Winter 24 A 5v5 Preseason Preview

by Jason on Jan. 16, 2024

By Devin Quinlin

**__A League Preview for W24 session:__**

The new 12-team, same-day, different-gyms format is a unique idea, and I like it. With all twelve teams having already played in the CAC A League before, these teams are familiar with each other and I’m expecting some competitive, intense games this session. With only 8 available playoff spots, the #7 - #10 teams will be battling every possession for a chance at playoff glory in what I imagine will be some unforgettable battles. Below are the preseason power rankings, but anything is possible in a league stacked with this much talent, so feel free to ignore everything I’ve written here.

12.) Team Takeover → Plenty of talent but no chemistry or game plan. Jared Johnson has become one of the best scorers in this division and I love his consistency, but running mates Parker and Toney should be right there with him. Unfortunately, they’ve been too inconsistent, especially in the scoring department, to justify a higher ranking. They’ve added a few new names, with Nick Ritzo being a former D1 track athlete, but I just can’t see Team Takeover ranked anywhere outside of the 11 or 12 spot until they show me otherwise

11.) We The Ones! → Keith has once again added some new guys to the trio of himself, Stanowicz, and Carter, all of whom are solid but aren’t putting WTOs out of the bottom tier. Guy Pistone is a great pickup, as our team finally has a real point guard who will show up consistently, while Arinze Obiora is immediately this team’s best player and is the main reason I put WTOs over Team Takeover. Without Palmer next to him, Rinze will have a lot more freedom to operate, and I expect a stellar session from him. Obi Obiora and Dan Barbour are also new additions, and I might finally not be injured, but I’m not as familiar with their games and I’m heinously short, so we don’t quite move the needle.

10.) Bing Bong → The Wentworth squad is back to Thursdays, where they previously went 3-7. Last session they finished 6-5 on Monday, which is an improvement, albeit in a worse division. They also lose their leading scorer from last session, and while I see a few new names who previously played at Wentworth, I don’t imagine an enormous improvement. Keough will be their go to scorer, while Lennon runs the point and Jaynes and Azums operate down low. While I believe in all of these guys, they will need more consistency, and more assertiveness, if they want to improve on their previous results from the last time they played on Thursdays.

9.) Skelton’s Boys → When Skelton’s Boys first made the jump to A a few sessions ago, I questioned whether or not they could hang, and they decisively proved me wrong. Still, they bumped down to B1 last session and will need to readjust to A again (though I think they can). They kept their best players in Pettit, Horan, Anderson, and Bassett, which is a good core, and added four new guys, none of whom have played in CAC before. Tough spot for SB, who will be competitive with every team in this league, but I predict will lose several close games to some of the better teams in the division. We’ll have to see what the new guys bring, and if they have the size to match-up.

8.) Space and Pace →This is a crazy ranking for the team that just won Monday A League, so I apologize for the disrespect, but I also stand firm that Monday A was significantly worse than Thursday A. James Welch and Colin Bradenese are both excellent players regardless of division, and their chemistry from college certainly helps, but outside of them, I see a steep drop off scoring wise. Pellegrini can score but he’s an undersized big, the Marino brothers are solid but getting older (plus will face better bigs than in B1 or Monday A), and Steve Valacer passes too much. This team will need to grind out wins defensively, unless Welch and Bradenese combine for 45-50+ a game. All that said, this is a solid roster with championship pedigree and experience playing together, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they finish way higher in the final standings, though I don’t see a deep playoff run for them either.

7.) The Spida Men → The Spida Men are back after a session in which they lost almost every game, but had a positive point differential. They still have a lot left in the tank, but as the age creeps up, consistency becomes the main concern. Jamal can still go with the best of them, Danny Martin has showed no signs of slowing down any time soon, but they lose John Lithio’s absurd efficiency and smart play from last session. Tim Gallivan will need to be more consistent, as he sometimes scores an easy 20+, and other times scores 4 points on two putback layups, though this has a lot to do with the team’s gameplan. They added Martin’s younger brother, who, I believe, has only played in high school where he was listed at 6’0, 165lbs, which is exactly what I put on my MaxPreps page (I was lying). They also added Romario Lauriston, who is a 6’5 wing with Juco experience, averaging double figures for BHCC. They will need him to be that guy if they want to compete with the teams above them. Hard to know how good he will be, but some of the Juco guys can really go, so time will tell.

6.) Ronin Blood Warriors → The RBWs come back with a new look roster this session, as they lose Palmer, both Obioras, and Ray Miller. They do add Kevin Nunez, who had a successful showing in Monday A League a few sessions ago, former D3 national champ Allen Williamson, and Harrison Taggart, who played at U. Vermont before dominating at St. Anselm. These are all excellent pickups, as well as Dave Zielinski, who filled in for Zards in dominant fashion on several occasions last session. My issue with this team is chemistry and familiarity. I have no idea if any of these guys even know each other, and Zielinski, Taggart, and Williamson all fit well in the drive and kick, high level shooting, disciplined style of basketball that defines New England D3 basketball and rears success in CAC A League (look at the top 5 teams for proof). Can the rest of the squad fall into that playstyle, or will this team devolve into iso ball with no group identity? Hard to know, but I trust Dan’s recruiting and believe in them talent wise.

5.) FCHWPO → I covered Team Amherst in B1 a few sessions ago, in which they lost in the championship but were otherwise dominant. Without a doubt an A League level team, I’m hesitant to rank them above the top 4 teams, but wouldn’t be surprised if they were. Johnny McCarthy is an elite scorer, Eric Sellew will be a defensive stalwart, and the rest of the team rounds out nicely with Chris Sellew sniping threes, Fru Che doing a bit of everything, and Will Phelan bringing some size into the backcourt. I can’t say I know every player on this roster, but I expect them to transition smoothly into this division and will have the size to match other teams. I also think their chemistry, both in CAC leagues and from college, bodes well for them in close games. Their matchup with Zards might get a bit chippy, but I’m here for it.

4.) Suffolk → With Palmer out of the league, I am now confident that Bolden Brace is the best player in this division, which will always make Suffolk competitive in any game. George Grillakis has proven that he can go hard to his right against Michael Jordan himself, nearly a guaranteed 20ppg and a more confident jump shot as well. Sam Holtze is an elite two way guard in this league (though I would love to see him shoot more), and he added college teammate Will Jackowitz for some size and shooting. O’Donnell and Big Money Mike return for some interior size and shooting, while Yusuf and Bret Edwards add some shooting in the backcourt, rounded out by the versatile Rob Rizos. Good roster with clearly defined roles for everyone and the talent to compete, the only reason these guys aren’t higher is the consistency of the teams above them. With their Big Three, though, I would never be surprised to see them win the whole league.

