Winter 2024 Saturday Draft League Preseason Power Rankings

by Jason on Jan. 15, 2024

Ok so it’s the day after the draft. While I’m hearing rumors of trades on the horizon (one already happened and I pray for my guy @Musse ) let me give you guys a ranking. This ranking can and probably will change but for now this is how I see it. Also it wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be and I definitely did some shifting of teams while doing it. For a bonus I even gave each team a name or renamed it if you already have one:

10) Let it Go (Keith’s team aka Hoops and Dreams). So my 4 year old daughter loves Frozen. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve heard the Frozen song let it go. In that song there’s a line that says I don’t care what they’re going to say. Clearly this was on Keith mind on draft day and even before by making the most pre draft trades I’ve ever seen. His team name is actually fitting and not bad so props to you there. Ok, so I like Guliano as a player and he even seems like a nice guy but taking him at 10 was a reach. Players like Kopel, Costa, Morel and maybe a few other guys would’ve been a better choice. I’m not going to go into too much details about the other choices but Keith seemed to just be picking names not an actual team that meshed well to succeed in the league. Everyone he picked is a good player/guy however I don’t necessarily think it will be a good enough team in this league unfortunately for those guys

9) Thank you for being a friend (Cam’s team no name) The Ivanic pick was great I’ve been high on him since day 1. Plays the right way and can do everything. With his next pick Joe is where I wasn’t a big fan (no pun intended please don’t take offense). I love Joe as a person and as a basketball player he does some good things out there and goes balls to the wall. I just don’t think the pairing of him with Ivanic is a good one. I get it, Joe wouldn’t have been available at 25 and he’s your buddy so that makes sense but one guy I’d compare to a race car and the other a SUV. I understand the direction you went with your remaining picks too. Overall though I just don’t think this team will be good enough. They will be a tough team and may even surprise a team with an upset win but I don’t see them as contenders for a championship and are on the fringe of not making the playoffs.

8) Back to back on you B***hes (DP’s team Ball Mitzvah) I’m not a big fan of the repeat naming unless it’s the same exact team especially after winning a championship. To me it kinda takes away from your winning team but here we are. I gotta say it because I heard it from more than one person. Taking DTO at 6 was a reach. I get the mindset though and I can’t even say I agree or disagree with the reach thinking. DP wanted Ivanic at 6 who was gone and then would’ve probably traded up if DTO was gone at 16. While I’m not mad at drafting familiarity, sometimes you have to just go a different direction. Getting Wood at 16 was smart especially based off his playoff performance alone last season. The Jewish brother Josh Brown was his next pick and I liked it a lot. Josh can score in bunches and is very competitive. Taking a flyer on the rookie here was another smart decision (especially since you hit a home run with Ivanic last season) and then rounding your team out with Stull who you won a championship with last season made perfect sense. While I do have this team at 8 I think DP had a good draft and this team could mesh well and surprise some teams.

7) Am I my brother’s keeper? (Nick’s team name District 10) I get the team name and I’m not mad at it but mine is better . It feels crazy ranking my teammate of the previous two seasons so low but any team with picks 40,41 and 45 is a tough one to believe in. I’m gonna assume Chris is good but not as good as Preston . If Nick ever decides to transform himself from Al Horford to Joel Embiid we will all be in trouble. Blaike should get plenty of open looks on this team and if he’s on they will be a tough team to stop. On defense I assume they will be playing a lot of zone which could work or not. Definitely an interesting team which could potentially win it all

6) A Dwyer Situation (Dwyer’s team no name). I am completely unfamiliar with Dwyer and his game but he’s coming from a 5v5 environment which usually translates to higher numbers in 4v4. Not sure who told him about Ball and Kopel but this is an excellent pairing and will give opposing guards fits on both ends of the court. Taking rookies can be hit or miss so even if the two he drafted don’t pan out. This team is still very good with their top 3. This team has the making of championship contenders so I’m interested to see how they progress.

5) Gettings to it (Josh’s team Pushing P). I actually like the team name Josh picked and it makes sense too so kudos for that. I like this team overall as well it’s really balanced. My questions would be their three point shooting (no clue if Preston can shoot) and defense. Yes they have Costa who will probably be one of the best defensive players in the league again. Josh is also a good defender. But having a few good defenders doesn’t work out for the best just ask the captain of Costa Coast. Butterworth and Waldman are great reserve guys to have. Josh is fresh off a championship appearance so I know he’s itching to get back and win it all this time.

4) Not Stojakovic or Bogdanovic it’s Vlajkovic (Djordje’s team The Spice Channel). Yeah I feel like if I type out the team name Djordje selected I will have to also type PAUSE at the end of it so I will be referring to them as TSC. Djordje took the best player in the draft at 1 and didn’t make any trades. Paired him with a floor spacer in Ghost. I haven’t seen Chas play in awhile but he’s always been a feisty guard so I like that pick too. AO has improved and probably got drafted at about the right spot. 50 is 50 so you have no choice but I don’t think Tommy is the worst player in this league. He will knock down some shots so that’s a good thing to have also. Missing Chas for 3 weeks won’t be good but if they can survive that and then figure out how to play together this team can win it all.

3) The defense rests (Civale’s team no team name) I’m glad I got drafted to this team so thank you Brian. Before Civale officially joined SDL I played with him as a fill-in with Nick Lynch and man was that fun. Anyways I digress. I’ve heard that Mullings is a bucket and plays defense. He is also coming from a 5v5 space with great numbers. I’m not familiar with Cerbone but he had the 7th highest APR going into the draft so I’m assuming he can play. Sanon is a lefty defensive player that also plays smart. Landy is a good reserve guy that can get hot from three. I like this team a lot and they will be contenders.

2) Never lost (Nair’s team Riggin’ for Higgins). I’ve never been a fan of naming your team after your last round pick well in this case someone you traded for. I’m not mad at it it’s just personally not my thing. I like that Branch is active on Discord and that he was honest in his bio. Him and Nair could be the best combo in the league. I’m not familiar with Skelley but he does have a good APR but hopefully for their sake he has some height. France seems like a sandbag job based on his bio. I’m not familiar with Gilloly but he won’t need to do much until Nair misses games. Higgins is his guy so that rounds out the team. Anytime you have Nair on your team especially in SDL you will have one of the best teams in the league.

1) Emmanuel Mentality (E3 team mamba forever) again the renaming of teams is not for me but if you like it I love it. I know you’re a big Kobe guy so why not just incorporate you and him into a team name? Not gonna lie unlike last season Emmanuel killed this draft. His team wasn’t bad last season but this season he has the bullseye on his back which is completely different than being the underdog. I think they can win in a multitude of ways. I guess the only issue is managing minutes. They are the favorites to win the league right now. Will that be the case at the end of the season? Only time will tell. That’s all I got for now guys. Good luck to everyone and see you next week.

SDL Week 1 Write-ups

by Jason on Sep. 11, 2023

SDL Week 1 Write-ups

BY JAMIL BALL & DAMIAN RUFF

Ok so maybe I was wrong kinda.

First half:

Coming into the first game of the Fall 2023 Saturday Morning Draft League I had Washed and Folded (WAF) as the 66-56 favorites over Ball Mitzvah (BM).  I was starting to like my pick early on because BM was missing their 2nd round pick.  On the opposite side WAF had their entire team.

Game was relatively close for most of the first half but BM controlled the game.  BM had leads of 11-7 at the 13:27 mark, 20-17 at the 6:43 mark, 24-17 at the 5:40 mark, 32-29 at the 59.4 second mark and finally at the half was up 35-31.

Halftime stats:

WAF:

Jamil Ball 14 pts, 1 stl, 4 orebs, 5 drebs and 3 asts

Ben Butterworth 1 oreb

Robert Wood 2 pts, 1 blk, 6 dreb 

Patrick Blaikie 1 blk

Joshua Gettings 10 pts, 4 orebs

Sami Hameid 3 pts, 1 dreb

BM:

Christopher Stull 1 oreb

David Ter-Ovanesyan 13 pts, 4 stls, 4 drebs, 2 asts

John Reilly 2 pts, 1 blk, 1 oreb, 1 dreb

David Pendergast 9 pts, 1 stl, 1 oreb, 2 dreb, 2 ast

Rob Lunder 11 pts, 1 blk, 4 drebs

Player of the half:

David Ter-Ovanesyan 

Second half:

It seemed like BM was preparing to pull away up 51-42 with 10:19 left and then again with 4:45 left up 59-51 but WAF had other ideas.  The game became a 1 possession contest with 38.9 seconds left 71-68 BM was up.  All WAF needed was a stop then a score but unfortunately for them that didn’t happen.  BM went on to win this one 75-68.

Player Grades:

Jamil Ball B his three ball was off but still managed to lead the game in scoring.  He seemed fatigued too because he took several trips to rest on the chair during free throws.  It’s scary because he’s capable of playing better and he probably will.

Ben Butterworth A kind of a high grade but he played the perfect role player game.  Shot efficiently and contributed in other areas.

Robert Wood C his midrange was kinda off but overall I don’t think his team used him enough on offense.  He’s clearly capable of playing better and I’m sure he will as the season progresses.

Patrick Blaikie C- Pat is my guy so it actually pains me to give a negative to his grade BUT the fact that you questioned how you fouled out has to be called out.  I won’t go into the details again here but overall Pat played ok considering his limited opportunities.

Joshua Gettings B his numbers were actually pretty decent.  He gets a higher grade if his team wins and he makes a three ball.  I have high expectations for Joshua so I can’t really give him too high of a grade this early on.

Sami Hameid B- his game overall was ok I think the China Sully description of his game was pretty spot on.  My biggest gripe was his bickering at the ref.  Do I do it?  Yes.  Do others do it?  Yes.  To me it felt like it was a little obsessive.  Not in a disrespectful way but you just have to understand the ref will miss some calls and to complain the majority of the time isn’t helping you or your team.

Christopher Stull A I loved the game he played.  Didn’t force any shots and the 2 threes he did make were huge in helping his team secure the victory.  He also was able to contribute in other areas.

David Ter-Ovanesyan A had a great shooting and defensive game.  If he plays like this each week, we all are in trouble.  What’s scary is he can play better and probably will.  

John Reilly B gotta knock his grade slightly for fouling out but overall he was just a menace on defense.  A lot of what he did isn’t going to show up on the stat sheet but he played the perfect role for his team.

David Pendergast A- I have to knock his grade for his low free throw and three point shooting percentage.  I don’t think any of the threes he took were bad ones, they just didn’t go in.  Overall he came alive in the second half.  Not sure if it was because he was called soft or just a better rhythm regardless he played well.

Rob Lunder A was electric and spry. I guess he took offense that he went 19th overall.  Whatever it was I hope he keeps playing this all season long because his team will definitely need it.

Player of the game:

David Ter-Ovanesyan was just the best player on the floor on both ends.  Too bad we aren’t teammates anymore 😢but he did what he’s typically been doing for the majority of his SDL career.

Subject: No Hangovers for Hungover Hoopers 

Admittedly, I didn’t have Hungover Hoopers as the favorites in this matchup. Without Adwaith, I gave Costa Coast a slight edge. 

Through the 9 minutes, Costa Coast held a slight edge (16 - 15). Charles was playing absolutely smothering defense as promised, and Costa Coast looked primed for an early run. Lucas had other plans, as he got out to a scorching start including 3 for 3 shooting from deep. 

Jamie Cummins who looks to be the steal of the draft, would match Lucas’ output with 19. They combined 38 of their team's 54 points in an impressive outing. 

The Hungover Hoopers' lead would balloon to 12, as they would go into the half leading 33 - 21 with no signs of letting up. 

BFFs Robel (11 PTS and 20 REBs) and Musse (3 PTS, 2 STLS, 6 REBS, and 3 ASTS) played extremely well for Hungover Hoopers as they would go on to win this matchup by double-digits easily. 

For Costa Coast, I would not overreact to this loss. It’s week one and guys struggled to hit shots they will hit when the games matter the most in week 10. Unlike past seasons, everyone makes the playoffs. Once they build stamina and chemistry, this will be one of the top teams in the league.

