Friday, January 28, 2011

Power Rankings: Week 5

1.) Dawson (5-0)
I've had Team Dawson at the top from the start. They are solid top to bottom, and Conor Enright has emerged as a legitimate go-to scorer. Most of their players have played together for a long time, and it shows.

2.) Stewart (5-0)
Mark Robinson and Noah Burkholz provide the best one-two punch in the league. Some of their lower round picks have missed a few games, which has probably helped a little. Either way, they are easily the biggest team and will win the rebounding battle over any team.

3.) Calderan (4-1)
Kevin Thompson has emerged as a legitimate scoring threat, putting up 20 points in two of his last three games. With the help of Mark Lavallee and Nick Longo, Team Calderan has been on a three game winning streak.

4.) Hill (5-0)
The Hill Brothers have been even better than advertised, and they should only get stronger with the return of Lou Dinkel.

5.) Werner (2-3)
After a tough start, Team Werner is rejuvenated thanks to the efforts of Curran Huff. If Devin Goudey, Matt Plausse, and Huff can play up to their potential, they should continue to climb the ranks.

6.) DeLuca (3-2)
During their three game winning streak, they have played very strongly as a team. Tim Boudreau has been a nice surprise.

7.) Fotino (2-3)
I'm cautiously optimistic about Team Fotino, they have played well together the past few weeks. Their two game winning streak has certainly been a confidence boost, and they could definitely win their next four games (Hegeman, Mahan, O'Malley, Debreceni, respectively).

8.) Wright (4-1)
Struggled last week against Team Fotino. I'm not all that high on them be honest, but you have to respect their 4-1 record.

9.) Jarboe (2-3)
They have been a big disappointment so far, resulting from poor bench play. However, I think they still have the talent to turn it around.

10.) Stevens (1-4)
Team Stevens has lost it's four games by an average of 4.25 points each, so we've certainly been in every game. The problem has been closing games out, who is going to take the final shot of the game with the clock running down?

11.) MacLeod (1-4)
With Tynan MacLeod out due to a wrist injury, they will still benefit from a rotating player to lead the charge in Tynan's place.

12.) Icenogle (2-3)
Team Icenogle has emphasized how well they have played as a team in their two wins. They have played better than I expected, thanks to a solid effort from Matt Ferro at the point.

13.) O'Malley (3-2)
With Shane O'Malley out with a fractured fibula, they are in trouble. I am ranking them this low, assuming that they will not receive a replacement player like Team MacLeod. 

14.) Hegeman (1-4)
Anthony Cotoni has had to carry the load thus far, and unless someone else can step up and give them a scoring boost, they're in trouble.
 
15.) Debreceni (0-5)
With the lack of a second scoring threat, opposing defenses have resorted to doubling Dustin McEvoy. Mike Allen needs to share some of the load if they are going to win a few games.

16.) Mahan (0-5)
Mike Shea and Tim Grove are a solid top two, but they have missed a few games between them, which has led Team Mahan with very little offensive fire power.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Baller of the Week: Week 5

After scoring 24 points and ripping boards and steals left and right, Curran Huff wins this week's Baller of the Week Award. Curran led Team Werner to it's second win this season, 58-31, over Team Jarboe. Gotta wonder how many of these trophies he would have if he had played rec ball during his first three years of high school :) Congratulations Curran and enjoy your fifteen minutes of fame!

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Scores: Week 5

Intense games for three of the four undefeated teams going into Week 5. Stewart and Hill hung on to get to a perfect 5-0, while Team Wright suffered it's first loss of the season. Check out the updated standings on the sidebar.
 
DeLuca 45 Mahan 28
-Close game at halftime (17-14). A balanced offensive attack led the way for Team DeLuca. Six different players scored at least six points, including a game-high 11 points for Tommy Beal. On the other side, Greg Dion's 10 points led the way for Team Mahan. *I forgot to mention that Team Mahan was without their first two picks: Mike Shea and Tim Grove.
 
Stewart 46 Stevens 43
-Tough one to swallow for Team Stevens, as they led 32-20 at halftime, and 43-38 with about 1:15 left. Patrick Stevens drained four 3s in the first sixteen minutes to set the tone. Without Noah Burkholz, Team Stewart had a tough time against the press. However when Team Stevens took a double-digit lead, they had to stop the press, which played into Team Stewart's hands. Willie Stewart converted an and-one with under a minute left, and Mike Casella put Team Stewart up 45-43 with 15 seconds left. Mark Robinson had 17 points.
 
Calderan 63 MacLeod 57
Team Calderan led 37-32 at halftime, and broke away in the second half, before Team MacLeod mounted a late rally. For Team MacLeod, Devin Goudey stepped in to fill the void left by Tynan MacLeod's wrist injury, scoring 20 points, including three 3s. Hunter Lambert (14), Nick Birmingham (9), Chaz Hallock (8), and Kyle Ames (7) chipped in on offense. For Team Calderan, Mark Lavallee (18), Nick Longo (22), and Kevin Thompson (17) scored 90% of their team's points in the win. 
 
