Just remember there is an insane senior bias in these selections, it's been this forever so don't take it personally if your name isn't on this list.
David Meyers
Kyle Luchford
Ryan TeDuits
Connor Estes
Mark DeBinder
Dan DeBinder
Jacob Booth
Andrew Door
Alex Bonovontura
Kasey Griffiths
Kyle Plausse
Drew Bernard
Eddie Hastings
Drew Stone
Max Phonard
Matt Gingras
Justin Kavalowskas
Patrick O'Wiley
Tristan Naboicheck
Nick Perry
Will Torgerson
Ben Majkut
Riley Curran
Garrett Solomon
Will Zimmon
Matt Heinser
Elias Jiser
Tuesday, March 6, 2018
Sunday, March 4, 2018
Two Reasons Every Team (Yes Even you Meyers) Can Win it All
Meyers: Trap Game Central - TeDuits/Estes is already looking on to round 2, and if y'all get by them whoever you do end up playing will probably do the same, trap games are real, and this team can surprise you.
Destiny - All it takes is one win, the morale will go up, the confidence will soar and everyone is going to be rooting for you. It's just getting the first one that's key
Hecht: Scharnsanity - The emergence of Jake Scharn has been extremely fun to watch. He had a breakout game a few games back and hasn't looked back. He has been fantastic this year and he's a name to watch in these playoffs.
Three Point Shooting - This team lives and dies with the three, if they can get the three balls falling, they'll be in business, we've seen what they can do when they do make it and it's deadly.
McNamara: Peeta - After a week one game, Peter White has not played for this team since, I can't guarantee sundays, but I'm very confident he will play in Friday's matchup. With Peter not only is he a star scorer and defender, but he takes the focus off a few other players, oh and they haven't lost when he's on the floor.
Balance - They have bigs, they have littles, they have shooters and they have rebounders, they don't have any overwhelming strengths, but they don't have any huge holes either.
Gingras: Momentum - They picked up a win against a good team this week, and every week it seems they get better and better, that's a good trend to have entering the playoffs.
The San Antonio Effect - If you've ever watched a game team Gingras have played they make for the most part really intelligent passes. This smart ball movement will help them in possibly creating a first round upset.
Majkut: Hockey's Over - Liam McDonough and Andrew Berube should be back full time for these playoffs, they're two key players and should be back and in business.
Ceiling - This team haven't reached their peak yet and while they haven't had their whole team for a lot of the season, they still haven't reached that peak potential we all know they have
Zolomon: Five Guys No More - For the last 6 or 7 they had at most 6 players, now it's playoff time, and they have a team. It worked for them as a handful of players really got to see play time, and have played a lot time while immensely tired, now with subs who knows how high they can fly.
Welcome Back T-Chase: While there has been no word on if he can return or not, it's likely at the very least he'll be back for the friday games. He'll give them an edge on the boards to help Alex Sellers out, and could provide them with the spark they need.
Southwick: Elias Jiser - Yep he gets his own category, whether he wins MVP or not he's been incredible this year. He's good for at least 20 on a weekly basis and his consistency has led this team.
Physicality - They're big team with some big players capable of beating you with contact, they're smart and don't foul, but they will smoother you and make you uncomfortable from the first whistle to the last.
O'Wiley: Speed Doesn't Kill As Much As Size - They have some big bodies on this roster, that will work to their advantage on the boards.
Full Squad - I could be wrong, but I don't think they've had a full team all year, with all 10 guys this team has a ridiculous ceiling.
Bernard/Hastings: Fast Break - In terms of fast break offense this team is at least number one or number two, they're fast and their bigs can run. It creates matchup nightmares.
Winning the Foul Battle - Drew Stone does a magical thing where he fouls out his matchup on game by game basis, at the very least you will have a ball handler in foul trouble when you play them, you don't want that.
TeDuits/Estes: Learning From Mistakes - Last year this team took an early upset after being the one seed, with I believe 4 returning players, they know as well as anyone that one and done is for real. They're ready and have a lot of playoff experience on the roster.
Offense and Defense and the Pesky TeDuits - Ryan is an offensive specialist who can defend well, Colin is defensive specialist who can score well, and Bradley is hybrid with elite level defense. The three of them alone makeup amazing balance, the rest of the roster is extremely balenend as well and that helped them get a high seed.
Strauss: Teamwork - I looked at the box score today looking for who went off, and it wasn't one player, every single player contributed roughly an even amount... that's teamwork if I've ever seen it, and they've shown it all year not just today.
Unpredictability - The scary thing about this team is they have so many scoring options, you can't predict who's going to take the shot, they're hard to scout, they're hard to read making them hard to defend.
Manzi: Shear Power - The star power on this team is ridiculous, despite this two game slide, they were missing a key player in the loss today, and they have the pieces to beat anyone. They can win matchups with whoever they put on the court and that's what makes them so powerful.
Play your position? Nahhhh - Manzi has bigs who play little, and littles who play big, they have shooters who are 6 feet and rebounders who are small, how do you guard that?
Booth: Defense wins Championships - They play defense to say the least, they took home the defensive title this year and they earned it with elite level defender, you can't win if you, don't score any points.
Rebounding: They have bigs and they do work in the paint, if they win the rebounding battle they win, and they usually do, this makes them so dynamic, and is a large reason they finished the league on top.
