wanted more coaching , more yelling !

Cawley-B-) Just decent, and this teams need him to be spectacular 

Matty-B-Filled up the stat sheet, but didnt seem to make a huge impact on the game 

Ian-C+-They need more from him. 

River-C-) The hustle didnt translate like it usually does. 

Carey-D- Not much action out there

S.Muls Team

S.Mul-B-good not great , but did what they needed. 

J.Mul-C-) very very quiet 1-5 ft lie no bueno 

Cody-B-) shot was way off, but I see potential 

Kielley-A-Very impactful, high energy, slashing and hitting 

Bonvie-A-) Hustled hit 3 ‘s and dimed what more could you ask for. 

Clarke-B+- Was finsihign the best ive see him. Hustled hard too. 

by DEVIN QUINLIN

W23 A League Power Rankings (Overreactions) After Week 1

Bottom Tier Teams

10.) Take The Under --> Good players but not sure they have the firepower to compete with other teams.

9.) So You're Telling Me There's A Chance? --> Brutal putting my own team here but we have no chemistry and got smacked by a team going half speed.

8.) Skelton's Boys --> Need to adjust to the faster pace and deeper talent pool, but have the players to compete.

Middle Tier Teams

7.) Cobras --> Beat a weak opponent by only 7 points, but could definitely be higher if their guys are more engaged.

6.) Not A Dime Back --> Same as Skelton's Boys but they have better talent.

5.) Spida Men --> They get the benefit of the doubt as defending champs, but not a great showing in week 1 for them.

4.) Bormes' Disciples --> Great week 1 showing, no doubt about talent, shooting, or chemistry, but they lack the size of the top 3 teams.

Top Tier Teams

3.) West Coast Elite --> Beat a weak opponent going half speed, but should've won by more. Attendance issues are always a question with them until they prove otherwise.

2.) Zards --> As good as advertised, could be #1 but faced a weaker opponent

1.) Shooters Shoot --> Same as Zards but beat a better opponent, so they get the nod.

By BRENDAN MURRAY

WEEK 1 

Game 1: Unreliables 60 Wyld Stallyns 40

Unreliables looking Reliable

This game was close out the gates but quickly the Unreliables took a commanding lead with some great ball movement and some nice individual performances. Eric Fleming would lead the way with a game high 18 pts to go with 5 reb and 2 ast. He had a good mix of mid range buckets and attacking the rim all game. Felix Trede also had a great game running the offense effectively and flirting with a triple double finishing with 13 pts 13 reb and 6 ast. There really wasn't much the Wyld Stallyns could do with these two especially on the fast break. Darryl Auguste would also pitch in with 11 pts and 5 reb and Michael Lamb finished with a game high 6 steals. A real team win for these guys hopefully this is the start of a successful season.

For the Wyld Stallyns though it was a loss they had some guys who came to play and kept them close for the early portion of this game. Anthony Scanzo- Masiero would lead the team with 17 pts on some really nice shooting from deep finishing 5-9 from the 3 pt line to go with 6 reb and 4 ast. This was definitely a good game for him and I hope to see more of the same next week. Kevin O’brien also would finish with 16 pts and was a menace on the fast break for stretches of this game. Ethan Collins also was a force on defense finishing with 9 reb 3 stl 2 blk 3 ast. Hopefully these guys can flip the script next week. 

 

Game 2: Cheese Boys 45 Thank You University 41

Thank you University can’t thank the Cheeseboys

Thank you University came away with a tough loss in week one with a narrow defeat from the Cheeseboys of just 4 points. Kevin Toomey was strong on the boards finishing with 10 pts, 9 rebs and 4 asts. He was a force in the paint all night long.  Greg Palazzo showed great hustle on loose balls finishing with 3 stls on top of his 6 pts and 6 rebs. The team was really led by the shooting from Andrew Pratt as he knocked down 4 3’s and ended with 17 pts, 9 rebs and 2 blks but unfortunately it wasn’t enough for The Cheeseboys. Hopefully Thank You University can come away with a win after a tough loss in week 1.

The Cheeseboys came away with a thrilling win in their first game. Early in the game it looked sloppy for The Cheeseboys as Ben Hayes and the rest of the team were launching from 3 and couldn’t get one to fall. Ryan Mumford was also a threat to the team by taking 4 personal fouls in the first half with only 5 players but was able to hold it together in the 2nd half. He would finish with 8 pts 7 reb 3 ast and was a force on the interior all night long. Late in the game Jack Woods rallied the team as he led the way for The Cheeseboys with 17 points 7 reb and 4 ast as they started to connect in the 2nd half and therefore snuck out with a 4 point win. Shoutout to Ben Hayes who started out cold but knocked down two of the biggest threes in the game down the stretch. 
 

