5v5 Draft Awards Watch

by Jason on May. 03, 2023

BY JAMIL BALL

5v5 Draft Awards Watch - Week 1

MVP 

1. Jacob Held
2. Marquis Victor
3. Tyrone Mullings
4. Rich DiSola

GM Of The Year

1. Nick Keramaris 
2. Jamil Ball
3. Alex Biskelonis

Defensive Player Of The Year

1. Eric Li
2. Dan Schwartz 
3. Evan Valcourt

Most Improved Player

1. Kevin Gillooly
2. Kola Olugbade
3. Nika Sulakvelidze

6th Man Of The Year 

1. Jamil Ball 
2. Steve Rakusin
3. Kunal Chawla

Rookie Of The Year

1. Jon Allen
2. Dennis Klavins
3. Brian Horan

5v5 Draft Week 1 Write-Ups

by Jason on May. 03, 2023

By JAMIL BALL

WEEK 1 (Preview)     

5/2/2023    6:30 PM    1 # The Cambridge Rats    VS.   4 # KERAMARIS MLK Jr School    

Marquis Victor is the only reason I ranked The Cambridge Rats number 1 in the Way Too Early Power Rankings. Biskelonis's team has a lot of size (Wise 6”5, Rakusin 6”2, and Schwartz 6”2) and shooting (Biskelonis, Horton, Connell, Schluns, and Victor). 

On the other hand, Team KERAMARIS has no shortage of firepower with Held, Mazz, Figuereo, and my personal favorite Eric Li. There are a lot of personalities on this team and I am very interested in seeing how they mesh.

Needless to say, I am going to give The Cambridge Rats the edge in this matchup, because they have straight-up dawgs on defense!  Marquis is absolutely going to feast offensively because there is not a single player on Team KERAMARIS that can guard him. I said, what I said! 

Wise, Schwartz, and Rakusin will dominate and control the paint. The Cambridge Rats over KERAMARIS + 6.

The Cambridge Rats - Project Starters

1. Alex B
2. Marquis Victor
3. Brian Horton 
4. Dan Schwartz 
5. Shawn Wise

KERAMARIS - Project Starters

1. Li 
2. Skates 
3. Mazz
4. Nick K 
5. Jacob Held

Week 1 - Write Up 1 # The Cambridge Rats    VS.   4 # KERAMARIS

By JAMIL BALL

I had The Cambridge Rats listed as the favorites in this matchup against Can’t Miss Keramaris, but Jacob Held (24 points, 17 rebounds, and 2 steals) was prepared to win this game himself. Jacob and company got off to a scorching start and led by as many as 10 very early on in the matchup. 

Eric Li (9 points and 6 assists) did a fantastic job defending Marquis Victor, distributing the ball, and finding teammates for easy baskets. The chemistry between Held and Keramris was the true bright spot for this squad. These two were absolutely dominant combing for 29 rebounds! 

It looked like Can’t Miss Keramaris was going to run away with this game until Jacob went down with a nasty-looking injury with a little under 7 minutes left in the second half. While finishing off the fast break, Jacob appeared to sprain his ankle pretty badly. I hope you’re ok big fellas!

Once Jacob went down, Mazz (17 points, 2 steals, and 4 assists) stepped up and filled the void offensively, but The Cambridge Rats started to mount a comeback over the phone. 

Marquis Victor struggled mightly in the first half but went nuclear when the game mattered the most. Finishing with 33 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 assists. His rebounding was just as impressive as his shooting. Eric Li did a fantastic job defensively, but the Cambridge Rats did an amazing job initiating the pick-roll offense.

Alex B (9 points and 8 rebounds) and Dan Schwartz (9 rebounds, 4 steals, and 10 rebounds) had monster games and played really well on both ends of the court. Dan's play defensively in the second half was a huge catalyst for The Cambridge Rats' comeback victory.

WEEK 1 (Preview)     

By Jamil Ball

5/2/2023    7:30 PM    6 # GILLOOLY    VS.    2 # All the Smoke MLK Jr School    

Despite original reports of a multi-week absence, Ron Cabeza will only miss one week before making his 5v5 Draft debut. Team GILLOOLY has no shortage of talent with reigning MVP Rich DiSola, Aidan Enright, and team captain Kevin Gillooly, but they are lacking a true/traditional post player with Aidan and DiSola being the tallest players on the team. 

