Friday, January 31, 2020
Rec Reminder
A reminder from the Rec League: The LA parking lot is adjacent to residential buildings. Please drive slowly and keep your music and voices down, especially for nighttime practices, and be respectful at all times. Remember, we are guests of LA and can be asked to leave if our League’s presence there causes a problem.
Monday, January 27, 2020
Week 7 Baller of the Week
Baller of the Week: This week's baller of the week goes to star junior Will Bordes. Will scored a very impressive 26 points which was the most out of anyone this week. The highly anticipated matchup between Derek Caruso and Will sadly never happened and without Derek showing up Will was able to take over. Bordes is certainly in the hunt for MVP and it will likely ride on how far he can take team Azivino.
Honorable Mention: I hate to be this guy, but Simon kinda balled out against team Kelly. They simply had no answer for him. He dropped a 25 bomb and due to a Sammy Eggiman injured wrist he had easier matchups to expose. Recently he's stopped shooting the 3 ball due to an inability to make them, but he started shooting them again on Sunday and boy could he make them. He's a bit like Zion Williamson the way he explodes to the hoop, a true talent.
Honorable Mention: Matt Fordguy isn't really known for his basketball ability and is only talked about as a soccer player. However his incredible put back ability and efficiency driving to the hoop helped him score 15 and lead Strauss to a big win. Team Strauss is really asserting themselves as a threat this year with there big three.
Honorable Mention: I hate to be this guy, but Simon kinda balled out against team Kelly. They simply had no answer for him. He dropped a 25 bomb and due to a Sammy Eggiman injured wrist he had easier matchups to expose. Recently he's stopped shooting the 3 ball due to an inability to make them, but he started shooting them again on Sunday and boy could he make them. He's a bit like Zion Williamson the way he explodes to the hoop, a true talent.
Honorable Mention: Matt Fordguy isn't really known for his basketball ability and is only talked about as a soccer player. However his incredible put back ability and efficiency driving to the hoop helped him score 15 and lead Strauss to a big win. Team Strauss is really asserting themselves as a threat this year with there big three.
Sunday, January 26, 2020
Week 7 Results
Anzivino vs Bonaventura
47-24
A bit of a shock to start week 7 off with powerhouse team Bonaventura picking up just their 2nd loss of the season. Will Bordes led the way once again outscoring team Bonaventura on his own with 26 points. This isn't the first time he's strapped team Anzivino to his back and carried them to a win. A possible dark horse candidate for MVP. However the big headline of the game was the no show of star Derek Caruso. If he prioritizes his Zoomba classes over basketball again coach Boaventura could get pretty angry with him.
Strauss vs Cianci
52-25
Team Cianci wasn't able to keep the same energy going after last weeks win and fell to team Strauss. Fordham did the majority of the early scoring for team Strauss and the rest of the team was able to keep the train moving. Team Strauss kept a 10-15 lead for Strauss for the majority of the game, but as team Cianci without a sub began to tire, team Strauss started scoring at will. Unlike most of the other teams in this league, everyone scores a decent amount for team Strauss rather than a one man show.
Mcnamara vs Dzwonek
34-25
It's amazing, it seems like team Dzwonek gets worse by the week. Gotta put this one on the main man Stevie D who considers himself a star, but only scored 4. He's a spray and prey type player only launching the 3 ball and it just wasn't falling today. Mcnamara somehow is 3-4 and has finally got their first win without Castro. This was a classic bottom of the standings battle, a very low scoring affair and Curtis was the only player to break double digits with 15 points. Many people like to joke that team Mcnamara are the worst in the league, but with each win they are slowly gaining more and more respect.
Jarboe vs Kelly
55-53
One of the scrappiest games of the season gave us one of our closer finishes of the season. Two teams each missing one of their stars with Sammy and Brendan injured. Jarboe began on a 12-0 run with the three's raining early, but Kelly was able to keep it close for most of the first half. Similar to the Strauss-Cianci game, team Jarboe began slowing down with no subs and Kelly started making runs. The final 8 minutes we're incredibly hectic with three's being traded back and forth. Chandler scored a career high 25 points, but it was freshman Wes Garriboto who put the game on ice with a clutch field goal. If it wasn't for Josh Booth this game may have gotten out of hand. He was gobbling up boards and gained team Kelly an extra few possessions in both halves.
teDuits vs Donaruma
54-33
A great team effort by team teDuits who didn't need the twins to ball out. They had 5 players score over 7 points and also played some impressive defense. Team Donaruma now has 6 losses and is now destined to be a bottom seed for playoffs. It seems like the Evan injury has really hurt this team and the word on the street is Alex Bushnell's been going through a shooting slump and really struggling from behind the arc. After a tough week, no one needed this win more than Jared Phelps who was as hot as a cup of coffee.
47-24
A bit of a shock to start week 7 off with powerhouse team Bonaventura picking up just their 2nd loss of the season. Will Bordes led the way once again outscoring team Bonaventura on his own with 26 points. This isn't the first time he's strapped team Anzivino to his back and carried them to a win. A possible dark horse candidate for MVP. However the big headline of the game was the no show of star Derek Caruso. If he prioritizes his Zoomba classes over basketball again coach Boaventura could get pretty angry with him.
Strauss vs Cianci
52-25
Team Cianci wasn't able to keep the same energy going after last weeks win and fell to team Strauss. Fordham did the majority of the early scoring for team Strauss and the rest of the team was able to keep the train moving. Team Strauss kept a 10-15 lead for Strauss for the majority of the game, but as team Cianci without a sub began to tire, team Strauss started scoring at will. Unlike most of the other teams in this league, everyone scores a decent amount for team Strauss rather than a one man show.
