Winter 24 B1 5v5 WED Season Wrap-Up
by Jason on
By Tyler Pontes
B1 Wednesday Season Awards/Recap/Playoff Preview
What an introductory season to the CAC! It was with the B1 Wednesday group. Every wednesday we had great ball being played with great competitiveness and sportsmanship. Every week there were rarely any blowouts. Except for one team and that team was Commando. They had a 65+ point margin this season which beats the next highest team by 23. Even though they are the second seed they are the team that I think will win it all. That’s no offense to the first place team New Team New. They only lost one game this year and that one game that they lost they didn't have a full squad. New Team New will win the close ones in the playoffs like they did all year, so whatever team battles them you can’t let them hang around. Seeds 3-6 are teams that definitely can beat any team on any given day. But another thing about theses teams is that they can easily be beaten on any given day depending on who shows up.
The Clever Trevors and Leonard and the Boys are the 3rd and 4th seeds. The Clever Trevors were carried by the great duo of Jack Fay and Tony Caletti. Leonard and the Boys were a team who really focused on team basketball and fundamentals of their game which helped them get those 5 wins this season. Both teams can go on a run for sure but have shown that they are vulnerable at times so they need to play their best to beat the top two squads.
Intramural Heroes and Terminator 2 are two teams that I feel like underperformed this season. I felt like both teams should have finished with a positive record. Intramural had win, lose, win, lose type season but had a monster season from Tim Gallivan.. As for Terminator 2 they had a winning record all year until the last two weeks of the season and dropped the last two games.
The bottom two seeds are Them and Mid Range Magic. Them didn’t have most of their team show up until half way through the season and once they started having 7+ guys every week the wins started to rack up. It was a little too late to get a good seed for the playoffs so they'll have a tough match up in the playoffs but what a turnaround for this team. As far as Mid Range Magic, It was a heartbreaking season for them as they went winless. They had some tough losses in overtime and at the buzzer as well. The good news for them is that everyone makes the playoffs and starts 0-0.
Now I am going to hand out some awards here to the players that I thought deserved to be recognized for their outstanding play this season.
MVP: Jack Fay, Clever Trevors: He averaged 22.6 points in 7 games played. He came in clutch for his team every week. Everytime his team would be down by 7 or 10 etc it was him who would hit consecutive clutch shots for his team to stay in the game. He also was a great passer which he came in 4th this season in. He gave his effort on the glass too as he averaged 6.2 a game which was 6th in the league. Jack is an all around baller who looks to continue his success in the playoffs.
DPOY: Fry Lavey, New Team New: Fry was a beast this season all around but especially on defense. He created so many fast break opportunities for his team by averaging 2.1 steals a game. He also would block shots and protect the plant very well. He averaged about a block a game. His defense was a huge reason why his team finished with the #1 seed.
Sixth Man of the Year: Adam Liu, Commando: Adam is a great diverse player for Commando. He usually comes off the bench and its a great thing for Commando. He gets alot of free throw chances and scores a decent amount of points coming off the bench. He also creates a ton of turnovers for his team as well. His speed and pace of play will be huge for Commando in the playoffs just like it was in the regular season.
Playoff Preview
Clever Trevors Vs Terminator 2: What a way to start the playoffs. I would not be surprised if we see the game come down to the wire here. Both teams coming off tough losses to end the year so both teams will come out of the gates firing. If i had to pick a winner it would have to Clever Trevors. The duo of Jack and Tony should come through but won’t be surprised if it goes the other way.
Commando Vs Them: It's going to be tough sledding for Them in their playoff opener. I can see it being a low scoring affair. Commando is my predicted winner of the whole playoffs so I see them winning this one easily. As I have been saying all year they just find a way! Them will need their full squad if they want to pull off the upset!
New Team New Vs Mid Range Magic: Top dawgs against a newborn puppy. New Team New should have no problem winning this game but they shouldn’t overlook Mid Range Magic. If they take Mid Range Magic for granted then it will be them packing their bags.
