Fall ’17 Week 4 Power Rankings (Premier & D1 WN)

1st Division

PREMIER DIVISION (WEEKNIGHTS)

Rank Team Record Comments
1 (=) DYN
 3-1 Somehow NY DYNASTY has found a way to hang around here with every team taking a loss since the last ranking. DYN’s offense hasn’t been pretty, but they have great length on defense and a commitment to winning on the uglier side of the ball, holding teams to a league-best 49.3 ppg.
2 (=) PNL 3-1 PEACE & LOVE has been a bit of the opposite in past seasons. Great on offense, but lacking on D. This may be the best offensive personnel they’ve ever had with gunner (G) David Melendez leading the way, but in a short handed game vs SKY, it was the defense that came up short again.
3 (+2) LB3
 2-2 As soon as LIVE BY THE 3 (G/F) Kevin Josey stepped onto the floor, LB3’s season turned around, winning two straight now. Josey is a scorer from every spot on the floor, and with athletic (C) Tim Cole holding down the paint, this team isn’t just moving up, they’re a contender.
4 (-1) SHO
 2-1 SHOWCASE NYC still has the most formidable front-court in the entire league with (F) Joe Vines and (F) Mike Liander, but their guard play has been inconsistent. (G) Jimmy Ng could be the solution, but they may need to let him open up the offense a little.
5 (-2) WHG
 2-2 Each of WE HAD GAME‘s last 3 contests have been decided by 3 points or less, and they are 1-2 in those games. WHG has all the personnel they need to make a championship run so don’t go counting them out yet. (G) Richard Shea has provided a nice offensive spark this season.
6 (+1) SKY
 1-3 Newcomers SKY has been so close in so many games, it was nice to see them finally pick up their first win. Truth is, SKY could just as easily be 4-0. It’s probably no coincidence that the win came with (F) Mike Smalls and (F) Adam Renna carving up the PNL D to get into the paint. 
7 (-1) MWW
 0-3 It’s been a precipitous fall from grace for METTA WORLD WAR, a team that has struggled with attendance, and key players out of the lineup. If any team can turn it around, it would be MWW, but right now, things look pretty bleak for the 4-time defending champs.

1ST DIVISION (WEEKNIGHTS)

Rank Team Record Comments
1 (+1) CRV
 2-1 CRAFTY VETS look like they’re back in championship form. (G) Chris Daley continues to be a prolific scorer, but it’s (G) Travis Benjamin that makes CRV nearly unstoppable as a reliable #2 option.  Not to mention (F) Rosario Bianco‘s great all-around game. This looks like the team to beat.
2 (=) HON
 2-1 HONEY BADGERS (F) Zach Moretti is having a monster of a season. At maybe just a shade taller than 6-1, Moretti is posting huge #s on both sides of the ball as an undersized SF. But that’s Badgers basketball. Like Moretti, they’ve never been the biggest, but man do they play hard.
3 (=) YOL
 3-1 The 3-1 record looks great, and is a testament to how far YOLO has come this season. (G) Effie Klein has been a solid addition to the roster and gives them more balanced scoring. This could be the season that YOL makes the jump toward championship contention.
4 (+3) UNN
 3-2 It’s also been a nice turnaround for UNITED NATIONS. With (F) Jack Latta more available, and paired with ever-ready (F) Joseph Bassey, UNN finally has the tough front-line they showed on paper. This is a deep roster with a lot of contributors, every win is a team win for UNN.
5 (-4) LIZ
 2-2 THE LIZARDS claim to be cursed. Every time they get a #1 ranking, they immediately fall. With injuries to key players in their last 2 games, both losses, can’t really blame them for thinking that. Still, any team with (G) Joe Zenz and (F) Nat Schacht has a chance so don’t count them out yet.
6 (=) HOO
 2-2 Despite being one of the smaller teams in D1, the HOODIE MELOS have hung around with polished guard play and veteran craftiness. (G/F) Kev Chang is a former MVP and (G) Jason Chin is as good as they come in crunch time situations. Don’t sleep on HOO.
7 (n/a) RAW
 4-0 RAW DOGS have been bumped up from D2 into the #7 spot due to a very talented, if slightly undersized, roster. (F) Lenny McNeil, (F) Robert Sweet & (G) Ronnie Bethea are a problem 1-on-1 and (G) Sean Corley is quick as they come, and a menace on D. Expect RAW to move up.
8 (=) VIN
 1-3 VINO picked up their first win in a solid effort vs LIZ. Rookie (F) Matt Kelly pulled out all the stops in that game, and it loos like if VIN wants to keep on winning, he’ll need to do more of the same. 
9 (-4) GA7
 0-3 When you look at their roster, it’s tough to imagine how this team could be 0-3. There a lot of new pieces here that need to find a way to mesh, but it seems like, if they do, this team could quickly become a problem.