Jonathan Allen’s play will be a huge factor in the outcome of the game. No pressure at all buddy! 

I am really excited about my team! The Tyrone Mullings and Kashawn Harrison combination is going to surprise quite a few folks. Ty was an MVP candidate last session and arguably the best guard in this league. Kashawn is an absolute lights-out shooter that will give DiSola some competition on both ends of the court. Brian Horan's profile is a pic of him throwing down a dunk with two hands, so hopefully, that translates into some on-court success. Dainis Klavins at the ripe age of 42 might be the biggest surprise, if my sources are correct. 

While the guards will dictate the pace of play, I expect Brad Myatt, Kola Olugbade, and Brian Horan to take advantage of the size advantages, as we (All the Smoke) move to 1 - 0 on the season.

All the Smoke Over GILLOOLY + 8 

GILLOOLY - Project Starters

1. Kevin G
2. Aidan E
3. Jonathan Allen
4. Rich DiSola
5. Chris Blakeley

All the Smoke - Projected Starters

1. Tyrone Mullings 
2. Jamil Ball
3. Kashawn Harrison
4. Brian Horan 
5. Kola Olugbade

WEEK 1 (Preview)     

By Jamil Ball

5/2/2023    8:30 PM   3 # Primetime 5.0    VS.    # 5 The Motha Effect

Motha draft strategy hit a glitch when Kevin drafted Ronnie at 7, but despite not knowing many of the players in the league he still managed to recover well. I think Jack Chen and Hamza are going to absolutely thrive playing alongside Motha and Guzzi. Nika when in attendance will be a solid contributor too! 

Primetime 5.0 will be by far one of the best defensive teams in the league. Led by Muccio, Valcourt, Danzig, Jenco and Miller my 6-place rating is looking pretty foolish at the moment. Stull, Corey, and Scotty Glynn give them three legitimate three-point threats coming off the bench, which is huge against bigger teams.

Admittedly, it’s hard to bet against Guzzi, Motha, and company but I think the defending champs pull off a close victory and prove my Way Too Early Rankings are absolutely garbage. 

Primetime 5.0  Over The Motha Effect +3.5

The Motha Effect - Projected Starters

1. Eric Li 
2. Jack Chen
3. Nate Guzzi
4. Hamza
5. Jeff Motha

Primetime 5.0 - Projected Starters

1. Jacob Miller
2. Muccio 
3. Chris Jenco 
4. Ben Danzig 
5. Evan Valcourt 

Week 1 - Write Up 3 # Primetime 5.0    VS.    # 5 The Motha Effect

By Jamil Ball

The defending champs Primetime 5.0 were the favorites in this matchup against The Motha Effect. This was a super physical matchup, so I imagine some folks are waking up today sore and bruised as bodies were literally flying (Jacob).

Getting to the gameplay, Primetime 5.0 jumped out to the early lead. Similar to the last session, their ball movement was impeccable and their scoring was distributed in a very balanced manner (Jacob (17), Danzig (16), Jenco (13), Muccio (11), and Valcourt (8) ) displaying their overall depth. 

The Motha Effect was slow out of the gate but got it really going in the second half. Nate Guzzi (24 points and 10 rebounds) )and Hamza Abdul (17 points and 6 rebounds) are going to be a fantastic duo as they get more comfortable playing with one another. Both are very long athletic guards that can really create transition.

Jeff Motha did a fantastic job grabbing boards (11) and facilitating the offense (4 assists) but struggled offensively with 6 points total.

Jacob Miller (17 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists) was huge down the stretch hitting back-to-back threes. To force OT! I don’t know who thought it was a good idea to piss him off, but they sure as hell lit a fire because was playing pretty passive up to that point. 

This game would go into overtime and come down to the final possession. Muccio won the game with an absolute circus shot that only Muccio would hit. Muccio was doubled-teamed and pivoted his way to a three-point heave from the left three-point wing as time expired to win by 1.

All the Smoke 73 – Victorious Secret 65

This was a back forth game from start to finish. Neither team was able to gain any separation for the first 40 minutes of play. Led by Rich’s 20-point first half, Victorious Secret would take a 3-point lead at the break. That lead would quickly be cut to 1 in the first 5 seconds of the second half with Victorious Secret defending the wrong basket. Rich kept his team close and finished the game with 36 points and 12 rebounds. Jonathan Allen would struggle to find his stroke starting the game 1-5 from 3 and finishing 2-7. Rich will score a ton of points each night but will need others to step and make baskets.

