Sunday, January 29, 2017

Baller of Week 9

Jake Gavel takes baller of the week for the second time this season. He had a clutch 24 points against Team Forbes. Jake's three ball has much improved this season and is why he has excelled on the rec court. 
Honorable mentions to: Mitch Townsend, Will Manzi, Jacob Hickman, Nick Perry and Alex Sellers. 

Week 9 Results

Estes 64 over Stark 34
We thought Estes would easily handle Team Stark but a 30 point win is impressive against anyone. What is most impressive about this win is the equal scoring across the board for Team Estes. Everyone can score at anytime from anywhere for this team and that has lead to their success thus far. If one player is cold the slack is picked up by someone else.
Hecht 56 over Meyers 41
Team Meyers was cold and Team Hecht was hot. Hecht has been close all year and now they have won two straight games. Team Meyers, however, is going in the opposite direction losing three straight including this week.
Gingras 51 over McNamara 44
Without Connor Keegan, Mitchell Townsend stepped up and led his team to a good solid win. He was all over the floor and Team Gingras was comfortably ahead for the entire game. It should be noted the Brian Scott was not in attendance because he had to prepare for his "important" JV game. If he had been there he may have been the difference maker for Team McNamara.
Ordemann 55 over Forbes 50
This was a great game to watch. Back and forth all game, but Jake Gavel and Nick Poitras were able to pull it out late. Will Manzi played well but Nate Forbes brought him down. Forbes claimed to be on the verge of throwing up due to an unknown "illness" but he even said that's no excuse for his poor play.
Coveno 40 over Tornaritis 30
On paper this looks like an impressive win for Team Coveno. But Dean was absent this week and Team Coveno let Team Tornaritis hang around way too long. If Dean had been there, Team Tornaritis would have steamrolled Team Coveno.
Dawson 60 over Booth 59 (in triple OT)
Team Dawson scraps together another win in a crazy finish. Nick Perry sent it to overtime with a game tying three. All three overtimes were back and forth but the game eventually ended with a game winning free throw from Alex Sellers. This is the third straight loss for Team Booth and they need to turn it around fast if they wish to get a good seed for the looming playoffs.

Sunday, January 22, 2017

Week 9 Predictions

Estes 62 vs Stark 50
Despite Team Starks momentum we don't think they have pieces to take down the number one Team Estes.
Meyers 43 vs Hecht 42
We think Team Meyers will be able to get back on track this week. Maybe more late game heroics from Justin Griffin will lead to a second win for Team Hecht but we're not going to bank on that.
Ordemann 56 vs Forbes 50
Team Ordemann would be a statistical underdog but we're picking the matchup not the numbers. We believe Senior Nick Poitras will be able to control Sophomore Will Manzi and lead Team Ordemann to a big win.
Gingras 48 vs McNamara 45
We're picking the underdog again in this match. Team McNamara has struggled lately and Team Gingras plays everyone tight. We think the size of Gingras will be the difference.
Coveno 47 vs Tornaritis 44
As long as Justin Flanagan continues to miss layups then Team Coveno will be able to steal this game. Dean is always a tough match up but we believe Team Coveno's defense will be able to at very least control enough to get the win.
Booth 54 vs Dawson 50
Neither of these teams are in good shape right now but we think Team Booth's stars will out shine Team Dawson's. Fewer turnovers from Jake Willard will help Team Dawson's cause but we don't think they'll pull it out.