Leonard and The Boys Vs Intramural Heroes: Just like the first game, I would not be surprised if it's a close game down the stretch. These two teams have been some of the most fun to watch. Bad news for Leonard and The Boys is that Intramural Heroes are coming off their best win of the season. I think because of this, Intramural Heroes will get the win and advance.
Good luck to all the teams! Let's have a fun, healthy and competitive postseason!
Yours truly,
Tyler Pontes
B1 5v5 WED Week 1 Write-Ups
by Jason on
BY LAMARR BENNETT
WEEK 1:
Week 1 is in the books and it looks like we are going to have a competitive and fun league this Fall.Lets get right to it with our first game of the night, with Big Tuna starting off their season with a convincing win over NEW TEAM NEW (NTN).
First game of the night started off pretty slow to say the least, but that was expected, it being the first game of the season. The first half was a back and forth game, both teams settling for jumpshots (1 free throw attempt in the first half combined) and not really attacking the paint. A three pointer by both Warner and Weaver gave NTN a small lead, but guard Connolly from BIG TUNA started to get hot. He had 3 quick layups and a nice couple assists to bring the lead back
To 1. BIG TUNA big man Murphy was dominant on the boards, grabbing 8 first half rebounds by himself. The first half ended with a pretty low score of 28 - 27 with NTN up.
BIG TUNA came out the second half as a completely different team. They started by pushing the pace more and playing a more physical game. The ball movement was evident to this half, with Connolly and the rest of the team really moving the ball. 2 quick threes by Arsenault and Dario gave TUNA a quick ten point lead. NTN wouldn't go out without a fight, after a quick timeout, guard weaver and forward both hit 3s to cut the score to 3 with about 6 minutes left in the game but those were the only 2 threes that NTN would hit in the second half. BIG TUNA was too physical down the stretch, out rebounding their opponent 24-10 in the second half alone, led by Murphy who ended the game with 14 total boards.’
FINAL SCORE: 58-49 BIG TUNA
Player of the game: Matthew Conley (22pt 5ast)
The second game of the season between Clevor Trevor vs Mid Range Magic was a great game from start to finish, definition of a back and forth game. This game started off hot, both teams pushing the pace and attacking the basket. Clever Trevor was really moving the ball well, led by lefty guard Jack Fay and his strong penetration in the paint. After a nice euro step by Fay put CT was up 12-8 7 minutes in. But the physicality and Size of Mid range magic clear early. Big men C. Bouchereau and Andrew “Bogut” King were felt in the paint. After a couple minutes they started to let the other team know.. Crashing the boards and feeding the ball inside was the plan for MID RANGE. Then back to back 3s by J. Smith gave mid range a 25-24 lead. But Fay just kept coming, scoring 13 first half points. He also had help from forward Arya Balaji, who scored 8 points in the first half. The first half ended with a score of 37 - 33, Clever Trevor up.
Just like the first game of the night, one team came out looking like a different team. Mid Range Magic started the half with a quick 7-0 run which quickly blew up to a 16- 4 lead half way into the half. CT was really struggling to score the basketball, none of the threes seemed to fall and the turnovers started to pile up. But you can credit that to the defense of Mid Range. Forward Chad Kelly was a menace all night, deflecting passes and racking up 3 steals on the game. After a quick time out, CT got there gameplan together and started to make it a game again. Most of the scoring came from the trio of Fay, Balaji, and Caletti who were trying there hardest to keep their team in the game. After a nice lay up by Balaji the score was 61 - 60 with 1:00 left in the game. Knowing Mid Range magic from doing there games last year, I know there 1 weakness is FREE THROW SHOOTING. This was again a problem, going 14 of 23 from the line. But fortunately for Mid range, after being in the one and one. On two back to back possessions, mid range would make the first and miss the second, but both times got the offensive rebound of the miss that pretty much sealed the game for them.
