Tag: playoffs

Win ’18 Championship Preview (Weeknights)

 

Championship – Tuesday (3/27) 8:30pm @ Fashion High

(1) PREMATURE SHOOTERS (8-1)

Scouting Report: Even with MVP candidate (F) Bobby Bruns out of the lineup in the semifinals, the Shooters managed hold off UBC despite a furious late game rally. (G) Shane Gillelle proved more than capable of carrying the load offensively, scoring a league playoff-high 38 points in the win, but obviously, they’d prefer to have Bruns on the floor, who’s mobility makes him the kind of versatile defender PRE will need against their opponent’s mobile bigs. This is the Shooters’ second franchise appearance in a title game. 

Key Players: (F) Bobby Bruns (19 ppg, 11.3 rpg), (G) Shane Gillelle (17.2 ppg, 2.6 spg)

 

  (2) TRIBE (7-2)

Scouting Report: Tribe is not a physically imposing team, but their best position is still the forward spot, and that has suited them well all season. All of their undersized forwards are nimble and physically tough, which causes match-up problems for the bigger teams they have faced. Their forwards are also versatile defenders who can guard 1 through 5, so switching on screens is almost never an issue. Their only weakness has been consistent 3-point shooting this season. If the shots are falling, though, there is plenty of veteran presence on this team to get the win. 

Key Players: (F) Saad Saad (13 ppg, 10 rpg, 4 spg), (F) Sherwin Salar (10 ppg, 10 rpg)

 

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Championship – Sunday (3/25) 3pm @ MLK HS

(1) NY DYNASTY (9-0)

Scouting Report: The Dynasty have been the prohibitive favorites all season, and they proved that point by holding off a dynastic Spaghetti Ramen franchise that made the kind of late-game run in their semifinal match-up that usually results in Ramen getting the win. Only this time it didn’t happen, Dynasty survived and they will have a chance to close out one of the most dominant seasons in D3 history. It’s surprisingly rare for a team to finish undefeated, but DYN will have a chance to do so tonight against a handicapped 30F playing without injured star (F) Joseph Han (knee).

Key Players: (G) David Chu (18.5 ppg, 5 rpg), (G) Ian Yu (10 ppg, 10 rpg)

 

 (2) 30-FOR-30 (8-1)

Scouting Report: This is where 30-for-30 wanted to be, in the chip with a chance to redeem their loss to DYN in the regular season. Only they won’t have MVP candidate (F) Joseph Han this time (knee). Han wasn’t available for the semis either, but 30F handled a contending SNB team by (C) Ezekial Shin dominating the glass. They’ll need to do more of the same here. DYN is a powerhouse, but they are undersized. If 30F establishes Shin early, they can open up the 3-point shooting that helped put SNB away. They really don’t have much choice, Joseph Han isn’t gonna walk through that door. 

Key Players: (C) Ezekial Shin (8 ppg, 17 rpg), (G) Rob Lee (12 ppg, 3 apg)

 

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Win ’18 Championship Preview (Sundays)

 

Championship – Sunday (3/25) 2pm @ MLK HS

  (2) BOMB SQUAD (7-1)

Scouting Report: This powerhouse lineup hasn’t skipped a beat in the playoffs, they’re getting great production from every player on the roster right now. This team is bigger, stronger, and carries more experience than their opponent, NFU. What they don’t have much of is length and overall team speed, which are two strengths of the Falcons. If this one is close in the final quarter, BOM will have to dictate the tempo, and close out this game deliberately.

Key Players: (F) Jerry Ho (18.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg), (F) Sherwin Salar (17 ppg, 7.5 rpg, (G) James Han (14 ppg)

 

  (5) NY FALCONS U. (5-3)

Scouting Report: There a lot of IFs facing this young Falcons team, but IF (G) Edward Lui is there, and IF he gets hot from 3, they might have a chance. If (F) George Casale and (C) Mack Witherspoon can defend the paint without getting into foul trouble, they have a chance. IF they can play their pace, and force BOM out of their comfort zone, they might have a pretty good chance of winning this thing. Make no mistake, NFU are the underdog here, but this is single-elimination, and if they can maximize their effort for just one game, they might be able to pull this one off.

Key Players: (G) Edward Lui (19 ppg, 2 rpg), (F) George Casale (14.5 ppg, 9 rpg), Mack Witherspoon (14 rpg, 2.5 bpg)

 

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Championship – Sunday (3/25) 3pm @ MLK HS

  (1) GOAT HERDERS (8-1)

Scouting Report:  The Herders have the biggest Big 3 in D3 with (G) Asolos Ferehanis, (G) Evan Tsevdos and (F) Pete Tsevdos. But this isn’t a team of just scorers, they can scrap defensively, playing with more physicality in the back court than most D3 teams are accustomed to. The same can be said of Tsevdos from the power forward position. The key to facing an SPR team playing without their MVP is to not get complacent. If they let SPR hang around, crazier things have happened.