3.) Not A Dime Back → NADB cruised through the regular season last session, losing only to Suffolk and locking up the #1 seed, but lost a close one to eventual champs WCS in the second round. My main issue with NADB was Jon Luster, who previously averaged 18.8ppg, 8.3rpg, and 4.7apg in W23, 20.5ppg, 8.9rpg, and 5.9apg in S23, and then inexplicably dropped to 12.4ppg, 5.6rpg, and 4.1apg last session, scoring in single digits four times and just not shooting the ball nearly enough for a player of his caliber. Kind of strange to do a deep dive on a player for a men’s league preview, but I’m a huge believer in his game and was shocked to see him look disinterested last session. Take over the game, Jon, you’re putting up my kind of statlines. Outside of Luster, this team has plenty of other talent, with Kontopidis dominating both ends inside and on the wing, Dom Black consistently among the league leaders in steals, assists, rebounds, two-pointers made, and free-throw makes and attempts, Chris Conner adding elite shooting, and other guys perfectly rounding out the roster. These guys end every game with A+ teammate grades and their chemistry and unselfish playstyle are unstoppable, but they will need Luster to be more selfish if they want to ascend back to the #1 ranking.

2.) Zards → I thought the Zards were finally going to win it last session, but they came up just short in the championship game. From a roster standpoint, I’m not sure there’s a better team, as Dan Wohl is a crazy scorer who repeatedly steps up in big moments, Sam Longwell is the most efficient player in the world, and the rest of the roster perfectly compliment both of their games. One issue I’ve seen with Zards is perhaps too much talent. Mike Kearney is happy to facilitate as a pure point guard, which he does well, but guys like Aronowitz, Flood, and Prodanovic have a lot more to offer in terms of offensive output. I’m a big believer in giving your best guys the ball and letting them make most of the decisions, but Flood can’t be shooting only 1.7 threes per game and getting most of his points off of offensive rebounds. Dan Aronowitz scored almost 1400 points in college and has previously put up like 18 and 14 in this division, yet he finished several games on the bench last session, why not feed him in the post? He had 10 points in the first half of the last session’s final game, he finished with 12. Former Ivy League Big Men Chris Egi and Matt LaBove are impressive down low on both ends, though they seem to alternate weeks and both of their attendance records have been questionable. Melillo is reliable and an excellent shooter aside from the occasional game where he can’t hit a three (happens to any shooter), but outside of him and the top two guys, this team gets inconsistent play from the others and could benefit from some shot diversity.

1.) West Coast Shooters → WCS honestly did not have a great session in F23, going 5-4 in the regular season and getting a bit lucky in the first round with Suffolk missing their two best players. Still, they have the talent and the chemistry, and I can’t say I’m surprised that they won the league. D’Aguanno has become a top player in this league, taking major strides in his game to become more than a shooter, as he’s now their go-to-guy. Jack Fay and Stephen Tam return as an elite backcourt pairing on both sides, while Matt Pattyson is perhaps the most versatile player in the league. Derek Retos is the best catch and shoot shooter I’ve ever seen in person, and Tom Wembanyama reminded everyone that he can do more than crack jokes by dropping 22 and 10 in the championship last session to lead his team to that victory. WCS bring back Hugh O’Neil down low and Andrew Jaworski on the wing, with Jaworski being right up there with Dan Wohl for most polished scorer in the league. They add two new guys in Mike Pusifer (couldn’t find much) and Colton Lawrence, who had a stellar Bentley career before moving to D1 UMBC, where played nearly 30 minutes a contest, averaging 12.2ppg with a few 20 point outbursts as well. Adding a guy of that caliber to your roster certainly cements this team in the #1 spot, and until I get a good reason otherwise, these guys are the team to beat heading into the W24 session.

B1 5v5 TUE PRESEASON PREVIEW

by Jason on Jan. 15, 2024

BY JAY SHAH

Welcome back to the Tuesday B1 CAC League! Very excited to get a new season underway with a couple of returning teams and as many newcomers. Several teams have seen their rosters undergo massive changes as they attempt to become more competitive - namely, last season’s Markit Basketball changing the name of their club to reflect emotional totem pole Ian Shang, and replacing basically their entire roster outside of Victor and Peter Chang in the hopes that it will put them squarely in contention for a spot in the postseason. The reigning B1 unification champs, Men’s League, aren’t resting on their laurels either however as they return nearly every significant contributor from their championship season and add a couple players hungry for rings of their own in Matt McDonough and Louis Dale. Every team in the league expects to be in competition for the postseason and the Tuesday B1 title, but by the time the 10-week season has ended 2 of the 6 squads will already have those expectations changed drastically. While Men’s League sits on top for now, every team in the league is coming for their spot. 

Team-by-Team Previews

Treys for Days

After finishing last season 6-3 (just a game behind the top 2 seeds in Skelton’s Boys and Men’s League) and comfortably grabbing the 3rd seed in the playoffs despite an inexplicable -17 point differential, the Treys will return an identical roster from their last season and hope to rely on consistency and a growing, flourishing team chemistry to finish a bit higher in the standings this time around. Overall, though, Treys for Days is coming off a successful season, having pulled out a thrilling 70-67 win in the semifinals against Skelton’s Boys before falling off in a big way against Tuesday and eventual Unification champs Men’s League, getting smoked 48-65, clearly missing team captain Dana Flood despite standout performances from returnees Wes Schroll and George Thissell. The Treys have to view themselves as the primary competition for the champs and have a good chance to knock them down a peg.

Miyagi-Fang

B2 champs Miyagi-Fang are moving up a division, feeling ready to shed the lower competition and dominate a whole new slate of opponents. Excited to get to know the players on this squad, as I’ve only had the opportunity to watch a couple of them in game action thus far in Djordje Vlajkovic and Spencer Schneider, with each sliding in as valuable archetypes for any team. Vlajkovic is an energetic bruiser in the paint, more than willing to put in the dirty work to pull down tough rebounds on either end of the court and possessing a soft enough touch to make opponents pay for playing him soft. Schneider, meanwhile, classes as a do-it-all 3-and-D player, consistently putting up stats in the steals and blocks category while always being willing to make the right pass, but still able to put up points in a hurry where the situation demands it. It will be interesting to see how these two fit into the architecture of the team, and who on the team ends up being most critical to its success. 