Hungover Hoopers

Andrew Marra (C+) - I need more Marra, I need more! 

Jamie Cummins (A+) - Steal of the draft! ROY conversation. 

Lucas Guliano (A+) - Lucas is my early favorite for the MIP award. He’s always been able to score the ball, but the level of efficiency with which he performed was out of this world. Can he maintain this level of play? 

Musse Kassa (A-) - Musse didn’t need to score a bunch of points to impact the outcome of this game. He was by far the best point guard on the floor. I think he actually played defense a couple of times too. 

Robel Ghebremichael (A) - Robel dominated the paint and played with a level of dominance I haven’t seen in a while. 

Costa Coast

Charles Maneval (B) - Charlie gets an A for his defensive effort, but offensively he struggled mightily. I think pressing full-court in a 90-degree gym might’ve impacted his offensive production a bit. 

Dan Waldman (B) - Dan was extremely effective and really scored the ball well for Costa Coast. I’m docking his grade because of his AI-type rant against practice/team pick up.  

Dylan Costa (B+) - I love that Dylan was aggressive and assertive on both ends of the court. He didn’t shoot the ball well, but not too many folks did. I look for Dylan to build on this performance and get better as the season progresses. 

Joshua Brown (C+) - I’ve watched Josh play 4 or 5 times over the past couple of weeks and he is way more capable than what he displayed on Saturday. I look for Josh to be more assertive in the coming weeks. 

Kevin Ross (B) - Kev struggled from deep like many others during week 1, but he still found ways to be effective on both ends of the court. He will be their best player as he starts to round back into form. 

Matthew Starr (C+) - I’d love to see Matt assert himself more on both ends of the court. 5 Rebound is not enough for a player with his capability. 

Subject: Mamba Forever Dismantles Old School Ballers

E was not happy about his 8th-place power rankings, but let his play do the talking for him as his squad made light work of Nick Lynch and the Old School Ballers. 

Early on Djordje and Kopel led the way for MF. Djordje in particular was very effective offensively with 25 points, but his defensive effort was by far the most impressive performance of the day. He and Darby limited Nick Lynch and Ghost to a combined 21 points. 

Mamba Forever would go into the half leading by 12 points (35 - 23). 

The Old School Ballers' struggles were due to their ineffectiveness offensively. I figured shooting would be one of their strength, but during this week one matchup they couldn’t get much going. 

Mamba Forever would go on to win this matchup by 25. Led by fantastic overall team play and a fantastic outing by their leader and do-it-all captain Emmanuel Okharedia (18 PTS, 11 REBs, and 3 ASTs). E controlled all aspects of the game and was extremely effective and efficient. 

After this outing, there’s no way in hell this team will remain 8th in the Power Rankings. Looking forward to seeing this entire roster in future weeks. 

Old School Ballers

Alan Orellana (B) - AO was efficient per usual. I would love to see him a little more assertive offensively. 

Damian Ruff (C) - Ruff looked a little rusty, but gave consistent effort on both ends of the court. As he noted, if his team is going to win, he’ll need to be more impactful in the scoring column. 

Erik Johnson (C) - Slick didn’t have his best game, but his effort throughout the game was consistent. I know he will play better in the upcoming games.

Michael Fraher (B) - Ghost was efficient in the week 1 opener, but his team needed more from him offensively.

Nick Lynch (B) - Lynch was a monster, per usual but 11 points will not be enough if his team is going to be successful this season. 

Mamba Forever

Djordje Vlajkovic (A+) - Was by far the best player on the floor at all times. His defense and unselfish play led the way for Mamba Forever. 

Emmanuel Okharedia (A+) - Per usual, E was effective on both ends of the court. He facilitated the offense efficiently and really controlled the game from start to end.

Jake Darby (B+) - Darby was really effective in his debut. He and Djordje looked good together and controlled the paint. 

Seth Kopel (A) - Kopel is already on ROY watch. He had a fantastic outing overall despite struggles from beyond the arc.  

Subject: MFs Must’ve Forgotten About Dre 

Killa Cam (22 PTS and 11 REBs) wasn’t messing about to start this game. He was the early catalyst for FAD as they jumped out to an early 15-point advantage (25 - 10). This included 4 - 4 shooting from deep. Admittedly, I think Steve was wrong for making Nick Galle guard Cam in his rookie debut because Cam absolutely feasted on the smaller guard. 

Jorge Morel embraced his Point-Forward role, nearly notching a triple-double. Civale made his SDL debut and notched a double-double (22 PTS, 2 BLKs, and 10 REBs) as would go into the half leading 43 - 30 with no signs of looking back.

Despite the early deficit, Turbo was having no part in a blowout. Fresh off a monster performance in #FRANCHISE Keith (32 PTS, 17 REBs, and 7 assists) turned on the jets and within a blink of an eye it was a three-point game.

Turbo was feasting in transition and really started to play with more confidence. Keith was by far the best player on the court for either team, once he decided to play defense. Guys like Joe (10 PTS and 6 REBs), Steve (9 PTS, 8 REBs, and 1 Stl), and Nick (7 PTS) really benefited from his play.

Turbo went on a 17 - 5 run and trailed by 2 points (50 - 48). Nick Galle would his a huge three to put Turbo up 1 (51 - 50) with 11 minutes left, but it wasn’t enough as Forgot About Dre would seal the victory from three free throw line, despite poor overall free throw shooting.
 

Forgot About Dre

Andre Jones (B+) - Debo gets docked some points for showing up late and demanding I open the front door for him. Aside from that, he was extremely effective for them on both ends of the court.

Brian Civale (B+) - Civale let it fly whenever possible. It wasn’t his best shooting performance, but I expect him to get better over time. 

Cameron Daniel (A) - Solid overall game for OG Cam Daniels. I couldn’t have asked for more. 

Cameron Daniels (B+) - Was the player on the floor during the first half. Disappeared in the second half. 

Daniel Lyman (C+) - Very quiet debut. Dan was very active and will play better as he gets comfortable. 

Jorge Morel (B+) - Jorge had a nice overall game, but I know he has another level. 

Turbo

Gordon Sheffield (A) - 11 rebs and 6 assists. He played the point guard position very well and helped initiate the offense. 

Joseph Breda (B) - Struggled early on, but got it going in the second half. More importantly, was not called for a single travel. 

Keith Baranowski (A) - Was by far the best player on the floor at all times. Could have easily scored more, but did a fantastic job facilitating. 

Neil Aggarwal (B) - Worked his ass off on defense. Struggled a bit offensively. 

Nick Galle (B) - One of the best rookie debuts in the league. This kid has some dog in him. 

Steve Rakusin (B) - His SDL double-double streak came to an end, in what was an average performance for him. On a bright note, he looked good the next day in pickup. He’ll be better. 

5v5 Draft Week 3 Write-Ups

by Jason on May. 23, 2023

BY JAMIL

Week 3 - Write Up The Cambridge Rats VS. The Motha Effect

The Cambridge Rats came into this matchup undefeated, but unfortunately for them, that streak would come to an end after a fantastic battle between two teams very evenly matched teams. 

The first half was a back-and-forth affair, with neither team able to create any real breathing room. For the Cambridge Rats, Marquis led all scorers with 12 points in the first half, Alex B chipped in 8, and Shawn Wise made his presence felt on the defensive end with 3 steals and 1 block.

The Motha Effect led by Guzzi and Hamza would go into the half leading 34-30 and were really controlling the pace of the game. The most notable accomplishment of the Motha Effect was the defense played on Marquis. They were throwing body after body at him and did the most effective job of any team this season slowing him down.

Nika, Motha, and Hamza led them in scoring with 7 points each, as they went into the half with a lot of momentum on their side. 

The Mothat Effect led by their dynamic trio of Motha, Hamza, and Guzzi dominated the pace of the game in the second half, as they’d pull away from the Cambridge Rats and never look back. As a team, they all played well and controlled the pace of the game. 
 

Marquis would finish with 18 and Alex B would score 11, but no other players would achieve double-digit scoring as their offensive struggles continue. Nevertheless, this was a fantastic team victory for The Motha Effect, as they move to 2 - 1 on the season.

Week 3 - Write Up Victorious Secret VS. Can’t Miss Keramaris

Victorious Secret notches their second victory of the season behind MVP leader Rish DiSola. Rich would go on to score 30 points and grab 15 rebounds in a game against a very tough opponent in Can’t Miss Keramaris. 

Can’t Miss Keramaris led by Eric Li (19 points) would jump out to the early lead. Eric and Mazz continue to be a very potent backcourt combination, as they managed to dictate the pace very early on in this matchup. 

Despite their offensive prowess, Victorious Secret would go into the half leading 29 - 26. With both teams jockeying for the lead I knew this game would come down to final seconds. Eric Li was more assertive than I’ve ever seen him, scoring 6 consecutive points to put Can’t Miss Keramaris up one in the closing minutes, but it wasn’t enough as this battle was destined for OT. 

Ronnie and Chris B lead the way in OT for Victorious Secret combing for the first 4 points and Can’t Miss Keramaris never recovered.

Other notable performances include Ronnies 10 points, 2 steals, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists. His clutch steal helped Victorious Secret force OT. Chris B was a steady presence on both ends of the floor, as he looks to be getting better week to week, Thomas Skates also had a fantastic game despite suffering the tough loss. Thomas had 7 points to go along with 14 rebounds, 7 of which were offensive.

SDL Week 3 Write-Ups

by Jason on May. 22, 2023

BY JAMIL & RUFF

Coasting to another victory

Coming into this game COSTA was clearly the best team in the league.  Having won 3 straight games and just playing well on both ends of the floor.  DANIELS on the opposite side were coming off of a very close loss and win but when they faced COSTA in week 1 they looked overmatched.

With approximately 9 minutes gone from the game, Costa was already up double digits 22-11.  The game never became close and to add insult to injury, the Jamil/Dylan halftime buzzer beater combo occurred again (I believe it’s three straight weeks) with this time Jamil being the recipient of the pass from Dylan for the layup.  Costa up 38-25 at the half.

First half stats:

Team Daniels

Andre Jones 1 stl, 1 blk, 2 drebs

Michael “Ghost” Fraher 12 pts, 1 blk, 4 orebs, 1 dreb, 1 ast

Andrew Marra  2 dreb, 1 ast

Cameron Daniels 7 pts, 1 blk, 1 oreb, 4 drebs 

Adam Ellabidy 4 pts, 1 blk, 2 orebs, 3 drebs, 3 asts

Joseph Breda 2 pts, 2 stls, 4 dreb, 2 asts

Team Costa

Jamil Ball 12 pts, 2 stls, 1 blk, 1 oreb, 2 drebs

Charlie Maneval 8 pts, 1 blk, 8 drebs, 2 asts

Cameron Daniel 1 oreb

Emmanuel Okharedia 5 pts, 1 stl, 1 blk, 1 oreb

Dylan Costa 9 pts, 1 blk, 8 drebs, 5 asts

Dan Waldman 4 pts, 1 oreb, 2 drebs

Player of the half: Dylan Costa

Second half was more of the same COSTA dominance.  I liked that DANIELS went with a lineup switch but this team is too talented to get blown out like this.  Final score 70-51 COSTA wins.

Player Grades:

Andre Jones B- I liked his aggressiveness in the second half but they needed it for a full 40 minutes.  I don’t think he played badly but his team just lost.  I added the minus to his grade for not having a complete game that his team needed.
Michael “Ghost” Fraher A I seriously can’t even pinpoint what Ghost did wrong.  He played his usual consistent game.  I think it’s up to his team to get him more looks on offense and to get more out of him in general.
Andrew Marra C got a few stats and played his role.
Cameron Daniels C his defense on Jamil wasn’t good and no assists I don’t like.  Overall though he didn’t play that bad but I’d like to see numbers in the stl and ast categories.
Adam Ellaby C- struggled with his three ball and at this point I just have to say he’s not a three point shooter.  I do like Adam’s game and think he should be the PG for this team.  He clearly can do almost everything, just had a bad shooting game which happens to everyone.  I’d also like to see him turn up his aggressiveness.  You don’t have to be a nice guy on the court.
Joseph Breda C— Ok lets start with the minuses.  The first one comes from his complete disappearance in the second half.  If I didn’t have him down as 0-2 from three I wouldn’t have even known he played.  The other minus is for asking me to add a steal to your stats.  First, you couldn’t even name the play and second your team is down by double digits.  I say all this to say I like Joe and his game and especially his energy.  Today I didn’t see it.