Week 8 Power Rankings

1. Estes (-)
They cruised to their 6th straight win over what we thought was a decent Team Booth. Their all guard strategy is reminding us of last year's Team Gingras. They even have the same point guard (Jeremy Keast). Last year Team Gavel got all the way to the finals but couldn't get it done. We'll see if this crew of jump shooters can fare better than that Team, but right now they look unstoppable.
2. Forbes (+1)
With short benches the last few weeks, Will Manzi has been able to take advantage of the extra playing time. This has led them to some impressive victories and a quick rise to the top of the Power Rankings. We'll see if the can keep it rolling when they get their bench back.
3. Tornaritis (-1)
Despite losing to Hecht this Team remains in the top three because no one close to them won this week. Justin Flanagan needs to learn how to make layups or Dean Tornaritis may need to cut him from the team. Their defense is also struggling, as they are one of three teams that have allowed 50+ points a game this year.
4. Ordemann (+1)
This team lost this week but because of their overall record they were still able to move up. If they had Wiley Ordemann then this team would have been a title contender, but without we struggle to see them going far. They have a good regular season record but we just don't think Nick Poitras and Jacob Gavel can take this team all the way.
5. Coveno (+3)
They played their most complete game this week over a decent Team Ordemann. They have the second best defense in the league and the offense seems to be coming around. We're still not completely sold on them but they certainly seem to be moving in the right direction.
6. Booth (-2)
Um. Well. You see. This week was just horrendous. Jacob Hickman couldn't make a layup and no one wanted to play defense. They are fairly average across the board but they are on a two game skid and this week was horrific. Someone needs to take control and turn them around or they may fall far, fast.
7. Meyers (-)
They have the second worst offense in the league and their defensive effort is sometimes lacking (except for Boge'). This has not been a winning recipe as of late and something needs to change. If they can somehow get Joey Femia back then maybe then can turn this thing around but right now it does not look good for Team Meyers.
8. McNamara (-2)
This Team has no chemistry. They dribble down the floor and shoot.... or turn it over. When they're hot, this strategy works but when they're not they struggle to get it going offensively. With that said, they still have a top three offense so we don't really know what to say. Maybe they just lack the chemistry to win. Whatever the reason is, it is causing them to dive bomb in the Power Rankings.
9. Stark (+1)
They got their second straight victory this week in OT over Team Gingras. They've looked much better in their wins but we still don't think they're going very far this year. Being led by freshmen Tim Stark just won't be enough. They may notch a few more wins but when playoffs come expect an early exit.
10. Dawson (+1)
They beat Meyers but it wasn't pretty. Dylan was MIA again and without him it is impressive for them to get a win. If they continue to win then they will obviously rise but with this playing style we don't expect them get many wins.
11. Gingras (-2)
After a brief stint not it 11th, Team Gingras got homesick and dropped back down. They were very close again this week but they were playing Team Stark who is not a topped ranked team. We really do not understand how they can be so close in every game yet only have 2 wins. It's almost impressive.
12. Hecht (-)
THEY WON! AND IT WAS AGAINST TEAM TORNARITIS! But they still have the worst record in the league and the worst defense. If they start winning these close games consistently then they'll rise and be a potential threat but until then their going to stay at the bottom.

















Baller of Week 8

Will Manzi is this week's baller of the week. He dropped 43 points in an 8 point victory over Team McNamara. With the Forbes family absent, Will stepped up to the plate and dominated this game.
Honorable mentions to: Justin Griffin,  Zack Gavel, Connor Keegan, Tim Stark, Jeremy Keast and Ben Wadden.

Week 8 Results

Forbes 64 over McNamara 56
Does Team Forbes have a Coaching controversy? Coach Manzi is 1-0 subbing in for Coach Forbes. Team McNamara fought hard but couldn't climb out the hole they got themselves into.
Hecht 54 over Tornaritis 52
This is not a typo, Team Hecht actually beat Team Tornaritis with both Dean and Justin present. Shout out to Justin Griffin hitting the buzzer beating game winning layup.
Coveno 53 over Ordemann 43
Team Coveno led this game from the very start. Their smothering defense shut down last week's baller of the week Jake Gavel. If Wiley Ordemann was eligible than it might have been a different story but without him Team Coveno was able to notch a solid win.
Stark 61 over Gingras 58 (in OT)
You almost have to feel bad for Team Gingras at this point. They've now lost 2 games in overtime and never lost by double digits. The young Team Stark stayed level headed in over time most likely due to a great coaching staff.
Estes 60 over Booth 31
Oh my blowout. I don't know if this says more about Estes or Booth. We know Estes is number one right now but I don't think anyone saw this beat down coming.
Dawson 48 over Meyers 41
This was kind of an ugly game. A lot of missed shots and bad turnovers for both teams. Team Dawson was able to hit late and Team Meyers was not.

Saturday, January 21, 2017

Week 8 Predictions

Tornaritis 62 vs Hecht 45
Although Team Hecht has kept it close as of late we don't think they have anyone who can stop Dean.
Forbes 65 vs McNamara 60
This game has less do to with skill and more to do with playing time. If Nate and Will are on the floor than we expect them to squeak out a win in a shoot out.
Gingras 40 vs Stark 38
Neither of these teams are impressive in the win column but Gingras has been more consistant so we expect them to get by Team Stark and notch their second straight win.
Coveno 44 vs Ordemann 38
Gavel v Gavel should be a good game... As long as Zack Gavel can keep a clear head then we believe he should be able to teach his little bro how the game is played.
Estes 56 vs Booth 48
For a team that's ranked number Team Estes has been complaining a lot about the blog. If Jacob Hickman has a good game then this should be a tight match up but we think the versatility of Team Estes will be too much for Hickman and company.
Meyers 39 vs Dawson 38
Neither of these teams have been playing well as of late but that means the game should be fun to watch. We think David Meyers will be hit a clutch layup late to give Team Meyers the win.