Destiny - All it takes is one win, the morale will go up, the confidence will soar and everyone is going to be rooting for you. It's just getting the first one that's key
Hecht: Scharnsanity - The emergence of Jake Scharn has been extremely fun to watch. He had a breakout game a few games back and hasn't looked back. He has been fantastic this year and he's a name to watch in these playoffs.
Three Point Shooting - This team lives and dies with the three, if they can get the three balls falling, they'll be in business, we've seen what they can do when they do make it and it's deadly.
McNamara: Peeta - After a week one game, Peter White has not played for this team since, I can't guarantee sundays, but I'm very confident he will play in Friday's matchup. With Peter not only is he a star scorer and defender, but he takes the focus off a few other players, oh and they haven't lost when he's on the floor.
Balance - They have bigs, they have littles, they have shooters and they have rebounders, they don't have any overwhelming strengths, but they don't have any huge holes either.
Gingras: Momentum - They picked up a win against a good team this week, and every week it seems they get better and better, that's a good trend to have entering the playoffs.
The San Antonio Effect - If you've ever watched a game team Gingras have played they make for the most part really intelligent passes. This smart ball movement will help them in possibly creating a first round upset.
Majkut: Hockey's Over - Liam McDonough and Andrew Berube should be back full time for these playoffs, they're two key players and should be back and in business.
Ceiling - This team haven't reached their peak yet and while they haven't had their whole team for a lot of the season, they still haven't reached that peak potential we all know they have
Zolomon: Five Guys No More - For the last 6 or 7 they had at most 6 players, now it's playoff time, and they have a team. It worked for them as a handful of players really got to see play time, and have played a lot time while immensely tired, now with subs who knows how high they can fly.
Welcome Back T-Chase: While there has been no word on if he can return or not, it's likely at the very least he'll be back for the friday games. He'll give them an edge on the boards to help Alex Sellers out, and could provide them with the spark they need.
Southwick: Elias Jiser - Yep he gets his own category, whether he wins MVP or not he's been incredible this year. He's good for at least 20 on a weekly basis and his consistency has led this team.
Physicality - They're big team with some big players capable of beating you with contact, they're smart and don't foul, but they will smoother you and make you uncomfortable from the first whistle to the last.
O'Wiley: Speed Doesn't Kill As Much As Size - They have some big bodies on this roster, that will work to their advantage on the boards.
Full Squad - I could be wrong, but I don't think they've had a full team all year, with all 10 guys this team has a ridiculous ceiling.
Bernard/Hastings: Fast Break - In terms of fast break offense this team is at least number one or number two, they're fast and their bigs can run. It creates matchup nightmares.
Winning the Foul Battle - Drew Stone does a magical thing where he fouls out his matchup on game by game basis, at the very least you will have a ball handler in foul trouble when you play them, you don't want that.
TeDuits/Estes: Learning From Mistakes - Last year this team took an early upset after being the one seed, with I believe 4 returning players, they know as well as anyone that one and done is for real. They're ready and have a lot of playoff experience on the roster.
Offense and Defense and the Pesky TeDuits - Ryan is an offensive specialist who can defend well, Colin is defensive specialist who can score well, and Bradley is hybrid with elite level defense. The three of them alone makeup amazing balance, the rest of the roster is extremely balenend as well and that helped them get a high seed.
Strauss: Teamwork - I looked at the box score today looking for who went off, and it wasn't one player, every single player contributed roughly an even amount... that's teamwork if I've ever seen it, and they've shown it all year not just today.
Unpredictability - The scary thing about this team is they have so many scoring options, you can't predict who's going to take the shot, they're hard to scout, they're hard to read making them hard to defend.
Manzi: Shear Power - The star power on this team is ridiculous, despite this two game slide, they were missing a key player in the loss today, and they have the pieces to beat anyone. They can win matchups with whoever they put on the court and that's what makes them so powerful.
Play your position? Nahhhh - Manzi has bigs who play little, and littles who play big, they have shooters who are 6 feet and rebounders who are small, how do you guard that?
Booth: Defense wins Championships - They play defense to say the least, they took home the defensive title this year and they earned it with elite level defender, you can't win if you, don't score any points.
Rebounding: They have bigs and they do work in the paint, if they win the rebounding battle they win, and they usually do, this makes them so dynamic, and is a large reason they finished the league on top.
3 on 3
After a one year hiatus, the Groton Dunstable Hoops on Fire 3 on 3 tournament is back! If this isn't something you've ever competed in I would highly recommend it. For those of you not on my team it's a chance to avenge your rec ball playoff loss. Registration is no later than 3/10, and the tournament will take place 3/24 and 3/25. Here's a link to register https://leagueathletics.com/Re
Week 13 Results
Hecht vs. Southwick
45-41
This game was over. 17 point Southwick lead at halftime, 19 point lead with about 10 minutes left, 11 point game with under 3 minutes left, but never have I ever seen a fight like the one I saw team Hecht put up in the last three minutes, bucket after bucket, and they actually got it down to a 2 point game with 7 seconds left. Max Jarboe however hit two icy free throws and ended Hecht's comeback hope, but great effort by both sides nevertheless.
