Spring 2023 A 5v5 THU Preseason Preview
by Jason on
By Devin Quinlin
SPRING 2023 A 5v5 THU Preseason Preview
West Coast Elite:
West Coast Elite returns after a dominant regular season and disappointing first round exit last session. I fully expect these guys to make a deep playoff run, as they will be back with a vengeance. The shooting tandem of Eric D’Aguanno and Derek Retos combined for 11.6 threes per game last season, with D’Aguanno shooting 45.8% on twelve attempts per game and Retos shooting 48.4% on twelve and a half attempts. With their offense tailored around the shooting prowess of these two, WCE is insanely annoying to defend. Jack Fay adds his own shooting threat while being one of the top passers in the A League, while Tom Palleschi has shown some impressive touch while picking defenses apart from the low and high post, which only makes their shooters more dangerous. Collin Sawyer is their primary attacking wing, who can light it up from deep while slashing through the lane for tough finishes in transition and in half court sets, while Sam Dowden acts as a versatile stretch big who can do it all. Devin Jensen is arguably the best player in any CAC division, and if he shows up consistently these guys will be among the favorites once again.
We The Ones:
Keith has once again returned with a mishmash of players who have never met each other, so I am expecting 0 organization from this group initially. That said, Keith himself is a solid stretch big/wing who can consistently hit shots and defend, and Garrett Stanowicz returns as a 20ppg scorer with a high motor on both ends who can finish as well as anyone in the league. His brother Aidan returns after a season off, adding some interior presence on defense and a capable mid-range shooter and passer, and Jordan Carter is back in the guard spot as a knockdown shooter. The addition of brothers Karim and Marat Belhouchet add some much needed guard depth, but their skillset is unknown as of now, though Keith says good things. Sayvonn Houston is a huge addition to this team, as just a few sessions ago he had a monster season for Mambas, and he will look to plant himself firmly among the league’s top bigs by the end of the season. A lot of unknowns here, but past records make me hesitant to rank these guys too highly.
The Spida Men:
The Spida Men are coming off a lackluster season after winning the A League the session prior. The talent and chemistry are always there, but attendance has been an issue and guys will need to be more consistent going forward. Jamal Brown leads the offense at the point, using his strength to make himself a constant triple-double threat and a perennial MVP candidate. He will need to bounce back after last session if these guys want to get back to the top. Danny Martin Jr. brings his signature hook shot and insane motor to the front court, providing a double double average and a go-to scorer outside of Jamal. Tim Gallivan brings his interior size as well, holding down the paint defensively while adding a lethal three-point threat as well. He’s never taken a layup on the left side, but still finishes well anyway. Billy Battaglia has one of the prettiest jumpers I’ve ever seen, adding a facilitating threat from the guard spot as well. He will need to find his shot more consistently to balance the inside-outside attack on this team, but he’s been a steadying backcourt presence for these guys the last two sessions. Hallvard Lundevall has been a versatile threat as well, bringing his athleticism, defensive prowess, and pure shooting stroke to the backcourt. Cedric White brings his signature lefty hook and mid-range bank shot back to the table, with new addition Lucio Dahlstedt-Brown making his A League debut from the guard/wing spot.
Suffolk:
This Suffolk squad has some familiar faces, though they seem to have split from Cobras. Captain George Grillakis returns from injury looking to only drive to his right, though I don’t know if anyone can stop him from doing that. He might not be the tallest, but he’s definitely one of the strongest, putting tons of pressure on defenses in transition and on any kind of perimeter attack. Sam Holtze has moved his BC squad over to Monday A League, but will be a welcome backcourt addition to this team. He will be vying for defensive player of the year again, and I’m curious to see how aggressive he is offensively. He’s shown that he can lead a team deep into the playoffs as the #1 option, but with other players of his caliber on the team, we’ll have to see how that dynamic plays out. Logan O’Donnell, Kerry Weldon, and Mike McEneney all played D3 ball and should be good additions to this roster, especially with O’Donnell and McEneney both standing at 6’10”. Bret Edwards will be interesting, as he had a strong football career at UNH, but can he hoop? Or is he going to embody this video? Only time will tell. One thing I do know is that Bolden Brace rounds out this lineup, and he would be my preseason pick for MVP. A high level player who can score at all three levels and defend well, I’m curious to see how other teams match up with him while Grillakis and Holtze attack the rim and other guys provide serious size down low. Definitely some unknowns here, but Suffolk looks to have a strong roster.
Not A Dime Back:
The WPI squad return with the exact same roster that found them some good success last session in their first run in the A League. Jon Luster leads the way at the point, where he’s as good as anyone in this league. Luster always plays the right way, as he’s unselfish and intelligent, but for NADB to take the next step, he will need to be more selfish, either looking for his shot or attacking lanes more often. He’s just too good not to. Chris Connor returns after a stellar season beyond the arc, shooting 45.7% on over eight attempts per game as a capable stretch-4. He also showed off some good court vision in the high post, making him a key in their offensive attack. Jeff Coulter is another guy coming off of a strong season, where he established himself as one of the league’s best defenders and continued his strong finishing inside off of backdoor cuts. He also showed off some range, shooting the three ball well on low attempts. Marcus Giese slots in at center, patrolling the paint defensively and causing tons of turnovers through his blocks, steals, and deflections. He’s also an excellent mid-range shooter and a reliable finisher inside. Chris Connor and Mike Synott add shooting from the guard spot, plus some very solid defense and ball movement to fit nicely with the others. Dre Kontopidis will be the x-factor for this group, as his size and skill make him a devastating offensive threat when he’s in rhythm, but his three-ball is inconsistent. Regardless, I expect these guys to be competitive in every single game.
