B2 5v5 MON Week 1 Write-Ups

by Jason on Sep. 14, 2023

By DEVIN QUINLIN

Game 1 | First Team CAC Benchwarmers: 30 - Gino Time: 83

Gino Time Rolls Benchwarmers in Season Opener

This game was never really in doubt, as Gino Time took a 49-20 lead into the half and just dominated the entire game from start to finish. To be fair to the Benchwarmers, they had no subs while Gino Time came with eight guys, but I’m not sure it would’ve made too much of a difference, as Gino Time was simply too dominant in this one, winning by a final of 83-30.

Erik Maynard and Max McKee led the scoring for Gino Time, hitting a flurry of threes early on and continuing their scoring throughout the game. Maynard finished with a league-high 26 points, 11 rebounds, and 1 steal, shooting four of nine from deep and dominating all facets of the game. McKee added 20 points on four of seven from deep, plus 5 boards, 3 assists, and 1 steal. He had some nice takes to the rim and was relentless in transition as well. Greg Eusden also added a double-double with 13 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals, doing some damage inside, while Johnathan Ross played a very strong game on both ends, putting up 13 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, and 4 steals. Darren Hartwell scored only 4 points, but was perhaps his team’s most impressive player, hounding the opposing guard on defense and finishing with a league high 10 assists to go along with 6 rebounds and 3 steals, while Liam Abbott added 3 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block in a stat-stuffing effort. Altogether, this team looks dangerous with their combination of size and athleticism, cementing themselves as the early favorites to win this division after a dominant win.

The Benchwarmers struggled in this one, but Zack Gray was a bright spot for his team. He finished with 16 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and a league-high 8 steals. He shot three of seven from deep, showing off a nice looking shot and some impressive moves in transition, including his signature behind the back wrap off the dribble, which he did about seven times. Joseph Walsh hit two threes to finish with 6 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 steal, while Chris Alphen added 4 points, 4 boards, and 2 blocks in the loss. Matt Mackay chipped in 4 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists, and Bugra Akaktan added 4 rebounds and 2 assists. Tough loss for the Benchwarmers, but it’s hard to play a full team with no subs. They will have better games in the coming weeks.

Game 2 | Thank You University: 34 - Handler’s Handlers: 31

Thank You University Pull Out Gritty Win in Low Scoring Affair

This game was either a defensive battle or two teams generating no offense, but it was competitive from start to finish. Thank you Uni held a narrow 17-11 halftime lead, with both teams shaking off some rust in their first game of the season. This game ended up coming down to the wire, but an Andrew Pratt corner three ball sealed the game for Thank You Uni by a final score of 34-31.

Pratt led the offense for Thank You Uni, going three of five from deep to finish with 11 points and 4 rebounds. After missing a few shots early on, he got going in the second half and ultimately won his team the game with the clutch three. Ben Hayes isn’t even on the roster, but he hit three threes to finish with 9 points and 2 assists, breaking out Jamal Murray the bow and arrow celebration on all three of his buckets. Electric stuff from the sharpshooter. Greg Palazzo added 5 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists, making things happen on both ends, while Kevin Toomey finished with 4 points and 6 rebounds, playing well inside on both ends. Even with a lackluster offensive performance from both teams, Thank You Uni deserves their credit for coming up with some key stops down the stretch, with credit going to Eli Vogel (2 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals) on the perimeter and Kelsey Cornwell (3 rebounds, 1 steal) inside. That effort, plus some clutch shotmaking from Pratt, and they pull out the hard fought victory in Week 1.

Handler’s Handlers honestly looked much better than their 31 point output might suggest, but they ultimately just couldn’t hit their shots, going five of twenty-eight from three as a group and zero for four from the charity stripe. Brian Horan shot three of seven from three to finish with 11 points and 7 rebounds, while Danny H was active on both ends, putting up 6 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals. Jack Gallagher finished with 5 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists (game-high), and 1 steal, and Ryan Kuchar added 5 points, 7 boards, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block, though he had beautiful jump shot form and I expect him to shoot better than one for six in the coming weeks. Even with their dominance on the boards and defensively (2 points, 10 rebounds, 3 steals for big man Sean Lovett), the Handlers just couldn’t convert enough shots to win this one, but I think they have a solid roster and can settle in nicely as the season progresses and they find their rhythm.

Game 3 | SAUS: 68 - Mark It Zero: 33

SAUS Dominate in First B2 Game

SAUS have long dominated Corporate League, rolling through opponents handily. They finally made the jump to B2, and things are no different, as they handled business against Mark It Zero. The scoring was nearly identical in both halves, as SAUS led 32-16 early on, and finishing this one with a final score of 68-33 in dominant fashion.

SAUS benefited from an incredibly well-rounded offensive attack, with four guys in double figures and two more barely missing out. Michel Nofal was dominant early on, finishing with 13 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks. He quickly hit two threes to start the game, which set the tone for this one. Cam McCann also hit three threes to finish with 13 points of his own, plus 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal, while Mike Baker did some serious damage inside with 11 points, 7 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block down low. Kevin “Half Speed” Toth is far and away the best player in this division, and he did not disappoint with 11 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, and 4 steals. Even against some solid defenders, he’s just two steps ahead of everyone else, even with some questionable effort. Chin Kuo chipped in 9 points on three threes, plus 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal, and Griffin Haas added 8 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal while rocking the Jason Williams Kings jersey. Captain Gareth Goh added 3 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, and 2 steals in the win, and I expect big things from a very capable SAUS team this session, even after moving up a division.

Mark It Zero struggled in this one, but they have no shortage of talent. I am on this team, and will hopefully be back by Week 6 or 7 to add some much needed shooting, as our squad went three of thirty-one from deep. Still, knowing these guys and having seen them all play before, I am confident that those shooting numbers will not stand. Cam Daniels was a bright spot for us, as he finished with 13 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals, coming alive in the second half and applying serious pressure on defense. David Ter-Ovanesyan added 7 points, 11 rebounds, and 1 steal, but these two each shot one of seven from deep. David Pendergast added 6 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists (team-high), and 1 block, but he will need to be more assertive on the attack if Mark It Zero wants to win games. Rob Lunder played solid, adding 5 points and 4 rebounds, while James Mulvehill struggled with his shot (zero for eight) but did everything else to chip in 2 points, 8 rebounds, 1 steal, and 2 blocks. Tough game for Mark It Zero, but I see better days ahead later in the season.

Game 4 | Bricksquad: 33 - The Unreliables: 49

Unreliables Cruise to Week 1 Victory

The Unreliables put together a strong Week 1 performance, taking a 21-12 lead into the half and moving the ball well the entire game. This is a group with excellent chemistry, and the addition of Matt McDonough adds another go-to-scorer to take some of the offensive pressure off of Eric Flemming. The combination of shooting, passing, and defense put the Unreliables over the top in this one, as they pulled away with a 49-33 win.

Matt McDonough led the scoring effort, shooting five of nine from three to finish with a commanding 20 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals, fitting in seamlessly and knocking down jumpers at an impressive clip. Eric Flemming also played a strong game, adding 15 points, 8 rebounds (5 offensive), and 4 assists, knocking down his signature midrange jumper and distributing the ball well in the half court. Nate Koslof showed off his dynamic game with 5 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists (game-high), and 4 steals, making plays on both sides per usual and finding shooters and cutters at will. TJ Green chipped in 7 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block in the win, rock solid as always, while Samir Shah came up with 2 points and 6 boards.. The Unreliables looked very solid in their first outing, and we’ll see if they can continue their momentum against the top tier teams in this league.

Like most other teams in Week 1, Bricksquad struggled offensively, but they showed some flashes. Tenzin Nanglo finished with 10 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal, and while his shot wasn’t falling, he displayed a nice offensive arsenal and hitting a few shots in the second half. Tenzin Pharachesur also showed some flashes, adding 10 points of his own, plus 1 rebound, 1 assist, and 2 steals, while Nana Adu chipped in 5 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. Julius Zuckerman also added 5 points, 4 boards, 1 assist, and 1 steal. This team definitely lacked some offensive firepower, but I think they have solid pieces who will find their rhythm as the season progresses.

B DRAFT WEEK 1 WRITE-UPS

by Jason on Sep. 12, 2023

By HARRY DEMAKES & IAN CUNDALL

40 minutes of eye bleeding 3s later, X marks the spot for Cundall!

I thought this might be the best game of the evening between two contending teams in the top half of the rankings. News of AJ being out kind of softened that though, but nonetheless Etheridge built a pretty deep squad. Cundall had everyone at his disposal. TO THE BRICK SHOW!

X Personalities got ahead early in this one thanks to the play of Bdraft Tim Roberts. He some good SDL numbers, but those mean little in the big time over in Bdraft. If you don’t believe me, compare Lynch’s numbers between leagues last season. Anyhow, Roberts was cooking the defense with mid-range and some tough finishes at the cup. It looks like Koller found himself a running mate this season. Speaking of Koller, he added 10 first half points and was decisively winning his matchup with fellow top 10 pick Angelo. He also took his first career first half sub. A milestone day for all involved as X personalities stretched their lead into double digit territory.

Meanwhile, Swish & Dish was making a mockery of the game of basketball. Apparently, the entire team looked up AJ’s numbers and got scared they might never shoot a shot when he plays, so they went a chucking. Swish & Dish missed all 20 of their first half 3-point attempts. Hanks was 0-7, Angelo was 0-5, Waldman 0-6. Yuck, yuck and yuck. What a miserable performance. Let’s just go to the half.

X Personalities went into the half up 32-11. Swish and Dish did have one highlight with rookie Dan Waldman taking a charge. That was cool, but X Personalities was dominating this game. BACK TO THE ACTION!

Swish & Dish got their miss count up to 22 from three before the basketball gods took pity on them and Waldman banked one in. Hanks, would hit two real ones later on, but I don’t know who told these guys they were 3-point shooters. A real disappointing week 1 showing here, AJ will make things better, but I expected a lot better from these guys.

X Personalities went on cruise control for most of the second half. Rookie Padavick looked pretty good, hitting 2 treys and being active on the boards. These guys have a good starting lineup and an active bench. If only Packard would stop trying to break the backboard on every 3-point attempt, I think they got something.

X Personalities crushes Swish & Dish 63-33. Another season of blowouts is upon us. God help us all.

Grades:

Koller A: Good opening night, crushed his matchup and took subs.
Roberts A+: Great start to his Bdraft career. Kid gets buckets.
Padavick B+: Good start, just needs to cut down on turnovers.
Cundall C: Mediocre night for Ian who still can’t hit free throws.
Packard D: Tough first game, too many turnovers and missed 3s.
OTTOMATIC B: Solid game for the veteran.

Swish & Dish:
Etheridge C-: Mixed bag here. Some tough drives, but lots of shooting misses and turnovers.
Hanks D+: If you aren’t a shooter, you should never touch 12 three point attempts.
Angelo D: Better days to come on both ends of the floor.
Waldman D+: The charge gets a plus, but the shooting. WOOF!
Weaver C: Not a bad debut, at least he didn’t catch any of the bad on him.

Miller who? Goes off in opening night win

The biggest storyline going into this game was Cam facing off against another friend he betrayed in the draft for someone better. Then trying to play it off like “nah, I just like tall dudes.” Cam, pretty much brought back his team from last season, but saved Gray from the Ian/Koller combo of doom and drafted rookie KG. They had everyone, while Civale’s team was missing himself. TO THE ACTION!

It was a tight back and forth first half, with Remy leading the way for Civale’s team. There was some concern that Remy might suck now due to old age, but he looked quite spry taking every shot he could in this game. He led all scorers with 11 first half points. Rookie Joe, got off to a slow start only scoring 4 first half points and going 0-4 from deep. He did have 7 boards and 4 assists though in the opening frame. The Great One added a couple treys of his own as well.

Meanwhile, Cam’s squad spread out the love early on, with multiple guys picking up multiple FGs. DTO led the team with 10 points in the first and 3 assists. Lynch, only had 3 points in his new role as big dog of the team. We went into the half tied at 28. Seemed like a bad sign that Cam’s team couldn’t find a lead, but would it end up that way? BACK TO THE ACTION!

Rookie Joe continued his first half slumber into a second half coma. He didn’t score in the last 20 minutes of the game, which is quite unacceptable for a first rounder. He can’t be a non-factor out there for his team on offense. This led to Remy deciding he would just shoot every time. Remy shot 5-17 from 3 in this game, 4-12 in the second half. The Great One nailed 2 more treys as well, but they couldn’t keep up on either end in the second half.

Cam’s squad went offffff in this half, especially rookie KG, who hit 4 second half threes. Kid, could be a big pickup for a team who needs extra scoring. I will have my eye on him in weeks to come. Cam joined the game too, hitting two treys himself.

DTO hit a couple as well and Lynch added one. Miller who? went a combined 9-11 from 3 in the second half. Did they blow their load in week 1? Time will tell. 75-56 final for Miller Who? They continue their regular season winning ways.

Grades:

Cam A: Cam outplayed his buddy for 40 minutes, which is a huge win for his team.
Lynch B: Bdraft Lynch was ok, he’ll need better games in the future.
DTO A: If DTO wasn’t a turnover machine this would be an “A+” effort.
Bauman A: Solid double-double from Bauman here. Gray B: Nice effort, I like his hustle and effort.
KG A+: This going to be his best game, so drink it in.

CIVALE:

Joe K. D: Letting your buddy outshine you that didn’t pick you isn’t a good sign IMO. Also, give me buckets.
Remy B-: It is a good sign that Remy can still score, though he needs to be more efficient.
Glynn C+: shooting, but he did some good things else where.
Great One B+: Your standard above average Great One game
Clarke B: Solid Clarke game and my stat sheet claims he hit a 3. I don’t believe it

Nate Not So Great opening night

The last game of the evening was between Nate’s dead last ranked team that people have going no where against Noah’s contending squad. Everyone would eventually be there for both teams. TO THE ACTION!

This game would start ugly for both teams as they traded missed 3s to start the game, like every other game so far. Nate’s team went 2-17 from 3 in the first half. Lucky for them Noah’s team forgot about Ghost in the first half and he scored 13 first half points, more than the rest of his team in the opening frame. Nate got their late, but didn’t miss the chance to get up a bunch of shots to a mixed bag of efficiently. He did have 10 first half points, but was 1-6 from deep. If you can do math, that means the rest of the team only had 2 points, including Joel, who had zero.

On the other side of the court it was Pollock and Kenny carrying the load. Both men combined for 23 of their teams 33 first half points. They weren’t much better from 3 though, going 2-12 from 3 as a team. Noah’s team led 32-25 at the half. Might as well have been up a 100 at this point, since Nate was getting “I’m just here to set meaningless off ball screens and stand in the corner” Joel. BACK TO THE ACTION!

Noah’s team stepped on the gas pedal in the second half, thanks to Pollock’s week 1 MVP effort. He added 15 second half points to his total, with a couple assists. Robel joined the party with 10 second half points that included a trey. Angry Ian led the team with 3 second half assists and Dias got himself to 11 boards for the game. A good all around effort from Noah’s team against weak competition.

Somehow Nate’s offense got worse in the second half. Ghost made like a ghost and disappeared. Nate also flew off and Joel had as many trips to the ground as he had FGs made. Troy lapped his teammates in points by 3x with 10 in the second half, that include 3 threes. Rookie Maloof wasn’t a factor and if he’s 5’10, then I’m 6’3.

Rough game for a team that’ll see plenty more. Nice start for Noah’s team to build chemistry. 65-42 Final.

GRADES
Joel F+: Score points.
Ghost B: Pretty much your standard Ghost line.
Silva C+; Good rebounding, had 2 assists, but shot it poorly.
Troy B-: Not too bad, but most of the damage was done when the game was over.
Nate C: Tough night from 3, did lead the team in assists.
Maloof D: Not a good start to his Bdraft career.

NOAH:
Pollock A+: Owned his counterpart and played like an MVP.
Angry Ian C+: His shot was the shits, but he put in work else where.
Kenny B: Impressive that Kenny got to 16 points without hitting a three.
Noah D+: Did a whole lot of nothing, but I guess he got hurt.
Dias B: Great game on the boards and provided a bunch of energy.
Robel B+: Show up on time.

Over-30 Legends Week 1 Write-Ups

by Jason on Sep. 12, 2023

By CHAS BELLS & CHRIS HANKS

GAME 1

Woke and Swole outmuscle Goyle

For the first matchup of the fall 23 Over30 season we had Roberts’ Woke and Swole taking on Chas’ Hot Goyle Departed. Fresh off winning a championship with Goyle Roberts would be matched up against the remains of his squad from the previous season. Roberts had a great draft, putting together a contender with plenty of size and shooting. Goyle returns without a key piece in Kodra and with some new faces. This game would be a battle between the size and Strength of Roberts team against the shooting and quickness of Goyle. Weinstein opened the scoring by cashing a three, but MacPherson answered by crashing the offensive glass of a put back. After the draft, I predicted a big season for MacPherson coming off somewhat of a quiet Over-30 debut last season, and this game would indicate a trend in that direction. Swole would go on a run led by Macpherson and Danny. Goyle would be in a hole at this point in the half and big Lu would call out his team on the defensive end. He backed that up by snatching a steal at midcourt and drawing a foul. Weinstein would make some buckets and get to the line and Swole’s lead would drop to 5. Swole would keep applying pressure on both ends, with McPherson and Danny continuing to score and Clarke getting a nice block. Jake Gold would score 8 straight for Goyle to keep them in it. With time winding down in the half Jeffries walked into a 3 and Goyle would go into the half only trailing by 4.

Coming out of the half, Joel sparked a run for Swole, hitting a rare three and getting some great looks in the post. He was really looking to run and pushing the ball in transition. The second half was all Swole and the lead would balloon to around 20 points. Goyle did not have the size to compete against Swole’s bigger lineup and Swole would take home the 30-point victory. Goyle may have issues going forward against some of the bigger teams in this league, such as Jimsanity and the Mulholland Bros.

Goyle

Chas C – not a great opening game from Chas. Expect bigger games going forward
Jefferies C played ok, could’ve been dishing it out a bit more.
Weinstein B – average game for Weinstein, he is capable of a lot more
Perry C- hit the offensive glass, but didn’t contribute much else
Luigi C+ the fire was there but this might be a long season for big Lu being the only size on this team
Jake A- kept Goyle in the game for a bit before things got away

Swole
Joel A played really well in the second half, looks motivated after last season’s last place finish
Ian C hustled and hit the boards, but failed to convert his two free throw attempts
MacPherson A led all scored and was big on both sides of the ball
Roberts A- had some nice buckets and was distributing well
Clarke A – did all the TC things, blocking shots and getting boards
Danny B – kind of a quiet night likely due to the big lead.

Game 2 Corp X VS Drop

Step Murpheys Kerr looked spry out of the gate as he gathered an obrd put in, Murphy with a post bucket for a quick 4-0 lead. Stevenson gets Corp on the board, and Bonvie gives them the lead with a trey 5-4.Mazz 2-2, than Bonvie again they were on a 10-0 run. Hanks stops the bleeding with paint bucket, Matty obrd finish, but Ian responds with scoop, Stephenson adds another J for the 16-8 lead. After a Kerr hoop Mazz finally hit a 3 19-10, and then hits another after a Hanks J 22-12. Zeng beautiful cut, Hanks 3, but Mazz nails 2 straight deep 3’s 29-20. Matty O got a 3 to go, kerr gets 2 off hustle, Randal 3, and his team was fighting well as Hanks would hit a 3 making it 34-32 at the half with his team up.

Randalls team would keep their foot on Corp, Kerr 2-2, Zeng up n under. Drop Step would maintain a 10 pt lead throughout the 2nd half as Kerr was using his size/huslte to get easy hoops and keep Corp in check. Corp would make a push but Zeng hit a big J. Corp would show shome fight at the end getting steals and hoops but it was not enough. Randall starts his boys off well 66-59.

DSM
Kerr-A-) Wasnt spectacular but dman effective. His size his a problem.
Randall-B-) Thought he kept his boys calm, they played the matchups well. Good captain game here.
Matty-B-) He was solid on both ends, nothing crazy just good.
Murphy-B+- Did it all kinda. PASSED well/ 3 steals 1 block, very nice night.
Zeng-A- I dont think he missed a shot, was very active.
Hanks-A- Shot them back into the game. Making you all pay for letting him fall in the draft.

Corp X
Mazz-A-) 30 pts in no joke, but I wanted him to be even more aggressive wth Dennis/B.Robb out. Thought he fought despite the frustaration good sign for Corp going forward.
Ian-B-) he was just ok, they needed so more shooting from him.
Stephenson-C+- Strated red hot, but kinda disappeared.
Bovie-C- Same thing as Ben, on fire to start but faded hard.
B.Robbb-N/A- Was very late.

