Spring 2024 5v5 Draft Preview

by Jason on Apr. 30, 2024

5V5 DRAFT SPRING DRAFT REVIEW (taps mic) *is this thing on*

Hi everyone! My name’s Matt Killeen. I’m here to preview the upcoming 5v5 Draft League. I’m taking all questions about the recent draft. Let’s start with you in the front with the Gerald Green jersey?

“Yes, Lendale White, the CAC Gazette. Could you talk through your thoughts on the rookies?”

Great questions Mr. White. We have 10 non-APR rookie this session. They went as high as 3rd overall (Coby Eure) and as late as 43rd overall (Tyler McCullough). But let’s start with the two that THOMAS SKATES took at 5th and 8th overall. Christian Brooks and Kevin Ryff both have HS ball experience, stand 6 feet plus and had captivating bios. Some serious Walt Whitmans. I like the risk taking from Skates here. Let the kids ball. The highest rookie drafted was Coby Eure who has legit D2 AND D1 experience. Did he play both simultaneously? 6’5” 229. Yikes. I heard he plays better at 225 so hopefully he knocks out a sweatsuit run prior to opening tip. If his skills match what it looks like on paper, he’s going to wreck people.

BRIAN HORTON took two more rookies Alex Rosenbluth and Charlie Magiera. Both played high school ball but are an far ends of the spectrum when it comes to understanding their own games. Rosenbluth even specified the type of assists he likes to be involved in (creative), laid out all the areas he likes to shoot from and every type of organized basketball he’s been a part of. Magiera, he just doesn’t know.

EMMANUEL OKHAREDIA scooped two late rookies. Alex Gatter and Prasanna Rajasekaran. This was a requested pairing. Both emphasizing how hard and solid their D is. Sometimes rookies can get a little overzealous with their D. Hoping these guys play with just enough edge to control themselves and not give up a quick shot.

JAMIL BALL, ahem, sorry. DEFENDING CHAMPION Jamil Bell, also grabbed two rookies. Lonny Laureano and Tyler McCollough. McCollugh’s been out of the game for a minute after playing JV ball over a decade ago but, you can tell he’s still got youthful energy based on the .edu email. Laureano is, umm, 17? Is it even legal for us to play with him? I get it though, Bell had to bring down he’s teams average age after pairing himself up with Debari. That leaves Sam Johnson on JACKSON COTE’S squad (pick 42). He hasn’t played “in any league since intramural in college”. So it’s probably good he’s a “pass first guard”.

Next question. You in the back with the... is that a Rasheed Wallace Celtics jersey? You definitely get the next question.

“Thank you Mr. Killeen. Can you quickly talk through the veteran second round picks?”

Oh, man. Yeah, the second round was pretty loaded. The top of the second round for JACKSON COTE’S pick, Zachary Davidson. Davidson is a rookie to this league but is a decorated CAC veteran with his... one season of previous experience. Essentially a 15/10 guy. You have to wonder what’s up with the 0.40 blocks for a guy that pulls down 10 boards a game. But can’t hait on the double double. EMMANUEL OKHAREDIA was slotted in as a second rounder as a captain. Okharedia has excellent court vision and plays some intense man on ball defense. The shooting comes and goes but the passing and on-ball defense is some of the best you’ll find in the league.

Ben Brown went to BRIAN HORTON at 10th overall. Brown was a rookie last year (i think, I’m not checking). And nearly carried his team to the finals after his team limped into the playoffs debilitated by injuries. He can handle, guard, shooter, grab boards. He fits on every type of team. Debari went at 11 which is criminal. Although, I think that just speaks to the talent at the top of the draft. I saw Debari play in (and to be fair, lose) two finals last season. He’s settling into his “old man” game more focused on leveraging angles and getting to the free throw line than blowing past people. But don’t sleep on this man, he will blow by you if you let up. We close out the second round with Elliot Sackman. I know nothing about this guy, but I can promise you there were moments growing up where it was awesome to have his last name and then the pendulum swung the other way. The second round was strong, Debari at 11 is something though.

Next question. You with the Nirvana T-Shirt. You’re not cool enough to wear that but let’s hear your question

(looks down) “you’re right, I just want to feel cool so I pretend to like bands from before I was born, anyway my question is, what are your thoughts at BRIAN HORTON’S final four picks since you watched them all play last season?”

Happy to! Alex Biskelonis I felt like could have been so much more last season. He just got stuck on the worst team in the league. If he’s on a team where he can be the second or third option I think he can be dangerous. Kid can shoot. Captain BRIAN HORTON is another shooter and I honestly wish he’d take more threes, I’d argue he could have been a 5th rounder. Brad Myatt is the kind of guy every team would love to have. He does all the little stuff, communicates on and off the court and actually develop a nifty little mid-range jumper. Paul Orlinsky rounds out the team and if he decided to use his body appropriately he could do some damage as a post-defender.

Next question, the young lady with the “LeBron was robbed of DPOY in 2013” shirt.

“This is going to be surprising question but which team do you think is going to be the strongest defensive team”

Now THAT’S a question. I think THOMAS SKATES’ team jumps out. They have three of my favorite perimeter defenders. Skates himself is a high energy aggressive quick defender who has enough strength to switch onto bigger guys for a moment. Skates tacked on two of the more annoying defender in Carlos Carmona and Othniel St-Ulme. Carmona has lightning quick hands and generates multiple deflections every game. St-Ulme is more of a risk taker and loves jumping passing lanes. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. But it does force teams to be aware of him. The trio of Skates, Carmon and St-Ulme is going to be PITA for opposing guards. Throw in Chris Whitney who has legitimate size near the rim (although he’s more a shot alterer than a shot blocker). This team is going to give people problems on defense.

Next question from the guy with the mullet and the flannel shirt unbutton with no undershirt.

“Yall ain’t say much bout dat boy John Reilly’s team. Why ‘ont ya throw some spam on that skillet and cook up a suttin’ bout dat squad?”

Umm, sure. Reilly drew the 1.01 and picked Nick Mazzeo. I’ve never seen Mazzeo play but the numbers jump off the page. Consistently dropping 20+ across multiple leagues, throwin dimes, getting steals. I’m going to need to make sure my pen is fully loaded with ink to keep up with all the stats. Seems like a great option at 1.01. We touched on Sackman at 2.06 and I LOVE the Dainis Klavins pick at 3.01. Klavins is a knock down shooter who can get his shot off quicker than Forrest Gump in a dorm room. He legitimately changes the course of games in a 3 minute shooting spree. Isaac Julien was the pick at 4.06 and Isaac is one of those ideal pieces to have. He doesn’t demand the ball but he can do everything on the court. No matter how you want to structure your 5 on the floor, he fits. Anywhere from the 3 to the 5 spot. A great utility piece around all the scoring at the top end of the draft. I’ve never seen Abreu play but the guy puts up 2+ stocks a game which is also a nice compliment to the scoring from Mazzeo and Klavins. Kunal Chawla at 36 I think is a bit of a steal. Kunal is a legitimate three point shooter. He’s not neccessarilly creating his own shot but with space he can knock it down with the best of them. He also started to show some aggression driving to the basket at the end of last session. REILLY was slotted in as a 7th round pick. Don’t know much about his game but over a steal game will play alongside the shooters. Lastly, there’s Tyler Pontes who has flashed some good playmaking. It’s a good squad. There’s lots of pressure on Mazzeo and Klavins to score and I don’t know what kind of size they’re working with outside of Julien. But I like the shooting.

Alright y’all we’re running out of time, so I’ll just run through the players on the rest of the squads!

Let’s start with the defending champ JAMIL BALL is what you think of what you think of a floor general. He’s great with the ball, he’s great guarding the ball and he seems to play better the more intense the game is. Great free throw shooter and high high level basketball IQ. Him and Debari on the same team will be fun. Bell added one of my favorite players in the league Alex Yuen. Yuen is a monster rebounder, and great in the pick and roll. He sets HARD screens but paces his rolls so well. And if you sell out to prevent the roll he’s got a nice little free throw line jumper. Dan Buckley was the 6th round pick. Buckley is the prototypical wing player. Plays D, grabs boards and just knows where to be. The kind of pick you never regret. Maurice Klaehene was picked near the end of the draft. His most recent stats are from 2016, so let’s just assume he’s been in the lab for 8 years cookin up some fresh moves and they’re ready to be unleashed on the unsuspecting. But this team probably goes as far as first round pick Jonah Feldman goes. Essentially a 20/12 guy with almost 3 stocks per game. Those are monster lines.

For THOMAS SKATES’ squad we didn’t touch on Aidan Enright and Daniel Hasegawa. Enright might be a bit of a steal if he’s legitimately a double digit scorer. Tough to know much about

Hasegawa’s game but at least he’s been playing in CAC leagues pretty consistently the last year so he SHOULD be in basketball shape.

EMMANUEL OKAHREDIA’s squad opened with Rich Disola. The top APR on the board, Disola is another 20/12 guy with some assists. Defensive impact has regressed his last two season so he’s probably just cooked. Mike Fraher was Okharedia’s third rounder and based purely on APR was a bit of a research but hopefully he’ll just put this comment up on the bulletin board. He’s als one of the SDL guys infiltrating the league this season and I think Okharedia played in that so I’m going to assume Okharedia knows more than me. Okharedia brought back his running mate from last session, Derek Erion, an absolute force on the glass. Although he pulls a couple of Ferris Buehler’s with his attendance. Brock Mickley was scooped in the 5th. Brock is a better play than he thinks he is. Would like to see him play with more confidence, the kid has some game. Andy Sealund rounds out the squad and given Erion’s attendance issues and the unknown rookies in rounds 6 and 7, he should get plenty of run here.

JACKSON COTE’S team is the last to flesh out, opening with Schyler Oliveira. Oliveira can drop buckets and dish the rock. The later of which should mesh well with Remy Baudet who loves to receive passes so he can shoot. I’ve seen Baudet go off for 30 in a game. That’s not true of everyone in the third round. Jackson Cote looks like he focuses 100% on rebounding. Which is good. He can rebound the ball and give it to Baudet. Joe Martin brings serious size to the team. Another guy to grab rebounds and give the ball to Baudet. Corey Fein is an underrated player. His individual stats don’t jump off but I remember multiple close games from last year where Fein either hit a crucial three, or grabbed a critical offensive rebound, or made a much needed defensive stop. I promise you he’ll do that again this session. The second to last pick of the draft was Manisa Chawla who’s coming back to CAC after half a decade off? Let’s see what he added to his game in that time.

There seems to be more top end talent in the league this season than last. I’m excited to see how that plays out.

My gut reaction rankings.

6. Jackson Cote “B2 DROP OUTS” - I don’t know most of these guys, maybe that’s the problem. Outside of Baudet I see scoring being a problem here and sometimes you just need guys that get buckets.

5. Thomas Skates “Hoopa Loompas” - The perimeter D is legit here. I don’t know about the rookies and I don’t see the size here to compete. Also, as good as defenders as some of these guys are, they still need to score. You can’t win purely on defensive pressure.

4. John Reilly (no team name) - I’m sensing a lack of size here. That will hurt you. The teams that went far last year had at least one legitimate big and the team that won it all had two. This team will need to shoot at a high level all season. No pressure Klavins.

3. Brian Horton “Bet The Over” - I like Ben Brown’s game. The Coby Eure bio suggests we have a legitimate hooper coming our way. Biskelonis might finally show what he couldn’t show last session. Lots of upside on this team.

2. Emmanuel Okharedia “Dribble Penetration” - There’s size AND scoring on this team. They’ll need Mickley to be the shooter he’s shown he can in spurts to really open up things for Okharedia and the bigs. Excited for this squad.

1. Jamil Bell “Too Hot for TV” - Size, ball handling, shooting. This team has it all. This team is also full of guys that play good team ball. Bell built a similar type monster last season and they won the ship. They look like the early favorites to do it again.

Excited for the season. Introduce yourself tomorrow if I don’t know you. Glad to see so many back from the winter session. It’s almost tip off time!

Winter 24 A 5v5 Preseason Preview

by Jason on Jan. 16, 2024

By Devin Quinlin

**__A League Preview for W24 session:__**

The new 12-team, same-day, different-gyms format is a unique idea, and I like it. With all twelve teams having already played in the CAC A League before, these teams are familiar with each other and I’m expecting some competitive, intense games this session. With only 8 available playoff spots, the #7 - #10 teams will be battling every possession for a chance at playoff glory in what I imagine will be some unforgettable battles. Below are the preseason power rankings, but anything is possible in a league stacked with this much talent, so feel free to ignore everything I’ve written here.

12.) Team Takeover → Plenty of talent but no chemistry or game plan. Jared Johnson has become one of the best scorers in this division and I love his consistency, but running mates Parker and Toney should be right there with him. Unfortunately, they’ve been too inconsistent, especially in the scoring department, to justify a higher ranking. They’ve added a few new names, with Nick Ritzo being a former D1 track athlete, but I just can’t see Team Takeover ranked anywhere outside of the 11 or 12 spot until they show me otherwise

11.) We The Ones! → Keith has once again added some new guys to the trio of himself, Stanowicz, and Carter, all of whom are solid but aren’t putting WTOs out of the bottom tier. Guy Pistone is a great pickup, as our team finally has a real point guard who will show up consistently, while Arinze Obiora is immediately this team’s best player and is the main reason I put WTOs over Team Takeover. Without Palmer next to him, Rinze will have a lot more freedom to operate, and I expect a stellar session from him. Obi Obiora and Dan Barbour are also new additions, and I might finally not be injured, but I’m not as familiar with their games and I’m heinously short, so we don’t quite move the needle.

10.) Bing Bong → The Wentworth squad is back to Thursdays, where they previously went 3-7. Last session they finished 6-5 on Monday, which is an improvement, albeit in a worse division. They also lose their leading scorer from last session, and while I see a few new names who previously played at Wentworth, I don’t imagine an enormous improvement. Keough will be their go to scorer, while Lennon runs the point and Jaynes and Azums operate down low. While I believe in all of these guys, they will need more consistency, and more assertiveness, if they want to improve on their previous results from the last time they played on Thursdays.

9.) Skelton’s Boys → When Skelton’s Boys first made the jump to A a few sessions ago, I questioned whether or not they could hang, and they decisively proved me wrong. Still, they bumped down to B1 last session and will need to readjust to A again (though I think they can). They kept their best players in Pettit, Horan, Anderson, and Bassett, which is a good core, and added four new guys, none of whom have played in CAC before. Tough spot for SB, who will be competitive with every team in this league, but I predict will lose several close games to some of the better teams in the division. We’ll have to see what the new guys bring, and if they have the size to match-up.

8.) Space and Pace →This is a crazy ranking for the team that just won Monday A League, so I apologize for the disrespect, but I also stand firm that Monday A was significantly worse than Thursday A. James Welch and Colin Bradenese are both excellent players regardless of division, and their chemistry from college certainly helps, but outside of them, I see a steep drop off scoring wise. Pellegrini can score but he’s an undersized big, the Marino brothers are solid but getting older (plus will face better bigs than in B1 or Monday A), and Steve Valacer passes too much. This team will need to grind out wins defensively, unless Welch and Bradenese combine for 45-50+ a game. All that said, this is a solid roster with championship pedigree and experience playing together, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they finish way higher in the final standings, though I don’t see a deep playoff run for them either.

7.) The Spida Men → The Spida Men are back after a session in which they lost almost every game, but had a positive point differential. They still have a lot left in the tank, but as the age creeps up, consistency becomes the main concern. Jamal can still go with the best of them, Danny Martin has showed no signs of slowing down any time soon, but they lose John Lithio’s absurd efficiency and smart play from last session. Tim Gallivan will need to be more consistent, as he sometimes scores an easy 20+, and other times scores 4 points on two putback layups, though this has a lot to do with the team’s gameplan. They added Martin’s younger brother, who, I believe, has only played in high school where he was listed at 6’0, 165lbs, which is exactly what I put on my MaxPreps page (I was lying). They also added Romario Lauriston, who is a 6’5 wing with Juco experience, averaging double figures for BHCC. They will need him to be that guy if they want to compete with the teams above them. Hard to know how good he will be, but some of the Juco guys can really go, so time will tell.

6.) Ronin Blood Warriors → The RBWs come back with a new look roster this session, as they lose Palmer, both Obioras, and Ray Miller. They do add Kevin Nunez, who had a successful showing in Monday A League a few sessions ago, former D3 national champ Allen Williamson, and Harrison Taggart, who played at U. Vermont before dominating at St. Anselm. These are all excellent pickups, as well as Dave Zielinski, who filled in for Zards in dominant fashion on several occasions last session. My issue with this team is chemistry and familiarity. I have no idea if any of these guys even know each other, and Zielinski, Taggart, and Williamson all fit well in the drive and kick, high level shooting, disciplined style of basketball that defines New England D3 basketball and rears success in CAC A League (look at the top 5 teams for proof). Can the rest of the squad fall into that playstyle, or will this team devolve into iso ball with no group identity? Hard to know, but I trust Dan’s recruiting and believe in them talent wise.

5.) FCHWPO → I covered Team Amherst in B1 a few sessions ago, in which they lost in the championship but were otherwise dominant. Without a doubt an A League level team, I’m hesitant to rank them above the top 4 teams, but wouldn’t be surprised if they were. Johnny McCarthy is an elite scorer, Eric Sellew will be a defensive stalwart, and the rest of the team rounds out nicely with Chris Sellew sniping threes, Fru Che doing a bit of everything, and Will Phelan bringing some size into the backcourt. I can’t say I know every player on this roster, but I expect them to transition smoothly into this division and will have the size to match other teams. I also think their chemistry, both in CAC leagues and from college, bodes well for them in close games. Their matchup with Zards might get a bit chippy, but I’m here for it.

4.) Suffolk → With Palmer out of the league, I am now confident that Bolden Brace is the best player in this division, which will always make Suffolk competitive in any game. George Grillakis has proven that he can go hard to his right against Michael Jordan himself, nearly a guaranteed 20ppg and a more confident jump shot as well. Sam Holtze is an elite two way guard in this league (though I would love to see him shoot more), and he added college teammate Will Jackowitz for some size and shooting. O’Donnell and Big Money Mike return for some interior size and shooting, while Yusuf and Bret Edwards add some shooting in the backcourt, rounded out by the versatile Rob Rizos. Good roster with clearly defined roles for everyone and the talent to compete, the only reason these guys aren’t higher is the consistency of the teams above them. With their Big Three, though, I would never be surprised to see them win the whole league.