Gingras vs. O'Wiley
53-51
This game was close all throughout, no one had a lead above 6 and both teams battled. There was a point where O'Wiley hit a three to take the lead, Gingras answered with their own, O'Wiley came down and hit another one, and Gingras answered with a three again. Both teams shot well, but Team Gingras proved they wanted it more. O'Wiley still put up a heck of an effort, they only had 5 kids and were missing their superstar Sam and still battled.
Zolomon vs. McNamara
74-44
There were 5 really close games today, this was not one of them. Zolomon shot the ball incredibly today as they couldn't seem to miss. 74 is tied for a league high and they did it with 5 guys. Everyone contributed for them today. Team McNamara had a solid press for a while, but lost it, and this game was just a blowout from start to finish.
Strauss vs. Manzi
51-46
It was a tie game going into halftime, but Strauss went a on a 10-0 run to start the second and they just never looked back. There was a pair of garbage time threes (Off balance and completely covered so the degree of difficulty was very high still), but Strauss really won this game more convincingly than the score says.
Booth vs. TeDuits/Estes
45-41
Booth and Mazni both lost on the same day... well it's march, and you have to commend the effort of TeDuits/Estes of picking the win against the number one team with 6 players. Team Booth shockingly seemed to take a step back despite having the whole team this week. This game proved that the title is anyone's to take. Although to be fair Booth had only pride to play for because they already had the top seed locked up.
Meyers vs. Majkut
34-30
I'm honestly heartbroken for team Meyers. They didn't win a game this season, they have one more shot against a red hot TeDuits/Estes. They had a battle today, and tied it up with 4 minutes left, but Majkut was the better team today, and they battled for the win.
45-41
This game was over. 17 point Southwick lead at halftime, 19 point lead with about 10 minutes left, 11 point game with under 3 minutes left, but never have I ever seen a fight like the one I saw team Hecht put up in the last three minutes, bucket after bucket, and they actually got it down to a 2 point game with 7 seconds left. Max Jarboe however hit two icy free throws and ended Hecht's comeback hope, but great effort by both sides nevertheless.
Gingras vs. O'Wiley
53-51
This game was close all throughout, no one had a lead above 6 and both teams battled. There was a point where O'Wiley hit a three to take the lead, Gingras answered with their own, O'Wiley came down and hit another one, and Gingras answered with a three again. Both teams shot well, but Team Gingras proved they wanted it more. O'Wiley still put up a heck of an effort, they only had 5 kids and were missing their superstar Sam and still battled.
Zolomon vs. McNamara
74-44
There were 5 really close games today, this was not one of them. Zolomon shot the ball incredibly today as they couldn't seem to miss. 74 is tied for a league high and they did it with 5 guys. Everyone contributed for them today. Team McNamara had a solid press for a while, but lost it, and this game was just a blowout from start to finish.
Strauss vs. Manzi
51-46
It was a tie game going into halftime, but Strauss went a on a 10-0 run to start the second and they just never looked back. There was a pair of garbage time threes (Off balance and completely covered so the degree of difficulty was very high still), but Strauss really won this game more convincingly than the score says.
Booth vs. TeDuits/Estes
45-41
Booth and Mazni both lost on the same day... well it's march, and you have to commend the effort of TeDuits/Estes of picking the win against the number one team with 6 players. Team Booth shockingly seemed to take a step back despite having the whole team this week. This game proved that the title is anyone's to take. Although to be fair Booth had only pride to play for because they already had the top seed locked up.
Meyers vs. Majkut
34-30
I'm honestly heartbroken for team Meyers. They didn't win a game this season, they have one more shot against a red hot TeDuits/Estes. They had a battle today, and tied it up with 4 minutes left, but Majkut was the better team today, and they battled for the win.
Last Baller of the Week
Winner: Alex Sellers - 36 points on 18/24 shooting, that's ridiculous. He scored 36 and only attempted one mid range shot, the rest was done in the paint and it was a Wilt like performance for him, a commanding finish to the season.
Runner up: Kasey Griffiths - 25 points and played the completely opposite big man role as the winner as he killed it from outside the arc along with inside the paint.
Honorable Mentions:
Elias Jiser - 20 points and lead team Southwick to a big time win
Jake Scharn - 16 points and almost helped mount a crazy comeback
Justin Kavy - 19 points and came through in the clutch helping his team move up in the standings
Max Phonard - 18 points and played solid as usual
James Wilson - 20 points and some crazy layups mixed with dead eye shooting
Tristan Naboicheck - 16 points and spectacular defense to go along with it
Will Zimmon - 16 points on only 8 shots
Garrett Solomon - 15 points and somewhere between 10-20 assists
Peter Eldredge - 14 points, 4 blocks, and more rebounds than Cromartie children
Ben Majkut -16 points and laser shooting to keep Meyers from their first win
Matt Carroll*- 14 points and some amazing dribble moves, but the star is due to fact it wasn't for his own team.
Runner up: Kasey Griffiths - 25 points and played the completely opposite big man role as the winner as he killed it from outside the arc along with inside the paint.