Mcnamara vs Dzwonek
34-25
It's amazing, it seems like team Dzwonek gets worse by the week. Gotta put this one on the main man Stevie D who considers himself a star, but only scored 4. He's a spray and prey type player only launching the 3 ball and it just wasn't falling today. Mcnamara somehow is 3-4 and has finally got their first win without Castro. This was a classic bottom of the standings battle, a very low scoring affair and Curtis was the only player to break double digits with 15 points. Many people like to joke that team Mcnamara are the worst in the league, but with each win they are slowly gaining more and more respect.
Jarboe vs Kelly
55-53
One of the scrappiest games of the season gave us one of our closer finishes of the season. Two teams each missing one of their stars with Sammy and Brendan injured. Jarboe began on a 12-0 run with the three's raining early, but Kelly was able to keep it close for most of the first half. Similar to the Strauss-Cianci game, team Jarboe began slowing down with no subs and Kelly started making runs. The final 8 minutes we're incredibly hectic with three's being traded back and forth. Chandler scored a career high 25 points, but it was freshman Wes Garriboto who put the game on ice with a clutch field goal. If it wasn't for Josh Booth this game may have gotten out of hand. He was gobbling up boards and gained team Kelly an extra few possessions in both halves.
teDuits vs Donaruma
54-33
A great team effort by team teDuits who didn't need the twins to ball out. They had 5 players score over 7 points and also played some impressive defense. Team Donaruma now has 6 losses and is now destined to be a bottom seed for playoffs. It seems like the Evan injury has really hurt this team and the word on the street is Alex Bushnell's been going through a shooting slump and really struggling from behind the arc. After a tough week, no one needed this win more than Jared Phelps who was as hot as a cup of coffee.
Saturday, January 25, 2020
Week 6 Power Rankings
10. Dzwonek (-1)
The losses keep coming for team Dzwonek and they find themselves sitting dead last after 6 weeks of basketball. After the draft everyone thought this team had what it takes to make a run for the chip. The leadership in Cole and Steve, the strength in Tommy, the speed in Bobby (Ethan Ebersman), and even the impressively flat chin thanks to Sam. They have it all, but this all hasn't turned into wins for some reason or another. They've noticeably struggled with defense and making the easy shot's. Luckily they have the leagues 2nd worst team this upcoming week and can maybe trade spots if things go to plan.
9. Mcnamara (-2)
I'm still amazed by the confidence that this team holds. Senior leader EMAC has continued to vouch for his team which is clearly struggling and there is little hope for this team with Castelano's poor attendance. This past week team Mcnamara's one positive was the production of the two units in the paint who go by Josh and Warren, but we'd be shocked if it continues with a slightly stronger and taller matchup facing them this upcoming week.
8. Donaruma (-2)
Sadly team Donaruama keeps losing and they keep moving down the power rankings. They we're able to hold their own against a solid team Bonaventura, but they fall to 1-5 and a long way from the top. It has to be said that this team is really failing to live up to they hype that was surrounding them after the addition of Jussaume. They got to play some of the easier opponents earlier this season and it looks like this stretch of Bonaventura and teDuits is just gonna set them even farther back.
7. Cianci (+3)
Team Cianci was able to pick up their first win in what seems like ages against Anzivino. I'd love to move this team up higher, but a good portion of their scoring came from Klam who has about a one in a hundred chance to replicate that performance. Dillon Cianci despite being one of the smaller players in the league still has a big bag of tricks and is a true point guard for this team and if they can get more players showing up they have a chance to start making some real noise.
6. Anzivino (-2)
Right when everyone gets their hopes up for this team, it all comes crashing down and after a loss to team Cianci team Anzivino falls back to #7. They've got a decent team built around the talented guard Will Bordes, but the combo of Sturmo and Zach who struggle to finish around the rim isn't enough to get consistent wins. They're incredible rebounders, but for this team to win more, there has to be more production on offense from the two.
5. Jarboe (+3)
Finally a good performance from team Jarboe. In a must win matchup against team Mcnamara, team Jarboe was able to put together some solid runs and pull out the win. Just when everything looked like it was going well for the team, star shooter Brendan Ferrari's pesky knee injury came back and has him out for another few weeks. With some very important games coming in the next few weeks, the scoring will be put on the shoulders of star senior combo Jarboe and Chandler. It's very possible that it's Harold's infectious smile that's helping these boys play better.
4. Kelly (+1)
Im not completely sure how this has happened, but after a close loss to team teDuits this past week team Kelly bumps up a spot. They were short their senior Big Red (Sammy Eggiman) and still found a way to keep things close with the power house of the league team teDuits. With reports that Josh Booth has really stepped up his game, everyone in the rec league is starting to believe that team Kelly is the real deal.
3. Bonaventura (-)
A good season continues to roll for team Bonaventura who have taken the league by surprise since day one. After surprising the league by taking the joke of the league Ryan Bernard, coach Bonaventura has done nothing but impress everyone who's payed attention. They still have the game against team teDuits coming up in a few weeks time, but otherwise it looks like smooth sailing for a while.
2. Strauss (-)
The first half of team Strauss's week 6 win raised some eyebrows as the Whitby-less lineup failed to impress, but they showed their talent with a strong 2nd performance. Regardless they are on a roll and it doesn't look like anyone can stop them at the moment. Besides a week 2 hiccup to team teDuits, Jake Strauss and company have balled out. No surprise to see them at 5-1 so far.
1. teDuits (-)
Same old story, Brad played well, Colin played mediocre, and the rest of the team played great. Not a whole lot more to say.
The losses keep coming for team Dzwonek and they find themselves sitting dead last after 6 weeks of basketball. After the draft everyone thought this team had what it takes to make a run for the chip. The leadership in Cole and Steve, the strength in Tommy, the speed in Bobby (Ethan Ebersman), and even the impressively flat chin thanks to Sam. They have it all, but this all hasn't turned into wins for some reason or another. They've noticeably struggled with defense and making the easy shot's. Luckily they have the leagues 2nd worst team this upcoming week and can maybe trade spots if things go to plan.
