By CHAS BELLS

Here we go boys after a ‘LONG” layeoff, a whole week we are back at it, our old bodies can hadle it we are LEGENDS. We lost plenty of legends this past off, season, but added some back, and hopefully a new session with be the birth over more Over 30 Legends as this wheel keep on turning.I want to shout out last years CHAMPION my team Hot Goyle Winter, shows the regular season dont mean shit, if you belive and keep playing the right way, you can be having youre celebration drinks with the boys in glory. The league will have its chance to knock off Hot Golye Dojo as they go for a 3 peet, I a sure we will have a elephant size target on our back, we are ready!!!!

1. Pick 1 Joel trades to 1 and takes Ray Joel gets his man, he gave up a lot to get him but he really didnt have a choice, pulled the trigger and got his boy. Ray will be a PROBLEM for this league as he bring it on both ends. Grade A
2. Pick 2 Harry takes Mcpherson Harry did his CAC networking thing and after he turned over every stone he nabbed to could be super star Mchpherson. We have seen the strategy of taking an unknown rookie backfire, but we have also seen the Myers of the world come in and turn the league on its head. I think either way this was the right pick, def worth the gamble Grade A
3. Pick 3 Slick trades up for Cavano Slick stayed put last session but gets aggressive and goes and gets one of the most versatile player in the lague. Everyone knows I am the head of the Cavano fan club, he just wins so much, and he should be very good in this league, maybe getting his MVP back. Grade A
4. Pick 4 Chas runs it back with Weinstein Weinstein easilyy seen as a top guard in this league, and there really was not too many, slim pickens. Mike has shown time,and time again that when the lights are the brightest he flips a switch, and is a true CHAMPION. Grade A
5. Pick 5 Randal takes Dany There was some size here, but IMO Dany was the best guard left, and the gap after him was sizabable. He could have went Frano here, and possibly could have traded back, and gathered some assets as people were foaming at the mouth watching him fall, but Dany was a rock solid team building pick here. Grade B+
6. Pick 6 S.Mul takes J.Mul The brothers are back!!!!! They had a solid squad last session but ran into my squad in the semis, losing a tough game. If my brother was in this league I would take him at 1 so I am def jealous of this sibling love.Johny will have to reward his brothers confidence, and try and get back to his domina form. Grade B
7. Pick 7 Hanks takes Frano 1st steal of the draft as Frano could have gone top 4. Frano showed that even without Kap last session, that he can put a team on his back, and be very competitive. Great start for Hanks Grade A+
8. Pick 8 Skelley takes Kielley Skelley already traded his 8th pick, but if Kielley was going to be his pick he prob should have explored trading back again. I love Kielley but he has nver been a true number 1 before, can he step into that role? There were other players that I would have gone here, but the positive vibes will be on point. Grade D
9. Pick 9 Chas gets his basketball husband Evan-/Weinsten It happened !!!!!! I was going through a bunch of different mocks/scenarios/back up plans as I fully expected someone to fuck me and take Evan, but people just keep on passing on him, giving him the chip/motivation he needs to keep balling on you fools. Grade A+
10. Pick 10 Hanks takes Matty O-Frano Hanks coming out hot with the big vertsile combo!! This was another steal as he was my 2nd best player left on the board at this point. This team now has size/skills that will cause mismatch issues. Grade A
11. Pick 11 S.Mul takes Frongi /J.Mul This pick prob had Joel punching walls as I strongly believe he wanted Frongi at 13. S.Mul saw his guard pool was slim pickens and he gets th guy who had a rocket up his ass in the playoffs/finals. If Frongi can keep gaining confidence in this league, he could really take this team past the hump. Grade A-)
12. Pick 12 Randal takes Civale -/Dany O Joey lands had his man Murphy on the board but says “im blowing it up!!!!”, and takes the sharp shooting big man Civale. Best pure scorere availble you cant really knock this pick, i do worry about this teams defense so far. Grade B+
13. Pick 13 Joel takes Jefferies / Ray Tough pick for me to analyse because I have never seen this guy play. I have heard mixed reviews that hes more of a passer than a scorer, and others have tell me that he can shoot as well. Toss uo here, but I would have gone in other directions. Grade C-
14. Pick 14 S.Mul takes Cody/ J.Mul-Frongi  Putting together a rock solid starting 4 here. I thought Cody could have gone 3 picks before this, as he has shown when healthy he can light up the score board. I like the team construction of he, and Frongi being abe to find mismatches as there arnt many great guards this session. Grade A-
15. Pick 15 Harry brakes my heart and takes Bohnaker /Mchpherson Mannnnnnnnnnnnn, I saw the board and I thought I was going to get James, but Harry said no soup for you. James will bring his championship pedigree, and is very underrated at finding in game adjustments, and hits big time 3’s. Not going to lie i was surprised with this pick, with the playoff absence looming, thought Harrywould go another way, which hurts the Grade B.
16. Pick 16/
17. 17 Skelley takes Dutton and Worth/ Keilley Skelley taking bro ball to a new level, as he just wants to get out and run with his best friends, you have to admire it. Is this a formula for a great team? I am not seeing that, but I have ate crow many time before. I am not seeing the scring they will need. Grade B-) Dutton Grade C+-Worth
18. Pick 18 Harry reaches for Ian /Mchpherson/Bohnaker I love Ian, hes a smart effective player, but IMO there were def better players on the board here. Over 30 brings alot of buddy ball, but Harry should have tried to trade if this was going to be his pick, honestly I would have traded alot to get to 18. Grade C
19. Pick 19 Ej takes Ghost /Cavano Like this pick, there was another person i would have traded up for, so Slick should have tried to trick me, again I was willing to trade up. Ghost was the right pick , and you really cant go wrong, as he lit up B draft last session. Grade B
20. Pick 20 Chas takes Legend Roberts / Weinstein/Evan Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh babay reuinited and it feel so fucking good!! The Minotaur and I were a dangerous duo in the SDL, and look to add that chemistry to an already magical team. Honstely could nothave been happier, I would have taken Roberts top 12 easily. Team contruction really coming togther. Grade A+
21. Pick 21 Randal gets the falling Murphy /Dany/Civale Over-30 Legends 5v5 Winter 23 Monday Nights CHAS BELLS & CHRIS HANKS This was a great friggin pick, as I thought Joey was going to take Ian with pick 12. Great job be patient and allowing the draft to work for him. They will be a little slow footed on D but I see them getting great mismatches, and easy buckets. Grade B+
22. Pick 22 Ej takes Big Lu/ cavano /Fraher Ej gets exactly what he needed , and gets the ever improving power house in Big Lu. The tune has totally changed on him, and he had a tremendous session,and was Franchise finals MVP, he will look to continue is upward direction. Grade B+
23. Pick 23 Hanks takes Hull/Frano/Matty O Tough call on this pick, but the bio def had me intrigued. I have a feeling he will be a baller, and its not great for the league that he 6’0 200 pounds who post, he should find some good mismatches as Team Hanks is big AF. I like the gamble here Grade B
24. Pick 24 Chas takes Goldenstein/ Wein/Kodra/Roberts I know there is a narrative on Jake for being a bit of a loose canon, but this dude is a ballaholic and bring the passion/fire every game. He should have gone 9 picks before this with his defensive verstilty. He had 33pt on a tough B draft team in the CAC cup just showing what his ceiling is. Grade A.
25. Pick 25 Joel takes Danner /Ray/Jefferies Just like Tommy loved Walter, I LOVE Danner. Super smart, plays good D, and brings those positive vibes. If he can can get his 3 ball going of people overhelping on Ray , this coud be a tremendous pick for this squad. Grade B+
26. Pick 26 Hanks takes Peteet /Frano/Matty O/ Hull Peteet is sneaky good, and helped the Skelley team win this ship. I think i woud have looked at Dias here as he played HS ball or even Clarke for some size. Grade C
27. Pick 27 EJ Takes Dias/Cavano/Ghost/Big Lu This could be a pick we look back on and said that it changed the league. Slick needed a ball handler and why not gamble ona highschool combo guard. This was the right pick here. Grade B+
28. Pick 28 Joey takes Clarke/Danny/Murphy/Civale Really liked this pick here as I feel that Clarke fell 3 or 4 spots. Clarke is getting better, and if he can keep hitting 3’s will help this team immensely. Like the idea of dany finding him on smaller players. Grade B+
29. Pick 29 Skelley Takes Lane/Keilley/Dutton/Worth Buddy ball to it truest form!!! Skelley told me himself that Mr.Lane has a ways to go to egt himself up to speed. Grade C-
30. Pick 30 S.Mul takes ItsButterbaby!! / J.Mul/Frongi/Cody/ Best player available situation, Butter will bring the fire and hustle. Grade B
31. Pick 31 Harry takes Pizza!!/ Mecherson/Bohnaker/Ian This late , you cant go wrong with the pizza man, he brings the positive vibes/rebounding/ and shot making. Grade B
32. Pick 32 Joel takes Feinstein /Ray/Jefferies/Danner No clue here as this is Joels buddy, and told me hes not very good. Joel seems likes hes a mission to fuck me, so hes prob nasty. Grade B
33. Pick 33 skelley takes Lindsey /Kielley/Dutton/Worth/Lane Skelley gets Lindsey the most interesting man in the worl/secret agent/ diplomat. This man doesnt even have a phone or email, he just shows up and balls. Grade B
34. Pick 34 Harry takes Amir /Mchpherson/Bonaker/Cundall /Pizza Harry gets his basketball husband. You gota love it Grade A
35. Pick 35 Ej Takes Stull Cavano/Ghost/Big Lu/Dias God damnn you ejjjjjjjjjjj!!!!!!! I thought for sure I get Amir/Stull and you ruined my planning!!! Grade A
36. Pick 36 Chas takes Marlier/Wein/Evan/Roberts/Goldenstein Wow I never thought he would fall this far. I had Ian in the Butter range, I was sure glad to add a 6 ft plus rebounding .defender here late. Grade A
37. Pick 37 Randal Takes Choa/ Dany/Civale/Murphy/Clarke This was my favorite pick in the draft A+++++++
38. Pick 38 S.Mul takes Tomar- fine pick here, sucks hes missing time for chemisty purposes
39. Pick 39 Hanks Takes Paul- Late steal here , he can o brd, and hit open 3’s
40. Pick 40 Joel Takes Rich “Mr. 3 ballsex”- Rich is a legend will provide 3’s and ll the positive vibes

Power Rankings

#8 Team Skelley aka Overhated & Underrated - Hate to be the dick, and pick on the obvous slection here but it is what it is. Kielley has never been a number 1 and they will need him to take a GIANT load on. Dutton/Worth will have to bring the pickup versions of themselves. Just to many big jumps to project to see this team makign any real noise. I have been wrong before !!