Key Players: (G) Asolos Ferehanis (16.5 ppg, 3.5 spg), (F) Pete Tsevdos (16.5 ppg, 15 rpg), (G) Evan Tsevdos (11 ppg, 2.5 spg)

 

  (3) SPAGHETTI RAMEN (6-3)

Scouting Report: Injury report has multi-time MVP (G) Leuis Ng listed as OUT for this game. Which, obviously, is a huge loss Ramen. But that doesn’t mean there will be any lack of effort on the part of SPR, they don’t know how to play any other way. They’ll bring max effort regardless of who is available, and something tells me they’d like to win one without Ng for once. 

Key Players: (G) Leuis Ng (18 ppg, 6 rpg), (F) Matt Auerbach (10 ppg), (F) Mark Hahn (9 ppg, 4.5 apg)

 

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CHAMPIONSHIP – Sunday (3/25) 4pm @ MLK HS

  (2) BLACK MAMBAS (8-1)

Scouting Report: 1st Division scoring champ (G) Ryan Kennedy has carried the Mambas on offense all season, but even if with one of his rare off-games, MAM found a way to win. Much of that is due to their commitment to D. This is a team with plenty of able shooters, plenty of speed, and equal parts hustle and determination. Perhaps their only weakness is in their low-post scoring options. They don’t have one, but they have plenty of glass who crash the glass to create second chance opportunities. This is the Mambas first championship appearance, but if they control this game early, it should be theirs to lose against a short-handed NFZ team.

Key Players: (G) Ryan Kennedy (10 ppg, 5 apg), (G) J.C. Bonilla (14 ppg, 4 apg), (F) Jack Shanahan (12 ppg, 6 rpg)

 

  (4) YUNG NO FLY ZONE (6-3)

Scouting Report: The Flyers haven’t had much of an available roster all season. They’ll come into this game with just 5 available. That’s not a particularly good look for a team that is markedly older and slower than their opponent. But, they have been here before, for the past three seasons in fact. They know what to expect, but with key scorer (F) Kieran Brennan out of the lineup, NFZ will be out of their depth in a shootout. This is going to have to be an old-fashioned rumble.

Key Players: (F) Michael Reding (16.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg) (C) Ezra Hoover (21 ppg, 12 rpg), (F) Sherwin Salar (8.5 rpg, 7 rpg)

 

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Win ’18 Playoff Previews: Semis & Chip (WN)

 

Semifinals – Thursday (3/22) 7:55pm @ Fashion High

  (2) 30-FOR-30 (7-1)

Scouting Report: Every team left in the gauntlet is a bona fide contender, and as dominant as 30F has been finishing out the season, Smash N Bounce won’t be intimidated. But neither should 30F be scared of anyone. They have arguably the best defensive front-court in D3 with (F) Joseph Han and (C) Ezekial Shin. The latter may be the most imposing defensive presence in the paint in the division. What they will need is for their veteran guards to hit some 3FGs to help free up Han and Shin around the basket. SNB will undoubtedly pack it in on D.

Key Players: (F) Joseph Han (21 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 2.4 apg), (C) Ezekial Shin (15.2 ppg, 17.5 rpg, 1.5 bpg)

 

  (3) SMASH N BOUNCE (6-2)

Scouting Report: Offensively, Smash N Bounce are somewhat limited, but they have a bona fide scorer in (F) Nathan Kan, who will never be trigger-shy. When he gets hot, SNB is near impossible to beat. Up and down the remaining roster, they don’t have players who score a lot, but they can put the ball in the hole in when needed. SNB are a deep team that loses nothing going to the bench. That’s what makes their scrappy, high-energy, defensive style of game sustainable. Their only weakness may be that they are not yet a proven champion, but neither is 30F.

Key Players: (F) Nathan Kan (17 ppg, 3.9 3pg, 2.4 rpg), (G) Eric Chang (9.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.7 apg)

 

 

Semifinals – Thursday (3/22) 8:55pm @ Fashion High

  (1) NY DYNASTY (8-0)

Scouting Report: Undefeated coming in, the NY Dynasty come in with D3’s most talented roster. It’s been a balanced effort this season from their Big 3, (G) Ian Yu, (G) David Chu, and (F) Tim Chin, but it’s the return of defensive stalwarts (G) Caleb Lui and (C) Dan Tak that make DYN a powerhouse. Every player on this roster has won a championship before, but not necessarily together. They will face the most storied franchise in D3 in Spaghetti Ramen, but interestingly enough, they’re one of the few teams–maybe the only one–that has historically had success vs SPR. 