FINAL SCORE: 66-63 Mid range
Player of the game: Andrew “Bogut” King (14pts, 6rbs, off bench)
Game 3 of the night had one of the best individual performances of the night, as Leonard and the boys took on Intramural Heroes. Another back and forth 1st half, Intramural heroes were moving the ball really well getting everyone involved (3 different players scored in the first half). Big man Tim Gallivan was grabbing every rebound that went up for intramural heroes. On the other side, everything was being run through guard Jamal Brown. He was a monster in the first half, scoring from all three levels. His supporting cast was also a lot of help, knocking down three’s at a consistent rate. The half continued as a back and forth game, with Spencer Ross hitting a 3 at the buzzer. Half time score was 33 - 32 Leonard up. Jamal was extremely hard to contain, scoring 18 points in the first half to go with 7 rebounds.
Second half was exactly the same as the first, trading baskets and both teams really playing well. Intramural heroes were really moving like a well oiled machine, but the threes did stop falling like they were in the first half, only knocking down 2 threes in the second half as a team. Jamal slowed down a little with the scoring in the second half, but kept getting his team involved. 2 big threes from nick Rossetti cut the game to 58 - 55 but was answered by a big three by Chris Gallivan ties the game up with 30 seconds to go. Walking the ball up and calling for an isolation, Jamal sized up his opponent, went left and hit a nice step back jumper with 3 seconds left in the game to win it for his squad.
Final Score: 60 - 58 Leonard and the boys
Player of the game: Jamal Brown (27 pts, 14 rbs, 3 ass)
The Final Game of the night was a low scoring affair between Tuesday nights select going up against Team Commando. Low scoring game with some pretty good individual performances. The game started with a very fast 10 - 0 run by TNS, led by guards Max Hienrich and Jake Heggestad. The guards were quick and looked like there were going to have an easy night. Commando finally got on the board with 7 minutes into the game with a nice lay up by Kyle Curry, but the drought continued for the next few minutes with 5:00 to go in the half the score was only 15 - 5. But Commando outscored TNS the remainder of the half 13-7 to go into half time only down 5. Score 23-18.
Second half Kyle put his mark on the game and willed his team, he also got some well needed help this half. TNS scored 14 quick points to tie the game up at the 15:00 minute mark 32 - 32. Commando's three ball stopped falling in the second half and that was there downfall. If they kept up the hot shooting from the first half they most likely would've pulled away for the win. But TNS was too much in the second half, squeezing out a tough 48 - 44 win to open up the season.
Final Score: 48 - 44 Tuesday Night Select
Player of the game: Kyle Curry ( 20 pts, 7 rbs)
B1 5v5 WED Week 3 Write-Ups
by Jason on
Game 1- Gravy Trains 2.0 vs. Orange OG’s
By: Ariel G.
What a way to kick off our Wednesday night with this high offensive octane match up against Gravy Trains 2.0 and Orange OG’s.A hard fought game but Orange OG’s were able to squeak out a 64-55 win. Both teams came out firing on all cylinders, specifically Gravy Trains 2.0 being carried by the hot shooting of Eric P. who went ⅘ from 3 in the first half. To combat the hot shooting of the Gravy Trains, Orange OG’s were able to knock down 7 first half 3’s of their own. On top of the hot shooting, Orange OG’s really utilized their pick and roll action to get good looks at the rim and kick outs to open shooters on the perimeter. Both teams were all over the floor, diving for loose balls, and snatching rebounds out mid air. Alex K. for Gravy Trains had 10 rebounds in the first half alone. It was a back and forth battle in the half, but Orange OG’s head into the 2nd half with a 32-27 advantage.