Game 3 Ej Vs Blood Line

EJ comes in hot as he canned a 3 right away, Frano followed that with a Pnroll hoop 5-0. Liam gets his boys in it with a trey, but Kap to the rizack7-3. Kap middy, than Frano scoop, followed by Kap slash 14-3 they were rolling. Carey hits a big momentum 3 14-6, but Kap nails deeps 3 right abc at them 17-6. EJ another 3 and this game was getting ugle, as BloodLine O was puke worthy, not getting any good looks, no energy, honestly not a ton of fight. The half would end with a Frano J making it 28-16 at the break. The closest the score would get 33-24, as EJ’s squad looked like they were on a mission all over the floor. Kap was hounding Frongi the former MVP’s life, Amir splashing 3’s, and this game really never was in doubt. EJ got his boys balling they win 56-38.

Team Slick
Frano-B+- Rock solid night, wasnt as aggressive when the lead was big, but really looked good.
Kap-A- Would have been an A+ if he shot the 3 more effecently, but man did he ball out all over the court.
Butter-B-) D was good O was not.
EJ-A-) Solid EJ game, took good shots, played good D.
Amir-A- Doing his J O B which is nail open 3’s.

BloodLine
Cawley-B-) Saves his day with some great hustle and D, they need 20 ppg from him or they are in trouble.
Harry-D- Where is the fight, wheres the Harry yelling “what the fuck are we doing”. Week 1 I guess but I dont like a complacent Hareld.
Frongi-C- Kap really bothered him, he was so hesitant like Kap was in his head.
Liam-B-)He was steady, nothing crazy either way.
Carey-A-Leave him open and see 3’s go throught he hoop.
Danner-D- my man struggled out there. He will have better nights.

Game 4 Bros Vs Buddys 

J.Mul looking sexy and confident nailed the 3 ball. Lane hustling his ass off gets Obrd assist to Kielley 3-3. J.Mul locked in slashes 3, Jet floater and hesssssssss backkkkkkkkkkkk 8-3. Eth nice cutting hoop 10-3. Skelley sick reveurse lay in, then adds an Obrd finish. J.Mul had the answer with a middy, but Worth drains a 3 14-10. Lane cutting hoop to cut the lead to 2, but Lane hustle leads to another Kielley cutting hoop 15-14. Skelley post for the lead but Eth right back at him. J.Mul would finish his strong half with some hoops and it was 22-17 at the break.

J.Mul a killer today, nails another middy, but Kielley responds with tough finish 25-19. J.Mul unconscious hits another trey 28-19. This game stayed within the 9 to ll point range as Brothers defesne was stifling, there was nothing easy out there for the Buddy’s, and the Bros continue their successes together 42-36.

Buddys
Skelley-A-) Thought he was a bright spot, hustled hard, and his finsihsing gets better every session.
Kielley-B-) Not a terrible game, but they will need much more from him if they are gonna get w’s.
Worth-D- Grade is harsh because we all know he can play way better, his team neds him to.
Lane-B+- His hustle was crazy 5 obrs, 3 steals, I loved it!!!

Bro’s
Jet-B-) Shot was a lil off, but it was awseome to wathc him flyyyyyyyyyy again.
ETH-B-) Lil rusty getting his legs/wind back, but saw some Eth flashes.
J.Mul-A+- He was awesome , MVP level play.
S.Mul-B- only guy who can geta B scoring 0. His D is so nuts.
Stull-C- Hustled hard but 0-6 is 0-6.

A 5v5 THU Week 1 Write-Ups

by Jason on Sep. 11, 2023

By DEVIN QUINLIN

WEEK 1 9/7

Game 1 | Suffolk: 79 - Spida Men: 73

Suffolk Hold Off Spida Men in OT Win

Suffolk jumped out to a big lead the season opener, up 50-37 at the half. Even without their full roster, this group was looking dangerous on both ends. The Spida Men, also without their full roster, battled hard in the second half and managed to tie the game with under a minute. After some misses from both teams, the game headed to OT, where Suffolk took control to pull away with a 79-73 lead.

Bolden Brace led the way for Suffolk, cementing himself at the top of the MVP ladder after only one game. He put up 27 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 7 steals in a strong effort on both ends. Even with his shot slightly off (five of thirteen from deep), he was just a step ahead of everyone else on the court, garnering 7 steals and even more pass deflections while moving the ball well and getting to his spots when necessary. George Grillakis wasn’t far behind, dropping 25 points of his own to go along with 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 4 steals, terrorizing Spida Men in transition and once again, driving to his right. He converted five of seven free-throw attempts and hit two threes as well, but also decided to foul out with 1:30 left on the clock by running at Mazz and grabbing him for no reason. Logan O’Donnell had a monster double-double inside with 12 points, 13 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 blocks, showing off some nice footwork on some post moves and playing good defense, while newcomer Nick Budesheim had some strong takes to the hole to finish with 12 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals. Throw in Holtze and McEneney, plus a much improved Bret Edwards (3 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist) and this is a seriously dangerous roster.

Spida Men fought hard and kept this game close, especially in the second half, even without Jamal Brown. Newcomer John Lithio was impressive, hitting shots and creating for himself while moving the ball well and just generally playing smart. He finished with a team-high 17 points, plus 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals, and I see him as a huge addition to this roster. Danny Martin Jr. and Cedric White both had big games as well with 16 points each. Martin Jr. added 7 boards, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block, while Ceddy hit a few threes, plus 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks. Nick Mazzeo played very well at the 1, hitting five of his ten threes to finish with 15 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists, while Tim Gallivan added 9 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal. The ball movement looked good for the Spida Men, and I was impressed that they took Suffolk to OT. Could be a big season for them if they can continue to click offensively.

Game 2 | We The Ones!: 85 - Zards: 94

Zards Return with Victory Over WTOs

Zards return to Thursday A League as a consistent, well-oiled machine on both ends, and this game was no different. They held a 52-36 lead at the half, showing off their crisp ball movement and shooting prowess on offense, while relying on their aggressive zone defense to force turnovers. Big credit to WTOs, who battled back late in the second half with a barrage of contested threes, but this game was never really in doubt, as Zards held on for a 94-85 win.

In the preseason rankings, I put Zards at #4, but that’s because I forgot about Sam Longwell, despite giving him MVP like 3 sessions ago. Either way, he now ranks #1 in scoring (31 points), #1 in made twos (12 2ptm), #3 in assists (6 assists), and somewhere in the top 10 in rebounds (10 total, 2 offensive), while adding 1 steal. He was simply unstoppable inside the arc, getting to the rim at will and operating smoothly in the mid-range. He shot only two of eight from deep, which will only improve as the season progresses, and I expect him to be a nightmare for opposing defenses every game. Dan Wohl is another matchup nightmare, finishing with 25 points, 11 boards, 4 assists, and 1 block, shooting three of six from three and four of five from the line. Impressive distribution to go along with his usual stellar scoring. Craig Melillo was a menace on defense, finishing with 15 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals, and 2 blocks while shooting three of eight from three. Matt LaBove was a monster down low, putting up 14 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal, but altering plenty of shots and discouraging WTOs from even attacking the rim. High IQ player who really fits well in this system. Newcomer Milan Prodanovic added 9 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals, but I think he has more to give with his smooth shot. Either way, Zards pick up right where they left off, and will be among the favorites this session.

WTOs benefitted from some great guard play, particularly from Jalen Bruce. Bruce was solid all game, but really took over at the end, hitting several pull-up threes to finish with 27 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals. He shot six of ten from three and did well to get to his spots and hit tough shots. Ty Moore added 20 points on five of eleven from downtown, plus 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals, while Grady Levi chipped in 15 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal. Jordan Carter found his rhythm in the second half to finish with 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists, hustling and making plays on defense as well. As usual, no one knows who Keith will bring to ACEC on any given Thursday, but this core group, plus Garrett Stanowicz and myself, make up a much improved roster from previous sessions. Still, this group will need to win some games to prove they deserve to be moved up in the standings.

Game 3 | Ronin Blood Warriors: 68 - Not A Dime Back: 73

NADB Best RBWs in Closely Contested Game

Tibbs is one sick mf matching these two up in the first game, as NADB and RBWs have previously matched up in both the B1 Unification and A League Unification Championship. All of their games are closely contested, and this one was no different, as NADB took a 37-35 lead into halftime despite being up big early. They managed to hold on at the end of a wild game, winning by a final of 73-68.

For NADB, Chris Connor stepped up majorly. Everyone knows he can score, but he put up 27 points (three of eight from deep, no FTs) against tight defensive pressure to go along with 9 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block in highly impressive game. His mid-range was unstoppable, with his teammates doing well to find him at his spots, and he took care of the rest. Dom Black was in attack mode early, getting to the rim at will to finish with 18 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals, applying serious pressure on both ends, while backcourt mate Jon Luster came alive in the second half to add 14 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists (game-high), and 1 steal. Probably the worst I’ve ever seen Luster shoot (two of eight from three, which isn’t even that bad), but he still had an overwhelmingly positive impact on both ends. Chris Cusano added 6 points, 3 boards, and 1 assist, while Marcus Giese was strong inside with 4 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. Jeff Coulter and Mike Synott also played their roles well, and even without Dre Kontopidis, NADB pulls off an impressive win and look primed to repeat.

RBWs got strong contributions, with Deven Palmer leading the way. Palmer finished with 24 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, and 2 blocks, shooting five of eight from three and five of seven from the line despite showing up late and not warming up. Talent-wise, he’s up there with the best in the league. Arinze Obiora added 21 points, 10 boards, 3 assists, and 2 blocks, doing most of his damage inside on both ends and relentlessly attacking the rim the whole 40 minutes. Juran Ligonde added 14 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals, while Guy Pistone chipped in 3 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, but led his team with 5 assists. I’m definitely less familiar with RBWs roster than the other teams, but I do know that these guys can play, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them make a deep playoff run.

Game 4 | Team Takeover: 75 - West Coast Shooters: 88

WCS Shoot A Lot, Win

WCS put up 56 threes in this one, making 22 of them (39%) and they therefore won the game. That’s really it, as no other team put up more than 31 attempts on the night. They also lead the league in assists with 25 total, and they really just do the same thing every time but they’re all proficient shooters, so there just isn’t much other teams can do. They led 46-35 at half and went on to win 88-75.

Collin Sawyer led the way with 29 points on seven of twelve from three and a perfect four for four at the charity stripe, plus 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. Sawyer often leads the team in scoring because, while he’s an excellent shooter, he is also willing to take layups. Eric D’Aguanno does not take layups (unless he’s posting up apparently), and he shot seven of thirteen from three to finish with 27 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals, while Derek Retos shot five of fifteen for 15 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal. Matt Pattyson added 8 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks, while Stephen Tam added 5 points, 12 rebounds (5 offensive), 3 assists, and 2 steals. In the highlight of the game, Tam encouraged defensive effort from his squad during a dead ball, which made D’Aguanno look like the Nick Young meme. Jack Fay had a funny game with 4 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, and a league-high 12 assists. He played a strong game, but just couldn’t hit any shots, going zero for eight from deep, the Ying to the rest of his team's Yang. This group is fun to watch, but we’ll see if they can translate it to postseason success later in the season.

Team Takeover played the beginning of this game with only four players, putting them at an early deficit, but they battled hard and made this game somewhat competitive. Trevor Parker finished with 27 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists, shooting five of eleven from three. His talent is off the charts, and he will need to propel his team to a few victories this season. Jared Johnson also had a strong showing, dropping 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists with some strong finishes inside and some nice defensive effort as well. Michel Toney got going late, finishing with 12 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block, but he will need to be better if this team wants to win games. He’s more than capable. Julian Beach was active inside with 8 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block, battling for rebounds and finishing some nice takes around the rim Zach Scott was late and didn’t get a chance to warm up, but his activity on both ends was a big boost, as he added 7 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals from the guard spot. With their bigs back next week, we’ll see if Team Takeover can string together some wins before their huge October 19th matchup with a shit-talking Keith and his We The Ones team.

B1 5v5 WED Week 1 Write-Ups

by Jason on Sep. 11, 2023

BY LAMARR BENNETT

WEEK 1: 

Week 1 is in the books and it looks like we are going to have a competitive and fun league this Fall.Lets get right to it with our first game of the night, with Big Tuna starting off their season with a convincing win over NEW TEAM NEW (NTN).

First game of the night started off pretty slow to say the least, but that was expected, it being the first game of the season. The first half was a back and forth game, both teams settling for jumpshots (1 free throw attempt in the first half combined) and not really attacking the paint. A three pointer by both Warner and Weaver gave NTN a small lead, but guard Connolly from BIG TUNA started to get hot. He had 3 quick layups and a nice couple assists to bring the lead back 

To 1. BIG TUNA big man Murphy was dominant on the boards, grabbing 8 first half rebounds by himself. The first half ended with a pretty low score of 28 - 27 with NTN up. 

BIG TUNA came out the second half as a completely different team. They started by pushing the pace more and playing a more physical game. The ball movement was evident to this half, with Connolly and the rest of the team really moving the ball. 2 quick threes by Arsenault and Dario gave TUNA a quick ten point lead. NTN wouldn't go out without a fight, after a quick timeout, guard weaver and forward both hit 3s to cut the score to 3 with about 6 minutes left in the game  but those were the only 2 threes that NTN would hit in the second half. BIG TUNA was too physical down the stretch, out rebounding their opponent 24-10 in the second half alone, led by Murphy who ended the game with 14 total boards.’

FINAL SCORE: 58-49 BIG TUNA

Player of the game: Matthew Conley (22pt 5ast)

The second game of the season between Clevor Trevor vs Mid Range Magic was a great game from start to finish, definition of a back and forth game. This game started off hot, both teams pushing the pace and attacking the basket. Clever Trevor was really moving the ball well, led by lefty guard Jack Fay and his strong penetration in the paint. After a nice euro step by Fay put CT was up 12-8 7 minutes in. But the physicality and Size of Mid range magic clear early. Big men C. Bouchereau and Andrew “Bogut” King were felt in the paint. After a couple minutes they started to let the other team know.. Crashing the boards and feeding the ball inside was the plan for MID RANGE. Then back to back 3s by J. Smith gave mid range a 25-24 lead. But Fay just kept coming, scoring 13 first half points. He also had help from forward Arya Balaji, who scored 8 points in the first half. The first half ended with a score of 37 - 33, Clever Trevor up.

Just like the first game of the night, one team came out looking like a different team. Mid Range Magic started the half with a quick 7-0 run which quickly blew up to a 16- 4 lead half way into the half. CT was really struggling to score the basketball, none of the threes seemed to fall and the turnovers started to pile up. But you can credit that to the defense of Mid Range. Forward Chad Kelly was a menace all night, deflecting passes and racking up 3 steals on the game. After a quick time out, CT got there gameplan together and started to make it a game again. Most of the scoring came from the trio of Fay, Balaji, and Caletti who were trying there hardest to keep their team in the game. After a nice lay up by Balaji the score was 61 - 60 with 1:00 left in the game. Knowing Mid Range magic from doing there games last year, I know there 1 weakness is FREE THROW SHOOTING. This was again a problem, going 14 of 23 from the line. But fortunately for Mid range, after being in the one and one. On two back to back possessions, mid range would make the first and miss the second, but both times got the offensive rebound of the miss that pretty much sealed the game for them.  

FINAL SCORE: 66-63 Mid range

Player of the game: Andrew “Bogut” King (14pts, 6rbs, off bench)

Game 3 of the night had one of the best individual performances of the night, as Leonard and the boys took on Intramural Heroes. Another back and forth 1st half, Intramural heroes were moving the ball really well getting everyone involved (3 different players scored in the first half). Big man Tim Gallivan was grabbing every rebound that went up for intramural heroes. On the other side, everything was being run through guard Jamal Brown. He was a monster in the first half, scoring from all three levels. His supporting cast was also a lot of help, knocking down three’s at a consistent rate. The half continued as a back and forth game, with Spencer Ross hitting a 3 at the buzzer. Half time score was 33 - 32 Leonard up. Jamal was extremely hard to contain, scoring 18 points in the first half to go with 7 rebounds.

Second half was exactly the same as the first, trading baskets and both teams really playing well. Intramural heroes were really moving like a well oiled machine, but the threes did stop falling like they were in the first half, only knocking down 2 threes in the second half as a team. Jamal slowed down a little with the scoring in the second half, but kept getting his team involved. 2 big threes from nick Rossetti cut the game to 58 - 55 but was answered by a big three by Chris Gallivan ties the game up with 30 seconds to go. Walking the ball up and calling for an isolation, Jamal sized up his opponent, went left and hit a nice step back jumper with 3 seconds left in the game to win it for his squad.

Final Score: 60 - 58 Leonard and the boys

Player of the game: Jamal Brown (27 pts, 14 rbs, 3 ass)

The Final Game of the night was a low scoring affair between Tuesday nights select going up against Team Commando. Low scoring game with some pretty good individual performances. The game started with a very fast 10 - 0 run by TNS, led by guards Max Hienrich and Jake Heggestad. The guards were quick and looked like there were going to have an easy night. Commando finally got on the board with 7 minutes into the game with a nice lay up by Kyle Curry, but the drought continued for the next few minutes  with 5:00 to go in the half the score was only 15 - 5. But Commando outscored TNS the remainder of the half 13-7 to go into half time only down 5. Score 23-18.

Second half Kyle put his mark on the game and willed his team, he also got some well needed help this half. TNS scored 14 quick points to tie the game up at the 15:00 minute mark 32 - 32. Commando's three ball stopped falling in the second half and that was there downfall. If they kept up the hot shooting from the first half they most likely would've pulled away for the win. But TNS was too much in the second half, squeezing out a tough 48 - 44 win to open up the season.

Final Score: 48 - 44 Tuesday Night Select

Player of the game: Kyle Curry ( 20 pts, 7 rbs)

SDL Week 1 Write-ups

by Jason on Sep. 11, 2023

SDL Week 1 Write-ups

BY JAMIL BALL & DAMIAN RUFF

Ok so maybe I was wrong kinda.

First half:

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

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

Halftime stats:

WAF:

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

Ben Butterworth 1 oreb

Robert Wood 2 pts, 1 blk, 6 dreb 

Patrick Blaikie 1 blk

Joshua Gettings 10 pts, 4 orebs

Sami Hameid 3 pts, 1 dreb

BM:

Christopher Stull 1 oreb

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

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

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

Rob Lunder 11 pts, 1 blk, 4 drebs

Player of the half:

David Ter-Ovanesyan 

Second half:

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

Player Grades:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Player of the game:

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

Subject: No Hangovers for Hungover Hoopers 

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hungover Hoopers

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

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

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

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

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

Costa Coast

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

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

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

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

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

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

Subject: Mamba Forever Dismantles Old School Ballers

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

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

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

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

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

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

Old School Ballers

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

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

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

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

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

Mamba Forever

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

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

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

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

Subject: MFs Must’ve Forgotten About Dre 

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

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

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

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

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

Forgot About Dre

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

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

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

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

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

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

Turbo

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

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

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

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

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

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

5v5 Draft Week 1 Write-Ups

by Jason on Sep. 11, 2023

5v5 DRAFT WEEK 1 WRITE-UPS

BY SHAWN WISE & DREW DEBARI

Week 1 in the books, and the basketball was actually way better than I would have expected!  Joe from Reboot had 4 o boards in the first 6 minutes of the game…..and missed 3 of the 4 putback attempts.  Hey gotta pad those stats!  10 Minutes in however it was Brick House who found themselves ahead 16-10 on the back on 4-6 shooting from deep.  Marcus was also cleaning up misses from Reboot, collecting 6 of his 8 d boards in the first half.  The game continued the same way until half where Brick House held a 25-21 lead.  Rich was keeping Reboot alive with a 12/7 first half.

Brick House couldn’t find the basket to start the 2nd half.  Jamil, after missing on his first 3 (or more) shot attempts of the day, hit a wide open 3, and started jawing a bit, giving Reboot their first lead of the night at 28-25.  Aron, who put up a blank 1st half stat line started to get going as well, with a sweet steal and coast to coast layup which bumped Reboot’s lead up to 40-29 with just 10 to play.

Brick House would push back, with Marcus having a great and-1 finish on Chris (but missed the FT) making it 40-35 with 8 left.  It went back and forth from here, with the lead teetering between 5-10.  Then Corey hit a 3, closing the gap to 48-44 with just 90 seconds left.  That would be the last bucket of the game for Brick House, and they eventually fell to Reboot by a final of 54-44.

Player of the game: Rich - A very ball dominant and volume based scorer, but he ended being efficient enough to get his team the win tonight, while filling up the stat line.  23pts, 10rb, 3stl, 2blk, 1 ast.  5/5 from the line.

The Swish Kebabs vs The Lost Boys

GAME OF THE NIGHT

The Lost Boys started the game with a 1-point advantage due to an equipment violation on The Swish Kebabs (bring a CAC jersey). The Lost Boys began the game by clogging the paint on defense and were able to build a double digit first half lead. Cote and Nett were able limit Jacob’s impact in the paint. Nett’s jump shot was efficient all game. He was perfect 2-2 from three and it felt like he was 6-9 from 2. The Lost Boys would take 35-28 lead into half.