Friday, January 20, 2017

Week 7 Power Rankings

1. Estes (-)
Since they were the number one seed last week and won, they continue to top the list this week. All of their players can put up points from anywhere on the court. Although we still aren't totally sold on Ryan TeDuits, we do think that this team has the pieces to make a deep playoff push.
2. Tornaritis (+1)
Even though they played a questionably legal Team Dawson, Team Tornaritis was still able to get back to their winning ways. With Dean constantly putting up unbelievable numbers this Team's season will come down to Justin Flanagan. If he can take advantage of his height to get offense rebounds and make layups then this Team will be tough to stop.
3. Forbes (+1)
Will Manzi and Nate Forbes have the talent to take their team all the way. The question is whether they have the talent to make up for some less then stellar help play from the bench. It's going to take all the coaching ability Coach Forbes has to fill in those holes. That, or the bench doesn't show up and Will and Nate can play the entire game like the past week.
4. Booth (-2)
They had a horrific loss this past week but we're not giving up on this team. Jacob Hickman (the heart, soul and offense of this Team) only had 6 points in their overtime loss. If he had an average performance then they would have snagged the W. With this said, this team needs to find another source of offensive production or they will most likely see an early exit come playoffs.
5. Ordemann (+1)
This Team followed the pattern set by the rest of the league. They narrowly escaped Team Hecht, winning by a mere 3 points. This Team has some great depth and with Senior Nick Poitras leading the charge they will be tough to stop down the stretch. A lot of there season will ride on the back of Baller of week 7 Jake Gavel. If he stays hot than they will be nearly impossible to beat.
6. McNamara (-1)
They lost to Team Stark... They should have fallen a lot further but because of poor play by the Teams around them they get to stay in the top half. This Team has boiled down to how far Brian Scott can take them and if anyone remembers last year's playoffs, that won't be very far.
7. Meyers (-)
They got beat down by the number one seed so thats not that embarrassing. Without Joey Femia the offense is run through David Meyers. This means they can either be very hot or very cold. They have been and will need to continue to rely on their defensive prowess led by Nick Boge' Boggiano to have a chance.
8. Coveno (-)
This Team just can't figure it out. They have the pieces and are decent but they lose every other week. They need to figure out a way to be more consistant on the offensive end if they want to be contenders.
9. Gingras (+1)
THEY WON!! It wasn't pretty but a win's a win. They've been in every game so they have a chance to make a run in the playoffs. They have good pieces but their 4th quarter game is less than to be desired. If they start to finish games then they may rise quickly up the rankings.
10. Stark (+1)
They beat a solid Team McNamara, but that doesn't make up for their poor record. This Team is just too young for us to put a lot of stock into. If Tim Stark somehow turns into the next Dean Tornaritis then maybe this team can continue to win but we think that is highly unlikely.
11. Dawson (-2)
Good news is they got their star player back, potentially for the rest of the season (albeit under shady circumstances). Bad news is they still lost with Dylan Dawson present and starting. It was against former number one Team Tornaritis, but still it does not look good for Team Dawson.
12. Hecht (-)
I don't think the recreation league has ever seen a team lose so many games by one possession. They have potential to make a beautiful cinderella story but that would require winning and they have yet to accomplish that this season.













Sunday, January 15, 2017

Baller of Week 7

This week's baller of the week goes to Jacob Gavel. His 21 was huge in a tight game against Team Hecht. He was shooting efficiently and had some nice defensive blocks.
Honorable Mentions to: Will Manzi (and Nate Forbes), Brian Scott, Dean Tornaritis, and Ryan Teduits.

Week 7 Resuts

Forbes 44 over Coveno 40
There's two ways to look at this game. 1) Team Forbes had 5 players and should have been gassed and Team Coveno just blew it. Or 2) Team Forbes had 5 players allowing them to play their best two players (Nate Forbes and Will Manzi) for the entire 32 minutes.
Gingras 34 over Booth 32 (in OT)
TEAM GINGRAS WON! As usual the game was crazy close, but Team Gingras finally managed to pull out the W late. According to Jacob Hickman, the outcome had more to with missed layups by Team Booth than actual good play from Team Gingras
Estes 50 over Meyers 37
Despite missing Connor Estes, Team Estes, led by Ryan Teduits, was able to solidly beat Team Meyers. With that said, Team Meyers has really struggled of late and needs to figure out how to play without Joey Femia.
Tornaritis 53 over Dawson 49
In Dylan Dawson's return to the rec court he failed to lead his team to a victory. Jake Willard had a nice game but against Deano, that didn't matter much.
Ordemann 56 over Hecht 53
In another close loss for Team Hecht, Team Ordemann escaped with a win. Team Hecht has had leads late and just can't figure out how to finish. They have the biggest possibility for a cinderella story come playoffs, but they have to finish.
Stark 62 over McNamara 52
Brian Scott's 21 wasn't enough to take down Team Stark. Team Stark was in desperate need of a win and this week may have saved their season.