Gravy Trains would not be denied going into the second half, as they went on a 13-7 run out of the gates to take a 40-39 lead and force Orange OG’s into an early timeout. Both teams exchange offensive blows throughout the second half and the hot shooting continued as the teams combined to knock down 18 long range balls. As hot as Eric P. was in the first half for Gravy Trains, it was Brett A. and Zach B. who carried a lot of the offensive load in the second half finishing with 18 points and 11 points, respectively. Jesse O. had an all around game or the Orange OG’s as he packed the stat sheet with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Orange OG’s also had a secret weapon in Judah who came off the bench to give them 17 points. Orange OG’s outscored Gravy Train 25-15 in the second half to take the victory.
Game 2- Intramural Heroes vs. G League
Intramural heroes jumped out to an early league and never looked back as they put up 91 points in a 91-73 win over G League. Tim G. dominated from the tip off to the last buzzer as he finished with a double double with 20 points and 14 rebounds. He was an elite three level scorer in this game and G League had no match for him. The game went back and forth and Bradley R. was able to keep G League in the game in the first half from his hot shooting from 3, knocking down 3 in the first half. Not only was he an offensive terror, him and Giannis V. were both terrors on the defensive end as they combined for 12 steals between the two of them. Jamal B. also started to get going offensively and he finished the half on a 6-0 run. Despite their efforts, G League headed into halftime down 33-51.
Not at all discouraged by the 18 point deficit, G League came out with a spark and went on a 9-0 run to start the half and cut the lead to single digits. However, they did not have the fire power to keep up with the Intramural heroes who had four players who put up 20 points or more. G League got hot late from 3 and got contributions from behind the arc from Jack A., Colin M., Patrick K., and Bradley R. Although the second half was dead even with each team scoring 40 points, the 18 point first half deficit was too much for G League to overcome.
Game 3 - Commando vs. Jelly Not Jam
Commando came out smoking hot to start the game as team captain Max scored the first 12 points of the game to put them up 12-3 early. Jelly Not Jam was not helping their own cause as they turned the ball over on the first 4 possessions of the game and could not hit a shot from the field to start off. After a collision, Max has to go to the bench and Jelly Not Jam takes full advantage by going on a 12-6 run to take the lead. These 12 points mainly came from transition buckets at the rim or from beyond the arc. Dave R. was starting to come alive for Jelly Not Jam and he and Max were both in double digits in the first half. Despite the hot start, Commando goes into half time with only a 5 point lead.
Similarly to the first half, the second half is the Max show as he finishes the game with 26 points and 7 rebounds. His ability to score at will is frustrating for Jelly Not Jam so they start to play a little more physical with him. This physicality leads to 10 trips to the free throw line, where he was able to capitalize on 7 of them. Thankfully, Marcken L. and Griffin M. got hot late in the second half from 3 as they both knocked down two triples to keep the game within reach. Jake H. also did damage on the offensive end in the second half for Commando as he finished the game with 18 points. Slow start for Jelly Not Jam leads to a tough 8 point loss for them.
Game 4- Big Tuna vs. Tuesday Night Selects
This game between these two teams started off very slow. Both teams combined for only 8 in the first 5 minutes of the game. But when Big Tuna decided to turn it on, they really turned it on. They knocked down back-to-back-to-back 3’s on ensuing possessions to go up early. However, Kyle C. had a few tricks up his sleeve as he then hit back-to-back 3’s to get himself going. Late in the first half it seemed like fatigue set in for Tuesday Night Selects as they started to give up easy transition buckets and they ended the half giving up a 14-2 run.
Chris L. and Billy A. were the dynamic duo you never knew you needed as they put on an offensive clinic the entire game. Billy A. even tried to throw a lob for Chris to dunk from half court, unsuccessful however. Both finished with 24 and 26 points, respectively. Tuesday Night Selects would not go down without a fight though as they were making huge plays on offense and getting gritty stops on defense when needed. The defensive charge was led by Ben C. and Cam O. as they both came up with two steals a piece in key moments. Quinton D. tried to carry the team as he finished with 14 points, team high honor. However, 3 late triples from Bill, Chris, and Matt C. put the exclamation point on what turned out to be a 22 point blow out win for Big Tuna.