9. Mcnamara (-2)
I'm still amazed by the confidence that this team holds. Senior leader EMAC has continued to vouch for his team which is clearly struggling and there is little hope for this team with Castelano's poor attendance. This past week team Mcnamara's one positive was the production of the two units in the paint who go by Josh and Warren, but we'd be shocked if it continues with a slightly stronger and taller matchup facing them this upcoming week.
8. Donaruma (-2)
Sadly team Donaruama keeps losing and they keep moving down the power rankings. They we're able to hold their own against a solid team Bonaventura, but they fall to 1-5 and a long way from the top. It has to be said that this team is really failing to live up to they hype that was surrounding them after the addition of Jussaume. They got to play some of the easier opponents earlier this season and it looks like this stretch of Bonaventura and teDuits is just gonna set them even farther back.
7. Cianci (+3)
Team Cianci was able to pick up their first win in what seems like ages against Anzivino. I'd love to move this team up higher, but a good portion of their scoring came from Klam who has about a one in a hundred chance to replicate that performance. Dillon Cianci despite being one of the smaller players in the league still has a big bag of tricks and is a true point guard for this team and if they can get more players showing up they have a chance to start making some real noise.
6. Anzivino (-2)
Right when everyone gets their hopes up for this team, it all comes crashing down and after a loss to team Cianci team Anzivino falls back to #7. They've got a decent team built around the talented guard Will Bordes, but the combo of Sturmo and Zach who struggle to finish around the rim isn't enough to get consistent wins. They're incredible rebounders, but for this team to win more, there has to be more production on offense from the two.
5. Jarboe (+3)
Finally a good performance from team Jarboe. In a must win matchup against team Mcnamara, team Jarboe was able to put together some solid runs and pull out the win. Just when everything looked like it was going well for the team, star shooter Brendan Ferrari's pesky knee injury came back and has him out for another few weeks. With some very important games coming in the next few weeks, the scoring will be put on the shoulders of star senior combo Jarboe and Chandler. It's very possible that it's Harold's infectious smile that's helping these boys play better.
4. Kelly (+1)
Im not completely sure how this has happened, but after a close loss to team teDuits this past week team Kelly bumps up a spot. They were short their senior Big Red (Sammy Eggiman) and still found a way to keep things close with the power house of the league team teDuits. With reports that Josh Booth has really stepped up his game, everyone in the rec league is starting to believe that team Kelly is the real deal.
3. Bonaventura (-)
A good season continues to roll for team Bonaventura who have taken the league by surprise since day one. After surprising the league by taking the joke of the league Ryan Bernard, coach Bonaventura has done nothing but impress everyone who's payed attention. They still have the game against team teDuits coming up in a few weeks time, but otherwise it looks like smooth sailing for a while.
2. Strauss (-)
The first half of team Strauss's week 6 win raised some eyebrows as the Whitby-less lineup failed to impress, but they showed their talent with a strong 2nd performance. Regardless they are on a roll and it doesn't look like anyone can stop them at the moment. Besides a week 2 hiccup to team teDuits, Jake Strauss and company have balled out. No surprise to see them at 5-1 so far.
1. teDuits (-)
Same old story, Brad played well, Colin played mediocre, and the rest of the team played great. Not a whole lot more to say.
Monday, January 20, 2020
Week 6 Baller of the Week
Baller of the Week: This may come as a complete and utter shock to many, but despite his team losing he gave them a chance to pull off the unthinkable. So this weeks baller of the week is Sammy Eggiman. He again didn't show up and this was super important for team Kelly keeping it close with team teDuits. Known around the league for his inability to score, not showing up let talented players get more minutes and I think he made the smart call by staying home this morning. #TeamplayerSammy
Honorable Mentions:
Bradley teDuits: Brad finds himself in the column again for an impressive 28 points which leads the league for this week. He must've had some anger inside of him because he took a zillion shots and thanks to a stoke of luck he hit a few as well. He's making his case for league MVP stronger and stronger by the day and it's only been the elite defenders of the league who have held him to less than 15.
Jon Eisenklam: This will likely be as big of a shock to all of you as it was to me playing along side him. Klam who's known for his lack of talent despite massive stature finally found his stoke Sunday morning. He came out with back to back 3's which caught everyone off guard. When it was all said and done, Klam put up 14 points and only missed one shot. On defense he blocked 2-3 shots and also slapped the backboard a couple times which was really, really, really, cool.
Simon Chandler: Wow, impressive to say the least. Without his partner in crime (Max Jarboe) down low setting screens. Chandler was still able to put up 19 points and lead team Jarboe to a much needed win. His raw talent is undeniable and despite a clear struggle shooting the three ball, he can still put up a solid point total week after week.
Honorable Mentions:
Bradley teDuits: Brad finds himself in the column again for an impressive 28 points which leads the league for this week. He must've had some anger inside of him because he took a zillion shots and thanks to a stoke of luck he hit a few as well. He's making his case for league MVP stronger and stronger by the day and it's only been the elite defenders of the league who have held him to less than 15.
Jon Eisenklam: This will likely be as big of a shock to all of you as it was to me playing along side him. Klam who's known for his lack of talent despite massive stature finally found his stoke Sunday morning. He came out with back to back 3's which caught everyone off guard. When it was all said and done, Klam put up 14 points and only missed one shot. On defense he blocked 2-3 shots and also slapped the backboard a couple times which was really, really, really, cool.
Simon Chandler: Wow, impressive to say the least. Without his partner in crime (Max Jarboe) down low setting screens. Chandler was still able to put up 19 points and lead team Jarboe to a much needed win. His raw talent is undeniable and despite a clear struggle shooting the three ball, he can still put up a solid point total week after week.