3.) Not A Dime Back → NADB cruised through the regular season last session, losing only to Suffolk and locking up the #1 seed, but lost a close one to eventual champs WCS in the second round. My main issue with NADB was Jon Luster, who previously averaged 18.8ppg, 8.3rpg, and 4.7apg in W23, 20.5ppg, 8.9rpg, and 5.9apg in S23, and then inexplicably dropped to 12.4ppg, 5.6rpg, and 4.1apg last session, scoring in single digits four times and just not shooting the ball nearly enough for a player of his caliber. Kind of strange to do a deep dive on a player for a men’s league preview, but I’m a huge believer in his game and was shocked to see him look disinterested last session. Take over the game, Jon, you’re putting up my kind of statlines. Outside of Luster, this team has plenty of other talent, with Kontopidis dominating both ends inside and on the wing, Dom Black consistently among the league leaders in steals, assists, rebounds, two-pointers made, and free-throw makes and attempts, Chris Conner adding elite shooting, and other guys perfectly rounding out the roster. These guys end every game with A+ teammate grades and their chemistry and unselfish playstyle are unstoppable, but they will need Luster to be more selfish if they want to ascend back to the #1 ranking.

2.) Zards → I thought the Zards were finally going to win it last session, but they came up just short in the championship game. From a roster standpoint, I’m not sure there’s a better team, as Dan Wohl is a crazy scorer who repeatedly steps up in big moments, Sam Longwell is the most efficient player in the world, and the rest of the roster perfectly compliment both of their games. One issue I’ve seen with Zards is perhaps too much talent. Mike Kearney is happy to facilitate as a pure point guard, which he does well, but guys like Aronowitz, Flood, and Prodanovic have a lot more to offer in terms of offensive output. I’m a big believer in giving your best guys the ball and letting them make most of the decisions, but Flood can’t be shooting only 1.7 threes per game and getting most of his points off of offensive rebounds. Dan Aronowitz scored almost 1400 points in college and has previously put up like 18 and 14 in this division, yet he finished several games on the bench last session, why not feed him in the post? He had 10 points in the first half of the last session’s final game, he finished with 12. Former Ivy League Big Men Chris Egi and Matt LaBove are impressive down low on both ends, though they seem to alternate weeks and both of their attendance records have been questionable. Melillo is reliable and an excellent shooter aside from the occasional game where he can’t hit a three (happens to any shooter), but outside of him and the top two guys, this team gets inconsistent play from the others and could benefit from some shot diversity.

1.) West Coast Shooters → WCS honestly did not have a great session in F23, going 5-4 in the regular season and getting a bit lucky in the first round with Suffolk missing their two best players. Still, they have the talent and the chemistry, and I can’t say I’m surprised that they won the league. D’Aguanno has become a top player in this league, taking major strides in his game to become more than a shooter, as he’s now their go-to-guy. Jack Fay and Stephen Tam return as an elite backcourt pairing on both sides, while Matt Pattyson is perhaps the most versatile player in the league. Derek Retos is the best catch and shoot shooter I’ve ever seen in person, and Tom Wembanyama reminded everyone that he can do more than crack jokes by dropping 22 and 10 in the championship last session to lead his team to that victory. WCS bring back Hugh O’Neil down low and Andrew Jaworski on the wing, with Jaworski being right up there with Dan Wohl for most polished scorer in the league. They add two new guys in Mike Pusifer (couldn’t find much) and Colton Lawrence, who had a stellar Bentley career before moving to D1 UMBC, where played nearly 30 minutes a contest, averaging 12.2ppg with a few 20 point outbursts as well. Adding a guy of that caliber to your roster certainly cements this team in the #1 spot, and until I get a good reason otherwise, these guys are the team to beat heading into the W24 session.

B1 5v5 TUE PRESEASON PREVIEW

by Jason on Jan. 15, 2024

BY JAY SHAH

Welcome back to the Tuesday B1 CAC League! Very excited to get a new season underway with a couple of returning teams and as many newcomers. Several teams have seen their rosters undergo massive changes as they attempt to become more competitive - namely, last season’s Markit Basketball changing the name of their club to reflect emotional totem pole Ian Shang, and replacing basically their entire roster outside of Victor and Peter Chang in the hopes that it will put them squarely in contention for a spot in the postseason. The reigning B1 unification champs, Men’s League, aren’t resting on their laurels either however as they return nearly every significant contributor from their championship season and add a couple players hungry for rings of their own in Matt McDonough and Louis Dale. Every team in the league expects to be in competition for the postseason and the Tuesday B1 title, but by the time the 10-week season has ended 2 of the 6 squads will already have those expectations changed drastically. While Men’s League sits on top for now, every team in the league is coming for their spot. 

Team-by-Team Previews

Treys for Days

After finishing last season 6-3 (just a game behind the top 2 seeds in Skelton’s Boys and Men’s League) and comfortably grabbing the 3rd seed in the playoffs despite an inexplicable -17 point differential, the Treys will return an identical roster from their last season and hope to rely on consistency and a growing, flourishing team chemistry to finish a bit higher in the standings this time around. Overall, though, Treys for Days is coming off a successful season, having pulled out a thrilling 70-67 win in the semifinals against Skelton’s Boys before falling off in a big way against Tuesday and eventual Unification champs Men’s League, getting smoked 48-65, clearly missing team captain Dana Flood despite standout performances from returnees Wes Schroll and George Thissell. The Treys have to view themselves as the primary competition for the champs and have a good chance to knock them down a peg.

Miyagi-Fang

B2 champs Miyagi-Fang are moving up a division, feeling ready to shed the lower competition and dominate a whole new slate of opponents. Excited to get to know the players on this squad, as I’ve only had the opportunity to watch a couple of them in game action thus far in Djordje Vlajkovic and Spencer Schneider, with each sliding in as valuable archetypes for any team. Vlajkovic is an energetic bruiser in the paint, more than willing to put in the dirty work to pull down tough rebounds on either end of the court and possessing a soft enough touch to make opponents pay for playing him soft. Schneider, meanwhile, classes as a do-it-all 3-and-D player, consistently putting up stats in the steals and blocks category while always being willing to make the right pass, but still able to put up points in a hurry where the situation demands it. It will be interesting to see how these two fit into the architecture of the team, and who on the team ends up being most critical to its success. 

Men’s League

The B1 Unification champs return a nearly identical roster in the follow-up to their fantastic fall season, adding only the aforementioned Matt McDonough and Louis Dale to the roster in their quest for back-to-back championships. George Schultz returns to captain the team once again coming off a 7-2 regular season with a healthy +80 point differential, finishing as the #1 seed. Last season only saw the team see a little bit of adversity, as they dominated most of their regular season opponents with ease and even their postseason had only one game with any sort of competition near the end of regulation, with their semifinal game against CCC Studios going down to the wire with Men’s League obviously coming out on top, up 54-52. Men’s League went on to dominate absolutely from there, winning the Tuesday finals 65-48 over the Treys and winning the unification game by a similar margin, defeating Big T by stifling them 52-37 to claim the crown. Men’s League will look to go back-to-back and continue their dominance this season.

Ian Shang

Though this team has the same star players as last season’s 2-8 Markit Basketball squad (-39 point differential) in Peter and Victor Chang, nearly the entirety of the rest of the roster has been changed in the hope of better competing in this league. While Peter and Victor will look to bring back their brand of high energy basketball punctuated by pull-up threes and fastbreak layups set up by high-risk, high-reward steals, respectively, the teammates around them are completely changed. Yinhao (Ian) Shang, the team’s namesake and most fiery player, also returns, but is surrounded by newcomers in Sean Connor, Chris Denham, Dom Paris, Austen Moye, Jake Wallack, and Jacob Abarbanel - only time will tell if the roster changes will bring with them more wins and a more sustainable style of team basketball. 

Jelly not Jam

Jelly not Jam will come into the league facing off against fellow newcomers Ten Cent Finishers, looking to make an immediate statement by getting off to a hot start in their new league. As I haven’t had the opportunity to watch any of these players participate as of yet, I can’t prognosticate too wildly on what this team’s fortune will be - but seeing Nathan Nebiye, Andrew Lamarche, Drew Dodakian, Nyindu Kabangu, Gabriel Gerhske, Sam Boyles, Corey Page, and Danny Wang out on the court will quickly show how well they can stand up to the competition in the B1 Tuesday League.

Ten Cent Finishers

Also in their first season in the Tuesday B1 League, the Ten Cent Finishers bring an excellent squad name and new talent into the mix on Tuesdays at JFK. Ryan O’Neil, Matt O’Neil, Ryan McCarthy, Kyle Mak, Joe Shaughnessy, Elijah Friedman, and Brian Mullen will all look to make an immediate imprint on the league as they face off against Jelly not Jam tomorrow in a matchup that should rapidly elucidate which of these two fresh-faced squads will have a shot at showing they belong in B1. 

Preseason Power Rankings

1. Men’s League
2. Treys for Days
3. Ian Shang
4. Miyagi-Fang
5. Jelly not Jam
6. Ten Cent Finishers

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.

B2 5v5 UNIFIED Preseason Rankings

by Jason on Jan. 15, 2024

B2 5v5 WINTER 2024 PREVIEW

Alright, we’ve got 4 B2 5v5 divisions and 36 total teams. I’m ranking where I think teams should fall within their division AND their overall ranking. If this futile? Probably! Do I want to give you all plenty of fodder to feel disrespected?? ABSOLUTELY!

Division Rank (B2 Rank) Team Name - Blurb

MONDAY

This league is top heavy. It’s got two bonafide juggernauts with a handful of teams trying to make a name for themselves are some up and down play the last couple seasons. Oh and 3 completely brand new squads to really shake things up!

12 (36) Himmy Turner - Look, there’s nothing wrong with being a new team in the CAC Universe. We all have to start somewhere. Most of us start with more than 5 guys on a roster and one google-able name that works for Draft Kings. I mean, help me out here!

11 (35) Last Chance U - Another almost all rookie team, Nana Adu played last season, but it was with 1-8 Bricksquad, so I’m not sure how much stock I should put into that. Probably none? Wada Salah Eldin’s pfp of zion doesn’t fool me!

10 (33) Lexington Steals - Ever since Gordon Santry left the franchise, the Steals have been in shambles. You know, that time he played 1 game and scored 25 points!  They happened to win 4 games that season? Coincidence? PROBABLY! They’ve got just 3 total wins to their name the last two seasons and I don’t see many more on the horizon unless some big time moves were made this offseason.

9 (29) The Lab - They haven’t played since W23 when they went 4-5 and their leading scorer had less than 15ppg. I see that team captain Eric Franfort has added 3 true CAC Rookies into the mix, but they better bring some fire power with them. This division is top heavy, so making the playoffs might not take more than a coupe wins. Which is probably good since it’s hard to see a lot of wins. But honestly, I feel like I’m being a little mean here…

8 (28) Corner Three - Look, you come in as a new team, you name drop Shea Whalen and you’re getting a bit more respect than your typical batch of rookies. There is legit no reason for me to rank them this high, other than Nick Fothergill said “Shea Whalen sent us” and honestly, that’s good enough for me.

7 (26) WE HAVE FUN - They’re trending up! 1 win in the S23 season followed by 3 in the F23 season projected to…hmmm, maybe 2 this season? No check that, looking at their regular season schedule they avoid Gino Time, they warm up with a rookie team and they have two winnable games in their first three weeks. WHY NOT THEM?!?!

6 (21) Thank You University - 4-5 & 4-5, and 1 playoff win the last two seasons. The epitome of the average team and they’re running back the same roster, as far as I know. Greg won’t answer any of my emails. Is this how it feels from the other side? Wow that sucks, I’ll be better…

5 (18) - Big Baller Brand - I had this team ranked 9th after a 3-7 effort in the WED division last season. Then I actually looked at the roster a little bit. They’ve got 4 CAC Rookies, and one of them has a picture of a BC football player. Using the google machine, that same player also happens to have an instagram of himself in a texans uniform. Now, I’m no expert, but you bring a legit athlete into this league that, even if basketball is his 5th best sport, his biceps still look like they’d pop me like an adalescent white head, i can’t possibly rank them in the lower half of the league. Sorry, those are the rules.

4 (15) - Los Market Baskets - First I had them ranked 8th. Then I had them ranked 6th. Then I took a look around the league and said, fuck it, top 4 team! I can’t discount their championship experience. Yes, you can say that they’re Corporate titles and you can discount them. but during both title runs they took out undefeated juggernauts along the way. that’s grit, that’s championship meddle! One season they barely average 40 ppg, another, almost 60. I think they’re going to be ok in this league! SAUS transitioned well, why can’t they too!  Oh have I mentioned that their first game of the season is against juggernaut Gino Time? What a rude welcoming to the league. What kind of jerk would do that?!?

3 (14) The Unreliables - Honestly it’s one of the most apt names in CAC Basketball.  This team went 4-5 in the regular season and then knocked off BOTH 1 loss teams on their way to the MON title last season. The season prior? just 2 regular season wins and a missed playoff spot. It’s going to take at least 3 regular season wins to get into the playoffs in a 12 team league. If you see them as your opponent in the regular season, maybe you feel good about your chances, but playoffs ?

2 (8) SAUS - This team scraps, this team fights, it’s never pretty but they just get it done. Michel Nofal is a PROBLEM. Last season he was 1st in scoring and 3s made in this division. He gets to the line, he passes the rock, he gets boards, you HAVE to contain him if you want to beat SAUS. It’s much easier said than done.

1 (2) Gino Time  - Some might scoff at this #2 overall ranking, Last season they were 10-1 before falling in the B2 5v5 MON Finals. The season before, they were 11-1 and WON the B2 5v5 MON. If they’re in you’re division, they’re the overwhelming favorite, I’m sorry, they just are. I think THIS is the season that they finally break through. I want this for big Greg Eusden, I NEED it for him. The man is a walking double double its time for his CHIP!

TUESDAY

This league is legit. Precovid, Tuesday at the Cambridge Y was always the most loaded division top to bottom. Now on the new CCC court it’s nearly as loaded. New teams coming into this league have their hands full. If you’re unlucky enough to draw the top teams as the teams you face twice? Good luck.

8 (32) Shrek & His Lads - Look, i’ve got nothing on this team. No one uploaded an intimidating pfp of them playing college football, no one had an obviously googleable name. They’re all generic white guys as far as I can tell. Did Gordon Santry play lacrosse at Colgate against Gerard Lacerte from Bently?!? Does Matt Laffin sell insurance? Probably, those are all white ass names! I got nothing basketball related here

7 (26) Hoop Dreams - Andre Jones is back! He took a season off and has been stealing draft league players left and right to try and form a juggernaut. I just don’t know if it’s going to work here. You need top end draft league guys to compete in B2 5v5 and, well, Andre is no Harry at the recruiting game.

6 (22) Bears - I always have a hard time telling teams where to start. I want them to always try B2 first, but sometimes, I team comes along like the Bears that insist B1 is the way to go. So they struggle through a 2-8 season before realizing “Hey, that Tibbs guy knows what he’s talking about, maybe we SHOULD have played B2!” THEN they jump out to a 4-2 start in B2 and think, we’ve got this shit on lock, before dropping 3 games to end the regular season below .500. So here they are again, have they learned from the last 2 seasons? Well, there’s only 1 team of all of CAC Basketball’s 111 this Winter season not to have uploaded a roster yet, and that’s Ted Blake’s. I have no idea what to expect! Has he added scoring around Danny Shapiro to lighten his load? Is Danny even playing??? For the love of god will SOMEONE hell Will Estes out on the boards? No? WE DON”T KNOW BECAUSE WE DON’T HAVE THE ROSTER TED!!!

5 (19) Splash City - This team doesn’t have a lot of offense. Doesn’t make a lot of 3s but feasts at the line. They’re a .500 club, I don’t see them as more than that, but really, what do I know!? Maybe because they finally have their requests of mostly late games made they’ll play better? Let’s see!

4 (16) Make A Swish Foundation - Now there’s a name I’ve not heard in many years. SWISH IS BACK! It’s been what, since 2018? Don’t let this team sneak up on you, they’re going to be a contender if they’ve got a lot of the same pieces they used to have.

3 (9) Julius Swerving - His is pure hate and motivation for Will Otto’s club. They’re always at the top of their leagues and honestly if you have any of the top 3 in a different order, I can’t really blame you. This team wins a minimum of 8 games every single season

2 (7) Eastie Hoops - Eastie Hoops is yet another classic B tweener team. They dominate B2 in Spring 23, going 8-1 before losing in the divisional final. They want a step up in competition so they play B1 in the Fall 23 season and promptly go 2-8, so here they are the next season back in B2. It’s more fun to win than to lose right? However with this absolutely LOADED division, I wouldn’t crown them champs automatically.

1 (3) Plenty of Lotion - Miyagi-Fang took their talents to B1, and rightfully so. These old guys just keep winning. Honestly I don’t know how they do it. Do you know Drew Debari plays AND scores at another gym on Tuesday nights and still finds time to lead this team to victory week after week?! That shouldn’t be possible, he’s almost 40! Why are you people letting him do that you?? Jeff Yeakley, also in the over-40 club, leads this team in scoring with around 15 per game. Usually that wouldn’t be enough to get it done in a loaded league, but Lotion always just finds ways to win.

WEDNESDAY

This league has the #1 overall team in B2 5v5, and yet I have them ranked 3rd out of the 4 divisions. If TAP All-Stars weren’t the defending B2 5v5 Uni Champs the question would be “Is TAP so good because they play in a weak division” instead of “Can TAP repeat as champs without being put through the weekly test that other teams go through?” It’s kind of like being the Pats from 03-18.

8 (34) The Pirates (Reloaded) - I feel like the Pirates have promised to be reloaded for like 3 straight seasons now but what do i know. Kinda feels like the Pats from 19-22. “Oh we’ll be better on that side of the ball, we won’t hire a defensive coordinator as our offensive coordinator again, trust us!” And yet, what do I know? I’m not genius, I’m not round ball guru. That seems to be a theme running across these previews. What, exactly, do I know?!

7 (31) Cheese Boys - They don’t have more than 2 wins in any of the last three seasons. Do I really need to type any more?