Honorable Mentions:
Elias Jiser - 20 points and lead team Southwick to a big time win
Jake Scharn - 16 points and almost helped mount a crazy comeback
Justin Kavy - 19 points and came through in the clutch helping his team move up in the standings
Max Phonard - 18 points and played solid as usual
James Wilson - 20 points and some crazy layups mixed with dead eye shooting
Tristan Naboicheck - 16 points and spectacular defense to go along with it
Will Zimmon - 16 points on only 8 shots
Garrett Solomon - 15 points and somewhere between 10-20 assists
Peter Eldredge - 14 points, 4 blocks, and more rebounds than Cromartie children
Ben Majkut -16 points and laser shooting to keep Meyers from their first win
Matt Carroll*- 14 points and some amazing dribble moves, but the star is due to fact it wasn't for his own team.
Saturday, March 3, 2018
Last Regular Season Power Rankings
Guys... this is the second to last addition of power rankings, I'm a little bummed by playoff rec ball and march madness are better than Christmas that's a fact just not my opinion. So let's enjoy the last week where we all sort of like each other and over the next couple of games the rivalries will form if they haven't already.
13. Meyers (-)
0-11
I.... I believe.... I believe that... I believe that they will win this one. I really do. The second debut of Joey Femia wasn't real, but I genuinely believe he will be back this time. They put up a great second half fight against team TeDuits/Estes and I believe they are capable of pulling out a big time upset this week against Team Majkut. If they don't finish the regular season with a win they will get a game against a Bernard/Hastings caliber team, if there's a time a time for the stars to align and them to get a win it's now. Not only I, but America is rooting for y'all also. If they can shoot like they did last week, they have a shot.
12. McNamara (-)
3-8
I actually received some amazing playoff news for this team, Peter White in all likelihood will be back for playoffs. With this addition this team is a whole different animal. As of now coming off a big loss they're not in the greatest of shape, however they have a game against a potential first round opponent next week to try to find themselves again, then they'll have a key player back for the show. This team started out very high and showed potential at the beginning of the season, lost their stride, found it, started playing good, then lost it again. For now they sit at 12, but they could be a legitimate playoff threat.
11. Hecht (-)
2-9
I just can't get a read on this team. They've played some amazing games and probably don't deserve a 2-9 record, as some individual games they outplayed their opponent and they've lost. Then again some games they look like you'd be surprised if they even have one. Last week they took a beating, and this week they do have a chance to bounce back and pick up some steam before playoffs. I think with the upside on this team, and they are definitely not an opponent to be slept on, but they need to play at their best which they've shown in a few games. We'll see what happens in this upcoming game, to see if they can find that high level.
10. Gingras (-)
2-9
I wanted to move this team up I really did. They're the best 2-9 team maybe in league history. I was amazed when I saw they were only 2-9 and had to fact check it going back game by game. If I were to describe them they're that fantasy football team that always scores the 2nd most points, but happens to play the team with the most. They're for real but I couldn't move them up especially after they lost to the team one spot above them, but they can play. The defensive play and the rebounding are among the leagues best, and they a playoff matchup a higher ranked team doesn't want to see next to their name.
9. Majkut (-)
4-7
I swear I'm not just keeping everyone complacent in these rankings, it just so happens the bottom 5, and 6 actually are staying the same. That being said this team has a high ceiling. They have to beat Meyers this week, for momentum and this is a must win game for them in order to keep themselves in the 8/9 line. This team has a championship caliber ceiling, but they haven't shown it once this season. If they can find their stride they'll be good to good, however it's hard to say whether they'll tap into that potential or not. This is why they need to at least win next week. If they lose it'll take a miracle to magically find their ceiling playoff week.
8. Southwick (-1)
6-4
AYE A change, and this drop obviously isn't due to their play, but more because they got a bye at the wrong time. Obviously they reached the high point in their season on their massive win streak, but as of late they've cooled off. I don't know how to rate tem, and again they have a big range of playoff spots they can fall, so a win against team Hecht would definitely help their case.
7. Zolomon (+1)
5-6
Even though they lost they showed a lot last week. They had 5 players... again and they looked surprisingly good against a good team. They had one ball handler, and were missing three key players and another key player got went down leaving them with 0 ball handlers, but with all of these obstacles, they still made it a game until the final buzzer sounded. Next week they'll get to see a more full squad they'll get to see how good they can actually be. When they had a full team at the beginning of the year, they were unstoppable, and no one's seen a full Zolomon squad since week 2, so they're hard to read to say the least.
6.Bernard/Hastings (-1)
8-4
It feels wrong dropping them, and I looked for a way to bump them up, but I just couldn't do it. The fact is they are dead even if not better than than the two teams above them, it's just in terms of the "eye test" last week they did slightly worse than the other two teams. These rankings as of now are split into three tiers the bottom 4 are solid but championship hopeful, 7-9 are question marks and 1-6 are real deal championship contenders. So even though they sit at the bottom of championship contenders don't for a second sleep on this team. They are capable of winning it all without a doubt and even though they have a bye they'll go into next week furiously.
5. TeDuits/Estes (-2)
7-4
They're going to get a very similar write up to Bernard/Hastings, they don't deserve this drop and they are better than the number next to their name. I gave them the slightest edge over Bernard/Hastings due to the tiny bit better play last week. They have the defensive and offensive mix to be a threat in this league and the are 100% a threat to take the title. They are lowkey on a 4 game win streak and get a huge test game against Booth next week to see where they stand. The balance of offense and defensive to really make a run.