Sunday, January 19, 2020
Week 6 Results
Strauss vs Dzwonek
48-36
The early game was exciting for the first half, but as team Strauss started to gain confidence they were able to pull away from team Dzwonek. The two teams were tied at the half and this looked like it could be a close game to the end. Sadly Stevie who's quite a streaky shooter couldn't hit his shots in the 2nd half and Strauss was able to pick up their fourth win in a row. Despite team Dzwonek losing there is certainly hope throughout the league that team Strauss is there for the taking. They didn't look nearly as threatening as they do with Whitby healthy.
Jarboe vs Mcnamara
48-43
Despite only have 6 players for almost all of the game, team Jarboe was able to get their season back on track with a vital win against team Mcnamara. Chandler led the way with 19 points and was able to help team Jarboe keep a 5 to 10 point lead the whole game. Curtis and company started making a run at the end of the game, but it came up short despite Dummont hitting two huge corner threes. Most of Mcnamara's success came from exposing the lack of height on team Jarboe by finding their combination of bigs down low. Make of it what you will but my favorite stat of the season holds true with Mcnamara now being 0-4 without Castro and 2-0 with him.
teDuits vs Kelly
58-53
The train keeps rolling for team teDuits who are still undefeated improving to 6-0. Team Kelly without Sammy was no match for the stacked team teDuits. Bradley led the way with an impressive 28 point performance, but the news circling after the game was that Colin couldn't get it done without Brad on the floor. We've been aware of the Colin's limited offensive game and it hasn't hurt them too much yet, but it's very possible that it will hurt them when playoffs come around. Despite team teDuits being outstanding so far they are known for being choke artists come playoff time. Team Kelly did well to stay with teDuits and this loss is nothing to be ashamed of. We also heard Josh was causing big issues for team teDuits so maybe that is something they can exploit going forward.
Cianci vs Anzivino
40-38
If you were just watching the start of this game you may think team Cianci would've blown Anzivino out of the water. This however was not the case. Cianci went up 21-8 to start the game, but than failed to score for the rest of the half and let Anzivino back into it. Team Cianci, being quite small couldn't find a way to deal with both Zach and Ivan and with 2 minutes left the Cianci lead was down to 4 points. A big bucket by Ivan brought them within 2 and the ball with only 8 seconds left. After a timeout by Anzivino all eyes went to Will to see what he'd pull out of the bag, but it wasn't Will who got the ball. Ivan took the last shot and it missed by a few inches. Will put up 18 points, but that wasn't enough to beat a surprising team Cianci.
Boanventura vs Donaruma
50-40
Another tight game to start was blown open by the end by the better team. This looked like it could go either way for much of the first half, but the talent of team Bonaventura was too much for Donaruma to handle in the end. Derek once again put up a good display on offense scoring 17 points, but I think more credit should go to the monster himself Ryan Bernard. Coming into the season, I don't think anyone thought Ryan would score even a single bucket, but now he's an important leader for team Bono.
48-36
The early game was exciting for the first half, but as team Strauss started to gain confidence they were able to pull away from team Dzwonek. The two teams were tied at the half and this looked like it could be a close game to the end. Sadly Stevie who's quite a streaky shooter couldn't hit his shots in the 2nd half and Strauss was able to pick up their fourth win in a row. Despite team Dzwonek losing there is certainly hope throughout the league that team Strauss is there for the taking. They didn't look nearly as threatening as they do with Whitby healthy.
Jarboe vs Mcnamara
48-43
Despite only have 6 players for almost all of the game, team Jarboe was able to get their season back on track with a vital win against team Mcnamara. Chandler led the way with 19 points and was able to help team Jarboe keep a 5 to 10 point lead the whole game. Curtis and company started making a run at the end of the game, but it came up short despite Dummont hitting two huge corner threes. Most of Mcnamara's success came from exposing the lack of height on team Jarboe by finding their combination of bigs down low. Make of it what you will but my favorite stat of the season holds true with Mcnamara now being 0-4 without Castro and 2-0 with him.
teDuits vs Kelly
58-53
The train keeps rolling for team teDuits who are still undefeated improving to 6-0. Team Kelly without Sammy was no match for the stacked team teDuits. Bradley led the way with an impressive 28 point performance, but the news circling after the game was that Colin couldn't get it done without Brad on the floor. We've been aware of the Colin's limited offensive game and it hasn't hurt them too much yet, but it's very possible that it will hurt them when playoffs come around. Despite team teDuits being outstanding so far they are known for being choke artists come playoff time. Team Kelly did well to stay with teDuits and this loss is nothing to be ashamed of. We also heard Josh was causing big issues for team teDuits so maybe that is something they can exploit going forward.
Cianci vs Anzivino
40-38
If you were just watching the start of this game you may think team Cianci would've blown Anzivino out of the water. This however was not the case. Cianci went up 21-8 to start the game, but than failed to score for the rest of the half and let Anzivino back into it. Team Cianci, being quite small couldn't find a way to deal with both Zach and Ivan and with 2 minutes left the Cianci lead was down to 4 points. A big bucket by Ivan brought them within 2 and the ball with only 8 seconds left. After a timeout by Anzivino all eyes went to Will to see what he'd pull out of the bag, but it wasn't Will who got the ball. Ivan took the last shot and it missed by a few inches. Will put up 18 points, but that wasn't enough to beat a surprising team Cianci.
Boanventura vs Donaruma
50-40
Another tight game to start was blown open by the end by the better team. This looked like it could go either way for much of the first half, but the talent of team Bonaventura was too much for Donaruma to handle in the end. Derek once again put up a good display on offense scoring 17 points, but I think more credit should go to the monster himself Ryan Bernard. Coming into the season, I don't think anyone thought Ryan would score even a single bucket, but now he's an important leader for team Bono.