The Swish Kebabs did not start the game well. Jacob’s first two picks in the draft didn’t score in the first half. If it wasn’t for James Bohnaker’s hot shooting this game could have gotted out of hand before the second half. Not sure what was said at half time, but The Swish Kebabs were a completely different team in the second half. Early in the second half they would go on an 11-0 run to eventually take the lead. The game would be back and forth until the end.

The Swish Kebabs would be trailing in the final minute when two clutch 3s from Rafael allowed them to inch out a hard fought 2-point victory.

Player of the game: James Bohnaker. His jump shot kept them in the game in the first half and led the way during the 2nd half comeback.

Left, Right, Goodnight vs It’s Miller Time

This game was a lot closer than I thought it would be. What Miller Time lacks in size they make up for in hustle. It seemed like they got to every 50-50 ball and refused to go away and somehow ended up with more offensive boards than the larger LRG team. I can see this team being a pain in the ass to play against each week, but a lack of size will ultimately be their undoing. One thing we learned from the Millers, they love to take 3s. Kyle attempted 12 and Jacob attempted 7. Kyle only had one basket that wasn’t a 3.  

I was not impressed with the performance of LRG. They were able to eek out a win here, but it was not a strong showing for anyone not named Allen. Nika had a respectable but seemed to disappear at times. Before the game, I thought Nika and Allen would dominate the offensive boards but 0 combine offensive rebounds between the two of them isn’t going to cut it most nights. The rest of the team shooting an abysmal 2-15 from 3 didn’t help much either. If Allen wasn’t a bulldozer driving to the basket over and over again. I don’t see them winning this one. Allen will need more from his teammates going forward, but he was enough to carry them to victory.

Player of the game: Allen Williamson scoring just under half your teams points in a victory gets you the nod. 

B2 5v5 THU Week 1 Write-ups

by Jason on Sep. 08, 2023

BY JAY SHAH

Calypso North Stars (50) v. Run and Gun (45)

North Stars hold on in consistently tight game to secure first win of the season

Tony Caletti led the way for the North Stars, aka the Clever Trevors, scoring from all over the floor to post a game-high 23 points. He especially poured it in from deep, racking up 15 of his points from behind the arc, shooting over 50% while doing so. Second leading scorer Trevor Larsen worked his magic on the interior, pouring in 6 buckets from the paint in addition to sinking a 3 on his way to 15 critical points. John Letteny provided the energy for the team, using his speed to drive inside a couple times in addition to swiping the ball from the Run and Gunners 3 times. Meanwhile, Lucas Rathjens absolutely dominated the boards throughout the contest for the North Stars, pulling down double-digit rebounds and creating second chance opportunity after second chance opportunity on the offensive glass. 

Eduardo Deleon paced Run and Gun, posting a solid 17 points by using his speed to drive by North Stars defenders and using the threat of his speed to fire away from deep, cashing in two 3 balls. His free throw shooting was especially dialed in, as he drew 3 shooting fouls including an and-1, and sunk all 5 of his opportunities at the charity stripe. Deleon rocked double 0s as he flashed across the court, picking up 3 steals along the way as well. Rafael Figuereo came off the bench for Run and Gun but kept them in the game till the buzzer sounded, hitting 3 contested 3s in the second half to keep the game within striking distance, including a couple within the last two minutes as the Gunners were in desperation mode. Stevy Alves looked good out on the court, but couldn’t convert many opportunities into points on the scoreboard - and the referee let him hear about his lack of scoring when Alves complained about a call when he tried to strip a North Star. Alves was active in other phases of the game, however, and used his length and speed to grab 3 steals. 

Next up:

Calypso North Stars (1-0) v. NNHS (1-0) - 9/14 9:00p

Run and Gun (0-1) v. A Team Has No Name (0-1) - 9/14 7:00p

BADDIES (5) v. Lexington Steals (2)

BADDIES start the season out with a gift-wrapped win as Lexington Steals forced to forfeit

Next up: 

BADDIES (1-0) at Furious Rim Ticklers (0-1) - 9/14 8:00p

Lexington Steals (0-1) v. Julius Swerving (1-0) - 9/14 6:00p

Julius Swerving (62) v. Furious Rim Ticklers (51)

Swerving turn halftime deficit into second-half shellacking as Dinuzzo catches fire from deep

Anthony Dinuzzo, Jim Birrell, and Kyle Mochnacz carried the scoring burden for Julius Swerving, cashing in with 19, 15, and 12 points respectively. Dinuzzo got his nearly exclusively from beyond the arc, making 6 3-pointers at an insane 75% clip. He was also extremely active on the boards, securing a couple rebounds on the offensive glass in addition to cleaning up caroms off his own rim on his way to a strong double-double to open the season. Mochnacz and Birrell followed Dinuzzo’s lead in firing away from deep, making a combined 7 threes to together comprise the vast majority of Swerving’s points. Watch out for this team to launch 3-pointers without hesitation throughout the season. Their teammates did well to set them up with open looks despite how often they were shooting, with Will Otto and Dan Popko racking up multiple assists each. Popko also made his presence felt on the defensive end, stealing away possession from the Rim Ticklers 4 times. Mike Baker cashed in a three as well, while Ed Kluender had a massive block to keep the Rim Ticklers at bay.

The Rim Ticklers, in contrast, lived up to their name as they played primarily on the interior. While Michael Rogosa, Jeff Yeakley, and Yancy Brown all made deep balls, it was clear that the Ticklers know their bread is buttered in and around the paint. Brown especially put in work in the midrange, looking like Dirk as he drained fadeaway after fadeaway from 15 feet out. Rogosa and Yeakley rounded out the top trio of scoring, with Rogosa picking up a couple clutch blocks as well. Djordje Vlajkovic dominated on the interior, picking up offensive boards left and right and forcing Julius Swerving to send him to the line instead of giving up gimme layups. Drew DeBari worked down under as well, as the combination of Vlajkovic and DeBari sealed off the paint for much of the game. Despite the team’s strong presence in the interior, the Rim Ticklers simply could not keep up with the barrage of 3-pointers in the second half, and had to watch as a 4-point halftime lead turned into an insurmountable deficit as Swerving’s shots continued to fall. 

Next up:

Julius Swerving (1-0) at Lexington Steals (0-1) - 9/14 6:00p

Furious Rim Ticklers (0-1) v. BADDIES (1-0) - 9/14 8:00p

NNHS (71) v. A Team Has No Name (67)

Both teams pour it on in high-scoring, closely-contested affair marred by final-minute timeout controversy

The final matchup of the opening night of the season was an exciting one, as both NNHS and A Team Has No Name poured the points on, scoring bucket after bucket in a back-and-forth game highlighted by tension between all parties in the final minutes. For A Team Has No Name, both Eric Bradanese and Micah Evans led the way with 18 points apiece, each getting theirs in polar opposite ways. Evans put his head down time and again, driving to the basket to sink 1 of his 7 2-point makes or draw a foul. He did well to leverage his speed in the full court game as well, leaking out behind NNHS’ defense to secure a couple easy lay-ins when he spotted the opportunity. Meanwhile, Bradanese shot and converted only from behind the arc, draining a massive 6 3-pointers while also grabbing a steal and a surprising block. Andy Coppage and Steven McGuire found Bradanese in the corners or at the deep elbow repeatedly, and he rewarded them with the ball through the net before an NNHS defender could get a hand up. McGuire had some good-looking shots from behind the arc as well, with one surefire make from NBA 3-point range being caught by a loose- and low-hanging rope, leading to an understandably frustrated McGuire. Coppage didn’t score too much, but was an effective floor general, bring the ball up the floor and setting up the offense with ease and efficiency. Ben Seyoum was crafty in the high and low post, drawing 3 fouls including an and-1 and confidently making each of his 5 attempts from the free throw line on his way to a lowkey 12 points. Navid Sharifi played a smart, controlled game, shooting when he was open but not forcing up any dumb shots. 

NNHS had an incredibly balanced team performance, with Spencer Schneider leading the way on the scoreboard and the boards, showcasing his versatility by racking up his 18 points via twos, threes (including one so clean this scorekeeper wasn’t quite sure it had through the hoop), and free throws alike while grabbing 13 rebounds, along with using his height on the defensive end to secure a steal and one extremely emphatic block. Matt Wood matched Schneider’s 18 points, also contributing 4 dimes to get his teammates clean looks in space for easy buckets. Philip Barnett was a master on the inside, contorting his body and arms while spinning in the paint to put in 6 high degree-of-difficulty buckets on some carving cuts and drives. Mike Gately played a high energy game, but managed to play smart throughout, only taking excellent shot opportunities and otherwise keeping the rock moving to find the next open look. Gately was especially ferocious in the second half on the boards, multiple times leaping high in the air and ripping away a rebound from A Team Has No Name, then pushing the ball up the floor to press the advantage. Late arrival Charlie Rao was the vocal leader of the team, calling out defensive assignments, time left and so on from the floor and sideline, ensuring his team was well aware of exactly how to play each and every situation. Deven Labovitch played an understated game, grabbing some boards and keeping the ball moving, but mostly sinking his patented two-feet-on-the-ground jumper repeatedly on his way to 13 points to round out the scoring. Jackson Eckenrode, wearing the same number as teammate Schneider, played a high energy game as well, constantly moving around and getting himself open. His NNHS teammates clamored for him to shoot every time he got his hands on the ball and he had a fair number of solid looks from the 3-point line. Look for Eckenrode to start scoring more going forward.

Next up:

NNHS (1-0) at Calypso North Stars (1-0) - 9/14 9:00p

A Team Has No Name (0-1) at Run and Gun (0-1) - 9/14 7:00p

Three Stars: (weekly recap of outstanding performances from around the league)

• Tony Caletti (Calypso North Stars) - 23 points (5/9 3P), 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals
• Spencer Schneider (NNHS) - 18 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
• Eduardo Deleon (Run and Gun) - 17 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals

Power Rankings:

1. NNHS
2. Julius Swerving
3. A Team Has No Name
4. Calypso North Stars
5. Furious Rim Ticklers
6. Run and Gun
7. (Unrated) BADDIES
8. (Unrated) Lexington Steals

SDL F23 Week 1 Lines

by Jason on Sep. 07, 2023

BY DAMIAN RUFF

WEEK 1 LINES

Ok guys as promised here are the lines for week 1. Depending on how many likes I get I may do this every week but no promises either

At 9:15 AM we have Washed and Folded (WAF) vs Ball Mitzvah (BM). With WAF I expect the trio of Gettings, Ball and Wood to all play well. On the opposite side, I expect DTO and DP to play well which means the rookie Ivanic will be key for this game especially since he will most likely be matched up with Rob Wood. Wood had a stellar rookie season himself but once he got injured he wasn’t the same (no fault of his own). My guy Blaikie is in a very similar situation this season as last so I’m sure he will play well. Buttersworth is a great bench guy that will play his role and help his team win. Sully I mean Hameid has no pressure just has to come in and be productive. Depending on how productive he is he could end up being a 4th man. For BM, Lunder had some great games last season however he was on a team that lost every week so I wanna see if those sweatpants and Giannis sneakers keep him playing well. Both Reilly and Stull have familiarity with DP which is good and will help them as the season progresses. For this particular game I like WAF to win 66-56. (edited)

At 10:05 AM Old School Ballers (OSB) plays Mamba Forever (MF). With OSB they have no rookies and Lynch arguably the best player in the league to combine with Ghost arguably the best jump shooter in the league. AO has improved his game on the offensive end, EJ has become somewhat of a knockdown three point shooter that will give you everything he has and Mitchell is the ultimate hustle guy. On the opposite side, Emmanuel is the best on the ball defender in the league, Djordje is an excellent shot blocker and rebounder, the Jewish Jordan is a rookie, Higgins is another rookie that apparently will pass first hit threes and is a good perimeter defender, Darby is a pass first slasher per his own description, last but not least Hicks whose definitely played in his fair share of SDL games. I’d say he’s a hustle guy that drives to the basket and will rebound. Half of MF is rookies so I think it’ll take some time for them to adjust. The good thing is every team makes the playoffs so they’ll have time to do that, I like OSB to win this game. Since I’m on OSB, I’m not going to give the exact details as to why but in general I’m picking a team with less rookies to win. OSB wins 73-65.

At 10:55 AM we have Hungover Hoopers (HH) going up against COSTA (is your team name officially Red Storm?). On the HH side, I’m pretty sure their captain Nair will be out due to injury (I’m hoping I’m wrong). They also have the big guy Robel who will rebound and protect the rim, his best friend Musse a PG that can shoot threes, Guliano a guy who does a little bit of everything, Cummins a rookie who describes himself as do it all and Marra a great 6th man that will hit some threes and play some defense. COSTA (Red Storm) has the captain Dylan who does everything well, Kevin Ross a small forward that can shoot from what I’ve heard, Joshua Brown a D3 PG that can shoot and wants to fight Keith, Charles another shooter, Starr a forward that will make threes defend rebound but has no handle, last but not least Waldman the guy who owns the Crime-Stopper. Even though Nair isn’t playing I’m still picking his team Hungover Hoopers to win. While I think the Robel/Musse chemistry will be great, Ross/Brown will probably match it. Dylan will play his role just like Guiliano. So then it comes down to Cummins and Marra versus Starr and Waldman. While I think Waldman has a light edge over Marra, something is telling me that Cummins will have the edge over Starr, because of this a 68-67 HH win will occur.

Last game of the day at 11:45 AM Forgot About Dre (FAD) and Turbo match-up. On the FAD side we have their captain Cam who can do it all, Civale a left handed shooter but will also post-up and has height for defense, Jorge a solid all around guy that essentials does everything too, Lyman a rookie who will most likely serve as their big man, Dre who is the ultimate team player glue guy that does a lot of different things on both sides of the ball, balancing out this team there’s Cam who proved last season that he’s probably the best 6th man of the year doing all the little things to help his team win games. For Turbo they have Rakusin a big guy that can rebound well and finish at the rim, Keith all motor all the time, Breda is actually a mini version of Keith when I think about it, Sheffield a great facilitator and great guy too, Galle who describes himself as Jaylen Brown but only 5’8 and last but not least Neil the guy who loves to know how much time is left in games. Just kidding Neil is a great role player that does a lot of good things out there. I like FAD to win this one. Cam/Civale vs Keith/Joe will essentially cancel each other out. Jorge should have his way in this game. I also think Dre and the other Cam will keep the foot on the pedal resulting in a 77-70 victory.

Franchise League Week 1 Write-Ups

by Jason on Sep. 07, 2023

By CHAS BELLS & CHRIS STULL

Corp VS Top Heavy 

Big Lu got this party started with a nice cutting hoop, Ini added a floater Cop in control up 5-0. Hollins finds his spot and gets a post bucket, and then shows hustle getting an obrd put in 5-4. Ini scoop, Big lu steal and finish , Ini lay up of HOh dime it was 11-4. Rooki Lance Li looked very good as he knocked down a J, but Mazz $ a 3 14-6. Hoh nails a 3, Robel responds with a post hoop,Hollins high off the window, and then adds a scoop his footwork is crazy good in the paint 17-12. Ini has obrd fall in his lap, then Hoh gets another 3. Hollins from very deep, and Robel hits a nice rhythm 3, Then Lancenator nails a J for the lead 20-19. Hollins finds his spot, and gets 2, but Mazz ties things up with a big time 3 22 all. Hollins with a beastly and 1, then Lancenator 3, then Hollins 3 yikes what a run 31-22. Hoh with a gigantic 3, but Robel eats in the post 33-25. Mazz 3 “ youre gonan get hurt if you guard me like that”. Hoh adds to that with sick take, and then again! The half ended with Corp up 34-33. Very physical game. 

Mazz finds Hoh as that connection looks serious, but Robel responds with hook. Lance hits another J, but Mazz gets the elad back with a 3 39-37. Mazz obrd put in, then Ini in transition, then Ini floater. Lead would stay in the 10 pt range for while, but then Hollins turned on the switch again as he goes through 2 guys  making the lead just 51-47. Fatigue set in hard for Top Heavy as Corp starting to get easy bucket after easy bucket, Mazz, Hoh and Ini lead the boys to vicory in week 1. 66-48. 

GRADES

Corp

Mazz- A-Rock solid Mazz game. Hit big 3’s to swing things when he needed too. Loved his rebounding/effort level in this game. 
Ini-A- Unreal all over the court, did just about as good as job as anybody can expect against Hollins. If hes hitting that floater , this team might not get beat. 
Hohrath-A- Guys hes really good, and he and Mazz flow beautifully………..not great. 
Big Lu-B-) Started very strong but kinda faded off. Not a ton of shots. 
Stull-C+- defense was there, shot was not. 
Connor-C+- Ditto Stull, I liked his activity level though. 

Top Heavy 

Robel-B-) Was in beast mode with 6 blocks but def needed a sub. 
Hollins-A-) Man hes good, its going to give us all headaches gameplanning for him. 
Matty-C+- not a ton of hoops, but thought he facilitated nicely 
Lance-B- Rock solid debut from the rookie, he look like a very strong player, in multiple areas.
 

Game 2 Koller VS Mojo 

Leblanc right out of the gate nails a J, but Keith confidently nails a 3 ball 3-2. Kap with a slashing drive, but Mulv finds his spot and nails middy for the 5-4 lead. Kieth obrd put in. he wa slookign very active, as Mazone adds a runner9-4. Euler showing some athleticism gets 2, followed by a Leblanc 3 to tie things at 9. Keith feeling it hits 3, Koller responds wit float action. Game would stay very even both teams going back n forth trading punches Kieth was on fire and had his team up 28-20. Kap would get a bank shot to go, and even though it was lucky it was big as it sparked his team to get back in striking distance, after  Euler line drive buzzer beater it ws 35-32 at the break. 

Kap with a drive to start the half, but Keith was just on one as he canned another trey ball. Rooke UnderHill would get a bank 3 to go, but Keith wont quit as floater goes in. This stayed a very competive game the biggest the lead got was 55-51, but Mazone nails big time 3 to make it 55-54. Then Mazone fiinshes a sexy drive for the lead 56-55. Nice possession from Koller club, as they dont panic find a wide open Leblanc for 3………….$$$$ they go up 2. Keith said you know what , Ia m not done playing, as he hits a crazy leaning post hoop to tie it, and send us to OT!!. 

1st OT went scoreless, and in the 2nd Kollers team produces better shots, and they were able to sneak out of game 1 with a win 69-63. 

GRADES

Team Koller 

Koller-A-) Rock solid big man game, thought he was solid on all levels. 
Leblanc-A-Hugeeeeeeeeee 333333, man is an assassin…..if the game is before 8 pm. 
Kap-B- He was good Kap not great kap, but he will take the W. 5 dimes/3 steals is always a good night
Euler-B-) Being his 1st game I bumped up his grade. Saw some flashes, but also saw someone who wastrying to do way to much out there. 
Under-C+- Played his role well, need get that stanimia up a lil bit. 

Team Mojo

Keith-A- If it was a win it would have been an A+. Unreal 1st game for him, just did flat out everything. 
Mulv-B-) Rebounding was there but they are gonna need atleadt 15 + from him. 
Matty-D- Yeeeeeeeshhhhhh, he will have better days. 
Mazone-B- took him awile to get going, but hit some big shots. Needs to turn on a lil earlier. 
Raskusin-C- Hustled hard, liked his activity 
Tim-D- Hustle was there, just nothing to show for it. 

Game 3 FWTBT knocks out Point Shaffers

FWTBT took issue with my 10-point line and made me eat my words. Point Shaffers looked like they were still at the beach on vacation and if they don’t get it together quickly Barkley will have them gon fishing in Cabo before thanksgiving. Both teams started off a bit slow as they were feeling each other out but FWTBT quickly got the offense firing on all cylinders. Lerner was getting to the basket at will and playing lock down defense showing that DP’s CAC archive studying paid off on his big rookie acquisition. DP knocked down a three and was getting out on transition at will. Chas then started bombing from deep and I loved that he had no hesitation on his shots and pulled with confidence. Craig also came out with a chip and his shoulder and was playing bully ball down low getting deep in the paint and pushing Shaffer’s big’s around. Jmul was everywhere cutting and moving the ball hitting threes and also driving to the rack. EJ was making the extra pass and had some wide open looks and was able to knock one down. This was truly a clinic of team basketball with ball movement, finding the open man, making smart plays and I thought captain DP did a great job and keeping his guys fresh by subbing and keeping the energy level up. On the other side Joel and team could not get a shot to go down. Cawley was battling and had a couple go in and out. I think they need to give him some space to operate. DJ was hustle on the boards but could quite squeeze the ball a couple times and I thought Craig and Jmul did a great job getting a body on him. Joel probably should’ve shot the long ball some more but it seemed like he was trying to get the other guys involved more but it did not lead to buckets. Demetri was left open a couple times and made FWTBT pay a couple times but they quickly called a TO and rectified that. Reilley was hustling but had a couple TO’s that were ill advised. ​

I think team stats tell the story here FWTBT shot nearly 50% from three as a team with only 2 TO’s. Joel’s team was not shooting well and had 14 TO’s. All the missed shots and turnovers allowed FWTBT to play to their strength and get out on the break. I completely did not see this coming and was in shock and will now pay the proper respect to this squad. Grades: FWTBT: A+ ​Notables: Chas 5-6 from three. Shoot the rock with confidence man! ​​ Lerner – 21 points, 9 boards played both ends of the floor well ​​Craig 10 points, 9 Rebounds, 2blks – Close to a double/double owned the point ​​Jmul – 12 points, 4 boards, 2 blocks – hustled, moved the ball well very active ​Point Shaffers: F ​Cawley – leading scorer with 15 pts, had a bunch of shots go in and out ​Demitri – made the open ones – look for shots moving forward. Shaffer – 10 points will need to be more aggressive moving forward and get this team back on track

Game 4 SH VS Harry

The late game, and we had a good one here. Oully wide open gets layup to start things, Frongi follows that with a scoop. Harding working hard on the O glass gets 2. Rosi $ middy, Jaksobson wide open lay up, where is the defence from Harry club? 11-2 after Rosi 3. This thing was looking ugly as Harry team could not get stops the lead built to 28-13. Vladi finally started to connect and got cooking , and that gave space for harding to start to do his thing when the dusts settled it was SH up 36-31 on the half. 