#7 Team Randall aka Drop Step Murphy's - The scoring will be there its no doubt, but I worry about this teams defense, as they seem like they will be quite slow a foot. I think they will be in most games, but will fade down the stretch on most nights.

#6 Team Joel aka Asterisk Champ - The trade hurt this team very badely. Theres just no other way to look at it other than Ray will ned to be a god damn super hero every night. It will work agaisnt some teams, but the depth of others will grind this team out .

#5 Team EJ - This team hangs largely on the Dias pick IMO. Slick can not rely on himself as a PG even though he wanst t think he is, and will need a facilitator to get the ball to Ghost on time, and often. Big Lu could be the steal of the draft and saving grace, if he continues his upward direction , this team will be moving up.

#4 Team Harry aka Amir Mortals - Unlike Joels squad Harry was able to put some good pieces around the stud Mchpherson. Better hope MCHPH is a facilitator as I think this team is lacking this piece going in, but this man could put the league bac in its heels. Add in Bohnaker bridging his winning mindset , they have a squadrent here. 

#3 Team Hanks- LOVE LOVE LOVE what he did with his draft. He didnt have to trade up for Frano, let Matty O fall to him, and gambled on a rookie with size/atheltism . There starting 4 is going to be a problem IMO

#2 Team S.Mul aka Brothers Over Banners - Got the Brother band back together, and then surrounded them with two great scorers , who can score in many different ways. I think they will be able to matchup well with any team. I think they will be in the finals when its all said and done with.

#1 Team Chas aka Hot Goyle Dojo !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We back !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! come get us!!!!!!!!

LEAGUE PAGE: https://cacbasketball.playbookapi.com/division/1791/

Week 3 

Subject: Team Robel (63) makes light work of shorthanded Shooters Over Bigs (45)

By JAMIL BALL

The score is a clear and accurate indication of how this lopsided match played out. Aside from some impressive shooting from Chris Jenco (25 points, 2 steals, and 4 rebounds) early on, offense was at a premium for Ryan Glynn-led Shooters Over Bigs. 

However, their opponent Team Robel had no issue scoring the ball. Led by the consistent Tyrone Mullings (21 points, 2 steals, 2 blocks, and 7 rebounds), they were getting to the basket and scoring at will. 

In addition to Tyrone, there were some surprise contributions from two of my favorites Steve Rakusin (14 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Kevin Gillooly (11 points on 3 of 4 shooting from 3).

Steve’s (14 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 assists) got Team Robel off to a hot start, with their starting center Robel Ghebremichael coming off the bench in this matchup. Let’s say there wasn’t much of a drop-off offensively. I have watched Steve play off the last three seasons and this was by far his most impressive outing. 

Kevin Gillooly (11 points on 3 of 4 shooting from 3) my friend and teammate in #SDL 4v4 can shoot the hell out of the ball, but for whatever reason, it hadn’t translated when the game matter the most, well today it did. I’d argue he probably should’ve shot more.

Needless to say, Team Robel would run away with a lopsided victory that moves them to 2 - 1 on the season, as they go into week # 4 excited about the highly anticipated debut of Nahom Brhane. 

Players of the game: 

• Tyrone Mullings (21 points, 2 steals, 2 blocks, and 7 rebounds)
• Steve’s Rakusin (14 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 assists)

Subject: PRIMETIME 4.0 (57) stays undefeated as they hold off Hooptopia (48) to move to 3 - 0 

By JAMIL BALL

Admittedly, this game was never in doubt for PRIMETIME 4.0 as they start 3 - 0 for the second consecutive season. Led by Moooch (17 points and 6 Rebounds) Adam Liu (12 points and 3 steals), and Jacob Miller (15 points and 2 steals) they controlled this game from start to finish.

With two of the more physical teams in the league, this matchup obviously got a little chippy. It started with the physical defense of Adam Liu and David Thompson and that lit a fire under my guy Dan Schwartz (9 points and 12 rebounds).

PRIMETIME 4.0 combined for a mind-blowing 19 fouls, I’d argue it should’ve been more. I think Dan would agree with me, but you have to adjust and that’s what Hooptopia did in the second half. 

Ben Levin (17 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 steals) played an exceptional all-around game for Hooptopia. Not only embracing the contact but creating some of his own while dominating the block. As he in Dan Schwartz put the team on their backs as they mounted an impressive comeback. Ryan Nett played really well too with 10 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. He did an amazing job facilitating the ball on a team with no shortage of weapons. 

Hooptopia efforts, Adam Liu played his best ball in the closing minutes shutting down any comeback attempts, as PRIMETIME continues to dominate against strong competition. 

Players of the game:

• Moooch (17 points and 6 Rebounds) 
• Adam Liu (12 points and 3 steals)

Subject: Danzig With the Stars (40) win an ugly matchup against Gear PF 

BY JAMIL BALL

In what was by the ugliest game of the season came down to the final seconds and a huge three made by my boy Mike Garofalo (11 points, 2 steals, 2 blocks, and 5 rebounds). Aside from the game-winning shot, there weren’t many highlights. 

At the half, Danzig With the Stars led Gear PF 16 - 12. No that’s not a typo. Both teams combined for a mind-blowing 28 points. While the frustration was channeled toward the officiating crew, I’d argue the poor play was more attributable to sloppy basketball, missed layups, and lots of turnovers. 

Despite being injured, Hamza (15 points and 6 rebounds) gave it a go and was one of the lone bright spots for Gear PF who are now 0 -3 on the season. He continues to be their primary scorer. 

Surprisingly, Miguel Monclova (9 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists) has struggled to find any offensive consistency this season after being nearly unstoppable last season. I’d argue he’s best with the ball in his hands facilitating the team offense. 

Unlike Gear PF, Danzig With the Stars featured a more balanced offensive approach. They got offensive contributions from a variety of players Carlos (7 points), Held (11 points and 17 rebounds), Matt ( 8 points), and (Duff (4). Despite their struggles offensively, they found a way to convert with the game on the line.

In the final moments down 2 points, Mike G put his clutch gene on full display as he connected on a huge 3 from the top of the key that would go on to be the game-winner. This team is going to be ridiculous when Ben finally returns from injury.

This was a heck of a finish after such an ugly start. Great game fellas! 

Player of the game: 

• Mike Garofalo (11 points, 2 steals, 2 blocks, and 5 rebounds)

Team COTE is handed their first loss of the season.

by ANDRE JONES

• Player of the game: Rich Disola

  The Boston Three Party

  From the start it looked like Mazz was going to lead his team to victory once again, but things took a slight turn right before the half as The Boston Three Party began to defensively harass COTE. The overly aggressive play seemed to have them flustered and it continued the rest of the night. Johnathan Abreu made his impact in this game. His numbers don’t show it but he seemed to make every play when it was necessary for his team. Scoring 8 points 3 rebounds and 2 assists.

  Rich Disola made the biggest impact on the scoreboard with 24 points. He was clutch from three point range shooting 50%, along with Matt Johnson shooting 42%. Rich also made a commitment to crash the boards against a much larger opponent with 11 boards.

  Matt walked away with 11 points.

  Eric Li scored 9 points and shot 71% from the free throw line.

  Tim Donnelly 8 points 4 rebounds and 3 assists.

  Richard Beato only scored 3 points but I swear he’s a much better ball player than what he displayed in the game. He can actually ball, don't let the numbers fool you.

  Nika needs more play time. It seemed like he could have more of an impact but every time he got in it seemed like he was pulled out 3 minutes later. 3 points 6 rebounds.

   

  COTE

  Mazz started off hot but then cooled off as the game went on. The collective defense of The Boston Three Party swarmed all over him. Rich got a nice block on him with some complementary trash talk at the end of it. Mazz and his teammates were getting fouled a lot especially in the beginning parts of the game. Boston Three Party had 8 team fouls in the first half. I really do think that physical play just wore them down. Mazzeo scored 22 points, while shooting 50% 5/10 from downtown.

  Evan and Jackson surely were needed in this game. I think their lack of impact on the rebounding was a contributing factor in this game. This was low for Evan who normally gets about 10 rebounds a game. Both players combined for 8 points and 17 rebounds (Jackson 11 rebounds total).

  Liam played like his usual self out there scoring 14 points and shooting 42% from long distance.

  Jamil the floor general came back to life scoring 9 points 4 rebounds and shooting perfect from the free throw line. Not his normal self but he’s playing with some injuries.

  Aidan Enright scored 4 points. His lack of scoring was definitely an impact in this game. He’ll be ready for the next game.

   

  
   

Week 3!!!!!!!!!!!

 Game 2:Hanks Vs Brothers

by CHAS BELLS

Bonvie trey to get us kicked off 3-0. Hanks nails middy, then Kap deep 3 18 min. Bonvie connects on another 3, J.Mul 1-2, but Kap hot early connects from deep again 8-7. Paul nice take to the hoop, then gets another 2 off cut12-7 12min. S.Mul and 1, Bonvie trey cut the lead 14-12. Big Lu post work, then Frano powers in, followed by Hanks J, Kap adds a 3 23-13. Clarke gets 2 off dime from Kielley, Kielley and 1, J.mul 3, Bonvie 3 suddenly it was 24-24. Frano J gave Hank’s squad the 26-24 edge at half. 