Week 5 Power Rankings
10. Cianci
Obviously it's tough to say they really lost to team Mcnamara as they only had 3 of their own players show up, but I think it's fair to involve team attendance in the power rankings. This team has found it incredibly hard to string together wins because they hardly ever show up. They got a surprise week 1 win and it's quite frankly all gone downhill from there. I can't vouch for putting team Cianci any higher than 10 because they just lost to our former 10 seed. The scary thing is no matter how bad they look now, with so much talent staying in bed Sunday mornings, when it gets time for playoffs they could surprise people with the talent which was often not on display during the regular season.
9. Dzwonek (-4)
I think I've been letting team Dzwonek off the hook and I'm not really sure why. They've been able to mull about in the top 5 for far too long now and with only one win on the season, they're tied for the worst record in the league. This should be a wake up call for all of team Dzwonek because the level of play from many of their players has been unacceptable. Is this a result of their players not putting the work in during the week? It's very possible. League sources say wannabe star player Sam Smethurst is yet to practice once this year. I think it's the confidence that good things will happen without work that's killing this whole team not just Sam.
8. Jarboe (+1)
I almost wish I could make all 3 of the team's down here at the bottom be ranked #10 because letting team Jarboe be 8 is almost generous. They got absolutely smoked by team teDuits which should partially be credited to the loss of Brendan, but regardless the 5 that did show up were a bit of a let down. Looking forward, team Jarboe has an incredibly important game against team Mcnamara this upcoming week which will could have an effect on where these teams end up in comparison to each other for playoffs.
7. Mcnamara (+3)
Once again Mcnamara scores themselves a win against an opposition without many of their best players. At the end of the day a wins a win and they currently have more of them than three other teams so they must be doing something right. It seems like simple math to me, when Castro shows up, team Mcnamara is 2-0 and when he doesn't, they're 0-3. From being a nomination for last years worst player of the year award to now being a clear impact player, it's incredible to watch the strides such a terrible athlete can make.
6. Donaruma (-3)
I'm sure team Donaruma doesn't have to worry, but they are still 1-4 and despite having the boost of adding Nick, the loss of Evan may be too much for them. Bush has been a big positive for them this season and his ability to score the basketball has been possibly the most consistent in the league. All the talk about how they're actually a solid team goes out the window if they can't win and they, barring a surprise upset against team Bonaventura, they very well may be 1-5. Tough.
5. Kelly (+2)
A very solid and scrappy performance by team Kelly is good enough to bring them to the 5 spot. They did a great job limiting the scoring of star Stevie Dzwonek and once again it's the freshman of team Kelly that shine. I'm still a firm believer that you can't go far without a proven scorer and I don't think you can name anyone in the league who thinks Sammy Eggiman is a threat.
4. Anzivino (+2)
Three wins on the bounce for team Anzivino and they're emerging as one of the hotter teams in the league right now. Will is getting things to click on offense and people are really struggling to stop the closest thing the league has to Zion Williamson (Logan Hillberg). The headline for this team so far has to be the emergence of Ivan Sturm as a rather skilled big man. He could be making a quiet run for most improved this year.
3. Bonaventura (-)
It was a tough loss for team Bonaventura, but in all honesty they really didn't look that bad. Bernard and Caruso got in foul trouble and it's very possible that had they been able to play at the end they could've won. Coming within a clock expiring 3 pointer for Bono really isn't a bad result and maybe if a couple calls went there way they would've been in business. Regardless they only have one loss on the season and shouldn't be too worried.
2. Strauss (-)
An impressive win for team Strauss, but celebrations were shortlived because possible Rec MVP Jared Whitby went down with and injury which will likely have him sidelined for awhile. This is still a very talented team even without Whitby, but this is a huge loss. Some teams may look to take advantage of team Strauss's lack of height which without Whitby is even more evident. I think everyones excited to see if Jake can carry the offensive load on his own.
1. teDuits (-)
Starting to look like team teDuits really are head and shoulders above everyone else. They are ripping teams apart and these games aren't even close. Going into the season the only hope for the rest of the league was that the supporting cast around Brad and Col would be weak and they are the exact opposite. Alex Caruso's led the team in scoring last game and he's not the only one making an impact. This team is stacked plain and simple.
Obviously it's tough to say they really lost to team Mcnamara as they only had 3 of their own players show up, but I think it's fair to involve team attendance in the power rankings. This team has found it incredibly hard to string together wins because they hardly ever show up. They got a surprise week 1 win and it's quite frankly all gone downhill from there. I can't vouch for putting team Cianci any higher than 10 because they just lost to our former 10 seed. The scary thing is no matter how bad they look now, with so much talent staying in bed Sunday mornings, when it gets time for playoffs they could surprise people with the talent which was often not on display during the regular season.
9. Dzwonek (-4)
I think I've been letting team Dzwonek off the hook and I'm not really sure why. They've been able to mull about in the top 5 for far too long now and with only one win on the season, they're tied for the worst record in the league. This should be a wake up call for all of team Dzwonek because the level of play from many of their players has been unacceptable. Is this a result of their players not putting the work in during the week? It's very possible. League sources say wannabe star player Sam Smethurst is yet to practice once this year. I think it's the confidence that good things will happen without work that's killing this whole team not just Sam.
8. Jarboe (+1)
I almost wish I could make all 3 of the team's down here at the bottom be ranked #10 because letting team Jarboe be 8 is almost generous. They got absolutely smoked by team teDuits which should partially be credited to the loss of Brendan, but regardless the 5 that did show up were a bit of a let down. Looking forward, team Jarboe has an incredibly important game against team Mcnamara this upcoming week which will could have an effect on where these teams end up in comparison to each other for playoffs.
7. Mcnamara (+3)
Once again Mcnamara scores themselves a win against an opposition without many of their best players. At the end of the day a wins a win and they currently have more of them than three other teams so they must be doing something right. It seems like simple math to me, when Castro shows up, team Mcnamara is 2-0 and when he doesn't, they're 0-3. From being a nomination for last years worst player of the year award to now being a clear impact player, it's incredible to watch the strides such a terrible athlete can make.