All the Smoke’s dynamic backcourt of Jamil and Tyrone led the way to an 8 point victory. Each of them would score in the 20’s and have 5 assists. After the first week, they look like the best back-court in the league. Kola would get into some foul trouble but his presence was felt while he was on the court, finishing with 10 rebounds in limited minutes.

Over-30 Legends Week 1 Write-Ups

by Jason on May. 02, 2023

By CHAS BELLS & CHRIS HANKS

Week 1 Game 1: CHAS vs RANDALL

By HANKS

Goyle Dojo begins title defense with strong showing 

The Spring ’23 session of kicked off Monday – bad backs, creaky knees and all, with Chas’ Hot Goyle Dojo looking to defend their second straight title against Joe Randall’s Drop Step Murphys. On draft night, the table was set for Chas to go for the threepeat. The rest of league, myself included, chose not to interfere with Chas’ very obvious draft plan and allowed him to take his guys, Weinstein and Kodra after he traded down. Chas’ was able to replace Bohnaker with Roberts, who is a perfect fit for this team, and still scoop up Jake Gold late. Randall also had a great draft, taking Danny O’Donnell at 5 and Civale at 12. Danny is one of the premier guards in the league and will fill some of the void caused by the departure of cousin Nicky Arria and some bad info on the draft board of a potential Civale injury allowed him to slip to 12. Joe was then also able to grab Ian Murphy at a ridiculous value at 21 to round out the starters. Chas and Randall is always a battle as both captians bring a lot of fire to their squads but Goyle had to be the favorite coming off the championship.

Coming out of the gate, Weinstein and Chas both cashed three balls and Chas had a steal to transition layup and Drop Steps were in an 8-0 hole. Weinstein would attempt 6 threes in this game and him adding that to his already deadly midrange game could be a potential boost for Goyle. Danny got a midrange to land but Weinstein would answer and Roberts would bully on the offensive glass for 2. Goyle was out to a 14-5 lead after 5. Randall’s team was moving the ball well, but couldn’t get their shots to land. Civale would get to the line and TC got a nice bucket but Jake Gold kept pace for Goyle and the lead was still 25-15. Civale hit a 3 and Murphy got a couple of buckets, including a big and-1 move to cut the lead to 5 with 1:30 left in the half, but some late buckets from Weinstein and Chas brought the lead back up to 12 heading into the half, Goyle 35, Murphys 23.

Danny and Chas would trade a series of baskets to open the 2nd half and Randall and Weinstein would exchange 3’s and Goyle continued to perform well, moving the ball around and getting easy looks. Randall’s team was having a difficult time rotating on defense and at times Goyle had wide open looks. Ian Marlier did a good job in the 2nd half cutting to the rim and getting two buckets. Roberts would make his only three point attempt of the game as well. The debate will surely still rage on whether he can shoot

Week 1 Game 2: Hanks Vs Slick

By CHAS

Frano got his night started with a high jump lay in, Hanks sticks J after hustle and i wa 4-0. Ghost midrange $, then Cavano takes lead with a 3 5-4 17 min. Hanks window work gives his team the edge, but Cavano feeling it from 3 8-6 Ej up. Ghost runs the floor and gets an Obrd put in. Hanks responds with put in of his own, but Ghost J, Hanks not backing down as he cannes a 3, then gets to the line 1-2 we are tied at 14. Tied nomore Hanks $ 3, Peteet in on the cat with a nice drive, then Hanks goes 1-2 from the stripe 20-14 hanks up 6 min. Stull big 3 to spark momentum, then Cavano 3 to tie things up at 20. Frano Breaks the tie with a J, then Hanks converts nice p n roll with rookie Hull 24-21. Ghost gets a quick bucket , but Frano nails jumper before half ends 26-23 at the break. 

Big Lu would get going as he converts in the post. Frano right back at him, but Big Lu right back at team Hanks, followed by a Cavano 3 for the lead 30-28. Peteet filthy and 1 off the window, but Big lu gets to the line 2-2 32-31 16 min to go. Big lu another bucket, then a dime to Cavano for 3 37-31, trying to pull away, but Peteet hits deep 3. Ej helping his team pull away with a 3, Ghost nails J, and by the time  I looked up team EJ was running away 53-36 as the scoring just completely stopped for team Hanks. Team EJ 1-0 61-45. 