6 (24) Team Ahern - This might have no interest to any of you, but there was HUGE drama on the B Draft W24 Draft Board on Thursday night. Now I know why Cam Letalien didn’t draft his buddy Eric Bauman. According to Team Ahern’s roster, Bauman has CUT his buddy Cam between the F23 and W24 season. I wouldn’t take my captain in another league if he did that to me either. Friendships have definitely ended over similar insults. Now, I’m sure expectations were high for Team Ahern last season and a 5-6 record might not have been how they wanted to represent themselves, but for Cam to be the guy to take the fall? That seems harsh. No wonder Cam returned the favor in B Draft.

5 (22) Tim and the Bombers - how many ithaca bombers are on this team ?! I don’t care if they were all bench warmers, if only 1/3 of the league is made up of players that have any college experience and half of your team has those players, you’re going to be in a good position heading into the season. You’re certainly going to get more respect than any other rookie team has the right to get.

4 (20) Handler’s Handlers - Is this the weakest B2 division? Survey says?!? No! but just barely

3 (13) Bob Ross in the Paint - a lot of names i recognize, but no stats, so that means everyone played pre 2023. Could i fire up the way back machine and do more research? Yes! It is 11 pm on a friday night and i’m nursing the very last of my eggnog for the 2023-24 Holiday season? also yes! HOWEVER. I bought my first carton of eggnog the 2nd week of September, and I’m still drinking it the 2nd week of January. That’s FOUR MONTHS of eggnog availability. I HAVE WON!

2 (11) The Somerville Basketball Team - I’m not thrilled that this is my #2 ranked squad. 15-14 combined the last 3 seasons but I just don’t see another squad belonging in this spot. Wildly inconsistent and based on historical precedence actually in line for a down season. Yikes.

1 (1) TAP All-Stars - I’m not going to over think this though. It’s not like every other aspect of my life. I don’t care that this isn’t one of the stronger B2 division. This is the best team in all of B2 hands down. I also don’t care that the Marino’s and Valacer can’t make free throws. It doesn’t matter. this team is too god damn good and I’m am sick of it. Someone (preferably from within this division) knock them off this season!

THURSDAY

This is my top ranked division in all of B2 5v5! Half the teams are in the top 10, two more in the teams, and even the last place team in this division could raise hell on any other night.

8 (30) Tomahawks - Just a brutal division for Ian McGuiness and his boys to return to.  They really wanted Monday nights but it was full. Bummer for them.

7 (24) Terminator - All the talent in the world but haven’t put it together in the B2 leagues. It is unacceptable that this collection of talent has just 8 wins total the last three seasons. Is it time for a change at the top? Why’s Ralph Maalouf still in control of the franchise?? Zach Taylor, Carl Bunge, and Fozan Sadiq have all shared the court at different times the last 2 seasons, all are capable of popping off for 30 at a minutes notice, and yet they’re sitting on 5 total wins! UNACCEPTABLE! When do fans of the Terminator Franchise take to twitter to demand Ralph step down?? It’s time for a new voice

6 (17) A Team Has No Name - I am finding it comical that perennial .500 team, that can beat anyone any given week, is ranked 6th in this division. Team captain Michael Chroney leads the way in scoring, but if they want to break into the top half of the league, a guy like Eric Bradanese is going to have to pour in a few more points each game. I really, really love that Ben Seyoum is always looking to get his teammates shots in the perfect spot to score, but he’s going to need to be more of a scoring lead guard in this league. The top offenses are just too good in this league. Feed yourself first Ben, then make sure everyone else eats.

5 (12) Markit Basketball - A B1 team dropping down usually has absurdly high expectations. If you can pick up a couple wins, have a few double digit scorers in B1, with all that size and solid guard play, you should roll over most B2 teams. Well this division is NOT most B2 divisions. Peter Chang might have told his boys that there are more wins and blowouts on the horizon, but I think they’ll have tougher than expected sledding in this league. And that’s not a bad thing!

4 (10) NNHS - just a stunning turnaround for NNHS in the Fall 23 season, from an afterthought in the Spring to absolutely STUNNING the league and winning the division in the Fall. And for that, even in this loaded division, I’ve got to put some respect on their name. Can they bring the heat week in and week out or was that magical month of December just a mirage.

3 (6) Furious Rim Ticklers - There’s a lot of overlap between Drew Debari’s Thursday team  and the Tuesday team (Plenty of Lotion) but looking back, you can tell this is the tough division. FRT went just 6-6 last season. Still I think this is one of the top overall teams in B2, the new guys just know how to win.

2 (5) Hartbreakers - You’d think that there’s no way a team that dropped down from A 5v5 wouldn’t be ranked #1 in a B2 division, but honestly when I first was putting this together I had them #3 in the THU league. When you’re missing Phil (the true engine of the Heartbreakers franchise, always has been) and Jarvis, what’s left? Well a former B2 champ i suppose. Tucker Landy is still here on a part-time basis, and he’s going to drop 20+ any time he is. Anyone who averages 15+ in A 5v5 is going to get his in B2, they just are. I don’t care how old, lazy, uninterested, sick of his teammates the guy is. He’s going to get his. Oh Devin Jensen is back too? jesus this is a B1 team what am I doing?

1 (4) The Clever Trevors - Fall 23 was their breakout season, it was the time that Tony Calletti was going to vault himself into the stratosphere of CAC stars and NNHS ruined it, rampaging a path through the playoffs to win the division and crush Clever Trevor’s season. Tony was at 15/4/4 and leading them to the title! He was even hitting 37% from 3. Unreal that they couldn't get it done last season. Now they're back, reloaded with a couple rookies and pissed off, ready to climb the mountain top once again.

Franchise League Winter 24 Preview

by Jason on Jan. 12, 2024

POWER RANKINGS

#8 Team Tucker - Mostly have them here because I have no knowledge of Tucker. I hearing he is 6"5 but reluctant to take over, I think this team will need that. They have legend @roberts so that can change any teams fortune , can he hang in this very tough league . I love Matty and Masone we know they can get buckets but can they gets stops on the other end ? Love the addition of 3pt threat with stull and Mulv but this league is crazy good and I see this team falling short as of now . Maybe when I get a look at Tucker they will change this ranking .

#7 The Corporation -  I don't want to be the one that jumps in on the Corp hate because I am a @Mr 63 and Hoh believer but man he did not have a great off season . No idea the on the rookie but very low PR. I actually love @BigLou16 and @wise.shawn but how the hell are they gonna make sense and find space on the court together . Can my coverage partner Skates improve and take this team to the next level , I will have to see it to believe it. Uphill climb for them.

6 Basket Cases - The champs are here !!! Well actually missing a very important piece in @mleblanc3 . @thundersnarfer will come and provide 3 pts shooting , and leadership but he's not the floor general Marc is. Will Euler be as effective with better defender more attention on him ? I've seen @KapVP bring mediocre teams to great heights , can he do it again ? @bkoller297 will have to go full nuclear mode for this team to be in the ship run , I do think J.mul will take some pressure off him , but I just don't see enough to put them over the top of these other teams right now .

5 Team Joel - How many vacations is @Get Shaffed going I will take the over on 2.5 which Vegas has set . This team is exciting , but could be volatile as they will have to work through bumping the rode . @Red Baron does great when things arnt going well , he doesn't get mad or scream at his team at all ...........can he handle the rough patches ? The defense does have me hot and bothered Joel / Keith will be a pleasure to watch on that end if they are clicking . I saw @Filip totally take over some games , shows this team has a high ceiling . @GTalbot makes his return and everyone is thrilled to see him back , not on the court but to see his face because this dudes a fucking baller , see how he gets back into the swing of things after the knee injury. Djordje was a steal and they needed his size which helped push them up this list . I do see volatility with this team , are the resilient enough to handle that , we shall see ?

#4 Team Harry "HARDING" - This team knows each other very well and that is a strong advantage, their cohesiveness should be on point . Can @Cawley24 put this team who struggled last session over the top ? My bet is yes , they will be a top team . They do have some weaknesses Walker @Da Point Gawd are not the swiftest of players so we shall see if teams attack this . If Cawley / Harding / Vladi have good shooting days these guys will be nearly impossible to beat , so def high potential for a ship but I could see the falling to the middle of the pack . 

#3 Super Hoopers -  At first glance I'm like this team is winning the ship . @e_rosie1 @mleblanc3 @woolly31 is an insane trio , like what the fuck but man they are very very small . Oully is going to have to defend Koller / Hollis / Ini /hoh "s of the franchise world and it's just not going to be easy .its not going to be easy defending them either tbh is is why I have them so high but man it's going to be fascinating to watch play out .

#2 For Whom The Ball Tolls - We back and better than ever !! We said good bye to two legends in @Slick and @thundersnarfer. We made it to the semies and only lost a the buzzer to the current champs and we added the best defensive player in the league in Ini and a beast monster in Robel. I think we have the best defensive team in the league and we have @dp Lerner flying around seems like a recipe for success here 

1 Top Heavy - Basketball is a funny sport usually the team with the best player wins , and @mhollis is easily the best player in this league . @STAT did a good job of putting a faces that Hollis already knew and knows how to play with . Would this team have lost if Hollis didn't miss the playoffs, I don't think so . I have them on top for now

B Draft Fall 23 Preseason Power Rankings Part II

by Jason on Sep. 07, 2023

By IAN CUNDALL

B DRAFT PRESEASON POWER RANKINGS

8. Paul

Why they can win: Miller is the best player in the league and I think has another level on offense that he can reach if necessary. With this team construction that likely will be necessary. The Julien’s and Paul will get out of his way and let him cook and step up when needed to add some additional scoring and defense. Paul has shown solid scoring ability and with Miller drawing so much attention could be freed even more. Isaac also showed at the end of last season nice touch around the rim and solid rebounding ability and with as good a passer as Miller is, he should get plenty of easy looks. David, Danner & Taha are all solid role players and can step up if needed giving this team solid depth,

Why they can’t: Lack of secondary scoring. If Miller is off, this team is in big trouble. They don’t really have any ball handlers and they also lack perimeter shooting. Teams will be able to focus on Miller and dare the rest of the team to beat them, which I”m not sure they can do.

7. Nate

Why they can win: Nate finds a Time Machine and brings it back to five years ago with him, Ghost and Joel. In all seriousness, that trio has a ton of B Draft experience and you can envision a scenario where Joel is back to his 20 ppg self, Ghost is knocking down every mid range jumper, Nate is making threes and Troy is dominating the glass. Maalouf gives them a rookie with upside and if he’s good that gives them another option on offense and grabbing Silva at 34 was great value given his shooting ability. Are the odds high all these things happen, no, but theres a chance!

Why they won’t: Attendance & lack of a true point guard. Joel is due for a Mexico vacation at some point this year and will miss his fair share of games. Troy is missing the playoffs and without him they have a real lack of size. Also, Ghost is best playing with a true point guard and I don’t see one on the roster so he might be running the baseline to get to his spot to no avail if nobody is looking for him.

6. Civale

Why they can win: Kwiatkowski is the wildcard, but if he is anywhere close to what Miller was, with a similar bio last year, he’ll be good value at seven. Him, Remy and Civale has the potential to score a lot of points and provide nice balance with complimenting inside out games. Clarke, Glynn and the Great One are all solid role players and all bring different skill sets to the table, making this a very balanced team.

Why they won’t: Rookie problems and only one ball. It’s a little interesting that Cam brought one of his friends who played in college into the league and then didn’t draft him. He obviously knows more than we do and the fact that he traded up rather than take his friend has me wondering why. Civale and Remy are both best with the ball in their hand and the rookie might be also. We haven’t seen Remy in a few seasons in this league and I’m not sure what his play style will be like so there could be some chemistry issues when it comes to divvying up the shots.

5. Harry

Why they can win: If healthy, Nair would have been in discussion for the first pick and that he went before AJ even though he’s out a month, shows how good he can be. Last season, he single-handedly won multiple games for his team and is a threat to drop 40+ in any game. Karim compliment Nair well and could lead the league in offensive rebounds with how much attention Nair is going to draw. Puskas put out an electric workout video and seems like the shooter this team badly needs and Eloi, Harry and Guns are all solid role players. Assuming Nair is healthy they will likely be in every game and most of the time have the best player on the court.

Why they won’t: Attendance and lack of depth. Nair and Guns are out for an unforeseen amount of time so they will be playing with no subs for the foreseeable future. Karim and Harry tend to tire as games go on and Eloi and Puskas aren’t exactly spring chickens either. Harry also constructed a team with two top 10 picks and then the rest of the team came from 30 onwards. Other top teams have far more depth and matchups in some of those games could get tricky.

4. Cundall

Why we can win: Koller and Roberts compliment each other really well and should be one of the more dynamic scoring duos in the league. Koller is at his best with a guard that can get him the ball and play a two man game with and I think Roberts can do that. He can shoot from the perimeter and pass which should open things up for Koller. Padavick is a wild card, but he does triathlons, so he must be able to get up and down the court. Everyone on my team can run and we have a point guard to initiate the offense. In a league with not many teams who want to play fast, that contrasting style could be a real advantage.

Why we won’t: Lack of size and reliance on B Draft rookies. Other than Koller we don’t have a lot of size and that will lead to some issues against the bigger teams in the league. Roberts is also on the small side so Packard and Padavick will likely have to step up against the bigger guards in the league. Roberts has never played in B Draft before and Padavick is a true rookie and I have no idea how good he is so that pick might have been a reach.

3. Noah

Why they can win: Pollock and Robel is a really solid pairing and compliment each other well. Sam excels coming off picks and Robel screens are among the most difficult to get through in the league. Noah and Angry Ian both have the ability to spread the floor so I can envision a very efficient half court offense with this team. Kenny was great value at 27 as well and will have his go off games where he drops 20+, giving them a wide array of scoring options. Defensively, they will also be annoying to play against with Robel guarding the paint and Sam capable of taking the top guard on the other team.

Why they won’t: Contrasting styles and team chemistry. Sam wants to run and has his best seasons in up tempo teams that like to get out in transition. Unfortunately, this team is not built like that so it’s going to be an adjustment for Sam to get used walking the ball up the court and missing out on those easy buckets. I also have questions about team chemistry here after Noah and Robel’s dust up in the playoffs that ended with Robel throwing a ball at Noah. Maybe those two have worked things out, but if things aren’t going well we could get some fireworks.

2. Cam

Why they can win: Cam is more or less running back the same team as last season, but without the MVP and number one overall pick. That’s a bold strategy, but with the talent level down across the league that could work. On defense, this team will be a pain to play against as Lynch has shown he can anchor a defense and DTO and Cam are pests. I like their depth also as Bauman showed the ability to score inside and out and fColin and Gillooly both can shoot and have heat check games where they drop 15+. If these guys are knocking down shots this will open things up for Lynch on the interior. Both Cam and DTO will have to keep up their scoring from last season as well and if they can this is a very balanced team on both ends of the floor.

Why they won’t: Lack of leadership and lack of size. Cam built what was probably the best team he ever will last season and still lost in the championship. He still has to show he can lead a team to the championship and and this team isn’t as good as that one. I also am slightly concerned about the lack of size beyond Nick and Cam. Several teams have multiple bigs and having to put DTO or Bauman on them isn’t ideal and if either of the two bigs miss games the defensive matchups get really tough.

1. Etheridge

Why they can win: Etheridge built a heck of a team in his return to B Draft, lucking into a top 4 pick in the lottery and then making a couple of shrewd trades to build a strong team around AJ. AJ is the best point guard in the league and he’s going to have a field day in a lot of these games with how big the rest of the team is. Etheridge, Angelo and Hanks all require big defenders and as a result, most teams won’t be able to put their best defender on AJ unless they have multiple bigs. If Angelo translates his B2 stats to B Draft like we’ve seen past players do then this team could have two of the top five scorers in the league. One of the problems with Etheridge’s last few teams has been a lack of shooting around him, but with AJ and Hanks spreading the floor that really should open the paint up.

Why they won’t win: Attendance and lack of depth. These two go hand in hand, but a hallmark of Etheridge teams is attendance issues. His last team forfeited what felt like half the games that season because of injuries and absences. Because of his trades, this team is very top heavy with a bench consisting of two of the bottom five picks, so any absences by the starting four could create some issues.

A 5v5 Fall 23 Preseason Preview

by Jason on Sep. 02, 2023

BY DEVIN QUINLIN

9/2/23

CAC A League (Thur.)

F23 Season Preview

Thursday A League returns to ACEC for yet another season with a lot of familiar faces running it back. This season looks to be one of the most balanced yet, as I would argue any of the top 6 teams have a shot at taking home the title by the time the playoffs roll around. With five teams returning from last session, plus two more from previous sessions and another transitioning from the Monday A League, all these teams know each other. Established dynamics and no surprises will make for some interesting matchups, and I’m curious to see how teams adjust to gain an advantage. Onto the previews!

8.) We The Ones! → I am once again putting my own team at the bottom of the league. Lots of progress has been made over the last few sessions, but with our two best players in Anthony Gurley and Sayvonn Houston both pulling out right before the start of the season, it will be difficult to make up that production. Still, captain Keith Baranowski will undoubtedly pull something out of his ass, as he always does. Garrett Stanowicz has been a proven scorer at this level, and Jordan Carter has always stepped up when called upon, while Keith himself provides very solid all around play on both ends. Other than that, I’ll be out until like week 7 or 8, and Keith keeps listing names of random guys who are “week to week” in the group chat. Pretty funny that I know more about every team in the league than my own. Still, this group is a mess, so unless we add someone with some serious firepower who can show up consistently, we are once again a bottom tier team.

7.) Team Takeover → Team Takeover returns to Thursday A League after taking a session off and then transferring to the Monday A League last session. They never have a shortage of talent, but frequently fail to close out games and allow other teams to go on huge second half runs. Still, captain Michel Toney is an extremely reliable floor general who can shoot and distribute at a high level, while Trevor Parker is arguably the most talented player in this league, though he needs to prove he can be consistent week to week. Jared Johnson is another very strong player, who has proven he can do much more than catch and shoot, while Joel Nkounkou is an athletic freak inside who can hold down the paint defensively. Other than that, though, guys will need to step up on both ends, and this team needs to prove that they can play together (especially on defense) before they move up in the rankings.