Men’s League

The B1 Unification champs return a nearly identical roster in the follow-up to their fantastic fall season, adding only the aforementioned Matt McDonough and Louis Dale to the roster in their quest for back-to-back championships. George Schultz returns to captain the team once again coming off a 7-2 regular season with a healthy +80 point differential, finishing as the #1 seed. Last season only saw the team see a little bit of adversity, as they dominated most of their regular season opponents with ease and even their postseason had only one game with any sort of competition near the end of regulation, with their semifinal game against CCC Studios going down to the wire with Men’s League obviously coming out on top, up 54-52. Men’s League went on to dominate absolutely from there, winning the Tuesday finals 65-48 over the Treys and winning the unification game by a similar margin, defeating Big T by stifling them 52-37 to claim the crown. Men’s League will look to go back-to-back and continue their dominance this season.

Ian Shang

Though this team has the same star players as last season’s 2-8 Markit Basketball squad (-39 point differential) in Peter and Victor Chang, nearly the entirety of the rest of the roster has been changed in the hope of better competing in this league. While Peter and Victor will look to bring back their brand of high energy basketball punctuated by pull-up threes and fastbreak layups set up by high-risk, high-reward steals, respectively, the teammates around them are completely changed. Yinhao (Ian) Shang, the team’s namesake and most fiery player, also returns, but is surrounded by newcomers in Sean Connor, Chris Denham, Dom Paris, Austen Moye, Jake Wallack, and Jacob Abarbanel - only time will tell if the roster changes will bring with them more wins and a more sustainable style of team basketball. 

Jelly not Jam

Jelly not Jam will come into the league facing off against fellow newcomers Ten Cent Finishers, looking to make an immediate statement by getting off to a hot start in their new league. As I haven’t had the opportunity to watch any of these players participate as of yet, I can’t prognosticate too wildly on what this team’s fortune will be - but seeing Nathan Nebiye, Andrew Lamarche, Drew Dodakian, Nyindu Kabangu, Gabriel Gerhske, Sam Boyles, Corey Page, and Danny Wang out on the court will quickly show how well they can stand up to the competition in the B1 Tuesday League.

Ten Cent Finishers

Also in their first season in the Tuesday B1 League, the Ten Cent Finishers bring an excellent squad name and new talent into the mix on Tuesdays at JFK. Ryan O’Neil, Matt O’Neil, Ryan McCarthy, Kyle Mak, Joe Shaughnessy, Elijah Friedman, and Brian Mullen will all look to make an immediate imprint on the league as they face off against Jelly not Jam tomorrow in a matchup that should rapidly elucidate which of these two fresh-faced squads will have a shot at showing they belong in B1. 

Preseason Power Rankings

1. Men’s League
2. Treys for Days
3. Ian Shang
4. Miyagi-Fang
5. Jelly not Jam
6. Ten Cent Finishers

Winter 2024 Saturday Draft League Preseason Power Rankings

by Jason on Jan. 15, 2024

Ok so it’s the day after the draft. While I’m hearing rumors of trades on the horizon (one already happened and I pray for my guy @Musse ) let me give you guys a ranking. This ranking can and probably will change but for now this is how I see it. Also it wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be and I definitely did some shifting of teams while doing it. For a bonus I even gave each team a name or renamed it if you already have one:

10) Let it Go (Keith’s team aka Hoops and Dreams). So my 4 year old daughter loves Frozen. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve heard the Frozen song let it go. In that song there’s a line that says I don’t care what they’re going to say. Clearly this was on Keith mind on draft day and even before by making the most pre draft trades I’ve ever seen. His team name is actually fitting and not bad so props to you there. Ok, so I like Guliano as a player and he even seems like a nice guy but taking him at 10 was a reach. Players like Kopel, Costa, Morel and maybe a few other guys would’ve been a better choice. I’m not going to go into too much details about the other choices but Keith seemed to just be picking names not an actual team that meshed well to succeed in the league. Everyone he picked is a good player/guy however I don’t necessarily think it will be a good enough team in this league unfortunately for those guys

9) Thank you for being a friend (Cam’s team no name) The Ivanic pick was great I’ve been high on him since day 1. Plays the right way and can do everything. With his next pick Joe is where I wasn’t a big fan (no pun intended please don’t take offense). I love Joe as a person and as a basketball player he does some good things out there and goes balls to the wall. I just don’t think the pairing of him with Ivanic is a good one. I get it, Joe wouldn’t have been available at 25 and he’s your buddy so that makes sense but one guy I’d compare to a race car and the other a SUV. I understand the direction you went with your remaining picks too. Overall though I just don’t think this team will be good enough. They will be a tough team and may even surprise a team with an upset win but I don’t see them as contenders for a championship and are on the fringe of not making the playoffs.

8) Back to back on you B***hes (DP’s team Ball Mitzvah) I’m not a big fan of the repeat naming unless it’s the same exact team especially after winning a championship. To me it kinda takes away from your winning team but here we are. I gotta say it because I heard it from more than one person. Taking DTO at 6 was a reach. I get the mindset though and I can’t even say I agree or disagree with the reach thinking. DP wanted Ivanic at 6 who was gone and then would’ve probably traded up if DTO was gone at 16. While I’m not mad at drafting familiarity, sometimes you have to just go a different direction. Getting Wood at 16 was smart especially based off his playoff performance alone last season. The Jewish brother Josh Brown was his next pick and I liked it a lot. Josh can score in bunches and is very competitive. Taking a flyer on the rookie here was another smart decision (especially since you hit a home run with Ivanic last season) and then rounding your team out with Stull who you won a championship with last season made perfect sense. While I do have this team at 8 I think DP had a good draft and this team could mesh well and surprise some teams.

7) Am I my brother’s keeper? (Nick’s team name District 10) I get the team name and I’m not mad at it but mine is better . It feels crazy ranking my teammate of the previous two seasons so low but any team with picks 40,41 and 45 is a tough one to believe in. I’m gonna assume Chris is good but not as good as Preston . If Nick ever decides to transform himself from Al Horford to Joel Embiid we will all be in trouble. Blaike should get plenty of open looks on this team and if he’s on they will be a tough team to stop. On defense I assume they will be playing a lot of zone which could work or not. Definitely an interesting team which could potentially win it all

6) A Dwyer Situation (Dwyer’s team no name). I am completely unfamiliar with Dwyer and his game but he’s coming from a 5v5 environment which usually translates to higher numbers in 4v4. Not sure who told him about Ball and Kopel but this is an excellent pairing and will give opposing guards fits on both ends of the court. Taking rookies can be hit or miss so even if the two he drafted don’t pan out. This team is still very good with their top 3. This team has the making of championship contenders so I’m interested to see how they progress.

5) Gettings to it (Josh’s team Pushing P). I actually like the team name Josh picked and it makes sense too so kudos for that. I like this team overall as well it’s really balanced. My questions would be their three point shooting (no clue if Preston can shoot) and defense. Yes they have Costa who will probably be one of the best defensive players in the league again. Josh is also a good defender. But having a few good defenders doesn’t work out for the best just ask the captain of Costa Coast. Butterworth and Waldman are great reserve guys to have. Josh is fresh off a championship appearance so I know he’s itching to get back and win it all this time.