S.Mul post work to start , but Paul responds with trey 29-26. Kielley stopped into a 3, and then S.Mul and 1. Paul 3 ball, but Bonvie splashed another 35-32 16 min. Kap/Frano p n roll magic to keep pace. Kap 3 , Bonvie $ 39-39. Clarke brakes tie with floater , and then got 2 in the post, followed by an S.Mul drive45-39 7 min to go. Clarke getting buckets , and Frano swoops in to keep pae 47-43.Bonvie hits yet another 3, then J.Mul 1-2. Frano makes big shot 51-48 Brothers up all they have to do is hit ft’s. They could not S.Mul misses, Paul drives in, J.Mul misses 1 n 1 and then kap found Frano for the game winning bucket 56-51, very good game here. 

Hanks Team

Kap-A-) The calming presence this team needed. Just knows how to get his guys in the right spot. That P N roll with Frano could be deadly. 

Frano-B-Really quiet rebounding numbers, but hit the big shot to lift his team to a W. 

Paul-B-Very solid in his role, had  clutch drive, and as usual made nice passes

HanksB-) Struggled shooting but thought played well in most areas. 

Tomar-C+-Refused to be posted in the 2nd half, i loved it!

Lu-C-) he will lay better, love his hustle and energy 

Brothers 

S.Mul-A-) His effort is 2nd to none, just does so much out there. Work on those ft;s buddy 

j.Mul-D-Just hasnt gotten going yet, and they need him too

Kielley-C- Usually more impactful, he will have better nights 

Bonvie-A-)fuckign 7 3’s, this dude is a sniper 

Clarke-B-) gave thm a nice lift in the 2nd half, little more rebounds would be nice. 

Game 3 Los Sex Vs Randal 

By CHAS BELLS

Murphy 1-2 to get us kicked off. Harry cashes middy, he liked that so much he did it again 4-1. Butter was butter from 3 4-4. Matty O bank 3 ball, followed by Cawley hook 9-4. Murphy keeping them in it with obrd work, but Jump Shot Harry was here 11-6. Murphy respnds with J 11-8 14 min. Cawley cut, Murphy gets 2 froma cut o his own 13-12. Arria got in on the act with a lay in, but Cawley fouled hits both. Ian obrd put in, but a Randal 3 kept his boys in it 17-15 10 min. Murphy ties things with middy 17 all. Zeng showd some magic as he slashed in, then Arria gets 2 running well. Cawley got 2 off the window to calm things, but Randal finished obrd

23-19, Arria nice cut for 2, and thot another 2 off a steal 27-21. Matty gets friendly role, but Arria hot 29-24. Cawley cutting basket, but Zeng obrd put in. Cawley and 1, but Murphy J finished his strong half 34-29. 

Harry/Murphy trade J’s, and then Matty O 3 ball, then Harry 1-2 tied up at 36. Cawley drive, then Ian trey 45-36 after some ft’s. Murphy got 2 off broken play, then Randal 1-2, but Cawley drive trying to sneak away 48-42. WE HAVE A BUTTER ALERT, he cashes 2 straights 3’s , but then we had a CAREYYY ALERT 3 ball 51-45.  That would spark off a big run for Los sex as they cruised to victory, 67-62. 

Los Sex

Harry-B+-Started red hot, cooled but played a very solid game. 

cawley-A-)Rebounding wast there but 28, and 7 is right where he needs to be

Matty-B- he was good, but I feel like he can be even better with this team. 

Ian-B+-Very nice vet game, Smart plays all day 

Carey-B- Hit a big momentum 3

Randal 

Randal-B-) didnt shoot it well , but did everythign else. Dude is a ball magnet 

Arria-B-) Had some nice spurts but the 3 pt shoointg was off , and kept him from going off

Murphy-A-Very complete game, thought he was very good

Butterworth-B-Nailed 3 3’s gave his team life 

Zeng-C+- Thought he did some good things, hustles well, and is fast as shit. 

Game 4 Skelley Vs EJ

by CHAS BELLS

Fill in Lu cashed J to get us started, then Gold 2-2 4-0 17:20. Civale hook, Danner scoop up and under, Civale floater, then a 3 he was hot 9-4! Casey drive, Big Lu hits J, then he added a post 11-8. B.Rob gets 2 off nice cut. Lu 1-2, but Casey with smooth J15-9. Lu was balling as he got another 2, followed by Gold deep 3, he liked that so he did it again for the lead 17-15. Casey ties things with slip though drive, but Lu hit j again 19-17, Gold added a middy, but EJ nailed a captain 3 to keep pace 21-20. Lu gets 2 in the post, and Gold added a drive 25-20. Casey got a 3 to go, and he was feelin it so he canned another 26-25. Skelley makes nice fade, but 2 civale 3’s closed the half EJ up 32-27 but Skelley hanging around. 

Gold deep 3, then Lindsey splash job for the lead 33-32. B.Rob converts scoop, Civale drive, Gold calms things going 2-2, then he adds a midrange for the lead, Lindsey would add a j, and then another 3 42-36 Skelley trying to pull off the upset!. EJ gets cutting 2, then Casey hang shot, Skelley/Casey trade hoops, but gold finsihes filthy drive 46-42. Casey reponds with tough drive of his own, then Civale got easy2  off cut, Casey drive and then eJ;s squad really ran away with this thing , the score would get below 10 as Casey started scorign evryimte, and nailing 3’s. They win 71-59. 

Skelleys Team 

Gold-A-Dude is so fun to watch. Love how he impacts bothe ends, and sets up his teammates even with all the scoring. 

Skelley-C-Good D, but just coulnt get going on O

Lindsey-B-Played his role well, hit some big shots 

Lu-A-Balled the F out 13 pts/11 rbs/ 4 steals/ 2 blacks

EJ’s team 

Casey-A+-MVP level stuff, just unstoppable hen he decides its time 

Civale-B-When he started cutting he got whatever he wanted. Good finish to this game 

Danner-C+- He was ok, he needs to get some 3’s up

EJ-B-)Not much action but when his team needed a play he made it

B.Rob-B-5 dimes ,4 blocks doing i fucking love this guy. 

WEEK 2 Write-Ups
By DEVIN QUINLIN

Game 1: West Coast Elite: 97 - Bormes’ Disciples: 78

West Coast Elite Cruise On Elite Shooting

West Coast Elite continue their stellar start to the season, this time with some unbelievable shooting splits against a much stronger opponent. As a team, WCE shot twenty-five for forty-three (58.14%) from deep and totalled twenty-six assists in an offensive masterclass against Bormes’ Disciples. After jumping out to a huge early lead, WCE led only 45-37 at the half, but exploded late to pull away with a comfortable 97-78 win.

Eric D’Aguanno started off hot, hitting his first three threes early in the game to finish six of nine with 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists. His off-ball movement allows him to benefit from WCE’s excellent movement and passing. Derek Retos is another beneficiary of his team’s offense, showing off his elite catch-and-shoot game in the second half, finishing an absurd ten of sixteen (62.5%) from downtown, including an and-1 three (which he converted). His final statline was 31 points, 3 assists, and 1 steal. The rest of the group all played well, largely in supporting roles to get D’Aguanno and Retos their shots. Collin Sawyer made his season debut with 14 points, 4 boards, and 4 steals, getting to the rim well and knocking down two of his four three-point attempts. Andrew Mayleben and Devin Jense had 12 points each, with Mayleben adding 6 rebounds and 3 assists and Jensen putting up 10 boards and 7 assists on four of eight from three. Jack Fay scored only 5, but added 4 rebounds, 2 steals, and a game-high 8 assists to get everyone involved. Tucker Landy chipped in 2 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. Not a single player on WCE shot under 50% from three, truly an absurd shooting display from them against a solid opponent. They will be tested even more next week against a strong Shooters Shoot team.

Bormes’ Disciples played a decent game, but simply couldn’t contain WCE’s shooting well enough to stay in the game. Sam Holtze led the scoring with 18 points, shooting three of four from the line and three of five from three. He also added 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals for a solid all-around performance. Jack Beck finished with 17 points, 3 boards, 5 assists, and 1 steal, converting all of his free-throws and hitting three threes. He did well to facilitate once he hit a few shots and garnered more defensive attention. Charlie Mather was missing his jumpers early on, but got going as the game went on to finish three of eight from three with 15 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal, hitting some tough shots and generally playing solid. Garrett Ganley came up with 11 points, 16 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, and 1 block, adding some much needed size inside on defense and showing off some nice moves on the offensive end as well. Mac Bohuny chipped in 8 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 steals, and I think he should look for his shot more often. Mike Cerulli showed up late, but played pretty well with minimal warmup, adding 4 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. Bormes’ Disciples will really be tested next week against a Zards team that’s been dominant in their first two games.

Game 2: Skelton’s Boys: 79 - Spida Men: 83

Spida Men Outlast Skelton’s Boys

The Spida Men haven’t exactly looked like the defending champs so far this session, but they escape a close game against Skelton’s Boys despite having no subs. Down 35-36 at the half, Jamal Brown and Billy Battaglia stepped up down the stretch to pull away at the end to secure an 83-79 win.

Cedric White led the scoring for Spida Men this week, stepping up down low in the absence of Gallivan and Martin Jr. He finished with 22 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block, operating well in the low post and showing off his ambidextrous hook shot. Billy Battaglia was off in the first half, but hit three threes in the second to finish with 21 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal. He’s proven that he’s much more than a shooter, getting into the lane consistently with a nice pull-up jumper and the ability to hit shooters and bigs on some nice passes. Jamal Brown added 14 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals, and while he’s looked a bit sluggish to start the season, I fully expect him to pick up. Soon enough he’ll be a triple-double threat, and no one wants to see his bully ball in the playoffs. Alan Williamson added 13 points on some nice mid-range shots while adding some nice physicality with 11 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal. He’s a good pick-up for them. Hallvard Lundevall still hasn’t quite found his three since dropping 41 on his own team last session, but he impacts the game in every other way. He finished with 12 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists (game-high), and 2 steals, and his athleticism on both ends makes him a constant threat and a defensive menace. A bit of a sloppy game from the Spida Men, but they pull out the win and look to keep it going against Not A Dime Back Next week.