O'Malley 51 Hegeman 42 
-Haven't heard much about this game. In other news, Shane O'Malley fractured his fibula and will be out for a while. 
 
Werner 58 Jarboe 31
-Curran Huff scored 24 points to help Team Werner break it's three game losing streak.

Fotino 63 Wright 55
Big upset as 1-3 Team Fotino knocked off 4-0 Team Wright.
 
Hill 45 Icenogle 30 
From the comment section: "The Hill-Icenogle game was much closer than the final score would indicate. At half time, Hill was up 18 to 17. The game was pretty much even until there was 8 minutes left in the game. Team Hill turned up the heat and finally figured out how to make a lay-up. They were snake bit on lay-ups in the first half. Ben Hack and Jeremy Gaissl were the big Hill team scorers in the second half. The Twins were rather inhibited on offense the whole game. For team Icenogle, Big Ben did most of the damage down low. Matt Ferro worked hard to penetrate but the Hill defense slowed him down. The game was fun to watch." --Big thanks to who ever wrote that...  

Dawson 48 Debreceni 33

Game Picks: Week 5

DeLuca (2-2) vs. Mahan (0-4)-- Saturday, 8:00am @ LA
No Mike Shea this week for Team Mahan means big problems on offense. DeLuca has been hot, coming off a win in each of the last two weeks. Team Mahan's offense has been anorexic to this point, and without Shea I don't think they can keep up with Team DeLuca. Eric Rahnasto has a great matchup advantage, he should have a solid game.
DeLuca 52 Mahan 30


Stevens (1-3) vs. Stewart (4-0)-- Saturday, 9:20am @ LA
HUGE size advantage for Team Stewart in this one. They have five players taller than six feet, compared to one for Team Stevens. I think we can control the tempo somewhat and maybe take an early lead, but over the course of the game their size advantage is just too great. Obviously it's hard for me to pick against my own team, I'll say we'll tire them out enough to hang around, but it won't be enough.
Stewart 55 Stevens 47

MacLeod (1-3) vs. Calderan (3-1)-- Saturday, 10:40am @ LA
For those of you who didn't see it in the comments section last week, Tynan MacLeod broke his wrist and will be out for a while (good luck in your recovery Ty). Devin Goudey will play for Team MacLeod in his place this week. A lot of times, I think it might take a while for a player to adapt to playing with a different group of guys, I don't think that will be a problem for Devin because he's very unselfish. That being said, I just don't think Team MacLeod has enough offense to overcome the likes of Thompson, Lavallee, and Longo.
*Just a fun fact: This is the first GD Rec Basketball game that I can remember, where both coaches sons' will not play in the game...
Calderan 57 MacLeod 44
 

Fotino (1-3) vs. Wright (4-0)-- Saturday, 1:20pm @ MSN
Last week, Team Fotino did a great job at breaking Team Stevens' full court press. This week, they'll be faced with a new challenge: Team Wright's half-court trap. Based on what I saw last week, I don't think they will have any trouble with their offense this week, the problem will come on defense. Team Wright has several legitimate scoring threats, and they match up very well with their opponents. I see Ryan Sheehan getting to the free-throw line a lot, and leading his team to squeak by Team Fotino.
Wright 61 Fotino 58

O'Malley (2-2) vs. Hegeman (1-3)-- Saturday, 2:40pm @ MSN
After a 2-0 start, Team O'Malley has had a tough last couple weeks against two teams that still stand undefeated (Hill and Stewart, respectively). On the other side, Team Hegeman has been without their star player, Anthony Cotoni, each of the past two games, which should rejuvenate them quite a bit. That being said, I anticipate Team O'Malley's unselfishness to be the difference, in contrast to Team Hegeman, which has come up a little short in the assist category this season...
O'Malley 49 Hegeman 41

Jarboe (2-2) vs. Werner (1-3)-- Sunday, 9:00am @ MSS
This game is a matchup of two teams with disappointing records. They both have the talent to win some games and get back to where they should be, and for one team, I think this game will be the turning point. Team Jarboe's two losses have come against teams with a combined record of 9-0, and Team Werner's three losses have occurred against teams with a combined 13-1 record-- so needless to say they've each fallen at the hands of some tough competition. The difference in this one should come down to Team Werner's size advantage, where I think they can get the job done by controlling the glass.
Werner 55 Jarboe 53

Dawson (4-0) vs. Debreceni (0-4)-- Sunday, 10:15am @ MSS
These two teams are going in opposite directions. Team Dawson has played fluently all season long, while Team Debreceni hasn't had the chemistry to put together a solid offensive output. Dustin McEvoy has been too unselfish to this point, and in order for this one to stay close he is going to need to take over on offense and shoot the ball more often. I think he'll keep his team in the game, but Team Dawson is just too good. 
Dawson 52 Debreceni 42
 
Hill (4-0) vs. Icenogle (2-2)-- Sunday, 10:15am @ MSN
Both of these teams have been big surprises to this point, both teams have proven me wrong several times. For Team Hill, Alex Marken has emerged as a solid third scoring option, while Tom DeNatale has been money outside the arc for Team Icenogle. I think this game will be a lot closer than most people anticipate, but I'll give the slight edge to Team Hill, considering that Ferro is playing on one ankle.
Hill 50 Icenogle 45 

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Baller of the Week: Week 4

Mark Robinson and Noah Burkholz are Co-Ballers of the Week, for week four. In a 58-51 win over Team O'Malley, Mark and Noah scored 86.2% of Team Stewart's points, each contributing 25 points. They have also led their team to a perfect 4-0 record. Congratulations Mark and Noah!