Game 3: Terminator 2 73 Splash Brows 34

Terminator 2 terminates the splash bros

 Unfortunately The Splash Bros could not come away with a win in week 1. Mark Petros and Dave Bibb started in foul trouble early in the game as Terminator 2 took advantage and rolled to an easy victory. The Splash Bros were led by Waseem Givens with 10 pts and 10 rebounds. Although the game wasn't very close Givens kept his team locked in and showed some great hustle. Yvon Hartt also had a nice game finishing with 9 pts and 6 rebs getting some nice layups on the fast break. He definitely showed some potential for a good season. Petros, though in early foul trouble also would finish with 8 pts a blk and an ast. Unfortunately they weren’t in the game very long but definitely showed some signs of potential. Hopefully they can look to get some rest and come back very strong next sunday.

Terminator 2 could not be stopped as 3 players led the way with double figures. Carl Bunge had 17 along with 10 rebs and 2 asts. He was dominant on the fast break and Splash Bros really did not have an answer for him. Zach Taylor had 22 pts 10 rebs 4 ast and was a force from three finishing 3-6 from long range. Tom Bissell would finish with a game high 29 pts to go with 11 rebs and 2 ast. He managed to have a nice mix of points in the paint and from the three point line. They also could not be stopped at the glass as each of those 3 players also recorded 10 plus rebounds along with their points. The Hustle from this team was out matched from the tip. Terminator 2 rolls into week 2 looking like one of the strongest teams we’ve seen so far, hopefully they can keep this up throughout the season.

 

Game 4: Commando 53 THEM 35

Commando Takes Down THEM

This game was definitely closer than the final score might indicate as Commando would come away with a definitive win but THEM kept this game in respectable range for the most part. For Commando Max Heinrich would lead the way with 21 pts 17 reb and 4 ast and looked like the best player on the court for long stretches of this game. He would have plenty of help as Jake also had a very efficient game finishing with 17 pts 5 reb 2 ast. These two were a problem for THEM all game long constantly hitting tough shots in big moments. Troy was also a huge factor in this game crashing the boards all game and finishing with 8 pts 14 reb and 4 ast. For Commando they come in looking like an early favorite and will be interesting to see how they fair this season. 

For THEM they definitely showed a ton of potential and some great hustle. Once they figure out how to mesh their pieces together they could have a very successful season. They were led by Adam Sweet who would finish this game with 13 pts 3 reb and a stl. He was great at cutting to the basket throughout this game. Dan Kimmett also added some nice plays finishing with 9 pts and 9 rebs and hustled throughout the game. Also Zach Doyle would go on to finish with a game high 5 steals which gave THEM some great opportunities in transition. Hopefully for THEM they can get rebound from a tough loss this week and get their first win. 

B2 5v5 TUE Week 1 Write-Ups 

by WADA KING

Miyagi- Fang 72 Vs Terminators 74

Basketball is  the game of runs.

This game was a great opening act for Tuesday's  B2 5v5 Winter 23 season. Both teams had hot shootings during certain parts of the game. In the beginning the Terminators came out looking to terminate, they were very hot from the three in the first half shooting around 60%. They were  moving the ball well and keeping Miyagi-Fang on their heels. Leading the charge was both Chris young and Zach Taylor with Young scoring 9 points and Taylor scoring 15 points in the first half. Taylor was super aggressive in attacking the rim and being a bulldog and young was the long range sniper. Both Young and Taylor played a big part in the Terminator having an 11 point lead. But the game has two halves and Miyang-Fang came out to play in the second half. The defense kick up a little bit and they did a good job of diffusing the three point shooting of the terminators that was killing them in the first. Leading the charge for Miyagi-Fang offensively was John Harding who was on fire. Harding scored a game high  26 points and shot 83% from the three, him and his teammates was amazing down the stretch but they could not top the Terminators in a close game.

Jack Daniels 59 vs NNHS 80

NNHS with the Win

This game was a good game in the beginning, both teams played well on both sides of the ball. Jack Daniels was shooting well from the three and it was mainly contributed by Dave Ricker and Christopher Cassel in the first half. Cassel was out there like a sniper and Ricker was sniping as well as being a bull near the rim. But despite all that they were still down going into the second half. Going into the second half NNHS turned it up and started playing much better than they played in the first. They managed to contain Jack Daniels through physical defense and they accumulated a whooping 13 steals from that as a team. Offensively the team had well balanced scoring with 4 players in double digits and that led to them blowing out Jack Daniels with a pretty convincing victory. 

Plenty Of Lotion 63 vs Eastie Hoops 86

Eastie Hooping right now

This was a very good and competitive game, both teams have good individual players that work well together. But unfortunately for plenty of lotion Eastie Hoops was on one this game. The team played an all around game both offensively and defensively. Leading the charge for Eastie was Ryan Willis who had a very great three level scoring night with 29 points, he attacked the rim, efficient from the midrange and good at the three point line. Although Plenty of Lotion had a very elite and efficient scorer, who dropped 24 points, in Guy Pistone it still was not enough for the barrage of team scoring and team defense that Eastie Hoops came with.

Players Make Plays 71 vs Hess Express 65

Overtime thriller for week 1

There’s no better way to end the first day of the season than a overtime thriller, and that is what the last game gave us. Both teams were going at it and were evenly matched. There was a lot of tough shot making by individuals between both teams. Players make plays started off hot and played a good game and it showed with 4 of their players scoring in double digits. Hess Express on the other hand had a comeback and hit a big shot to put the game to overtime. The team was spearheaded Tucker, who got on fire in the second half, with a game high of 26 points. But unfortunately it was not enough fo Hess to take the Dub.