6.) The Spida Men → The Spida Men are difficult to gauge because they won the league only a few sessions ago and they have no shortage of talent and chemistry, but in recent sessions they’ve gotten rolled on multiple occasions and they’re getting up there in age. Jamal Brown has battled injuries recently, but when healthy is a perennial MVP candidate. Danny Martin Jr. is always steady down low, but simply had too many games last sessions in which he wasn’t aggressive enough. He’ll need to take (and make) more shots, while guys like Tim Gallivan and Nick Mazzeo will simply need to attend more games. Lucio Dahlstedt-Brown steadily improved during last session, and Cedric White is always ready when his number is called, but they also lost Hallvard Lundevall and Billy Battaglia, replacing them with John Lithio. Lithio can dominate the lower leagues and I expect him to have a solid session at this level, but I don’t think that makes up for Battaglia’s shooting prowess nor H’s athleticism and motor. The Spida Men have proved me wrong before, we’ll see if they do it again.

From here, it’s really a toss up, and any of the top 5 teams have a strong case as the best team in this division.

5.)  Ronin Blood Warriors → Putting RBW here is kind of wild on my end, but frankly I’m just less familiar with them than the others. They’re coming off a Monday A League title last session, losing a competitive game to NADB in the Unification Championship game, but they could honestly be the best team in this division (I truly don’t know). Deven Palmer is the type of guy who can just walk the ball up the court and pull a deep three and it’s a good shot, while Jacquil and Maurice Taylor both have a Division 1 background. Alonzo Cooper is very solid at the 1, playing strong defense and providing good pace on offense. Kerry Weldon abandons his Suffolk squad to bring his strength to RBW, and Guy Pistone has been dominating B2 and B1 leagues for a while now. Frankly I don’t know the other players, and I can’t say I even know much about the players I already listed, but RBW have been a force in every session they’ve played and I fully expect them to compete with the other top teams in this league.

4.) Zards → Again, Zards at 4 is wild, but they haven’t updated their roster so I don’t even know who’s on their team, and they fall short in the playoffs in every session because they only have 3 players who show up to every game and then find random fill-ins. Still, Dan Wohl is perhaps the most polished scorer in this league, and he’s shown time and time again that he will torch any and all defensive gameplans, you just have to hope he misses. Again, no roster updated at the time of writing, but I’ll assume they have Mike Kearney, who’s a solid point guard and high IQ defensive player, Craig Mellilo, who is one of the most reliable shooters in the league and a high energy defensive guard, and Dan Aronowitz, who will likely find himself towards the top of the league in rebounds while adding a strong offensive arsenal. Other than that, I don’t know who these guys will bring. Maybe Nick Pagliuca, who can shoot, or Chris Egi, who’s a strong big, but the Zards history of questionable attendance has them fourth in the power rankings. Still, this is not a team you wanna see in the first round of the playoffs.

3.) West Coast Shooters → WCE has rebranded themselves appropriately, as Derek Retos and Eric D’Aguanno are two of the best shooters I’ve ever seen in person, and their offense caters to their skill sets perfectly. In previous seasons, WCS have generally decided to play minimal defense and just run and gun, relying on their high powered offense to simply outlast other teams. This season, though, it seems they’ve merged with Shooters Shoot, adding Stephen Tam, David Reynolds, Matt Pattyson, and Jordan Rote, all of whom will thrive in this offense, but who will also play defense. Add in Jack Fay at the point, Tom Palleschi down low, and newcomer Jack Simonds, and this team may have the most talent top to bottom out of any group in the league. My only question is chemistry and dynamics, as every player on the roster is capable of scoring in double digits. Retos and D’Aguanno often shoot 10+ threes/game each, but guys like David Reynolds and Jordan Rote can get going at any time, as can Jack Simonds. With Tam, Fay, and especially Pattyson, I’m not really concerned about their defensive effort anymore, but they may have too much of a good thing on offense. Still, this is a good problem to have, and I am excited to see a WCE(S) squad that tries on defense.

2.) Suffolk → Suffolk were impressive last season, and while their loss in the finals against NADB was a disappointing end to their season, they still made it to the finals and finished with the top seed. Bolden Brace is a triple double threat every game, though he needs to be more aggressive to put his team over the top. Still, he’s the highest level player in the league, and when he’s locked in I don’t see many teams beating Suffolk. George Grillakis also had a stellar session, finishing top 3 in scoring by going right every single time. Sam Holtze is a menace on both ends, and I expect him to once again be among the league leaders in steals and assists, while providing reliable scoring as well. Mid-Range Mike McEneney and Logan O’Donnell provide interior size on defense as well as reliable scoring on offense, even though both of them have said that they only care about their own stats at the end of each game. Bret Edwards and Yusuf Liban are both knockdown shooters off the bench, and Nick Budesheim has college experience, so I fully expect this roster to finish as a top seed and make a deep playoff run.

1.) Not A Dime Back → NADB are the reigning champs (of Unification, too), losing only one game last session to Cobras in which they didn’t have three of their best players. Total domination all season, with clinical ball movement, connectivity on defense, and high level shot making. These guys have 99 overall chemistry, which is insanely annoying to play against in a men’s league, but they also have top level talent to back it up. Jon Luster and Dom Black are a devastating backcourt, with Luster being one of the best off the dribble shooters I’ve ever seen as well as a league assist leader, and Black relentlessly attacking the rim and getting to any spot he wants while being a hound on the defensive end. Dre Kontopidis is a monster inside on both ends with a reliable midrange jumper and great court vision out of the high post, while Chris Conner continues to elevate his game, shooting over 50% from deep on 7.4 attempts per game (wtf???) while adding some size inside on defense. Jeff Coulter returns with his swiss-army-knife game, doing everything on both ends and cementing himself as the best cutter in the history of men’s league basketball, and Marcus Giese is a solid big man who can finish inside, hit jumpers, and defend the best bigs in the league. Chris Cusano and Mike Synott are the ultimate glue guys, moving the ball quickly, knocking down open shots, and playing strong defense to help make the NADB engine run as smoothly as it does. Until proven otherwise, these guys are the favorites to repeat.

Over-30 Legends Fall 23 Draft Recap & Power Rankings

by Jason on Sep. 02, 2023

DRAFT RECAP

ROUND 1

1. Ian takes Mazz- Great pick , boring pick.
2. Harry takes Cawley - great pick, boring pick.
3. Chas takes Weinstein- Keep doubting us. Going for 4!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
4. Randal Takes Kerr- Joey fights off the mental Demons and gets the best player availble
5. Ej takes kap- He needed a floor general, and gets one of the best in Kap.
6. Roberts Takes Mcfear- Finally a little surprising, Roberts looking for that size advantage
7. Jet Takes S.Mul- Jet figures to get a top guard back to pair with S.Mul gets a defensive game changer here.
8. Skelley Takes -Kielley boring

ROUND 2

9. Skelley Takes -Worth , banking on his every game improvement
10. Jet takes JMul Reunited !!!!Brothers live on !! No guard here.
11. Roberts Takes Dany- 3pt fire power on this squad.
12. Slick takes Frano- Love this pick, thought he fell IMO
13. Randal Takes Matty O- He loves them versatile O”s, he can stay away.
14. Harry takes - liam to slight frongi
15. Harry takes -Frongi going small ball baby.
16.Ian goes dennis- Gates the hustling big man

ROUND 3

17, Ian Takes B.Robb- Ditto Dennis, they will be tough screening for mazz
18. Chas takes jake- Give me my boyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. Had him rated high but I knew peoples feeling, traded back,and changed 40 to 31.
19. Skelley takes Dutton- Best friends for life
20. Randal Takes murphy- he gets his true big man, nice pick here.
21. Cody falls to Ej- EJ gets the fireball!!! Raining OPOY
22. Matty takes Joel- He takes the polorizing slashing dashing joel .
23. Jet takes eth- East Bostons finest !!!
24. Chas takes Jeffries- steal of the draft

ROUND 4

25. Chas takes Big Lu-Give me my giant, strongest player in the league !!
26. Jet takes AO- SDL brothers unite !!
27. Matty breaks my heart and takes Clarke- Im sad.
28. EJ takes butter- way way to early here.
29. Randal takes Hanks- I would have taken him 10 spots higher if coverage wasnt involved .
30. Ian trades for stevenson- Gets a solid guard late in the draft.
31. Chas takes Hull- Love getting
32. Skelley takes Lane- Buddy ball

ROUND 5

33. Skelley takes Delbridge- No idea atleast he 6 ft ?
34. Harry takes Danner- Steal IMO.
35. Ian takes Bonvie- He gets the 3pt assassin Bonvie the BOMBER !!!
36. Randal takes Zeng- Very underrated , nice pick.
37. Ej takes amir- My guy your guy, everyones fave
38. Roberts takes ian- Everyone knows my thoughts on this stud.
39. Jet takes stull- So much sex at the end of this draft. Hes a proven playoff proformer
40. Harry takes Carey- SEX OVERLOADDDDDDDDDDDDDD

POWER RANKINGS

8. EJ - The kap/Frano expirment didnt go well last time, but I believe Kap can right any ship. I didnt love the Butter pick, I think it really hurt them. Going to be a tough ride here.If cody can get to mid season form that they will move up.

7. Skelley - league got deaper, and he ran back the same squad. I like this team, but I dont love them. They have shown they will be competitive but I dont see a ship here.

6. Jet -  Plenty of defense on this team, but I just dont see enough scoring, only one true 3pts shooting threat. Jet wil have my ass for this ranking, and use it a bulltin board material. This league is so deep, and the margine is razor thin, this is just where I have them. I feel like team will be able to fade off, and pack the paint.

5. Harry - Is betting alot of his sesion on him contending with these other bigs, I gota say i dont love it. This team will be solid, but again to many holes for a ship to me. That trio is awesome though.

4. Randall - Love what he did, going to be alot of mismatches and easy post buckets on this team. Kerr needs to be Kerr though, so that remains to be seen with the time off.

3. Wein - I will go modest here, but I think I maximized every single draft spot. We will be versatile,and can matchup with any type of team.Jeffries about to make you all regret not taking him.

2. Roberts - Thought he did a brilliant job, he hit on every pick, and made a team thats going to be damn hard to matchup with. My only question perimeter D.

1. Ian - The man with 7 B draft titles shows his drafting skills. Mazz with two bangers you cant go wrong. Love the Bonve pick late, he is someone you have worry about.

B Draft Fall 23 Preseason Preview

by Jason on Aug. 31, 2023

BY HARRY DEMAKES

8. Nate’s team

For some reason unclear to everyone, but Nate. Nate wanted to trade out of his second pick, which was odd, because this draft had 7 surefire first rounders. The rest of the players are going to be miscasted as either 2s or 3s this season. Nonetheless, Nate going to do his dishes! Joel at 8 was the correct choice probably, unless Joel is taking his usual vacation time away from us. When he’s there, you know the story, it’s been told by me for centuries. Joel, isn’t a number 1, because in his heart he’s a secondary third piece. Ghost isn’t a bad pick either, but who’s going to pass him the ball? Troy was disappointing and I don’t see this team helping him. Apparently he’s missing games too. Don’t know Maloof, other than his bio smells like chucker. Silva is a good last pick, but I see him getting lost on this team. My forecast for this team isn’t great. Joel is going to have to score AND guard the other teams best guy. He’s not capable of doing both. I also see no one who id describe as a point guard or passer here, which hurts because these guys need someone like that to succeed. These guys feel like bottom fodder.

7. Calderan

Miller was a good start, then this train went off the rails. I thought Paul could have did a lot better than the Julien brothers at 16-17, especially since they’re the same player. Like the homeless man’s version of the Mulholland brothers. Not the guys I’d want with Miller, who’s going to be facing a lot of clogged paints. Taha and Danner are good picks at the end, but Miller is going to have to do A LOT of heavy lifting. I just don’t know how this team succeeds if their opponent has someone who can keep up with Miller.

6. Civale

Civale goes back where he belongs, down in the rankings. It’s mostly, because I don’t know what his rookie will bring. I also don’t know if Remy is still good. It’s been a while and his stats didn’t look great from other leagues. I like Clarke, Great One and Glynn. They all play their role well. I just don’t know who’s running point on this team. Remy? The rookie? If their rookie is a guy who can get everyone going, they’ll be in the hunt.

5. Me

I’ll stick my team here, because we’ll probably be in for some absences and won’t look pretty at times. I thought Nair was the best player in the draft, yes better than Miller. Dunks only count for 2 points people! I traded up because I counted about 9 guys I wanted as a second that could guard top scorers. That was Karim, who played great last season. Eloi may be old, but he plays hard physical defense and I love that. I finished with the aging sharp shooter, who apparently works with Karim. Then of course, BIG GUNS! It’ll take us a minute to get going, but watch out!

4. Cam

I thought Cam made the best trades in the draft and ended up with a very mediocre, vanilla team. Cam traded up and got Lynch, which I thought was a terrible pick. Unless Lynch and DTO channel their SDL versions, how will this team score? Lynch had a lot of dud scoring games and DTO will most likely draw the best perimeter defender. Obviously, Bauman was a great pick and I like Gray being freed from Ian’s clutches. I don’t know KG though. I do know this team probably be one of the better defensive squads. I just don’t know where the scoring will come from.

3. Ian

Ian didn’t get enough of the Koller experience, so he passed on Pollock for him. Odd choice, but the good thing is he had pretty much had this team last season, so they got the chemistry here. I got a scouting report on Roberts and it’s that he can score, but he’s a traffic cone on D. I don’t know Padavick. Packard was a little reach, but he tries and Ian likes him. Of course, gotta love OTTOMATIC. There are two pretty big unknowns here, with Padavick and Packard. It’s also kind of funny Koller complained that only he rebounded last season and Ian got presumably no one who could do that again. Still, I think their experience and reliability on Koller to show up, gives them a slight edge on the field.

2. Noah

Another reliable person is Pollock, who somehow fell to Noah at 6. Pollock is always consistent, game in and game out. He’ll help Robel and Noah get shots. I like Angry Ian and obviously trick or treat Kenny, who was underrated again this draft. Dias wasn’t too bad last I saw him either. This is a very solid team. The only question is who can handle the ball outside of Pollock. This also doesn’t profile as a Pollock type team. Pollock likes to run and this isn’t a running team. Still, they’re championship contenders.

1. Etheridge

I’m sticking Etheridge at number 1 here. AJ, is also quite reliable. I love his defensive fire and kid gets buckets. Angelo, is a kind of a mystery. I’ve played against him twice and well, I passed on him at 9. He played on a bad 5v5 team that played no serious games. How does that translate here? I have no clue. Hanks is a great pick, he may be hurt, but the playoffs aren’t for months. So, who cares? The bench isn’t deep, but then again, I haven’t seen these guys. Maybe they’re fucking awesome? I think this team ultimately comes down to what Angelo and Etheridge bring. If Etheridge is 80% his former self and Angelo is a competent big, they’ll be in business. They feel like title contenders.

Franchise League Preseason Preview

by Jason on Aug. 31, 2023

We've got Chris Stull stepping in for Matt Kaplan this Fall 23 season and while the shoes aren't literally too big for him to full, figuretiely, they may be! He's got a preseason power rankigns to get us started on the Discord, and so does Chas, so head over there to talk trash with the rest of the league! 

BY CHRIS STULL

Way too early overreactions Pre-Season Rankings Chasito is taking me under his wing and I’m trying my hand at this whole scribe thing,…

#8 STAT A lot of questions on Hollis for $82M (who you think you got Chelsea Clinton?!?!?!) will need to score at least 41 points a game to earn that contract. Can Hollis play well with Robel for twin tower championship vibes?! Time will tell. Love the O’Donnell trade (when will we get brother Danny to join?!) could use him now on this team as a shooting PG (start the recruiting process now).

#7 DP Love my SDL guy DP but the smaller court stops him from getting out on the break as much. Franchise is also a more physical league which makes for a grind of a season. Also have to bring fellow scribe Chas down a notch as I know he always has his squad’s back on the discord. Lerner/DP will get buckets. EJ will hit threes (pending no bachelor party injuries) but does this team have the size and physicality to make a run?! Will need ball movement by Chas to get Craig and Jmul involved. Let’s find out but will be rooting for these all-time nice guys.

#6 JOEL I’ll take Joel’s squad at 6. They impressed me with the fight in the playoffs last year but needed scorching shooting to do it. Let’s see if Joel can start this season how he finished last. DJ will bring the hustle and rebounding but will have a lot of size to contend with across the league. Cawley was a huge pickup for them but will need him to return to form from what I thought was a down session from him compared to two seasons ago. Reily is a hustler and can’t wait to play with him in SDL and they will need Demetri and Filip to show up. If they have some of the same attendance issues as last session, then I put them dead last.

#5 KOELLER It’s the end of the BMAC era to break up the team of two Ben’s so how the chemistry bounces back will be huge after an early exit last session. Koeller will do his thing and my guy KAPVP will bring the team together. I think there was a comment by Harry about KAP moving to his older glory PG days but I do not buy that. KAP comes from the playoff MAZZ school and is always ready to turn up which I saw first hand when he roasted me in the playoffs last year. JJ will hustle but will need to step up his offense. I feel like Leblanc has been underrated though so far in the discord and I think he will pick up the slack on offense with B-Mac’s departure. Give me this squad to be a dark horse to make a playoff run.

#4 Keith Keith is a triple double machine but will have to make sure the third double digit stat isn’t TO’s. He knows the right play to make but sometimes takes too many chances. He will need to cut those down and stay focused for this squad which as noted made great strides at last session which I got to be a part of. Tyler will also need to continue build off a great session and continue to force the action on the drive and look for kickouts. Let’s see if he worked on his three point shot during the offseason as I know he can also shoot and that will make a deadly combo. We saw a couple Matty J dazzler games but then he disappeared at other times. He will need more consistency at both ends of the court. Perhaps cousin Timmy can help keep him focused and make sure he stays aggressive. James is a great pickup and will have plenty of shots for this team (can’t leave him). My guy Steve is joining franchise and I saw him light it up in 5v5 draft for a game so let’s see if he can bring that energy over to CHISE. Will he clash with Keith as he also likes to be a vocal leader?! They also get to ball in SDL so that chemistry will either grow or crumble quickly……

#3 HARDING (or Harry) HARRY (or Harding) Who’s the captain? Who will handle subs? I assume Harry is the proxy here and will ensure all guys get involved and handle matchups. Harding can score from anywhere at anytime on anyone and proxy Harry will let him focus on that. Liam impressed me with his shooting last session and will need to keep that up to pull other squad’s bigs out of the lane. Vladi will be able to shoot open three all days which is his game but will he settle for those too much? Walker will hustle his ass off and clean up any misses while also getting his own at times if he can get the ball. Everything all goes through Harding though and I think he handles the pressure and takes the squad on his back.[17:33]

#2 ERIC The Super Hoopers always seem to be there at the end and Eric has ice in his veins. He’s got his guys Frongi and Jakobsons by his side and Ouelette will make shots and play Robin to Eric’s Batman. I feel like this team has good chemistry and Skates and Wise should fill in nicely. Wise will need to bring the physicality and turn back the clock to hang with some of the big guys down low but I think he can do it.