4.Strauss (-)
8-3
As of now they are in the drivers seat for a first round bye, win and they're in. They've earned it truly they have. They took my pre-season last place power ranking and laughed at it. They not only have proved that freshman cna play, but have proved they are a legitimate title threat. The chemistry on this team is unmatched. They have a bunch of players who can go off any given week, and every player plays a key role when they play good. They win the games they're supposed to win and that's why they're looking at a bye. This team scary and don't play like freshman to say the least. (With apologies to Cole and Bono I know y'all aren't freshman)
3. O'Wiley (+3)
7-4
This team was ranked 2nd in the pre-season, but then after varsitygate, and injuries and players not showing up we never got to see them at their top potential, and the scary thing is, we still haven't. I could be wrong about this, but I don't think they've had a full team in any of the games. Now they're just dominating teams. They almost don't seem beatable and if I had to guess there's one team that can beat one of the "Big 2" it's O'Wiley. We still haven' seen them so who knows they might be a disaster, but as long as Sam Budreau still exists I like their chances.
2. Manzi (-1)
10-1
Yes... that is a -1 next to their name, yes that is a 1 not a 0 in the loss column, you didn't read that wrong, that wasn't a typo. That being said, this loss definitely humbled them. Now they have fuel into their fire. They shouldn't hang their heads and I don't think they are. This team still does the highest ceiling in the league. Manzi is the real deal and I think it's obvious despite the loss they still are a real deal contender. They have a big time follow up game against Strauss and a win is a big time win, and it'll spring them back right where they need to be.
1. Booth (+1)
10-1
I admit I've had my doubts about this team, and they took my doubts and said, hey Will you're dumb. Good for them too, they've really earned this 10-1 record. As of now they control their own destiny and title town runs through Boothville (That might have been the dumbest thing I've said in my life ever...), and by taking down the top in the league they proved they proved they deserve this top spot. The scary thing is, they won without a 3 key players. Imagine what they can do with the whole team. They look better and better each week and as of now they are the slight favorite over Manzi for the title. They now get a chance to prove themselves even more against TeDuits/Estes. I think I'm going to predict them to lose, not because I actually think they are, but proving me wrong seems to make them play better sooooooo.
13. Meyers (-)
0-11
I.... I believe.... I believe that... I believe that they will win this one. I really do. The second debut of Joey Femia wasn't real, but I genuinely believe he will be back this time. They put up a great second half fight against team TeDuits/Estes and I believe they are capable of pulling out a big time upset this week against Team Majkut. If they don't finish the regular season with a win they will get a game against a Bernard/Hastings caliber team, if there's a time a time for the stars to align and them to get a win it's now. Not only I, but America is rooting for y'all also. If they can shoot like they did last week, they have a shot.
12. McNamara (-)
3-8
I actually received some amazing playoff news for this team, Peter White in all likelihood will be back for playoffs. With this addition this team is a whole different animal. As of now coming off a big loss they're not in the greatest of shape, however they have a game against a potential first round opponent next week to try to find themselves again, then they'll have a key player back for the show. This team started out very high and showed potential at the beginning of the season, lost their stride, found it, started playing good, then lost it again. For now they sit at 12, but they could be a legitimate playoff threat.
11. Hecht (-)
2-9
I just can't get a read on this team. They've played some amazing games and probably don't deserve a 2-9 record, as some individual games they outplayed their opponent and they've lost. Then again some games they look like you'd be surprised if they even have one. Last week they took a beating, and this week they do have a chance to bounce back and pick up some steam before playoffs. I think with the upside on this team, and they are definitely not an opponent to be slept on, but they need to play at their best which they've shown in a few games. We'll see what happens in this upcoming game, to see if they can find that high level.
10. Gingras (-)
2-9
I wanted to move this team up I really did. They're the best 2-9 team maybe in league history. I was amazed when I saw they were only 2-9 and had to fact check it going back game by game. If I were to describe them they're that fantasy football team that always scores the 2nd most points, but happens to play the team with the most. They're for real but I couldn't move them up especially after they lost to the team one spot above them, but they can play. The defensive play and the rebounding are among the leagues best, and they a playoff matchup a higher ranked team doesn't want to see next to their name.
9. Majkut (-)
4-7
I swear I'm not just keeping everyone complacent in these rankings, it just so happens the bottom 5, and 6 actually are staying the same. That being said this team has a high ceiling. They have to beat Meyers this week, for momentum and this is a must win game for them in order to keep themselves in the 8/9 line. This team has a championship caliber ceiling, but they haven't shown it once this season. If they can find their stride they'll be good to good, however it's hard to say whether they'll tap into that potential or not. This is why they need to at least win next week. If they lose it'll take a miracle to magically find their ceiling playoff week.
8. Southwick (-1)
6-4
AYE A change, and this drop obviously isn't due to their play, but more because they got a bye at the wrong time. Obviously they reached the high point in their season on their massive win streak, but as of late they've cooled off. I don't know how to rate tem, and again they have a big range of playoff spots they can fall, so a win against team Hecht would definitely help their case.