Skelton’s Boys looked a bit lost last week against Zards, generally a step or two behind, but they quickly adjusted to the A League pace and looked much better this week. Erik Pettit continues to impress, finishing with 23 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. He shot three of eight from deep, but got to the rim well, too. His rebounding and defense are underrated parts of his game as well. Doug Horan took the biggest jump on his team this week, returning to form as his team’s lead guard. He put up 17 points, 4 boards, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block, showcasing his signature floater/runner in the lane on the break and converting three of his seven attempts from downtown. Jon Bassett has also been playing pretty well, hitting four threes to finish with 16 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist. His quick trigger keeps opposing defenses honest and opens up lanes for others. Brendan McNamara has also been playing really well as his team’s only real big, putting up 16 points of his own, plus 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals. He converted four of his five FT attempts, and his relentless effort on both sides drives his team’s energy all the way up. Elijah Anderson chipped in 2 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block, but needs to get up more shot attempts to make his team competitive. Fill-in Nate Howard added some serious interior size, finishing with 4 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks while altering plenty of attempts at the rim as well. Skelton’s Boys will continue to improve, but will have to bring their best against a strong Cobras team next week.

Game 3: Not A Dime Back: 80 - So You’re Telling Me There’s A Chance?: 58

NADB Easily Handle SYTMTAC

No stats for this game unfortunately, as we had three people rotating on the table and I ended up doing most of it, so we didn’t even keep track. Apologies to NADB, as they will be missing stats from a game that would probably have boosted all their averages across the board. Still, a dominant performance from them that was never really in doubt. SYTMTAC hung around for a good bit during the first half, but NADB exploded to take a 41-21 lead into the half. From there, the game was essentially over, as NADB ran away with this one to win 80-58.

Everyone on NADB played well, as they have a balanced roster and no trouble sharing the ball. Jon Luster led the way at the PG spot, hitting several threes, a few layups, and generally controlling the pace of the game. Chris Connor was hitting his shots as well. He’s a versatile wing/stretch big who can hit threes and operate in the mid/high-post. Dre Kontopidis was in attack mode early on, hitting several mid-range shots (four in a row at one point) and bodying his way inside for some strong finishes. Marcus Giese uses his length well on both ends, grabbing offensive and defensive boards and patrolling the paint on defense (forced me into two turnovers on the baseline) while finishing well inside. Jeff Coulter is a fantastic off-ball cutter and he finishes well through contact, and he hit a three or two this game as well. Mike Synott is always reliable, finishing a few buckets inside, but he should look to shoot more threes, as the defensive attention on the others will get him open shots. They will be tested next week against the Spida Men, who are the defending champs but have been struggling early on.

SYTMTAC has some talent, but we have minimal chemistry. Terrel Newton is as good as anyone, but our lack of offensive planning often hangs him out to dry. Garrett Stanowicz has been a bright spot for us this season, constantly going hard on both ends and finishing well inside despite being smaller than a lot of opposing bigs. His motor and competitive spirit are one of the few things we have going for us. Matt Connelly has been formidable on defense, blocking shots and interrupting passing lanes, and his court vision on offense will be a huge plus once guys get on the same page. Moses Lynn has been a bit sluggish to start, but as one of our most talented players he will only improve as the season progresses. Keith and I need to shoot more threes to keep pace with the other teams in the league, and the return of Jordan Carter next week will add some much needed hustle and shooting. Still, things are not looking great for us, as we match up with the other bottom tier team in Take The Under next week.

Game 4: Cobras: 67 - Shooters Shoot: 57

Cobras Upset Shooters Shoot With Tough Defensive Effort

Last week I put Cobras 7th in the power rankings, questioning their seven point win against a weak opponent and the effort of some of their better players. They clearly took that personally, upsetting Shooters Shoot in a close but convincing win. They led 30-21 at the half, and kept up the defensive pressure to win 67-57.

Never afraid to take over offensively, Warfa Abdillahi led the way for the Cobras with 17 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals. He hit three threes and had some smooth finishes inside, while controlling the offense late in the second half and finding his guys for open shots to lead the team in assists. His defensive discipline is questionable, but he always manages to get at least a few steals to garner easy buckets and momentum for his team. Chris Cardoso added 14 points of his own, plus 6 rebounds, and 2 assists. He shot two of nine from three, but his nice form and confident shot make me think that he will find his rhythm and start to explode as a scorer for Cobras. Yusuf Liban made his season debut with a bang off the bench, hitting three threes at a 50% clip to put up 11 points, 2 boards, and 1 assist. Every good team in this league has one guy who is a solid role player but ends up being essential to their team’s success because of their shooting ability. Look for Liban to get hot and routinely put up 7+ threes a game, converting at a solid rate, too. Jamal Fiin continues to use his strength on both ends, finishing with 9 points this game in addition to his 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, and 3 blocks. He’s physical on defense and doesn’t back down from any challenge underneath, and he hit some tough shots in this game as well. Gabe Granberry is really the Cobras’ only big man, and he did a nice job underneath with 9 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals. He finished some big shots inside down the stretch and was suffocating on defense as well. Carter Burress chipped in 7 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal, but his strength and athleticism on both ends always make him a threat. I expect him to start hitting threes, too, and add in Mike Gillespie and this is a strong roster who can compete with the top teams. Worth noting that Cobras finished with 26 team assists, doing a nice job sharing the ball and converting open looks.

To be fair to Shooters Shoot, they did not shoot the ball very well, missing a lot of open looks even with the Cobras playing good defense. Andrew Jaworski returned this week with 15 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals, shooting three of eight from three. Not his best performance, but he’s still one of the best players in the league and will produce as the season goes on. Stephen Tam added 14 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal, hitting two of his four threes. He scored the ball well, but his assist numbers weren’t quite there, as guys were missing shots and the ball wasn’t moving as cleanly as usual. David Reynolds added 14 of his own, but he shot four of thirteen from deep. He was the main guy missing open looks, and after his 35 point explosive in week 1, I fully expect him to bounce back. Even on an off shooting night, Reynolds still added 6 boards, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks for a solid all-around contribution. Hugh O’Neil chipped in 7 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block, and they will need more from him going forward, especially against smaller teams like Cobras. Pat Racy added 4 points, 7 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block, while Matt Pattyson added 3 points, 3 boards, 1 assist, and 2 steals. The absence of Adam Lindhorst was noted, as he’s a great defender, hits open shots, and moves the ball really well from the wings. Shooters Shoot will be tested again by West Coast Elite next week.

Game 5: Zards: 82 - Take The Under: 54

Zards Dominate Take The Under in Final Game

Zards haven’t had much competition yet this season, but they have taken care of business in both games. This game was never really close either, as they led 42-29 at half and exploded to start the second (as they always do) to pull away with a clean 82-54 win.

Sam Longwell continues to assert himself as the best player in the A League, putting up 36 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block, shooting four of seven from deep. Longwell’s game isn’t forced at all, getting all of his looks within the offense or by simply running well in transition. Both he or Dan Wohl can go off at any time, and it’s because the whole team plays intelligent ball and simply look for the best attacking option. Still, Longwell has no weaknesses in his game and continues to light it up. Dan Wohl added 14 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block, and his game is as smooth as anyone’s. Look for him to compete with Longwell for the league scoring title. Craig Melillo continues to impress as well, putting up 13 points on three threes and some nice pull-up jumpers in the lane, plus 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. Everyone knows about his shooting, but his defensive pressure is underrated. Dan Aronowitz returned with his usual double-double, 12 points and 11 rebounds, plus 1 assist and a made three. These guys almost never have a big man, but DA’s rebounding ability and strength on defense more than make up for it. Dana Flood added 7 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 4 blocks, including two back to back blocks in one possession. He fits perfectly with this Zards group and will knock down shots, move the ball, and play defense at a high level all season. Mike Kearney finished with 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal, but his excellent defense, unselfish passing, and high IQ play make him an indispensable piece for Zards. Zards face a similarly undersized but smart, skilled team in Bormes’ Disciples next week.

Take The Under were simply outclassed this game, and along with my team, they look to be towards the bottom of the league. Still, they have solid players and could easily turn it around. Stephen Valacer finished with 12 points,10 rebounds, 6 assists, and a game-high 5 steals. As their best player, Steve definitely needs to look for his shot more, especially early on when the game is within reach. Still, his passing and defensive IQ are impressive, and he played a solid game in spite of the blow-out. Matt Turkington made his session debut this week with 10 points, 3 boards, 1 assist, and 1 block, hitting one of his two three-point attempts and bringing some much needed size and physicality to his team. Matt Krol shot two of five from three to finish with 10 points and 1 rebound, and he will need to increase his volume to keep his team in games. Nick Pellegrini isn’t the tallest, but his strength and touch around the basket make him a very good interior offensive threat. He added 9 points and 1 rebound, but will need to do more for his team to be competitive. Sam Wamakima added 7 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 steals for a decent performance, while Corey Huerfano’s 6 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal were solid as well. Kordell Harris added a rebound and shot zero for six from deep, but he’s got a quick trigger and isn’t afraid to let it fly. I expect him to get hot in the coming weeks and provide a much needed three-point threat to his team’s offense, as they shot four of twenty-five this game (16%). Take The Under will face off against So You’re Telling Me There’s A Chance in a must-win game for both teams, who look to avoid the dreaded last spot in the rankings.

WEEK 2 Write-ups

By AJ MURRAY

Them Can’t Be Stopped

Them really came to play today after a tough loss last week. They would be led my Dan Kimmit who had 23 pts to go along with 4 rebs and a steal. He was efficient all game long with a good mix of drives and spot up threes. Tyler Billings also had a nice game finishing with 19 pts 4 ast and 2 reb. He came out the gates firing hitting his first three threes to open the game up and slicing through the defense at will. Ryan Donovan was also a factor in this one, running the offense for stretches and playing great defense finishing with 9 pts 5 reb 3 ast. Every time it looked like the Cheese Boys were threatening a run Donovan would come up with a clutch bucket or defensive stop. Really impressive win from these guys hopefully they can take this momentum into next week. 