4) Not Stojakovic or Bogdanovic it’s Vlajkovic (Djordje’s team The Spice Channel). Yeah I feel like if I type out the team name Djordje selected I will have to also type PAUSE at the end of it so I will be referring to them as TSC. Djordje took the best player in the draft at 1 and didn’t make any trades. Paired him with a floor spacer in Ghost. I haven’t seen Chas play in awhile but he’s always been a feisty guard so I like that pick too. AO has improved and probably got drafted at about the right spot. 50 is 50 so you have no choice but I don’t think Tommy is the worst player in this league. He will knock down some shots so that’s a good thing to have also. Missing Chas for 3 weeks won’t be good but if they can survive that and then figure out how to play together this team can win it all.

3) The defense rests (Civale’s team no team name) I’m glad I got drafted to this team so thank you Brian. Before Civale officially joined SDL I played with him as a fill-in with Nick Lynch and man was that fun. Anyways I digress. I’ve heard that Mullings is a bucket and plays defense. He is also coming from a 5v5 space with great numbers. I’m not familiar with Cerbone but he had the 7th highest APR going into the draft so I’m assuming he can play. Sanon is a lefty defensive player that also plays smart. Landy is a good reserve guy that can get hot from three. I like this team a lot and they will be contenders.

2) Never lost (Nair’s team Riggin’ for Higgins). I’ve never been a fan of naming your team after your last round pick well in this case someone you traded for. I’m not mad at it it’s just personally not my thing. I like that Branch is active on Discord and that he was honest in his bio. Him and Nair could be the best combo in the league. I’m not familiar with Skelley but he does have a good APR but hopefully for their sake he has some height. France seems like a sandbag job based on his bio. I’m not familiar with Gilloly but he won’t need to do much until Nair misses games. Higgins is his guy so that rounds out the team. Anytime you have Nair on your team especially in SDL you will have one of the best teams in the league.

1) Emmanuel Mentality (E3 team mamba forever) again the renaming of teams is not for me but if you like it I love it. I know you’re a big Kobe guy so why not just incorporate you and him into a team name? Not gonna lie unlike last season Emmanuel killed this draft. His team wasn’t bad last season but this season he has the bullseye on his back which is completely different than being the underdog. I think they can win in a multitude of ways. I guess the only issue is managing minutes. They are the favorites to win the league right now. Will that be the case at the end of the season? Only time will tell. That’s all I got for now guys. Good luck to everyone and see you next week.

B2 5v5 UNIFIED Preseason Rankings

by Jason on Jan. 15, 2024

B2 5v5 WINTER 2024 PREVIEW

Alright, we’ve got 4 B2 5v5 divisions and 36 total teams. I’m ranking where I think teams should fall within their division AND their overall ranking. If this futile? Probably! Do I want to give you all plenty of fodder to feel disrespected?? ABSOLUTELY!

Division Rank (B2 Rank) Team Name - Blurb

MONDAY

This league is top heavy. It’s got two bonafide juggernauts with a handful of teams trying to make a name for themselves are some up and down play the last couple seasons. Oh and 3 completely brand new squads to really shake things up!

12 (36) Himmy Turner - Look, there’s nothing wrong with being a new team in the CAC Universe. We all have to start somewhere. Most of us start with more than 5 guys on a roster and one google-able name that works for Draft Kings. I mean, help me out here!

11 (35) Last Chance U - Another almost all rookie team, Nana Adu played last season, but it was with 1-8 Bricksquad, so I’m not sure how much stock I should put into that. Probably none? Wada Salah Eldin’s pfp of zion doesn’t fool me!

10 (33) Lexington Steals - Ever since Gordon Santry left the franchise, the Steals have been in shambles. You know, that time he played 1 game and scored 25 points!  They happened to win 4 games that season? Coincidence? PROBABLY! They’ve got just 3 total wins to their name the last two seasons and I don’t see many more on the horizon unless some big time moves were made this offseason.

9 (29) The Lab - They haven’t played since W23 when they went 4-5 and their leading scorer had less than 15ppg. I see that team captain Eric Franfort has added 3 true CAC Rookies into the mix, but they better bring some fire power with them. This division is top heavy, so making the playoffs might not take more than a coupe wins. Which is probably good since it’s hard to see a lot of wins. But honestly, I feel like I’m being a little mean here…

8 (28) Corner Three - Look, you come in as a new team, you name drop Shea Whalen and you’re getting a bit more respect than your typical batch of rookies. There is legit no reason for me to rank them this high, other than Nick Fothergill said “Shea Whalen sent us” and honestly, that’s good enough for me.

7 (26) WE HAVE FUN - They’re trending up! 1 win in the S23 season followed by 3 in the F23 season projected to…hmmm, maybe 2 this season? No check that, looking at their regular season schedule they avoid Gino Time, they warm up with a rookie team and they have two winnable games in their first three weeks. WHY NOT THEM?!?!

6 (21) Thank You University - 4-5 & 4-5, and 1 playoff win the last two seasons. The epitome of the average team and they’re running back the same roster, as far as I know. Greg won’t answer any of my emails. Is this how it feels from the other side? Wow that sucks, I’ll be better…

5 (18) - Big Baller Brand - I had this team ranked 9th after a 3-7 effort in the WED division last season. Then I actually looked at the roster a little bit. They’ve got 4 CAC Rookies, and one of them has a picture of a BC football player. Using the google machine, that same player also happens to have an instagram of himself in a texans uniform. Now, I’m no expert, but you bring a legit athlete into this league that, even if basketball is his 5th best sport, his biceps still look like they’d pop me like an adalescent white head, i can’t possibly rank them in the lower half of the league. Sorry, those are the rules.

4 (15) - Los Market Baskets - First I had them ranked 8th. Then I had them ranked 6th. Then I took a look around the league and said, fuck it, top 4 team! I can’t discount their championship experience. Yes, you can say that they’re Corporate titles and you can discount them. but during both title runs they took out undefeated juggernauts along the way. that’s grit, that’s championship meddle! One season they barely average 40 ppg, another, almost 60. I think they’re going to be ok in this league! SAUS transitioned well, why can’t they too!  Oh have I mentioned that their first game of the season is against juggernaut Gino Time? What a rude welcoming to the league. What kind of jerk would do that?!?

3 (14) The Unreliables - Honestly it’s one of the most apt names in CAC Basketball.  This team went 4-5 in the regular season and then knocked off BOTH 1 loss teams on their way to the MON title last season. The season prior? just 2 regular season wins and a missed playoff spot. It’s going to take at least 3 regular season wins to get into the playoffs in a 12 team league. If you see them as your opponent in the regular season, maybe you feel good about your chances, but playoffs ?