Key Players: (G) Ian Yu (18.7 ppg, 6 apg), (G) David Chu (21.3 ppg), (F) Tim Chin (19.3 ppg, 10.3 rpg)

 

  (3) SPAGHETTI RAMEN (5-3)

Scouting Report: One thing to remember with Ramen is that throughout their dynasty, they’ve never been the most talented team. They worked their way up from years of also-ran seasons, then started getting to chips, and then started winning them. Along the way, the roster has hardly changed. (G) Leuis Ng is still an MVP candidate every season not only for his multi-faceted contributions to the box score, but also his leadership and competitive fire. We’ve never seen Ng as fired up as he was in the Rd 1. If you thought Ramen was getting tired of winning, you thought wrong.

Key Players: (G) Leuis Ng (20.2 ppg, 6 apg), (F) Teddy Lo (9.7 ppg), (F) Mark Hahn (10 rpg, 5 apg)

 

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CHAMPIONSHIP – Thursday (3/22) 9:55pm @ Fashion High

  (2) HONEY BADGERS (8-1)

Scouting Report: This is where they expected to be, the Honey Badgers are the deepest team in D1 WN, with plenty of scoring and defense across the board. They’re not even really battling an opponent, they’re battling themselves here. This team believes they are cursed, five title game appearances, and so far no wins to show for it. Maybe the new adds will be the difference. Hoodie Melos may not be the opponent they expected, but they are no less formidable with their composed veteran back court and the unstoppable (F) Young Song.

Key Players: (F) Michael Reding (18.5 ppg, 7 rpg), (F) Zach Moretti (8 ppg, 6.5 rpg)

 

  (3) HOODIE MELOS (6-3)

Scouting Report: The Melos believe they can win any game as long as they keep it close into the final minutes. Their back court is stocked with mentally tough, veteran ball handlers that have seen every crunch time situation. And to top that all off, they’ve finally unlocked peak (F) Young Song. All season we alluded to untapped potential for Song in the Melos attack, and finally in the playoffs, he has been unleashed. HON will have lots of bodies to throw at Song, so how HOO react to the Badgers defense, should they choose to double, will be the key adjustment in this game.

Key Players: (F) Young Song (27.5 ppg, 11.5 rpg), (G) Kev Chang (9.5 ppg, 3.5 apg)

 

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Win ’18 Playoff Previews: Semifinals (D2 WN)

 

Semifinals – Tuesday (3/20) 8:30pm @ Fashion High

  (1) PREMATURE SHOOTERS (6-1)

Scouting Report: Rookie (F) Bobby Bruns is a versatile 6-3 swingman who has been the toughest match-up in D2 this season. Their front-court is one of D2’s biggest, and going up against UBC, who’s front-court is one of the smallest, they should dominate the glass. PRE are helmed by point (G) Shane Gillelle, who has been as solid as they come in this division. 

Key Players: (F) Bobby Bruns (19 ppg, 11.3 rpg), (G) Shane Gillelle (17.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.6 spg)

 

  (4) UNCLE BOUGHT A COW (5-3)

Scouting Report: UBC lost a 25+ ppg scorer before the season even started, but it’s “next man up” all season as the Uncles (or is it the Cows?), have found ways to win by scrapping in every game. That fighting spirit is best encapsulated in the play of veterans (G) David Weiss and (F) Ben Hoynes. Rookies (F) Sam Elias and (F) David Levy are All-Rookie Team candidates.

Key Players: (G) David Weiss (10.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.9 apg), (F) Sam Elias (9.7 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 3.1 apg)

 

 

Semifinals – Tuesday (3/20) 9:30pm @ Fashion High

  (2) TRIBE (5-2)

Scouting Report: TRI is the most balanced offensive team in D2, and could have been the #1 seed if not for a surprising loss in their last game of the season. They were the only team to beat PRE in the regular season. Tribe gets after it on the offensive glass, and can score from any spot on the floor. They are a veteran-led team that has plenty of playoff experience.

Key Players: (F) Sherwin Salar (9.8 ppg, 11.7 rpg, 6.5 apg), (F) Saad Saad (12.6 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 1 bpg)

 

  (3) NYC GRITTY COMMITTEE (6-2)

Scouting Report: While it is true that TRI has a veteran-laden roster, every player on NGC has logged several seasons together as a unit. Not only that, they’re in the middle of a renaissance, a resurgence of the Gritty dynasty of years past. To say this team is battle-tested is a joke of an understatement. Gritty should be considered the favorite in every playoff match-up until proven otherwise. 

Key Players: (G) Ace Watanasuparp (14.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3 spg), (G) David Chu (14.3 ppg, 2.6 apg)

 

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