6. Donaruma (-3)
I'm sure team Donaruma doesn't have to worry, but they are still 1-4 and despite having the boost of adding Nick, the loss of Evan may be too much for them. Bush has been a big positive for them this season and his ability to score the basketball has been possibly the most consistent in the league. All the talk about how they're actually a solid team goes out the window if they can't win and they, barring a surprise upset against team Bonaventura, they very well may be 1-5. Tough.
5. Kelly (+2)
A very solid and scrappy performance by team Kelly is good enough to bring them to the 5 spot. They did a great job limiting the scoring of star Stevie Dzwonek and once again it's the freshman of team Kelly that shine. I'm still a firm believer that you can't go far without a proven scorer and I don't think you can name anyone in the league who thinks Sammy Eggiman is a threat.
4. Anzivino (+2)
Three wins on the bounce for team Anzivino and they're emerging as one of the hotter teams in the league right now. Will is getting things to click on offense and people are really struggling to stop the closest thing the league has to Zion Williamson (Logan Hillberg). The headline for this team so far has to be the emergence of Ivan Sturm as a rather skilled big man. He could be making a quiet run for most improved this year.
3. Bonaventura (-)
It was a tough loss for team Bonaventura, but in all honesty they really didn't look that bad. Bernard and Caruso got in foul trouble and it's very possible that had they been able to play at the end they could've won. Coming within a clock expiring 3 pointer for Bono really isn't a bad result and maybe if a couple calls went there way they would've been in business. Regardless they only have one loss on the season and shouldn't be too worried.
2. Strauss (-)
An impressive win for team Strauss, but celebrations were shortlived because possible Rec MVP Jared Whitby went down with and injury which will likely have him sidelined for awhile. This is still a very talented team even without Whitby, but this is a huge loss. Some teams may look to take advantage of team Strauss's lack of height which without Whitby is even more evident. I think everyones excited to see if Jake can carry the offensive load on his own.
1. teDuits (-)
Starting to look like team teDuits really are head and shoulders above everyone else. They are ripping teams apart and these games aren't even close. Going into the season the only hope for the rest of the league was that the supporting cast around Brad and Col would be weak and they are the exact opposite. Alex Caruso's led the team in scoring last game and he's not the only one making an impact. This team is stacked plain and simple.
Monday, January 13, 2020
Week 5 Baller of the week
Baller of the week: Never thought I'd see the day where Alvin (A-rod) Caruso wins Baller of the week. Sadly, it has to be said that he exposed team Jarboe and there's really no way around it. He dropped 23 points and was the leading scorer for the day. As expected, Bradley was struggling with such a tough match up so he had to resort to passing (this is rare for him). This let Alvin get plenty of open looks and he simply couldn't miss. Bit of a mystery how he slipped down the draft even though he's better than his brother who was the #1 overall pick.
Honorable Mentions:
Jem Booth may have not scored the most this week, or many points at all, but when you haven't scored all game and your teams down 3 points with 7 seconds left in the game, it takes a world of confidence to take the final shot. That's exactly what he did and it looked pure the instant it left his hand. A bank three by Jem sent them into overtime and the crowd absolutely loved it. Congrats Jem.
Jake Strauss was getting his calls on his way to the hoop and got a good portion of his points from the charity stripe. He was a vital part of the team Strauss win which propels them into 2nd place in the standings. His aggressive defense made it hard for Derek to get things going and also his ability to draw fouls contributed to both Derek and Ryan Bernard fouling out.
Honorable Mentions:
Jem Booth may have not scored the most this week, or many points at all, but when you haven't scored all game and your teams down 3 points with 7 seconds left in the game, it takes a world of confidence to take the final shot. That's exactly what he did and it looked pure the instant it left his hand. A bank three by Jem sent them into overtime and the crowd absolutely loved it. Congrats Jem.
Jake Strauss was getting his calls on his way to the hoop and got a good portion of his points from the charity stripe. He was a vital part of the team Strauss win which propels them into 2nd place in the standings. His aggressive defense made it hard for Derek to get things going and also his ability to draw fouls contributed to both Derek and Ryan Bernard fouling out.
Sunday, January 12, 2020
Week 5 Results
teDuits vs Jarboe
71-36
Just a terrible morning for all involved on the team Jarboe side. With only 5 players and being short some of their shooters in the likes of Richard and Brendan team Jarboe couldn't get anything going. They were able to hang with team teDuits for maybe the first 5 minutes but it was hard to find an answer for Colin and Brad playing together. I think everyone was happy to see this end as it wasn't much of a contest. The better Caruso brother was the only Caruso to win today and he was on fire this whole game. He was impossible to guard and team's need to start taking note of him or they'll be getting the same harsh awakening he delivered to team Jarboe this week. Time will tell if Alex's 23 bomb is enough to get him baller of the week.
Kelly vs Dzwonek
41-36
I think everyone not just me is struggling to figure out if team Kelly is the real deal, but the way they played today would tell me they are. Team Dzwonek continues to have problems offensively and Sammy scoring a career high (6 points) was enough to help get the job done for team Kelly. This loss has to fall on senior leader Steve Dzwonek's shoulders. Known for being an amazing 3 point shooter, he was non existent on offense for his team and it showed. Overall this was a pretty fun game to watch and it stayed in the balance for most of the game until team Kelly was able to pull away at the end. The freshman for team Kelly look like future rec all stars as does the energy ball named Bobby (Ethan Ebersman) for team Dzwonek.