#1 MAZZ To be the best you have to beat the best and that has been MAZZ and the corp. MAZZ has his pick and role guy Hohrath who already brings great chemistry. INI joins the squad with me (if you cant beat them join them) and always bring the hustle and athleticism. I hope he get’s some damn respect from the ref this year cuz he get’s hacked every time. With the lane clogged up Luigi will need that mid-range to be consistent this year but I got him to knock that down consistently when the paint is clogged. I’ll be scouting what MAZZ’s favorite color Gatorade is to move sure he stays hydrated as we know when all else fails give MAZZ the ball and let’s face it that usually works. Assuming I get some PT I’ll be able to come in and make an open shot otherwise I expect not to see the court again. Give me the Corp though to win it all and my first CAC title after 4 second place finishes. In CEO MAZZ we trust. Let’s get it.

That’s a wrap can’t wait to hoop with y’all!

BY CHAS BELLS

Impossible Power Rankings

#8 Team STAT: Yes, he has a player with a highlight reel, did going for D3 players work last session for him? I will tell you what didnt work, that piss poor defensive effort, and unless that changes with some of the guys on this squad then its going to be tough sledding. I can say if they do it right they may be able to get some good mismatahces with their size, might force some teams to go zone on them. What changes the story, is if Hollins is everything STAT Paid for, and is dropping 60 a night. They are here for now.

#7 Team Red Barron- Did Keith do enough with the money he had? I am not sure, and he had a bunch of $ and did not come away with his top target in INI, in fact I think he got out of the race way to early. There is defitneyly potential for this team to take the next step as the rookie Tim Johnson could be the person to elevate this team, but hard to say without seeing him play. This team will be tough on the O, and defensive boards which will keep thiem in most games. If Mulv can build off last session and knock down 3-4 3’s a game, then this team will be moving up this list.

#6 Team Joel- I like this team, I cant say I LOVE this team. Right away I can see a weakness in 3pt shoooting, feel like team will pack the paint and dare them to hit jumpers/3’s. How many games will Demitri miss, because he missed like 6 last session, that is no beuno with this roster construction. What I like about his team is defense, Cawley/Joel together is no fuckign joke, and I cant wait to watch them shutdown/harraass peoples lives. This team will be in most games, but I see them coming up short in the long run. P.S Why would you give Mazz the best defender in the league??? !!!!!!!! 

#5 Team Koller- A top big with two great facilitators in Kap/Leblanc you have to be excited about that. Did he do enough after that though? Underhills bio was UNDERwhelming , JJ is an awesome hustle guy, but people can double team, and force him to take midrages, making it hard on the other guys. Euler can be a huge wild card, but again the unknown is the unknown. This team could have size issues at times, where they will have to make adjustments with certain line ups. I see a uphill climb here, especially with Leblanc reporting that he will miss atleast 3 -4 games.

#4 Team DP! When DP contacted me and told me he wanted to take over the team I was elated. DP was a MVP caddiate last session , and was doing it in all areas of the game. DP loves to fly so he added the super explosive high scoring Lerner to the mix, those two will be a handful. Our roleplayers will determine everything though I need to not play like a BITCH, and get back to my Chasmanian ways, Craig will have to continue his steady improvement, J.Mul will have to be the versatile x factor that we all know he can be, and EJ needs to hit his open 3’s, and I think we really got something here. I think with any team that I am on, we will be a little small sometimes, but we will figre out the proper rotations.

#3 Team Super Hoopers- They still have that championship duo in Olly /Rosi so that why they are so high on this list, but did they do enough? Getting Frongi back was huge because now they have a solid trio, but with the rumors of Wise being like legend Pat Mcgir I question how they will deal with the athletic bigs in this league, and coud find themselves getting posted up alot, or just getting beatup. They will need Skates/Jakobson to elevate their play, but I can say Rosi/Oully have shown to make everyone betetr around them, so they are here for now.

#2 Team Harry- I really like what he did, had a ton of money and went to work with the hardhat, he really robbed the bank with Walker.A lot of these guys have played together multiple times so the chemistry is already solidified. Harding can outscore just about anyone, and if he is cooking that means he draws the attention, and Valdi nails the open 3. Losing out on INI was not a good thing at all for this team, as they went from a heavy favorite to win it all, to they are just like the rest of us, which is beatable. Landon was a nice nab at the end, as I feel like he is one of the most underrated players in the whole league, he could give them the edge they need.

#1 Team Corp- Mazz did a truly masterful job here. He stole Hohrath as teams with alot of money were trying to save bread for the Hollins sweepstakes, I bet if captains could go back they Make mazz go to atleast 60$ for his big man friend. Then he makes 2 savy trades...... why did the capatains agree???? The trades landed the best defensive playerin the league , and that is not debatable. The only thing that could derail this team is stamina , I could see this team running out of gas agaisnt the deeper teams. Overall when I take a step back it Mazz combined with could be the best scoring big in Hohrath, and defensive big in INI, and that sounds like a winning combination to me.

SDL Power Rankings by DRUFF

by Jason on May. 23, 2023

BY DRUFF

Before I get to the Power Rankings I just have to say the Boston Celtics smh like seriously WTF. I love Brown, Smart and even Horford but you gotta trade those guys. This unit isn’t winning a championship. Sign and trade Brown include Smart/Horford for Lillard/Nurkic/and whoever else fits salary wise. I’m literally sick to my stomach just thinking about a damn sweep. Anyways I digress, allow me to get to the topic at hand.

5 Platano Power are they actually the worst team in the league? I’m not totally sure. I believe last week was the first week they had everyone in attendance. This team reminds me a lot of my team from last season. We eventually figured it out but it was too late. Will they suffer the same fate? Only time will tell. I do like the combo of Jorge, Alan and Tim. If they can be consistent and get Chris, Neil and Rob to contribute, I can see them sneaking into the loffs and being a tough out.

4 DANIELS can we get an actual team name? If we don’t, I will name this team and you may or may not like it. DANIELS is really talented but another team that I think hasn’t figured out how to play together. I think the key for this team is just figure out a style of play then stick to it. When doing that though someone has to be willing to sacrifice. Who is that someone? That’s for you to figure out. If I wasn’t actually playing in the league I would easily give you an answer. I will say this, I think they all know that Ghost is their primary offensive scorer but there’s more to basketball than this. I don’t think Cam, Adam, Joe, Dre or Andrew have played bad but collectively they have to figure it out.

3 Nair can we get an actual team name? If we don’t, I will name this team and you may or may not like it. I honestly think this team at full strength and healthy is the best in the league but we haven’t seen that yet. Nair should be back soon and hopefully it doesn’t take him much time to get back to his MVP level of play. Nick makes everyone’s job easy. DTO is playing extremely well. Ben and Pat are doing all the little things. As for me, I’m just happy to be a part of it.

2 Stull Here while they also haven’t really played their best or at full strength, they have an excellent 1-2 combo in David & Devin. Steve has been the key though. In the 2 games he’s played well they’ve won. When he hasn’t they lost. EJ has been basically a no show but gives them an outside threat. Jordan and Stull will also need to be somewhat productive if this team is to win it all. I’m pretty confident they will make the playoffs. I’m interested to see how far they go.

1 COSTA can we get an actual team name? If we don’t, I will name this team and you may or may not like it. No surprise here as COSTA has the leading MVP candidate in Jamil and everyone knows their role and has played it well. Dylan anchors the front court defense, rebounding and everything else in between. Charlie shoots threes and does a little bit of everything else. Emmanuel is their backcourt defensive leader and contributes across the board. Cam and Dan come in off the bench and make contributions. The real story though is Jamil. Guy has been on a mission this season. Maybe being the # 1 pick fueled him even more but I feel like this team is a lock for the playoffs. Will they win it all?

B Draft Week 3 Write-Ups and Power Rankings

by Jason on May. 19, 2023

BY CUNDALL & HARRY

Kenny Tricks 5 Weeks into giving him Treats after dominating display

Going in, my expectations for this game were very low. 5 Weeks and Counting had been blown out every game, while Trick or Treat is the clear top team in the league. Jamil being out further lowered my expectations and made me regret not making the line higher than the 19.5 I set it at. To the action!

The start of the game was interesting as 5 Weeks and Counting came out flying. Troy and Maneval were active on both ends, forcing turnovers and knocking down a few shots early, while Trick or Treat was sluggish. Eventually they got the pick and role game going with Sam and Mike, but 5 Weeks held the lead 12-8 after the first five minutes. A Troy steal and Maneval 3 would push the lead to 6 at 17-11 and Guns would follow with a three to make it 20-13! Harry was definitely not pleased at this point, but I wasn’t sure how sustainable this was as 5 Weeks were hitting everything, while Trick or Treat was missing wide open shots (or just throwing the ball away). Things were due to flip soon and they did almost immediately as Trick or Treat ripped off a quick 7-0 run to tie it up at 20. Stat was getting whatever he wanted in the paint (still no guarantee he’d finished it) and Weinstein couldn’t miss. 

Guns stopped the run with a crazy put back while falling behind the hoop and out of bounds. I’m not sure he knew much about it, but it was a very impressive play. Things remained level as we finished up the first quarter of the game as we sat at 25-25 after 10 minutes. As you can see, defense was optional at this point and for as hard as 5 weeks was working, I was skeptical they could keep up that effort for the entire game. It seemed a run was coming for Trick or Treat and it started after a Harry dime led to an easy bucket. Weinstein would add a three, which was good because Pollock was throwing up bricks from deep. With six minutes left Harry’s team led 38-28 and then Kenny was unleashed. Over the rest of the half he’d hit three threes to push the lead, yet he couldn’t make a wide open layup in transition. One person who could make layups during this time was Big Guns who had two really impressive right-handed finishes. Guns and the rest of 5 weeks were working hard, but Trick or Treat just had far too many weapons and at half they found themselves down 54-34. Everyone but Harry (he wasn’t shooting at all) was scoring for Trick or Treat, led by Weinstein with 21 and Pollock with 14. Meanwhile, 5 weeks was lead by Maneval with 16 and Guns with 9.

The second half was more or less a scrimmage with both teams trying on offense and providing limited resistance on defense. Harry’s team was putting on a passing clinic with the ball flying around and leading to easy shots on pretty much every possession. Sam finally hit a three in this period and Kenny continued to go off. 5 Weeks meanwhile was fatigued and started turning the ball over frequently. This led to more easy buckets for Trick or Treat as they started to run up the score. Guns and co fought hard in the second half as he hit a really nice setback three, but it wasn’t enough as Trick or Treat walked away with a 94-55 win.

Trick or Treat

Pollock B: Nice game, but struggled from three

Weinstein A: Led the team in scoring and was able to do pretty much whatever he wanted.

Kenny A+: Awesome game even with several blown layups. A treat to watch.

Stat B: Dominated the glass, but still forces a few too many shots for my liking and doesn’t finish efficiently.

Harry B: Kept the ball moving and rebounded well.

5 Weeks

Maneval A-: 23 points on efficient shooting from deep, but would have liked to see a little more activity on the glass and getting others involved.

Guns A: Great game from Tommy on both ends. Had four steals and eight boards and added 14 points and showed off a nice range of moves to get those points.

Troy B: Quiet second half, but worked hard throughout.

Alan C: Struggled with his shot, but passed the ball well.

Cavano calls shot from his death bed

The second game of the evening was the toilet bowl championship between Ian's Gray Matters and Calderan's Danner-18. Both these teams looked quite awful through two weeks, although Danner-18 had a better excuse than Ian's with Casey missing their second game. Casey, was there this week as was everyone else (for a time). Taha aka the electric one was out for Gray Matters. TO THE ACTION!

Gray Matters came out like a team thirsty for victory in this one, sprinting out to a 20-3 lead over Danner-18. Everyone was contributing to start off this half, Koller had 12 points, Ian had 8, Lamaar returned to score 5 and Issac plus Ian had three steals apiece. What a start for a team that really needs a win. They were really bringing the energy out there and it got them a big lead.

On the other end of the floor, Danner-18 was out to lunch the first 10 minutes of the game. Falling down double digits so early to a bad offense isn't a good thing. They looked out to lunch a game that they really needed too. What the hell were they doing? Then Cavano got hurt, falling hard to the ground doing something Cavano like, forcing him out of the game. Not great for a team that relies on its stars to get shit done. Cavano did some up to me as he was leaving and guaranteed victory. Odd thing for a man to say leaving the gym and his team to fend for themselves.

HOWEVER, the game started to turn a bit as Danner-18 went on a 18-9 run to close the half behind Chaos Casey, who was launching the ball at will and flying all over court with no real plan in mind. Danner-18 went into the half trailing 29-21 with the hopes they could ride Casey to a victory. Could they? BACK TO THE ACTION!

Chaos Casey returned in the second half, securing 8 offensive rebounds and a whole bunch of rebounds on the defensive end too. Obviously, Ian learned nothing from our game plan on Mondays last season to assign someone to box out Casey at all times.

Of course, he doesn't have me on this team. Anyways, Casey shot like shit, not surprising, but the second and third and fourth chances he got his team were starting to pay off. Calderan joined the game, scoring 18 second half points after puking on himself in the first half. Calderan also got frisky out there, picking up four fouls and technical! He also started chirping at Koller about being a man. I will say this, all you guards are cheap fucks down low and push/pull/hold all the time. Nonetheless, THIS IS A MEN'S LEAGUE BABY and the winds of change in this game's momentum were blowing.

After a 'good for them?' first half, Gray Matters reverted back to struggling mightily on offense. They didn't hit a three in the entire second half. Ian didn't score and Issac/Lamaar only made 3 fgs the rest of the way. I mean what can you say about this offense? No one can handle the ball consistently, no one can shoot consistently and therefore no one can really score consistently.

Down the stretch Gray Matters finally gave up the lead after a Calderan free throw and then Casey a bucket gave them a 2-point lead. Then somehow Ryan Glynn ended up with the ball on the ground and called a timeout his team didn't have. Therefore proving forever he shouldn't be in charge of timeouts. Koller tied the game from the line after the T, but Glynn redeemed himself okie doking Koller for a bucket, but Koller answered for 2. After some other plays recorded in discord Danner-18 had the ball up 2 and Casey did something stupid, got his shit thrown back in his face and lost the ball for his team. Koller found Gray for 2, Calderan missed one up close, Gray Matters got the ball and ran the same play that tied the game, but this time Calderan threw Gray's shit. Off to OT we go!

Gray Matters won the tip in OT, but couldn't convert and were forced to play from behind after a Calderan bucket gave Danner-18 the lead. After a Koller 1-2 from the line, Casey scored a 2 and Glynn got a board and was fouled. He made his free throws and Koller answered with a 2, then Glynn split a pair. Lamaar would hit a huge three to make it a one point game, Calderan went to the line and made the first, but the second got rebounded by Casey. Ben "Casey" Simmons went to the line and bricked both free throws. Man, does this guy suck at the free throw line. He didn't use to be this bad. Gray Matters had the ball down 2, they got the ball to Koller who dribbled around until he could attempt a 3 and it was off. 64-62 Final.

Another horrific loss for Ian's team and a great win for Danner-18 to overshadow Casey being the worst free throw shooter of all-time.

Grades:

Koller A; Now this what an "A" effort looks like when your team is counting on you to consistently get buckets, not disappear from half to half.
Ian C: Ian looked quite good early, but speaking of disappearing Ian did his own in the second half and OT. This team really needs Ian's best from half to half as a captain and player.
Lamaar C+: A mixed bag from Lamaar, he hit a big shot, but fouled trouble hurt his night.
Issac B-: His best game so far, but he really needs to rebound on this team. What's that height for?
Gray B: Gray made some big plays out there, but he really needs to make his threes. Again, it isn't his fault he's been thrusted into a huge role.

Danner-18

Casey A-: This an 'A+' game, but his outrageously bad shooting brings him down.
Cavano A+: Sees into the future like no man.
Calderan A: Hit some really big shots and made a game saving block.
Marcellus D: I need one bucket or a block or a fight with an opposing player.
Danner C+: I'm sure Danner made some hustle players out there.
Glynn B-: Glynn was a mixed bag of chaos like Casey.

Nothing Great without The Great One

Our last game of the evening featured an AJ and Joel less Counselors taking on the Great Clasby without the Great One. This didn't seem like a promising end to the evening for our games, but we played the game anyway. TO THE ACTION!

Any time a Noah team knows it's in peril means they're going to be chucking 3s relentlessly for 40 minutes, because Noah has his built in excuse. This game was no different in the first half, with the Counselors shooting 22 3-point shots. They were able to hit 7, all from Noah and Jack, who the team welcomed back this week. Those 7 made 3s were 5 more than the amount of 2s they made in the half, so these guys fit in perfectly with today's NBA.

On the other side of the court The Great Clasby was throwing up a whole lot of trash. They went 0-9 from deep in the first half and looked about awful as one can in a half against weak competition. Scroggins, Clasby and Angry Ian combined for all the scoring in this half, plus the next one and OT. That tells me the ball wasn't moving if Robel and Silva didn't get on the board. 

They moved the ball well last week in victory, but perhaps they thought the ball movement played no role in their victory.  

The Counselors went into the half up 25-21. My feelings were this lead wouldn't last and Scroggins would turn it on, but I've been wrong once before (just once!). 

The second half began much like the first of GC, they couldn't hit a shot to save their lives. Scroggins and Robel were the only ones to attempt a 3 in the second half/OT. I don't know what's going on with this team's offense, but it sucks. I thought this would be a good game for them to build some momentum, but boy was I wrong. There wasn't one positive for these guys in this game. 

The score fluctuated a bit in the second half, neither team was pulling away by any means. That's when Jack got hurt on a 3-point jumper that Robel was trying to contest. Zaza Pachulla thought it was perfect defense, but others might be disagree. Obviously, Robel didn't do it on purpose and now the Counselors needed a guy. That's when the King stepped off his throne to play and Robel did the scoring. 

It was a pretty ugly game from there, I remember Bret hitting a huge 3 to get the lead to 5 or maybe a little more. Then Scroggins turned it up a bit and got some lay-ups. Eventually, the game was tied and I drove on Silva, using my new move, I went right up into his arms. There was no call and we went to OT! 