Jamil Ball A although he didn’t shoot the three ball well (yes I said the same exact thing before) but he played a really solid overall game.  The things I love about Jamil are his competitiveness and overall thought process of the game he plays.  Today was a feast on Cam day 🤣.
Charlie Maneval B stuffed the stat sheet.  I think he’s still capable of playing better but had a solid game.
Cameron Daniel A- was scoreless in the first half and he turned it on in the second.  Had to deduct a little from his grade for going 0fer from three.
Emmanuel Okharedia B it felt weird not hearing any trash talk from E and in the first half he was basically non existent.  In the second half though he really played well and was in his scoring bag.  He surprised me with a left hand in and out step back jumper that bounced in.
Dylan Costa B I feel like I’m grading him too high because I like him.  He went scoreless in the second half and to my surprise didn’t have any offensive rebounds but still had great dreb numbers and led the team in asts.
Dan Waldman B- I feel like 2 of his 4 pts was a nifty layup and he did a good job getting some stats across the board but I have to add the minus to your grade for the 0fer from three and the free throw line.
 

Player of the game: Jamil Ball no lengthy words just a great job playing again.

Week 2 - Platano Power VS. Nair

Platano Power had their full team in attendance for the first team this season, so I came into this matchup expecting big things, but team Nair had an entirely different game plan in mind. Led by DTO (18 points) and Ruff (13 points) Team Nair got off to a scorching start and very quickly jumped out to an 11-point lead (25 - 14) halfway through the first half. Ruff and DTO combined for 6 threes in the first half and Platano Power didn’t really have a counter.

Tim’s 7 points and Jorge’s 10 points paced Platano Power in the first half. No one else on their team really developed any rhythm offensively. Team Nair would go into the half with a double-digit lead, in a game that was trending towards a blowout.

In the second half, led by Tim Roberts and 8 second-half points by Chris Agresti Platano Power mounted an epic comeback to pull within 3 (52 - 49) with 9 minutes left in the second half. Most teams would start to get agitated, but Ruff got pissed off and more vocal than he had been all game. “I don’t know what yall excited about, this game is already over,” the grizzly vet said shouted with absolute conviction.

That’s when the Nick Lynch show started. After only scoring 5 points in the entire first half, Nick was absolutely dominant in the second half and finished with 23 points and grabbed 19 boards. Team Nair has continued to thrive despite missing, arguably the best player in the entire league. I can’t wait to see this team at full capacity. 

Platano Power
Jorge Morel (B+) - Jorge did a fantastic job against Nick Lynch. Despite his displeasure with the officiating. 16 points and 8 rebounds are fantastic numbers, but we all know Jorge is capable of more.
Alan Orellana (B-) - 11 points and 8 rebounds are solid, but the stats that jump out to me are 0 steals and 1 assist. Maybe I’m biased, but I consider AO to be one of the best guards in this league and I know he has another gear.
Neil Aggarwal (B) - Neil’s 4 points and 6 rebounds were solid contributions, but I would love to see Neil play much more aggressively on both ends of the court. I know this team has no shortage of talented guards, but I have no doubt he can be highly effective within the team offense.
Tim Roberts (A) - Led all scorers with 22 and shot the three ball well. Tim continues to be one of the top scorers in the league and makes it look effortless.
Chris Agresti (A) - Chris played with a great deal of effort, energy, and toughness. Chris made things extremely difficult for Nick in the post and with 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists, his stat line is a clear indication of the difference he made in this game.
Rob Lunder (C-) - I love Rob, but this was not his best game. Mostly, because he didn’t pay very much. (edited)

Nair
Nick Lynch (A-) - The big dawg struggled from three, but still scored 23 points and grabbed 19 boards. Did I mention he had 3 steals and a monster block?
Damian Ruff (A+) - Ruff gets an A for overall play and an A+ for banter/shit-talking. Only Ruff would say “This game is already over” with 9 minutes left in the second half and a three-point lead. Needless to say, he wasn’t wrong, as they went on to win by 7.
DTO (A) - Was second on the team in scoring with 21, as his impressive season continues. He helped them jump out to the early lead and was a huge part of this victory.
Ben Mitchell (B) - Per usual, Ben was solid and steady for them on both ends of the court. He didn’t contribute a bunch, but he also didn’t do anything to hurt them.
Patrick Blaikie (C+) - Patrick went 2 for 7 from three. His breakout game is more than overdue, if pickup was any indication I wouldn’t want to be the team playing Nair next. Wait, we are the team playing them next

Week 2 - Platano Power VS. Stull Here

For the second consecutive week, Stull Here gets an opponent on their second of back-to-back games. Clearly, David Pendergast has an in with the commish, nevertheless, this game would be the highest-scoring affair of the morning as absolutely no defensive was played. Not a single block was registered and Platano Power didn’t even register a steal.

Getting to the action, David Pendergast had 28 points at the half and I was certain he was destined for a 50-piece. Rak, Quinlin, and DP dominated Platano Power in transition and dictated the pace of the game from the tip. Rak (11 points) and Devin (13) would both score double-digits in the first half. AO was the only player on Platano Power to score double-digits in the first half finishing with 13.

Despite not playing their best ball, Platano Power would go into the half down 11 (53 - 42). This game was still very much within reach. In the second half, Devin Quinlin (23 points) got it going for Stull Here and Platano Power was never able to recover. Stull Here would go on to win 96 - 71 as they move to 2 - 1 in this very early season.

Platano Power
Jorge Morel (B-) - In back-to-back games, Jorge had by far the toughest matchups having to guard Nick Lynch and then David Pendergast. Jorgre struggled mightly offensively, but I can’t imagine it’s easy being the lone big man on the squad. The B- is because I know Jorge is way better than the way he played in this game and I look forward to seeing him rebound in their re-match against Stull Here on June 3rd.
Alan Orellana (A-) - Alan led the team in scoring with 22 points and 9 rebounds. His play really kept the game semi-interesting. I would have loved to see Alan a bit more aggressive defensively, but the second of back-to-back is always the hardest!
Neil Aggarwal (A) - 10 points and 6 rebounds were both highs for Neil on the season. Like always, he left it all on the court. I couldn’t ask for more.
Tim Roberts (B+) - Tim was second on the team with 15 points and 7 rebounds. Despite being down a lot early, he never stopped fighting.
Chris Agresti (B+) - Chris played well defensively and scored within the flow of the offense. When Chris is on the floor they really seem to play better.
Rob Lunder (B+) - Rob played much better in the second game scoring 6 points and grabbing 6 rebounds. I’d love to see him play more aggressively on both ends of the court. (edited)

Stull Here
Steve Rakusin (A+) - Steve was as dominant as I’ve seen him. 18 points and 25 rebounds to go along with 5 assists! Fantastic effort on both ends of the court and was the biggest difference in this matchup against Platano Power.
Devin Quinlin (B+) - Struggled early on with his shot, but would find his groove in the second half scoring an impressive 23 points. Despite his shooting struggles, he excelled defensively and found his teammates for easy looks in transition. All-in-all fantastic game for the # 2 pick in the draft.
David Pendergast (A+) - DP was a man amongst boys out there. 46 points, 2 steals, 12 rebounds, and 4 assists. There is no doubt who the player of this game was.
Christopher Stull (B+) - Stull got off to a slow start, but his three treys were backbreakers and really killed any momentum Platano Power was building. He also grabbed 2 rebounds and dished out 2 assists.

5v5 Draft Week 2 Write-Ups

by Jason on May. 15, 2023

Week 2 - Write Up Victorious Secret VS. The Motha Effect

by Jamil

This was a fantastic matchup between 2 very talented teams that suffered tough week 1 losses. After struggling mightily in week 1, The Motha Effect had fantastic chemistry from the start. Nate Guzzi (25 points 6 rebounds, and 7 assists) and Nika (15 points and 14 rebounds) were the catalyst for the improved play.

Nate Guzzi was impactful on both ends of the court (2 steals and 2 blocks) and was extremely assertive in scoring the ball. Nika on the other hand, dominated the paint and the offensive glass to the tune of 6 offensive rebounds. I’ve watched him play over the past two sessions and this was by far the best I’ve ever seen him play. 

The Motha Effect would jump out to an early lead, in a game that looked posed to be an absolute blowout, but Victorious Secret wasn’t prepared to go out without a fight. #5v5Draft rookie Jonathan Allen (15 points, 3 steals, and 9 rebounds) played well despite his team trailing in the scoring column. Fellow Rookie Ron Cabeza would have a quiet first half, as he returned from injury but would eventually get it going.

The Motha Effect would go into the half leading 39 - 27 with no signs of slowing down. Motha (13 points and 10 rebounds) Kunal (10 points and 5 rebounds), and Hamza (9 points and 6 rebounds) would all contribute to a very convincing win for The Motha Effect, as they re-establish themselves as a championship contender and one of the top teams in this league.

Week 2 - Write Up The Cambridge Rats VS. Primetime 5.0

By Jamil

Both teams started off slow in this week 2 matchup. Ben Danzig (17 Points and 9 rebounds) got the offense rolling early for Primetime 5.0. His ability to score at all three levels was on full display as he would score in a variety of ways.

Marquis struggled mightly to start the game, but there was an unsung hero by the name of Steve Rakusin (15 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists) that kept The Cambridge Rats within reach of the lead. Steve was incredible on both ends of the floor, but his 5 of 5 clip from three had to be a new personal best.

After some early struggles, Jacob Miller (22 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists) hit his groove midway through the first half and controlled the pace of the game. He had the three-ball dropping (3) and penetrated at will for easy scores. 

Primetime 5.0 would go into the half with the lead, but Marquis Victor (35 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 blocks) was saving his best for the second half. Marquis went on to hit 5 of his 7 triples in the second half and 3 absolutely monster rejections getting it done on both ends of the court.

Shawn Wise (10 points and 15 rebounds) was a man amongst boys, putting his week 1 struggles in the rearview mirror and re-establishing himself as of the top centers in the league. 

The Cambridge Rats would go on to beat PrimeTime 5.0 by double-digits despite playing reasonably well. 

Week 2 - Write Up All the Smoke VS. Can’t Miss Keramaris

BY WISE

Can’t Miss Keramaris came into the game missing their MVP candidate, Jacob Held. Unfortunately for All the Smoke, they would be missing their big man, Kola Olugbade, and Jamil would have to play through nagging leg injury. With Brian Horan not able to make the start of the game, All the Smoke would have to start the game with just 5 players. Can’t Miss Keramaris would jump out to an early lead on an undermanned and undersized All the Smoke team.

They jumped out to a 35-23 lead at half and never looked back. Eric Li looked like a mix of Dikembe Mutombo and Steve Nash. Eric was definitely the most impactful player on the court for the first 22 minutes. He had 4 of his 5 blocks and 5 assists in the first half and looked like he was well on his way to a triple double. He would finish the game with 14 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 blocks and a steal.

Mazz made All the Smoke pay when they left him open behind the arc and would finish making 7 three-pointers in the game. He would finish the game with 30 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals. This game was pretty ugly for All the Smoke from start to finish. Can’t Miss Keramaris capitalized on their bad turnovers and push the ball in transition for easy points. Jamil, Tyrone and Kashawn all would end the game with double digit points but I don’t think any of them would feel like they played well. All the Smoke was able to dig deep and rally back for a couple of minutes in the second half and cut the lead from 18 to single digits. However, they would run out of steam and lose by 18 in the end.

