Playoff Predictions

		Tornaritis 52			Estes 60
	Game 1			Game 5
		Gingras 47		LA 8:00-9:15 AM	Tornaritis 58
		Meyers 45			Coveno 41			Estes 40			Coveno 45
	Game 2			Game 6			Game 9			Game 11
		McNamara 44		LA 8:00-9:15 AM	Meyers 40		HS 7:00 - 8:15 PM	Coveno 43		HS 6:15-7:30	Forbes 44
		Stark 43			Ordemann 48			Ordemann 50
	Game 3			Game 7			Game 10			All Star Game
		Booth 48		LA 9:15 - 10:30 AM	Booth 45		HS 8:15 - 9:30 PM	Forbes 52		HS 7:30-8:45
		Dawson 49			Forbes 52
	Game 4			Game 8
		Hecht 48		LA 9:15 - 10:30 AM	Dawson 44
	Games at LA			Games at LA (confirmed)			Games at HS (confirmed)			Game at HS (confirmed)
				8:00, 9:15 AM			7:00, 8:15 PM			6:15, 7:30 PM

Official Playoff Bracket

		Tornaritis (8)- 53			Estes (1)- 37
	Game 1			Game 5
	LA 8:15 PM 3/3	Gingras (9)- 44		LA 8:00-9:15 AM 3/5	Tornaritis (8)- 48
		Meyers (5)- 44			Coveno (4)- 32			Tornaritis (8)- 45			Tornaritis (8)- 33
	Game 2			Game 6			Game 9			Game 11
	LA 9:30 PM 3/3	McNamara (12)- 51		LA 8:00-9:15 AM 3/5	McNamara (12)- 40		HS 7:00 - 8:15 PM 3/10	McNamara (12)- 40		HS 6:15-7:30 3/12	Ordemann (2)- 45
		Stark (7)- 43			Ordemann (2)- 27			Ordemann (2)- 44
	Game 3			Game 7			Game 10			All Star Game
	LA 8:15 PM 3/3	Booth (10)- 45		LA 9:15 - 10:30 AM 3/5	Booth (10)- 22		HS 8:15 - 9:30 PM 3/10	Forbes (3)- 41		HS 7:30-8:45
		Dawson (6)- 71			Forbes (3)- 56
	Game 4			Game 8
	LA 9:30 PM 3/3	Hecht (11)- 46		LA 9:15 - 10:30 AM 3/5	Dawson (6)-54
	Games at LA (confirmed)			Games at LA (confirmed)			Games at HS (confirmed)			Game at HS (confirmed)
				8:00, 9:15 AM			7:00, 8:15 PM			6:15, 7:30 PM

Playoff Seeds

1. Estes 11-1
2. Ordemann 8-4 (With head to head tie breaker over Team Forbes)
3. Forbes 8-4
*Because no team with a 6-6 record beat all the other teams at 6-6 the tie breaker goes to Points Against according to the Rec Basketball Bylaws.
4. Coveno
5. Meyers
6. Dawson
7. Stark
8. Tornaritis
9. Gingras (With tie breaker over Team Booth)
10. Booth
11. Hecht (With head to Head Tie breaker over Team McNamara)
12. McNamara

Baller of Week 12

Will Manzi's offensive performance was unmatched this week, scoring 27 points. This is even more impressive considering Dean Tornaritis was covering him.
Honorable Mentions to: Nate Forbes, Justin Flanagan, Alex Sellers, Justin Kavalowskas, Ben Wadden and Sam Bettencourt.

Week 12 Results

Estes 66 over Gingras 48
This should scare people. Team Estes didn't have the Teduits brothers or Connor Estes and still won by 18. This offense is near impossible to stop and they appear to be the clear favorites in the cominig playoffs.
Ordemann 44 over Meyers 42
Team Ordemann had too many stars for the weak defense of Team Meyers to handle. David Meyers had a tough layup attempt at the buzzer which obviously didn't go.
Coveno 39 over Booth 29
Another poor offensive showing for Team Coveno but their Defense bailed them out again. Tristan Nabo play phenomenal defense against offensive star Jacob Hickman leading to a big win for Team Coveno.
Stark 47 over Hecht 46 (in OT)
Sam Bettencourt had a great game and sent it to overtime with some buzzer beating free throws. Despite this Team Stark was able to pull it out in the end.
Forbes 54 over Tornaritis 35
Dean and Justin made a second half run to make it close and then it all fell apart. Will Manzi dominated the show down between himself and Dean (although this might be in part to Dean being unbelievably ice cold).
Dawson 64 over McNamara 61
Team Dawson handled this game throughout. Team McNamara tried to make a late push but ran out of time.