Team Hanks
Hanks-B+- on fire and dominating in the 1st half,, faded down the stretch getting his legs back. 
Frano-B- He was good but this team needs him to be great 
Hull-C+- Effort and pasion def there, and you can see flashes. Excited to watch him grow
Peteet-B-) Was all over the court, 5 dimes, really played his role well
Paul-D- He will have better days couldn't get his 3 ball on line. 

Team EJ
Cavano-A-Great opening night from the star player. He plays like this tey will be tough
Fraher-B- Rock solid as ever. 
Dias-C+- Hustle was there, you can see talent, just going to take a couple weeks to get adjusted. 
Big Lu-B+- Took over in the 2nd half, I loved it!
Stull-B+- Feisty and active out there, I really liked his spark tonight. 
EJ-C- He was just ok, but hes put together quite the team. 

Game 3: Amir Mortals VS Brothers 

BY CHAS

After good ball movement J.Mul $ 3 to start us off 3-0. Frongi went 1-2 too extend the lead, then Cody drains middy 6-1 start for the Brothers. Mchpherson swishes a deep 3, but Frongi slices in for 2 8-4. PLAY OF THE NIGHT Amir catches pass mid air throws it up to Pizza for the sick ally dime 8-6. Tomar hits open 3 as Brotehrs were rolling 13-6, S.Mul gets a bouncing rim 3 ball to go 16-6. Pizza tries to calm things with a J, but a Tomar cutting hoop kept the pressure on 18-8 8 min. Amir hits much needed 3, but J.Mul right back at him with trey. Cody would get a 3 to go 24-11 things were grim, but Bohnaker the champion go 2 in the post, but S.Mul had the answer as the Brothers did all night 26-13. Ian post, but Cody cashes 3 29-15. Bohnaker gets his famous 3 ball to go, but Cody was a waling fire ball another 3 32-18. Ian getting post buckeys nicely then Mchpherson obrd finish. Frongi gets drie but the half ends with a deep 3 by Mchpherson 34-28 at the break. 

J.Mul starts half with a nice drive 36-28. Ian gets a 3 to go, Frongi took exception to some Ian physicality and we had yelling, Mchpherson would end the yelling with a 3 ball 36-34. Frongo scoop shot, then 3 he was fired up! Cody feels the ehat and hits 3 44-34 11 min. The lead would never dip below 10 48-38 as the Brothers were getting qauty looks and finished this game strong 55-45. 

Amir Mortals 
Mchpherson-B-) For any normal player it would be an A- but this guy def looks the part. I think he is going to be a real problem for most team to stop. 
Bohnaker-B-) Hustled his balls off 5 orbs but could get his 3 ball to go consistently. 
Ian-C+- Not his best game kinda got cooked up on D. 
Harry-C-) The 5 dimes save his day btu zero points is not acceptable in this league. 
Amir-C- Had the sexalicious pass, but not much other highlights 
Pizza-C+- Good bench minutes , take more 3’sssssss

Brothers
S.Mul-A- His defesne was fucking amazing , had his window and bouncing 3 ball going. 
J.Mul-A-) Huste and passion was awesome, loved the way he played in rhythm. Looked like he was having fun out there !
Frongi-B-) He was good, 3 ball a little shaky but helped spark the run to put Harry away. 
Cody-B- The 3 balls really hurt harrys team, if he can shoot more efficently , watch out!
Butter-D- he will have better nights, ball did bounce his way not once. 
tomar-A-Played great, nailed open shots, cut well. 

Game 4: Asterisk Champs VS Overhated 

BY CHAS

Rookie Lane got us going with a cutting hoop. The pace of this game was insane like pin ball Joels would get two bcuketsa nd ad a ft by the time I caught up it was 7-5 team Joel up. Jeffries took the rumors of him not being a shooter to heart as he splashed 2 3’s in a row 13-5. Skelley trying ti will hs boys 15-7, butt here goes that man jeffreis as he $ midrange. Skelley gets cutting 17-9 15 min. Joel doing mans work as he converts another post bucket 19-9. Kielley getting himself going with a 3, then got another 3 to go 19-15, but Jeffries the monster drains another 3, but Worth keeps them within distance as he nails a straight away 3 22-18. Jeffries 2-2 from the line, but Skelley responds in post 24-20. Skelley working 1-2 from teh line, but Rich SEX Carey splashes 3 27-21. Kielley converts nice cut 27-23. Feinstein gets a 3 to go 30-23. Worth hits big 3 to keep them in it, then he nailed a midrange, then kielley running we were tied at 30 all. The pace of this game was banana’s and hard to keep up with by the time the smoke cleared it was 41-38 # Champ up at the break. 