2 (8) SAUS - This team scraps, this team fights, it’s never pretty but they just get it done. Michel Nofal is a PROBLEM. Last season he was 1st in scoring and 3s made in this division. He gets to the line, he passes the rock, he gets boards, you HAVE to contain him if you want to beat SAUS. It’s much easier said than done.

1 (2) Gino Time  - Some might scoff at this #2 overall ranking, Last season they were 10-1 before falling in the B2 5v5 MON Finals. The season before, they were 11-1 and WON the B2 5v5 MON. If they’re in you’re division, they’re the overwhelming favorite, I’m sorry, they just are. I think THIS is the season that they finally break through. I want this for big Greg Eusden, I NEED it for him. The man is a walking double double its time for his CHIP!

TUESDAY

This league is legit. Precovid, Tuesday at the Cambridge Y was always the most loaded division top to bottom. Now on the new CCC court it’s nearly as loaded. New teams coming into this league have their hands full. If you’re unlucky enough to draw the top teams as the teams you face twice? Good luck.

8 (32) Shrek & His Lads - Look, i’ve got nothing on this team. No one uploaded an intimidating pfp of them playing college football, no one had an obviously googleable name. They’re all generic white guys as far as I can tell. Did Gordon Santry play lacrosse at Colgate against Gerard Lacerte from Bently?!? Does Matt Laffin sell insurance? Probably, those are all white ass names! I got nothing basketball related here

7 (26) Hoop Dreams - Andre Jones is back! He took a season off and has been stealing draft league players left and right to try and form a juggernaut. I just don’t know if it’s going to work here. You need top end draft league guys to compete in B2 5v5 and, well, Andre is no Harry at the recruiting game.

6 (22) Bears - I always have a hard time telling teams where to start. I want them to always try B2 first, but sometimes, I team comes along like the Bears that insist B1 is the way to go. So they struggle through a 2-8 season before realizing “Hey, that Tibbs guy knows what he’s talking about, maybe we SHOULD have played B2!” THEN they jump out to a 4-2 start in B2 and think, we’ve got this shit on lock, before dropping 3 games to end the regular season below .500. So here they are again, have they learned from the last 2 seasons? Well, there’s only 1 team of all of CAC Basketball’s 111 this Winter season not to have uploaded a roster yet, and that’s Ted Blake’s. I have no idea what to expect! Has he added scoring around Danny Shapiro to lighten his load? Is Danny even playing??? For the love of god will SOMEONE hell Will Estes out on the boards? No? WE DON”T KNOW BECAUSE WE DON’T HAVE THE ROSTER TED!!!

5 (19) Splash City - This team doesn’t have a lot of offense. Doesn’t make a lot of 3s but feasts at the line. They’re a .500 club, I don’t see them as more than that, but really, what do I know!? Maybe because they finally have their requests of mostly late games made they’ll play better? Let’s see!

4 (16) Make A Swish Foundation - Now there’s a name I’ve not heard in many years. SWISH IS BACK! It’s been what, since 2018? Don’t let this team sneak up on you, they’re going to be a contender if they’ve got a lot of the same pieces they used to have.

3 (9) Julius Swerving - His is pure hate and motivation for Will Otto’s club. They’re always at the top of their leagues and honestly if you have any of the top 3 in a different order, I can’t really blame you. This team wins a minimum of 8 games every single season

2 (7) Eastie Hoops - Eastie Hoops is yet another classic B tweener team. They dominate B2 in Spring 23, going 8-1 before losing in the divisional final. They want a step up in competition so they play B1 in the Fall 23 season and promptly go 2-8, so here they are the next season back in B2. It’s more fun to win than to lose right? However with this absolutely LOADED division, I wouldn’t crown them champs automatically.

1 (3) Plenty of Lotion - Miyagi-Fang took their talents to B1, and rightfully so. These old guys just keep winning. Honestly I don’t know how they do it. Do you know Drew Debari plays AND scores at another gym on Tuesday nights and still finds time to lead this team to victory week after week?! That shouldn’t be possible, he’s almost 40! Why are you people letting him do that you?? Jeff Yeakley, also in the over-40 club, leads this team in scoring with around 15 per game. Usually that wouldn’t be enough to get it done in a loaded league, but Lotion always just finds ways to win.

WEDNESDAY

This league has the #1 overall team in B2 5v5, and yet I have them ranked 3rd out of the 4 divisions. If TAP All-Stars weren’t the defending B2 5v5 Uni Champs the question would be “Is TAP so good because they play in a weak division” instead of “Can TAP repeat as champs without being put through the weekly test that other teams go through?” It’s kind of like being the Pats from 03-18.

8 (34) The Pirates (Reloaded) - I feel like the Pirates have promised to be reloaded for like 3 straight seasons now but what do i know. Kinda feels like the Pats from 19-22. “Oh we’ll be better on that side of the ball, we won’t hire a defensive coordinator as our offensive coordinator again, trust us!” And yet, what do I know? I’m not genius, I’m not round ball guru. That seems to be a theme running across these previews. What, exactly, do I know?!

7 (31) Cheese Boys - They don’t have more than 2 wins in any of the last three seasons. Do I really need to type any more?

6 (24) Team Ahern - This might have no interest to any of you, but there was HUGE drama on the B Draft W24 Draft Board on Thursday night. Now I know why Cam Letalien didn’t draft his buddy Eric Bauman. According to Team Ahern’s roster, Bauman has CUT his buddy Cam between the F23 and W24 season. I wouldn’t take my captain in another league if he did that to me either. Friendships have definitely ended over similar insults. Now, I’m sure expectations were high for Team Ahern last season and a 5-6 record might not have been how they wanted to represent themselves, but for Cam to be the guy to take the fall? That seems harsh. No wonder Cam returned the favor in B Draft.

5 (22) Tim and the Bombers - how many ithaca bombers are on this team ?! I don’t care if they were all bench warmers, if only 1/3 of the league is made up of players that have any college experience and half of your team has those players, you’re going to be in a good position heading into the season. You’re certainly going to get more respect than any other rookie team has the right to get.

4 (20) Handler’s Handlers - Is this the weakest B2 division? Survey says?!? No! but just barely

3 (13) Bob Ross in the Paint - a lot of names i recognize, but no stats, so that means everyone played pre 2023. Could i fire up the way back machine and do more research? Yes! It is 11 pm on a friday night and i’m nursing the very last of my eggnog for the 2023-24 Holiday season? also yes! HOWEVER. I bought my first carton of eggnog the 2nd week of September, and I’m still drinking it the 2nd week of January. That’s FOUR MONTHS of eggnog availability. I HAVE WON!