SDL WEEK 2 WRITE-UPS & POWER RANKINGS

by Jason on May. 15, 2023

Week # 2 Power Rankings

1. Costa (3 - 0) - We’re still undefeated after 3 games and have embraced our defensive identity. Dylan Costa is looking like a visionary after forming one of the most formidable teams in the league. Charlie Maneval and Emmanuel Okharedia continue to make every captain regret passing on them. 
2. Nair (1 - 1) - Nair is poised to compete for the # 1 spot in these Power Rankings. If Nick Lynch's 39 points in his debut are any indication of what’s to come we’re all in trouble when Adwaith returns from his broken hand. Can’t wait to see them both on the court at the same time. Can’t forget about the amazing start the DTO and Ruff are off to. 
3. Stull Here (1 - 1) - After an impressive week 1 victory, David P and Co.lost their first game of the season to Team Costa. Jordan Staiger looks to be an excellent addition to not only the team but the league. When fully staffed, this team will be one of the top-tier teams in this league. 
4. Daniels (1 - 2) - Offensively Team Daniels is one of the most talented teams in the league, but they cannot seem to put it together for a full 40 minutes. Cam. Adam, and Ghost average 15+ points, how that’s not translating to wins is baffling.
5. Platano Power (0 - 2) - It’s hard to really gauge this team's ceiling because they haven’t had their full complement of players through the first 2 weeks of the season. AO returned to the lineup, but no Jorge really hurt them against us today. I will say, this team works their ass off on both ends of the court and I can see Tim, AO, and Jorge leading this team to the playoffs. 

Week # 2 WRITE-UPS

Nair VS. Daniels
By JAMIL

Even with Nick in attendance, I had Team Daniels as heavy favorites in this matchup and they didn’t disappoint early on jumping out to a quick lead.  Ghost “MICHAEL FRAHER” got off to a scorching start, scoring 20 of his 27 points in the first half. 

Cam Daniels (21 Points) was stroking it from deep and Team Daniels looked primed to run away with this game leading 24 - 11 through the first 7 minutes. David Ter-Ovanesyan (DTO) led the way early on for Team Nair with a ridiculous 25 points and 18 rebounds! WTF?

Team Nair would go into the half down 11 (47 - 36), but you could tell Nick Lynch was starting to heat up. The second half would be the Nick Lynch (39 points, 1 steal, 4 blocks, 19 rebounds, and 3 assists) show. 

This dude was absolutely unstoppable and despite their efforts, Team Daniels had no answer. 

With under a minute left in regulation, Andrew Marra would hit a huge three to tie the game at 72. With the clocking winding down, Team Daniels would inadvertently foul and Team Nair took full advantage converting the free throws and notching their first victory of the young season. 

Team Nair 

Patrick Blaikie C+ - Patrick is in a shooting slump like I’ve never seen before, but despite his struggles, he’s making a huge impact on the defensive end. I have no doubt he’ll find his stroke, I just hope it’s not against us.

David Ter-Ovanesyan A+ - DTO scored 25 while shooting 44% from three on 9 attempts. He’s off to a fantastic start this season. 

Damian Ruff B - Despite struggles beyond the arc, Ruff did a fantastic job rebounding and distributing the ball to his teammates. His ability to slow down Ghost was the difference in this game. 

Nick Lynch A+ -  39 points, 4 blocks, 19 rebounds do I really need I say more? 

Ben Mitchell A - Did a fantastic job defensively and played within the team offense.

Team Daniels

MICHAEL FRAHER A - 27 and 10 rebounds should have been enough. Ghost played a fantastic game despite his team suffering the loss. 

Cameron Daniels B+ - Cam had 21 points and played well for the most part. I still feel like he has another gear. 

Adam Ellabidy B - Adam struggled early on but still finished with 18 points. Cam and Adam aren’t on the same page yet, but it’s only a matter of time.

Andrew Marra A+ - Played fantastic on both ends of the court and hit a couple of huge threes when his team needed it the most. I would love to see him more aggressive on offense.

Costa feasts on Platano Power
BY DRUFF

Coming into this game I was interested in seeing the full Platano Power (PP) squad.  To my disappointment their captain Jorge was missing.  Although PP was already the underdog in this one, they had their 4th overall pick Alan Orellana in attendance so anything was possible.

The game was so bad to start Jamil Ball asked me at the 8:50 mark was the time right?  Umm yes it was and so was the score 25-8.  To close the half, things didn’t get any better, well for PP I mean, Costa went on a 16-3 run and was up 41-11 at the half.

Halftime stats:

Plantano Power

Alan Orellana 6 pts, 1 stl, 2 blks, 4 drebs

Neil Aggarwal 1 blk, 2 drebs

Tim Roberts 5 pts, 1 drebs

Chris Agresti 2 orebs, 4 drebs

Costa

Jamil Ball 19 pts, 1 blk, 3 orebs, 6 drebs, 2 asts

Charlie Maneval 13 pts, 3 drebs

Emmanuel Okharedia 6 pts, 4 stls, 1 oreb, 2 drebs, 1 ast

Dylan Costa 6 pts, 1 blk, 9 drebs, 2 asts

Player of the half:

Jamil Ball

Second half

To all the millions of readers across the world, if you’re waiting to read about a crazy comeback or how the game became interesting, keep waiting because neither thing happened.  10 minutes into the half Costa was up 62-23.  Final score ended up being 74-44 Costa with the win.  What’s crazy though is that PP was actually even with Costa the second half.

Player grades

Alan Orellana B after the game we talked briefly he said he didn’t think he could’ve done much more aside from being more aggressive, bingo.

Neil Aggarwal C just an ok game for him.  I actually think he can play better and his team will need him to as well.

Tim Roberts B was obviously the best offensive weapon for his team but would’ve liked to see him do a little more on the defensive end.  Admittedly if his team wins he gets a higher grade

Chris Agresti C+ good rebounding numbers and I liked that he gave me the guys names on the team I didn’t know.  I swear he shoots the ball with both hands so maybe he just needs to figure out which hand to shoot with.

Rob Lunder C+ played sparingly but I did enjoy my conversation with him about the Celtics.

Jamil Ball A- was the best player on the floor only knocking his grade for asking me if I took time off the clock smh.

Charlie Maneval A says he was saving himself for the second game but still managed to shoot decent and get some other stats.

Cameron Daniels A in a blowout victory didn’t miss a three and got some other stats.

Emmanuel Okharedia A— had a solid game with 5 steals but had to give one minus for the 0fer from three.  The other minus is because the trash talk was non-existent.  I actually respect that because the game wasn’t close but there were still opportunities to do this and I was disappointed.

Dylan Costa A although I know Dylan can play better he led his team in rebounding, assists and blocks while also going perfect from the free throw line.  What more do you want?

Player of the game:

Jamil Ball as previously mentioned was simply the best player on the floor and It wasn’t even close.

Back to back no problem

BY RUFF

Coming into this game I thought Stull Here had the advantage of fatigue.  Not only was Costa playing their second game of the day but they only had 4 guys.  Stull Here was missing arguably their best player which obviously didn’t help but no excuses.  A smart thing done slightly before the game by Jamil was telling the ref to put on some tunes.  The music I heard was how do I say it in a nice way, not to my liking.  Cam and I had an interesting conversation about it.  Ok enough rambling let me focus on the game.

The pace of this game was super slow.  With about 10 minutes left in the half there was a total of only 14 points on the board and tied up.  As the half continued, Costa pulled away slightly and ended the half with a nice dime from Jamil Ball to Dylan Costa for the layup right before the buzzer.  Costa was up 19-13.

Halftime stats:

Stull Here

Steve Rakusin 4 orebs, 5 drebs

Christopher Stull 2 drebs

Jordan Staiger 1 pt, 1 stl, 2 drebs

David Pendergast 12 pts, 1 blk, 1 oreb, 6 drebs

Costa

Jamil Ball 11 pts, 1 blk, 1 oreb, 4 dreb, 1 ast

Charlie Maneval 6 pts, 5 drebs

Cameron Daniel 1 oreb, 1 dreb

Dylan Costa 2 pts, 1 blk, 9 drebs

Player of the half:

Jamil Ball

Second half:

2 minutes into the half, Costa went on a 10-2 run forcing Stull Here to call a timeout.  While Stull Here continued to battle, they were never able to recover from that run.  Costa wins 49-39.

Player grades:

Steve Rakusin C while he did have a good rebounding game, he struggled putting the ball in the basket which is what his team needed.  He did go scoreless in the first half and was able to change that in the second, he just needed a similar output to his week 1 performance.

Christopher Stull C- managed to get some rebounds and obviously going 0-7 is not good.  The reason I added the minus to his grade is because he stopped shooting.  I’ve literally seen this man make 4 straight threes in a game last season.  He definitely lost his confidence in this game.  As someone who will continue to make and miss threes, take it from me, don’t stop shooting.  Especially if they are good shots and your team needed some offense.

Erik “Slick” Johnson C+ while Slick was anything but that on the court today.  Hopefully he was at least successful at the casino.  His + grade is because he agrees with me that Michael Jeffrey Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all-time.

Jordan Staiger B- had a good debut in SDL.  I think anytime you’re playing with guys for the first time there will be an adjustment.  The minus to his grade comes from his low three point percentage.

David Pendergast B was obviously the best player on his team.  Would’ve loved to see him be a tad bit more aggressive and use his energy as he did against my team in week 1.

Jamil Ball A— in back to back games was the obvious best player on the floor.  Had to add some minuses to his grade.  The first one was for telling the ref to put on some tunes.  All those in favor of never allowing the ref to play music again, say I, I.  The other minus has to go for saying that LeBron James is a better “basketball” player than Michael Jordan.  I won’t get into it so we can just respectfully agree to disagree.

Charlie Maneval B- actually had a decent game but added the minus because he specifically told me he was saving himself for this game.  For whatever reason his three ball wasn’t what I expected but regardless his team won.

Cameron Daniel C got a few stats and played his role despite not scoring.

Dylan Costa B despite the struggles from the free throw line and three point line, still managed to have a double double and 3 blks.

Player of the game:

Jamil Ball I might have to start excluding him from this if he keeps winning it so easily.  No seriously well deserved and just was really good.

SDL Week 1 Write-Ups

by Jason on May. 07, 2023

WEEK 1 SDL WRITE-UPS

Stull Here vs NAIR

BY JAMIL

The man, the myth, the legend David Pendergast made his much-anticipated debut and didn’t disappoint. With 29 points, 23 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 block, and 1 steal David put the entire league on notice. Admittedly, these stats would be more impressive, if Nair had a single player over 5”9. Nonetheless, I have no doubt David will be in contention for MVP when it’s all said and done. 

David got out to a hot start scoring his team's first 7 points in a variety of ways. Steve Rakusin had an impressive 17 points and 14 rebounds as Team Stull Here dominated the glass and pace of play. However, despite only having 4 players Team Nair was not backing down. Led by Damian Ruff (16 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals) and DTO
(18 points, 14 rebounds, and 2 steals) neither team was able to pull away in this low-scoring affair. 

Stull Here would enjoy a slight advantage going into halftime leading 28 - 25. Team Nair did their best to keep the game competitive, but once Devin Quinlin got it going in the second half, this game got out of hand very quickly and Stull is here never looked back.

David, Devin, and Steve have the potential to be one of the better trios in this league. This team will be contenders when it’s all said and done, Jack, who?

DANIELS vs Platano Power

By JAMIL

After losing the first game of their opening week double-header, Team Daniels had the opportunity to redeem themselves against an understaffed Platano Power. Admittedly, this game got off to a very ugly start but Cam D’s aggressive kept Team Daniels in the game. 

Cam would finish with 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals, but more important managed to find his three-point stroke. Jorge (23)  and Tim (22) were fantastic for Platano Power as they did everything within their power to keep this game competitive. 