For the Cheese Boys a tough loss after a nail biter win last week. This week they were led by Sinatro who would go on to finish with a nice game of 16 pts 2 reb 2 ast and was effective in stretches from the 3 point arc. He really put a lot of pressure on Them to guard him from way downtown. Also Ben Hayes had an efficient shooting night finishing with 9 pts on 3-6 shooting from downtown. His jump shot has looked great in the early going after hitting two big threes in last weeks game. Brendan Connors also was active in this one finishing with a game high 11 rebs. The Cheese Boys have the pieces but definitely were overmatched this week by Them’s offensive attack.

Commando Takes Down Thank You University 

Commando had a balanced offensive attack in this one led by Jake Haggerstead with a game high 22 pts to go with 6 reb and a steal. He was aggressive getting to the rack whenever he wanted to. Close behind him was A.Nair who also had a nice showing with 19 pts 4 reb and was efficient throughout this one. Every time they needed a big bucket he could be counted on. Also a nice game from Max Henrich who would finish with 7 pts 4 reb 4 ast and ran the offense effectively through much of the game. This team seems like they can have a successful season with the ball movement looking crisp.

On the other side for Thank You University K. Toomey really kept them in the game with a nice performance of 15 pts 8 reb and 3 ast. His post work was good as nobody could really contain him down there. G. Palazz also chipped in with a solid 8 pts to go with 6 reb and 2 ast and hit some nice threes from the top of the key. B. Grossman also was able to hit a couple of threes and finish with 7 pts and 5 reb. For Thank You University the big thing was running with Commando and boxing out on the boards. They had their moments but overall Commandos size and speed caused a lot of problems for them.

Splash Bros Start Splashing

The Splash Bros came out firing this week as they got a big win against the Wyld Stalyns. They were led by S. Kulman who would go on to finish with 31 pts 10 reb and 4 stl. There was really no answer for him whether from the three or down low. J. Perry also played an efficient game in this one finishing with 18 pts a game high 7 stl and 5 ast. He was super quick to the rack all game long and was a pest on defense getting in passing lanes. M. Petros also had a nice game getting some cuts and fast break buckets and finishing with 14 pts and 3 reb. Overall a nice showing from these guys after a tough loss last week. 

For Wyld Stalyns a nice effort here even though they couldn’t come away with the victory. Kevin would finish with 20 pts and 5 reb on 4-10 shooting from deep. He stayed efficient throughout the game hitting shots and being aggressive. Nick also played a solid game finishing with 11 pts 4 reb and 2 stl. He maintained his hustle throughout the game getting some fast break buckets and some mid range. Anthony S. Also had some really good moments being the lead ball handler finishing with 6 pts 5 reb 5 ast and 4 stl. This team definitely has some potential but definitely has to define the roles on the squad.

Terminator 2 Terminates 

Similar to last week Terminator 2 dominated from the jump. With a couple new additions they really turned the pressure on early led by Sam Jensen who would finish with 28 pts 6 reb and 4 ast on 6-11 shooting from deep. He pretty much scored at will through long stretches of this game. Zach Taylor also was a scoring machine from everywhere finishing with an efficient 15 pts and 8 reb. He did a great job of controlling the paint throughout most of this game. Julian Manika also had a nice game running the offense flirting with a triple double at 9 pts 9 ast and 7 reb. This team has dominated so far hopefully someone can test them next week. 

The unreliables took a tough loss this week after dominating last week. They were missing a couple guys but were really outmatched by Terminator 2s scoring flexibility. Mike still managed to have a nice game as a force on the glass all night long finishing with 14 pts 14 Rebs and 4 stl. He hustled throughout and definitely could have used some help in the scoring department. Eric would also finish with 14 pts and 5 reb staying aggressive till the end and getting some tough buckets. A couple three pointers would’ve been nice for this squad as they only hit one all game. Credit to  Nate as well for some nice hustle finishing with 6 reb and 3 ast. This team played great last week so definitely hope they can bounce back.

Week 2 Write-Ups

By Wada King

Furious Rim Ticklers(73) vs Gino Time(67):

Furious Rim Ticklers with the W

This game was very interesting because of how it all started. This game started as a 4v5 With Furious Rim Tickler with 4 players and Gino time with 5 players. Surprisingly  Furious Tim tickler was winning this game while at a disadvantage, it was even a surprise wot their fifth player Djordje. But the real star of the first half as well as the whole game was Jeff Yeakley who was lookin like Wardell curry out there. He was a big offensive push that helped them have a 31- 27 lead going in the second. Scoring a team high of 18 points. Going into the second half jeff went even more nuclear from the three point line and that played a part into Gino Time being undisciplined and fouling him at the three point line. Overall he scored a day high of 45 points shooting 50%(8/16) from the 3. Despite the offensive explosion from Jeff the game was still a close game and it came down to the wire. Gino time had players like Greg(26 points) who had a good game that helped them be competitive but it was not enough to get over the barrage of three’s coming from Furious Rim Ticklers.

Word Ball(49) vs DM-Pire(52):

The battle of the number 55’s

Both teams are coming off of a loss, so coming into this game the expectation was that it would be very competitive. And indeed it was very competitive on both sides of the ball. But weirdly the two players that stand out on their respective team both wore the number 55. Number 55 for Dm-Pire, John Lithio, scored 38 points, shot 57% from 3 and had 2 steals and 2 blocks. On the other end number 55 for World Ball scored 24 points a steal. This game was so competitive it went to overtime and the number 55 for DM-Pire hit some clutch shots to help them get back in the game and then hit the game winner.

A Team Has No Name(68) vs Clevor Trevor (70):

  Clever Trevors with the W

Coming off of what happened last week, A Team Has No Name was a heavy favorite for this game after their impressive performance against Gino Time. But basketball games are won in between the lines and despite their disappointing close loss last week, Clevor Trevors came to play and win in between the lines. It was an overall bad shooting night for A Team Has No Name, especially from their best player. That was due to the defense that Clevor Trevors played and that helped them to come out with a hot start. The star of the first half was Trevor Larson who led the team with 13 points, helping them take a 32-24 lead going into the second half. Going into the second A Team Has No Name started picking up steam on both sides of the ball. 

They started playing much better as a team and shooting better as well. But unfortunately for them Kamari of Clevor Trevors picked up steam by dropping 16 points in the second half and Trevor Larson who scored 11 points to help seal the victory for Clevor Trevors.

Julius Swerving(75) vs The Lab(25):

Complete Domination

Coming into this game with the thought of what happened last week, you would think that these two teams are even and the game would be close. But that was not what happened in this game, it was a complete domination by Julius Swerving and a complete slump by the Lab. Just to put it into perspective not one player had double digit points for The Lab in the whole game. Also they were down the score was 42-11 with Julius having a 31 point lead going into the second. Another surprising thing that happened in the first half was that Kyle Mochnacz, who was on fire by the way, had more points than The Lab with 17 points.  But it was not just a dominance on the offensive side of the ball but Julius Swerving played great defense as well. They made it tough for a good team that has good individual players to score easy baskets. They were also sharing the ball as well and making each other better with those passes.  

WEEK 2 Write-Ups

56 To the Rak   FINAL 88 Rip Hamilton

Subject: # 1 Rip Hamilton Blows out To the Rak in Second Half
By SHAWN WISE

Once again Rip Hamilton, had to start their game without leading MVP candidate, Jamal. To the Rak would try their best to pull away early but were only jump out to an 8 point lead before Jamal’s arrival. During that 8 minutes, Emmanuel was a menace to Rip Hamilton on defense racking up an impressive 4 steals over the first 8 minutes. 

To the Rak was able to keep the game close at half time but Jamal was quickly stacking up points towards the end of the half and exploded in the second half to finish the game with 43 points and 20 rebounds. When Jamal wasn’t having his way with the defense, Jamil was able to carry the offense as a secondary option by adding 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists. 

Missing their first-round pick, Kevin, definitely hurt To the Rak this week. I was excited to see the matchup of Kevin and Jamal but we’ll have to wait until the rematch between these two teams to see that matchup. Without Kevin To the Rak looked their best with the offense running through Emmanuel and Rob. Rob would finish with 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists.
 

Player(s) of the Game:
 

• Jamal Brown - 43 points and 20 rebounds in 32 minutes automatically gets you player of the game 
• Emmanuel Okharedia - Emmanuel was a menace on the defensive and led his team in both steals and assists. 

64 LEBOV   FINAL 52 Ghost Rider

Subject: # 3 LEBOV make light work of # 5 Ghost Rider to achieve their first victory of the young season.
By JAMIL BALL

In this 9 AM matchup, team Ghost Rider got off to a horrid start as LEBOV was playing with a purpose. After 5 minutes of play, LEBOV was leading 12 - 6. Ghost (22 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 steal) who finished with a game-high 22 accounted for all 6 of Ghost Rider’s points. 

For LEBOV SDL rookie Lucas Guliano (18 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 assists) got it going early and really set the tone for LEBOV on both ends of the court. Adam Ellabidy (16 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal and block) arrived a little after the tip, but it didn’t take long for him to make his impact on the game.

With 3 minutes left in the first half, the lead ballooned to 13 in favor of team Lebov (33-20). Lebov, Guliano, Ellabidy, and DV all were playing inspired team basketball. One of the huge advantages for team LEBOV was rebounding. They would combine for 16 offensive rebounds, while only allowing 3 to their opponents.

At the half, LEBOV would lead 36 - 27. Ghost (14) and Lucas (11) would be the leading scorers for their respective teams. 

In the second half, Cam Daniels (16 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists) would really pick up the pace. The fantastic chemistry between Cam & Sheff was on full display. Sheff finished 1 point shy of a triple-dub with 9 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists.