Vladi staying hit nails 3 right away, but Wise who had a great rookie debut nailed a J to keep pace. Vladi would go right abck at them with tough drive, then Harding from deep made it 40-39. Vladi red hot gets another 3 and they have the lead 42-41. Rosi would get 2 off a broken play to get the lead back. Liam with a middy, but Skates jimmy gets the lead back. Harding relentluss on the O glass gets 2. Frongi responds with lay in, so many lead changes!!!!!Oully hits 3 to give the 4pt edge. Harding just woud not quit, his O brd hustled was fuckign awesome to watch as he gets another 2 off that, landon hit J to tie things, followed by Vladi splash 3 ball. Vladi and Harding really turned it on from here, and kinda left SH in the dust. SH goes down week 1 80-73. 

GRADES

SH

Rosi-A-)3 rebounds away from a trip dub, but he would rather the W any day. Needed to take more 3’s. 
Oullete-B-) very quiet in the 2nd half, they need him firing away for 40 min. 
Frongi-C- Very quiet, had some garbage time points to save his day.
Wise-A- definite brights spot, thought he looked very much the part. 
Jaksobson-C-) $ in the 1st half, then couldnt find any open looks
Skates-C+- Saw some flashes, he will be just fine. 

DBS

Harry-C- Reboundign was good but thats it. 
Harding-A+- Loved the fight/heart he showed in this one. Usually always fills up the stat sheet, but this effort level was epic. 
Vladi-A-) couldnt hit the side of a barn, but trusted his shot,a nd kept firing away. Incredibel 2nd half from him. 
Liam-A- great defensive effort, and to add 15 pts off that, is a silly good night. 
landon-C+- Finding his footing, he will contribute more as the weeks come.  

STULL'S UPDATED POWER RANKINGS
 

#8 Joel – Getting blown out by 37 after I picked them as a 10 point favorite puts them at the bottom of this list. Bigger upset than Deon beating TCU week 1.

#7 MOJO Dojo – Loved the Tie die shirts and the fight but they let their game get away from them late despite a monster Keith performance and what I thought was also a great Tyler game. Need to close out close ones to be in the top half of the league.

#6 – Top Heavy – Robel was blocking shots left and right and Hollis is the real deal. He was getting recruited after the game to join other leagues. Sir Lance a lot joining the league as a rookie also looked good. I expect better games from Matty O’donell and when they have STAT this team will be a problem for squads moving forward.

#5 Basket Cases – Koeller and squad showed grit and won a close one against Keith’s squad in OT. Leblanc hit a bunch of clutch shots and they will need more of this moving forward.

#4 FWTBT – I have to move these guys up into the top half after blowing out Joel’s team. Was this the case of a perfect game vs a disaster or are they actually able to beat some of the top teams in the league?

#3 Super Hoopers – I missed the second half but they were looking good before I left and sounds like things got away from them a bit. I expect them to bounce back well and they have the championship pedigree.

#2 Don’t be Stupid – I had debated putting them at 2 but gave Eric and team the edge based on past performance. Harding and squad came out and got the W to show they are not messing around this year.

#1 Corp – Battled tough against rookie Hollis and had good chemistry for the first time playing together. Ini got the most open layups he’s ever had and Horath matched up well with the Hollis hype. Mazz did Mazz things and the corp passed their first audit to keep them at #1.

B1 5v5 TUE Week 1 Write-Ups

by Jason on Sep. 06, 2023

BY JAY SHAH

WEEK 1 9/5

Treys for Days (51) v. Men’s League (42)

Strong first half for Treys for Days allows them to hold on in the second half and come out on top against Men’s League

Treys for Days had a balanced team performance, with all 6 active players playing heavy minutes. Wes Schroll led the way, scoring a massive 23 points to allow his team to come out on top with 10 buckets, including 3 huge triples. He also showed his prowess on the defensive end, securing a few blocks and steals each, helping his team get critical stops when it mattered most. Meanwhile, Dana Flood set the table for Schroll repeatedly while converting some opportunities of his own, including a clutch triple to help seal the lead. He also created multiple opportunities around the basket, leading to a game- and day-high 6 free throw attempts. The Kevins - McGovern and “LaFranchise” LaFrancis - supplemented the Treys’ solid scoring, while also putting in work on the glass to ensure the late-arriving height of Men’s League didn’t create too many second-chance buckets. Issenberg rounded out an excellent effort on the boards. Meanwhile, Sam Longwell hit a huge three while also serving as the Treys’ enforcer, picking up 4 hard fouls to force Men’s League to prove it at the line.

George Schultz led the way for Men’s League, scoring a critical 14 points to keep his team in the game, showing off his shooting touch to match Schroll’s 3 triples while shooting over 40% from behind the arc. Schultz set the table for teammates time and time again, dishing 6 assists. A bespectacled Tom Smith helped lead a late charge for Men’s League, scoring a few buckets in the second half to keep the Treys’ in striking distance, including an unexpected swish from deep. Look for him to be more heavily featured going forward. Max Staiger was all over the floor on the defensive end in addition to being the 3rd-leading scorer, swiping the ball from the Treys’ 3 times and stuffing it as well. Josh Salter led the team in energy plays, appearing all over and on the floor, diving for the ball and hustling back on defense. He drew multiple calls and sunk a couple free throws. In addition, Charlie Bagin was all over the boards, and made his few shot attempts count. Sub Hernan sunk a key three as well. Finally, late arrival Will Childs-Klein immediately made his defensive presence felt when he entered the game, significantly slowing the scoring for the Treys while dominating the boards en route to double digit boards, including an offensive rebound he took back up for a thunderous putback dunk. 

Next up:

Treys for Days (1-0) at Markit Basketball (1-0) - 9/12 8:30p

Men’s League (0-1) vs. CCC Studios (0-1) - 9/12 7:30p

Eastie Hoops (63) vs. Markit Basketball (82)

Tight first half turns into dominant win for high-flying Markit Basketball as Eastie Hoops runs out of gas

At the outset, Eastie Hoops looked excellent. Shots were falling, the rock was moving with speed, and the team’s creativity and versatility were on display. In the second half, though, everything changed: once able to keep the game close, Eastie fell behind double digits and could never string together enough scores and stops to keep the game competitive. Ryan Willis was the leading scorer and the primary reason Eastie was able to stay in the game as long as they did, scoring 21 points, all on 7 made 3-pointers. Willis didn’t stop there, attacking the boards with ferocity, putting up a league-high 15 boards, including 14 on the defensive glass. He pushed the ball relentlessly from the backcourt, often stopping and popping from behind the arc, or dishing to a teammate to rack up one of his 5 assists. Kyle Coughlin and Christian Garcia helped buoy the team as well, with the former attacking the basket from all around the court, including 2/6 shooting from deep among Coughlin’s 12 points. Garcia worked primarily down low, bruising with Markit and pushing through to score 5 huge buckets for his team en route to 10 points and 8 boards, including 2 on the offensive glass leading to second chance opportunities of which Eastie could not take full advantage. Joseph Shapiro was able to leverage his size under the basket to a large degree as well, securing 5 offensive boards on his way to another 12 points. Continuing Eastie’s trend of reliance on shooting, Lucas Fortier contributed 8 points, with 6 coming from 2 deep balls (50% shooting). 

Meanwhile, Markit Basketball put together an incredibly balanced team performance. Scoring was spread out through the team, with 4 different Markiters putting up double-digit points, including Peter Chang and Cameron Gleichauf with 17 points apiece. P. Chang showed off his speed throughout the contest, blowing by Eastie defenders with ease on his way to the basket, while also using that threat to create space to get off some looks from beyond the arc, where he cashed in 3 3-pointers on over 40% shooting. Gleichauf was a lightning rod off the bench, finding his way right to the basket time and time again. The Dorosh brothers were the next leading scorers, with Justin scoring 15 and Kevin right behind at 14, and combining for a massive 6 steals. Victor Chang rounded out the double-digit scorers with 11 of his own, converting second chance buckets and operating effectively down low. Jacob Kirsch emulated Pat Beverley as he hounded the Easties defensively, and was generally a thorn in their side especially down the stretch. Finally, southpaw Raj Patel chipped in 6 points as he proved to be a defensive presence with Julius Randle’s shooting form. 

Next up:

Eastie Hoops (0-1) at Skelton’s Boys (0-0) - 9/12 6:30p

Markit Basketball (1-0) vs. Treys for Days (1-0) - 9/12 8:30p

CCC Studios (75) vs. Wat Rats (80)

Wat Rats fight back to force overtime on incredible buzzer beater before putting the hammer down in OT

The first buzzer beater of the season took place in the final game of the night Tuesday, as Joe Martin banked in a layup off a beautiful series of passes right as the horn sounded to tie the game at 72 and send the game into a 2-minute overtime. Ref KD, per sources, said that the shot may even have left Martin’s fingertips after the buzzer went off, but with the instant replay system down, the tie went to the Wat Rats, and the bucket counted. In the extra 3rd period, Anthony Coppola and Matt Coffey continued their second half hot shooting and almost instantly put the nail in the coffin of CCC Studios, nailing a triple each to put Studios on their backs. Studios fought hard to the end to keep the possibility of a second overtime alive, but the quick extra period bought them precious little time to score their way back into it. The overtime 3-point makes by Coppola and Coffey continued their star performances from regulation and especially the second half, as A. Coppola drained 6 of 8 threes on his way to a team-leading 24 points and Coffey hit 4 of 7 to make up the majority of his critical 18 points to go with 3 steals. Marco Coppola was everywhere on the floor, leading the way with his speed to score 16 points mostly on drives to the basket and tough makes - he was the heartbeat of the team without question, playing nearly every possible minute and diving for loose balls until the end. Joe Martin was a massive presence near the basket throughout the game, and his positioning to be ready for the game-tying layup was incredibly prescient. Dylan Stockdale used his size effectively as a defensive presence, and converted a couple key baskets near the end of regulation on his way to 9 points. Arthur Kostikian meanwhile played far larger than his stature, racking up multiple huge swats that he was happy to watch careen out of bounds. 

Zac Brown led the way for CCC Studios, picking up his 21 points and 7 boards by operating right around the basket for the majority of the night. Eric Prue opened up the game by firing away from deep, hitting 3s to immediately put the Wat Rats on their heels. He hit 5 in total to finish with 15 points. Mike Salis racked up 17 points and a couple offensive boards, but his most notable contribution was his 8 assists as he whipped the ball around the court, constantly looking for a teammate to feed it to with an easy cut to the basket. Mike Simoni had some huge offensive baskets as the teams went back and forth at the end of regulation, and he hit all 5 of his attempts at the charity stripe as well. 

Next up:

Wat Rats (1-0) BYE

CCC Studios (0-1) at Men’s League (0-1) - 9/12 7:30p

Three Stars: (weekly recap of outstanding performances from around the league)

• Ryan Willis (Eastie Hoops) - 21 points (7/13 3pt), 15 rebounds, 5 assists
• Cameron Gleichauf (Markit Basketball) - 17 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists
• Anthony Coppola (Wat Rats) - 24 points (6/8 3pt), 5 rebounds, 2 assists

Power Rankings:

1. Markit Basketball
2. Wat Rats
3. CCC Studios
4. Treys for Days
5. Eastie Hoops
6. Men’s League
7. (Not Rated) Skelton’s Boys

B2 5v5 TUE Week 1 Write-ups

by Jason on Sep. 06, 2023

Game 1 | The Substitutes: 2 - The Pirates: 5

Pirates Win in Forfeit

Forfeiting the first game of the season is wild, immediately plummeting the Substitutes to the bottom of my Way-Too-Early B2 Tuesday Power Rankings. They also have no roster updates online, so I have no idea what to expect from them. The Pirates did have some guys show up to run pick-up, and they look to be a solid, competitive team. Frankly I’m not sure if they can compete with the clear top teams in this division, but you can never really tell until you see a team play a full game with a ref and an opposing team. Too early to tell how either of these teams will stack up this session.

Game 2 | Bears: 36 - Miyagi-Fang: 49

Miyagi-Fang Grind Out Win in Tough Offensive Outing

Miyagi-Fang is one of two teams in this division that I’m even vaguely familiar with, and unless Splash City prove otherwise, this team is the clear favorite to win this division. Still, they struggled on offense in this one, shooting a measly three of fifteen (20%) from deep and only ten of eighteen (55%) from the free-throw line, but their defensive effort and cohesion put them over the top. They held a 25-13 lead at the half, and helped off some runs from Bears to pull out the 49-36 win.

John Harding is an early MVP frontrunner, and even though I thought he played a mediocre game (by his standards), he was still the best player in this game. He put up 19 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block, relentlessly attacking the basket and handling most of the ball handling duties. He shot only two of eight from three and seven of ten from the line, both categories I expect him to improve in as the season progresses. Spencer Schneider added 8 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists (game-high), 1 steal, and 2 blocks. Perhaps the league's best defender, Schneider is also a capable offensive player. He airballed two threes and then stopped shooting, but he has the skills, size, and athleticism to dominate this division. Still, his defense was on point and he led the game with 5 assists, and I expect him to regain his confidence quickly. Beyond that, Miyagi-Fang got solid contributions from the rest of their lineup. Dan Lerner finished with 6 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 steal, but I think he could look for his shot more. Djordje Vlajkovic played a strong game down low with 6 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists out of the low post, while Greg Eusden added 5 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks and James Mulvehill chipped in 5 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 steal (another guy who should take more shots from deep). Harry Demakes is the mastermind behind the whole operation, adding 6 rebounds and 2 assists while managing subs and coaching up his squad. This team also has Jack Fay on the roster, who will immediately be the best player in this division for the games he shows up. Altogether, these guys have the talent, size, and chemistry to win the whole thing, so we’ll have to see if another squad can step up to the challenge.

The Bears got off to a brutally slow start, scoring only 13 points at the half, but these guys are a resilient bunch who will always compete. While they are undersized, there is definitely some talent in this group, and I expect them to get better as the season wears on. Danny Shapiro led the way with 15 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal, going three of five from deep from the point guard spot. Undersized or not, I’ve seen this guy light up former D1 players at the B1 level, and I expect him to finish among the league leaders in scoring. Will Estes finished two of six from downtown to finish with 10 points, 6 boards, and 2 steals, going hard on both ends and showcasing some strong finishing around the rim. John Bowllan finished with only 4 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals, but he was much more impactful than his stats may indicate. He missed a lot of open looks, and having seen him play before, I know he can get going offensively and will add some shooting and slashing threats, plus his usual steady defensive play. Baris Durgun finished with 5 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals, while Ted Blake was a beast inside with 2 points, 9 rebounds (5 offensive), 1 assist, and 2 blocks, giving his team tons of second chance opportunities and holding down the paint well. Jason Behrens and Paul Cooley couldn’t get their three-point attempts to fall, but combined for four rebounds and will play a big role on this team as shooters. It’s also worth noting that the Bears were without Will Ross, who is arguably their best overall player. I personally have faith that the Bears can finish top 3 in this division, but they will have to prove themselves.

Game 3 | Team Ahern: 50 - Plenty of Lotion: 59

Plenty of Lotion Hold Off Team Ahern to Win Week 1

Plenty of Lotion (🤨) came out firing in this one, going into halftime with a 41-29 lead and looking like the far superior team. Team Ahern quickly got it together, though, raging a furious comeback to get the game to 55-50 with under 5 minutes left, in large part thanks to their ridiculous 18 offensive rebounds and some key stops down the stretch (7 steals, 8 blocks). POL held on, though, preventing Team Ahern from scoring another point and tacking on 4 points at the end to secure a 59-50 win.

For POL, Guy Pistone was a menace on both ends from the jump, as he either scored or assisted on their first 13 points. He finished the game with 19 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists (game-high), 2 steals, and 1 block. He was simply too quick and too shifty, and was able to break down the defense at will, either getting all the way to the cup for some tough finishes or creating for teammates. He could have had way more than 6 assists if his team had converted a few more wide open looks that he generated. I’m not sure if he’s better than Harding, only time will tell, but he is most definitely at the top of the MVP ladder after a stellar Week 1 performance. Jeff Yeakley added 14 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block in a strong effort. He immediately started the game going three of four from deep, all on passes from Pistone, and hit another three in the second half, as well as two clutch free-throws to ice the game for POL. Definitely a great outing from a known knockdown shooter, who will undoubtedly continue to light it up from deep as the season progresses. Yancy Brown showed up late but immediately made a big impact with 9 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block, finishing well inside and in the mid-range and providing some excellent defense down the stretch. He shot one of six from the free-throw line, but other than that played a great game. Captain Drew DeBari added 7 points, 2 boards, 1 assist, and 1 steal, converting some tough takes at the rim. I expect him to shoot better than one of five from beyond the arc going forward, making this team that much more dangerous. Sam Seiwert looked good down low, finishing with 4 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block, while Garrett Vinett also held down the paint with 1 point, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, and 1 block, combining for a fearsome low post defensive duo. Anthony McDaniels hit a three and grabbed 8 boards, while Dan Ollquist added 2 points and 8 boards of his own, plus 1 assist and 1 steal. Overall a solid showing from POL, who look to be the clear #2 seed at this point in the season.

Team Ahern looked a bit out of sorts in the first half, but I thought they pulled it together nicely as the game went on and I expect them to be competitive against every team in this division. Ethan Collins led the way with 16 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, and 3 blocks, using his athleticism to attack the rim and wreak havoc on defense. He also shot three of seven from deep, adding to his skillset since the last session I watched him play. As one of the best athletes in this division, I expect him to dominate for his team this session. Eric Bauman finished with 7 points and 3 rebounds, going one of two from deep, and I think he could look for more catch and shoot opportunities. Nick Martin and Cam Letalien both scored only 5 points, but both were highly impactful for their team. Martin added 9 rebounds, 1 steal, and 3 blocks, showing some great defensive instincts. He missed all five of his three-point attempts, but he’s got good form and hit some tough middies, so I expect him to find his scoring groove going forward. Letalien is an excellent passer, and he added 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks while knocking down a nice pull-up three on the slow break. I think these two players in particular can find their rhythm as the season progresses and bolster their squad’s offense. Doug Watford added 5 points and 2 rebounds, while Charlie Mitchell and Zach Gordon each added 2 points. Mitchell also came up with 2 steals, and 9 rebounds (4 offensive), while Gordon chipped in 2 assists and 7 rebounds (5 offensive). Dave Bonaiuto added 1 steal in limited minutes, as he showed up late and didn’t have a chance to warm up. Anthony Scanzo-Masiero was filling in this game, but played well with 9 points on three of eight from deep, plus a team-high 4 assists, 2 rebounds, and 1 steal. 

B DRAFT WRITE-UPS WEEK 1

by Jason on May. 09, 2023

BY HARRY & IAN

Weinstein spoils the Great Clasby’s party  

As tends to be the issue during the summer season both teams had attendance issues in this one. Pollock was out for Trick or Treat and Clasby was out for the Great Clasby. These absences would seem to favor the Great Clasby slightly, but it was really a toss up game as we had no idea what to expect about from the first overall pick Jay. He made a solid, first impression, but was it enough? To the action!

To the shock of nobody, the beginning of this game was bad. Neither team could buy a basket and there were a lot of turnovers and sloppy basketball. Slowly but surely the teams started to figure it out and Weinstein threw the first punch scoring a couple of quick baskets. Things were back and forth in this opening ten minutes with Robel leading the way for the Great Clasby. Unlike past seasons were he hung out on the perimeter, Robel spent a lot of time down low and was doing a good job finishing at the rim. Jay got off to a slow start as Kenny and co were playing solid defense on him, but you could tell it was only a matter of time. 

