Winter 24 A 5v5 Preseason Preview
by Jason on
By Devin Quinlin
**__A League Preview for W24 session:__**
The new 12-team, same-day, different-gyms format is a unique idea, and I like it. With all twelve teams having already played in the CAC A League before, these teams are familiar with each other and I’m expecting some competitive, intense games this session. With only 8 available playoff spots, the #7 - #10 teams will be battling every possession for a chance at playoff glory in what I imagine will be some unforgettable battles. Below are the preseason power rankings, but anything is possible in a league stacked with this much talent, so feel free to ignore everything I’ve written here.
12.) Team Takeover → Plenty of talent but no chemistry or game plan. Jared Johnson has become one of the best scorers in this division and I love his consistency, but running mates Parker and Toney should be right there with him. Unfortunately, they’ve been too inconsistent, especially in the scoring department, to justify a higher ranking. They’ve added a few new names, with Nick Ritzo being a former D1 track athlete, but I just can’t see Team Takeover ranked anywhere outside of the 11 or 12 spot until they show me otherwise
11.) We The Ones! → Keith has once again added some new guys to the trio of himself, Stanowicz, and Carter, all of whom are solid but aren’t putting WTOs out of the bottom tier. Guy Pistone is a great pickup, as our team finally has a real point guard who will show up consistently, while Arinze Obiora is immediately this team’s best player and is the main reason I put WTOs over Team Takeover. Without Palmer next to him, Rinze will have a lot more freedom to operate, and I expect a stellar session from him. Obi Obiora and Dan Barbour are also new additions, and I might finally not be injured, but I’m not as familiar with their games and I’m heinously short, so we don’t quite move the needle.
10.) Bing Bong → The Wentworth squad is back to Thursdays, where they previously went 3-7. Last session they finished 6-5 on Monday, which is an improvement, albeit in a worse division. They also lose their leading scorer from last session, and while I see a few new names who previously played at Wentworth, I don’t imagine an enormous improvement. Keough will be their go to scorer, while Lennon runs the point and Jaynes and Azums operate down low. While I believe in all of these guys, they will need more consistency, and more assertiveness, if they want to improve on their previous results from the last time they played on Thursdays.
9.) Skelton’s Boys → When Skelton’s Boys first made the jump to A a few sessions ago, I questioned whether or not they could hang, and they decisively proved me wrong. Still, they bumped down to B1 last session and will need to readjust to A again (though I think they can). They kept their best players in Pettit, Horan, Anderson, and Bassett, which is a good core, and added four new guys, none of whom have played in CAC before. Tough spot for SB, who will be competitive with every team in this league, but I predict will lose several close games to some of the better teams in the division. We’ll have to see what the new guys bring, and if they have the size to match-up.
8.) Space and Pace →This is a crazy ranking for the team that just won Monday A League, so I apologize for the disrespect, but I also stand firm that Monday A was significantly worse than Thursday A. James Welch and Colin Bradenese are both excellent players regardless of division, and their chemistry from college certainly helps, but outside of them, I see a steep drop off scoring wise. Pellegrini can score but he’s an undersized big, the Marino brothers are solid but getting older (plus will face better bigs than in B1 or Monday A), and Steve Valacer passes too much. This team will need to grind out wins defensively, unless Welch and Bradenese combine for 45-50+ a game. All that said, this is a solid roster with championship pedigree and experience playing together, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they finish way higher in the final standings, though I don’t see a deep playoff run for them either.
7.) The Spida Men → The Spida Men are back after a session in which they lost almost every game, but had a positive point differential. They still have a lot left in the tank, but as the age creeps up, consistency becomes the main concern. Jamal can still go with the best of them, Danny Martin has showed no signs of slowing down any time soon, but they lose John Lithio’s absurd efficiency and smart play from last session. Tim Gallivan will need to be more consistent, as he sometimes scores an easy 20+, and other times scores 4 points on two putback layups, though this has a lot to do with the team’s gameplan. They added Martin’s younger brother, who, I believe, has only played in high school where he was listed at 6’0, 165lbs, which is exactly what I put on my MaxPreps page (I was lying). They also added Romario Lauriston, who is a 6’5 wing with Juco experience, averaging double figures for BHCC. They will need him to be that guy if they want to compete with the teams above them. Hard to know how good he will be, but some of the Juco guys can really go, so time will tell.
6.) Ronin Blood Warriors → The RBWs come back with a new look roster this session, as they lose Palmer, both Obioras, and Ray Miller. They do add Kevin Nunez, who had a successful showing in Monday A League a few sessions ago, former D3 national champ Allen Williamson, and Harrison Taggart, who played at U. Vermont before dominating at St. Anselm. These are all excellent pickups, as well as Dave Zielinski, who filled in for Zards in dominant fashion on several occasions last session. My issue with this team is chemistry and familiarity. I have no idea if any of these guys even know each other, and Zielinski, Taggart, and Williamson all fit well in the drive and kick, high level shooting, disciplined style of basketball that defines New England D3 basketball and rears success in CAC A League (look at the top 5 teams for proof). Can the rest of the squad fall into that playstyle, or will this team devolve into iso ball with no group identity? Hard to know, but I trust Dan’s recruiting and believe in them talent wise.
