CAC Basketball | A 5v5 Week 2 Write-Ups

A 5v5 Week 2 Write-Ups

by Jason on

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.

 

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