Week 12 Predictions

Gingras 47 vs Estes 40
This is made under the impression that most of Team Estes will be out of the country. If this is not true then this prediction won't hold up, but for now it looks like Team Gingras will get a crucial game.
Ordemann 50 vs Meyers 48
Team Meyers won the first matchup but that was before the signing of Jake Gavel. Team Meyers has also been hot as of late but Team Ordemann has too much fire power for them to handle in this one.
Hecht 52 vs Stark 45
It's rare for us to pick Team Hecht but they're hot right now and we think they'll match up well against Team Stark. Justin Griffin's health does give us pause for concern. If he is out due to injury in this one, than we would expect Team Stark to win instead.
Coveno 45 vs Booth 44
Back in week one Team Coveno couldn't hit a shot. This was also true last week so they clearly haven't fixed it. As long as Team Coveno can put up a respectable score then they should get the W but with this offense you never know.
Dawson 51 vs McNamara 50
Team Dawson is always in a close game so we're predicting it again this week. Because of Team McNamara's hardships of late, we think Team Dawson will squeak out another win.
Tornaritis 55 vs Forbes 52
If the star players show up for this one than it should be the game of the week. Dean and Justin vs Nate and Will. This is a true toss up but in the end we think Dean's range will prove to be too much to handle for Team Forbes.

Week 11 Power Rankings

1. Estes (-)
This team is dominant. They have atheletes everywhere and rain for beyond the arc. The only weak spot we can see on this team is height. If anyone is going to beat them in the playoffs it's going to be through a lot of made shots, and a lot of rebounding.
2. Forbes (-)
They lost last week but that was without Nate Forbes, so they never had a chance. This ranking is really based on them having a short bench, which they have had the entire season. If more players show up for playoffs, then Forbes and Manzi's playing time will be cut and they may struggle. If they continue to have a short bench, then we see this team making a deep push.
3. Tornaritis (-)
This team also lost because they didn't have their best player (Dean). With Dean they are near impossible to stop. Dean is the MVP front runner right now and brings his team to a new level. If Justin Flanagan steps up his game then this team will be tough to stop.
4. Ordemann (-)
This team is the most complete basketball team in the league this year. They have solid big men and great guards. The problem is, the league is run by guards this season. We this team struggling to keep up with a Team Tornaritis or Estes. They have a chance, but they're going to have play there best basketball in the playoffs.
5. Meyers (+2)
This team has gotten hot and just the right time. Since losing to Team Hecht, they have dominated their two opponents. If they can maintain this momentum then they will be a team to watch out for in the playoffs.
6. Booth (-) 
They lost a tough game to a good Team Ordemann last week. Jacob Hickman runs the show and has the ability to lead this team to a playoff win or two. We do think they're going to need something more, however, if they wish to go all the way, and we're not sure where that production would come from.
7. Gingras (+2)
This team has a lot of good pieces and have improved throughout the season but we don't know if that's going to be enough. The Townsend and Battles brothers have inner family chemistry and if they can spread it across the team then they have a chance to steal a few games in the playoffs, but other than that we don't see them going far.
8. Dawson (-)
They lost another close game this week. They are always in tight match ups and this will help them stem the playoff pressure. The question won't be about their heart and effort, but about their skill. Without Dylan, we don't see enough to get them deep in the playoffs.
9. Stark (+1)
They donkey stomped Team Coveno last week but Team Coveno didn't have Zack Gavel and without him they'll rarely win. They did break Team Coveno's usually solid defensive wall, which was impressive, but when we they play the league leaders we don't think they'll be able to keep up.
10. Coveno (-4)
Two weeks ago this team looked great, but since then they have been a disaster. The offense is in shambles and last week their great defense finally cracked. All these problems stem from the top with Coach Coveno. He needs to figure something out fast or he will quickly be out of a job.
11. Hecht (+1)
This Team has looked great recently. They've won 3 of their last 4 and are playing phenomenally well as a team. They don't have a lot of raw basketball talent but their heart and teamwork is unmatchable. They are set up for a first round win but after that we question how far that heart can take them.
12. McNamara (-1)
This team is the exact opposite of Team Hecht. They have the raw basketball talent across the board but they can not work as a team. The ball doesn't move on offense and the defense doesn't talk. Because of their talent levels, they may be able to go on a playoff run, but based on their performances of late we highly doubt this.