Halfway through the first half it was 13-12 Trick or Treat and scoring was still at a premium even after it looked like the teams were starting to figure out their offense. Over the rest of the first half, it remained close as Jay was doing a good job distributing for Great Clasby. His shot was off, but you could tell he knew how to read the game and he was doing a great job getting good looks for other players. Angry Ian especially was the recipient of some good pocket passes and he was knocking down his signature mid-range jumper. For Trick or treat they were getting a balanced effort as rookie Karim was very active and looked to be much better than were he was drafted and Harry was knocking down jumpers. Things remained very close as the half closed and we went into half with the Great Clasby holding a slim 28-26 lead. Weinstein led the way with nine points for Trick or Treat, while Robel led the way with eight for Great Clasby.

The second half started with Jay finally getting going. He started to get to the hoop and in a matter of minutes he had equaled his first half point total with three quick buckets. During this time Harry’s team was really struggling to score and all of a sudden Ben’s team had created some separation. Trick or Treat broke their drought when Harry made a nice runner off the dribble and got fouled. He missed the free throw, however and Jay went down and knocked down his first three of the game to push the lead to 43-36. Even though the Great Clasby had some separation, it seemed only a matter of time before Harry’s team made a run. Behind some excellent defense from Karim, Harry’s team got out in transition and started to cut into the lead. A Weinstein bucket tied things up at 43 and then Karim got a block and took it all the way for a layup to give Trick or Treat their first lead since midway through the first half. 

Jay answered quickly after with a tough fadeaway jumper and he scored several times after that as well as he started to take over. There were only five minutes left at this point and Great Clasby held a 51-47 lead. A Weinstein put back made it a two point game, but Robel answered to restore the four point lead with three minutes left. A couple of misses for Great Clasby opened the door for Trick or Treat and after a Weinstein jumper we had a tie game with two minutes left at 53-53. Both teams would miss threes on their ensuing possessions, but Karim would get fouled on back to back possessions. He knocked down four clutch free throws and Harry’s team found them up by 4 at 57-53. A Jay and one cut the lead to one, but inexplicably Silva’s team didn’t foul immediately and the clock ran down from 30 seconds to five. Silva used both his timeouts to advance the ball and had a play drawn up for a three to tie. They inbounded the ball to Jay, but Harry smartly fouled immediately before a shot could be put up. Jay knocked down both free throws even though I think he was trying to miss the second leaving it a one point game with just over two seconds left. Harry got the ball on the inbound and was fouled immediately. He missed the first one and then did the right thing and missed the second as well causing the clock to run out. Final score Trick or Treat 59, Great Clasby 58.

Trick or Treat

Weinstein A: Vintage performance where he carried the offense for the large majority of the game.
Karim A: Really impressive debut. Knows how to play, can finish at the rim and was very good on defense.
Harry B+: 6/6/2 and made two really good captain calls late, giving the foul when up three and then missing a free throw to cause the clock to run out.
Stat D: Didn’t make a field goal, but played solid defense.
Kenny C: Quiet game on offense, but did a good job sticking with Jay

The Great Clasby

Jay B+: 32/10/6 is a great line, but I thought he left a lot of points on the board. If he finds a consistent jump shot we’re all in trouble.
Robel B: Really good first half, but seemed to tire as the game went on.
Angry Ian C+: Really good first half, but plagued by foul trouble in the second half.
Cassel C: Quiet game for the great one with only one three. 
Ben D: Really questionable Captain decision not fouling when down one with 30 seconds left for 20+ seconds dings the grade big time. 

Rookie Miller finds gym and his team a victory!

Our second game of the evening featured Cundall’s team taking on Cam’s team, with both guys counting on rookies to be major contributors. Cam’s team was missing Lynch though, so things weren’t looking up for them. Cundall had everyone. TO THE ACTION!

The first half of this rock fight belonged to Benjamin Koller, who was trying to win one for the CAC vets in this rookie fest. He led all scorers with 14 first half points, adding 7 rebounds along with a steal and block. Pretty much enjoying the fruits of number 1 status and dominating the game along the way. Good thing too, because his teammates outside of small contributions from Cundall and Gray weren’t doing their part. They did have the lead all the way through though.

That’s because the Young Bucks offense kind of sucks. Miller, who I helped get to the gym, you’re welcome Cam, wasn’t afraid to get up shots. He led his team with 13 points and was described as a bigger Weinstein by Cundall, good comparison I’d say. Miller wasn’t efficient, but did a good job getting to the line. He also destroyed Koller on one drive, sending Koller down on his buttocks. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a good look at the play. Miller’s teammates outside of 6 Cam points, weren’t doing much. Apparently, DTO can only unlock his powers on Saturday mornings.

Gray Matter went into the half up 30-22. Outside of their respective stars, these teams really looked fucking awful. BACK TO THE ACTION!

I’d like to say the Young Bucks supporting cast stepped up this half, but I’d be lying. Jkjkjk they did a little more than nothing, with Landy and DTO hitting a three. New fan favorite Eric Bauman, added 4 points and did something sexy I can’t remember right now. Cam added his usual effort, hustle and some crazy passes that never had a chance. They looked A LITTLE better, which got them the lead because…..

Gray Matter really sucked in the second half. It’s never good to look at second half and see the leading point scorer had 5 points for you in the half. These guys just couldn’t buy a bucket and you can credit the defense, but man this doesn’t look good. Rookie Julien just couldn’t get good looks for himself. He’s a tall man, but it appears he comes from the Djordje school of bigs who don’t use their body like they should. Cundall’s other rookie LB looked like a player, but he was gassed repeatedly. Taha and Gray did their best to chip, but you’re asking a lot of them to pick up your offense for a half. Then Koller, who dominated the first half, just died in the second. He didn’t look comfortable knowing he had to create buckets for himself late.

Young Bucks mercifully ended this horror show hitting enough free throws late. 55/49 Final.

Grades;

LB B-: Hit some threes, but just couldn’t get a wind all game.
Cundall B: Second on the team in scoring, but couldn’t get the 3-ball to drop.
Koller B: Great first half, but a bad second half full of forced shots.
Taha B-; Brought the energy late, but they’ll need more from him.
Julien C-: He has more in him. I know that already.
Gray B+: Hit his jumpers when he got them.

YOUNG BUCKS:

Cam B: Good activity and defense, but left points on the board.
Landy B-: Shot was off, but contributed else where. Had a nice block too!
DTO C-: This should have been a good DTO game, but it wasn’t.
Miller A-: Ultimately won the game for his team, but I except more.
Bauman C+: The new fan favorite needs to make his threes and FTs.

Counselors lecture 5 weeks and counting the hard way

Another game, another team full of rookies. Thankfully, we had one team with known commodities. The Counselors rolled into the season with the reigning OPOY and a good supporting cast. While Jamil’s team went with the long game and rookies, along with BIG GUNS. Joel and the other Julien was out for Noah’s team. TO THE ACTION!

Cam filled in until Jamil got there. Naturally, this didn’t lead to a great first half showing as the Counselors wrecked havoc upon 5WNC’s defense. They hit 10 first half threes, 4 from Jack and 3 apiece from AJ/Noah. AJ, led the world in 1h scoring with 19. It was a buffet at the Golden Corral.

Troy had some nice takes, co-leading the team with 10 first half points. Cold off the streets, Jamil had 10 points himself. Things are obviously going to be an uphill climb on both ends without Nair.

Counselors went into the half up 51-31.

BACK TO THE ACTION!

The bright spot for 5WNC was Big Guns notching a double digit rebound game. I also thought Maneval looked like a pretty good defender. AJ is a tough guard for anyone, so no shame giving up buckets there. These guys just need to work on their chemistry.

The Counselors slowed down a bit as the game moved on. They moved the ball nicely in this game. I’ll be looking closely at their ball movement as they play harder games down the stretch. Rookie Bret looked like a good hustle player and a willing passer.

Counselors cruised to an easy victory. Nice way to start the year.

Grades:
Maneval C-: Rough game shooting the ball.
Big Guns B+: I like this career high in rebounds. Can it continue?
Troy C+: Good effort on the boards and scored it, but shot was a bit off too.
Jamil B-: Late start, but still lead the team in points. We’re leaving too many points out there though.

Counselors:

Team grade: A+ Everyone played good and shared the ball. Noah almost had a triple-double. AJ and Jack had double-doubles. No negative comments.

Civale the defender

We finally reached a game where we knew all the key figures as Calderan’s Danner 18 took on Civale’s Mountains out of Mulvehills. Hanks was out for Civale and Glynn as well as their namesake was out for Calderan. TO THE ACTION!

MOOM came out guns ablazing behind their captain and leading contender for DPOY after one game, Civale. Civale had 13 first half points, along with a steal, 6 boards and FIVE blocks. Who is this man and what did he do with the Civale we know?!?!! The rest of the team wasn’t too shabby either. James, led the team with 18 points in the first half and the reigning MVP had 7 assists, along with 8 boards. We also got an OTTOMATIC sighting. The good times were rolling here.

Meanwhile, Danner 18 struggled with their putrid defense. Calderan did ball out early though, with 10 first half points, 8 boards and 2 assists. Not bad work for a half. Rookie Marcellus struggled though, missing a bunch of easy shots. He may need a week or two to get going in this league. Casey and Cavano combined for a bunch of bricks from deep early. They combined to 4-19 from deep. Gross, Marcellus and Calderan also missed 3 from deep, hitting none.

MOOM went into the half up 47-36. There was a funny moment in the first half when Macdonald forgot who was in and tossed the ball out to OTTOMATIC. BACK TO THE ACTION!

Things would get tighter in the second half with Cavano coming alive for Danner 18. Young Christopher did a great job attacking the cup this half, scoring 19 second half points. Cavano tends to get stronger as games go on and teams wear down. This appeared to be another case of that. Everyone else chipped with a few buckets as well.

With Cavano charging, his Wednesday teammate provided the answers. Macdonald scored 10 second half points, but shot an ugly 0-5 from deep. He ended up one assist shy of a triple double. It wasn’t his most efficient scoring game though. Civale, continued his good play, scoring 12 more points and picking up another block.

Unfortunately, Danner 18 just couldn’t cut into the lead enough to make this game feel uncomfortable for MOOM. They really struggled from 3. 77-70 Final MOOM.

Grades:

Macdonald B: Stuffed the sheet, played good D, but inefficient shooting.
Civale A+: Drink it in, this might be the greatest Civale defensive performance we’ll never see again.
James B: Great first half, but struggled in the second half shooting it. Did get a double-double though.
Lucas B+: Very nice showing and he had a monster block,
OTTOMATIC A: I loved what I saw in his return,

DANNER 18:

Casey C+: A cool 3 for 17 from 3 and he missed FTs. Yuck.
Cavano B+: Continues to suck from 3, but he played well.
Calderan A-: Really filled it up, but his shot from 3 has been off.
Marcellus C-: Tough first game, needs to convert on his open shots.

A 5v5 THU Week 1 Write-Ups

by Jason on May. 07, 2023

BY DEVIN QUINLIN

Game 1 | Bing Bong: 68 - Cobras: 60

Bing Bong Impress in A League Debut

Bing Bong came into the season as the only team I knew nothing about. Since I procrastinated my preseason research, I decided to just let them play and see what they had, and they came out ready to go against A League regular Cobras. The game was tied 30-30 at the half, with both teams making some shots but neither separating themselves. As the second half wore on, Bing Bong really started to establish themselves down low, finishing the game with 38 rebounds to the Cobras’ 26, and 18 twos to the Cobras’ 12. Solid debut from Bing Bong, who will be a competitive addition to the A League.

Gavin Keough led the scoring with 19 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists. He converted four of his six three-point attempts, showing off a fluid game and establishing himself as a strong catch-and-shoot guy. Tyler Lennon added 13 points, hitting three of his six attempts from deep and adding 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal. He’s got that slow, shifty game where he doesn’t get sped up and showed off a few impressive moves in the pick and roll up top. Sam Goy was impressive on the attack, going hard downhill in transition and off the catch for some explosive finishes, including a nice dunk on the baseline and a crazy missed poster. He finished with 10 points, 1 rebound, and 1 steal. Aaron Jaynes was extremely active on both ends, finishing with 8 points, 11 boards, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. His high motor down the stretch was a key factor in Bing Bong pulling away for the win. Griffin Perry was another guy who’s active effort played a role in the win, as he only scored 2 points, but added 6 rebounds and a game-high 5 assists, including some excellent extra passes for threes for Lennon or Keough. Mike Boaheng was bringing the energy all game, hitting a three to finish with 5 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 block, while Steve Azums was strong inside with 4 points, and 4 rebounds. Andrew Frazer hit a pull-up middy and a nice bucket in transition to finish with 4 points and 3 rebounds, and Dante Duncan was steady at the point with 4 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal. The only issue with these guys is that they have too many players, as 6-7 players seems to be the sweet spot for most teams to both preserve energy and help each other get a rhythm. Still, I think all of these guys can play well at this level and I expect them to be competitive in every game.

Cobras showed some strong flashes, and continue to play solid defense, but just couldn’t finish it out. Will Rowe continues to show out in this league, finishing with 21 points and 4 rebounds. He shot only one of six from the free-throw line, but hit all four of his three-point attempts and operated well down low as usual. He will be their key player come playoff time. Warfa Abdillahi finished with 15 points on three of seven shooting from downtown, plus 6 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal, running the point well and knocking down shots as usual. DeAngelo Alston hit two threes of his own to finish with 8 points and 3 rebounds, and I liked his defensive energy as well. Ray Miller added 7 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 steal, but he showed some impressive poise with the ball in his hands. After a lot of complaining to the refs about contact, I expect him to adjust his game and make a big impact going forward. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up as their best player by the end of the season. Jamal Fiin added 4 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists, but couldn’t find the range, going zero for five from three. I expect him to turn it back around quickly, though, as his offensive attack has been much improved recently. Carter Burruss added 4 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks, and I’d love to see him shoot and/or attack more, as he’s just an insane athlete and an underrated passer. Kevin Querusio added 1 points, 3 boards, 1 assist, and 1 steal in the loss.

Game 2 | We The Ones: 64 - Suffolk: 77

Suffolk Bring Balanced Attack to Overcome We The Ones

The Suffolk squad got off to a strong start, taking a commanding lead early into the second half and pushing the ball out in transition. We The Ones would not go away, though, as they found some offensive chemistry and started hitting threes to get the game to single digits in the second half. Eventually, though, Suffolk turned it on offensively and pulled away, winning by a final score of 77-64. 

George Grillakis made his return to Thursday A League, missing last session with an injury. Looks like he fully recovered, as he was just as explosive and strong in the open court. This guy has never once gone left in his entire life, but it doesn't matter, as he finished with 26 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and a game-high 6 steals. Great physicality from Grillakis in his return. Bolden Brace added 13 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks, a pretty good statline considering he was going about half speed. He did shoot one of six from three, but even with his shot off he was still highly impactful, leading his team in assists and blocks. Sam Holtze added a near double-double with 10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, and a game-high 8 assists, taking a back seat with his shooting but facilitating as well as anyone during week 1. This trio will be at the top of the league this season, pushing for a championship. Logan O’Donnell added 10 points, 7 boards, 1 assist, and 1 block, finishing well inside and patrolling the paint on defense, while Mike McEneney couldn’t miss from the mid-range to finish with 9 points and 5 rebounds. With these two inside, Brace’s length on the perimeter, and Holtze’s quickness and strength against lead guards, this is a formidable defensive group. Kerry Weldon only enhances every part of their team, as he’s a strong finisher inside, moves the ball well, and can guard multiple positions as well. I definitely see these guys as a top team, I’m curious to see how they match up against other top competitors.

We The Ones have clearly upgraded from last season, with better ball movement, disruptive defense, and smarter overall play. Brother Karim and Marat Belhouchet had a huge impact in their A League debut, putting up similar statlines. Karim led the way with 18 points, 3 rebounds, 4 steals, and 4 assists, showing off a quick release jumper (six for eleven from three), some smooth handles, and good chemistry with his brother. Marat led the team in assists, finishing with 15 points, 3 rebonds, 4 steals, and 5 assists, hitting three threes, some nice pullups, and distributing the ball really well. Jordan Carter hit three threes of his own to finish with 10 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, and 3 steals, rounding out some really strong guard play from We The Ones, a big improvement from previous seasons. Garrett Stanowicz continues to score the ball well, adding 13 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists, hitting jumpers in the mid-range and finishing well at the rim. His brother, Aidan Stanowicz, added 4 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 steals, while Keith Baranowski hit a big three down the stretch to finish with 3 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals, putting in a well-rounded effort on both ends.

Game 3 | West Coast Elite: 102 - DRBL: 90

West Coast Elite Outlast DRBL in Fast-Paced Shootout

In a matchup of two of the top teams in the division, this game was competitive until the very end (though WCE pulled away at the end with free-throws and open threes on DRBL defensive gambles). A high-scoring affair, both teams were pushing the ball, getting out in transition, and putting up plenty of threes. West Coast Elite eventually secured a 102-90 victory, shooting an absurd twenty of fourty from three and combining for twenty total assists as a team.

Derek Retos picked up right where he left off last season, shooting ten of seventeen from three to finish with 30 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. He started the game seven for eight from three before forcing Mike Thompson to switch on to him. Thompson did a nice job with his size and athleticism advantage, but Retos was patient and hit two huge threes late in the second half to help WCE pull away. Perhaps the best shooter I've ever seen. Jack Fay played a very solid game with three threes of his own to finish with 13 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, and 1 steal, jumping right back into the league lead in assists and generally playing his solid game. Tom Palleschi added 8 points, 11 boards, 5 assists, and 2 blocks, dominating inside defensively. I expect him to hit more jumpers going forward as well, but his passing out of the post remains elite. Shooters Shoot have switched to the Monday division, but Andrew Jaworski and Stephen Tam both filled in today for WCE. Jaworski finished with 30 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals, knocking down all five of his free-throws and three of his seven three-point attempts. The guy just scores on anyone and the threat of his jumper opens up his game to attack for floaters and kick-outs. Stephen Tam shot four of seven from deep to finish with 19 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 steals, and 1 block consistently making smart plays, disrupting DRBL’s offensive rhythm, and knocking down some key buckets in the second half. Hard to judge WCE given the heavy contributions from two guys not even on their roster (though they may be added?), but they are consistently a top A League team and they came out ready for the challenge against DRBL.

DRBL returned with largely the same roster, but new addition Luka Vlajkovic made a big impact in his first game. He finished with 24 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals, bringing great energy, solid size, and excellent skills. He was crashing offensive boards for easy putbacks one play, and hitting walk-up threes the next time down the court, going three for seven from out there. Definitely an excellent addition to an already talented group. Anthony Colozzo came out firing in this one, running the point effectively to the tune of 22 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, and 4 steals. His chemistry with Vlajkovic and Brodnitzki in the pick and roll is a key part of their offense, but his ability to create threes off the dribble for himself stood out in this one. Will he shoot six of eight every game and add two tough pull-ups in the mid-range? Maybe not, but he’s a big-time shot maker who I expect to be toward the top of the league in assists and threes made, and he’ll be a huge part of their offensive success. Mike Thompson added 15 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 big block in the loss, shooting only two of eleven from three and three of seven from the free-throw line. Even on the off-shooting night, Thompson is an exciting playmaker who is relentless on the attack and a strong defender. I would love to see his guys set him up for more catch-and-shoot threes, as he’s fully capable of making his tough stepbacks off the dribble, but could benefit from easier looks in rhythm. Jonah St. Clair added 13 points, 9 boards, 1 assist, and 2 steals, finishing well inside and playing excellent on ball defense on Jaworski in iso situations, while Will Brodnitzki added 13 of his own, plus 8 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block, finishing well inside and grabbing 5 offensive rebounds. Salim Belkebir struggled to find the range in this one, but looks to be another shooting threat, adding 5 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, and 1 steal, and he will be a nice floor space for them this season. Despite the loss, DRBL remains one of my favorites to win it all.

Game 4 | Spida Men: 76 - Not A Dime Back: 82

Not A Dime Back Hold Off Late Spida Men Comeback

Not A Dime Back went into the half down 42-45 against the Spida Men, but quickly pulled away in the second half on a three-point barrage. In the last few minutes, though, the game got away from them and they couldn’t convert their open looks and gave up too many careless turnovers. The Spida Men took full advantage, tying the game at 75, and a missed one-and-one ended regulation with the score tied. Chris Connor hit a massive three in OT, and the game was all but over from there, as NADB won by a final of 82-76.