Anzivino vs Donaruma
63-62
GAME OF THE SEASON! A crazy double overtime game was the talk of the morning as what was looking like a simple win was taken into overtime by the heroics of the youngest Booth brother Jem. Two really well matched teams we're still locked together going into the final stretch, where even without Zach, team Anzivino were up by 3 with 10 seconds left. A great pass up the floor to Jem who checked his feet and pulled up for a clock expiring 3 was enough to send the game into overtime. The teams still couldn't be separated through one quarter of overtime and team Donaruma we're inches away from a win thanks to a desperation 3 from Bush. It fell short and in the end it was the big man Logan Hillberg who got it done from the free throw line to bring the win home for team Anzivino.
Mcnamara vs Cianci
42-40
Another thrilling matchup with lots of personal battles. Team Cianci was once again short a few players and with help from Cunningham, Chandler, and Hillberg they we're able to take a stab at team Mcnamara who with Castelano showed some creativity. The battle between Sammy V and Warren down low was great fun to watch and it has to be said the battle between Klam and the out of bounds line was also interesting. Team Mcnamara was riding a 12 point lead for most of the game, but things got interesting down the stretch and team Cianci began to heat up. Chandler hit a corner three with 20 seconds left to pull Cianci within 2 and after forcing a turnover team Cianci had the chance to get the win, but a weak clock winding down 3 pointer was blocked by CMAC or maybe it was just a miss on Chandlers part, but regardless it was a good fight by team Cianci to try and make a comeback against team Mcnamara.
Strauss vs Bonaventura
42-38
This was a exhilarating matchup to say the least. The stage was set, team Strauss had to live up to the expectations and take down the undefeated team Bonaventura. It was all going well to start and with a 12+ point lead it looked like they had it locked up. However team Strauss star Jared Whitby got injured and slowly but surely team Bonaventura started to creep into this matchup energized by loud mouth Ryan Bernard and his explosive brother Finn Bernard with a possible block of the season. In the end team Bonaventura fell short despite the clear passion and effort being poured in by the players. Jacob Strauss led the way with a James Harden type of performance scoring 23 points and taking 14 free throws.
71-36
Just a terrible morning for all involved on the team Jarboe side. With only 5 players and being short some of their shooters in the likes of Richard and Brendan team Jarboe couldn't get anything going. They were able to hang with team teDuits for maybe the first 5 minutes but it was hard to find an answer for Colin and Brad playing together. I think everyone was happy to see this end as it wasn't much of a contest. The better Caruso brother was the only Caruso to win today and he was on fire this whole game. He was impossible to guard and team's need to start taking note of him or they'll be getting the same harsh awakening he delivered to team Jarboe this week. Time will tell if Alex's 23 bomb is enough to get him baller of the week.
Kelly vs Dzwonek
41-36
I think everyone not just me is struggling to figure out if team Kelly is the real deal, but the way they played today would tell me they are. Team Dzwonek continues to have problems offensively and Sammy scoring a career high (6 points) was enough to help get the job done for team Kelly. This loss has to fall on senior leader Steve Dzwonek's shoulders. Known for being an amazing 3 point shooter, he was non existent on offense for his team and it showed. Overall this was a pretty fun game to watch and it stayed in the balance for most of the game until team Kelly was able to pull away at the end. The freshman for team Kelly look like future rec all stars as does the energy ball named Bobby (Ethan Ebersman) for team Dzwonek.
Anzivino vs Donaruma
63-62
GAME OF THE SEASON! A crazy double overtime game was the talk of the morning as what was looking like a simple win was taken into overtime by the heroics of the youngest Booth brother Jem. Two really well matched teams we're still locked together going into the final stretch, where even without Zach, team Anzivino were up by 3 with 10 seconds left. A great pass up the floor to Jem who checked his feet and pulled up for a clock expiring 3 was enough to send the game into overtime. The teams still couldn't be separated through one quarter of overtime and team Donaruma we're inches away from a win thanks to a desperation 3 from Bush. It fell short and in the end it was the big man Logan Hillberg who got it done from the free throw line to bring the win home for team Anzivino.
Mcnamara vs Cianci
42-40
Another thrilling matchup with lots of personal battles. Team Cianci was once again short a few players and with help from Cunningham, Chandler, and Hillberg they we're able to take a stab at team Mcnamara who with Castelano showed some creativity. The battle between Sammy V and Warren down low was great fun to watch and it has to be said the battle between Klam and the out of bounds line was also interesting. Team Mcnamara was riding a 12 point lead for most of the game, but things got interesting down the stretch and team Cianci began to heat up. Chandler hit a corner three with 20 seconds left to pull Cianci within 2 and after forcing a turnover team Cianci had the chance to get the win, but a weak clock winding down 3 pointer was blocked by CMAC or maybe it was just a miss on Chandlers part, but regardless it was a good fight by team Cianci to try and make a comeback against team Mcnamara.
Strauss vs Bonaventura
42-38
This was a exhilarating matchup to say the least. The stage was set, team Strauss had to live up to the expectations and take down the undefeated team Bonaventura. It was all going well to start and with a 12+ point lead it looked like they had it locked up. However team Strauss star Jared Whitby got injured and slowly but surely team Bonaventura started to creep into this matchup energized by loud mouth Ryan Bernard and his explosive brother Finn Bernard with a possible block of the season. In the end team Bonaventura fell short despite the clear passion and effort being poured in by the players. Jacob Strauss led the way with a James Harden type of performance scoring 23 points and taking 14 free throws.
Saturday, January 11, 2020
Week 4 Power Rankings
I apologize for not being able to write a ton for the rankings this week, but I'll give it a shot in the little time I have.
10. Mcnamara (-) 1-3
Sadly the one game the teDuits are off their game they play Mcnamara. Against maybe any other team we would have seen team teDuits first loss, but sadly a bad team teDuits is still better than a full team Mcnamara. This team really isn't the real deal, but I received a text from Castro asking for the game schedule so everyone cross your fingers that he'll turn up to get team Mcnamara on the map.