2 (11) The Somerville Basketball Team - I’m not thrilled that this is my #2 ranked squad. 15-14 combined the last 3 seasons but I just don’t see another squad belonging in this spot. Wildly inconsistent and based on historical precedence actually in line for a down season. Yikes.

1 (1) TAP All-Stars - I’m not going to over think this though. It’s not like every other aspect of my life. I don’t care that this isn’t one of the stronger B2 division. This is the best team in all of B2 hands down. I also don’t care that the Marino’s and Valacer can’t make free throws. It doesn’t matter. this team is too god damn good and I’m am sick of it. Someone (preferably from within this division) knock them off this season!

THURSDAY

This is my top ranked division in all of B2 5v5! Half the teams are in the top 10, two more in the teams, and even the last place team in this division could raise hell on any other night.

8 (30) Tomahawks - Just a brutal division for Ian McGuiness and his boys to return to.  They really wanted Monday nights but it was full. Bummer for them.

7 (24) Terminator - All the talent in the world but haven’t put it together in the B2 leagues. It is unacceptable that this collection of talent has just 8 wins total the last three seasons. Is it time for a change at the top? Why’s Ralph Maalouf still in control of the franchise?? Zach Taylor, Carl Bunge, and Fozan Sadiq have all shared the court at different times the last 2 seasons, all are capable of popping off for 30 at a minutes notice, and yet they’re sitting on 5 total wins! UNACCEPTABLE! When do fans of the Terminator Franchise take to twitter to demand Ralph step down?? It’s time for a new voice

6 (17) A Team Has No Name - I am finding it comical that perennial .500 team, that can beat anyone any given week, is ranked 6th in this division. Team captain Michael Chroney leads the way in scoring, but if they want to break into the top half of the league, a guy like Eric Bradanese is going to have to pour in a few more points each game. I really, really love that Ben Seyoum is always looking to get his teammates shots in the perfect spot to score, but he’s going to need to be more of a scoring lead guard in this league. The top offenses are just too good in this league. Feed yourself first Ben, then make sure everyone else eats.

5 (12) Markit Basketball - A B1 team dropping down usually has absurdly high expectations. If you can pick up a couple wins, have a few double digit scorers in B1, with all that size and solid guard play, you should roll over most B2 teams. Well this division is NOT most B2 divisions. Peter Chang might have told his boys that there are more wins and blowouts on the horizon, but I think they’ll have tougher than expected sledding in this league. And that’s not a bad thing!

4 (10) NNHS - just a stunning turnaround for NNHS in the Fall 23 season, from an afterthought in the Spring to absolutely STUNNING the league and winning the division in the Fall. And for that, even in this loaded division, I’ve got to put some respect on their name. Can they bring the heat week in and week out or was that magical month of December just a mirage.

3 (6) Furious Rim Ticklers - There’s a lot of overlap between Drew Debari’s Thursday team  and the Tuesday team (Plenty of Lotion) but looking back, you can tell this is the tough division. FRT went just 6-6 last season. Still I think this is one of the top overall teams in B2, the new guys just know how to win.

2 (5) Hartbreakers - You’d think that there’s no way a team that dropped down from A 5v5 wouldn’t be ranked #1 in a B2 division, but honestly when I first was putting this together I had them #3 in the THU league. When you’re missing Phil (the true engine of the Heartbreakers franchise, always has been) and Jarvis, what’s left? Well a former B2 champ i suppose. Tucker Landy is still here on a part-time basis, and he’s going to drop 20+ any time he is. Anyone who averages 15+ in A 5v5 is going to get his in B2, they just are. I don’t care how old, lazy, uninterested, sick of his teammates the guy is. He’s going to get his. Oh Devin Jensen is back too? jesus this is a B1 team what am I doing?

1 (4) The Clever Trevors - Fall 23 was their breakout season, it was the time that Tony Calletti was going to vault himself into the stratosphere of CAC stars and NNHS ruined it, rampaging a path through the playoffs to win the division and crush Clever Trevor’s season. Tony was at 15/4/4 and leading them to the title! He was even hitting 37% from 3. Unreal that they couldn't get it done last season. Now they're back, reloaded with a couple rookies and pissed off, ready to climb the mountain top once again.

5v5 Draft Winter 24 Draft Recap

by Jason on Jan. 14, 2024

Winter 24 5v5 Draft Recap 

A classic school yard pick ‘em went down the other night to set the stage for the Winter 24 5v5 Draft League. The tall talented players got picked early. The small “developing” players got picked late. In a world where your bio and your APR determine your worth, were our captains able to walk away with any sneaky value? 

No. 

But - it doesn’t mean we can’t pretend someone did! Let’s dive in. 

The Brad Myatt led “Country Billy Made a Couple Milly” (Let’s pause here for a moment and discuss one thing. What an unneccassrilly long team name. Okay back to the draft). Brad, without hesitation, went with Dan Barbour with the #1 overall pick. A certified bucket getter. When the board finally came back around to Myatt’s pick at the 2 / 3 turn, Myatt went down the board for a rookie (Sam Davis) an a guy further down the APR list (Isaac Julien). Davis has an intriguing bio with some scout team experience and prior CAC MVP (although that was a decade a go). In his 30s now he’s probably not as quick as he once was, but 6’4” is 6’4” at any age. Julien’s bio isn’t as salivating but the stat line reads like a guy that could fit in on any team snagging 7 boards, and 2 plus stocks per game in his last CAC appearance (for my fantasy basketball fans, sounds like a guy with a great 9-cat game). Not wanting to wait for the board to come all the way back around, Myatt shipped out the 28th and 29th overall picks for the 21st overall pick to grab Carlos Carmona. Carmona doesn’t have much recent CAC history but looks like a spark plug scorer (double digit average but doesn’t contribute much). Might be the kind of guy that can carry the scoring load when Barbour needs a breather. Myatt had to wait 16 picks to pick again and went with Brian Horton. Horton’s stat line reads like a guy that does a little bit of everything without needing the ball much. He’s also played in a bunch of CAC recently so you have to assume he’s in basketball shape. Sometimes that’s enough to make an impact. Myatt closed out the draft with Chao Quan and Paul Orlinsky. Two guys that also have recent CAC experience that should be able to give quality minutes. Overall looks like a strong team that has some top end scoring surrounded by guys that can play ancillary roles. 