Playoff Standings with best and worst case scenarios

1. Estes 10-1
   No matter what happens they have the 1 seed.
2. Ordemann 7-4 (With head to head tie breaker over Team Forbes)
   Best: A win locks in the 2 seed. Loses from Forbes, Tornaritis and Meyers (which is a Ordemann win) also gives them the 2 seed.
   Worst: A loss to Meyers and wins from Forbes and Tornaritis would result in a 5th seed for this team.
3. Forbes 7-4
   Best: They win and Team Ordemann loses. This would result in the 2 seed.
   Worst: They lose this would result in the 3rd seed.
4. Meyers 6-5 (With head to head tie breaker over Team Tornaritis)
   Best: They win and Team Forbes and Ordemann (whom they're playing against) lose. This would result in the 2 seed for this team.
   Worst: They lose and Teams Coveno/ Booth (They play each other), Dawson, Stark, Gingras all win would result in a head to head nightmare meaning the tie breaker would be points against. Depending on how that shakes out this team could drop all the way to the 8th seed.
5. Tornaritis 6-5
   Best: They win and Meyers, Forbes, and Ordemann lose giving them the 2 seed.
   Worst: See Meyers explanation on what happens.
6. Coveno 5-6 (Tie breaker goes to points against because of the head to head confusion)
   Best: They win and Team Tornaritis, Stark and Booth (Their matchup) lose. This would put them in 5th. Technically I think there's a way for them to get to 4th but that way too many variables to even think about.
   Worst: They lose and Dawson, and Gingras win. They would finish in the 10th seed.
7. Gingras 5-6
   Best: They win and Teams Coveno, and Stark lose. This would give them the 6th seed.
   Worst: They lose, and Teams Dawson, Stark and Booth win. This would be result in a 10th seed.
8. Booth 5-6
   Best: They win and Teams Coveno (Their matchup), Gingras, Meyers, and Dawson lose. This would result in the 5th seed.
   Worst: If they lose and Teams Stark wins, then they will end in the 10th seed.
9. Dawson 5-6
   Best: They win and Teams Coveno, Gingras, and Meyers lose then this team could get the 5th seed
   Worst: If they lose, and Teams Stark, and Booth win then they'll end in the 10th seed.
10. Stark 5-6
   Best: They win and Team Booth loses. This would lead to them snagging the 5th seed.
   Worst: They lose and Team Coveno, Gingras, Dawson and Coveno win. If this happened they would remain the 10th seed.
11. Hecht 3-8 (With head to head tie breaker over Team McNamara)
   Best: If they win or McNamara loses, then they lock the 11th seed.
  Worst: They lose and McNamara wins. This would result in dropping to the 12th seed.
12. McNamara 3-8
   Best: They win and Hecht loses, giving them the 11th seed.
   Worst: They lose and/or Hecht wins. They would stay at the 12th seed.



The 6-10 seeds might not be 100% accurate. Because head-to-head tie breaker can only be used if one team beat all the teams they are tied with, some scenarios might result in going to the second tie breaker (points allowed) which would change the seeding projected in the post.

Baller of Week 11

James Sampson. He poured it on in a blowout win over a Deanless Team Tornaritis but he shot the ball efficiently and scored 28 points.
Honorable Mentions to Ryan Teduits and Elias Jiser.