Saturday, January 14, 2017

Week 7 Predictions

Coveno 43 vs Forbes 40
We'll be interested to see how Team Forbes fairs without Andrew Delaney. Team Coveno has been consistant but not consistently dominant so we think this will be a god matchup.
Booth 47 vs Gingras 46
Team Gingras has been close in every game, so we expect more of the same this week. With that said, they have yet to win so we're going to take Team Gingras in a tight one. Don't be too shocked though if Team Gingras manages to figure it out a snag a win.
Meyers 42 vs Estes 36
We're only picking Team Meyers because inside sources at Team Estes say that multiple starters will be absent this week.
Tornaritis 52 vs Dawson 40
Team Dawson has struggled without Dylan Dawson and against a pissed off Team Tornaritis we don't expect that to change. Keep an eye on Justin Flanagan to see if he can shoot his way out of his rut.
McNamara 51 vs Stark 40
Team McNamara was cold last week so we expect them to be hot again this week. If we are wrong however, than don't be shocked if Team Stark steals it away.
Ordemann 45 vs Hecht 44
Team Hecht has been so close but has nothing to show for it. We believe Team Ordemann has too much talent to lose this week but if a couple of bounces go to Team Hecht than they may grab their first win.

Rec Ball Times Second Edition

Devastating Shoulder Blow

This past Friday, former offensive star Andrew Delaney underwent season ending shoulder injury, This injury has been lingering over Delaney since his football season and he finally had to call it quits on his rec ball career. This will certainly hurt Team Forbes' offense and puts more pressure on team leaders, Will Manzi and Nate Forbes. We'll see what adjustment Coach Quintin Forbes can make in order to over come this loss.

Attendance Issues Across the League

Star players across the league have skipped multiple games this season costing their teams wins and position in the standings. The most notable has been Nate Forbes and Aidan Huff. Forbes missed multiple games early in the season causing his team to have a slow start to the season. And Huff, who Team Coveno dropped 22 million dollars on, has played in 1 maybe 2 games? The Team is in desperate need for another ball handler to fill out their point guard by committee for their second line so maybe Huff can start showing up and actually earn his pay check this month.

Flanagan Flustered

Former varsity caliber center, Justin Flanagan, has struggled on the rec courts. Averaging 20 missed layups and 13 turnovers a game Flanagan has been not been on his game this season. He claims that "he is his own worst enemy" and that the rec defense "is not the problem" but who can say by this point. If he can't turn it around than he may single handedly take down Dean Tornaritis's shot at a second Rec Ring.