DRBL:
DRBL returns with a very similar roster to two sessions ago when they finished the regular season with only 1 loss and made it all the way to the championship before falling to the Spida Men. Mike Thompson has that superstar flair, as he’ll pull from halfcourt, explode through the lane for a crazy finish, and throw a pinpoint behind the back pass in three consecutive possessions. When he’s hot, he’s a top player in this league, but some ill advised shots may cost his team some possessions. Avery Davis won DPOY a few sessions ago, as a fearsome perimeter defender who can also get inside at will on offense for floaters or quick shovel passes for easy finishes. He’s an excellent decision maker, and the more he’s involved on offense, the better this team plays. Lasse Gummerus and Will Brodnitzki add some size down low, with Gummerus finishing well inside off of dishes, but mostly being a three-point sniper with his high release point. Brodnitzki is an early candidate for strongest player in the league, who has provided some clutch performances for this team in key games while battling anyone and everyone inside on both ends. Anthony Colozzo adds a serious deep threat with his lefty long ball, plus some strong facilitating skills and shit talk to match, while Jonah St. Clair and his strange three-point form bring one of the most well rounded skillsets in the league to the table. Think Shawn Marion, he can make shots but his defensive presence, rebounding, and passing make for an great all-around player. Unfortunately, DRBL has parted ways with my guy Hassan Paige and have replaced him with Luka Vlajkovic and Salim Belkebir. Don’t know these guys, but I’ll give them and their team the benefit of the doubt. I think DRBL will be among the favorites to win it all once again.
Cobras:
The Cobras return after a lackluster regular season, followed by an impressive playoff run last session. Warfa Abdillahi will be getting his shots up from the point guard spot, and much of their team success is predicated on his shooting splits. He’s more than capable, and I’ll be curious to see if he can facilitate more consistently. He had a few games last session with 5+ assists and he makes good reads out of the P&R, but a few games where he didn’t get much ball movement going. Jamal Fiin had a stellar performance last session, averaging nearly 15ppg on 42% from three, plus his steady defensive presence and tough rebounding. He showed a lot of progress as a slasher last session, and I’m hoping to see him in attack mode putting pressure on defenses once again. Carter Burruss also returns with his crazy bounce, and I would definitely like to see him get more aggressive on offense. He’s a decent shooter, but is at his best attacking the rim, he just needs to get more looks and get aggressive. Yusuf Liban is a sniper, so he’s either going six for eleven or one for eight from deep, but has shown off some strong passing skills as well. Curls will need to find his rhythm early, and he’ll be a fantastic bench guy for them, as will Kevin Querusio, who has shown he can battle with bigs down low and stretch the floor on offense. Will Rowe will be the key for these guys, as he’s a super skilled big man who has excellent footwork and touch, but can also extend the defense with a respectable three-ball. His defensive presence is key, and with his Suffolk season over, I expect him to be in attendance for most of the games. Cobras did lose Mike Gillespie and Chris Cardoso, who were perhaps their two most talented players last session, but they added DeAngelo Alston who had a solid run at ENC, and Rayshawn Miller, who played the 1 at UMass Amherst. Two good players on paper, but we’ll see what they bring to the table.
Bing Bong:
I don’t know a single one of these guys, and I like that. Instead of doing research, I’m just going to let them play and make my judgments from there. I also forgot to do this and am now rushing to finish. Regardless, this is a young team, with no one over the age of 27, and making the jump right to CAC’s top league tells me that these guys are confident and ready to compete. They’ll have a good test against Cobras in our first game of the entire session.
Pre-Season Power Rankings:
N/A: Bing Bong → don’t know these guys, let’s see what they got.
Middle Tier:
7.) We Them Ones!! → Keith! I’m sorry my guy but have no choice other than to put you here after the last two sessions. Also tough as this is the team I play on when healthy, but they need to secure some wins before they move up.
6.) Cobras → Curious to see what Alston and Miller bring to the table, and I’m confident that this team will remain competitive in most, if not all games. Just need to see that consistency on both sides first, as they’ve shown some serious disinterest on the defensive end the last few sessions.
5.) The Spida Men → these guys won it two sessions ago and could easily be higher, but they looked a bit too sloppy last session. I expect them to rise as the season goes along, but can’t give them the benefit of the doubt after their first round exit last session.
4.) Not A Dime Back → These guys are as solid as they come, playing smart, skilled hoops at all times, plus their chemistry is unreal. I put them at #4 as I question their size against some of these other teams, but if anyone can overcome that, it’s probably a team with their shooting and chemistry.
Top Tier:
3.) West Coast Elite → No shortage of talent as always, but need the defensive effort to turn up and want to see guys showing up consistently. Still one of the favorites in my opinion.
2.) Suffolk → A LOT of unknowns here, but the combo of Brace and Holtze is a scary one for opponents. Throw in Grillakis on the relentless attack, plus some of their interior size, and these guys could be pretty damn good.
1.) DRBL → I feel like there are probably better teams on paper, but one thing I learned with DRBL is that they will find ways to win games. They always bring the energy, they go hard on defense, everyone knows their role, and everyone is confident in their role. I expect these guys to come out firing and have no doubt they can get back to the championship.