Noah hit a big 3 in OT and Bret made a nice short jumper or lay-up. We got into free throw territory, but I missed a front end and Bret missed one. The Great Clasby got within 2 and went for the win at the buzzer, but Angry Ian's shot fell off. 

Grades

Counselors:

A+: Any time you get a win against another team without your two best players, then your third best, you deserve an A+. 

Great Clasby:

F-: No positives from any player on this team and as a team a collective awful performance. F---------

2 guys and a Cam

Coming into the night this was my game of the evening between two contending teams. Both coming into the game 2-0, both coming off impressive wins. Finally, a game wasn't ruined by absences, everyone was there. TO THE ACTION!

The Young Bucks came out hot behind their 3 headed monster of Lynch-Miller-Cam. Apparently. Civale didn't get the memo that Lynch was a shooter and even if we did, God knows he wouldn't have done anything about it. Lynch, would hit four three pointners in the first half, going 4 for 7. Cam added 10 points of his own, while Miller clocked in at 11. No one else on the team scored in the first half for the Young Bucks, which tells me Civale's team did a poor job noticing what was happening. Again, not surprising with a Civale led team.

On the other end of the floor, MacDonald notched 8 first half assists for his team. I was beginning to wonder though if maybe this wasn't a good thing, because James was the only person who registered an assist. You have to wonder if MacDonald bogarting the entire offense is a good thing, when it leads to other guys going invisible. James did score 8 first half points. Young Bucks went into the half up 39-33. I thought this game could go either way. I expected MacDonald to turn up the scoring. BACK TO THE ACTION!

MacDonald, would step up his scoring in the second half, going bonkers for 20 second half points. He even flirted with a quadruple-double, but one other person registered a second field goal. Again, I have to wonder if this Luka like offense is good for the team as a whole. They were trailing this whole game.

Meanwhile, this was Cam's best game of his CAC career, even if he continues to blow free throws. Cam had 12 second half points, hitting a three and a bunch of 2s. Miller continues to be a force down low, scoring 13 second half points. By the time season ends Miller is going to have a whole lot of free throw attempts. He's a magnet for contact in this league.

Lynch, kind of disappeared though, only scoring 4 points this half. He still refuses to ever enter the post, which I guess is a big thank you to the rest of the league. The Young Bucks just kept MOOM at a distance in this game. The deciding blow was when DTO finally made a FG for the supporting cast. It was a huge 3 that was pretty much the dagger in the game. Everyone, but Cam hit their free throws and that was all she wrote. Another huge win for the Young Bucks, while MOOM needs some answers.

Grades

Miller A-: Another good game, but his shot was off from deep. Lynch: B+: Great first half, but what happened in the second half and why can't I get any post-ups?
Cam A: He'd get a plus if he could make a free throw.
DTO C+: Big three late gets him a plus, but only one made FG? Gross. He needs to make an impact for his team.
Landy C-: I have no memories of anything he did in this game. Was he there?
Bauman C: Notched 2 assists, but I need a make too.

MOOM

MacDonald A-: Hard to argue with the numbers, but where's my defense?
James C+: Listen, James was a monster on the boards, but no second half FGs? Does James only play the first half to score?
Civale A: 7 threes is above board, HOWEVER does this guy ever rebound or do anything but stand on the 3-point line? Just a waste of a big body. Make an effort out there.
Hanks D: Sucked again, but apparently did better yesterday. So good for him.
Ottomatic C: No Ottomatic buckets, boooooooo.

POWER RANKINGS

Better luck next year tier:

8. Gray Matters

Somehow Ian put together a team that can’t score, rebound and shoot. They also have three horrible losses. I don’t feel a pulse. One guy might save you in the first round:

7. The Great Clasby:

If Ian’s team wasn’t so pathetic I’d have this team last for tonight’s performance alone. Wtf is this team doing?

6. 5 weeks and counting:

Somehow this team gets to 6th because they haven’t had a chance to win anything. I feel confident in saying at full strength they’re better the teams below them. They might be better with just 5 too.

5. Danner-18:

Huge win for these guys tonight even with Cavano getting hurt. Casey is definitely good enough to Will his team past the ones blow them as tonight provided. GIANT GAP These teams can win it tier:

4. MOOM

Tough loss for these guys tonight, but they’re still clearly better than the ones below them.

3. Counselors

You can argue they still belong in the 2 spot, but I’m putting them here. Big win for them tonight, you’re welcome. Although, I’d argue it had move to do with the awful play of their opponents. Nonetheless, they’re quite good at full strength.

2. Young Bucks

Huge win for these guys tonight too. They beat a full strength title contender. Their supporting cast has questions though. No one besides the top 3 made a FG tonight.

1. Trick or treat mother fucker

I mean, come on. 1 through 6 we have the best team. 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 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.

Spring 2023 A 5v5 THU Preseason Preview

by Jason on May. 04, 2023

By Devin Quinlin

SPRING 2023 A 5v5 THU Preseason Preview

West Coast Elite:

West Coast Elite returns after a dominant regular season and disappointing first round exit last session. I fully expect these guys to make a deep playoff run, as they will be back with a vengeance. The shooting tandem of Eric D’Aguanno and Derek Retos combined for 11.6 threes per game last season, with D’Aguanno shooting 45.8% on twelve attempts per game and Retos shooting 48.4% on twelve and a half attempts. With their offense tailored around the shooting prowess of these two, WCE is insanely annoying to defend. Jack Fay adds his own shooting threat while being one of the top passers in the A League, while Tom Palleschi has shown some impressive touch while picking defenses apart from the low and high post, which only makes their shooters more dangerous. Collin Sawyer is their primary attacking wing, who can light it up from deep while slashing through the lane for tough finishes in transition and in half court sets, while Sam Dowden acts as a versatile stretch big who can do it all. Devin Jensen is arguably the best player in any CAC division, and if he shows up consistently these guys will be among the favorites once again.

We The Ones:

Keith has once again returned with a mishmash of players who have never met each other, so I am expecting 0 organization from this group initially. That said, Keith himself is a solid stretch big/wing who can consistently hit shots and defend, and Garrett Stanowicz returns as a 20ppg scorer with a high motor on both ends who can finish as well as anyone in the league. His brother Aidan returns after a season off, adding some interior presence on defense and a capable mid-range shooter and passer, and Jordan Carter is back in the guard spot as a knockdown shooter. The addition of brothers Karim and Marat Belhouchet add some much needed guard depth, but their skillset is unknown as of now, though Keith says good things. Sayvonn Houston is a huge addition to this team, as just a few sessions ago he had a monster season for Mambas, and he will look to plant himself firmly among the league’s top bigs by the end of the season. A lot of unknowns here, but past records make me hesitant to rank these guys too highly.

The Spida Men:

The Spida Men are coming off a lackluster season after winning the A League the session prior. The talent and chemistry are always there, but attendance has been an issue and guys will need to be more consistent going forward. Jamal Brown leads the offense at the point, using his strength to make himself a constant triple-double threat and a perennial MVP candidate. He will need to bounce back after last session if these guys want to get back to the top. Danny Martin Jr. brings his signature hook shot and insane motor to the front court, providing a double double average and a go-to scorer outside of Jamal. Tim Gallivan brings his interior size as well, holding down the paint defensively while adding a lethal three-point threat as well. He’s never taken a layup on the left side, but still finishes well anyway. Billy Battaglia has one of the prettiest jumpers I’ve ever seen, adding a facilitating threat from the guard spot as well. He will need to find his shot more consistently to balance the inside-outside attack on this team, but he’s been a steadying backcourt presence for these guys the last two sessions. Hallvard Lundevall has been a versatile threat as well, bringing his athleticism, defensive prowess, and pure shooting stroke to the backcourt. Cedric White brings his signature lefty hook and mid-range bank shot back to the table, with new addition Lucio Dahlstedt-Brown making his A League debut from the guard/wing spot.

Suffolk:

This Suffolk squad has some familiar faces, though they seem to have split from Cobras. Captain George Grillakis returns from injury looking to only drive to his right, though I don’t know if anyone can stop him from doing that. He might not be the tallest, but he’s definitely one of the strongest, putting tons of pressure on defenses in transition and on any kind of perimeter attack. Sam Holtze has moved his BC squad over to Monday A League, but will be a welcome backcourt addition to this team. He will be vying for defensive player of the year again, and I’m curious to see how aggressive he is offensively. He’s shown that he can lead a team deep into the playoffs as the #1 option, but with other players of his caliber on the team, we’ll have to see how that dynamic plays out. Logan O’Donnell, Kerry Weldon, and Mike McEneney all played D3 ball and should be good additions to this roster, especially with O’Donnell and McEneney both standing at 6’10”. Bret Edwards will be interesting, as he had a strong football career at UNH, but can he hoop? Or is he going to embody this video? Only time will tell. One thing I do know is that Bolden Brace rounds out this lineup, and he would be my preseason pick for MVP. A high level player who can score at all three levels and defend well, I’m curious to see how other teams match up with him while Grillakis and Holtze attack the rim and other guys provide serious size down low. Definitely some unknowns here, but Suffolk looks to have a strong roster.

Not A Dime Back:
The WPI squad return with the exact same roster that found them some good success last session in their first run in the A League. Jon Luster leads the way at the point, where he’s as good as anyone in this league. Luster always plays the right way, as he’s unselfish and intelligent, but for NADB to take the next step, he will need to be more selfish, either looking for his shot or attacking lanes more often. He’s just too good not to. Chris Connor returns after a stellar season beyond the arc, shooting 45.7% on over eight attempts per game as a capable stretch-4. He also showed off some good court vision in the high post, making him a key in their offensive attack. Jeff Coulter is another guy coming off of a strong season, where he established himself as one of the league’s best defenders and continued his strong finishing inside off of backdoor cuts. He also showed off some range, shooting the three ball well on low attempts. Marcus Giese slots in at center, patrolling the paint defensively and causing tons of turnovers through his blocks, steals, and deflections. He’s also an excellent mid-range shooter and a reliable finisher inside. Chris Connor and Mike Synott add shooting from the guard spot, plus some very solid defense and ball movement to fit nicely with the others. Dre Kontopidis will be the x-factor for this group, as his size and skill make him a devastating offensive threat when he’s in rhythm, but his three-ball is inconsistent. Regardless, I expect these guys to be competitive in every single game.

DRBL:

DRBL returns with a very similar roster to two sessions ago when they finished the regular season with only 1 loss and made it all the way to the championship before falling to the Spida Men. Mike Thompson has that superstar flair, as he’ll pull from halfcourt, explode through the lane for a crazy finish, and throw a pinpoint behind the back pass in three consecutive possessions. When he’s hot, he’s a top player in this league, but some ill advised shots may cost his team some possessions. Avery Davis won DPOY a few sessions ago, as a fearsome perimeter defender who can also get inside at will on offense for floaters or quick shovel passes for easy finishes. He’s an excellent decision maker, and the more he’s involved on offense, the better this team plays. Lasse Gummerus and Will Brodnitzki add some size down low, with Gummerus finishing well inside off of dishes, but mostly being a three-point sniper with his high release point. Brodnitzki is an early candidate for strongest player in the league, who has provided some clutch performances for this team in key games while battling anyone and everyone inside on both ends. Anthony Colozzo adds a serious deep threat with his lefty long ball, plus some strong facilitating skills and shit talk to match, while Jonah St. Clair and his strange three-point form bring one of the most well rounded skillsets in the league to the table. Think Shawn Marion, he can make shots but his defensive presence, rebounding, and passing make for an great all-around player. Unfortunately, DRBL has parted ways with my guy Hassan Paige and have replaced him with Luka Vlajkovic and Salim Belkebir. Don’t know these guys, but I’ll give them and their team the benefit of the doubt. I think DRBL will be among the favorites to win it all once again.

Cobras:

The Cobras return after a lackluster regular season, followed by an impressive playoff run last session. Warfa Abdillahi will be getting his shots up from the point guard spot, and much of their team success is predicated on his shooting splits. He’s more than capable, and I’ll be curious to see if he can facilitate more consistently. He had a few games last session with 5+ assists and he makes good reads out of the P&R, but a few games where he didn’t get much ball movement going. Jamal Fiin had a stellar performance last session, averaging nearly 15ppg on 42% from three, plus his steady defensive presence and tough rebounding. He showed a lot of progress as a slasher last session, and I’m hoping to see him in attack mode putting pressure on defenses once again. Carter Burruss also returns with his crazy bounce, and I would definitely like to see him get more aggressive on offense. He’s a decent shooter, but is at his best attacking the rim, he just needs to get more looks and get aggressive. Yusuf Liban is a sniper, so he’s either going six for eleven or one for eight from deep, but has shown off some strong passing skills as well. Curls will need to find his rhythm early, and he’ll be a fantastic bench guy for them, as will Kevin Querusio, who has shown he can battle with bigs down low and stretch the floor on offense. Will Rowe will be the key for these guys, as he’s a super skilled big man who has excellent footwork and touch, but can also extend the defense with a respectable three-ball. His defensive presence is key, and with his Suffolk season over, I expect him to be in attendance for most of the games. Cobras did lose Mike Gillespie and Chris Cardoso, who were perhaps their two most talented players last session, but they added DeAngelo Alston who had a solid run at ENC, and Rayshawn Miller, who played the 1 at UMass Amherst. Two good players on paper, but we’ll see what they bring to the table.

Bing Bong:

I don’t know a single one of these guys, and I like that. Instead of doing research, I’m just going to let them play and make my judgments from there. I also forgot to do this and am now rushing to finish. Regardless, this is a young team, with no one over the age of 27, and making the jump right to CAC’s top league tells me that these guys are confident and ready to compete. They’ll have a good test against Cobras in our first game of the entire session.

Pre-Season Power Rankings:

N/A: Bing Bong → don’t know these guys, let’s see what they got.

Middle Tier:

7.) We Them Ones!! → Keith! I’m sorry my guy but have no choice other than to put you here after the last two sessions. Also tough as this is the team I play on when healthy, but they need to secure some wins before they move up.

6.) Cobras → Curious to see what Alston and Miller bring to the table, and I’m confident that this team will remain competitive in most, if not all games. Just need to see that consistency on both sides first, as they’ve shown some serious disinterest on the defensive end the last few sessions.

5.) The Spida Men → these guys won it two sessions ago and could easily be higher, but they looked a bit too sloppy last session. I expect them to rise as the season goes along, but can’t give them the benefit of the doubt after their first round exit last session.

4.) Not A Dime Back → These guys are as solid as they come, playing smart, skilled hoops at all times, plus their chemistry is unreal. I put them at #4 as I question their size against some of these other teams, but if anyone can overcome that, it’s probably a team with their shooting and chemistry.

Top Tier:

3.) West Coast Elite → No shortage of talent as always, but need the defensive effort to turn up and want to see guys showing up consistently. Still one of the favorites in my opinion.

2.) Suffolk → A LOT of unknowns here, but the combo of Brace and Holtze is a scary one for opponents. Throw in Grillakis on the relentless attack, plus some of their interior size, and these guys could be pretty damn good.

1.) DRBL → I feel like there are probably better teams on paper, but one thing I learned with DRBL is that they will find ways to win games. They always bring the energy, they go hard on defense, everyone knows their role, and everyone is confident in their role. I expect these guys to come out firing and have no doubt they can get back to the championship.

Spring 2023 Franchise League Preseason Power Rankings

by Jason on Apr. 30, 2023

BY MATT KAPLAN

PRESEASON POWER RANKINGS

Let me start by saying this: I don’t like power rankings. I don’t like doing them, reading them, or talking about them. Buttttt I know you fucks are clamoring for my thoughts on each team so here you go!

The “To Be Determined” Tier:

8 - Joel – Way too much unknown here to rank them. This team has 4 rookies, one of which could be a huge game changer in Lucio. I am definitely looking forward to seeing this kid play. If Bakolas, Reily and Hayden are the real deal then this team could make some noise, but I will reserve judgement until I see them play a couple games. Verdict = TBD

The “Pretender” Tier:

7. Keith – No brainer here. Keith has shown me nothing to make me believe he can lead a winner. I will give him credit for pairing Masone with Ini though, which I think will be a really solid duo. That said, I think Keith is washed as a player. He just did not look right last season. Who is the third guy for this team? It must be Keith. I just don’t see it. Verdict = A million things would have to break this team’s way to win a title. 

6. Xavier – We all know the big story here. Devin for 51.7 puts a ton of pressure on him to basically carry this team. Even if we assume Devin is a really good player, which by most accounts he is, can he do it all by himself in a league this deep? Nope. Stat, Robel and Civale just ain’t gonna work and I am willing to bet money this team finishes in the bottom 4. Verdict = Light years from contending.

The “Smack Dab in the Middle” Tier:

5. Ben – This is like a BDraft all star team. On paper, Ben Mac, Cavano, Koller and Tommy looks real shiny but will it work? I am 5050 on it, which is why I have them comfortably in the middle of the pack for now. Koller has been an absolute beast lately and is a legit MVP candidate, but I am not sure he is a team carrier. This will be a competitive team each week with Ben Mac and Cavano’s energy and activity, but the key ultimately for these guys might be the play of Tommy! Verdict = Would be shocking if these guy won, but I am not saying it’s impossible.

The “Contender” Tier:

4. Vladi – I am much higher on this team than most people. The Vladi disrespect is already pouring in, and I am absolutely here for it, but the bottom line is he and Harding is an excellent pairing. Both can score and pass and should be tough to deal with each week. Add in Liam and DP and this team has potential. They lack size, which could be an issue, but I think they have enough pieces to be contender. Verdict = Contender. Anytime you have Harding, you cannot be overlooked.

3. Eric – It’s always hard to evaluate your own team before the season due to bias amongst other things so I will take a conservative approach. This looks like a very solid team, with Eric running the show and the rest of us filling in the gaps. This should be a very high IQ team which goes a long way in winning. Eric, Ryan and Frongi have done it before and when you add me to the mix, well, we all know that’s a massive boost to any locker room. Verdict = LFG!

2. JDM – This team is flying under the radar, and I don’t know why. Much like Eric’s team I just see the pieced fitting beautifully. JDM’s health is always a concern, but I can’t predict that. What I can predict is this team will be very good. Johnny and LeBlanc are perfect compliments to JDM, and Craig really impressed me last season. Oh and Chas will be good for 8 fouls a game (2 will be called). Just kidding buddy! Verdict = 100% a contender.