Skelley post to start 2nd half, followed by a Lane steal and finish 42-41 for the lead! Joel snatches the lead back with post move, the Jefferies converts a nasty filthy drive 45-42. Lane hits a middy, then Skelley dominating in post 45-44. Joel showing heart gets another scoop to go, followed by yet another Jeffries 3 ball man hes good 50-46. Worth not backing down hits middy, but Carey hits a soul crushing 3 53-48. Skelley cut, and finish, then Lindsey finished a sexy cut, then kielley 1-2 to tie things at 53 all, what a game in the late slot! Jefferies clutch 3, but Lane hits runner, Joel filthy drive to try to ad win it 60-55. Skelley gets crazy tip in to go, Worth finishes nasty fade away, then skelley post for the lead 61-60!! Team Skelley would create turnovers, and get Obords and complete a great win for themelsves 69-63. 

* Champs 
Jefferies-A-Holy moly we got a baller here. Dude looked great and super confident shooting. Mix him with ray/Joel we got issues 
Joel-B+- Scored the rock well but got eaten up by skelley down the stretch
Danner-D- yeeeps, my man could get that 3 ball to go. 
Feinstein-B- Looked active and showed bball IQ. Ii think he will get better every week.
Carey-A- Nailed 2 big time 3’s, doing his job. 

Overrhated 
Kielley-A- 1st game as a number 1 was a A grade. Proving the doubters wrong! 
Lane-B- Hustle and heart were there, showed soem shot makign abilty as well. 
Worth-B- Rock solid, hit the big clutch fade shit. Looked comftable/confident 
Lindsey-A- Hustled his ass off, those obrd tips all elad to big buckets for his team. Loved what he did out there  
Skelley-A+++- Beast mode!! Loved his captaining as well, very calm, kept telling his boys “ we got this’. That tip in was so nasty !!!

Franchise League Week 1 Preview

by Jason on May. 02, 2023

WEEK 1 PREVIEW Everyone’s favorite week is upon us…week 1! After much deliberation, shit talk and banter it’s time to see what’s what and who’s who. We have a sexy 4 game slate set for tomorrow night so let’s jump right in and take a look at the season opening matchups. NOTE: I know people like to keep absences quiet, but if you could let me know when people are out that would help the weekly preview. Thanks.

6:15 - Super Hoopers vs. HOLLAND Right out of the gate I will get a firsthand look at Devin so I am looking forward to that. Will I be guarding him? Time will tell. Aside from that storyline this is an interesting matchup. A lot of unknowns on Xavier’s side. How will this team mesh? What is Gus King’s deal? Will Xavier torpedo yet ANOTHER squad? One thing is for sure: this team has SIZE. This could pose a problem for our squad, so Wooly and Mulvehill will be key in holding down the paint. It’s always tough to write a preview for your own squad, but ultimately I think our chemistry and depth will prevail. I expect a closer game than people think though and Vegas agrees as they set the line at -4 for Eric’s team. Player to watch: All eyes will be on DQ obviously, but I am going to keeping my eye on King. No idea what he is, but he will need to be something for this team to be good this season.

7:05 - DANIELS-MULHOLLAND vs. All Length, No Girth Another tough preview to write, as we have JDM versus Joel’s completely unknown squad. I am going to wait at least a week before I dish out hot takes on Joel’s squad. What we do know is what JDM’s squad will bring to the table. JDM will run the show with JMul and LeBlanc filling in the gaps. Chemistry is going to be the difference in this game, so I have to side with JDM to take this one. Vegas has the line at JDM -6. Looking forward to seeing all the rookies though even if I have to see Joel too. Player to watch: Lucio, duh. This guy has the potential to change the entire outlook of this league…orrrrr he’s just another YouTube one hit wonder!