Platano Power would enjoy a slight advantage going into halftime leading 28 - 27, but when has a one-point lead ever been safe in a CAC League? Exactly never! Playing the second of back-to-backs without Adam Ellabidy I could tell the fatigue was starting to set in for Team Daniels, but Joe Breda (11 Points, 5 rebounds, 4 steals, and 3 assists) was still going 100 MPH, as he did his best impression of Russell Westbrook with the one man fast break. 

This game would come down to the final minutes. Tied at 60 with 7 seconds on the clock, Team Daniels got Ghost opened for the screen at the top of the key and Mike nailed the three with seconds left on the clock. 

Neil tried to get a shot off to tie the game as time expired, but Joe Breda called game, stealing the ball from Neil, before he could get the attempt out of hands.

COSTA vs DANIELS

And we are back…

Week 1 is here and not only are there a lot of familiar faces back in the league, but I, Damian Ruff, am back providing some of the league coverage for the first time since 2019.  Will this trend continue, ask my wife.

Coming into this game I expected it to be highly competitive.  Both teams were fully staffed and there was only 1 “true” rookie playing in this game.  A “true” rookie to me is someone who has never played in any CAC leagues.

To my surprise, team Costa completely controlled the half.  They pretty much led throughout.  To end the half, Jamil completely bricked a three point shot off the backboard, followed it up perfectly with an oreb and then was able to lay the ball in right before the buzzer.  Team Costa was up 36-24 at the half.

First half stats:

Team Daniels

Andre Jones 1 stl, 3 drebs, 1 ast

Michael “Ghost” Fraher 10 pts, 2 orebs, 5 drebs, 2 asts 

Andrew Marra  1 dreb, 1 ast

Cameron Daniels 7 pts, 1 stl, 3 drebs, 2 asts

Adam Ellabidy 2 pts, 1 oreb, 1 dreb, 1 ast

Joseph Breda 5 pts, 1 dreb, 1 ast

Team Costa

Jamil Ball 13 pts, 4 oreb, 2 dreb, 3 ast

Charlie Maneval 9 pts, 1 blk, 7 dreb

Cameron Daniel 3 pts, 1 blk, 1 dreb

Emmanuel Okharedia 4 pts, 4 stls, 1 dreb, 1 ast

Dylan Costa 5 pts, 1 oreb, 7 drebs, 3 asts

Dan Waldman 2 pts

Player of the half:

Jamil Ball

For the second half, I really would love to talk about the competitiveness of the game but I can’t, team Costa dominated winning 69-55.

Player Grades:

Andre Jones A- I think Andre played a great game especially rebounding but I’m giving him the minus grade because he has to attempt some shots and score.
Michael “Ghost” Fraher A- it’s clear that Ghost will most likely be the go-to scorer for this team all season.  While he did have a nice double double, he’ll need to attemp more FGAs for this team to win games.
Andrew Marra C+ really just played his role and took advantage of the opportunities presented to him.
Cameron Daniels C has to be more aggressive and not let the opposing player get him off his game.  Didn’t play awful but expected more.
Adam Ellaby B- was happy to see him start in the second half and as a result really got things going on offense.  Would’ve liked to see him do more on the defensive side of the ball.
Joseph Breda B+ the + is for the fact that he remembered that I threw him out of a game (yes I refereed at CAC too) and he said I was right, imagine that.  Joe did a decent job scoring the ball (fortunately for him I don’t keep track of missed twos).  I think he needs to talk a lot more and give some energy and effort on the defensive end as well.

Jamil Ball A although he didn’t shoot the three ball well he played a really solid overall game.  I especially liked how he rallied the troops during a timeout early in the first half.  This made a huge difference in the game to me and they never looked back.
Charlie Maneval B- didn’t shoot his best but did rebound well on the defensive end in a team win.
Cameron Daniel A played his role perfectly and shot efficiently.
Emmanuel Okharedia A+ I think statistically he can do more but his trash talk was at an elite level today and was entertaining.  My favorite quotes were “I got three shooters” “send the double” “he acts like I won’t lock that up”. When I think of the top 5 trash talkers in this league it’s 1) Emmanuel 2) Emmanuel 3) Emmanuel 4) Emmanuel 5) Emmanuel.  I also feel like he walked away from this game owning real estate in two guys' heads (not gonna name any names but you know who you are).  With all that said, I still can’t wait for my Del Frisco’s 😂
Dylan Costa A+ completely dominated the game and shot the three ball well.
Dan Waldman C did nothing to cost his team the game, I just feel like he’s capable of playing better.

Player of the game:

Dylan Costa had a massive double double and shot the three ball well in the team win.  Great way to start of the season with a win and as a first time captain.

SDL WEEK 1 OVERREACTION POWER RANKINGS

by Jason on May. 07, 2023

Week # 1 Overreaction Power Rankings

By JAMIL BALL

# 1 Costa - Despite poorly handling the coveted # 1 pick, My guy Dylan managed to assemble a very formidable roster. Defensively, led by Dylan Costa, Emmanual Okharedia, and Charlie Maneval we will be a pain in the ass for opponents all season. Can’t wait to see the Awaith Nair vs Dan Waldman matchup. Our 5th round pick definitely has a chip on his shoulder. Last but not least, there’s the original Cameron Daniels whose physical defensive style will make the captain regret not picking him up earlier. Our victory over the “other” Cam Daniels had to be a moral victory for him today, as we impatiently await the results of the Who’s the real Cameron Daniels, please stand up! @dcosta32 @dan_waldman @cameron (edited)

# 2 Stull Here - Admittedly, this they’re victory over Team Nair wasn’t overly impressive, but $20 dollars is $20 dollars. What was impressive was the play of David Pendergast. David was extremely impressive in his league debut, it helped that Team Nair did have a single player over 5”10, but you can tell the talent is there. Last session Most Improve Player (MIP) award winner Steve Rakusin, had a monster game with 17 points and 14 rebounds, which made a huge difference in their matchup today. Can he produce at the level consistently? On this team, absolutely. David is out there dimming dudes! Harry D was an impressive fill-in, despite not trying offensively. 13 rebounds and 2 blocks isn’t too shabby. Last, but far from least is the # 2 pick Devin Quinlin who had an up-and-down game in his debut. Got some points in garbage time to finish with 16 points, but I expect him to get better as the season progresses. @srakusin87 @devinquinlin7 @dp

# 3 Nair - Admittedly, I expected a blowout, but played extremely well despite the absence of Adwaith and Nick Lynch. DTO led all scorers with 18 points and matched his offensive intensity on the defensive end. Damian Ruff continues to regain his form and shot finishing with 16 points and holding his own with 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals. Patrick Blaikie didn’t shoot as well, but grabbed 7 rebounds and recorded 2 steals. This team was built in the image of their captain. Once Adwaith returns, Patrick is going to absolutely feast. Ben Mithell was solid, steady, and productive! Another guy that’s going to thrive when they have their full roster or at least Nick Lynch. @waith @damruff @pat_blaikie @bmitch

# 4 Daniels - First-time captain, Cam Daniels drafted a fantastic team. Mike Fraher, Adam Ellabidy, Andre Jones, Joe Breda, and Andrew Marra are all very capable and productive players. Joe Breda is my early favorite for ROY. I love the enthusiasm, toughness, and most importantly banter. I think Cam made a fantastic decision trading for him. Mike Fraher and Cam have fantastic chemistry and as the season progress, I have no doubt they’ll be more effective on both ends of the court. I have them at 4 because they didn’t look good today, even in their win. I have no doubt Cam will get the troops in order when the games matter the most. @Mike F. @Cam D @AndreJones24

# 5 Platano Power - I love Jorge Morel, Tim Roberts, and AO, so selfishly I want this team to be good, but they’re not. Offensively, they have no shortage of firepower Tim Roberts is one of the top scorers in the league and that was on display today, as he poured in 23 points. Jorge Morel, consistently one of the best players in the league over the past 2 sessions, finished with 22 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 steals. When AO returns from drinking wine and getting fat in Italy, he will give them a stabilizing guard which will only help Tim and Jorge. After surviving TAYO ESPN 30 for 30 Neil Aggarwal has a renewed enthusiasm for basketball, hopefully, it has a positive effect on his questionable attendance (lol). Chris Agresti and Rob Lunder were solid but do little to address this team's biggest weakness: size. Jorge drafted 5 guards, which will either be brilliant or have him on the outside looking in for the second consecutive post-season. Regardless of all the nonsense above, this team is going to be fun to watch.

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.

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.

   

  
   

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.

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.

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.

Saturday Draft League Week 1 Write-Ups

by Jason on Jan. 22, 2023

WEEK 1 WRITE-UPS

71 Rip Hamilton   FINAL 62 Saturday Morning Hypothermia

Subject: Rip Hamilton gets a run for their money in 71-62 victory.

BY SHAWN WISE

In the first game of the season, Rip Hamilton literally didn’t show up ready to play. Number 1 overall pick, Jamal, didn’t show up until 3 minutes after tipoff. Immediately after subbing himself into the game, Jamal would miss his first two 3-point attempts. Also contributing to the slow start for Rip Hamilton, Jamil would go 0-4 from 3 in the first half, ending the half with just 1 point.

During the second half Jamal and Jamil would find their offensive rhythm. Jamal would have 22 of his eventual 37 points and Jamil would score 13. Ian provides a secondary downlow presence teams will have to account for, chipping in 11 rebounds and drawing 3 shooting fouls on post moves.

On the other side, Saturday Morning Hypothermia (SMH) started the game with great chemistry and was able to jump out to an early lead. SMH had great ball movement and would end up with 5 players in double figure points. Jorge was a defensive force in the first half with 3 blocks and 1 steal at the intermission. Jorge would finish with a team high 22 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks.

Ruff began to find his shot at the end of last season and was able to carry that shooting over to start this session, making 3-4 from deep. DTO and Dylan would contribute 11 and 10 points. SMH

Rip Hamilton sits on top of the power rankings and deserves to stay there until someone knocks them off.

Players of the game:

·         Jorge Morel: Jorge was the by far the best player for his team and was the only person on the court that stood a chance of trying to keep Jamal off the offensive boards.

·         Jamal Brown: Jamal had an “ugly” 37, 18, and 4 stat line by his standards. The rest of the league better be careful when he has a “good” game.

53 Ghost Rider   FINAL 51 To The Rak

Subject: Ghost Rider overcomes early deficit to beat The Rak in OT. 
By JAMIL BALL

Ghost Rider vs The Rak was by far the most entertaining matchup on the docket this morning. I didn’t write any pre-game lines this week, but I would’ve had the Rak as heavy favorites. Both teams looked a bit rusty earlier on, which resulted in lots of turnovers and a couple of missed layups, but there was clearly no shortage of confidence and enthusiasm as they continued to chuck. 

The 4th overall pick Cam Daniels made his CAC debut and didn’t disappoint with 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists. He even took on the challenge of guarding Kevin Devine, which some may argue had some undesired results, but never the less he played well.

Mike “Ghost” Fraher (22 points and 7 rebounds) anchored their offense. When they needed a basket Ghost stepped up consistently and they literally rode him to victory, no pun intended. 

Both teams would go into the half tied 27 - 27, to the dismay of the spectators it was pretty clear this game was going down to the wire. The star of the game was Kevin Devine (30 points, 20 rebounds, and 2 steals). Ghost Riders had no answer for this dude and despite Cam Daniels's efforts, he didn’t stand a chance in the post. 

The Rob Wood (14 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 steals) and Kevin Devine combination kept The Rak within reach, but they would inevitably run out of gas as the game went on. 

In the closing minutes with the game tied at 47, Kevin had a chance to win the game at the end of regulation. He got a good look in the paint, despite being surrounded by 3 defenders. This game would go into OT, but you could clearly tell the momentum was with the Ghost Riders. 

Musse would go on to hit a dagger, which put them in control of the game and allowed them to pull off a very close victory. 

Players of the game: 

• Kevin Devine - Was by far the best player on the court at all times in this matchup. I’m used to seeing him distribute the ball, so it’s nice to see him take a more aggressive approach offensively because his team needed it. 
• Mike “Ghost” Fraher - Ghost is just a bucket and was a huge reason his team was able to pull out the victory. The aren’t many guys who can score with the efficiency and consistency that he does. 