7. Zolomon (+1)
5-6
Even though they lost they showed a lot last week. They had 5 players... again and they looked surprisingly good against a good team. They had one ball handler, and were missing three key players and another key player got went down leaving them with 0 ball handlers, but with all of these obstacles, they still made it a game until the final buzzer sounded. Next week they'll get to see a more full squad they'll get to see how good they can actually be. When they had a full team at the beginning of the year, they were unstoppable, and no one's seen a full Zolomon squad since week 2, so they're hard to read to say the least.
6.Bernard/Hastings (-1)
8-4
It feels wrong dropping them, and I looked for a way to bump them up, but I just couldn't do it. The fact is they are dead even if not better than than the two teams above them, it's just in terms of the "eye test" last week they did slightly worse than the other two teams. These rankings as of now are split into three tiers the bottom 4 are solid but championship hopeful, 7-9 are question marks and 1-6 are real deal championship contenders. So even though they sit at the bottom of championship contenders don't for a second sleep on this team. They are capable of winning it all without a doubt and even though they have a bye they'll go into next week furiously.
5. TeDuits/Estes (-2)
7-4
They're going to get a very similar write up to Bernard/Hastings, they don't deserve this drop and they are better than the number next to their name. I gave them the slightest edge over Bernard/Hastings due to the tiny bit better play last week. They have the defensive and offensive mix to be a threat in this league and the are 100% a threat to take the title. They are lowkey on a 4 game win streak and get a huge test game against Booth next week to see where they stand. The balance of offense and defensive to really make a run.
4.Strauss (-)
8-3
As of now they are in the drivers seat for a first round bye, win and they're in. They've earned it truly they have. They took my pre-season last place power ranking and laughed at it. They not only have proved that freshman cna play, but have proved they are a legitimate title threat. The chemistry on this team is unmatched. They have a bunch of players who can go off any given week, and every player plays a key role when they play good. They win the games they're supposed to win and that's why they're looking at a bye. This team scary and don't play like freshman to say the least. (With apologies to Cole and Bono I know y'all aren't freshman)
3. O'Wiley (+3)
7-4
This team was ranked 2nd in the pre-season, but then after varsitygate, and injuries and players not showing up we never got to see them at their top potential, and the scary thing is, we still haven't. I could be wrong about this, but I don't think they've had a full team in any of the games. Now they're just dominating teams. They almost don't seem beatable and if I had to guess there's one team that can beat one of the "Big 2" it's O'Wiley. We still haven' seen them so who knows they might be a disaster, but as long as Sam Budreau still exists I like their chances.
2. Manzi (-1)
10-1
Yes... that is a -1 next to their name, yes that is a 1 not a 0 in the loss column, you didn't read that wrong, that wasn't a typo. That being said, this loss definitely humbled them. Now they have fuel into their fire. They shouldn't hang their heads and I don't think they are. This team still does the highest ceiling in the league. Manzi is the real deal and I think it's obvious despite the loss they still are a real deal contender. They have a big time follow up game against Strauss and a win is a big time win, and it'll spring them back right where they need to be.
1. Booth (+1)
10-1
I admit I've had my doubts about this team, and they took my doubts and said, hey Will you're dumb. Good for them too, they've really earned this 10-1 record. As of now they control their own destiny and title town runs through Boothville (That might have been the dumbest thing I've said in my life ever...), and by taking down the top in the league they proved they proved they deserve this top spot. The scary thing is, they won without a 3 key players. Imagine what they can do with the whole team. They look better and better each week and as of now they are the slight favorite over Manzi for the title. They now get a chance to prove themselves even more against TeDuits/Estes. I think I'm going to predict them to lose, not because I actually think they are, but proving me wrong seems to make them play better sooooooo.
Sunday, February 25, 2018
Baller of the Week 12
So funny thing about baller of the week this week, while I am very confident I have the right winners and runners up, I have absolutely no idea who scored how much, there were no scorers this week, I tried and I was uniquely terrible at it, anyway let's get down to the nitty gritty.
Winner: Charlie Willis/Derek Casuso - They did two completely different things, Charlie dropped 27 and was an absolute force in this game, being the biggest scorer in dethroning Mazni, and Derek may have only had 13 (Which is still really good, just not usually enough for baller of the week) however, he hit the two gutsiet free throws, maybe in rec ball regular season history. Down by 1 with no time on the clock against an undefeated team. Kids got ice in his veins and good for these two.
Runner up: Drew Stone - Unofficially but fairly confidently he had 31 points and dropped more than 60% of team Bernards points in a big win for them.
Honorable mentions: So this is when it's going to get messy, there will be point ranges, and there will be forgotten people who deserve a mention, again I am terribly sorry about this.
Bradley and Ryan Teduits - They both had 18 points leading team TeDuits to another win, and firming up a possible 3 seed.
Alex Bushnell - 9-50 points, sorry man I didn't see the game I just heard he balled out, and hit shots lights out.
Alex Sellers - 15-35 points and an aggressive amount of rebounds.