7:55 - BARANOWSKI vs. The Corporation As Mazz so eloquently stated on discord, this has the potential to be a preseason warm up for the Corp…or does it? Super Bowl hangover anyone? Ini, Masone and Keith all player VERY hard and I think if the Corp isn’t careful they could find themselves in trouble. Effort goes a long way in these games, just ask Kevon Looney. Obviously, the smart money is on the Corp, as Keith’s squad is going to have a lot of trouble defending Mazz, but I am going to go out on a limb and say Keith’s squad keeps this thing respectable. Vegas disagrees setting the line at -10 for the defending champs. Player to watch: Keith! No this is not another Keith bashing rant. There will be plenty of those. I am actually looking for Keith to get his shit together and I am rooting for the guy. He needs to be good this season. Figure it out brother!

MACDONALD vs. FTR Harry told me no Harding for this one, so the game of the night potential is long gone. That said, I think Vladi’s team (or is it Harry’s team?) will still very much be in this game. Listen, I love the Vladi bashing, he is light years from being an MVP candidate and he’s a terrible person, but the bottom line is he can play. If his shot is falling FTR will win this game. Additionally, Vladi’s squad has the defense to matchup with Ben’s team outside of Koller. Koller should have a big game and start his MVP campaign off strong. Give me Ben Mac to take this one in a close game. Vegas has FTR -3. Players to watch: Going with two guys here. DP and Tommy! It has been a WHILE since we have seen them so the question is this…do they still suck at basketball?

Alright boys, tell me where I fucked up or said something dumb. Let’s get the banter poppin’ early and often. Can’t wait to get a glimpse of all these teams in action. - KAP

Spring 2023 Franchise League Preseason Power Rankings

by Jason on Apr. 30, 2023

BY MATT KAPLAN

PRESEASON POWER RANKINGS

Let me start by saying this: I don’t like power rankings. I don’t like doing them, reading them, or talking about them. Buttttt I know you fucks are clamoring for my thoughts on each team so here you go!

The “To Be Determined” Tier:

8 - Joel – Way too much unknown here to rank them. This team has 4 rookies, one of which could be a huge game changer in Lucio. I am definitely looking forward to seeing this kid play. If Bakolas, Reily and Hayden are the real deal then this team could make some noise, but I will reserve judgement until I see them play a couple games. Verdict = TBD

The “Pretender” Tier:

7. Keith – No brainer here. Keith has shown me nothing to make me believe he can lead a winner. I will give him credit for pairing Masone with Ini though, which I think will be a really solid duo. That said, I think Keith is washed as a player. He just did not look right last season. Who is the third guy for this team? It must be Keith. I just don’t see it. Verdict = A million things would have to break this team’s way to win a title. 

6. Xavier – We all know the big story here. Devin for 51.7 puts a ton of pressure on him to basically carry this team. Even if we assume Devin is a really good player, which by most accounts he is, can he do it all by himself in a league this deep? Nope. Stat, Robel and Civale just ain’t gonna work and I am willing to bet money this team finishes in the bottom 4. Verdict = Light years from contending.

The “Smack Dab in the Middle” Tier:

5. Ben – This is like a BDraft all star team. On paper, Ben Mac, Cavano, Koller and Tommy looks real shiny but will it work? I am 5050 on it, which is why I have them comfortably in the middle of the pack for now. Koller has been an absolute beast lately and is a legit MVP candidate, but I am not sure he is a team carrier. This will be a competitive team each week with Ben Mac and Cavano’s energy and activity, but the key ultimately for these guys might be the play of Tommy! Verdict = Would be shocking if these guy won, but I am not saying it’s impossible.

The “Contender” Tier:

4. Vladi – I am much higher on this team than most people. The Vladi disrespect is already pouring in, and I am absolutely here for it, but the bottom line is he and Harding is an excellent pairing. Both can score and pass and should be tough to deal with each week. Add in Liam and DP and this team has potential. They lack size, which could be an issue, but I think they have enough pieces to be contender. Verdict = Contender. Anytime you have Harding, you cannot be overlooked.

3. Eric – It’s always hard to evaluate your own team before the season due to bias amongst other things so I will take a conservative approach. This looks like a very solid team, with Eric running the show and the rest of us filling in the gaps. This should be a very high IQ team which goes a long way in winning. Eric, Ryan and Frongi have done it before and when you add me to the mix, well, we all know that’s a massive boost to any locker room. Verdict = LFG!