Week 11 Results

Meyers 59 over Tornaritis 33
Dean wasn't there and Team Meyers refused to let up despite being up 20... classy.
Gingras 44 over Dawson 43
Just look back at the prediction post, it's basically the same thing.
Ordemann 45 over Booth 41
In a tight back and forth game, Jake Gavel's free throws in the clutch sealed the win. Jared Smith also had a great game to help Team Ordemann prevail.
Estes 70 over Forbes 33
Nate was a no show and Team Estes still didn't give Team Forbes a break... classy part 2.
Stark 52 over Coveno 31
Gavel didn't show, Scott couldn't buy a foul, Coveno couldn't hit a shot, Max Phanord couldn't miss. Beat down.
Hecht 55 over McNamara 50
Team Hecht has now won 3 of 4 and are getting hot at just the right time. Team McNamara continues to struggle.

Week 11 Predictions

Gingras 46 vs Dawson 45

Both of these teams are consistently in tight games so we're predicting a nail bitter in this one. We think that Gingras's size will help them edge out Team Dawson.

Tornaritis 50 vs Meyers 40

Nick Boge' insists that he has shut down Dean Tornaritis before but we simply don't believe this. We also doubt Team Meyer's ability to stop varsity caliber Justin Flanagan. We're closing in on the playoffs so we are expecting Flanagan to step up his game.

Estes 60 vs Forbes 57

This should be a great game and we think it will come down to the final shot. We're predicting a back and forth game and calling out Jeremy Keast to hit a late game winning three.

Ordemann 46 vs Booth 44

We think these teams will match up nicely which is why the spread is so small. We're not sure if anyone on Team Booth can handle 2 time baller of the week Jake Gavel and we think that will be the difference maker in this one.

McNamara 50 vs Hecht 42

Team McNamara has been a huge let down this season but we still think they have the fire power to take down Team Hecht. Rebounding will be key in this game as both these team like to shoot and tend to miss. 

Coveno 40 vs Stark 36

Team Coveno will likely be down Adam Scott this game and that's going to hurt but Team Stark has so little fire power other than Tim Stark that we think Team Coveno can notch a very important win. 

Current Playoff Seeding

1. Estes 9-1
2. Forbes 7-3
3. Tornaritis 6-4 (With head to head tie breaker over Team Ordemann)
4. Ordemann 6-4
5. Coveno 5-5 (With points against tie breaker over Dawson, Meyers, and Booth)*
6. Meyers 5-5 (With points against tie breaker over Dawson and Booth)
7. Booth 5-5 (With points against tie breaker over Dawson)
8. Dawson 5-5
9. Stark 4-6 (With head to head tie breaker over Gingras)
10. Gingras 4-6
11. McNamara 3-7
12. Hecht 2-8

*Seeds 5-8 come down to points against tie breaker because of the different head to head winners. Dawson beat Meyers and Booth but lost to Coveno. And Coveno lost to Meyers and Booth, so we couldn't use head to head to seed these teams accordingly. The rec by-laws second tie breaker is total points allowed/ against.

Week 10 Power Rankings

1. Estes (-)
They dominated again this week so obviously they're still number one. This team has great depth and anything less than a ring this year would be an Atlanta sized choke. Keep on eye on Ryan Teduits as he is the leagues biggest hope to bring this team down.
2. Forbes (+1)
This team does not have any depth, and I mean that literally. They have 4-7 players per game but as of late, always their top 2 players in Nate Forbes and Will Manzi. This has been working for this team the past few weeks but if their bench shows for playoffs, then this could be a costly strategy.
3. Tornaritis (+1)
They beat a good Team Ordemann and looked good doing it. Dean and Justin are hard to stop as is but it should be noted that Dean gets great production out of his roll players. This team is most likely best equipped to take down Team Estes, but it will be tough even for them.
4. Ordemann (-2)
They played Team Tornaritis close until the end when it got away from them. This team has the pieces and the depth to go far but we're not sure if they have the speed to keep up with the guard heavy teams near the top of the league. They should be a team to keep an eye on in these last few weeks.
5. Booth (+1)
At 5 and 5 this team looks and plays like a middle of the road team. On paper they don't look very good but they find a way to get wins. Don't be surprised to see them in the quarters or even the semi's before losing to one of the top tier teams.
6. Coveno (-1)
We are at a loss with this team. Their defense keeps them in every game but their offense is simply horrendous. If Zack Gavel can carry them offensively into the playoffs, then they'll have a shot against anyone with their stern defense. But if their offense goes cold, then they could be looking at an early exit this season.
7. Meyers (+2)
When they're on like they were last week then they can be tough to stop. They rely heavily on the three ball which can lead to a steal early in the playoffs but will probably not lead to a championship run.
8. Dawson (-1)
This team is always in a close game but they invariably win them. They lost to a pretty bad team in Team Stark and don't have the fire power to pull out these wins. We are foreseeing a loss in an early round come playoffs.
9. Gingras (-1)
With Connor Keegan likely to return this week we still have hope for this team but they weren't dominant before his injury so maybe this is misplaced. Mitch Townsend has the ability to will this team to a first round victory but based on their history we don't see a big run.
10. Stark (+1)
This team pulled out a nice win over Team Dawson but we've said it all year, they don't have enough experience to win now. Tim Stark is a promising prospect but he does not have the fire power to take his team all the way.
11. McNamara (-1)
Despite Brian Scott's best effort this team still got blown out. Granted it was against the top ranked team, but this is no excuse. We're shocked by how poorly this team has played but because of their play we don't expect them to win in the playoffs.
12. Hecht (-)
This team has played hard all year but don't have much to show for it. We still think they can steal a first round win but that's certainly not a safe bet. Better takes and ball movement will help this team out but it's pretty late in the season to make these adjustments.