Will Zimmon - 13-21 points, and played solid a solid substitute in the absence of a star player
Riley Curran - 14-22 points and came up big in the clutch leading his team to a win
Avi Somethingwhocares - 17 points and 5 threes
Jared Phelps - 9 points on laser shooting behind the arc
Justin Kava.... - 14-20 points in almost leading an upset
Kyle Plausse - 23-27 points and almost had a game winner before the infamous Caruso free throws
Kasey Griffiths - 15-24 points and dominated the paint
Peter Eldredge - 4-12 points and 13-94 rebounds
Winner: Charlie Willis/Derek Casuso - They did two completely different things, Charlie dropped 27 and was an absolute force in this game, being the biggest scorer in dethroning Mazni, and Derek may have only had 13 (Which is still really good, just not usually enough for baller of the week) however, he hit the two gutsiet free throws, maybe in rec ball regular season history. Down by 1 with no time on the clock against an undefeated team. Kids got ice in his veins and good for these two.
Runner up: Drew Stone - Unofficially but fairly confidently he had 31 points and dropped more than 60% of team Bernards points in a big win for them.
Honorable mentions: So this is when it's going to get messy, there will be point ranges, and there will be forgotten people who deserve a mention, again I am terribly sorry about this.
Bradley and Ryan Teduits - They both had 18 points leading team TeDuits to another win, and firming up a possible 3 seed.
Alex Bushnell - 9-50 points, sorry man I didn't see the game I just heard he balled out, and hit shots lights out.
Alex Sellers - 15-35 points and an aggressive amount of rebounds.
Will Zimmon - 13-21 points, and played solid a solid substitute in the absence of a star player
Riley Curran - 14-22 points and came up big in the clutch leading his team to a win
Avi Somethingwhocares - 17 points and 5 threes
Jared Phelps - 9 points on laser shooting behind the arc
Justin Kava.... - 14-20 points in almost leading an upset
Kyle Plausse - 23-27 points and almost had a game winner before the infamous Caruso free throws
Kasey Griffiths - 15-24 points and dominated the paint
Peter Eldredge - 4-12 points and 13-94 rebounds
Week 12 Results
TeDuits/Estes vs. Meyers
65-54
So nevermind about debut 2 of Joey Femia, but this game was actually closer than expected, then again the score doesn't really tell the complete story, TeDuits/Estes still won very comfortably. Meyers has one more shot next week to pick up that first win, but I think we all had a fair idea in our mind that this week wouldn't be their week as Team Estes/TeDuits is for real.
Zolomon vs. Bernard/Hastings
50-45
This was actually an incredibly competitive game. Zolomon had 5 players, but has that ever not happened? It wasn't a total mismatch though Bernard/Hastings only had 6. Buzzer to buzzer both teams showed extreme heart and in the end Bernard/Hastings press proved to be too much for Team Zolomon.
Gingras vs. Majkut
55-52
First of all my deepest condolences for the worst clock work possibly in rec ball history, to be fair it was my debut and I was alone, but nevertheless, it was ugly, and I am sorry. The game itself however was far more pretty. Team Majkut would pull up with 8 or 9 point leads and Team Majkut would just cut them down immediately. They made an amazing run at the end of the game and came up just short as Majkut just held on to the win.
O'Wiley vs. McNamara
47-29
I didn't get to see this one, but from the score it's fair to assume that O'Wiley was able to play defense on an elite level. Team McNamara has looked like an offensive revelation in the past three games, but today they haven't tapped into what they have in the past few weeks. OWiley is starting to find their rhythm and are looking like a top tier playoff team.
Strauss vs. Hecht
62-43
So I said I had a gut feeling about team Hecht, I think I jinxed them. Team Strauss found their stride again which they haven't had over the past few weeks, and they proved they are also a legitimate contender. Team Hecht has shown some fight this year, but haven't been consistent in three straight games all season, hopefully they can find it in the playoffs.
Booth vs. Manzi
51-50
I pinched myself plural times. I went to a pig breeder and tossed one air, it flew so now I didn't get an animal cruelty charge. I don't think this happened, I don't think this is real. Booth was missing plural Booths and Andrew Door. There is no logical reason they should have won, that being said, they did and proved they're for real. The game was fantastic, and was close all throughout. Kyle Plausse hit a layup with 8 seconds left to push the score to 50-49, but as time expired Derek Caruso drove and got to the free throw line. Then after two ice cold free throws Manzi's perfect season ended. S/o to this team because they've been proving me wrong all year, and did in in the of 29 points off of what I predicted.
65-54
So nevermind about debut 2 of Joey Femia, but this game was actually closer than expected, then again the score doesn't really tell the complete story, TeDuits/Estes still won very comfortably. Meyers has one more shot next week to pick up that first win, but I think we all had a fair idea in our mind that this week wouldn't be their week as Team Estes/TeDuits is for real.
Zolomon vs. Bernard/Hastings
50-45
This was actually an incredibly competitive game. Zolomon had 5 players, but has that ever not happened? It wasn't a total mismatch though Bernard/Hastings only had 6. Buzzer to buzzer both teams showed extreme heart and in the end Bernard/Hastings press proved to be too much for Team Zolomon.
Gingras vs. Majkut
55-52
First of all my deepest condolences for the worst clock work possibly in rec ball history, to be fair it was my debut and I was alone, but nevertheless, it was ugly, and I am sorry. The game itself however was far more pretty. Team Majkut would pull up with 8 or 9 point leads and Team Majkut would just cut them down immediately. They made an amazing run at the end of the game and came up just short as Majkut just held on to the win.