Week 6 Power Rankings

1. Estes (+1)
This team not only has the best record in the league but they also took down the former number one, Team Tornaritis. This team consists of all guards but somehow they make it work. The improved play of Ryan TeDuits has been a boost these past two weeks but who knows how sustainable that is. Being mostly run a gun this team will have to get hot at the right time in order to stay at the top by the end of the playoffs.
2. Booth (-)
Beating Team Meyers is not crazy impressive but winning is winning and this team does that a lot. This type of consistant play will land them a high seed come playoffs but will that be enough to make a deep push? This is the question we will be asking until they start showing some more dominating performances in these wins.
3. Tornaritis (-2)
This team has dominated all year but Team Estes showed that they are beatable. The lack luster from Justin Flanagan may have had it's tole to play in the defeat but if the Team can be stopped by an off night by one player than we question how much we can rely on them as a favorite.
4. Forbes (+1)
This Team has looked dominant at times when they are at full strength, but this week they lost Andrew Delaney to season ending shoulder surgery. This is an offensive blow as he is known for his silky smooth mid- range jump shots. We'll have to see how this team fairs with a short handed line up in the weeks to come.
5. McNamara (-1)
This team will undoubtably get a lot more W's before the end of the season but the problem is they're either very hot or very cold. If they slip up for one game in the playoffs their defense will not be able to hold it together. If they get hot at just the right time then they may have a chance to go the distance.
6. Ordemann (-)
Since losing Wiley Ordemann this team has been in some tight games. They struggle in the second half with the short bench but we still believe that this team has enough pieces to go places. Eye Jake Gavel and Nick Poitras to lead this team down the stretch towards playoffs.
7. Meyers (-)
They beat a short handed Team Gingras the doesn't know how to win so they didn't move up the rankings. They did however prove that they can win without Joey Femia. This gives this team hope for the future. Less bickering between teammates at practice may lead to better chemistry and more wins to come.
8. Coveno (+1)
After narrowly escaping Team Hecht we thought about leaving Team Coveno where they were, but they still moved up because of how the other pieces fell across the league. This Team is solid through and through but other than Zack Gavel they lack consistant shooting and because of this the offense can look quite stagnant at times. This may be their Achilles' heal but hopefully it will be something to it is something they can overcome come playoffs.
9. Dawson (-1)
The loss of Dylan Dawson is proving difficult to overcome for this Team. They've struggled on both ends of the floor and have, at times, looked lost without their leader.  Hopefully Dylan can convince Farm Head Coach Gillette to drop him down to JV or this team will continue to fall.
10. Gingras (-)
This team was short handed last week in another loss so we don't hold them to that but this team needs to figure out how to win games or they will never have a chance. This team has the pieces for success, all they need to do is put them together and finish game.
11. Stark (-)
Team Stark is in a similar situation as team Gingras. They have decent pieces but they don't seem to fit together. Without any senior leadership we don't see this team turning it around but who knows, maybe with good coaching they can find a way to get back into this league and have a chance come playoffs.
12. Hecht (-)
This team has been unbelievably close in multiple games but like the other 2 bottom feeders, they can't win. Protecting the ball and better possessions may be the difference in these close games. We'll see which of these bottom three teams can get back on track first or at all.


Sunday, January 8, 2017

Baller of Week 6

The entirety of Team Estes gets this weeks Baller of the week. They managed to completely shut Justin Flanagan down and they controlled Deano. They said they had the pieces to take them down but they executed.
Honorable mentions go to: Coveno, Sam Boubreau, Dean Tornaritis and Nick Poitras.

Week 6 Results

Booth 49 over McNamara 47
Didn't catch this game but heard it came down to the last shot.
Meyers 48 over Gingras 40
Team Meyers bounced back over a Team Gingras that can't catch break. Proving that they can win without Joey Femia is hug for Team Meyers.
Ordemann 44 over Dawson 43
Team Dawson always keeps it close but without Dylan Dawson they have struggled to pull off the wins.
Estes 49 over Tornaritis 43
Olympus has fallen as Team Estes takes down the number one ranked Team Tornaritis! They said they could do it and they succeeded.
Coveno 44 over Hecht 42
Tristan "Nabo" Naboicheck said it best "Team Hecht is the Cleveland Browns, they are in every game but simply can't win."
Forbes 60 over Stark 49
In an unasked for interview Nate Forbes claimed to have "played pretty well" as the winning trend continues for Team Forbes.

Saturday, January 7, 2017

Week 6 Predictions

Gingras 47 vs Meyers 38
Team Gingras has been close in every game and Team Meyers has been struggled without Joey Femia. Knowing Team Gingras, this will be closer than 9 points but we think they'll get it done this week.
Booth 45 vs McNamara 42
Team McNamara put up an unbelievable amount of points last week but we think they will underestimate Team Booth and be taken by surprise in the first half. We assume they'll make a late push, but Jacob Hickman will hit too many shots late for them to over come.
Ordemann 42 vs Dawson 32
Both these teams will be missing key players because of the Varsity squad (Dylan Dawson for Team Dawson and Wiley Ordemann for Team Ordemann) but we believe Team Ordemann will be more equipped to handle this adversity. Jake Gavel has been under the weather this week so that is something to keep an eye on.
Tornaritis 57 vs Estes 50
Team Estes is confident that they have what it takes to take down the giant that is Team Tornaritis, but after last weeks late game heroics we simply can't pick against Team Tornaritis. Watch out for Justin Flanagan to have a monster game in the post because Team Estes is unequipped to handle his size and touch.
Coveno 45 vs Hecht 40
Team Hecht has struggled thus far and we don't see them getting their first win against a decent Team Coveno. Team Hecht has played some seriously close games so they may be able to steal one if Team Coveno sleeps on them, but if Team Coveno can just play their game than they should be fine.
Forbes 50 vs Stark 45
The youth of Team Stark has proven to be a problem thus far and when going up against an at times dominant Team Forbes we don't see them stealing a win. If Nate Forbes doesn't bother to show up than Team Stark may have a chance but so far for Team Forbes, if Nate shows then they win.