5.) FCHWPO → I covered Team Amherst in B1 a few sessions ago, in which they lost in the championship but were otherwise dominant. Without a doubt an A League level team, I’m hesitant to rank them above the top 4 teams, but wouldn’t be surprised if they were. Johnny McCarthy is an elite scorer, Eric Sellew will be a defensive stalwart, and the rest of the team rounds out nicely with Chris Sellew sniping threes, Fru Che doing a bit of everything, and Will Phelan bringing some size into the backcourt. I can’t say I know every player on this roster, but I expect them to transition smoothly into this division and will have the size to match other teams. I also think their chemistry, both in CAC leagues and from college, bodes well for them in close games. Their matchup with Zards might get a bit chippy, but I’m here for it.
4.) Suffolk → With Palmer out of the league, I am now confident that Bolden Brace is the best player in this division, which will always make Suffolk competitive in any game. George Grillakis has proven that he can go hard to his right against Michael Jordan himself, nearly a guaranteed 20ppg and a more confident jump shot as well. Sam Holtze is an elite two way guard in this league (though I would love to see him shoot more), and he added college teammate Will Jackowitz for some size and shooting. O’Donnell and Big Money Mike return for some interior size and shooting, while Yusuf and Bret Edwards add some shooting in the backcourt, rounded out by the versatile Rob Rizos. Good roster with clearly defined roles for everyone and the talent to compete, the only reason these guys aren’t higher is the consistency of the teams above them. With their Big Three, though, I would never be surprised to see them win the whole league.
3.) Not A Dime Back → NADB cruised through the regular season last session, losing only to Suffolk and locking up the #1 seed, but lost a close one to eventual champs WCS in the second round. My main issue with NADB was Jon Luster, who previously averaged 18.8ppg, 8.3rpg, and 4.7apg in W23, 20.5ppg, 8.9rpg, and 5.9apg in S23, and then inexplicably dropped to 12.4ppg, 5.6rpg, and 4.1apg last session, scoring in single digits four times and just not shooting the ball nearly enough for a player of his caliber. Kind of strange to do a deep dive on a player for a men’s league preview, but I’m a huge believer in his game and was shocked to see him look disinterested last session. Take over the game, Jon, you’re putting up my kind of statlines. Outside of Luster, this team has plenty of other talent, with Kontopidis dominating both ends inside and on the wing, Dom Black consistently among the league leaders in steals, assists, rebounds, two-pointers made, and free-throw makes and attempts, Chris Conner adding elite shooting, and other guys perfectly rounding out the roster. These guys end every game with A+ teammate grades and their chemistry and unselfish playstyle are unstoppable, but they will need Luster to be more selfish if they want to ascend back to the #1 ranking.
2.) Zards → I thought the Zards were finally going to win it last session, but they came up just short in the championship game. From a roster standpoint, I’m not sure there’s a better team, as Dan Wohl is a crazy scorer who repeatedly steps up in big moments, Sam Longwell is the most efficient player in the world, and the rest of the roster perfectly compliment both of their games. One issue I’ve seen with Zards is perhaps too much talent. Mike Kearney is happy to facilitate as a pure point guard, which he does well, but guys like Aronowitz, Flood, and Prodanovic have a lot more to offer in terms of offensive output. I’m a big believer in giving your best guys the ball and letting them make most of the decisions, but Flood can’t be shooting only 1.7 threes per game and getting most of his points off of offensive rebounds. Dan Aronowitz scored almost 1400 points in college and has previously put up like 18 and 14 in this division, yet he finished several games on the bench last session, why not feed him in the post? He had 10 points in the first half of the last session’s final game, he finished with 12. Former Ivy League Big Men Chris Egi and Matt LaBove are impressive down low on both ends, though they seem to alternate weeks and both of their attendance records have been questionable. Melillo is reliable and an excellent shooter aside from the occasional game where he can’t hit a three (happens to any shooter), but outside of him and the top two guys, this team gets inconsistent play from the others and could benefit from some shot diversity.
1.) West Coast Shooters → WCS honestly did not have a great session in F23, going 5-4 in the regular season and getting a bit lucky in the first round with Suffolk missing their two best players. Still, they have the talent and the chemistry, and I can’t say I’m surprised that they won the league. D’Aguanno has become a top player in this league, taking major strides in his game to become more than a shooter, as he’s now their go-to-guy. Jack Fay and Stephen Tam return as an elite backcourt pairing on both sides, while Matt Pattyson is perhaps the most versatile player in the league. Derek Retos is the best catch and shoot shooter I’ve ever seen in person, and Tom Wembanyama reminded everyone that he can do more than crack jokes by dropping 22 and 10 in the championship last session to lead his team to that victory. WCS bring back Hugh O’Neil down low and Andrew Jaworski on the wing, with Jaworski being right up there with Dan Wohl for most polished scorer in the league. They add two new guys in Mike Pusifer (couldn’t find much) and Colton Lawrence, who had a stellar Bentley career before moving to D1 UMBC, where played nearly 30 minutes a contest, averaging 12.2ppg with a few 20 point outbursts as well. Adding a guy of that caliber to your roster certainly cements this team in the #1 spot, and until I get a good reason otherwise, these guys are the team to beat heading into the W24 session.