Chris Connor hit the big shot, but he was big all game, finishing as one of three 30 point scorers on the night, adding 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal in the win. Connor shot five of nine from three while adding a few nice post moves and mid-range buckets, using his height to rise above defenders and pour it on. His 4 assists are a great sign as well, as he will draw doubles down low all season. Jon Luster must have read my preseason write-ups (does anyone read these?), in which I told him to be more selfish. Luster was definitely hunting his shot more, and despite a tough start in the first half, he quickly found the range to finish with 20 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 steal. His 6 assists was a game-high, and he is the cog that makes this team run so well. Jeff Coulter added 14 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block. Always active on both ends, Coulter is a great finisher off of cuts, and serves as one of their best defenders, who can handle bigs but quickly switch onto guards and wings as well. Chris Cusano added 13 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and a week-high 4 blocks. He’s a reliable mid-range shooter, so it was nice to see him look for it a bit more in this one. He’s also gotta be one of the best shot-blocking guards I’ve ever seen, as he frequently denies guards attacking the rim, and he blocked a few jumpers in this one as well. Mike Synott added 5 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists, moving the ball well and looking for his shot a bit more, which will be key to NADB’s offense as Luster and Connor get more attention. NADB is always difficult to gauge because they’re such an excellent team, but their lack of size is always a question. Even without Giese and Kontopidis, it didn’t hurt them in this one, but it could present problems come playoff time. Still, one of the best teams in the division, and I’m excited to see how they rise to the occasion.

The Spida Men were a bit sloppy at times, but I saw a lot of good stuff here. Last session, I don’t think they would have made the late game push that they did, but they locked in defensively and converted some tough buckets late. Billy Battaglia went five for seven from three to finish with 19 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal, showing off a versatile offensive skill set, but doing most of his damage, as usual, from beyond the arc. He’s key to balancing out their offensive attack, as they love to dump the ball inside. The main reason is Danny Martin Jr., who finished with 15 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. Love Dan’s game, as he busts his ass on every possession and always plays to win. He also converted seven of his ten free-throws, despite missing a few early on. Tim Gallivan added 11 points, 17 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block, though he uncharacteristically missed four free-throws. Still, strong defensive game from Gallivan, who should be getting up more than two threes a game, especially since this team needs the spacing. Eric Fleming finished with 10 points, 1 rebound, and 3 assists, knocking down middy after middy and generally playing solid all game, while Jamal Brown added 9 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals, knocking down a three as well. Both guys should look for their shots more, especially Jamal, whose strength makes him brutal on the attack. Lucio Dahlstedt-Brown hit a three to finish with 5 points and 1 rebound in his A League debut, while Cedric White added 2 points and 5 boards.

SDL Week 1 Write-Ups

by Jason on May. 07, 2023

WEEK 1 SDL WRITE-UPS

Stull Here vs NAIR

BY JAMIL

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

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

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

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

DANIELS vs Platano Power

By JAMIL

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

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

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

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

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

COSTA vs DANIELS

And we are back…

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

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

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

First half stats:

Team Daniels

Andre Jones 1 stl, 3 drebs, 1 ast

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

Andrew Marra  1 dreb, 1 ast

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

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

Joseph Breda 5 pts, 1 dreb, 1 ast

Team Costa

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

Charlie Maneval 9 pts, 1 blk, 7 dreb

Cameron Daniel 3 pts, 1 blk, 1 dreb

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

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

Dan Waldman 2 pts

Player of the half:

Jamil Ball

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

Player Grades:

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

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

Player of the game:

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

Franchise Draft League Week 1 Write-Ups

by Jason on May. 05, 2023

BY KAPVP & CHAS BELLS

Game 1: Super VS STAT

BY CHAS BELLS

There was some real excitement and curiosity what D.Quin would bring to this game, and he got cooking right away with a flash like drive to the cup 2-0. Kap coming out swinging as well as he $ floater 2-2. Kap followed that up with a 3, and D.Quin responded with and up n under 5-4. Eric get an easy 2 of cut, then Kap another 3 Kap was gassed “ I need a sub!!” 10-4 16 min mark. D.Quiin was the teams only offense as he drove in for the hoop, and then did it again 10-8. Rosi calmed things with a trey ball, Mulville copied that with a 3 of his own 16-8. King would get on the stat sheet as he got a 3 to go, and then $ another 3 on the next possession 16-14. This was Kpas half though as he had the long range working , hitting another 3, but Civale snipers a 3 19-17. Rosi hesi gets to the rim, then connects on middy, Oulley 3 ball, Rosi 3 ball A’O……Frongi drive it was 31-20.King trying to keep them in it with strong take, but Oully breaking there heart with a 4pt play 35-24 2min in the half. Jakobson middy, but King heating up gets another drive 40-28. Jakonson runner. Than Rosi hits long buzzer beating 3, everything going Supers way 45-26. 

D.Quin pull up 3 to start half, but Mulville gets easy 2 off p n roll, D. Quin get a drive, but this game just got worse, and worse, and WORSE the score would ballon all the way to 40………..40………….. Rosi hitting 3’s dishing dimes, Oulley nailing 3’s, Frongi bi 2nd half and this one was over and ugly 98-52. 

Super Hoopers

Rosi-A- Lead all scoreres, never took his foot off the gas. 

Oulley-A- Reunited with his squad, and it must feel so fucking good. Looking like the assasin we all know. 

Kap-B+- Slowed down the scoring in the 2nd hlaf, but 8 dimes , 8 rebounds doing all the solid kap stuff out there. 

Frongi-A-) Erupted in the 2nd half, as he smelled blood, and started running the floor getting easy hoops. 

Mulv-A-Scoring was good, but his defense was even better 3 blocks, showing that he will be the paint presence that this team needs

Jakobson-B- Rock solid, hustle was awesome to watch, along with that pretty mid range. 

Team STAT 

Stat-D-) Almost an F but his 5 dimes save his night slightly. He just looked out of it tonight, made no adjustments, it was rough. 

D.Quin-B-) Scored the rock well in the 1st half, but with Super pouring it on the game got away from him a little bit. This team needs the bal in his hands every possession. 

Civale-C-) Where are my rebounds???/Struggled to get back on D. 3 looked good though. 

Robel-D- Rough night, thought he settled way wayyyyyyyyy to much for deep 3’s. Struggled to get back on D. 

Gus-C- Showed some flashes, thought he shot too many 3’s. Like to see him drive and create a bit more for his teammates. 

Bonvie-B- Thought he as a bright spot. Passed/rebounded well, even added a block. They will need more 3’s from him. Got to create and find him open because he will drain that shit. 

Game 2: Mulholland Drive vs. All Length, No Girth

ReKAP:

Game 2 featured Chas versus Joel and this game lost a lot of its luster with no Lucio in the building. All Length, No Girth (ALNG) ran with four for the evening as they were without Hayden as well. Mulholland Drive (MD) on the other hand was fully staffed, but boy did they look AWFUL out of the gates. JDM looked rusty, coming off injury, as he struggled all night to find the range. The rough start allowed ALNG to get off to a nice 8-2 start, behind a Joel three (his only make of the game) and some terrific facilitating by rookie John Reilly. The real story in the early going though was the activity of Djordje. He really abused JMul in this one, collecting 8 offensive rebounds which directly resulted in JMul only collecting 3 for the game (how is that possible?!). Djordje was a beast in the first half, grabbing EVERY rebound on both ends and making several tough finishes around the basket, which we all know he usually misses. Chas would call a timeout though and rally the troops. MD started to get the shots to fall and close the gap. LeBlanc would knock down a 3 to stop the hemorrhaging and JDM would get a couple to go down. What was once an 18-8 lead for ALNG eventually turned into just a 1-point lead at half for ALNG.

The second half opened with a beautiful and smooth move for a layup by another rookie, Demetri Bakolas. More on him later. After that though, MD really flipped the switch. Craig started to get going (never thought I’d say that), banking a 3 and making a tough layup inside. Houston, we did not have a problem, inexplicably called his own number converting a wild three. Just like that MD had a 6-point lead and it just felt like ALNG was running out of steam. The Jerk Store connection of JMul and LeBlanc would lead to a 3 for each of them, kapping off a 13-2 MD run. They would never look back. The offense went cold for ALNG and despite a very valiant effort without their prized rookie, ALNG would come up short in what was really an ugly ass game by both teams. MD wins 54-46.

Grades:

JDM (C) – Cutting him a little slack coming off injury here, but he did not play well. Did a nice job on the glass and on defense but we can put this one in the rearview for JDM.
LeBlanc (B-): Not a great game for LeBlanc, but he made some clutch plays when it mattered most. Surprisingly poor shooting, but it’s week 1 so everyone gets a little reprieve from me, even LeScrub.
JMul (C-): The blocks were nice, but this was not a good JMul game. Yes, he hit a clutch 3, but he allowed Djordje to go bonkers on the glass. Three rebounds?! Bruh.
Houston (B-): I think this guy has potential to be a nice piece for MD, but his decision making is poor. Tunnel vision city. He ended up with a nice line but this grade could have been way wore if some of those tough shots didn’t fall. That said, buckets are buckets!
Craig (A-): See Houston. Decision making was poor but it worked out. Overall I would say this was a very good Craig game. His team needed all 12 of his points. If Craig is going 2/4 from deep you are taking that every single time.
Chas (D): Bad game from Chas. No need to dissect this one, just chalk it up as the week 1 blues.

Joel (B): Shot was off, but I thought this was an overall solid game for Joel. He got his rookies involved, rebounded well, and had 3 swats. He will see better days offensively.
Demetri (B+): I liked what I saw from this kid. He has a smoothness to his game. He made some moves the basket that really impressed me, which is tough to do. I would like to see him contribute in other ways but it’s just one game so we will see.
Reilly (B+): Another rookie who impressed. This guy won’t get you a lot of points, but he’s a terrific passer and very active defender. He should be a solid piece for this team.
Djordje (A): This would have been an A+ if we saw less long two-point attempts. Wow, what a game from Djordje. I felt like he got every single rebound no matter where the ball was ending up. This guy covered so much ground it’s crazy. What a game, too bad it came in a loss.

Game 3: Poor House vs. The Corporation

ReKAP

Game 3 was expected to be a laugher, and the situation got worse when we found out Ini was not going to play. As a result, we had a fully staffed defending champ Corp versus a seriously undermanned Keith team. No Super Bowl hangover for the Corp here. They went bananas right from the tip, jumping out to an 18-4 lead. I think this game started 13-0 Corp? It was ugly. Mazz hit his first 3, Cawley with a middy, Syd and Lou manning the paint…everything was working for Corp. Timeout Poor House (PH). PH played hard, but the first half was tough sledding for them. Masone and Johnson could not find the range from deep (combined 5/23 in the game) going 0fer from deep in the first half. Keith provided a mixed bag, doing a nice job on the glass and in the hustle department, but his outside shot was just completely lost. Offense was very tough to come by for PH which resulted in a 40-20 deficit. The second half really seemed like a formality for the Corp, but not for PH. They played HARD. Johnson finally found the stroke, hitting back-to-back bombs to make this thing respectable. With 13 minutes left the lead for Corp was only 12. It was clear that the Corp took their foot off the gas, which is to be expected in a game like this, but they were able to maintain a decent lead by making enough plays. Big Lou in particular, who apparently does not take compliments well, did a nice job owning the paint and collecting a number of tough rebounds. Walker as well deserves a shout out for making a number of tough buckets off of Mazz missed threes. It was an off-shooting night for Mazz, but he did have 2 blocks which was a rare sight.

The Corp would build the lead back to 18 with 6 mins to go, but amazingly PH did not go away. Things got EXTREMELY sloppy with Mazz and Cawley turning the ball over at a impressive rate. The TOs allowed PH to chip away and actually make this thing kind of interesting. The chaos really favored them. Keith was a menace down the stretch, completely stuffing the stat sheet, but the deficit was too much. The Corp would survive winning by 3 after a wild ending.

Grades:

Masone (C+): Very mixed bag here. Three ball was way off, no assists, but had 5 steals and had to cover Mazz all game. He did have some impressive steals off Mazz but his team really needed his long ball in this one.
Keith (A-): Such a tough grade here because there was a ton of good and bad. Ultimately, given the circumstances, I will give Keith the benefit of the doubt. A triple double is a triple double, but he has to clean up the TOs and the jump shot.
Ghost (B): Ghost didn’t make the reKap above, but he had a solid game. Made a bunch of jump shots and was admirable on the glass when Keith wasn’t grabbing the rebound. Ghost should be a solid piece for this team especially when Ini returns.
Johnson (B-): The tale of two halves. Couldn’t hit the ocean in the first, but in the second he almost sparked the comeback of the century. Johnson also moved the ball well and stuffed the stat sheet nicely.
Stull (C-): Tough game for Stull. I thought he forced some ill-advised deep threes but other than that he was fine. Stull will need to make some key shots this season for PH to be successful.

Mazz (C): Expectations are high for Mazz on any given night so you could argue this C is generous. I think this was a poor Mazz game. Not great from 3 and too many TOs. The steals and blocks were there though which was a nice touch.
Cawley (C+): Not a great game for Cawley. An absolutely putrid assist-turnover ratio but made up for it with 18 points and steals and blocks. Also didn’t get to the line which was surprising.
Syd (B): Syd’s grade goes way up because he actually behaved really well in terms of not getting ejected haha. As for his on the court play, nothing special. Missed all his threes, but did a nice job on the glass. One game in the books and no techs…win!
Walker (A-): Perfect Walker game for this team. He fit in really nicely and did his thing. Grabbed a bunch of ORebs and made some putbacks. He is going to be a critical piece for the Corp this season.
Big Lou (A): Very strong game for Lou. I don’t care that you only scored 9 points big fella! There is more to the game than points and you proved that. 16 rebounds, 4 dimes, 0 TOs. Well done.
EJ (A): EJ joins Djordje in the prestigious “A” club. Excellent all-around game for EJ off the bench. He was 3/5 from deep and played his role perfectly out there. If EJ is going 3/5 from deep the Corp is winning that game.

Game 4: Kawhi Me A River vs. FTR

ReKAP:

The late game had the looks of a really good one…until we found out no Harding. Kawhi Me A River (KMAR) took on FTR and without Harding I knew this would be a tough one for FTR to win. KMAR was fully staffed, so let’s get right to it.

Offenses were cooking in the first half for both teams, but it was KMAR who really impressed me. I have a feeling my preseason assessment was a little off with this team. The Ben-Ben combo looked really good and old man Tommy looked like young buck. Shocking I know. Tommy opened the show right away with an early three and he looked ready to cook. Koller and Ben Mac came out cooking as well. I think Koller missed one single shot in the first half, absolutely roasting Harry to the fine tune of 18 points. The other Ben, Ben Mac, was also playing lights out, running point extremely well and converting several tough finishes at the rim.

FTR played horrid defense, but their offense sort of kept the in the game. DP looked really solid in his return, knocking down an early 3 and going to work around the rim. Kid looked SPRY tonight. Liam and Vladi also were hot from deep, but they still trailed by 10 at the break. FTR surrendered 48 first half points. 48! C’mon.

KMAR maintained their lead for pretty much the entire second half. Koller would really slow down the scoring, only tallying 4 second half points, but his friends were there to pick up the slack. KMAR’s bench really came to play in the second half. LaPorte and JJ were awesome. Their activity and decision making in this game was impressive to be honest. These two had a combined stat line of 21 points, 13 rebounds (6 offensive) and 5 dimes. That’s a damn good showing from your bench guys.

Credit to Vladi and company for hanging around for most of the game without any subs. Vladi made some really tough threes in the second half but FTR ran out of steam. KMAR would end up pulling away and wining this one easily, 86-68.

Grades:

KMAR

Koller (A) – Kinda disappeared in the second half, but the entire body of work speaks for itself. Huge game from the MVP candidate. 22 points and 18 rebounds? Not bad. Also 2/3 from deep. Love that.

Ben Mac (A) – Excellent game for Ben Mac. Ran the show beautifully and made a ton of winning plays. Missed all of his threes, but he was good everywhere I am not docking his grade. MVP cancdidtae? Fuck no.

Cavano (C+) – Awful night from 3 for Cavano, but he saved his grade by doing other stuff. Did his typical thing on the glass and payed solid D. Should have better days offensively.

Tommy (B+) – He’s back! And he looked good. Tommy’s shot was falling and despite a horrible assist-turnover ratio this was an excellent debut from the veteran.

LaPorte (A) – Really can’t ask for much more from your bench guys. 9 points on 2/3 from deep with other stats. LaPorte looked very comfortable in his role on this team and should be a legit asset for them all season.

JJ (A) – See LaPorte. Same shit, different bench guy! Really nice game for JJ. Played his role perfectly and did all the little things.

FTR

Vladi (A) – Very good game from Vladi. Made 7/15 threes on his way to a game high 27 points. His defense was kinda sus but he still balled out despite being an overall scrub in life.

Liam (A-) – Solid game for Liam. Shot well from deep (3/7) and contributed 4 dimes. Would have loved to have seen those threes in the playoffs last season!

DP (A) – Nice return to action for DP. 26 points and 13 rebounds. Knocked down a couple treys and should have had a third. Defense may have been bad, I forget…but as I am writing this and giving everyone on this team an “A” despite giving up 86 points I am thinking something ain’t right.

Harry (C) – Pretty much a typical Harry game. A couple buckets, some rebounds, getting cooked by Koller…you know, the usual. Figure out the defense buddy!

CORPORATE 5v5 WEEK 1 WRITE-UPS

by Jason on May. 05, 2023

BY WADA KING

Game 1:  Fast pp(45) vs Big Ballers(48)

Well this was a great way to start the spring corporate league of 2023, an good game that came down to the wire. Fast pp started off on a hot start in the first half, playing good defense and being aggressive on the offensive end of the ball to help them have 33-22 point lead in the first half. On the other hand Big Baller had pat who was a big reason why they are only down by 11 points in the first half. He led both teams in points with 14 points in the first half. In the second half the game got a little more competetive, Big ballers got more contribution from guys like Mertcon and Gio. The game came down to the wire and they Gio, after stepping up big in the second half, hit one of the craziest game winning threes to give them a 48-45 win over Fast pp.

Game 2: Saus(83) vs The Jack Daniels Martins(49)

As the score shows this game was not close at all, Saus was just the better team this night. The game was a team effort on both sides of the ball and most of the players contributed to the game in different ways. In the first half they were already up by 21 points with a 43-22 led. By the end of the game 5 of their guys had double digit points showing how balanced their scoring was. A standout player was Toth, who not only tied for the game high in points with 17 points but he also had 6 steals and 7 assist. Overall the team played very well in this dominant win, shooting 50% from the three and distributing the ball very well. Giving them a 34 point victory.

Game 3: The market Baskets(47) vs We Know dis(37)

The third game of the night and it was a good game, it was not a one sided onslaught like the game before this one. It was a tough shooting night for both teams, especially at the three point line. But both teams was playing good defense, almost everybody that stepped on the court had a steal. But the market Baskets started doing a little more on the defensive and offensive end to pull away with the 10 point lead.

Game 4: Hakream OLajuwan(59) Vs Vericel(46)

Pretty competitive game in the first half, both teams have good chemistry offensively and defensively. Not a great shooting night from either team from the three point with Hakream shooting 38% and Vericel shooting 28%. The biggest difference was Hakream played good defense to slow down Vericel.  Leading the charge for them was Talcott who had 9 steals and a block leading to many of their fast breaks. Another big contributor for their victory was Devin who led the team in points and was a good play maker with 4 assist. Helping get a 59-46 victory.

B1 5v5 TUE Week 1 Write-Ups

by Jason on May. 04, 2023

BY LAMARR BENNETT

Game 1: Terminator 2 (78) - Mens League (38)

Welcome back team! This year's B1 5x5 league looks to be a good one. We started off week 1 off with Terminator 2 absolutely destroying there opponents, The Men's League. Terminator 2 got off to a very fast start, starting the game on a 14 - 2 run, led by leading scorer (21 pts) Julian Manyika. Granted, Men's League started off the game with only 4 players, but that didn't stop T2 from keeping there foot on the gas. The first half was a transition game for T2, as soon as the team got the rebound they were off and running. Guards Thomas Bissell and Samuel Jenson were the engine for T2. Both men were pushing the pace and finding open teammates at ease. By the 12:00 minute mark the score was 7-19 T2 up. Another 11-2 run by T2 put them up 9 - 31 with just under 7 minutes left in the half. But Will Childs-Klein was doing everything in his power to keep the Men's League in striking distance. Childs-Klein had 7 of his team's first 9 points, along with the majority of the rebounds. But that was about it for the Men's League in the first half. Missing all 9 of the 3 pointers the team took in the first half. On the other hand T2 knocked down 7 first half threes, led by Manyika. Now it was Brendt Stephens time to get into the action. After the 7:00 minute mark in the first half, Stephens went off for 7 straight points for T2, grabbing rebounds and playing really solid defense during the stretch. With such a great team effort T2 went into halftime with a nice 38-21 lead. The men's league was outscored from the 3 pointers 7 to 0 which was a big indication of how the game was going. 