Week 10 Baller of the Week

This week's baller of the week goes to Will Manzi. He put up 33 in a solid win over Team Gingras. Team Forbes has constantly had a short bench which has helped Manzi's impressive season, but either way he earned it this week.
Honorable mentions to Brian Scott, Jeremy Keast, Dean Tornaritis, Jake Gavel, and Mitch Townsend.

Week 10 Results

Booth 47 over Hecht 41
Stark 54 over Dawson 52
Meyers 39 over Coveno 34
Estes 65 over McNamara 41
Tornaritis 56 over Ordemann 46
Forbes 51 over Gingras 46

Week 10 Predictions

Dawson 48 vs Stark 40
Team Dawson escaped last week in triple OT but Team Stark got pounded by Team Estes so we think Dawson will be able to keep it going this week.
Hecht 54 vs Booth 52
These Teams are going in two different directions and with we're going to pick the underdog. If Team Booth can work out their defensive struggles of late then they should have a chance to flip the script but for now we are going to go with Team Hecht (for once).
Estes 65 vs McNamara 50
Team Estes has the best defense in the league but we think Team McNamara is going to give them a taste of their own medicine this week and drain from three point land. Despite this though, we still think Team Estes will be able to win again.
Coveno 45 vs Meyers 40
These teams go back and forth in practice and know each other very well so this should be a good game. Team Coveno is the only team in the league to average less than 40 points a game they make up for it by having the second best defense in the league. This makes their games and we expect more of the same this weekend.
Forbes 52 vs Gingras 47
Without Connor Keegan we don't think Team Gingras has enough to take down Team Forbes. Mitchell Townsend took control last week but we're not confident in his ability to match Will Manzi. With that said Team Forbes does not have a lot of height to counter the Battles Boys to maybe is they get enough put backs Team Gingras will be able to steal one.
Tornaritis 49 vs Ordemann 48
This is will be a battle between two very good point guards (Dean Tornaritis and Nick Poitras) and  two big man who like shooting (Jake Gavel and Justin Flanagan). We think Dean will be enough to get his team past Team Tornaritis but this game could go either way. This game is also crucial to both of these Team playoffs standings so there is a lot of pressure in this game.

If the Playoffs Started Today

1. Estes (8-1)
2. Ordemann (6-3) With Tie-breaker over Team Forbes via Head-to-Head
3. Forbes (6-3)
4. Coveno (5-4) With Tie-breaker over Team's Tornaritis and Dawson
5. Tornaritis (5-4) With Tie-breaker over Team Dawson
6. Dawson (5-4)
7. Booth (4-5) With Tie-breaker over Team Meyers
8. Meyers (4-5)
9. Stark (3-6) With Tie-breaker over Team's McNamara and Gingras
10. McNamara (3-6) With Tie-breaker over Team Gingras via total points allowed
11. Gingras (3-6)
12. Hecht (2-7)