2. JDM – This team is flying under the radar, and I don’t know why. Much like Eric’s team I just see the pieced fitting beautifully. JDM’s health is always a concern, but I can’t predict that. What I can predict is this team will be very good. Johnny and LeBlanc are perfect compliments to JDM, and Craig really impressed me last season. Oh and Chas will be good for 8 fouls a game (2 will be called). Just kidding buddy! Verdict = 100% a contender.

1. Mazz – Your favorite heading into the season boys and girls is none other than Mr. Mazzeo’s corporation. What a shitty ass company! How can you not say this is the best team on paper? They brought back their core in Mazz, Cawley, Sydorko and Big Lou and added Walker. Uhhhh yeah this is a pretty damn good team. It’s their league to lose! Verdict = FAVORITES!

Week 1 preview will come Tuesday probably? Maybe tomorrow if I am motivated. Maybe Wednesday if I am lazy! Looking forward to it bitches.

- KAP

B Draft Spring 23 Preseason Power Rankings

by Jason on Apr. 27, 2023

By HARRY DEMAKES

8 - JAMIL - I hate to start my man here, but I think I have to. I don’t hate his first pick of Nair, because the regular season really means nothing unless you want to be in the CAC cup. Hand injuries can be tricky though, so I question how long Nair will take to regain his form even when he comes back. Troy G. was the his next pick and Cam said that’s his boy, who he wouldn’t have taken there. Not a great sign I’d say. I don’t know Charlie, but apparent he played in the SDL all-star game. Take that for it’s worth (not much). I like AO though, he’s made massive improvements to his game. Props to him and of course BIG GUNS! Who is like a son to me! I just have a lot of questions I don’t have answers to here. Plus I’m concerned about Nair, even when he comes back.

7 - CALDERAN - Calderan started a CAC mainstay Casey, who hasn’t returned my text and therefore has hurt my feelings. It isn’t a bad pick taking a known commodity though. Then Calderan’s draft went off the rails when he traded up for Cavano. Cavano may be a winner as Calderan said, BUT those teams usually come with two elite scorers with him. I see one, but not two. Plus, he’s going to have to play a lot of defense, unless their next pick is a good defender. I like this kids bio, but bios on here are like the ones on dating sites, complete BS. Calderan, did fill out his bench with Glynn and Danner who are helpful pieces. I like both, but Kenny was the better pick. I don’t think this teams ceiling is high at all, ESPECIALLY if the rookies live up to their potential.

6 - CAM - So, my pre-draft was spent trying to figure out who Matthew Miller is. I didn’t find out, but maybe Cam did? No clue if he’ll be good or not. I did see Lynch before, but I wasn’t impressed. Of course, maybe with a good passing guard he would be better or maybe he’ll try harder? I think he’ll be good, probably DPOY material. He was the right pick there. However, I think he reached for DTO.

Kenny went at 37 and I’d say they’re equal players. I don’t know Bauman, but I like the Landy pick. My issue with this team is that if Miller can’t shoot, who’s going to help these guys spread the floor? Even if he can, who else? I do love this teams defense, but they’ll struggle offensively.

5 - SILVA - Silva made the obvious choice at 1, Scroggins was the pick. To the shock of no one, this team is going to live or die based on how good he is. If he’s a 6’6 athletic scorer who can shoot 3s, he probably wins games by himself. If he’s just OK or has some sort of flaw, then I have this team middle of the pack. Clasby, is a good second round pick, but he’s like Joel and has these weird scoring games where he takes 3 shots and only makes 1. Robel is a good piece, but does clog the paint, will that hurt Scroggins? The Great One and Angry Ian are good picks, although I’m sure they fit on this team. I mean, this all depends on Scroggins game, but I don’t see how he won’t be awesome.

4 - CUNDALL - Any other captain (besides me) I would have ranked this team in the bottom 3, but Cundall has earned his respect. I was kind of surprised Cundall went with Koller at 5. With all the bigs, this doesn’t feel like a league where Koller would work as a 1 (and it won’t.) I don’t know about Issac, word was he felt like a sandbag. He might be Ian’s though! He’s a tall man 6’4, which means two bigs clogging the paint unless Cundall knows something I don’t. Bennett was the next pick, I don’t know him either. His stats seem to say he’s a guard, which this team will really need. Cundall traded with him and picked Gray, then Taha. Don’t know why he picked them over Kenny. My questions revolve around a point guard and who guards players, like say Pollock? Cundall is the luckiest guy in CAC when it comes to rookies, so maybe it will all work out.