 Second half started off the same as the first half basically. T2 continued pushing the pace, crashing the boards and firing away from the 3 point line. Mens League did start the half better, with Tom Smith getting it going down in the paint and making his presence felt. He made a nice pull up jumper and a few quick lay ups to start the half, giving Mens league some hope. But Manyika and T2 had to shut that down quickly. Another three by Manyika and a couple quick hustle points by Carl Bunge brought the score to 54 - 32 T2 up with 13:00 to go in the half. From that point on, Mens League could only muster up 6 total points for the remainder of the game, which says a lot about the defense T2 was playing. T2 outscored Mens league 40 to 18 in the second half, led by great scoring from Manyika and a great team effort by the rest of the team. T2 outscored mens league from the 3-point line 16 to 1.

Player of the game: Julian Manyika (21 pts, 5 rbs, 3 ast)

 

GAME 2: Treys 4 Days (62) vs Mid Range Magic (52)

Ok time for the game of the night! Trey 4 days and Mid Range Magic battled it out in a great game where T4Ds ended up getting the win 62 to 52. MRM got off to a hot start with 2 3s to start the game from guard James Smith. A quick 7-0 start was quickly erased by T4D, big man Kevin “Larry” Lefrancis made sure his presence was felt early in the game. Coring 4 quick paint points and grabbing 3 straight offensive rebounds. At that point I think MRM knew they might have their hands full in the paint. But they definitely were not intimidated. Big men Clifford Bouchereau E. Maynard started to really protect the paint and not give up anything easy. A quick transition 3  Dana flood brought the lead to 17 - 14 for T4D with 15:00 to go in the half. This is where T4D made there first little run of the game. Big man Lafrancis continued to dominate the paint and the glass, but got some nice help from fellow big man Wes Schroll who was huge on the glass. The two combined for 16 first half rebounds. As it looked like T4D was about to take control of the game, the Zahner brothers finally got going. Zack, who is more of a point guard of the two, found his Cam brother twice. Once for an open three and the other a nice mid range pull up. This seems to get Cam going as he knocked down another 3 pointer from the wing which brought the game to 30-32. Layups from Lafrancis and forward Luke Davidosn gave T4D a 8 point lead, but a 3 from Zack Zahner cut the lead to 5 and the score was 38 - 33 halftime with T4D up. Lafrancis had 11 rebounds in the first half alone. James Smith led mid range magic with ten first half points.

Second half continued on the same as the first half with both teams trading baskets, going back and forth with nobody taking a sizable lead. Mid range really started to make things difficult in the paint with Bouchereau taking on the challenge of big man Lafrancis. He really held his own on both ends, forcing tough shots and making some key baskets. But thats when an unexpected player started to take over the game and that was S. Issenberg. This man was an absolute beast on the offensive boards and in the paint in the second half. Yes he did miss a lot of free throws, but racking up fouls left and right, taking rebounds against all the big. His energy was infectious for his team. Davidson and Flood were also all over the place, deflecting pases left and right, rebounding and just  making the smart winning plays. With 15:00 minutes to go T4D was leading 49 - 42 but knew the game wasn't close to being over. MRM just kept at it slowly but surely keeping the game close with timely 3s and great ball movement led by Zahner (game high 5 assist). Forward Cam Kelly was also huge during the stretch hitting two nice layups and an impressive and-one.  A 3 pointer by James Smith cut the lead to 2 with 5:00 to go causing a time out from T4D. With the score close with T4D leading 52-54, guard Devin Santilli might have made the play of the game, coming up with a huge steal and knocking down a big 3 to give T4D a 5 point lead with 1:30 seconds to go. Then comes up with another steal on the next possession that really helped seal the game. Lafrancis finished off the game with two more layups and T4D ended up winning by ten with a score of 62-52 but the game was probably a lot closer than the score shows.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Kevin “Larry” LeFrancis (15 pts, 17 rbs, 4 ast)

Game 3: FCHWPO (75) vs BIg Phil from the hill and team (50)

THe final game of the evening didn't turn out to be the most competitive game with FCHWPO coming out with a very dominant and impressive win Over Big Phil and the squad. FCHW got out to a blazing start, hitting 3 threes and 3 quick lay ups to start the game on a 15 - 2 run. Big man brothers Eric and Chris Sellew were dominant from the jump. Eric, the younger of the two, used his quick speed to get to the rim at ease and Chris with his smooth jumpshot couldn't seem to miss. A quick time out for the Big Phils squad was exactly what they needed to try to get going. Peter Noland and Henry Louis started to get going after the timeout going on a mini 7-0 run, but that didn't last too long because this is when the Man himself began one of the greatest shooting clinics ive ever seen in person. It all started with a smooth jab step three from the corner, which brought the lead to 26-11 FCHWPO. Two more threes from 3s from McCarthy and C. Sellew and we thought the game was over. Not if Big Phils squad had anything to do with it. C. Sellew at one point was outsourcing the other team 13-12 by himself. Quick 3s from Noland and Jonathan Fruend helped cut the lead down some. This is when big man Eric Sellew popped his shoulder out of pocket. Horrible news from a player who was having a great game. After taking a couple minutes the action started back up. The end of the half was a little off because of the injury, as both teams traded baskets until the half. Score of 25 - 42 with FCHWPO up. Eric did not end up continuing to play but the good news is his shoulder seems to be fine ( with the help of his opponent Henry Louis).

Second half continued as both teams decided to continue the game 4 on 4, great sportsmanship from Big Phils Squad who agreed but could have continued the game with 5. Second half was all about John McCarthy. Hitting three 3s in the first half, his man hit SEVEN more in the second half alone. He was absolutely unconscious, hitting step back threes, side steps, 5 feet behind the lie. He was having target practice out there. Even his own teammates seemed to be shocked at the performance. It was definitely something to remember. But Big Phil, led by guard Henry Louis definitely had a better second half than first. Getting to the basket and finding open teammates at ease. He had himself a great second half. Sean Conannon and Hernan Perdomo were also better in the second half  making this difficult on the defensive end. It was just a little too late because of the deficit in the first half and McCarthy watching basket for basket with the other team. The threes did start falling for big phil and hopefully it carries to next week because i think this team can do some real damage when the shots are falling. They shot 4 for 17 from three for the game and that's not gonna get the job done. The score ended up 75 - 50 with FCHWPO getting the big win. But let's hope this team can stay healthy if they can. I think they have a chance to win the whole thing.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Johnny McCarthy (38 pts, 8 rbs, 4 ast)

B2 5v5 TUE Week 1 Write-Ups

by Jason on May. 03, 2023

By WADA KING

WEEK 1

Game 1: Centre Realty Group(52) vs Plenty OF Lotion(64)

Week 1 of the B2 5v5 spring23 for Tuesday night started off great with a bang with this game. To tough teams that play great defense as well as score on all three levels. This was a tough back and forth game, but as the game came down the wire Plenty Of Lotion hit more shots and created more stops. But plenty of lotion did not win this without a fight, Centre had players like Ian who played great physical defense and was a monster on both the offensive and defensive rebound. Another notable player was ricky who as played good defense getting a couple and also attacking the basket. But unfortunately those two player were not enough for the balanced offense of plenty of lotion. With three guys in Jeff, Guy, and Yancy with double digit points and the whole team started playing off of each other and playmaking for each other. Down the stretch plenty of lotion played great enough to go up 1-0 for the season.
 

Game 2: Julius Swerving(63) vs Calypso North Stars(53)

Unlike game 1, game 2 was honestly a shootout. Both teams have good shooters and guys who are not afraid to shoot the ball. For Julius swerving they put up 29 threes and Calypso shot 26 threes respectively. But the biggest difference is that swerving shot a good 48% at 14/29 from the three and Calypso shot 35% for 9/26 as a team. Leading the charge for Swerving was Mazz who was looking like curry in the first half by hitting 5 threes in the first half opening up the floor for the rest of his teammates to also thrive. On the other side Calypso is a very good thing and they have players who play well on both sides of the court. They had three players in double digits with Tony, Ben and Trevor playing well off of each other. But unfortunately for them they ran into the hotter team. 
 

Game 3: Tough Buffers(39) vs Miyagi Fang(84)

There was nothing else to say but just this was just a blowout from start to end. The only time that Tough Buffers had the lead was the first minute of the game, after that it was all Miyagi Fang. By half time they was up by 22 points with the score of 40-18. 6 of their 7 guys had double digit points to at the end of the game. Everyone from Miyagi was in rhythm and had a great game, from Greg coming in and play making and accumulating 11 assists with some crazy passes. Then you have Djordje and Joe playing great defense with their blocks and steals as well as scoring. And then you have greg who was very impactful on the boards with joe and calvin to help their team create extra possessions or keep the defense to one shot. Overall Miyagi seemed too big and too much for tough buffers and it showed.

5v5 Draft Awards Watch

by Jason on May. 03, 2023

BY JAMIL BALL

5v5 Draft Awards Watch - Week 1

MVP 

1. Jacob Held
2. Marquis Victor
3. Tyrone Mullings
4. Rich DiSola

GM Of The Year

1. Nick Keramaris 
2. Jamil Ball
3. Alex Biskelonis

Defensive Player Of The Year

1. Eric Li
2. Dan Schwartz 
3. Evan Valcourt

Most Improved Player

1. Kevin Gillooly
2. Kola Olugbade
3. Nika Sulakvelidze

6th Man Of The Year 

1. Jamil Ball 
2. Steve Rakusin
3. Kunal Chawla

Rookie Of The Year

1. Jon Allen
2. Dennis Klavins
3. Brian Horan

5v5 Draft Week 1 Write-Ups

by Jason on May. 03, 2023

By JAMIL BALL

WEEK 1 (Preview)     

5/2/2023    6:30 PM    1 # The Cambridge Rats    VS.   4 # KERAMARIS MLK Jr School    

Marquis Victor is the only reason I ranked The Cambridge Rats number 1 in the Way Too Early Power Rankings. Biskelonis's team has a lot of size (Wise 6”5, Rakusin 6”2, and Schwartz 6”2) and shooting (Biskelonis, Horton, Connell, Schluns, and Victor). 

On the other hand, Team KERAMARIS has no shortage of firepower with Held, Mazz, Figuereo, and my personal favorite Eric Li. There are a lot of personalities on this team and I am very interested in seeing how they mesh.

Needless to say, I am going to give The Cambridge Rats the edge in this matchup, because they have straight-up dawgs on defense!  Marquis is absolutely going to feast offensively because there is not a single player on Team KERAMARIS that can guard him. I said, what I said! 

Wise, Schwartz, and Rakusin will dominate and control the paint. The Cambridge Rats over KERAMARIS + 6.

The Cambridge Rats - Project Starters

1. Alex B
2. Marquis Victor
3. Brian Horton 
4. Dan Schwartz 
5. Shawn Wise

KERAMARIS - Project Starters

1. Li 
2. Skates 
3. Mazz
4. Nick K 
5. Jacob Held

Week 1 - Write Up 1 # The Cambridge Rats    VS.   4 # KERAMARIS

By JAMIL BALL

I had The Cambridge Rats listed as the favorites in this matchup against Can’t Miss Keramaris, but Jacob Held (24 points, 17 rebounds, and 2 steals) was prepared to win this game himself. Jacob and company got off to a scorching start and led by as many as 10 very early on in the matchup. 

Eric Li (9 points and 6 assists) did a fantastic job defending Marquis Victor, distributing the ball, and finding teammates for easy baskets. The chemistry between Held and Keramris was the true bright spot for this squad. These two were absolutely dominant combing for 29 rebounds! 

It looked like Can’t Miss Keramaris was going to run away with this game until Jacob went down with a nasty-looking injury with a little under 7 minutes left in the second half. While finishing off the fast break, Jacob appeared to sprain his ankle pretty badly. I hope you’re ok big fellas!

Once Jacob went down, Mazz (17 points, 2 steals, and 4 assists) stepped up and filled the void offensively, but The Cambridge Rats started to mount a comeback over the phone. 

Marquis Victor struggled mightly in the first half but went nuclear when the game mattered the most. Finishing with 33 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 assists. His rebounding was just as impressive as his shooting. Eric Li did a fantastic job defensively, but the Cambridge Rats did an amazing job initiating the pick-roll offense.

Alex B (9 points and 8 rebounds) and Dan Schwartz (9 rebounds, 4 steals, and 10 rebounds) had monster games and played really well on both ends of the court. Dan's play defensively in the second half was a huge catalyst for The Cambridge Rats' comeback victory.

WEEK 1 (Preview)     

By Jamil Ball

5/2/2023    7:30 PM    6 # GILLOOLY    VS.    2 # All the Smoke MLK Jr School    

Despite original reports of a multi-week absence, Ron Cabeza will only miss one week before making his 5v5 Draft debut. Team GILLOOLY has no shortage of talent with reigning MVP Rich DiSola, Aidan Enright, and team captain Kevin Gillooly, but they are lacking a true/traditional post player with Aidan and DiSola being the tallest players on the team. 

Jonathan Allen’s play will be a huge factor in the outcome of the game. No pressure at all buddy! 

I am really excited about my team! The Tyrone Mullings and Kashawn Harrison combination is going to surprise quite a few folks. Ty was an MVP candidate last session and arguably the best guard in this league. Kashawn is an absolute lights-out shooter that will give DiSola some competition on both ends of the court. Brian Horan's profile is a pic of him throwing down a dunk with two hands, so hopefully, that translates into some on-court success. Dainis Klavins at the ripe age of 42 might be the biggest surprise, if my sources are correct. 

While the guards will dictate the pace of play, I expect Brad Myatt, Kola Olugbade, and Brian Horan to take advantage of the size advantages, as we (All the Smoke) move to 1 - 0 on the season.

All the Smoke Over GILLOOLY + 8 

GILLOOLY - Project Starters

1. Kevin G
2. Aidan E
3. Jonathan Allen
4. Rich DiSola
5. Chris Blakeley

All the Smoke - Projected Starters

1. Tyrone Mullings 
2. Jamil Ball
3. Kashawn Harrison
4. Brian Horan 
5. Kola Olugbade

WEEK 1 (Preview)     

By Jamil Ball

5/2/2023    8:30 PM   3 # Primetime 5.0    VS.    # 5 The Motha Effect

Motha draft strategy hit a glitch when Kevin drafted Ronnie at 7, but despite not knowing many of the players in the league he still managed to recover well. I think Jack Chen and Hamza are going to absolutely thrive playing alongside Motha and Guzzi. Nika when in attendance will be a solid contributor too! 

Primetime 5.0 will be by far one of the best defensive teams in the league. Led by Muccio, Valcourt, Danzig, Jenco and Miller my 6-place rating is looking pretty foolish at the moment. Stull, Corey, and Scotty Glynn give them three legitimate three-point threats coming off the bench, which is huge against bigger teams.

Admittedly, it’s hard to bet against Guzzi, Motha, and company but I think the defending champs pull off a close victory and prove my Way Too Early Rankings are absolutely garbage. 

Primetime 5.0  Over The Motha Effect +3.5

The Motha Effect - Projected Starters

1. Eric Li 
2. Jack Chen
3. Nate Guzzi
4. Hamza
5. Jeff Motha

Primetime 5.0 - Projected Starters

1. Jacob Miller
2. Muccio 
3. Chris Jenco 
4. Ben Danzig 
5. Evan Valcourt 

Week 1 - Write Up 3 # Primetime 5.0    VS.    # 5 The Motha Effect

By Jamil Ball

The defending champs Primetime 5.0 were the favorites in this matchup against The Motha Effect. This was a super physical matchup, so I imagine some folks are waking up today sore and bruised as bodies were literally flying (Jacob).

Getting to the gameplay, Primetime 5.0 jumped out to the early lead. Similar to the last session, their ball movement was impeccable and their scoring was distributed in a very balanced manner (Jacob (17), Danzig (16), Jenco (13), Muccio (11), and Valcourt (8) ) displaying their overall depth. 

The Motha Effect was slow out of the gate but got it really going in the second half. Nate Guzzi (24 points and 10 rebounds) )and Hamza Abdul (17 points and 6 rebounds) are going to be a fantastic duo as they get more comfortable playing with one another. Both are very long athletic guards that can really create transition.

Jeff Motha did a fantastic job grabbing boards (11) and facilitating the offense (4 assists) but struggled offensively with 6 points total.

Jacob Miller (17 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists) was huge down the stretch hitting back-to-back threes. To force OT! I don’t know who thought it was a good idea to piss him off, but they sure as hell lit a fire because was playing pretty passive up to that point. 

This game would go into overtime and come down to the final possession. Muccio won the game with an absolute circus shot that only Muccio would hit. Muccio was doubled-teamed and pivoted his way to a three-point heave from the left three-point wing as time expired to win by 1.

All the Smoke 73 – Victorious Secret 65

This was a back forth game from start to finish. Neither team was able to gain any separation for the first 40 minutes of play. Led by Rich’s 20-point first half, Victorious Secret would take a 3-point lead at the break. That lead would quickly be cut to 1 in the first 5 seconds of the second half with Victorious Secret defending the wrong basket. Rich kept his team close and finished the game with 36 points and 12 rebounds. Jonathan Allen would struggle to find his stroke starting the game 1-5 from 3 and finishing 2-7. Rich will score a ton of points each night but will need others to step and make baskets.

All the Smoke’s dynamic backcourt of Jamil and Tyrone led the way to an 8 point victory. Each of them would score in the 20’s and have 5 assists. After the first week, they look like the best back-court in the league. Kola would get into some foul trouble but his presence was felt while he was on the court, finishing with 10 rebounds in limited minutes.

Over-30 Legends Week 1 Write-Ups

by Jason on May. 02, 2023

By CHAS BELLS & CHRIS HANKS

Week 1 Game 1: CHAS vs RANDALL

By HANKS

Goyle Dojo begins title defense with strong showing 

The Spring ’23 session of kicked off Monday – bad backs, creaky knees and all, with Chas’ Hot Goyle Dojo looking to defend their second straight title against Joe Randall’s Drop Step Murphys. On draft night, the table was set for Chas to go for the threepeat. The rest of league, myself included, chose not to interfere with Chas’ very obvious draft plan and allowed him to take his guys, Weinstein and Kodra after he traded down. Chas’ was able to replace Bohnaker with Roberts, who is a perfect fit for this team, and still scoop up Jake Gold late. Randall also had a great draft, taking Danny O’Donnell at 5 and Civale at 12. Danny is one of the premier guards in the league and will fill some of the void caused by the departure of cousin Nicky Arria and some bad info on the draft board of a potential Civale injury allowed him to slip to 12. Joe was then also able to grab Ian Murphy at a ridiculous value at 21 to round out the starters. Chas and Randall is always a battle as both captians bring a lot of fire to their squads but Goyle had to be the favorite coming off the championship.

Coming out of the gate, Weinstein and Chas both cashed three balls and Chas had a steal to transition layup and Drop Steps were in an 8-0 hole. Weinstein would attempt 6 threes in this game and him adding that to his already deadly midrange game could be a potential boost for Goyle. Danny got a midrange to land but Weinstein would answer and Roberts would bully on the offensive glass for 2. Goyle was out to a 14-5 lead after 5. Randall’s team was moving the ball well, but couldn’t get their shots to land. Civale would get to the line and TC got a nice bucket but Jake Gold kept pace for Goyle and the lead was still 25-15. Civale hit a 3 and Murphy got a couple of buckets, including a big and-1 move to cut the lead to 5 with 1:30 left in the half, but some late buckets from Weinstein and Chas brought the lead back up to 12 heading into the half, Goyle 35, Murphys 23.

Danny and Chas would trade a series of baskets to open the 2nd half and Randall and Weinstein would exchange 3’s and Goyle continued to perform well, moving the ball around and getting easy looks. Randall’s team was having a difficult time rotating on defense and at times Goyle had wide open looks. Ian Marlier did a good job in the 2nd half cutting to the rim and getting two buckets. Roberts would make his only three point attempt of the game as well. The debate will surely still rage on whether he can shoot

Week 1 Game 2: Hanks Vs Slick

By CHAS

Frano got his night started with a high jump lay in, Hanks sticks J after hustle and i wa 4-0. Ghost midrange $, then Cavano takes lead with a 3 5-4 17 min. Hanks window work gives his team the edge, but Cavano feeling it from 3 8-6 Ej up. Ghost runs the floor and gets an Obrd put in. Hanks responds with put in of his own, but Ghost J, Hanks not backing down as he cannes a 3, then gets to the line 1-2 we are tied at 14. Tied nomore Hanks $ 3, Peteet in on the cat with a nice drive, then Hanks goes 1-2 from the stripe 20-14 hanks up 6 min. Stull big 3 to spark momentum, then Cavano 3 to tie things up at 20. Frano Breaks the tie with a J, then Hanks converts nice p n roll with rookie Hull 24-21. Ghost gets a quick bucket , but Frano nails jumper before half ends 26-23 at the break. 

Big Lu would get going as he converts in the post. Frano right back at him, but Big Lu right back at team Hanks, followed by a Cavano 3 for the lead 30-28. Peteet filthy and 1 off the window, but Big lu gets to the line 2-2 32-31 16 min to go. Big lu another bucket, then a dime to Cavano for 3 37-31, trying to pull away, but Peteet hits deep 3. Ej helping his team pull away with a 3, Ghost nails J, and by the time  I looked up team EJ was running away 53-36 as the scoring just completely stopped for team Hanks. Team EJ 1-0 61-45. 