44 LEBOV   FINAL 52 Slick When Wet

Subject: No Adwaith, no problem as Slick When Wet pull of the upset 

By JAMIL BALL

Slick When Wet pulled off the biggest upset of the day. With Adwaith not in attendance, I didn’t think they stood a chance, but boy was I wrong! Slick When Wet led this one from start to finish and this matchup was never in doubt. 

Getting to the action, Led by their experienced captain EJ AKA Slick SWW had the best chemistry of any team that played today. Whatever deficit existed from a talent level, they were quickly able to overcome through fantastic ball movement, enthusiastic defense, and most importantly fantastic shooting from deep. 

SWW was significantly undermanned with only 4 starters in attendance, but it was an extremely balanced offensive output as all players were able to reach double digits (EJ (13 points and 8 Rebounds), Shawn (12 points and 22 rebounds), Alan (15 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists), and Patrick (12 points and 8 rebounds). 

I’ve covered this league for a couple of seasons now and I can’t say I’ve seen Patrick, EJ, or Shawn play as well as they did today on both ends of the court. Despite not being named play of the game, Patrick had a fantastic all-around game and hit multiple big shots! He was also very impressive on the defensive end, forcing turnovers and creating havoc. 

Despite LEBOV’s struggles on both ends of the court, you can tell they’ll improve as the season continues. Much of their struggles can be attributed to a lack of chemistry and rust. Djordje Vlajkovic didn’t struggle, his matchup with Shawn was extremely entertaining. 

Like Shawn, DV (22 points and 21 rebounds) would have a monster game in a losing effort. He did everything he could possibly do on both ends of the court. Adam Ellabidy (15 points and 7 rebounds) is on my “Rookie of The Session” radar, played extremely well and I think he’s just scratching the surface of what he’s capable of. 

Despite the loss, Lebov has the talent to be a contender in this league. I expect them to bounce back next week and I have no doubt Harry will play a lot better than he did today. 

Players of the game: 

• Djordje Vlajkovic - DV had a monster 20/20 game as he looks to make good on his plan to average ridiculous numbers throughout this season. 
• Shawn Wise - Shawn played more assertively than I’ve ever seen him play. Anytime someone grabs 22 rebounds and rejects 2 shots in a winning effort, they have to be in consideration for Player of the game! 

5v5 Draft Week 1 Write-Ups

by Jason on Jan. 20, 2023

WEEK 1 WRITE-UPS

Robel vs Hooptopia 

By Jamil Ball

Subject: Team Robel uses a furious comeback to defeat Hooptopia 

After what seemed like an eternity, the 5v5 Draft Winter session opening night is finally here and it wouldn’t disappoint. Team Robel vs Hooptopia set the tone for a super competitive week 1. 

To start the season, I had Team Robel # 1 in my way-too-early rankings, and despite getting off to a slow start, they rounded into shape when Tyrone Mullings (12 points, 3 steals, and 4 rebounds) showed up at halftime. 

Hooptopia led by Ryan Nett got out to a hot start on both ends of the floor, jumping out to an 8 - 0 lead. Ryan (13 points, 2 steals, 2 blocks, and 8 rebounds) led the way for Hooptopia offensively. Despite the hot start, they struggled mightily to convert on the offensive end. 

Defensively, they had no answer for Robel (4 blocks and 12 rebounds). The stats do not reflect the overall impact he had on the game. His ability to draw double teams led to easy wide-open baskets for his teammates and they made them pay in the second half. 

Kevin, Cameron, and Musse were the primary benefactors and hit some huge shots, as they recovered from a slow start to pull away in the closing minutes. Last but not least, there’s Xavier (X) who struggled from beyond the arc, but was the team's second-leading scorer with 10 points.

As X and Tyrone build chemistry and get into basketball shape, their potential is going to be unlimited in a guard-dominated league. I am super excited to see this team progress as we get later into the season.

Despite suffering the loss, Andre Jones (7 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block) had a block that would’ve been featured on ESPN’s top 10 plays of the night. He blocked a shot by literally snatching it out of the air with one hand. I have been covering league games for a long time and admittedly, I have never seen a block that impressive! Shoutout to Dre! 

Players of the game:

• Robel Ghebremichael - His defense propelled this team to victory. 
• Ryan Nett - The # 2 Draft Pick, showed off a fantastic jump and played extremely well. I expect him to be more dominant as the season continues. 

COTE 52 vs DANZING With the Stars 45

by Andre Jones

Player of the game: Nick Mazzeo

COTE: 

Nick Mazzeo was on point as usual with 19 points shooting 40% from 3. His late 3 point shot in Overtime pretty much sealed the deal.

Jackson Cote started off hot and was causing Jacob Held fits on the defensive end but eventually got into foul trouble and fouled out. Scored 9 points and had 10 rebounds.

Liam Corrigan struggled for a bit but still managed to come away with 10 points.

Despite Jamil’s off night from 3 0/6. He still showed great leadership and defensive poise. He got fouled several times from his opponent Matt but no calls, a lot of hand checking. Scored 4 points with 6 assists.

Evan Valcourt was an absolute monster on the boards with 14.

DANZING With the Stars:

No Danzing really hurt this team but Jacob Held kept them close and helped put this team in contention to win. His scoring is what made this game go into Overtime. Jacob came away with 23 points and 22 rebounds and 4 blocks. He was a monster once he got Jackson Cote into foul trouble. Would’ve clearly been awarded player of the game if it weren't for his team losing.

Mike Garafolo scored 10 points and helped a lot with his physical play style. Shot the ball a lot and I do mean a lot.

Matthew Lewis showed up big with 2 clutch 3 point shots that shorten the lead going into the stretch of the 4 quarter helping his team go into Overtime. His overly physical play on Jamil is what kept the game close in my opinion. 

Once Ben gets back I believe DANZING With the Stars will be good to go.

Gear PF VS The Boston Three Party

By Jamil Ball

Subject: Boston Three Party upset Gear PF in double OT 

Game 2 was by far the most exciting game of the night. This matchup would future Gear PF and BostonThree Party, the top 2 teams in my Week 2 Power Rankings. Coming into the matchup, I was anxious to see the draft mystery man Hamza Abdul (27 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals) and he did not disappoint. 

Hamza would go on to lead all scores with 27 points. He shot 6 of 14 from beyond the arc, which was an impressive 42%, and hit big shot after big shot to keep his team within reach. His play was complemented by Corey Fein who connected on 4 threes of his own. Did I mention Corey shot 57% from three? I know it’s too early for a splash brothers comparison, but they were electric during the first week of the season. 

The Boston Three Party was equally impressive. This team is DEEP! Led by Rich DiSola’s team-high 22 points, 20 rebounds, and 2 blocks. They had 3 other players score double-digits (Beato, J. Abreu, and Matty J). 

Matty, Jonathan, and Beato shot the ball extremely well from deep combing for 11 made three-pointers on 16 attempts which equates to 69%. If they shot so well, why was this game so close? Because both of these teams are fucking good. 

The Hamza and DiSola matchup grew more entertaining as the game went out. The banter and commentary left all in attendance entertained. After going into double OT DiSola would get the last laugh, but I have no doubt Hamza is looking forward to their next matchup. 

Needless to say, with so many rookies on both sides I had no idea what to expect, but they all played extremely well and they’ll only get better as the season progresses. For Boston Three Party Nika, Matthew, and Eric look like complete studs. They all outplayed their draft slots and performed well when called upon. 

Gear PF featured 4 rookies, Deron, David, Henry, and Hamza played extremely well together. Their unselfishness and defensive intensity will be the reason, this team is one of the top teams in the league when it’s all said and done.

Players of the game:

• Rich DiSola - Rich continues to get better every time I see him play. Despite being down in the closing minutes, his confidence never wavered as he lead his team to victory. If I had to choose an MVP today, he’d be my choice. Very impressive game my guy! 
• Hamza Abdul - He played an outstanding game and is on my shortlist for MVP. 

Primetime 4.0 vs Shooters Over Bigs

By Jamil Ball

Subject: Primetime finally looks like a contender, as they destroy Shooters Over Bigs

Despite a fantastic night for Jonah Feldman (18 points, 1 steal, 2 blocks, and 8 rebounds) there weren’t many highlights on the night for Shooters Over Bigs. They were completely outclassed by a very motivated and focused Primetime 4.0.

Jacob “Luka” Miller’s 26 points and 5 rebounds on 60% shooting from beyond the arc set the tone for this game early on. Despite being without the 5th overall pick Manny Sutton, Primetime 4.0 jumped out to an early double-digit lead fueled by their defense. 

Rookies Adam Liu (9 points) and Eric Tung (10 points) created havoc by playing suffocating defense and forcing multiple turnovers that led to easy offensive baskets. Veterans Nick Keramaris, John Muccio, and Scott Glynn contributed significantly on the defensive end. 

This team has skyrocketed to # 3 in my week 2 power rankings and the best is yet to come. Next week’s matchup against Team Robel will be an opportunity for them to put the league on notice. 

I know the night didn’t go as expected Shooters Over Bigs, but on the bright side, rookies Alex Yuen (9 points and 9 rebounds) and Alejandro Osorio (9 points and 9 rebounds) looked extremely impressive on both ends of the court.

I have to say, I am extremely impressed with every rookie this season. The quality of the player, skill level, and character are a welcomed addition to this league. 

Players of the game:

• Jacob Miller - Jacob “Luka” Miller was impressive on both ends of the court. He’s certainly entered the MVP conversation with his fantastic play. 
• Adam Liu - Adam’s number doesn’t jump out at you, but he played so well on both ends of the court. I have a feeling, by the season's end, he will be one of my favorite players in this league. That kind of energy and effort is contagious. 

4v4 SDL Draft Recap & Power Rankings

by Jason on Jan. 17, 2023

Way Too Early Power Rankings!

The SDL Winter 23 draft has commenced, so it’s time for the Way Too Early Power Rankings. There weren’t many notable fireworks, aside from a forced trade and 2 rookies drafted within the Top 4 picks. 

After last season was dominated by Team Ball (12 – 0), We have 6 new captains, 20 returning players, 3 rookies, and so much more parity in the league. 

I don’t know about your guys, but I am looking forward to seeing what these new guys can do. Moving on, here are your Winter 2023 pre-season Power Rankings.

Power Rankings

6. SHEFFIELD

Gordon shocked the world by drafting rookie Cam Daniels with the 4th overall pick. Admittedly, I did not see this coming, especially with Kevin Devine still available. Nevertheless, their season will hinge on his productivity.

Strengths: 

• Depth – This team has plenty of depth 1 – 6.  Everyone on this team can hoop and understands how to play effective team basketball. 
• Size – In an SDL league devoid of a lot of size, Gordon’s team has plenty of size and length and may be one of the bigger teams in the league. Ghost, Ben, and Sheffield all have the ability to play big. 

Weaknesses: 

• Scoring – Aside from Ghost, I don’t know who will score consistently for this team. Obviously, Cam is the wildcard, so I am optimistic about this point. 
• Cam and Musse Pairing – Musse is most effective with the ball in his hand. He likes to lead and initiate the offense. Can Cam adjust? Is he comfortable playing off the ball? Time will tell. 

Draft Grades

• 4- Cam Daniels B+  – After Jamal and Adwaith were drafted, there wasn’t anywhere close to the equivalent talent on the board. I would’ve gone with Kevin Devine here, but I respect the gamble in hopes of catching lightning in a bottle. 
• 9 – Mike “Ghost” Fraher A – Ghost is an absolute cheat code and was a steal at # 9. He went 8th last season and only led his team to the championship by way of an undefeated season. 12 – 0! 
• 16 – Musse Kassa B+ – Musse is still battling back from a horrific injury. Last session his team finished in last place with a 3 – 7 record. On a positive note, Musse looked better and better as the seasons continued and will be a steal at pick # 16. 
• 21 – Ben Butterworth A – Ben is a massive pain in the ass that’s going to give offensive players fits. His ability to hit the three will stretch the floor and keep defenders honest. 
• 28 – Neil Aggarwal N/A – The forced trade by Balcerzak really benefited and added depth to this team. Neil is a solid two-way player and a great locker room guy. I am disappointed he’s no longer on my team, but I am ecstatic he’s still in the league. 