He was dealing ball, like Pedro Martinez in his prime. Despite a furious comeback attempt. Team LEBOV had no interest in letting up in this matchup, DV (15 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks) would lead all scorers in the second half with 9 points and really help put this game away. 
 

Player(s) of the Game:
 

• Lucas Guliano - All around great effort for Lucas. Validating my promoting of him as a first round selection. 
• Djordje Vlajkovic - DV fell short of his own 20/20 expectation, but still played a heck of a game. 
• Adam Ellabidy - Continues to by my favorite for rookie of the year and steal of the draft. 

63 Saturday Morning Hypothermia   FINAL 65 Slick When Wet

Subject: # 2 Slick When Wet hold off # 4 Saturday Morning Hypothermia to stay undefeated 
By JAMIL BALL

A fully staffed Slick When Wet looked to stay undefeated with reigning MVP Adwaith Nair making his season debut. In comparison, the Saturday Morning Hypothermia-led Damian Ruff squad is looking for their first win of the season.

After looking unstoppable in week 1, Slick When Wet looked out of sync at the start of the game. Missed shots, turnovers, and terrible defense led to an early deficit. On the other hand, led by DTO (22 points, 5 rebounds, 4 steals, and 3 assists) Saturday Morning Hypothermia got off to a scorching start!

David was a one-man fastbreak and would go on to score 17 of his 22 points in the first half. Adwaith and Ruff, both arrived shortly after the tip (Divas). Once they checked into the game, this matchup got much more interesting. 

Adwaith had a monster game with 23 points, 3 steals, and 13 rebounds. His ability to score in bunches created easy baskets for Alan (10 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Shawn (12 points and 10 rebounds). 

Slick When Wet would go into half-time with a 6-point lead (38 - 32). Ruff hit some huge threes as Saturday Morning Hypothermia mounted a furious comeback, but they would ultimately fall short in the closing seconds.

Other notable highlights: 

• Slick “EJ” - Had a very effective game on both ends of the court grabbing 8 rebounds to go along with 8 points. 
• Patrick B - Patrick hit some daggers down the stretch that allowed his team to win a game that could’ve gone either way. 
• Shawn Wise - The big man is a walking double-double. He didn’t get 20 rebounds this game but was just as effective on both ends of the court. 
• Damian Rudd - This dude has found the fountain of youth and his jump shot. Despite being 0 - 2, I’m sure he’s oozing with confidence, knowing his team is capable of beating any team in this league.
• Jorge Morel - Scored 14 points to go along with 16 rebounds. He will determine how successful Saturday Morning Hypothermia will be in this season. 

Player of the Game:

Adwaith Nair - Adwaith had a monster game with 23 points, 3 steals, and 13 rebounds. Despite his struggles from beyond the arc, he did everything else to fuel his team to victory.

WEEK 2 Write-ups

By DEVIN QUINLIN

Game 1: Mainely Love: 78 - Men’s League: 56

Mainely Love Dominate Their Way to the Top of the Standings

Mainely Love had three players in the gym at 6:20 when the game was finally ready to start, as James Morse and Harrison Taggart walked in a minute later. With almost no warmup and starting the game down 2-0 on two technical free-throws, it didn’t even matter. Mainely Love were unstoppable on offense, and after going into the half up 46-32, they only expanded their lead on the way to an easy win.

Morse was unstoppable from the jump. He was jacking threes without hesitation, finishing the game seven of ten from deep and eight of eight from the line. His final statline of 33 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals on this type of efficiency is the most impressive performance in the league thus far. Harrison Taggart was also impressive, especially early on. He put up 22 and 6, plus 1 assist and 1 steal on three of five from three. He has a smooth all-around game, effortlessly getting to the rim and always in control. Tom Palleschi played a strong game down low, adding 14 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. His footwork and finishing are extremely polished and he holds down the paint on defense. Matt McDonough chipped in 6 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 steal, but his team-high 4 assists were beneficial to his team’s ball movement and offensive rhythm, while CJ Jordan added 1 point, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. He doesn’t look for his shot much, but his rebounding, tough defense, and general scrappy play clear the way for guys like Morse and Taggart to go off on offense. Mainely Love are looking like the team to beat in this division.

Men’s League struggled in this game. Charlie Bagin looked like the only player who came ready to go, finishing with 19 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and a game-high 5 steals. He has some nifty finishes inside, but also shot three of six from downtown and generally went hard on both ends. Impressive game from him, but his team let him down. George Shultz hit the two technical free-throws prior to the game, but struggled to find his shot in this game. He put up 15 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, and 3 steals, shooting three of nine from three, but with a few garbage time buckets. He’s a great shooter and I expect him to bounce back, but his off-ball catch and shoot threat will be extremely important for his team’s success this session. Big man Will Childs-Klein made his debut this week with 9 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist. He showed some nice touch inside and out, and his team could benefit from him being more involved on offense. Other than these three, Matt Goodwin chipped in 6 points and 4 rebounds and Josh Salter 5 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist, which is simply not enough to overcome most of the teams in this league. Tyler Seibring will have to have an enormous impact in every game he’s available for Men’s League to compete.

Game 2: Intramural Heroes: 77 - Hartbreakers: 72

Intramural Heroes Hold Off Heartbreakers to Secure Week 2 Win

Intramural Heroes went into the half up 41-25 on a hot shooting start, even without big man Tim Gallivan. The Hartbreakers got rolling as the second half progressed, but couldn’t overcome the early deficit. Credit to the Heroes for their solid defense down the stretch.

Cedric White had another stellar game with 20 points, 7 boards, 4 assists, and 2 steals. He struggled from the free-throw line, shooting four of eight, but did everything else. Great footwork inside, reliable mid-range jumper, and solid paint protection make him one of the best bigs in the league. Brendan Farley also had a great game, shooting four of nine from three and drawing tons of defensive attention early on, and then controlling the offense from there. He ended with 12 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, and a game-high 8 assists, finding open guys and using the threat of his shot effectively. Nick Weber has been one of the best defenders this session, continuing that this week with 5 steals and 1 block, plus 7 rebounds and 1 assist. He’s not the most prolific scorer, but he put up 14 points this week, hitting some mid-range jumpers and finishing super well inside off of offensive boards and smart cutting. Shane Farley added 7 points, 11 rebounds, and 1 steal with a solid overall performance, while fill- in Chris Almodar (wrong spelling sorry) put up 14 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist. Steve Lazarro also filled-in nicely with 10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals, always playing intelligent ball on both sides and showing off some incredibly crafty finishes. 

The Hartbreakers continue their string of cryptic regular season performances despite some impressive outings from individuals. Tucker Landy put up a 25 point, 11 rebound double-double, plus 1 assist and 1 steal. Always a dominant B1 player, Tuck rarely makes mistakes and can fill it up in a hurry. Devin Jensen is perhaps the most talented player in any CAC division, finishing with a near triple-double of 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists, plus 2 steals and 1 block. He shot four of ten from three, imposing his will offensively at the end of the game, but it was too little too late. Oliver Hart went off in his shooting role, going a perfect five for five to finish with 15 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block, including a clutch fadeaway with under 30 seconds left to keep his team in it. Impressive shooting display from him. Joe Kamataris chipped in 9 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 3 steals, and 1 block, showing his improved shooting and always stellar defense. Aidan Kanell and Sean Dempsey didn’t score, but combined for 7 assists and 5 rebounds. Sam Dowden’s absence played a role in this loss, and Phil has yet to return, so we’ll see what the Hartbreakers can come up with as the season progresses. Credit to Intramural Heroes for an impressive win without some of their best players, though.

Game 3: FCHWPO: 56 - Mid-Range Magicians: 45

FCHWPO’s Stifling Defense Put Them Over the Top

FCHWPO has some high level talent between the Sellew brothers and Johnny McCarthy, with others filling in different roles nicely, but their offensive attack has been lacking so far. Still, they pull out the win in week 2, leading 27-25 at the half and pulling away to win 56-45 with some excellent defense.

Xander Kirshen led the way on offense with 15 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 block. With a lot of defensive attention on McCarthy and Chris Sellew after they knocked down some early 3s, Kirshen stepped up by canning three of his six attempts from deep and finishing a few buckets inside. Clutch performance from the lefty. Eric Sellew continues to dominate every aspect of the game except scoring, putting up 12 points, 16 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 block. He hit five of his six free throws and knocked down his only three, using his size to control the entire game on the defensive end. I still think he could put up 25-30 points every game if he were more aggressive, but he’s also much better than me so I won’t tell him how to play. Johnny McCarthy added 11 points of his own, plus 11 boards, 2 assists, and 1 steal while shooting three of six from deep. He’s always calm and never forces shots, moving the ball well after the defense keyed in on him as a shooter. Chris Sellew struggled with his shot, but still played well with 9 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists (game-high), and 1 block. He’s got a smooth shot, so I expect his one for seven game to improve. Aidan Cyr added 6 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, and converted both of his free-throws. He took a tough shot early in the game, so hopefully his shoulder is ok and he’s good to go next week. Meech Ramirez hit a three and added some excellent defense to finish with 3 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, and 2 blocks, including 4 offensive rebounds to get his team extra opportunities on both ends.

The Mid-Range Magicians fall to 0-2 after another subpar offensive outing. They simply bring too many guys to each game and can’t find a rhythm or build any chemistry. Bogut King continues to play pretty well, getting an 11 point, 11 rebound double-double with 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block. He’s a great post presence on defense, but he’s not the guy you want leading your team in scoring if you’re going to win games. Someone else needs to step up and add more than 11 points. Zack Zahner has shown some nice shooting, putting up 11 points of his own, plus 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 3 steals. He hit his only three attempt and some nice middies as well, and with Clifford Bouchereau out, he needs to be their main offensive threat. Jack Albanese has been an impressive defender so far, getting 1 steal and 2 blocks, but also adding 9 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist and converting both of his free-throws. James Smith hit two threes on eight attempts to finish with 6 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist, but I expect him to continue to get shots up and make more in the coming weeks. Giannis Valoumas and Andrew Dodds each hit one three, Valoumas finishing with 5 points, 1 rebound, and 1 steal. The points are too spread out among the whole roster, and the Magic will need a go-to-guy if they’re going to bring their offensive game up to par.