3 - CIVALE - Yes, that’s right, a Civale team in the top 3. I liked his pick of Macdonald. Macdonald does a good job of helping guys, scoring and playing defense. He’s a known winner too. I liked the trade down to get James, another guy who plays D and nearly killed me after I guarded him in our playoff game. The floor will be spread with him and Civale. Plus, all those Macdonald dribble hand off moving screens. Then Civale went with Lucas at 19 and I didn’t like that pick. Again, I think Kenny is just as good as him. There were better options here like Bennett and it would have been worth the risk with Hanks coming in later. Hanks has been getting better and better. I like that pick and of course I love OTTOMATIC. I love the balance on this team and think they’ll be top contenders as long as everyone plays their role.

2 - NOAH - Noah started his draft by picking the injured AJ, but you don’t need your voice to hoop. Noah claimed AJ is a better Pollock, which is a weird way to thank a guy that just carried you to a ship. Anyways, I like AJ, he’s a scoring machine. Joel is another good pick at 13. I do question how he’ll perform on this team though. There’s quite a few guys who want to get their shots up and Joel will just stand by and let them. You need someone to get Joel going and I don’t see that person on this team. The other Julian went next. I don’t know about him, but he’s shorter than the other one. We don’t know anything here, so hopefully he sucks, Noah took AJ’s buddy next. I’m not a fan, but he can get hot from deep. I don’t know Bret S., but I feel like this team will have the talent to compete. Chemistry is my question though. There might be one too many guys who just look for their own game.

1 - ME - Ya, that’s right. I started off with Pollock, because I didn’t want to roll the dice with another rookie. Also, because he’s the leagues best point guard and I wanted to have him when he shoots threes. I went with Weinstein next, pretty easy pick there for me. There are two people Pollock makes a lot better, one is Joel and the other is Weinstein. The one guy who guards Weinstein best is……Pollock. I took STAT next, another easy pick. If STAT plays like a big he’s going to have a great season and we’ll win, I don’t know Karim, he’s pollock’s buddy. You can do worse than a 6’2 athletic guy in the 4th though. Last and certainly not least, trick or treat Kenny. It appears no one was paying attention to the playoffs where Kenny balled out. I don’t know any other 6th guys on other teams that had a 30 plus point game. Good luck fuckers, see you in the ship.

Over-30 Legends Spring 23 Preseason Preview & Power Rankings

by Jason on Apr. 26, 2023

By CHAS BELLS

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

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

Power Rankings

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

5v5 Draft Week 3 Write-Ups

by Jason on Feb. 07, 2023

Week 3 

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

By JAMIL BALL

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

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

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

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

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

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

Players of the game: 

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

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

By JAMIL BALL

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

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

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

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

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

Players of the game:

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

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

BY JAMIL BALL

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Player of the game: 

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

Team COTE is handed their first loss of the season.

by ANDRE JONES

• Player of the game: Rich Disola

  The Boston Three Party

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

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

  Matt walked away with 11 points.

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

  Tim Donnelly 8 points 4 rebounds and 3 assists.

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

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

   

  COTE

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

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

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

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

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

   

  
   

Over-30 Legends Week 3 Write-Ups

by Jason on Feb. 07, 2023

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

 Game 2:Hanks Vs Brothers

by CHAS BELLS

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

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

Hanks Team

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

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

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

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

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

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

Brothers 

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

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

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

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

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

Game 3 Los Sex Vs Randal 

By CHAS BELLS

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

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

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

Los Sex

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

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

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

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

Carey-B- Hit a big momentum 3

Randal 

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

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

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

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

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

Game 4 Skelley Vs EJ

by CHAS BELLS

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

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

Skelleys Team 

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

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

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

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

EJ’s team 

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

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

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

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

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

A 5v5 Week 2 Write-Ups

by Jason on Feb. 02, 2023

WEEK 2 Write-Ups
By DEVIN QUINLIN

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

West Coast Elite Cruise On Elite Shooting

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

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

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

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

Spida Men Outlast Skelton’s Boys

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

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

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

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

NADB Easily Handle SYTMTAC

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

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

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

Game 4: Cobras: 67 - Shooters Shoot: 57

Cobras Upset Shooters Shoot With Tough Defensive Effort

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

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

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

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

Zards Dominate Take The Under in Final Game

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

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

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

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.