By JAMIL BALL

5v5 Draft Week # 2 Power Rankings:

8 # Shooters Over Bigs - looked completely overmatched against their week 1 opponent. I don’t want to overreact to the loss itself, but it’s how they lost that concerns me. They have no shortage of talent, but Jonah Feldman is going to need help offensively.

7 # Hooptopia - After getting out to a fast start, Hooptopia struggled mightily to generate any offense. I don’t want to overreact to a poor outing in week 1, but their ability to attend with the top-tier teams will be dependent on how productive Ben Levin can be in his debut. The good thing for Christian and company is Ryan Nett is the real deal. That dude can shoot the rock and score in multiple ways. 

6 # Robel - Team Robel is the second biggest drop in my week 2 Power Rankings. How does a team drop 5 spots after winning their opening matchup? Because of parity in the league. I’d argue 3 - 6 is interchangeable. I imagine, if Tyrone showed up before halftime they would have won going away. They’re still not fully staffed, but they are 100% a contender I have no doubt. 

5 # Danzig With the Stars - Jacob Held played out of his mind and they lost a heartbreaker without Danzig. I’m sure they’re looking forward to the rematch and admittedly, so aren’t we (COTE). I came into the season with a lot of questions about their supporting cast and they’ve proven to be reliable productive players. Carlos Cruz will be in contention for a draft steal when it’s all said and done. 

4 # COTE - Yeah, we’re rising in the Power Rankings despite our ugly week 1 win. We have a tough matchup against The Boston Three Party this week, but I am confident that our team can compete against any team in the league due to our ability to defend at a high level. Cote has been a superb balanced leader and rookies Daniel Hasegawa and Aidan Enright will only get better. 

3 # Primetime 4.0 - When you beat a team by 21 points while missing your first-round pick you’re putting the league on notice. Jacob Miller AKA Luka has to be the steal of the draft. This dude can straight-up hoop. Looking forward to seeing what he and my boy Manny Sutton can do together. 

2 # Gear PF - Admittedly, this is a sandbag special, but we’ve moved past that, right? Hamza Abdul is the real deal and will battle it out with Rich DiSola for MVP honors when it’s all said and done. The week one statistics are misleading because everyone on this team can hoop. 

1 # The Boston Three Party - This team should have been called “Fully Loaded”. They are stacked and primed to make a championship run. Matty J has done it again and produced another contender. 

By JAMIL BALL

SDL Week # 1 Power Rankings

6 # To The Rak - Defensively, this is one of the better teams in the league, which will keep them competitive in most games. Offensively is where the struggles lie. Kevin scored 30 points and grabbed 20 rebounds and Rob Wood played extremely well, but they still lost, which isn’t a great sign of things to come. Steve, Emmanuel, or Cameron are all capable scorers, so hopefully week # 1 was just a speed bump on the road to building chemistry. 

5 # LEBOV - There’s no denying this is one of the more talented teams in the league. The DV, Harry, and Adam trio is something to keep an eye on as the season continues. Like most teams in the league, they struggled in week # 1, but there’s no reason to panic. They’ll be in the thick of things when the games truly matter. I’m looking forward to seeing rookies Lucas and Noah round into form.

4 # Ghost Rider - Fraher and Cam look like a potent 1-2 punch. You add Musse into the mix and that’s one heck of a top 3. Despite Gordon’s struggles, they were still able to gut out the win and came away with the victory. I think Cam will improve as the season continues, but I see this team struggling to consistently generate offense against the better teams.

3 # Saturday Morning Hypothermia - Despite Ruff's gripes about his team's stats, they played one hell of a game today. I wasn’t high on his team after the draft, but after their performance in week 1, I know they’re going to be a team to be reckoned with as the season progresses. Jorge Morel and Dylan are a fantastic pairing with DTO and Ruff. If Ruff can stay healthy and continue to shoot consistently, I have no doubt this will be in contention for the SDL championship.

2 # Slick When Wet - Slick has put a formidable team that has enough depth to make them absolutely dangerous. Their balanced offense features 4 double-digit scorers (Patrick, EJ, Alan, and Shawn) and that does not include Adwaith Nair, last sessions leading scorer and reigning MVP. Can they play this well consistently? Or was this an aberration? Their validity will be put to the test in their matchup against Saturday Morning Hypothermia next Saturday. (edited)

1 # RIP HAMILTON - Jamal was a mere mortal in his SDL debut and still managed to score 37 points. Outside of Evan O'Neil, we didn’t do a great job of playing as a team and moving the ball. This is expected in the first week of the season and If Jamal doesn’t have 60 next week and we don’t win by 20+, we’ve failed to properly utilize him. Our captain and fearless leader Kevin Gillooly is cooking up a game plan as we speak with a beer in one hand and a shot in the other! I am looking forward to seeing Christian and Ian get buckets next week.

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!