5. Rakusin 

Steve got off to a fantastic start grabbing Kevin Devine at 5 and Robert Wood with the 8th pick. Emmanuel Okharedia (Tim Hardaway) was a head-scratcher at 17. E-Man is a heck of a player, so don’t get it twisted, but I feel like DTO would have been a better fit with the players he previously drafted. 

While Emmanual isn’t your traditional point guard, he’s a terrific defender that got better as the season went on. If nothing else, he and Steve will have a ton of chemistry as they played together last session. 

Strengths: 

• Balance – This team has a good combination of size and guard play. Steve, Rob, and Kevin are all capable of guarding bigger opponents. While Emmanuel and Cameron will be a fantastic defensive duo at the guard spot. 
• Shooting – Devin, Chris, Cameron, and Rob are all capable scorers. With Kevin in attendance, I don’t think they will have any issues generating offense. 

Weaknesses: 

• Attendance – Kevin has a track record of missing a couple of games per session. Without Kevin in the lineup, this team is mediocre at best. 

Draft Grades

• 5 – Kevin Devine A+ – In my opinion, Kevin was a top 3 player in this draft, so to get him at 5 was an absolute steal. 
• 8 – Rob Wood A – Rob Wood and Kevin Devine are going to be an absolute nightmare in the pick-roll. Rob was a monster last session, despite his team’s struggles, and is primed to be an All-star this session. 
• 17 – Emmanuel Okharedia B – As indicated above, I question how Emmanuel fits on this team. He’s at his best with the ball in his hands. Nevertheless, I know E-Man is a hooper and he will leave it all on the floor. 
• 20 – Cameron Daniel – Cameron is so underrated, I need him on my team next session. I can’t believe he fell to 20! 
• 29 – Chris  Stull A – Potent three-point shooter that will make you pay if you leave him open. Fantastic floor spacer at 29. 

4. Ruff

The are a lot of variables I considered when rankings Ruff’s team. Ruff’s return to CAC basketball after a 3-year hiatus was not as productive as his previous seasons and he really struggled to find his shooting stroke. 

Their success will rely on how effective Ruff and Charles can be on the offensive end. This team has the makeup and depth to be one, if not the best team in this league if Ruff and Charles can be consistent threats offensively.

Strengths: 

• Depth – This team has plenty of depth 1 – 6.  Everyone on this team can hoop and understands how to play effective team basketball. 
• Size – Jorge and Dylan give team Ruff two dynamic bigs and strong rebounders. Both of these guys can score and impact the game on the offensive end in all three phases.
• DTO – David is coming off one of his best statistical CAC seasons and is going to be a highly productive player for them. 

Weaknesses: 

• Scoring – This team has no shortage of depth and talent, but I don’t see a go-to scorer. Charles may fill that role, but offensively I can see this team struggling. 

Draft Grades

• 6 – Jorge Morel A – Best player available without a doubt. Jorge is a defensive nightmare, he has steadily improved offensively every season. In the last session, Jorge was drafted 17, so his improved draft slot is direct evidence of those improvements. 
• 7 – Dylan Costa A – Dylan was more than worthy of a first-round pick. Coming off an All-star season, I think he will mesh well with Ruff and his assortment of guards. 
• 18 – Charles Maneval A – I am not familiar with Charles, but he averaged 21.6 back in 2020. Getting a guy capable of averaging 20+ in the 3rd round 
• 19 – DTO A – David always goes ridiculously low in the draft and I have no idea why. All this dude does is win and work his ass off. 
• 30- Tommy Ng A – Tommy was not the worst player in the draft. His three-point shooting and hardnose defense will set the tone for this team. Tommy is another guy who continues to improve every season and was pretty impactful last season. 

3. SLICK WHEN WET

My tenure with Slick When Wet lasted a whole 10 minutes until Slick “Erik” traded me for Shawn Wise. Once I am healthy, Slick is going to regret this decision. The last time I saw Shawn, I lit his ass up at LA Fitness, but I digress. 

Led by the last session MVP Adwaith Nair this team will be one of the top teams in the league. This team features 3 All-Stars (Alan, Shawn, and Adwaith) and a fantastic supporting cast (Andre, Patrick, and Slick). 

Strengths: 

• 3 Point Shooting – Adwaith, Alan, Slick, and Patrick are all very capable shooters. I wouldn’t be surprised if they averaged a minimum of 30 3-point attempts per game and shoot 35% on average. 
• Adwaith Nair – There are only 3 dudes in the league that can cover this dude one-on-one (Kevin Devine, Jamal, and maybe Lucas). Offensively, this dude definitely has the Mamba mentality and will score effortlessly.

Weaknesses: 

• Size – Shawn is the only real big on this team and I can certainly see them struggling against bigger teams when he’s out of the game. Adwaith can definitely assist here, but it may create potential matchup challenges. 
• Attendance – Adwaith will miss games, so who steps offensively when he’s unavailable? Aside from Alan, I don’t see any other shot creators on this team. Might be an issue, might not. 

Draft Grades

• 2 – Adwaith Nair A+ – Top returning player in the SDL. His play last session motivated Jamal to join, but he’s my MVP until someone proves otherwise. 
• 12 – Shawn Wise B+ – if I was 6” taller, I’d argue I was the better fit, but Slick’s decision to trade for Shawn was a no-brainer with the lack of size available at 12. 
• 14 – Alan Orellana A – They needed a point guard and Alan was clearly the best available player. This league wouldn’t have been the same without him, so with that said, our rivalry will continue. 
• 23 – Patrick Blaikie A – Patrick is an excellent shooter and will fit excellently along this cast of characters. 
• 24 – Andre Jones A+ – Dre is always one of the most productive and underrated players. His Marcus Smart-like style will definitely put him in the running for defensive player of the year. 

2. Rip Hamilton

Kevin lucked out in the draft lottery and earned the opportunity to draft first, there was no doubt in my mind he was taking Jamal Brown first. Admittedly, I am going to miss him officiating my games, but I won’t miss denying his constant requests to play. 

Jamal undoubtedly will be almost impossible to stop and Kevin did an excellent job surrounding him with impact players. I think Ian Murphy was a draft steal, I’d argue he’s a top 3 big man in this league.

After a somewhat forced trade, our team looks extremely different than draft night, but I truly believe we will be one of the top teams in the league when it’s all said and done.

Strengths: 

• Scoring – Barring any unforeseen attendance issues,  Jamal,  Ian, Kevin, and I have the potential to be a fantastic offensive quartet. We are all capable of scoring at all three phases, which will keep the defense honest. 
• Familiarity – Chemistry shouldn’t be an issue, as we’ve all played together at some point with the exception of Ian Murphy. I think we’re going to have a lot of fun if nothing else. 

Weaknesses: 

• Guard play – The only true guards/ball-handlers on this team is Jamal in myself. This could be a potential challenge in the event we encounter attendance issues. Fully staffed, I don’t see this being an issue.
• Defense – I could see us struggling against a guard-dominant lineup. I also don’t think I have ever seen Jamal play defense, so this is something to keep an eye on. 

Draft Grades

• 1 – Jamal Brown A+ – Offensively this dude is unguardable. 
• 11 – Jamil Ball B+ – I still think I was drafted too high. I am a 3rd round player, please keep this in mind for future drafts. I am actually kind of disgruntled about this at the moment. 
• 13 – Ian Murphy A – Again, I’d argue Ian is one of the top bigs in the draft. The fact he fell to the 3rd round was an unexpected turn of events. 
• 27 –  Christian Balcerzak N/A – Christian was acquired via a trade, but he’s a very welcomed addition. Christian will be solid on both ends of the court and is a very capable shooter. 
• 28 – Evan O’Neil N/A – Evan, one of the best teammates ever, was acquired via a trade and is a defensive menace. During our last season together, the White Mamba himself led us to an SDL championship. We have not received our championship gear yet, but I am sure Tibbs is somewhere working on it. 

1. LEBOV

This ranking is dependent on the performance of rookies Lucas Guliano and Noah Landy. Harry took a calculated gamble and I am pretty confident it’s going to pay off. This team has an embarrassment of riches at the guard spot and a fantastic big Djordje Vlajkovic. This team is primed to be one of the top teams in the league.

Strengths:

• Scoring – I don’t think this team will have any issue generating offense. 1 – 6, they are all very capable scorers.
• Defense – Despite the lack of size, I don’t think they will lack toughness. 

Weaknesses: 

• Size – Aside from Djordje this team has absolutely no size at all. I imagine Lucas can probably assist here, but I think guarding the likes of Jamal, Shawn Wise Ian Murphy, and Jorge Morel can get ugly. 

Draft Grades

• 3 – Lucas Guliano B+ – I love the pick, but with Kevin Devine still available this has the potential to come back and haunt Harrison. 
• 10 – Djordje Vlajkovic A – I had  Djordje in my top 6, so getting him at 10 was an absolute steal. He has aspirations of averaging 20/20 this season, but I do not see that happening.  
• 15 – Adam Ellabidy A – Average 13 points In his lone CAC season. Will be a solid addition to an already potent lineup.  
• 22 – Noah Landy A – Drafting a Tyrese Maxey kind of player in 4th round is always a solid addition. Hopefully, this kid can play!  
• 25 – Andrew Marra N/A – Definitely wanted him on my team, but I’ll live. Andre is a solid all-around player and will contribute on both ends of the court. He gives this team fantastic depth. 

5v5 Draft Winter 23 Draft Recap & Way Too Early Power Rankings

by Jason on Jan. 17, 2023

Way Too Early Power Rankings!

The 5v5 Winter 23 draft has commenced, so it’s time for the Way Too Early Power Rankings.

There was no shortage of disappointment and controversy, as Player Requests (Demands) continued to dominate the pre-draft discussions. With that said, some other highlights include: 

• Dowrey and Miguel successfully orchestrated their plot to draft 3 of their friends. Dowrey is claiming innocence, but I’ll be the judge of that. 
• Van Wert and Garofalo were denied the opportunity to play together for the second consecutive season. I’m thinking one of them should be a captain to avoid this outcome next session.
• Musse and Robel got their boy Nah Berhand. He will be in the running for Rookie of the Session. 
• Danzig is a hell of a captain, who would’ve thought? He didn’t just talk about wanting to play with Held, he trades up to # 3 and left no room for chance. There’s going to be the best big-man duo in the league. 
• Despite my effort to tank my draft, Jackson drafted me and Andre stepped up to cover my games and ultimately save the day. Thanks, Dre! You are very much appreciated. 

Needless to say, there was no shortage of excitement and I am looking forward to seeing what all these new guys can do. 

Moving on, here are your Winter 2023 pre-season Power Rankings.

Way Too Early Power Rankings

8. GLYNN (Shooters Over Bigs)

Despite my last-place ranking, I do not doubt that Ryan’s team has the potential to finish in the upper echelon of the league. There are a lot of unknowns here, but my biggest concern is their lack of size. 

Feldman is a scrappy baller, who plays well bigger than his 6”2 frame. Brian Horton has some size and can assist with matchups against bigger teams, but this does have the potential to be a challenge for them. 

With that said, this team will be in contention when it’s all said and done. 