Jamil Ball was originally slated to pick 7th but shipped out the 7th and 8th pick to move up to #2 (and pick up #16). Ball likely felt pressure to take Scott Moran so that his team name (Shoot First Moran) would make sense. Moran is a 20 PPG guy. The team that win have at least one (and ideally two) guys that can put the ball in the hoop. Anchoring your team with one of those is smart. (Ball himself looks like a scorer, that’s dangerous for the rest of the league). The punishment for trading up for Moran is having to wait until 16 for Ball’s next pick. Surprised to see former Washington Bullets great Chris Whitney still available at 16th overall. After spending the late 90s backing up Rod Strickland…wait..sorry, I’m getting word that this is a different Chris Whitney. The CAC Chris Whitney is a guy that can get boards which can create second shot opportunities for Moran. (I’m curious is Moran is allowed to shoot off of offense rebounds. The instructions are clearly to shoot first which I think would preclude him from shooting second shot opportunities. Note to other teams that you don’t have to cover Moran when this team gets an offensive rebound. Quick turnaround for Ball at pick 21. Which he wasn’t ready for. So he traded

that to Myatt for 28/29. When #22 overall came around Ball was ready, getting rookie Luke Altobelli. With a some high school experience, standing a 6 feet and a self proclaimed shooter, Altobelli should fit right in next to two scorers and a rebounder. After diverting for a rookie, Ball went back to the vets snagging Joe Epperson at #28 overall. A nearly 10 point per game scorer, Epperson shouldn’t be counted to do too much scoring, but it’s nice to know he has that in his bag if some of the other guys get cold for a night. He’s also at nearly a steal and a half per game. Could create some extra possessions for his scorers. With the 29th pick Ball went for size with Joe Martin. Pulling down nearly eight rebounds per game, Martin should pair well with Whitney to give the Moran’s an advantage on the glass. Ball closed out with picks 35 and 36 with two rookies. Mason Gloudemans, who should compliment the scorers and the rebounders well with his focus on hustle and defense. Charles Bansoro a self-proclaimed “Full Time Pain in the A** and “grinder”. Every team loves having a guard like that that will be a pest for the other team (think Caruso, Pat Bev, Marcus Smart). This team seems very well constructed and might be the early favorites. 

Picking out of the 3rd hole was Kevin Gillooly (Sauce Castillo, I appreciate the reasonable length of the team name). Gilooly made Michael Brady the highest drafted rookie of the season. Brady clocks in a 6’6” with some high school ball experience. We’ll see how much of that skill he has left but anyone with that size plus any level of organized experienced should be make a major impact. Jacob Miller was Gilooly’s pick at 12. Miller can be a 15 PPG guy who’s played in the last three draft sessions. Miller also looks like he crashes the glass, plays D and dishes out the rock well. Honestly, with that stat line and experience, probably should have been a top 10 pick. Nice get for Gilooly. Gilooly kept things moving at 17 overall with rookie Aidan Chaney. Chaney didn’t make it as a pro hooper but my guess is he has a potential career as a hype man. The “full time ankle snatcher” and “green bean machine” (which is something I’m concerned to find out the meaning of) made quite an impression on the draft chat. Also, it sounds like you must be a deity to successfully score on Chaney at the rim. Good luck. Gilooly went back to the vets for the 26th pick, grabbing Dan Buckley. Buckley looks like a board crasher, especially on the offensive side. Fits the mold of this team that seems to have a lot of size. Jordan Goldberg came off the board at 31 who comes back to CAC after nearly a decade away. Might take a bit for him to get his basketball wheels under him but profiles as a versatile guard that might allows the Castillos to switch up their lineups. He also clock in at over 6 feet tall. Taha Jenning as teh pick at 40 who’s got recent CAC experience and can also chip in 7-8 points per game. Lastly Gilooly went with Dan Barry who played in the most recent draft league where he put up nearly 6 points per game. Some good experience to round out the roster. 

Skates picked out of the 4 hole. We always knew it was Skates’ pick because their would be a lull in the draft speed. But when Skates did finally lock in he picked Kyle Miller who has the second highest APR of anyone on the board and can be a 20/10 guy. No one would complain about having that on their team. Skates (when we were able to get his attention) went with the 4th highest APR guy Angelo Cerbone with the 11th overall pick. Cerbone snags over 8 boards per game and can get you 10+ points. Two major rebounders to start Skates’ team off. We notified Skates it was his pick again at 18 and he went with Ben Brown. Brown claims to be defender. With Brown defending and Miller/Cerbone on the glass, this team is still lacking some ball handling and playmaking in the backcourt. Dylan Russel was the pick at 25 who adds more defense with his nearly 2 steals per game. Man it’s going to be a pain to play this team if they’re all defense and rebounding. At #32, Skates went with rookie Tyler Pontes. Pontes might get thrusted into some lead guard responsibilities. He claims he’s knowledge for the game is great so this could sneakily be the perfect late round pick for this team. Also claims to like to “play D” so the defensive identity for this squad continues. Othniel St Ulme went off the board at #39 overall. St Ulme can get you a steal a game so he fits in the defensive identity of this team. With Skates’ final pick, #46 overall, he went with Chris Jenco. A lanky playmaking defender who’s APR suggested he should have gone much earlier in the draft. If Skates can get Jenco to match the defensive identity of this team, it’s going to be really hard to get buckets. 

Dan Schwartz was supposed to pick out of the 5 spot but Tibbs subbed for him. Tibbs gave us our second rookie of round 1 with Andrew Cooper. Cooper has D3 experience as well as experience being a practice player for St. Joes. He’s young and can shoot. Assuming that’s all true, he’s likely going to be one of the best scorers in the league. Emmanuel Okharedie got his name called with the 10th pick. Okharedia can score, get boards, rack up assists and get steals. Sounds like a pretty lethal one two punch with Cooper. Antonio Khoury got picked at 17. He’s got HS experience and literally just put his name in his bio. You can’t teach that kind of confidence. Watch out folks. A third rookie got added with Derek Erion at 24. Talk about confident bios. Erion didn’t even write one. But at 6’6” 200 pounds, Derek is going to be ready to push kids around in the paint. Remy Baudet finally came out of the green room at the 33rd pick. A player with 20 PPG on their resume should probably have gone earlier. Rare to find that kind of scoring this late. With the 38th pick, Matt Killeen got picked. That’s me! I CAN’T BELIEVE I MADE THE TEAM!!!! Seriously though. I last played 6 years ago and I can promise you I haven’t gotten better. But I’ll put my fourth quarter free throw shooting up against anyone. Kunal Chawla rounded out the team at pick 47. Never hurts to add someone who’s played in this league before and has a 7 PPG season on their resume. 

