B2 5v5 SUN Week 2 Write-Ups

by Jason on Jan. 31, 2023

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.

B2 5v5 THU Week 2 Write-Ups

by Jason on Jan. 31, 2023

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.  

Saturday Draft League Week 2 Write-Ups

by Jason on Jan. 31, 2023

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.

B1 5v5 Week 2 Write-Ups

by Jason on Jan. 31, 2023

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.

Over-30 Legends Week 2 Write-Ups

by Jason on Jan. 31, 2023

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. 

5v5 Draft Week 2 Write-Ups

by Jason on Jan. 27, 2023

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.

Franchise League Week 2 Write-Ups

by Jason on Jan. 26, 2023

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

B2 5v5 TUE WEEK 2 Write-Ups

by Jason on Jan. 26, 2023

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 THU Week 1 Write-Ups

by Jason on Jan. 24, 2023

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.

Over-30 Legends Write-Ups Week 1

by Jason on Jan. 24, 2023

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. 

A 5v5 Power Rankings Week 2

by Jason on Jan. 23, 2023

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.

B2 5v5 SUN Write-Ups Week 1

by Jason on Jan. 23, 2023

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 Jason on Jan. 23, 2023

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.

5v5 Draft Power Rankings - Week 2

by Jason on Jan. 23, 2023

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. 

SDL Power Rankings Week 1

by Jason on Jan. 22, 2023

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.

Saturday Draft League Week 1 Write-Ups

by Jason on Jan. 22, 2023

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! 

B Draft Week 1 Write-Ups

by Jason on Jan. 20, 2023

WEEK 1 WRITE-UPS

By Ian Cundall

Robel gets the last laugh in OT win over Harry

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

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

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

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

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

Robel’s team

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

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

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

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

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

Harry’s team

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

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

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

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

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

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

By HARRY DEMAKES

Noah Peeks in week 1

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

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

Koller B: Solid game outplaying the ghost of Baxter.

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

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

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

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

Etheridges team:

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

Weinstein C: Ditto and times 2 here.

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

Etheridge B-: Solid game from Mike.

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

Glynn C-: I KNOW he can do better.

Civale’s darkest days

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

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

Grades:

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

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

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

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

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

BIG GUNS A: Did all he could out there.

Stairway to Deven:

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

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

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

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

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

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

TO THE ACTION!

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

WOOF.

BACK TO THE ACTION!

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

Grades:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Silva’s team:

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

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

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

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

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

5v5 Draft Week 1 Write-Ups

by Jason on Jan. 20, 2023

WEEK 1 WRITE-UPS

Robel vs Hooptopia 

By Jamil Ball

Subject: Team Robel uses a furious comeback to defeat Hooptopia 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Players of the game:

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

COTE 52 vs DANZING With the Stars 45

by Andre Jones

Player of the game: Nick Mazzeo

COTE: 

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

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

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

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

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

DANZING With the Stars:

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

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

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

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

Gear PF VS The Boston Three Party

By Jamil Ball

Subject: Boston Three Party upset Gear PF in double OT 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Players of the game:

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

Primetime 4.0 vs Shooters Over Bigs

By Jamil Ball

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Players of the game:

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

A 5v5 Week 1 Write-ups

by Jason on Jan. 20, 2023

WEEK 1 

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

by Devin Quinlin

Shooters Shoot Dominate Second Half to Pull Away

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

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

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

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

by Devin Quinlin

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

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

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

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

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

by Devin Quinlin

Bormes’ Disciples Pull Off Gutsy Upset Against Defending Champs

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

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

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

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

by Devin Quinlin

Cobras Pull Out Sloppy Win Against Take the Under

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

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

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

B1 5v5 Week 1 Write-ups

by Jason on Jan. 19, 2023

By Devin Quinlin

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

Intramural Heroes Come Out Firing in Week 1 Win

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

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

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

Mainely Love Pull Away in Second Half to Secure Win

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

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

Game 3: Men’s League: 58 - FCHWPO: 57

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

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

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

Game 4: Bears: 74 - Hartbreakers: 83

Hartbreakers Overcome Gritty Bears Team

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

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

Franchise Week 1 Write-ups

by Jason on Jan. 19, 2023

Franchise League Week 1 Write-ups

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Grades

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

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

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

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

Hart Foundation:

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

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

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

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

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

by CHAS
Game 2

STAT vs Get that D

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

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

Stats Team 

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

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

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

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

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

Get That D 

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

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

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

Civale-D- He knows it was bad 

Liam-A- best 1$ player ever 

Game 3

Mac vs Mazz

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

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

Mac's Team 

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

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

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

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

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

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

Corp

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

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

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

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

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

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

Game 4 

Rosi vs Talbot

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

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

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

Team Rosi

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

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

Frongi-B-) Started well but kinda disappeared 

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

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

Team Talbot

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

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

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

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

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

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

Over-30 Legends Winter 23 Draft Recap

by Jason on Jan. 19, 2023

OLD Preview

by CHAS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pick 36 Joe Takes Zeng- No idea here 

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

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

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

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

Power Rankings

8. Randal – don’t punch me please

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

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

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

4. Harry-Love this teams verstality 

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

2. Ej- Could not have drafted better IMO

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

Franchise Draft W23 Preview

by Jason on Jan. 18, 2023

by CHAS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Post Draft Power Rankings That will Make Everyone Mad at me

8.Talbot

7.Harry

6.Kieth

5.Mac

4.Xavier 

3.Hart Foundation

2.Rosi

1. Mazz

Ranking the Franchise B League Titles

by Jason on Jan. 17, 2023

FRANCHISE TITLE RANKINGS

by FRONGI

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4v4 SDL Draft Recap & Power Rankings

by Jason on Jan. 17, 2023

Way Too Early Power Rankings!

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

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

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

Power Rankings

6. SHEFFIELD

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

Strengths: 

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

Weaknesses: 

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

Draft Grades

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

5. Rakusin 

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

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

Strengths: 

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

Weaknesses: 

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

Draft Grades

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

4. Ruff

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

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

Strengths: 

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

Weaknesses: 

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

Draft Grades

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

3. SLICK WHEN WET

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

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

Strengths: 

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

Weaknesses: 

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

Draft Grades

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

2. Rip Hamilton

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

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

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

Strengths: 

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

Weaknesses: 

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

Draft Grades

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

1. LEBOV

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

Strengths:

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

Weaknesses: 

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

Draft Grades

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