Projected Starting 5 

1. Feldman, F. Horton, F. Jenco, G. Biskelonis, and G. Ryan Glynn

Draft Grades

• 6 – Feldman A+ – Jonah Feldman was the highest-rated player in the draft, so getting him at 6 was an absolute no-brainer. 
• 11 – Horton A – Brian is a very capable scorer and was an absolute no-brainer with the 11th pick. 
• 22 – Biskelonis A – Alex is a skilled point guard that will hit open shots and facilitate the offense. Based on the other players available at 22, I think he was the best fit for this team. 
• 27 – Jenco B – My grade here has nothing to do with Jenco, but I would’ve loved to see them draft some size to compliment Jonah here. Jenco is a two-way player capable of rebounding and scoring consistently.
• 38 – Rivadeniero A  – Carlos has the potential to be a double-digit scorer off the bench. Coming off a stellar season in the over-30 league, I’m interested to see what he can do as he transitioned to a 5v5 league. 
• 43 – Yuen A – Alex Yuen has the potential to be the steal of the draft. Potent 3-point shooter and a very capable scorer. How the hell did he fall to 43? 
• 54 – Ng A – Big Gunz has been working out three days per week and is ready to battle. Let’s fucking go! 

7. MUCCIO (Primetime 4.0)

Mooch did a fantastic job drafting this team. My rankings have more to do with the parity in the league and absolutely nothing to do with the overall potential for the team to outperform their initial rankings. 

Sutton at # 5 was an absolute no-brainer for me. This dude is an absolute mismatch in the post. He and Nick Keramaris make for an interesting pairing, but a fantastic strategy. Unlike most big men, they do not occupy the same space.

To round out the lineup, Mooch drafted Thompson who fantastic point guard that is at his best when he’s playing aggressively. Overall, this was Mooch’s best draft in multiple seasons and I would not be surprised if this team outplays their rankings. 

Projected Starting 5 

1. Keramaris, F. Sutton, F. Mooch, G. Liu, and G. Thompson

Draft Grades

• 5 Sutton A+ – I believe Manny was one of the top players in this draft. Getting him at 5 was a no-brainer. 
• 12 Keramaris B – Admittedly, I have some questions about Nick’s fit here. Nick is a fantastic defender and rebounder, I wonder after last season’s offensive struggles if Mooch should have targeted a scorer at 12. 
• 21 Thompson A – This was a huge value pick. David went 10th overall last session, so getting him at 21 was an absolute no-brainer. 
• 28 Liu C+ – Hard to gauge how effective Adam will be in this league. He averaged 11 PPG in a super competitive B2 5v5 league last session, but his team went 0 – 9 and averaged a 13-point loss, so does it really matter? 
• 37 Tung A – Getting a 3-point sharpshooter at 37 is a savvy move, no arguing Eric will be a draft steal. 
• 44 S. Glynn A – The real “Glynn” Scott was relatively quiet last season. After back-to-back championship seasons, his team failed to make it out of the first round. I do not doubt that Scott will make teams pay once again for passing on him. 
• 53 Miller C – I’m grading the shitty rookie bio. Why join a draft league and give captains absolutely no details? 

6. Cote (TBD)

Heading into the draft, I didn’t think there was any chance in hell, that Mazz and I would end up on the same team. Clearly, Jackson had other plans. I understand Mazz at 4, but I think I was a reach at 13. 

Defensively, my team has a lot of potential. Led by Valcourt, Corrigan, and fearless leader, Jackson Cote, we have the potential for something special. 

The offensive end is where my concerns lie. This isn’t 4v4 and Mazz is not going to average 30+ PPG. Who else is going to step up and score?  Enright and Hasegawa will be the wildcards. If one of them can average double-digits I like our chances against any team in this league. 

Projected Starting 5 

1. Jackson, F. Valcourt, F. Corrigan, G. Mazz, and G. Ball

Draft Grades

• 4 Mazz A – Mazz was the perfect pick for Jackson at 4. The big man isn’t much of an offensive threat, but he’s an incredible defender and rebounder. Who better to kick out to than Mazz waiting for a wide-open three-point shot? 
• 13 Ball C+ – Admittedly, I think drafting me at 13th was a stretch, but Mazz can’t pass the ball to himself, right? Hopefully, Andre keeps track of all my assists. 
• 20 Enright A – I am excited about Aidan’s potential. His ability to hoop might make or break our season. 
• 29 Corrigan A+ – Liam’s stats do him no justice. He’s a fantastic defender that is more than capable offensively. Liam and Mazz will have plenty of chemistry based on their familiarity. 
• 34 Valcourt A+ – Multiple teams were trying to trade for him and then my captain pulled a rabbit out of his hat. Evan has consistently been one of the top defenders and rebounders in this league for multiple sessions. I am ecstatic that he’s on my team. 
• 41 Hasegawa B – Sounds like he’s going to be a fantastic defender. I am looking forward to hooping with him. 
• 52 Zeng C+ – “Center trapped in a point guard body”? I am not sure how I feel about this, but I’m looking forward to hooping with you Regardless.  

5. BALCERZAK (TBD)

This team has unlimited potential. Christian did a fantastic job drafting one of the deepest teams in the league. I love the trio of Nett, Levin, and Schwartz. Van Wert at 36 gives BALCERZAK one of the biggest and deepest teams in the league.

What’s missing? A Point guard. Who will quarterback all this assembled talent? I can Andre Jones playing a significant role on this team. Kyle and Patrick were draft steals at 45th and 47th. I think they will drive on this team. 

Projected Starting 5 

1. Nett, F. Schwartz, F. Levin, G. Jones, and G. Schluns 

Draft Grades

• 2 Nett A+ – I had Nett ranked as the # 2 player in this draft. What’s not to like about a former D3 basketball player? 
• 15 Levin A+ – Taking a flyer on Ben brilliant. I think he’s going to be a difference-maker on this team and in this league. 
• 18 Schwartz A+ – Dan Schwartz is one of the top players and defenders in this league. I can’t believe he was available at 18! 
• 31 Jones A – Andre is coming off a fantastic season. His game-winning buzzer-beater was one of his many highlights and I look for him to build upon that success. 
• 36 Van Wert A  – I do not doubt that Van Wert will outplay his draft position. I know he wanted to play with Mike G, but his pairing with former teammate Andre should make it a little more bearable. 
• 45 Aspell A+ – Patrick was absolutely amazing during our championship run last season. He has now participated in and won back-to-back championships. Could there be a third in his future?
• 47 Schluns A+ – Kyle is going thrive being surrounded by talented high IQ players. Perfect fit for him. 

4. Dowrey (Gear PF)

I honestly don’t know what to expect from this team, but the fact they assembled B2 team in a draft league, I have doubts they’ll be one of the better teams in the league. 

Projected Starting 5 

1. Monclova, F. Myatt, F. Abdul, G. Morales, and G. Dowrey

Draft Grades

• 8 Monclova A – 6”2 point guard with the 8th pick. Doesn’t get much better than that. 
• 9 Abdul A+ – 35% shooter from beyond the arc? Between him and Miguel this team is going to have no shortage of firepower. 
• 19 Morales A – Todd wanted to hoop with him, so I am assuming he’s good. 
• 30 Remy B+ – Remy gives them some much-needed depth at the guard spot and provides fantastic three-point shooting, 
• 35 Fein A – The three-point marksman himself. Corey is coming off a fantastic season and his ability to shoot the three-point well is going to make this team even more dynamic than it already is. 
• 46 Myatt A – I was really hoping to hoop with Brad this season. He’s a solid big man that stretches the floor with his midrange game. This team lacked size, so being able to draft Brad 46 was crucial. 
• 51 Dias A – Dias at 51 was a steal. I have no idea why he fell so low, but I have doubt teams are going to regret passing on him.  

3. Danzig (Danzig with the Star)

Danzig assembled the best starting 5 in the league. The combination of Held, Danzig, and Garofalo is going to be nearly impossible to stop. Most teams struggled to assemble 2 bigs, Danzig messed around and drafted 3. 

If this team is that talented, why did I rank them # 3? Because I have some serious questions about their depth. If they are able to get consistent production from Mukalel, Duff, and Quan, Danzig and company have to be one of the top teams in the league. 

Projected Starting 5 

1. Held, F. Danzig, F. Garofalo, G. Cruz, and G. Lewis 

Draft Grades

• 3 Held A+ – Held is one of the most skilled players in this league. He and Danzig together will be one of the top duos in this league. 
• 14 Garofalo A+ – Mike is coming off a monster season. He continues to be underrated, but it worked out perfectly because he landed on a loaded team. 
• 24 Cruz A – Solid rookie profile, looks like he’ll be a core player on this team. 
• 25 Lewis A – Solid rookie profile, looks like he’ll be a core player on this team. 
• 40 Mukalel B+ – Amal at 40 was a solid pick. What he lacks in talent, he makes up for in effort. He has consistently gotten better each session, so I know his best is yet to come. 
• 50 Duff B – I love Duff’s potential! I was hoping to hoop with him, but my captain made an executive decision to trade him away. 
• 56 Quan A – Chao’s Player Rating continues to be deceiving. He has consistently played well in the biggest game and will be a productive member of this team without a doubt. 

2. JOHNSON (Shooters Over Bigs)

Led by Matty J and DiSola, this squad is going to be extremely difficult to guard. They are ridiculously deep 1 – 8. 

Tim, Matty, Beato, and DiSola will pace them offensively but don’t Jonathan Abreu, he is a more than capable scorer. Admittedly, I do have concerns about their lack of size and that could prove to be troublesome, but as long as they score more than the other team they have a chance. 

With that said, I expect them to be one of the league’s top teams, and I am excited to see how this plays out. 

Projected Starting 5 

1. Sulakvelidze, F. J Abreu, F. DiSola, G. Johnson, and G. Donnelly

Draft Grades

• 1 DiSola A – Rich is coming off a championship MVP-worthy season. There’s no question that he’s the number one player in this draft and Matty surrounded him with a ton of talent. 
• 16 Donnelly B+ – Tim is one of the best two-way players in the league when he’s in attendance. Tim, Matty, Beato, and DiSola will be the top three-point shooting team in the league. 
• 17 Sulakvelidze A – Getting 6’4″ 200 rookie at 17 was a great value pick. This team is devoid of a true big man, so Nika, Jonathan, and Disola will have to step up! 
• 32 Beato A+ – Beato is going to get buckets in this league. This dude should’ve gone ahead of me. The fact that Matty got him at 32 is obnoxious. 
• 33 J Abreu A+ – Jonathan at 33 was a steal. He’s a very capable player on both ends of the court and provides Matty with so much-needed size. 
• 48 Li B+ – The rookie had a solid bio and adds depth to Matty’s ridiculous embarrassment of riches. 
• 49 Lambalot B+ – Another solid rookie that played at a high level. This team is absolutely stacked and primed for success. 

1. GHEBREMICHAEL (TBD)

Robel and Musse assembled a ridiculous team that is posed to be one of the top teams in the league Berhanu eventually makes his debut. 

The combination of Mullings and X might just be the best backcourt in the league on both ends of the floor. Berhanu is going to give them a 3-headed monster and we can’t forget the big dawg himself Robel. 

Add Musse, Kevin, Steve, and Cameron into the mix and you have one hell of a team. 

Projected Starting 5 

1. Robel, F. Rakusin, G. X, G, Berhanu, and G. Mullings

Draft Grades

• 7 Mullings A+ – Solid point guard that will pace his team offensively. Perfect pairing with X and Robel. This team is going to be very entertaining to watch. 
• 10 X A+ – X is coming off a monster 5v5 Draft session. I love the pairing of him, Berhanu, and Tyrone. This squad is very reminiscent of Robel’s Championship bound squad. Team name suggestion, Championship Won? 
• 23 Berhanu A+ – From my understanding, Nah might end up being the steal of the draft. This team is stacked. 
• 26 Musse A – Musse isn’t Musse yet, but he looks more comfortable in every game. I’m excited to have him in the league and 
• 39 Gillooly A – Kevin when left open can make teams pay from beyond the arc. Surrounded by all this talent, Kevin is going to absolutely thrive offensively.
• 42 Rakusin A – Steve was a great selection to play with the big dawg. Steve is a fantastic rebounder and defender, but offensively he stretches the floor as a very capable 3-point shooter. 
• 55 Cameron A – Cameron at 55 is a serious draft steal. He is the reason this is one of the deepest teams in the league.