1. Mazz – Your favorite heading into the season boys and girls is none other than Mr. Mazzeo’s corporation. What a shitty ass company! How can you not say this is the best team on paper? They brought back their core in Mazz, Cawley, Sydorko and Big Lou and added Walker. Uhhhh yeah this is a pretty damn good team. It’s their league to lose! Verdict = FAVORITES!

Week 1 preview will come Tuesday probably? Maybe tomorrow if I am motivated. Maybe Wednesday if I am lazy! Looking forward to it bitches.

- KAP

B Draft Spring 23 Preseason Power Rankings

by Jason on Apr. 27, 2023

By HARRY DEMAKES

8 - JAMIL - I hate to start my man here, but I think I have to. I don’t hate his first pick of Nair, because the regular season really means nothing unless you want to be in the CAC cup. Hand injuries can be tricky though, so I question how long Nair will take to regain his form even when he comes back. Troy G. was the his next pick and Cam said that’s his boy, who he wouldn’t have taken there. Not a great sign I’d say. I don’t know Charlie, but apparent he played in the SDL all-star game. Take that for it’s worth (not much). I like AO though, he’s made massive improvements to his game. Props to him and of course BIG GUNS! Who is like a son to me! I just have a lot of questions I don’t have answers to here. Plus I’m concerned about Nair, even when he comes back.

7 - CALDERAN - Calderan started a CAC mainstay Casey, who hasn’t returned my text and therefore has hurt my feelings. It isn’t a bad pick taking a known commodity though. Then Calderan’s draft went off the rails when he traded up for Cavano. Cavano may be a winner as Calderan said, BUT those teams usually come with two elite scorers with him. I see one, but not two. Plus, he’s going to have to play a lot of defense, unless their next pick is a good defender. I like this kids bio, but bios on here are like the ones on dating sites, complete BS. Calderan, did fill out his bench with Glynn and Danner who are helpful pieces. I like both, but Kenny was the better pick. I don’t think this teams ceiling is high at all, ESPECIALLY if the rookies live up to their potential.

6 - CAM - So, my pre-draft was spent trying to figure out who Matthew Miller is. I didn’t find out, but maybe Cam did? No clue if he’ll be good or not. I did see Lynch before, but I wasn’t impressed. Of course, maybe with a good passing guard he would be better or maybe he’ll try harder? I think he’ll be good, probably DPOY material. He was the right pick there. However, I think he reached for DTO.

Kenny went at 37 and I’d say they’re equal players. I don’t know Bauman, but I like the Landy pick. My issue with this team is that if Miller can’t shoot, who’s going to help these guys spread the floor? Even if he can, who else? I do love this teams defense, but they’ll struggle offensively.

5 - SILVA - Silva made the obvious choice at 1, Scroggins was the pick. To the shock of no one, this team is going to live or die based on how good he is. If he’s a 6’6 athletic scorer who can shoot 3s, he probably wins games by himself. If he’s just OK or has some sort of flaw, then I have this team middle of the pack. Clasby, is a good second round pick, but he’s like Joel and has these weird scoring games where he takes 3 shots and only makes 1. Robel is a good piece, but does clog the paint, will that hurt Scroggins? The Great One and Angry Ian are good picks, although I’m sure they fit on this team. I mean, this all depends on Scroggins game, but I don’t see how he won’t be awesome.

4 - CUNDALL - Any other captain (besides me) I would have ranked this team in the bottom 3, but Cundall has earned his respect. I was kind of surprised Cundall went with Koller at 5. With all the bigs, this doesn’t feel like a league where Koller would work as a 1 (and it won’t.) I don’t know about Issac, word was he felt like a sandbag. He might be Ian’s though! He’s a tall man 6’4, which means two bigs clogging the paint unless Cundall knows something I don’t. Bennett was the next pick, I don’t know him either. His stats seem to say he’s a guard, which this team will really need. Cundall traded with him and picked Gray, then Taha. Don’t know why he picked them over Kenny. My questions revolve around a point guard and who guards players, like say Pollock? Cundall is the luckiest guy in CAC when it comes to rookies, so maybe it will all work out.

3 - CIVALE - Yes, that’s right, a Civale team in the top 3. I liked his pick of Macdonald. Macdonald does a good job of helping guys, scoring and playing defense. He’s a known winner too. I liked the trade down to get James, another guy who plays D and nearly killed me after I guarded him in our playoff game. The floor will be spread with him and Civale. Plus, all those Macdonald dribble hand off moving screens. Then Civale went with Lucas at 19 and I didn’t like that pick. Again, I think Kenny is just as good as him. There were better options here like Bennett and it would have been worth the risk with Hanks coming in later. Hanks has been getting better and better. I like that pick and of course I love OTTOMATIC. I love the balance on this team and think they’ll be top contenders as long as everyone plays their role.

2 - NOAH - Noah started his draft by picking the injured AJ, but you don’t need your voice to hoop. Noah claimed AJ is a better Pollock, which is a weird way to thank a guy that just carried you to a ship. Anyways, I like AJ, he’s a scoring machine. Joel is another good pick at 13. I do question how he’ll perform on this team though. There’s quite a few guys who want to get their shots up and Joel will just stand by and let them. You need someone to get Joel going and I don’t see that person on this team. The other Julian went next. I don’t know about him, but he’s shorter than the other one. We don’t know anything here, so hopefully he sucks, Noah took AJ’s buddy next. I’m not a fan, but he can get hot from deep. I don’t know Bret S., but I feel like this team will have the talent to compete. Chemistry is my question though. There might be one too many guys who just look for their own game.

1 - ME - Ya, that’s right. I started off with Pollock, because I didn’t want to roll the dice with another rookie. Also, because he’s the leagues best point guard and I wanted to have him when he shoots threes. I went with Weinstein next, pretty easy pick there for me. There are two people Pollock makes a lot better, one is Joel and the other is Weinstein. The one guy who guards Weinstein best is……Pollock. I took STAT next, another easy pick. If STAT plays like a big he’s going to have a great season and we’ll win, I don’t know Karim, he’s pollock’s buddy. You can do worse than a 6’2 athletic guy in the 4th though. Last and certainly not least, trick or treat Kenny. It appears no one was paying attention to the playoffs where Kenny balled out. I don’t know any other 6th guys on other teams that had a 30 plus point game. Good luck fuckers, see you in the ship.

Over-30 Legends Spring 23 Preseason Preview & Power Rankings

by Jason on Apr. 26, 2023

By CHAS BELLS

Here we go boys after a ‘LONG” layeoff, a whole week we are back at it, our old bodies can hadle it we are LEGENDS. We lost plenty of legends this past off, season, but added some back, and hopefully a new session with be the birth over more Over 30 Legends as this wheel keep on turning.I want to shout out last years CHAMPION my team Hot Goyle Winter, shows the regular season dont mean shit, if you belive and keep playing the right way, you can be having youre celebration drinks with the boys in glory. The league will have its chance to knock off Hot Golye Dojo as they go for a 3 peet, I a sure we will have a elephant size target on our back, we are ready!!!!

1. Pick 1 Joel trades to 1 and takes Ray Joel gets his man, he gave up a lot to get him but he really didnt have a choice, pulled the trigger and got his boy. Ray will be a PROBLEM for this league as he bring it on both ends. Grade A
2. Pick 2 Harry takes Mcpherson Harry did his CAC networking thing and after he turned over every stone he nabbed to could be super star Mchpherson. We have seen the strategy of taking an unknown rookie backfire, but we have also seen the Myers of the world come in and turn the league on its head. I think either way this was the right pick, def worth the gamble Grade A
3. Pick 3 Slick trades up for Cavano Slick stayed put last session but gets aggressive and goes and gets one of the most versatile player in the lague. Everyone knows I am the head of the Cavano fan club, he just wins so much, and he should be very good in this league, maybe getting his MVP back. Grade A
4. Pick 4 Chas runs it back with Weinstein Weinstein easilyy seen as a top guard in this league, and there really was not too many, slim pickens. Mike has shown time,and time again that when the lights are the brightest he flips a switch, and is a true CHAMPION. Grade A
5. Pick 5 Randal takes Dany There was some size here, but IMO Dany was the best guard left, and the gap after him was sizabable. He could have went Frano here, and possibly could have traded back, and gathered some assets as people were foaming at the mouth watching him fall, but Dany was a rock solid team building pick here. Grade B+
6. Pick 6 S.Mul takes J.Mul The brothers are back!!!!! They had a solid squad last session but ran into my squad in the semis, losing a tough game. If my brother was in this league I would take him at 1 so I am def jealous of this sibling love.Johny will have to reward his brothers confidence, and try and get back to his domina form. Grade B
7. Pick 7 Hanks takes Frano 1st steal of the draft as Frano could have gone top 4. Frano showed that even without Kap last session, that he can put a team on his back, and be very competitive. Great start for Hanks Grade A+
8. Pick 8 Skelley takes Kielley Skelley already traded his 8th pick, but if Kielley was going to be his pick he prob should have explored trading back again. I love Kielley but he has nver been a true number 1 before, can he step into that role? There were other players that I would have gone here, but the positive vibes will be on point. Grade D
9. Pick 9 Chas gets his basketball husband Evan-/Weinsten It happened !!!!!! I was going through a bunch of different mocks/scenarios/back up plans as I fully expected someone to fuck me and take Evan, but people just keep on passing on him, giving him the chip/motivation he needs to keep balling on you fools. Grade A+
10. Pick 10 Hanks takes Matty O-Frano Hanks coming out hot with the big vertsile combo!! This was another steal as he was my 2nd best player left on the board at this point. This team now has size/skills that will cause mismatch issues. Grade A
11. Pick 11 S.Mul takes Frongi /J.Mul This pick prob had Joel punching walls as I strongly believe he wanted Frongi at 13. S.Mul saw his guard pool was slim pickens and he gets th guy who had a rocket up his ass in the playoffs/finals. If Frongi can keep gaining confidence in this league, he could really take this team past the hump. Grade A-)
12. Pick 12 Randal takes Civale -/Dany O Joey lands had his man Murphy on the board but says “im blowing it up!!!!”, and takes the sharp shooting big man Civale. Best pure scorere availble you cant really knock this pick, i do worry about this teams defense so far. Grade B+
13. Pick 13 Joel takes Jefferies / Ray Tough pick for me to analyse because I have never seen this guy play. I have heard mixed reviews that hes more of a passer than a scorer, and others have tell me that he can shoot as well. Toss uo here, but I would have gone in other directions. Grade C-
14. Pick 14 S.Mul takes Cody/ J.Mul-Frongi  Putting together a rock solid starting 4 here. I thought Cody could have gone 3 picks before this, as he has shown when healthy he can light up the score board. I like the team construction of he, and Frongi being abe to find mismatches as there arnt many great guards this session. Grade A-
15. Pick 15 Harry brakes my heart and takes Bohnaker /Mchpherson Mannnnnnnnnnnnn, I saw the board and I thought I was going to get James, but Harry said no soup for you. James will bring his championship pedigree, and is very underrated at finding in game adjustments, and hits big time 3’s. Not going to lie i was surprised with this pick, with the playoff absence looming, thought Harrywould go another way, which hurts the Grade B.
16. Pick 16/
17. 17 Skelley takes Dutton and Worth/ Keilley Skelley taking bro ball to a new level, as he just wants to get out and run with his best friends, you have to admire it. Is this a formula for a great team? I am not seeing that, but I have ate crow many time before. I am not seeing the scring they will need. Grade B-) Dutton Grade C+-Worth
18. Pick 18 Harry reaches for Ian /Mchpherson/Bohnaker I love Ian, hes a smart effective player, but IMO there were def better players on the board here. Over 30 brings alot of buddy ball, but Harry should have tried to trade if this was going to be his pick, honestly I would have traded alot to get to 18. Grade C
19. Pick 19 Ej takes Ghost /Cavano Like this pick, there was another person i would have traded up for, so Slick should have tried to trick me, again I was willing to trade up. Ghost was the right pick , and you really cant go wrong, as he lit up B draft last session. Grade B
20. Pick 20 Chas takes Legend Roberts / Weinstein/Evan Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh babay reuinited and it feel so fucking good!! The Minotaur and I were a dangerous duo in the SDL, and look to add that chemistry to an already magical team. Honstely could nothave been happier, I would have taken Roberts top 12 easily. Team contruction really coming togther. Grade A+
21. Pick 21 Randal gets the falling Murphy /Dany/Civale Over-30 Legends 5v5 Winter 23 Monday Nights CHAS BELLS & CHRIS HANKS This was a great friggin pick, as I thought Joey was going to take Ian with pick 12. Great job be patient and allowing the draft to work for him. They will be a little slow footed on D but I see them getting great mismatches, and easy buckets. Grade B+
22. Pick 22 Ej takes Big Lu/ cavano /Fraher Ej gets exactly what he needed , and gets the ever improving power house in Big Lu. The tune has totally changed on him, and he had a tremendous session,and was Franchise finals MVP, he will look to continue is upward direction. Grade B+
23. Pick 23 Hanks takes Hull/Frano/Matty O Tough call on this pick, but the bio def had me intrigued. I have a feeling he will be a baller, and its not great for the league that he 6’0 200 pounds who post, he should find some good mismatches as Team Hanks is big AF. I like the gamble here Grade B
24. Pick 24 Chas takes Goldenstein/ Wein/Kodra/Roberts I know there is a narrative on Jake for being a bit of a loose canon, but this dude is a ballaholic and bring the passion/fire every game. He should have gone 9 picks before this with his defensive verstilty. He had 33pt on a tough B draft team in the CAC cup just showing what his ceiling is. Grade A.
25. Pick 25 Joel takes Danner /Ray/Jefferies Just like Tommy loved Walter, I LOVE Danner. Super smart, plays good D, and brings those positive vibes. If he can can get his 3 ball going of people overhelping on Ray , this coud be a tremendous pick for this squad. Grade B+
26. Pick 26 Hanks takes Peteet /Frano/Matty O/ Hull Peteet is sneaky good, and helped the Skelley team win this ship. I think i woud have looked at Dias here as he played HS ball or even Clarke for some size. Grade C
27. Pick 27 EJ Takes Dias/Cavano/Ghost/Big Lu This could be a pick we look back on and said that it changed the league. Slick needed a ball handler and why not gamble ona highschool combo guard. This was the right pick here. Grade B+
28. Pick 28 Joey takes Clarke/Danny/Murphy/Civale Really liked this pick here as I feel that Clarke fell 3 or 4 spots. Clarke is getting better, and if he can keep hitting 3’s will help this team immensely. Like the idea of dany finding him on smaller players. Grade B+
29. Pick 29 Skelley Takes Lane/Keilley/Dutton/Worth Buddy ball to it truest form!!! Skelley told me himself that Mr.Lane has a ways to go to egt himself up to speed. Grade C-
30. Pick 30 S.Mul takes ItsButterbaby!! / J.Mul/Frongi/Cody/ Best player available situation, Butter will bring the fire and hustle. Grade B
31. Pick 31 Harry takes Pizza!!/ Mecherson/Bohnaker/Ian This late , you cant go wrong with the pizza man, he brings the positive vibes/rebounding/ and shot making. Grade B
32. Pick 32 Joel takes Feinstein /Ray/Jefferies/Danner No clue here as this is Joels buddy, and told me hes not very good. Joel seems likes hes a mission to fuck me, so hes prob nasty. Grade B
33. Pick 33 skelley takes Lindsey /Kielley/Dutton/Worth/Lane Skelley gets Lindsey the most interesting man in the worl/secret agent/ diplomat. This man doesnt even have a phone or email, he just shows up and balls. Grade B
34. Pick 34 Harry takes Amir /Mchpherson/Bonaker/Cundall /Pizza Harry gets his basketball husband. You gota love it Grade A
35. Pick 35 Ej Takes Stull Cavano/Ghost/Big Lu/Dias God damnn you ejjjjjjjjjjj!!!!!!! I thought for sure I get Amir/Stull and you ruined my planning!!! Grade A
36. Pick 36 Chas takes Marlier/Wein/Evan/Roberts/Goldenstein Wow I never thought he would fall this far. I had Ian in the Butter range, I was sure glad to add a 6 ft plus rebounding .defender here late. Grade A
37. Pick 37 Randal Takes Choa/ Dany/Civale/Murphy/Clarke This was my favorite pick in the draft A+++++++
38. Pick 38 S.Mul takes Tomar- fine pick here, sucks hes missing time for chemisty purposes
39. Pick 39 Hanks Takes Paul- Late steal here , he can o brd, and hit open 3’s
40. Pick 40 Joel Takes Rich “Mr. 3 ballsex”- Rich is a legend will provide 3’s and ll the positive vibes

Power Rankings

#8 Team Skelley aka Overhated & Underrated - Hate to be the dick, and pick on the obvous slection here but it is what it is. Kielley has never been a number 1 and they will need him to take a GIANT load on. Dutton/Worth will have to bring the pickup versions of themselves. Just to many big jumps to project to see this team makign any real noise. I have been wrong before !!

#7 Team Randall aka Drop Step Murphy's - The scoring will be there its no doubt, but I worry about this teams defense, as they seem like they will be quite slow a foot. I think they will be in most games, but will fade down the stretch on most nights.

#6 Team Joel aka Asterisk Champ - The trade hurt this team very badely. Theres just no other way to look at it other than Ray will ned to be a god damn super hero every night. It will work agaisnt some teams, but the depth of others will grind this team out .

#5 Team EJ - This team hangs largely on the Dias pick IMO. Slick can not rely on himself as a PG even though he wanst t think he is, and will need a facilitator to get the ball to Ghost on time, and often. Big Lu could be the steal of the draft and saving grace, if he continues his upward direction , this team will be moving up.

#4 Team Harry aka Amir Mortals - Unlike Joels squad Harry was able to put some good pieces around the stud Mchpherson. Better hope MCHPH is a facilitator as I think this team is lacking this piece going in, but this man could put the league bac in its heels. Add in Bohnaker bridging his winning mindset , they have a squadrent here. 

#3 Team Hanks- LOVE LOVE LOVE what he did with his draft. He didnt have to trade up for Frano, let Matty O fall to him, and gambled on a rookie with size/atheltism . There starting 4 is going to be a problem IMO

#2 Team S.Mul aka Brothers Over Banners - Got the Brother band back together, and then surrounded them with two great scorers , who can score in many different ways. I think they will be able to matchup well with any team. I think they will be in the finals when its all said and done with.

#1 Team Chas aka Hot Goyle Dojo !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We back !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! come get us!!!!!!!!