O'Wiley vs. McNamara
47-29
I didn't get to see this one, but from the score it's fair to assume that O'Wiley was able to play defense on an elite level. Team McNamara has looked like an offensive revelation in the past three games, but today they haven't tapped into what they have in the past few weeks. OWiley is starting to find their rhythm and are looking like a top tier playoff team.
Strauss vs. Hecht
62-43
So I said I had a gut feeling about team Hecht, I think I jinxed them. Team Strauss found their stride again which they haven't had over the past few weeks, and they proved they are also a legitimate contender. Team Hecht has shown some fight this year, but haven't been consistent in three straight games all season, hopefully they can find it in the playoffs.
Booth vs. Manzi
51-50
I pinched myself plural times. I went to a pig breeder and tossed one air, it flew so now I didn't get an animal cruelty charge. I don't think this happened, I don't think this is real. Booth was missing plural Booths and Andrew Door. There is no logical reason they should have won, that being said, they did and proved they're for real. The game was fantastic, and was close all throughout. Kyle Plausse hit a layup with 8 seconds left to push the score to 50-49, but as time expired Derek Caruso drove and got to the free throw line. Then after two ice cold free throws Manzi's perfect season ended. S/o to this team because they've been proving me wrong all year, and did in in the of 29 points off of what I predicted.
Saturday, February 24, 2018
Week 12 Predictions
Meyers vs. Estes/Teduits
47-40
The long awaited second of debut of Joey Femia will be spoiled by the tenacious defense of team Estes/TeDuits. There's been a lot of trash talk between both sides, and while I believe Femia will prove himself, the defense will be too much to handle as Team Meyers will scrape out whatever offense they can get.
Bernard/Hastings vs. Zolomon
55-53
Two reasons I'm leaning this way, 1.The Zolomon team is red hot and have proven they can beat top tier teams, and 2. These two teams practiced together and Zolomon generally had the edge. That being said Bernard/Hastings is a completely different animal, than they were before. These two teams are very similar in play style and we should see a spectacular game.
Gingras vs Majkut
47-43
This is surprisingly interesting matchup. Team Majkut has been all over the place this season and it's hard to say which Majkut team is actually going to show up. On the other hand, Gingras is playing at the highest level they have all year, and are a far better opponent than they were earlier in the year. I'll take Majkut due to the hockey season ending, but honestly this is a intriguing game.
O'Wiley vs. McNamara
61-44
The good news is for Team McNamara is they're peaking at a good time, the bad news they ran into a red hot O'Wiley where they are simply out matched. I can see a situation where McNamara does keeps it close, but Sam has been too good for O'Wiley not to pick up a win.
Booth vs. Manzi
67-39
So in this 1-2 you'd think I'd pick it to be closer. Well I've been informed many of the Booth squad will not be in attendance. This isn't the real Booth team therefore I don't see this being a real game. Had the full team been there, I still probably would have picked Manzi, but in far closer game. It would have been far more intriguing, but with who is projected to show up, I'm sorry I just see no way this ends close.
Hecht vs. Strauss
44-43
I honestly can't give you a reason why I have this game so close, truthfully I think Strauss is probably a 10 point better team. I just having a gut feeling about Team Hecht this week, and my gut is right about 30% of the time sooooo. That being said Strauss have proved week in and week out, I'm predicting a poor shooting game for them where they bounce back in the final 3 minutes and pull out a win.
47-40
The long awaited second of debut of Joey Femia will be spoiled by the tenacious defense of team Estes/TeDuits. There's been a lot of trash talk between both sides, and while I believe Femia will prove himself, the defense will be too much to handle as Team Meyers will scrape out whatever offense they can get.
Bernard/Hastings vs. Zolomon
55-53
Two reasons I'm leaning this way, 1.The Zolomon team is red hot and have proven they can beat top tier teams, and 2. These two teams practiced together and Zolomon generally had the edge. That being said Bernard/Hastings is a completely different animal, than they were before. These two teams are very similar in play style and we should see a spectacular game.
Gingras vs Majkut
47-43
This is surprisingly interesting matchup. Team Majkut has been all over the place this season and it's hard to say which Majkut team is actually going to show up. On the other hand, Gingras is playing at the highest level they have all year, and are a far better opponent than they were earlier in the year. I'll take Majkut due to the hockey season ending, but honestly this is a intriguing game.
O'Wiley vs. McNamara
61-44
The good news is for Team McNamara is they're peaking at a good time, the bad news they ran into a red hot O'Wiley where they are simply out matched. I can see a situation where McNamara does keeps it close, but Sam has been too good for O'Wiley not to pick up a win.
Booth vs. Manzi
67-39
So in this 1-2 you'd think I'd pick it to be closer. Well I've been informed many of the Booth squad will not be in attendance. This isn't the real Booth team therefore I don't see this being a real game. Had the full team been there, I still probably would have picked Manzi, but in far closer game. It would have been far more intriguing, but with who is projected to show up, I'm sorry I just see no way this ends close.
Hecht vs. Strauss
44-43
I honestly can't give you a reason why I have this game so close, truthfully I think Strauss is probably a 10 point better team. I just having a gut feeling about Team Hecht this week, and my gut is right about 30% of the time sooooo. That being said Strauss have proved week in and week out, I'm predicting a poor shooting game for them where they bounce back in the final 3 minutes and pull out a win.
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