9. Jarboe (-3) 2-2
A really tough week for team Jarboe ends with a devastating injury to Brendan Ferrari who is likely out for some period of time with a knee injury from hockey. Team Jarboe picked up their 2nd (kinda 3rd) loss of the season this past week and it was Brendans breakout game, but now team Jarboe will have to take on the rest of the season minus star Brendan. No surprise their first game without Brendan will be against league leaders team teDuits.
8. Cianci (-) 1-3
This team continues to struggle falling to 1-3 and their aren't many bright spots for them to look to. Dylan Cianci continue to be the bright spot for this old team and after a good week of practice maybe Vassel will have an impressive week 5 game to get team Cianci going again. Rumors are circling they may struggle to have 5 players show up this Sunday.
7. Kelly (-) 1-3
Team Kelly was dealt the tough task of beating a on fire team Strauss and it went as we expected it to go. They put up as good of a fight as they could, but the sad reality is this team will only go as far as Sammy can take them and sadly that means not very far. In case people can't tell I think Sammy has a very limited skill set.
6. Anzivino (+3) 2-2
A good statement win by team Anzivino against team Jarboe where the bigs of team Anzivino really showed their worth. I'm now a firm believer that although Zach may not be an amazing scorer on offense, he's the best rebounder in the league. Week 5 could be a big indicator to the rest of the league if they are the real deal.
5. Dzwonek (-1) 1-3
Team Dzwonek kind of got screwed over by Colin getting to play for team Donaruma, but those are the rules and we got to live with them. They we're dominated by team Donaruma and are struggling to get a statement win and get the fear back in their opponents eyes like they though they would impose during the preseason. Could be good if Cole Connerty is able to replicate his point total from last week.
4. Donaruma (+1) 1-3
This team just got a real pleasant surprise in the form of talented guard Nick Jussaume who is a late sign up. Due to the Evan injury Nick will take his spot and be a key component for them winning. The junior combo of him and Bush is exciting and team Donaruma has quietly gone from the bottom to rising to the top. An exciting team to say the least.
3. Bonaventura (-) 4-0
The top 3 teams are likely up here to stay. After a few weeks we start to break the contendors away from the pretendors and these 3 teams look like the real deal. Team Bonaventura look like they were playing with complete confidence Sunday morning and they're just playing the waiting game for team teDuits or Strauss to lose and let them into the top 2.
2. Strauss (-) 3-1
No surprise, team Strauss looked completely in control and outplayed team Kelly. They outscored them by 20 points and deserve to be where they are. I'm starting to believe they are the leagues best team and their 4 stars are good enough to take down any opposition.
1. teDuits (-) 4-0
I'm really tired of writing about this team so I'm going to keep this short. This team's good and they're about to play team Jarboe without Brendan. After playing team Mcnamara they face another team with lots of problems at the moment.
10. Mcnamara (-) 1-3
Sadly the one game the teDuits are off their game they play Mcnamara. Against maybe any other team we would have seen team teDuits first loss, but sadly a bad team teDuits is still better than a full team Mcnamara. This team really isn't the real deal, but I received a text from Castro asking for the game schedule so everyone cross your fingers that he'll turn up to get team Mcnamara on the map.
9. Jarboe (-3) 2-2
A really tough week for team Jarboe ends with a devastating injury to Brendan Ferrari who is likely out for some period of time with a knee injury from hockey. Team Jarboe picked up their 2nd (kinda 3rd) loss of the season this past week and it was Brendans breakout game, but now team Jarboe will have to take on the rest of the season minus star Brendan. No surprise their first game without Brendan will be against league leaders team teDuits.
8. Cianci (-) 1-3
This team continues to struggle falling to 1-3 and their aren't many bright spots for them to look to. Dylan Cianci continue to be the bright spot for this old team and after a good week of practice maybe Vassel will have an impressive week 5 game to get team Cianci going again. Rumors are circling they may struggle to have 5 players show up this Sunday.
7. Kelly (-) 1-3
Team Kelly was dealt the tough task of beating a on fire team Strauss and it went as we expected it to go. They put up as good of a fight as they could, but the sad reality is this team will only go as far as Sammy can take them and sadly that means not very far. In case people can't tell I think Sammy has a very limited skill set.
6. Anzivino (+3) 2-2
A good statement win by team Anzivino against team Jarboe where the bigs of team Anzivino really showed their worth. I'm now a firm believer that although Zach may not be an amazing scorer on offense, he's the best rebounder in the league. Week 5 could be a big indicator to the rest of the league if they are the real deal.
5. Dzwonek (-1) 1-3
Team Dzwonek kind of got screwed over by Colin getting to play for team Donaruma, but those are the rules and we got to live with them. They we're dominated by team Donaruma and are struggling to get a statement win and get the fear back in their opponents eyes like they though they would impose during the preseason. Could be good if Cole Connerty is able to replicate his point total from last week.
4. Donaruma (+1) 1-3
This team just got a real pleasant surprise in the form of talented guard Nick Jussaume who is a late sign up. Due to the Evan injury Nick will take his spot and be a key component for them winning. The junior combo of him and Bush is exciting and team Donaruma has quietly gone from the bottom to rising to the top. An exciting team to say the least.
3. Bonaventura (-) 4-0
The top 3 teams are likely up here to stay. After a few weeks we start to break the contendors away from the pretendors and these 3 teams look like the real deal. Team Bonaventura look like they were playing with complete confidence Sunday morning and they're just playing the waiting game for team teDuits or Strauss to lose and let them into the top 2.
2. Strauss (-) 3-1
No surprise, team Strauss looked completely in control and outplayed team Kelly. They outscored them by 20 points and deserve to be where they are. I'm starting to believe they are the leagues best team and their 4 stars are good enough to take down any opposition.
1. teDuits (-) 4-0
I'm really tired of writing about this team so I'm going to keep this short. This team's good and they're about to play team Jarboe without Brendan. After playing team Mcnamara they face another team with lots of problems at the moment.
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