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Game picks for sunday

my computer isn't working so i have to make these from my iPod, so they won't have any analysis-- sorry. i will try to get up early to try the computer again and give some analysis, but i can't guarantee anything. go pats!

Dawson by 5
Wright by 2
Calderan by 8

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Scores: Week 4

Fotino Stevens
Team Fotino won by 4, not sure what the exact score was because the clock didn't work. JD, Zach Hurst, and Mike Dev all played solidly on offense, while Steve Fo anchored the defense down low. They broke the press very well so I give them credit. On our side, we missed a ton of layups, and turned the ball over a bunch... almost as if we were trying too hard. Tough one to swallow for Team Stevens, but good game by Team Fotino.

DeLuca 49 Debreceni 41
Icenogle 41 Mahan 32 
Hill 58 Jarboe 40
Stewart 58 O'Malley 51
Calderan 50 Hegeman 27   
Wright ? MacLeod ? 
Dawson ? Werner ?

Game Picks: Week 4

Fotino (0-3) vs. Stevens (1-2)-- Saturday, 8:00am @ LA
Although Team Fotino has more size and talent than Team Stevens, I think we can use our speed and aggressiveness to tire them out. We usually take a little while to get going, so I wouldn't be surprised if Team Fotino is leading at halftime, but Team Stevens to pull it out in the end. John Denomme versus Patrick Stevens should be a good matchup, let's see if JD can back up his trash talk.
Stevens 52 Fotino 47
 

Mahan (0-3) vs. Icenogle (1-2)-- Saturday, 9:20am @ LA
What a game this should be. Team Mahan has their sights on their first win of the year, and with Big Ben Icenogle out of the lineup for his team, I think Mike Shea has a strong game to propel his team to victory.
Mahan 42 Icenogle 39
 

Debreceni (0-3) vs. DeLuca (1-2)-- Saturday, 10:40am @ LA
I think this game will feature a lot of three point shots, with the likes of Ben Walsh and Alex Kieleczawa (I spelled that right without looking... just sayin') going back and forth. Team Debreceni is very streaky on offense, which I think comes as a result of not enough passing, they will need to iron out these kinks in what should be a tight game. However, building off their win last week, I think Team DeLuca gets it done in a close one.
DeLuca 48 Debreceni 45

Stewart (3-0) vs. O'Malley (2-1)-- Saturday, 1:20pm @ MSN
Noah Burkholz versus Shane O'Malley should be a good battle at the point guard spot. Matt Hanagan should be be a big factor, but Willy Stewart should slow him down a bit. Down low however, Team Stewart has a huge size advantage with Mark Robinson, Tom Murray, and Alex Dhionis-- I think their ability to control the rebounds will be the difference in the game.
Stewart 59 O'Malley 52
 

Hill (3-0) vs. Jarboe (2-1)-- Saturday, 2:40pm @MSN
The Hills just keep on winning. Alex Marken has been a big contributor (14 points last week, including three 3's) for a team that will be without their third round pick Lou Dinkel for the foreseeable future. On the other side, I think Jon Wolfe has a big game from outside, if Ben Hack decides to cover him. Otherwise he has a distinct size advantage to win a battle down low.
Jarboe 60 Hill 54
Werner (1-2) vs. Dawson (3-0)-- Sunday, 9:00am @ MSN
MacLeod (1-2) vs. Wright (3-0)-- Sunday, 10:15am @ MSN
Hegeman (1-2) vs. Calderan (2-1)-- Sunday, 10:15am @MSS

Friday, January 14, 2011

Power Rankings: Week 3

Game picks coming later tonight...

1.) Dawson (3-0)
2.) Stewart (3-0)
3.) Calderan (2-1)
4.) Hill (3-0)
5.) Jarboe (2-1)
6.) O'Malley (2-1)
7.) Wright (3-0)
8.) Werner (1-2)
9.) Stevens (1-2)
10.) MacLeod (1-2)
11.) DeLuca (1-2)
12.) Hegeman (1-2)
13.) Fotino (0-3)
14.) Icenogle (1-2)
15.) Debreceni (0-3)
16.) Mahan (0-3)

Scores: Week 3

Hill 63 O'Malley 43
Calderan 56 Werner 48
DeLuca 47 MacLeod 43
Wright 54 Debreceni 45
Dawson ? Fotino ?
Stevens 45 Mahan 40
Stewart 61 Jarboe 36
Icenogle 54 Hegeman 36

Game Picks: (5-3)

With 27 points, Coleman Hill has led his team to a 3-0 start. He wins Baller of the Week honors for week 3.