Shawn Wise with the narcisstically named “Wise Shots” pick at 6. Wise quickly took Tyrone Mullings at 6. A consistent 16-17 PPG scorer who spiked for 5 assists per game in a recent season with nearly 3 steals per game. Mullings looks like the kind of guy who can set his teammates up for success but can get his own if needed. Drew Debari fell to the 9th pick despite having the third highest APR. DeBari (sorry I missed the capital B the first time), is coming off a 17 PPG season with almost 9 rebounds per game and 4.5 assists. That’s a well rounded stat line that can allow him and Mullings to play off of each other as needed. With the 20th the pick Wise went with Dainis Klavins. Klavins gives Wise another double digit scorer. Klavins also dropped nearly 4 dimes per game in his last season. Wise started his draft with three well rounded players. At #23 Alex Yuen could finally relax as he heard his name called. A year ago Yuen grabbed 10 rebounds per game. He can also be a double digit scorer if needed. Wise continued with his draft at pick 34 with Corey Fein. Fein’s stat line are pretty consistent. 6-7 points per game, 3-4 rebounds pre game and nearly a steal per game. Seems like another guy that can fill in any role that’s needed. That’s the theme for this team through the draft at this point. Joe Maalouf at 42 and Patrick Aspell at 43 rounded out Wise’s draft. This looks like Maalouf’s first foray into the draft league but he did play in another league in the fall. Aspell played in this league last session. I think we’re going to find teams that take players who are already in basketball shape from the previous session are going to off to hot starts. Aspell and Maalouf should contribute to that. 

The final captain to pick was Alex Biskelonis. After trading down from 2 to get the 7 / 8 picks Biskelonis started his draft with Nika Sulakvelidze and rookie Brock Mickley. Let’s start with the rook. Mickley brings HS experience and potentially could have played in college but decided to kick it with the boys instead. My guess is Brock is going to be a high level play maker. His INTRAMURAL championship experience will serve him well come playoff time. Nika his a consistent 10 rebound per game guy. A good big to play off of Brock gives Biskelonis a good foundation at the start of his draft. With the 13th pick (I don’t remember how Biskelonis ended up with the 13th pick) we saw the “Old Kevin Love” Ben Jerome get drafted. There was some debate if this meant Kevin Love who’s old, or Kevin Love from the olden days. Either way, 6’4” 250 with some range will play on any team. Another rookie for Biskelonis at #27 with Jameson Luks. A former football player at 6’2” 225, I have to imagine Luks is going to make going to the rim not an enjoyable experience. Biskelonis continued hammering rookies with Maynard at pick 30. Maynard was a HS team captain so you know his bounce pass is elite. HS may have been a while ago but those fundamentals stay with you forever. Oh and look, at pick 41, ANOTHER ROOKIE! Devin Peck. Peck stands at over 6 feet, he’s only played pick up but getting his request to play with Andy Sealund (pick 44) fulfilled should mean his heart is fully in it. Sealund played HS ball. Hopefully we’ll see some synergy between Peck and Sealund. Not sure how many guys in this league have played together or know each other well. That bond will be helpful. 

With all the information available here, I think Shoot First Moran and the Hoopa Loompas (Skates’ team) are the favorites. However with so many rookies it’s hard to make a clean call. I’m looking forward to a fun season and excited to be back at CAC after taking half a decade away to have a kid. See y’all on Tuesday.

Franchise League Winter 24 Preview

by Jason on Jan. 12, 2024

POWER RANKINGS

#8 Team Tucker - Mostly have them here because I have no knowledge of Tucker. I hearing he is 6"5 but reluctant to take over, I think this team will need that. They have legend @roberts so that can change any teams fortune , can he hang in this very tough league . I love Matty and Masone we know they can get buckets but can they gets stops on the other end ? Love the addition of 3pt threat with stull and Mulv but this league is crazy good and I see this team falling short as of now . Maybe when I get a look at Tucker they will change this ranking .

#7 The Corporation -  I don't want to be the one that jumps in on the Corp hate because I am a @Mr 63 and Hoh believer but man he did not have a great off season . No idea the on the rookie but very low PR. I actually love @BigLou16 and @wise.shawn but how the hell are they gonna make sense and find space on the court together . Can my coverage partner Skates improve and take this team to the next level , I will have to see it to believe it. Uphill climb for them.

6 Basket Cases - The champs are here !!! Well actually missing a very important piece in @mleblanc3 . @thundersnarfer will come and provide 3 pts shooting , and leadership but he's not the floor general Marc is. Will Euler be as effective with better defender more attention on him ? I've seen @KapVP bring mediocre teams to great heights , can he do it again ? @bkoller297 will have to go full nuclear mode for this team to be in the ship run , I do think J.mul will take some pressure off him , but I just don't see enough to put them over the top of these other teams right now .

5 Team Joel - How many vacations is @Get Shaffed going I will take the over on 2.5 which Vegas has set . This team is exciting , but could be volatile as they will have to work through bumping the rode . @Red Baron does great when things arnt going well , he doesn't get mad or scream at his team at all ...........can he handle the rough patches ? The defense does have me hot and bothered Joel / Keith will be a pleasure to watch on that end if they are clicking . I saw @Filip totally take over some games , shows this team has a high ceiling . @GTalbot makes his return and everyone is thrilled to see him back , not on the court but to see his face because this dudes a fucking baller , see how he gets back into the swing of things after the knee injury. Djordje was a steal and they needed his size which helped push them up this list . I do see volatility with this team , are the resilient enough to handle that , we shall see ?

#4 Team Harry "HARDING" - This team knows each other very well and that is a strong advantage, their cohesiveness should be on point . Can @Cawley24 put this team who struggled last session over the top ? My bet is yes , they will be a top team . They do have some weaknesses Walker @Da Point Gawd are not the swiftest of players so we shall see if teams attack this . If Cawley / Harding / Vladi have good shooting days these guys will be nearly impossible to beat , so def high potential for a ship but I could see the falling to the middle of the pack . 

#3 Super Hoopers -  At first glance I'm like this team is winning the ship . @e_rosie1 @mleblanc3 @woolly31 is an insane trio , like what the fuck but man they are very very small . Oully is going to have to defend Koller / Hollis / Ini /hoh "s of the franchise world and it's just not going to be easy .its not going to be easy defending them either tbh is is why I have them so high but man it's going to be fascinating to watch play out .

#2 For Whom The Ball Tolls - We back and better than ever !! We said good bye to two legends in @Slick and @thundersnarfer. We made it to the semies and only lost a the buzzer to the current champs and we added the best defensive player in the league in Ini and a beast monster in Robel. I think we have the best defensive team in the league and we have @dp Lerner flying around seems like a recipe for success here 

1 Top Heavy - Basketball is a funny sport usually the team with the best player wins , and @mhollis is easily the best player in this league . @STAT did a good job of putting a faces that Hollis already knew and knows how to play with . Would this team have lost if Hollis didn't miss the playoffs, I don't think so . I have them on top for now