Game 4: Treys For Days: 69 - Bears: 63

Treys For Days Outlast Bears in Close Battle

Treys For Days secure their first win of the session in a tough game against the Bears. The return of Dana Flood and Wes Schroll boost Treys For Days toward the top of the league, as both guys have dominated A League in previous sessions. They led 45-39 at the half, maintaining their 6 point lead to end the game with a 69-63 win.

Dana Flood made his presence known in his B1 debut, finishing with 23 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block. He was effortlessly getting inside and finishing over and around defenders, he hit three of his five threes, and as always, came up with a monster block. Smart all-around player who makes this Treys for Days team dangerous. Wes Schroll added 10 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 3 blocks, which is a good statline, but I expect better from him. Once he picks it up, he will be a force inside and on the break. Still, his 3 blocks was a game-high and he led both teams in rebounding as well. George Thissell chipped in 10 points of his own, plus 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals. He’s another talented player whom I expect more from. He only shot two threes, which needs to go up, but his finishing inside and defense were on point as usual. Luke Davidson showed off his crazy athleticism, throwing down a dunk on the baseline and finishing with 9 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block. He’s fantastic getting past his man into the lane to get a nice floater off or dumping it inside to a big. Devin Santilli put up 8 points, 5 boards, 1 assist, and 2 steals, while Kevin McGovern added 5 points, with 2 boards, 2 assists, and 2 steals. He hit his only three-point attempt and played his smart game per usual. Rich Kruszkowski added 2 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist with some solid interior defense, and John Scola came up with 1 points, 4 boards, and 1 steal. Solid outing from Treys For Days, who will need to build on this momentum in the coming weeks.

The Bears fall to 0-2 on the season, but have faced two strong teams and kept it competitive with both. Danny Shapiro continues to impress, putting up 18 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal. He hits tough shots, moves the ball well, and has been their leader in shot creation this session. Sam Blomberg also had another strong performance with 15 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, and a game-high 5 steals. He shot two of five from three, three of four from the FT line, and continually made tough shots in the lane. His quickness on defense makes him a pest, and despite his size, his 5 steals show his defensive impact. Will Ross continued his hot shooting, going three of four to finish with 14 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal. He’s knockdown, and moves well off-ball while Shapiro and Blomberg probe in the lane from the guard spot. Jake Tomkinson (please add him to the roster) found his shot this game, going a perfect three for three from deep to finish with 11 points and 2 assists. He makes some excellent passes, and would have more assists if his teammates finished shots. Tyler Blake also makes excellent passes, finishing this game with 5 assists and 7 rebounds, grabbing offensive boards and patrolling the middle on defense. I like the way the Bears play, and I expect them to rebound from their 0-2 start and finish in the top half of the league. Regardless, they will always come to compete and make things difficult for the other team.

Week 2 WRITE-UPS

Game 1 Los Sex VS Hanks

BY CHAS BELLS

Cawley got this game started with an Obrd put in, then added a middy 4-0. Frano got his team on the board with a tough take 4-2 17 min. Matty gets 2 off Ian dime, but Frano gets another hoop 6-4. Matty runner, then sick spin shot 104. There goes that man Frano gets another 2 10-6 12:30 min. Ian trey, Matty steal and finish 14-6. Hanks gets in the box score with a hoop, followed by a Paul and 1, and Frano J 16-15. Cawley obrd put in , but Frano floater, and then scoop shot , they had the edge. Paul obrd put in 21-18 3:30 min. Ian sick and 1 ties it at 21 all. Cawley gets easy 2, and Ian gets a 3 to go down, Cawley filthy take , and then buzzer beating middy nice push at the half 30-21 Los sex up. 

River 3 ball 33-21. Hanks J 33-23. Matty cutting hoop.Big Lu lay up, Hanks 3, Frano obrd put in, Hanks running hard suddenly it was 37-32. Matty middy, but a big Tomar shot to keep pace 39-34. Cawley blocks Frano  but he still gets it to go, then Big Lu screaming dont shoot the 3 and Frano ignores drills 3 for the tie 39-39. Big Lu nice take, but Cawley drive to tie it, and then another, and then Ian in transition 46-41. Big Lu ncie 2nd gald continued with a post hoop, followed by Hanks trey  46-46 all! Matty big 3 , but Hanks 2-2, then adds J, and Frano gets obrd put in. Los sex just couldnt get a good look at the end of this game, Hanks nailign ft’s, Ian would hit a late 3 but to little to late 55-52 big win for Hanks wihtout Kap. 

Los Sex

Harry-B-) No points but 8 brds/4 dimes kid cant buy a win right now. 

Cawley-B-Hustled his tail off, but he needs to be the aggressor on this team, more looks for him. 

Matty-B-He was good, this team needs him to be on the great level. 

Ian-B-Started well, disappeared a lil bit

River-D- Momma said their be days like this 

Hanksey

Hanks-A-What a 2nd half he had. Willed his boys, captain shit right there

Frano-A-What a start to the session, kid is a bucket 

Paul-A-) Did a bit of everything , solid contributions across the board 

Big Lu-B+-His best game yet, looks like hes getting better every week 

Tomar-B-) Hustled his tail off, got a nice bucket 

Game 2
By CHRIS HANKS

Chas’ new Gold shines in debut

Hot Goyle Winter 84 - Slick Squad 74

In the second slot of week 2 we had two of the powerhouses of the league, Slick’s Squad (once again no team name, so I will be referring to them as Slick Squad) matching up with Chas’ Hot Goyle Winter. Chas himself would be out with a calf injury and missing Kodra and Eloi so they would have Paul Calderan filling in. Slick Squad had everyone sans Danner. Chas was excited to get his fourth round pick Jake Gold out on the floor after he missed week 1 with an injury. I was expecting this game to not be competitive at all as the shorthanded Goyles would have major problems keeping up with Casey’s offensive onslaught. I would, however, be proven majorly wrong. 

Out of the gate Casey drilled a 3 and found B-Rob inside for an easy two and Slick Squad was off to the races. Bohnaker sank his first 3 and set the tone for the night, as he would be super-efficient from deep. Gold got a layup and Casey picked off an errant Goyle pass for an easy 2. Gold hit a 3 and Weinstein hit his patented off the dribble midrange. Gold and Bohnaker would score again and Goyle was out to a 10-point lead. Weinstein continued to do work for Goyle and Casey answered by following a missed three for an offensive rebound and nailing a tough running 3 of his own.  Another Casey steal to transition layup and B-Rob getting to the free throw line cut Goyle’s lead to five. Weinstein hit a rare 3 and Jake got a couple more layups to pad the lead. Civale and EJ would hit a 3 each but Goyle held on to a 10 point lead going into the half.

Player of the half – Weinstein 15 points

Coming out of the half B-Rob got the rim and Jake answered with a jumper. Bohnaker hit another 3 and despite being shorthanded Goyle continued to put pressure on Slick Squad on the offensive end. Amir and Casey each hit 3’s and Civale got fouled on a 3 and made all the free throws, but the consistent attack of Weinstein, Bohnaker and Jake kept the lead in hand for Goyle. Civale started to get going from deep in the second half and between him and Casey attacking and crashing the boards the Goyle lead gradually was cut to as little as 4. With less than 2 minutes left in the half, Bohnaker nailed a clutch 3 and brought Goyle back up by 7. Civale hit one more 3 but after a Jake bucket the lead was still 6. Goyle would hang on to survive the Slick Squad comeback attempt and net an impressive shorthanded win to improve to 2-0.

Goyle –

Weinstein A – went at Casey on the offensive end and shot the ball very efficiently
Jake A+ - brought intensity on both ends and did a great job getting to the rim. Another draft steal for Chas
Bohnaker A+ - Hit several big 3’s and was a monster on the glass
Paul B+ - Did a good job as a fill-in, took care of the ball and set up Goyle’s offense

Slick Squad –

Robinson B- – solid on both ends of floor, they could have used a few more looks from him

Civale B – wasn’t connecting in the first half, but had a great 2nd half

EJ C+ - hit a couple 3’s but was exploited on defense

Amir B – made the most of his opportunities

Casey A- -played explosively on both ends, usually this type of performance equals a win

Game 3 Skelley VS Strotcha 

BY CHAS BELLS

Joel/Duton both get post buckets to get this things started fast 2-2. Cavano J, Dany 1-2, Frongi 3 8-2. Dunton hustle hoop, but Frongi gets easy . Dunton middy, but Cavano kpet pace with cut basket. Gold in on the at splashes 3 12-9 13 min. Cavanao middy but Gold deep 3 ball, followed by Skelley nice finish 14 all. Gold gives them the edge with a J. Both team would trade blows for a bit a Gold 3 gave them their biggest elad 32-27, but a Joel and 1 32-30. Dunton balling gets another 2, but Stull big balls swanging nails 3 34-33. Dunton/Lindsey both got nice hoops, then a Gold 3 what a run 41-33 at the break. 

Cavano middy to start, Joel lay in 18 min, Cavano runner, and Dany tied things with a floater. Frongi breaks tie with scoop 43-41. The assault contiued from Joels team as staiger gets a 3 to go 47-42. Gold would get an and 1 to calm things but misses FT, Cavano 3, Joel obrd they looking like its getting away 54-44. The lead would get cut to 8 but Joels team drowded them with transition bucket after transition bucket hey win 69-53. 

Team skelley 

Skelley-B-)Was killing it, then became invisible 

Pizza-C-good rebounding needs more hoops

Gold-B- 6 2nd half points is not going to get W’s on this team 

Dunton-A-) Was everywhere, doing everything, gota get that jumper going !