Team Hanks
Hanks-B+- on fire and dominating in the 1st half,, faded down the stretch getting his legs back. 
Frano-B- He was good but this team needs him to be great 
Hull-C+- Effort and pasion def there, and you can see flashes. Excited to watch him grow
Peteet-B-) Was all over the court, 5 dimes, really played his role well
Paul-D- He will have better days couldn't get his 3 ball on line. 

Team EJ
Cavano-A-Great opening night from the star player. He plays like this tey will be tough
Fraher-B- Rock solid as ever. 
Dias-C+- Hustle was there, you can see talent, just going to take a couple weeks to get adjusted. 
Big Lu-B+- Took over in the 2nd half, I loved it!
Stull-B+- Feisty and active out there, I really liked his spark tonight. 
EJ-C- He was just ok, but hes put together quite the team. 

Game 3: Amir Mortals VS Brothers 

BY CHAS

After good ball movement J.Mul $ 3 to start us off 3-0. Frongi went 1-2 too extend the lead, then Cody drains middy 6-1 start for the Brothers. Mchpherson swishes a deep 3, but Frongi slices in for 2 8-4. PLAY OF THE NIGHT Amir catches pass mid air throws it up to Pizza for the sick ally dime 8-6. Tomar hits open 3 as Brotehrs were rolling 13-6, S.Mul gets a bouncing rim 3 ball to go 16-6. Pizza tries to calm things with a J, but a Tomar cutting hoop kept the pressure on 18-8 8 min. Amir hits much needed 3, but J.Mul right back at him with trey. Cody would get a 3 to go 24-11 things were grim, but Bohnaker the champion go 2 in the post, but S.Mul had the answer as the Brothers did all night 26-13. Ian post, but Cody cashes 3 29-15. Bohnaker gets his famous 3 ball to go, but Cody was a waling fire ball another 3 32-18. Ian getting post buckeys nicely then Mchpherson obrd finish. Frongi gets drie but the half ends with a deep 3 by Mchpherson 34-28 at the break. 

J.Mul starts half with a nice drive 36-28. Ian gets a 3 to go, Frongi took exception to some Ian physicality and we had yelling, Mchpherson would end the yelling with a 3 ball 36-34. Frongo scoop shot, then 3 he was fired up! Cody feels the ehat and hits 3 44-34 11 min. The lead would never dip below 10 48-38 as the Brothers were getting qauty looks and finished this game strong 55-45. 

Amir Mortals 
Mchpherson-B-) For any normal player it would be an A- but this guy def looks the part. I think he is going to be a real problem for most team to stop. 
Bohnaker-B-) Hustled his balls off 5 orbs but could get his 3 ball to go consistently. 
Ian-C+- Not his best game kinda got cooked up on D. 
Harry-C-) The 5 dimes save his day btu zero points is not acceptable in this league. 
Amir-C- Had the sexalicious pass, but not much other highlights 
Pizza-C+- Good bench minutes , take more 3’sssssss

Brothers
S.Mul-A- His defesne was fucking amazing , had his window and bouncing 3 ball going. 
J.Mul-A-) Huste and passion was awesome, loved the way he played in rhythm. Looked like he was having fun out there !
Frongi-B-) He was good, 3 ball a little shaky but helped spark the run to put Harry away. 
Cody-B- The 3 balls really hurt harrys team, if he can shoot more efficently , watch out!
Butter-D- he will have better nights, ball did bounce his way not once. 
tomar-A-Played great, nailed open shots, cut well. 

Game 4: Asterisk Champs VS Overhated 

BY CHAS

Rookie Lane got us going with a cutting hoop. The pace of this game was insane like pin ball Joels would get two bcuketsa nd ad a ft by the time I caught up it was 7-5 team Joel up. Jeffries took the rumors of him not being a shooter to heart as he splashed 2 3’s in a row 13-5. Skelley trying ti will hs boys 15-7, butt here goes that man jeffreis as he $ midrange. Skelley gets cutting 17-9 15 min. Joel doing mans work as he converts another post bucket 19-9. Kielley getting himself going with a 3, then got another 3 to go 19-15, but Jeffries the monster drains another 3, but Worth keeps them within distance as he nails a straight away 3 22-18. Jeffries 2-2 from the line, but Skelley responds in post 24-20. Skelley working 1-2 from teh line, but Rich SEX Carey splashes 3 27-21. Kielley converts nice cut 27-23. Feinstein gets a 3 to go 30-23. Worth hits big 3 to keep them in it, then he nailed a midrange, then kielley running we were tied at 30 all. The pace of this game was banana’s and hard to keep up with by the time the smoke cleared it was 41-38 # Champ up at the break. 

Skelley post to start 2nd half, followed by a Lane steal and finish 42-41 for the lead! Joel snatches the lead back with post move, the Jefferies converts a nasty filthy drive 45-42. Lane hits a middy, then Skelley dominating in post 45-44. Joel showing heart gets another scoop to go, followed by yet another Jeffries 3 ball man hes good 50-46. Worth not backing down hits middy, but Carey hits a soul crushing 3 53-48. Skelley cut, and finish, then Lindsey finished a sexy cut, then kielley 1-2 to tie things at 53 all, what a game in the late slot! Jefferies clutch 3, but Lane hits runner, Joel filthy drive to try to ad win it 60-55. Skelley gets crazy tip in to go, Worth finishes nasty fade away, then skelley post for the lead 61-60!! Team Skelley would create turnovers, and get Obords and complete a great win for themelsves 69-63. 

* Champs 
Jefferies-A-Holy moly we got a baller here. Dude looked great and super confident shooting. Mix him with ray/Joel we got issues 
Joel-B+- Scored the rock well but got eaten up by skelley down the stretch
Danner-D- yeeeps, my man could get that 3 ball to go. 
Feinstein-B- Looked active and showed bball IQ. Ii think he will get better every week.
Carey-A- Nailed 2 big time 3’s, doing his job. 

Overrhated 
Kielley-A- 1st game as a number 1 was a A grade. Proving the doubters wrong! 
Lane-B- Hustle and heart were there, showed soem shot makign abilty as well. 
Worth-B- Rock solid, hit the big clutch fade shit. Looked comftable/confident 
Lindsey-A- Hustled his ass off, those obrd tips all elad to big buckets for his team. Loved what he did out there  
Skelley-A+++- Beast mode!! Loved his captaining as well, very calm, kept telling his boys “ we got this’. That tip in was so nasty !!!

Franchise League Week 1 Preview

by Jason on May. 02, 2023

WEEK 1 PREVIEW Everyone’s favorite week is upon us…week 1! After much deliberation, shit talk and banter it’s time to see what’s what and who’s who. We have a sexy 4 game slate set for tomorrow night so let’s jump right in and take a look at the season opening matchups. NOTE: I know people like to keep absences quiet, but if you could let me know when people are out that would help the weekly preview. Thanks.

6:15 - Super Hoopers vs. HOLLAND Right out of the gate I will get a firsthand look at Devin so I am looking forward to that. Will I be guarding him? Time will tell. Aside from that storyline this is an interesting matchup. A lot of unknowns on Xavier’s side. How will this team mesh? What is Gus King’s deal? Will Xavier torpedo yet ANOTHER squad? One thing is for sure: this team has SIZE. This could pose a problem for our squad, so Wooly and Mulvehill will be key in holding down the paint. It’s always tough to write a preview for your own squad, but ultimately I think our chemistry and depth will prevail. I expect a closer game than people think though and Vegas agrees as they set the line at -4 for Eric’s team. Player to watch: All eyes will be on DQ obviously, but I am going to keeping my eye on King. No idea what he is, but he will need to be something for this team to be good this season.

7:05 - DANIELS-MULHOLLAND vs. All Length, No Girth Another tough preview to write, as we have JDM versus Joel’s completely unknown squad. I am going to wait at least a week before I dish out hot takes on Joel’s squad. What we do know is what JDM’s squad will bring to the table. JDM will run the show with JMul and LeBlanc filling in the gaps. Chemistry is going to be the difference in this game, so I have to side with JDM to take this one. Vegas has the line at JDM -6. Looking forward to seeing all the rookies though even if I have to see Joel too. Player to watch: Lucio, duh. This guy has the potential to change the entire outlook of this league…orrrrr he’s just another YouTube one hit wonder!

7:55 - BARANOWSKI vs. The Corporation As Mazz so eloquently stated on discord, this has the potential to be a preseason warm up for the Corp…or does it? Super Bowl hangover anyone? Ini, Masone and Keith all player VERY hard and I think if the Corp isn’t careful they could find themselves in trouble. Effort goes a long way in these games, just ask Kevon Looney. Obviously, the smart money is on the Corp, as Keith’s squad is going to have a lot of trouble defending Mazz, but I am going to go out on a limb and say Keith’s squad keeps this thing respectable. Vegas disagrees setting the line at -10 for the defending champs. Player to watch: Keith! No this is not another Keith bashing rant. There will be plenty of those. I am actually looking for Keith to get his shit together and I am rooting for the guy. He needs to be good this season. Figure it out brother!

MACDONALD vs. FTR Harry told me no Harding for this one, so the game of the night potential is long gone. That said, I think Vladi’s team (or is it Harry’s team?) will still very much be in this game. Listen, I love the Vladi bashing, he is light years from being an MVP candidate and he’s a terrible person, but the bottom line is he can play. If his shot is falling FTR will win this game. Additionally, Vladi’s squad has the defense to matchup with Ben’s team outside of Koller. Koller should have a big game and start his MVP campaign off strong. Give me Ben Mac to take this one in a close game. Vegas has FTR -3. Players to watch: Going with two guys here. DP and Tommy! It has been a WHILE since we have seen them so the question is this…do they still suck at basketball?

Alright boys, tell me where I fucked up or said something dumb. Let’s get the banter poppin’ early and often. Can’t wait to get a glimpse of all these teams in action. - KAP

B2 5v5 THU Week 1 Write-Ups

by Jason on Jan. 24, 2023

B2 5v5 Thursday Nights W23

 By WADA KING

Clevor Trevors 67 vs Furious Rim Ticklers 68

Down to the wire

Good game overall between both teams from start to overtime. On both sides of the ball Furious Rim Tickler came out strong in the first half. Leading the pack for Furious Rim Tickler was Brian who was on fire the whole game. He played a big part into the Rim Tickler having a lead going into the second half. In the second half Clevor trevor played better than they played in the first and their defensive intensity led by Lucas who was destroying the rebounds as well as getting 3 steals and 4 assist. Offensively Clevor had 4 players with double digit points helping them to take this game to overtime. But unfortunately for them it was not enough for them to get over the Rim Ticklers.

Gino Time 49 vs A Team Has No Name 71

This was a Josh Brandanese game

Gino time is a hell of a team and they have solid players who also played well in this game. But unfortunately for Gino Time A Team Has No Name is also a good team and they have Josh Brandanese. Josh was lights out this game and honestly made it look easy. His stat line was 33 points, 6 for 9 from the 3 (66%), 2 steals, as well as 4 assists. His presence also made it easier for his teammates who didn’t mind feeding him the ball at all. But outside of josh everybody else did their job and helped the team win in a blowout game.

The Lab 62 vs Dm-Pire 41

The Lab with a convincing win

Dm-Pire played good in the first half of this game and they were led by Ethan who was very aggressive the whole game. But the Lab seemed to be the better team on this day. The Lab took the game over in the second and just had too much offensive power for DM. Notable players like Travis had the game high 21 points, Colin with a dominant 13 pts 12 rebs and 5 assist. They had other players who chipped in as well for this dominant win.

Over-30 Legends Write-Ups Week 1

by Jason on Jan. 24, 2023

Week 1 Write-Ups

Game 1 Hot Goyle Winter Vs The Gold Show

Hot Goyle Summer 65 Skelley 58

by HANKS

Game 1 featured Chas running back his championship squad Hot Goyle Summer into its winter incarnation taking on Skelley’s team. Derek traded up to snag the number 1 pick specifically to take Gold and looked to fill out his draft with the rest of his crew. Hot Goyle Winter was the favorite coming into this game due to their championship pedigree but Gold can be a one man scoring machine so it looked to be a great matchup. 

Chas started things off with a 3, showing Team Skelley they can’t leave him open from deep and Gold responded by getting to the rim for a layup. Derek added a putback. Gold would pour in his team's next 8 points but Goyle continued to play tough, with Weinstein getting to the line and Chas banking in a tough And-1. Chas dimed up Kodra for a 3 and had another layup and it was 16-12 Goyle with 12 left to play. Gold continued to make his case for being the number 1 pick, finishing the half with 19 points. Goyle stayed in it by moving the ball well and getting great looks and would take the lead on a Weinstein midrange jumper, going into the half up 31-28. 

Gold, Kodra and Skelley all scored to start the second half and Goyle held on to a 3 point lead. Kodra got a tough and-1 layup but Gold would answer with a 3 and it was still Goyle by 3 with 14 left to play. Weinstein would score 6 straight and keep getting to the line and Chas hit another 3 and Goyle held on to their lead. Gold would then hit 3 straight 3’s from halfcourt and within a minute, Goyle’s lead was down to 4. Everytime Team Skelley made a run however, Goyle had answers. This time it was Kodra for 3 and a layup. Gold connected on a big 4 point play late, but with time winding down, they would be forced to send Goyle to the line, where Chas, Kodra and Weinstein hit just enough to keep the lead safe. Goyle would escape the Josh Gold barrage with a 7 point win. It’s safe to say Gold needed some help from his teammates on the offensive end, adding Dunton should help. Goyle looks to be the same well-oiled machine they were last season, and will be one of the top tier teams once again. 

Hot Goyle

Bohnaker C- couldn't get the shots to fall, but played solid defense and rebounded

Chas A made some great assists and got buckets, even with an injured hamstring

Weinstein A consistent offensive production, 8/9 from the free throw line

Kodra A hit a few big 3s and was aggressive getting to the rim

Skelley

Gold A+ 43 points, several highlight plays, was a menace

Skelley B+ executed some nice pick and rolls with Josh, but was exploited on defense

Worth C he needs to be more aggressive on offense, he can hit shots, needs to take more

Piasta  C- rough night coming off injury, he will be more impactful as the season progresses

Lindsey C had a bucket

Game 2 Hanks Vs Randal

By CHAS

Frano got his busy day started with a nice hook shot. Arria running the floor got 2, then Lagno added a 3 ball. Frano kep tpace with a post bucket, and then cashed a J, then added an Obrd put in he was balling 8-5 Hanks up. Lagno 3, but Paul also hits 3 11-8. Randal/Murphy got buckets followed by an Arria 3, Murphy and 1, then Randal finish they were rolling 19-10. Frano stopped the bleeding with an and 1 but a Lagno 3 contiinued the assault, Arria strong drive, Lagno finish, things really went off the rails from here Arria kept running, kept getting layups it was 40-22 at the break. 

Things did not get better in the 2nd half Arria continued to be a bucket, the closest the score would get would be 46-32, but it was an Ugly night without Kap , for Hanksey’s squad. 77-52.

Team Randal

Randal-B+-Contiuing his versailtle play from last session. Setting up his boys on O, snatching steals 

Arria-A-Nearly a flawless game, dude just jept beatign them down the court over and over again. 

Lagno-A-)Was toasty from 3 , snatching boards looked really really good 

Murphy-B-Rock solid big man night, layed controlled and poised. 

Team Hanks

Paul-B-) Good numbers but they were not the most impactful. 5 dimes is always nice. 

Hanks-D- We all have games like this sometimes, he will bounce back

Luigi-B-) Dude hustles hard I love it, just gota play a little more controlled 

Frano-A- 30 pts/14 rbs and still get beta by over 20, not a good trend 

Tomar-B-)Hustled hard coudlnt get one of those 3 balls to go. 

Game 3 Joels Vs EJ

By CHAS

EJ was wet to start the ball game 3-0. Frongi started his big day off with a trey ball of his own 3-3. Stotcha/B.Robb both traded 3’s no feildgoals here 6-6. Dany/Joel converted floaters, B.Robb powered in for 2 but Dany splashed a 3 ball, followed by a Staiger 3 16-8. Civale in on the cat gets two in the post 16-10 15 min. Joel/Civale both score in the post, and then Staiger added a J 20-12. Casey wets a 3, then adds an Obrd put in better box him out, Civale post work made it a 1 pt game 20-19. Dany changes the momentum with a 3, but Casey was heating up as he connected on long 23-22 12 min. Civale would hit another 3 after a frongi j and we were tied at 25 all. Casey hits 3 , Dany dimes up Joel 29-29. Frongi 3 ball, then Dany/Civale trade 2’s 34-31. Frongi floater , then Dany 3 trying to pull away 40-31. Civale post , B.Robb 3 put an end to that41-39. Frongi continued his assault with another floater , and then a layup in transition it was 47-41 at the break, what a half!

Joel post got 2, but Civale was hot from 3, Dany would convert a drive to try and cool things 51-44. Nope another Civale 3, B.robb/Casey would both finish O boards and we were tied at 51 with 17 min to go. Dany floater, but B.Robb J, Staiger would geta  3 to go for the edge56-53. Civale post, Casey 3 they ahd the lead 58-56. Frongi in blackout mode cashes a 3 for the lead, but Casey wasnt having it as he hit another trey, EJ with the razzle dazzle post move, then Casey steal and finish they were rolling, Danner dimed up B.Robb 67-59. Frongi would not go quietly into the night as he cashed a middy then $ a 3 67-64 they have life! Nope Casey 3 u and good , Civale 3, Casey drive, and this one looked over. Joels boys would not quit, Frongi filthy floater, Joel hots a captain 3 it was 78-74, but Casey smelled blood, and convrted 2 straight easy bucktes for the win 83-76. 

EJ’s Team

Casey-A+-Man on a mission, league may be in trouble 

B.Robb-A-Was solid all ove the court, he plays like this they are an easy contender 

Danner-C+-His defense was good again, like to see some buckets

EJ-B-)Managed the game well, had the razzle dazzle post move

Amir-D-Momma said there be days like this 

Civale-A-Perfect game for him n this team. Arrow up. 

Joels Team

Joel-B+-Thought he was very good, maybe needed to shoot even more. 

Dany-B+-solid for most but faded down the stretch

Frongi-A-What an outing !! got beat up int he post a bit, but mad he was a fucking scoring machine. 

Staiger-B-) he will ne a good piece for them, liek to see one more of those 3’s go in. 

Stull-D-Ditto Amir, there will be better nights. 

Game 4 Harry Vs S.Mul 

By CHAS

Cawley went 2-2 to start this one off 2-0. Brother to Brother J.Mul finds S.Mul 2-2 17:40 to go. Ian J, Matty 3, and then obrd put in 9-3. Cody would get a floater to go 9-5 15 min mark. Ian trey was good, and Matty added a drive 14-5. Kielley would come on the scene with a trey, and he liked it so he did it again 14-11 13 min. Cawley 2 after a nice cut, Clarke would go 1-2, and Keilley with a slashing drive, Clarke would tie things with an off window floater 16 all. Matty/s.Mul trade buckets, but Clarke working finishes obrd20-18 9 min. S.Mul orbd work of his own, but Cawley calms things going 2-2. There goes that man Baller Bonvie for trey swishhhhhh 25-20, Clarke gets 2 after Bonvie hustle 27-20. Cawley post put in then shake shimmy J 27-24. S.Mul /Cawley would trade buckets to end the half 29-26. 

Baller Bonvie lined up a deep 3 to start the half 32-26. Matty drive to keep pace 32-28. Kielley would get 2 straight buckets, followed by a Bonvie trey thisone was getting away from Harrys sqaud , Kielley canned a 3 to make things worse 42-29. Kielley would add 2 ft’s, but then Matty middy, and then River 3 ball to cut the lead to 10 44-34 13 min to go. Clarke /Matty trade 2’s, but then a J.Mul trey 49-38 10 to go. S.Mul’s team would go ona  6 -0 run after that , and that was all she wrote. Harry did not look pleased on the sidelines as they fell 66-57. 

Harrys Team

Harry-C+) he boarded well. I wanted more coaching , more yelling !

Cawley-B-) Just decent, and this teams need him to be spectacular 

Matty-B-Filled up the stat sheet, but didnt seem to make a huge impact on the game 

Ian-C+-They need more from him. 

River-C-) The hustle didnt translate like it usually does. 

Carey-D- Not much action out there

S.Muls Team

S.Mul-B-good not great , but did what they needed. 

J.Mul-C-) very very quiet 1-5 ft lie no bueno 

Cody-B-) shot was way off, but I see potential 

Kielley-A-Very impactful, high energy, slashing and hitting 

Bonvie-A-) Hustled hit 3 ‘s and dimed what more could you ask for. 

Clarke-B+- Was finsihign the best ive see him. Hustled hard too.