LEAGUE PAGE: https://cacbasketball.playbookapi.com/division/1791/

A 5v5 Power Rankings Week 2

by Jason on Jan. 23, 2023

by DEVIN QUINLIN

W23 A League Power Rankings (Overreactions) After Week 1

Bottom Tier Teams

10.) Take The Under --> Good players but not sure they have the firepower to compete with other teams.

9.) So You're Telling Me There's A Chance? --> Brutal putting my own team here but we have no chemistry and got smacked by a team going half speed.

8.) Skelton's Boys --> Need to adjust to the faster pace and deeper talent pool, but have the players to compete.

Middle Tier Teams

7.) Cobras --> Beat a weak opponent by only 7 points, but could definitely be higher if their guys are more engaged.

6.) Not A Dime Back --> Same as Skelton's Boys but they have better talent.

5.) Spida Men --> They get the benefit of the doubt as defending champs, but not a great showing in week 1 for them.

4.) Bormes' Disciples --> Great week 1 showing, no doubt about talent, shooting, or chemistry, but they lack the size of the top 3 teams.

Top Tier Teams

3.) West Coast Elite --> Beat a weak opponent going half speed, but should've won by more. Attendance issues are always a question with them until they prove otherwise.

2.) Zards --> As good as advertised, could be #1 but faced a weaker opponent

1.) Shooters Shoot --> Same as Zards but beat a better opponent, so they get the nod.

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.

Over-30 Legends Winter 23 Draft Recap

by Jason on Jan. 19, 2023

OLD Preview

by CHAS

Holy moly a new year, and a new CAC session, we got the fireworks started early. Even before the draft the cap’s where wheeling n dealing, Harry and I struck an excellent deal, and Joel was hot on the phones making a deal with S.Mul/and Skelley which passed along the number 1 pick which usually does not get traded, just a stupid start, more insanity to come. 

Pick : 1 Skelley Takes Gold: Skelley was not fucking around, and made damn well sure he could run the core of his Tuesday team back. I love it, go get you’re guys, and he gets The Golden One, look for him to come in with an extra large chip on his shoulder, teams better be ready. Grade:A:

Pick: 2 Harry Takes Cawley: Harry like me likes playing with certain guys , and Cawley is right up there on the tipp top of his list. Good trade for Harry good trade for me, as Harry gets his defender/scorer versatile star Grade:A-)

Pick 3 Joel Takes Cavano: Did I talk about insanity , I love Cavano I really do, but I would take Casey here, it was a no brainer. Doesn’t kill Joels team they are top 3 but wasn’t one of the favorite picks here.Grade: B-)

Pick 4 Randal Takes Arria: I get it, he’s you’re cousin, TRADE and get the value you baby. Arria is tremendous, but trade and get hmi multiple weapons, got a dock the grade for lack of hustle haha. Grade:D

Pick 5 EJ Takes Casey: No one has ever accused slick of being sane, but man was this a great move to get the best player at pick fucking 5, Grade A fucking +

Pick 6 Scott Takes J.Mul: Brotherssssssssss, I got so scared he was stealing Weinstein from me, but he doesn’t commit brotherly treason, and gets a big man that seems to be getting better every game. Grade: B+)

Pick 7 Chas takes Weinstein: yuppppppppppp, everyone prob assumed when I didn’t just take Casey what I was doing , part one of my plan check! Grade:A

Pick 8 Hanks Takes Kap-Playoff game or no  playoff game this was a great fucking pick here  gets the best leader in the league Grade:A

Pick 9 Hanks Takes Irvine-That big player rater was attractive, especially the O boards, people thought this was early but Kap will get the best out of a guy like this, we shall see Grade B-

Pick 10 Chas Takes Evan- step 2 checkkkkkkkk, sexxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, Grade A

Pick 11 Ej takes Civale- mann going to be hard to outscore this team. gonna need to step his game on D but there’s was right where he should have went Grade B:

Pick 12 Joel Takes Dany- They get their floor general, this was great pick, Dany is a bulldog Grade-A)

Pick 13 Joe Takes Lagno- Did this work last session ? Maybe Joe just want to have fun, and say fuck it , there were some nice bigs on the board here, this was one of my least favorite picks here. I love Paul but I would have taken Bohnaker/matty O easy here Grade D)

Pick 14 J.Mul takes Kielley- I love Kielley , made it to the ship wit him, but I think there were better options here, gives them crazy size but presents other issues Grade C-)

Pick 15 Harry takes Matty O-  This was a fuckign steal, one of my favorite picks. Matty gonna turn heads, Cawley/Matty is versatile and dangerous ! Grade A)

Pick 16 Skelley Takes Dunton-Could have traded here I thought, but like me man on a mission to run it back Grade C+

Pick 17 Scott Takes  Cody- I was very intrigued by this man, heard good things, will he bring the ball handling? looks like he’s a walking bucket though Grade:B

Pick 18 Chas Gets Bohnaker- step 3 check, we did it !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just to play with these guys again is like winning the ship all over again Grade A+

Pick 19 Joel Takes Frongi- I did not think frongi or Bohnaker would still be here, great freaking pick. Versatility passing leadership all check the box Grade A

Pick 20 Randal Takes Murphy- I Understood this pick, gun to my head I would have taken B.Robb here, but he needed a big man, and Murphy provides just that Grade B

Pick 21 Skelley Takes Worth-Runback complete !!I thought Worth got better each week, he will need to take another rleap for this team to contend , can he do it Grade B

Pick 22 Ej Takes B.Robb-Thought this was an absolute steal here, EJ doing great things, gets his concrete block 3 pt shotting, rebounding machine Grade A

Pick 23 Chas Takes Goldensthein- I had this man circled, I think he is going to be very good for us. Bring toughness and defensive versatility, lets partyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy Grae A-)

Pick 24-25 Hanks Takes Calderan/Luigi- Hanks gets the most improved player of the year in Paul, he will be another solid facilitator guy who can stretch the floor Grade B+- Sanon -Ive heard some things, hustles hard and is a big man that Kap can coach up Grade C

Pick 26 Harry Takes Ian- Loving this draft by Harry, ian could have went 5 picks before this. Gets the iQ vet Grade A

Pick 27 Scott Takes Clarke- Clarke is a hustker banger, didn’t you have enough already, I would have taken RiverDinero here Grade C-)

Pick 28 Joel Takes Staiger –  Joel gets his buddy, its all about the love man, grab you’re guys Grade B

Pick 29 Randal takes Butter- Joe dot hate me, I didn’t like this pick, /carlosDanner/eloi would have helped more I think Grade C-)

Pick 30 Scott Takes Bonvie-I to remember Bonvie wet from 3 but couldn’t move the best its been 10 years since then so we shall see. Grade C

Pick 31- Harry Takes River-God dammit harryyyyyyyyyyyyy, what a steal he gets MR.ROLLMEDOWNTHERIVERDINERO what a Chasmanian maniac he is Grade A

Pick 32- Skelley Takes Pizza- Guess Skelley missed when Pizza said he’s coming back from an Achilles, I LOVE PIZZA though for the vibes alone Grade C

Pick 33 EJ Takes Danner –Yiu had to make that trade with scott and take my guy haha, great defender gets super hot from 3 Grade A

Pick 34- Chas Takes Eloi-Love this dude, Me and him always respected eahcoters games, he hits 3’s, but the most underrated part of his game is his passing dude can dime peeps up!!! Grade A-)

Pick 35 Joel Takes Stull-good pick here, will hit 3’s hustle his butt off, and provides goot bball IQ Grade B

Pick 36 Joe Takes Zeng- No idea here 

Pick 37 Skelley takes Lindsey- Love the Lindsey man!!!! Grade B

Pick 38- Ej gets Amir-I was strongly considering Amir at 33 so this has to be another Grade A, what a draft fore EJ!

Pick 39 Harry gets Carey-A++++++++++++++++++ SEXXXX, god I love this guy , hit 6 3’s in the playoffs!

Pick 40-Hanks takes Cohen -?????????/

Power Rankings

8. Randal – don’t punch me please

7. Skelley- Bulintin board rankings for them. Lot to prove here on Mondays

6.Hanks- I question how patient Kap will be with coaching these new guys up. Could be great could be really a tough situation

5.Scott- This team is either going to be friggin nasty or have some serious issues. i cant even tell right now haha 

4. Harry-Love this teams verstality 

3.Joel- This team is a true contender, going to be hard to matchup with for anyone. 

2. Ej- Could not have drafted better IMO

1. Chas- gota knock us off. We ready!!

Franchise Draft W23 Preview

by Jason on Jan. 18, 2023

by CHAS

Here we go boys, the league has a real scribeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, and it’s me Chasito, The Chasmanian Devil!!!!!! Gonna try and bring some fire, and excitement to the coverage, as this league was straight-Sex last session, and it’s what you great players deserve !! I will start us off with a segment I like to call, The bad/ugly/Good/Sexy.

Team Xavier :Landon/Nair/J.Mul/Paul/Mullvill 

The Bad: Does anybody see a Pg here? The O, might be quite gross at times. Lagno will have to develop some P-n roll skills on this team as he has 4 big men to work off, which I have never really seen him do. The spacing could become a real issue, as these guys try and figure out where/how they fit. 

The Ugly: This team is really deep, and stocked full of guys who are used to playing solid minutes, will they 1st be ok with limited rolls/less shots, and 2nd will their play be hurt by lack of flow/comfortability?Is Nair ready to be a true number 1 in a league more competitive than the SDL?

The Good: Size might lead to spacing issues, but it also may lead to a ton of 2nd chance opportunities and easy buckets, mismatching all dat jazz. I love the 3 point-shooting variety of Nair/Lagno/J.Mul/ Mullvill, this team could beat anyone if they are feeling it from beyond the arc.

The Sexy: Have you guys ever seen Xavier’s wardrobe, straight GQ pretty boy swag this man def fucks, hide you’re wives. Def sowing up to the 1st game in His peacoat and scarf just to intimidate us! Rookies are also sexy, the new guy on the street Nair/j.Mul will have a lot of eyes on him as well. 

Team Shaffer: Harry/Kap/Civale/Ini/Liam

The Bad: Obvi kap missing the playoff game is no Bueno, and this team looks like they really need him, which most teams would need their floor general. This team only poses a minimal threat from trey ball land, if Civale/Kap are off gonna makes it really hard for them to win the game. I love my man Harry but I think he is going to find himself in some tough matchups in this deep league, how will he adjust and use his IQ remains to be seen. 

The Ugly: You up bid my man Evan so I can’t get him, then trade him, that is as ugly as it gets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ruining dreams!! Also when Harry played in sneakers without socks when he plays ball, holy fuck………………..holy fuck, I think this happened once but I never forgot, never !!!!. This is a dead horse issue but Civale must be engaged on the D end, or Kap/Harry are going to show an ugly side, which could lead to team issues. 

The Good: All very smart players on this squad, and they will really need to use that IQ, a lot to figure out, but I think if any group of guys can get the most out of themselves it may be this one. Love the defensive versatility of Liam/Joel/Ini/Kap could really disrupt the other team’s game plan. I don’t think I have seen a team with Kap not be top half of the league so history is on their side here. 

The Sexy: You ever look at Joels Shaffers Instagram, this dudes life is lavishhhhhhhhh, he travels the world, hits up raves, and almost has weekly heart attacks from red bull and vodka’s , my man out here living that sexy life. In my eyes, Defense is the sexiest thing in the world, and Harry has quite of few studs on that end, they gonna be in rock fights, and an ugly game is always sexy to me. 

Team Talbot: Dierkshied/Divine/Kerk/Walker/Orlinski 

The Bad: Losing Kraft to this squad could prove to be very costly. As volatile as he was when he was right he was a real difference-maker and quite the athlete. I see some issues with the 3 ball on this squad as well, might allow teams to pack the paint, and only lock in focus on Derkshied who is wettt! I like this team I don’t love this team, so I think they battle but come up short on most nights. 

The Ugly: If Walker/Kerk are out they could have some real size issues and could get pounded in the post as some of these teams are enormous. I do see some ugliness potential in their defense, I think they will get buckets, but will give up a bunch as well. 

The Good: If you have Greg Talbot then the team is going to compete at a high level, dude is all balls. Derkshied had his one-year adjustment and now might come to flame us, even more, this session, I love the idea of having the concrete block that is Walker setting screens for him getting him open. 

The Sexy: Kerk is a walking sex machine, and his captain knows, it that’s why he’s always throwing him the big bucks, making sure I can’t get this STUD. Kerk is everything that is sexy about the CAC great teammate/a great dude/ his hustle and energy are unmatched. 

Team Mazz: Cawley/Sydorko/Evan/Luigi /Drew!

The Bad: Not much bad with his squad, but I would say bench happiness, will these dudes be ok with very limited roles, Drew for one expecting to be on the floor contributing could lead to some negative vibes. 

The Ugly: I don’t want to pick on Luigi but he was in both of my drafts so I got a lot of intel on him. I heard he has trouble understanding his role and will force a lot of shots through double teams, which is not going to sit well with strong personalities like Mazz/Sydorko

The Good: mannnnnnn this team is nasty I think. The starting 4 is the strongest in the league IMO and the roles are clearly defined, going to be very hard to knock these guys off. Mazz drawing the D has so many options, he could get the bucket , dump down to Sydorko /hit Evan for trey/ or dime up Cawley on the wing, not going to be easy to deal with. There is defense here as well, Cawley/Evan/Sydorko this team can defend all areas of the court. YIKES!

The Sexy: Everyone knows when I walked in the goddamn door, that I was gonna order some Kodra. He is my basketball husband, and I don’t care how that sounds , actually, I will scream it from the mountaintop. I LOVE EVANNNNNNNNNNNN. 

Team Rosi: Frongi/Harding/Jacobs/Stull/Djorde 

The Bad: Pretty obvious here, bad that they couldn’t run back their ship team, they thought they could when Rosi switched to captain, but the league was smart and ended the run back! This team lacks some bulk outside of my man Djorde could be an issue against some of these bigger teams. 

The Ugly: Can Frongi continue this high level of play ? He was a walking fire ball in the finals, if he takes a step back, I think it could pose some real issues for this squad. The bench could have issues in this deep league especially if Djorde is out. 

The Good: What a fucking duo on Harding/Rosi teams are going to have to really pick their poison. Got the two best pure scorers besides Mazz on one squad, has to be a major strength and trouble for this league. The love the family aspect here, as the bond Rosi/Frongi has is infectious and usually spread great vibes to their squads, such as undervalued thing. 

The Sexy: I was very turned on last session watching Djorde getting my team 2nd chance after 2nd chance, after 2nd chance with his hustle and relentlessness, you give Rosi/Harding 2nd and 3rd chances , it has no choice but to be sexy.  

Team Keith: Gold/Oullette/ Young/David-Tar/ Jamaal

The Bad: I like the team Keith put together, but with his size, and the $$ he had , I expected him to create more mismatches with his team building, but we all have our own style. I don’t know Jamaal at all, but I didn’t love his stats, Young is my size, and David is not much bigger could lead to some very tough matchups, Jet, and me had this issue last session as we were a very small and def lead to some tough moments for us. This team also lacks some rebounding outisde of their cap. 

The Ugly: Ohhhhhhhh man, I am hoping Kieth has turned over a new leaf with his negativity, but he must deal with the ups/downs of the game better. Gold/Oully have strong personalities,and they are not going to be down with that shit. They must stick together or this could be as UGLY as it gets

The Good: That trio oh babbbbbby , I am so excited to watch Gold with some serious weapons at his disposal, Kieth getting him at 26$was such a fucking steal, I misread the market so bad I fully expected him to go for 35+, he will have a chip watch out! The Golden one p n roll with Redbarron causing open looks for automatic 3-ball hitter Oully. Could be the thing to bring this team to the promised land. 

The Sexy: Have you ever seen Kieths filming chops, he brings the SEX to the finals!! this dude is as dedicated to this CAC thing as any of us, and I love it, it’s about making these leagues as fun as possible for the whole community ! Also watching Oully/Gold pure form on those 3 balls is straight beauty whoops I mean Sexy!

Team JDM: Brett/Leblanc/Chas/Craig/JJ 

The Bad: Hard to do this for my own team but here we go. Obviously our team will be much different. My team was enormous in the last session, and now we are not so enormous. Going to take us a while to adjust and figure out the best way to flow/work together with this new open-playing style. Craig going to have to take some big leaps for us, and I am encouraged by this though as he got better every game last session, he’s getting back in shape watch out! JJ and I will have some tough matchups off the bench as this league is this deep and huge. 

The Ugly: Oh man if Craig is out, or gets hurt we got some major size issues. Not going to be easy for us with the bigger teams. We are ready to scrap though! 

The Good: We have a fucking superstar trio of our own. In the finals it was glaring, we needed another 3pts shooter/ and facilitator, and we got both of those things in the man that we call Darth Leblanc. Leblanc is known to get the best out of guys, and if he can get even more out of Brett/JDM that we saw last session, holy fuck we may be cooking with gas! 

The Sexy: First off did you see Hitmans hair cut last session,……….. enough said kid is sex. Have you ever looked into JDM’s eyes?……………..Its like hearing the Beatles for the first time. For real the real sex is that CAC basketball is backkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk, my nipples are cutting glasssss!!!

Team Mac: Koller/Titties/Willy/ Frank/Cavano 

The Bad:  3pts shooting would be an easy thing to question on this team, teams could really pack the paint and make things tough on them. Spacing with also be interesting see how Mac/ Titties cans share the court as they have similar playing style if I can remember , could lead to some cluster fuckiness. 

The Ugly: No true PG, so it may take a few weeks for this team to find rythm/ and nice open looks. I could see them really struggling out of the gate having an ugly start to the session. No idea on willy, he could be ugly there’s no way to tell right now. 

The Good: I think this team will be very underrated on D, I think they can match up with anyone on that end, and that could be the staple of this club. Koller/Chirs are very mobile big me, and I see the getting a ton of transition buckets with all o them running the floor together. 

The Sexy: Koller was a huge part of getting me my 1st ship in like 5 years so he knows I stalk him,………you’re new furniture looks great from your living room window!! When you have Frank Mals on you’re team its going to be a fun awsome session,and that’s pretty darn sexual to me. 

Post Draft Power Rankings That will Make Everyone Mad at me

8.Talbot

7.Harry

6.Kieth

5.Mac

4.Xavier 

3.Hart Foundation

2.Rosi

1. Mazz

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.