Lindsey-B-Played his rolew ell, that that 3 flyyyyyyy though

Team Joel 

Joel-C+-Little quiet today, but the energy was there

Frongi-B-) he was just ok, he can have more impact

Cavano-A- Mvp back, and had an MVP type game 

Dany-B+-Thought he was rock solid on both ends

Staiger-B-)He was good played his role well 

Stull-B-Snagged boards, had 2 big steals, and cashed a trey 

Game 4 Randal Vs Brothers

By CHAS BELLS

Slow start but J.Mul finally got us started wit a post bucket 2-0, Randal gets lay up 2-2 17 min. J.Mul brother assist to s.Mul, Bonvie canned a 3 7-2. Zeng showing some speed gets 2 off cut 7-4. J.Mul kids midrange to go 9-4. Lagno splashes a 3 to bring them closer , and Arria nasty take to tie it at 9 12 min. Cody J, but Arria nails 3 for the lead 12-11. Randal hts 3, Lagno gets a 3 sheeeessshhh 21-11. Cody hits a 3 to calm things 21-14,and gtes another after some action it was 22-17. Arria cutting hoop , then splashes 3, Lagno adds a drive, Arria mindrange what a run 31-17. Bonvie gets a big 3 to stop the bleeding, then j.Mul 3 31-23 at the beak. 

Arria J 33-23. Cody hits 3, then 1-2 33-27. Lagno kepping his boys in front with a trey, then another awesome Arria finish 38-27 15 min to go. Cody hits jumper, and then gets a layup comes up limping, Bonvie adds a 3 4pts gme 38-34. Randal hots a captain 3 to keep his boys up, but a J.Mul J, then another Bonvie 3 41-39. Arria great hustle gets steal and hoop 43-39 10 min to go. S.Mul obrd put in, Clarke 1-2, J.Mul nice cut for the lead, s.Mul again whata  run, an Arria drive makes it just a 46-45 game with 5:30 to go. Randal dimes zeng for the lead 47-46. Cody nails a bigtime 3, S.Mul owed the paint for 2 buckets, and they ran away with this one as Cody goes 8-8 from the line to put it away 63-56. 

Team Randal

Randal-B-stuffed the stat sheet ,wanted the W i bet though

Arria-B+-Didnt shoot from 3 well, but hustled hard and almost willed his team with sick drives

Lagno-B+-splashing treys, doing his thang 

Murphy-B-scoring was lacking but man 19 rebounds!!!

Zeng-B-I think he will be very effective when he gets comfortable 

Butter-D- Momma said there be nights like this 

Team Brothers

Cody-A-) cold to start but made all the winning plays in the clutch 

S.Mul-A-)Owned the post in big moments, hustled bustled his way to a W

J.Mul-B+-Solid outing gota love the 7 dimes 

Clarke-C-Not his best, he will have better night s

Bonvie-B- Hitign those 3s is so big for this team. 

WEEK 2 WRITE-UPS

HOOPTOPIA 69 vs SHOOTERS OVER BIGS 29

By JAMIL BALL

Subject: Hooptopia destroys short staffed Shooters Over Bigs squad 

This was the first of two lopsided matches on the night.

Hooptopia would get off to a ridiculous start led by Dan Schwartz. Dan started the game on fire! Scoring 8 consecutive points as Hooptopia jumped out to the early lead, this included back-to-back threes and they made quick work of the understaffed Shooters Over Bigs squad. 

Hooptopia looked like they’re building some team chemistry after a disastrous season opener. 

On the other hand, Ryan Glynn led Shooters Over Bigs is battling despite being significantly understaffed. They were able to assemble 4 of their regulars, but it wasn’t going to be enough of this match-up as Hooptopia was taking no prisoners. 

With three minutes left in the first half, Hooptopia led 31 - 13, as their lead continues to balloon. Focusing on the positives, Ben Levin (6 points, 2 blocks, and 3 rebounds ) has been absolutely balling in his season debut. Give that man the rock! 

At the half, Hooptopia dominated their competition leading by 27 (40-13). Ryan (10 points and 5 rebounds) and Dan (15 and 10 rebounds). Overall it’s been a total team effort, especially on defense. 

Van Wert (2 steals), Christian (2 steals) Andre (2blocks), and Ben (2 blocks) have created havoc defensively. Their team defense has led to easy baskets in transition which has blown the gates of this game, to say the least.

Players of the game:

• Dan Schwartz - Dan had a monster game. He was a problem for Shooters Over Bigs all night! 
• Ryan Nett - Ryan had a fantastic all-around game and will only get better as his squad builds more chemistry. 

PRIMETIME 4.0 64 VS ROBEL 43

BY JAMIL BALL

Subject: Primetime 4.0 destroys ROBEL in a late-night matchup 

Both teams came into this matchup undefeated, Primetime 4.0 would have the last laugh in what was a pretty uneventful matchup. Led by suffocating defense Primetime 4.0 would jump out to a very early lead. 

The Primetime 4.0 roster is DEEP and tonight would be the Admin Liu (19 points, 2 steals, and 7 rebounds) show. Admittedly, this game was a bit more physical than I am accustomed to, but you have to adjust to the officiating and Adan Liu did just that. 

For Team Robel, Tyrone Mullings continued to be the only consistent offense for them. His 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists led the way for them. Aside from Ty, their other primary scorers X (Xavier Abreu) and Musse Kassa really struggled to find any offensive consistency. 

Robel was able to score 9 points to go along with 3 trays, 4 blocks, and 8 rebounds. He continues to draw double and triple teams, but with his team struggling from beyond the arc it didn’t really translate into easy offense on his kick outs. 

Primetime 4.0 would take a 29 - 21 lead into the half and never looked back. Jacob Miller (13 points, 4 steals, and 10 rebounds) struggled mightily in the first half, but got it going in the second half. This dude can really hoop whether he has the shot going or not! 

My favorite interaction of the night was the battle between David Thompson and Cameron Daniel. These are literally two of the nicest guys in the world and they we’re in a heated physical battle. It’s nice to see these guys bring out the best in each other! 

This game would end in a blow victory for Primetime 4.0 as they continue to prove the doubters wrong with their second consecutive blowout win.

Players of the game:

• Manny Sutton - I don’t think Manny actually had to try in this game, but still ended up with 12 rebounds, 1 block, and 1 steal. The depth of this team is ridiculous. 
• Adam Liu - Adam's defense set the tone for his team's victory. Along with Mooch, David Thompson, and Jacob Miller, they combined for 9 steals. 
• Jacob Miller - Despite the tough shooting night, Jacob’s commitment to defense and finding open teammates made a huge difference!

BOSTON THREE PARTY 52 VS DANZIG WITH THE STARS 50

BY JAMIL BALL

Subject: The Boston Three Party continues to tempt fate in a win

The Boston Three Party was totally out of sync at to start of the game. Between the missed layups, turnovers, and airballs they didn’t resemble the team that won impressively in week 1. 

For Danzig With the Stars, Jacob Held (14 points, 4 steals, 27 rebounds) and Mike Garofalo (21 points, 3 steals, and 8 rebounds) duo continues to impress. They were literally unstoppable on both ends of the court. 

Danzig With the Stars led 28 - 20 going into the half, but the Boston Three Party proved no lead is safe after as they mounted a furious comeback for the second consecutive week. 

Led by Rich DiSola (17 points, 3 steals, and 10 rebounds) The Boston Three Party got it going in the second half. In addition to Rich, Jonathan Abreu (10 points and 11 rebounds), Eric Li (7 points and 5 rebounds), and Richard Beato ( 7 points, 2 steals, and 6 rebounds) hit clutch shot after clutch shot.

In the closing minutes of the game, both teams would trade baskets as the score remained close. Carlos Cruz’s (8 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists)  free throws on a very questionable foul would tie the game with seconds left in regulation.

For the second week in a row, The Boston Three Party led by Rich DiSola called the game with little to no time left on the shot clock. Rich scored the game-winning basket after collecting an offensive rebound on his own missed shot. 

Matty J may have struggled from three, but he did a heck of a job coaching and guiding his team to victory. 

Players of the game:

• Jonathan Abreu - Jonathan is not a center, but did a heck of a job guarding Jacob Held which isn’t an easy task for anyone. He struggled early on but found his rhythm when they needed him the most. 
• Rich DiSola - There’s no question that the Splash King has the clutch DNA. His player rating would be through the roof if this was 2K. Just give that man the ball and let him cook dammit!  

Mazz leads the way.

by ANDRE JONES

Player of the game: Nick Mazzeo

COTE:

Nick came out firing in the beginning of this game, but then Monclova started playing pestering defense midway through the game. Mazz managed to hit big shots throughout the game that seemed to always put a dagger in the hearts of Gear PF despite all of their efforts. Mazz lead all scorers with 23 points and was clutch from long distance shooting 50% 5/10.

Mazz partner in crime Liam Corrigan showed up as usual with 11 points and 2 steals.

Aidan Enright came up big time this game with 12 points and was nailing his shots from 3 going 2/4.

Evan Valcourt was a force on the boards again with 12. He needs to take his time and make himself more of a presence when he sees a smaller defender on him.

Jamil was a force defensively with 3 steals and 9 defensive rebounds.

Gear PF:

What can I say they fought and played hard in the paint. Their constant acting of the offensive glass is what made them stay in this game. A team total of (17) WoW! Impressive. David, Brad and Deron just kept on fighting and giving this team second chances offensively.

Todd Dowrey was hitting the mid-range shot. He scored 14 points 2/5 for three point land.

Miguel Monclava stepped up big time defensively using his height and size to cause Mazz fits and impeded his progress to some degree. If it weren’t for him switching defensively this game would’ve been a whole lot different. Mazz probably would’ve scored 30 something. Miguel scored 10 points and had 5 rebounds.

Both David Dias and Deron Hines combined for 12 points 16 rebounds. They were both aggressive attacking the offensive glass.

Hamza Abdul was completely off, and I do mean off. 0/9 from 3-point range. He was a force on the boards though 13 rebounds and made himself a presence defensively with 4 steals.

Henry Morales scored 4 points, 6 rebounds and 1 steal.