With 3 games left in the regular season we here at the blog HQ thought we'd check in on the playoff outlook.
As of right now, Team Estes is clearly the Team to beat. They have dominated pretty much all season and will be tough to stop. We think the way to beat them is to simply get every rebound but even then it may be challenging.
In other news, Team Hecht remains at the bottom of the barrel. But despite their poor record, they have looked good recently and will have a chance come playoffs. An interesting story to follow is their current matchup would be Team Tornaritis whom they beat when Justin and Dean were both present.
This would be more meaningful analysis if not of all the uncertainty in the final standings. There are currently 10 teams who are tied for a seed they may win and with three games remaining Team Estes isn't even locked yet. Technically Team's Coveno, Tornaritis, and Dawson who are currently all fighting for the 4th seed and a first round bye are all in contention to fall all the way to the 12th seed if they lose out and Team Hecht snags one more. No one is safe right now (except for Team Estes really) and everyone should keep that in mind heading into the last few weeks of the regular season.

Week 9 Power Rankings

1. Estes (-) 
This Team appears to be unstoppable. It's one thing to be escaping with victories but it's another to win by 30. We still don't think they're a lock for the championship, as it is rec ball and anything goes, but they are certainly the Team to beat.
2. Ordemann (+2)
This Team had a good tough win against a solid Team Forbes. Nate's game readiness might have effected the outcome but so did Jake Gavels offensive prowess. If they still had Wiley Varsity Ordemann than this Team would have been a favorite but even without him they have a good shot to go all the way.
3. Forbes (-1)
They played well in a loss against Team Ordemann. As we said, Nate Forbes probably didn't have his best game to due some priority problems but they still had the lead late in the game. We believe Manzi and Forbes will be able to take the Team far but we don't have enough confidence in their bench to pick them to go all the way.
4. Tornaritis (-1)
If they lost again with both Dean and Justin then we would have dropped them lower but without Dean we wouldn't expect them to win anyway. Dean has always been a game changer so come playoffs we expect them to get things done. They're championship run will really come done to Justin Flanagan and his search for the jump shot that got him onto Varsity Team last year.
5. Coveno (-)
This Team would have moved up but they played like absolute trash in their disgusting win over a Dean-less Team Tornaritis. When playing well and as a team they look as good as anyone but they go just as low as they do high. They'll need to find some sort of stability if they wish to go all the way this season.
6. Booth (-)
They took a tough loss this week to Team Dawson but it took 3 overtimes to bring them down. Jacob Hickman played out of his mind and holds the future of this Team in his shot. Better play from the all important roll players on this team will help them along the way but at this time we don't see them going very far come the looming playoffs.
7. Dawson (+3)
They battled back to take down Team Booth in triple OT, and since being 11th in the Power Rankings they have won 2 straight and are back on the rise. They have many players that would be considered high end roll players but without Dylan the Sloth Dawson, they don't have the fire power to be great. Ben Wadden has the ability to take Dawson's place but he has yet to step up to Dawson's level.
8. Gingras (+3)
Connor Keegan's health is in question so this rise may be temporary but Mitchell Townsend was able to carry them this week so maybe they can keep it going. We've seen this Team close so many times and if a couple of baskets had gone differently in a couple of games than they would be way up in the Power Rankings. This is relevant because they may be able to go far in the playoffs if they can swing a few points.
9. Meyers (-2)
This Team is falling apart. They've struggled on both ends of the floor and got handled by Team Hecht. They need to fix something or their season will come to a grinding halt. To be fair, they were a different Team when Joey Varsity Femia was on the roster.
10. McNamara (-2)
Since being ranked number 4 in the Power Rankings way back in week 5 this Team has plummeted. We don't really have an explanation for this because they look good on paper, just not on the court. Brian Scott may be able to help this Team but that would require showing up, so...
11. Stark (-2)
This was just such an unfortunate game. They lost by thirty and never stood a chance. We don't have anything new to say about this Team. They're too young and Tim Stark isn't god enough (yet) to carry them. Expect a quick exit from this Team come playoffs.
12. Hecht (-)
OMG! THEY WON! AGAIN! And they pretty much dominated the game. We would have bumped them up but their record just isn't good enough yet. Watch out for this Team making some crazy upsets in the weeks to come and more importantly, the Playoffs.