RECAP: Tim Nubina struggled to contain NY Dynasty (G) Landon Glover in the 1st qtr and he took advantage off the dribble, helping DYN jump out to a 16-8 lead. But TIM (G) Stefan Perunicic let off a flurry of 3FGs to keep his team within striking distance in any otherwise defensive game. DYN seemed to have chances to put this one away, but they went cold from the field, opening the door for Nubina. It was Perunicic again in the 2nd half with another flurry of 3FGs, off-balance, fading away, 30-ft out, it didn’t matter. The notably aging Dynasty never played with much sense of urgency, much like their weak playoff effort last season, and again it ended with a loss. |
RECAP: Playing without starters (F) Felipe Barrios & (C) Matt Killen, Bronx-Lebanon HC was already playing uphill. And Meta World War held nothing back in defending their two championships against the team that one the only title MWW didn’t win in the past three seasons. BLH, for their part, scrapped early on, playing feisty, trying to go toe-to-toe, and going into the 4th qtr, they were looking at a 7-pt deficit. But that’s when reigning league MVP (G) Shamel Arasmo. The next thing you knew, the Metas went on a 29-2 run to finish the game with a blowout win. Bronx -Lebanon never knew what hit ’em. |
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Tag: Premier
Meta World War are Spring 2016 Premier Champions
Metas make it two titles in two seasons, breezing by unprepared Guard Me MaybeNew York, NY — In amateur basketball, scheduling can be the difference between whether a team is at full strength or weakened by a short roster. Guard Me Maybe had only five players to start, with two of their starters missing (F) Darnell Cudjoe and (F) Jason Crowell. Having played a semifinal game the night before, GMM seemed like the rest of the team was never quite tuned in for this one. Cudjoe arrived late into the 1st quarter, and Crowell came in at half time. But that should be no excuse, Meta World War also won a tough semifinal game the night before, and they’ve been playing this entire post-season with just five players. Here they were again with only five, and well, it’s all they needed. It was a balanced attack all night with each player scoring in double-figures. (F) Stedford McCleod paced the Metas with 18 points, but it was a collective team effort on defense with (F) Chaz Thomas (3 stl, 3 blk) leading the highlight reel. It seemed like GMM never got a clean look at the basket. MWW’s defense played athletically, and used it’s speed and length efficiently and effectively. GMM (G) Landon Glover (15 pts) and Cudjoe (13 pts) were able to create some of their own shots, finishing some tough one-on-one attempts, but otherwise, the Maybes struggled to get anything consistent on offense. Meta World War simply outplayed Guard Me Maybe in every facet, out-rebounding them, out-assisting, out-defending, and committing less turnovers. And, of course, that means they beat them on the scoreboard, too. This was just about as perfect a game as they could play.
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TDL Spring 2016 Championship Preview
(1) META WORLD WAR vs (6) GUARD ME MAYBE
| Team Analysis | Team | Score | Team | Team Analysis |
| This is where you expected Meta World War to be at this time of the season. By the numbers, they have been every bit as dominant as their first title run, but the difference this season is their lack of depth. This roster really only goes 6 deep. It’s a very good 6, but will GMM’s much longer bench wear out an MWW side that hasn’t always looked in peak physical condition? They didn’t shoot well last night, but (F) Chaz Thomas & (F) Kareem Merrick lifted MWW on their collective shoulders with great defense, and they still won handily. With GMM’s athleticism, they might have another grind on their hands tonight. |  MWW 7-1 |
65-58 |
 GMM 5-3 |
If you let Guard Me Maybe hang around, and if you play into their frenetic style, they can beat you. And that’s what DYN found out last night when the Maybes upset them in the semis. This is a team with plenty of talent, they just haven’t always clicked. But oddly enough, despite last night’s ugly game, they did look more cohesive as both an offensive & defensive unit. Everyone played their part and they gutted out a win. If GMM can keep their composure and play with the same kind of team-based attack tonight, they can give themselves a chance to win. The one thing MWW won’t have a marked advantage here is athleticism. |
| Key Players: (F) Stedford McCleod, (G) Shamel Arasmo
McCleod basically got anywhere he wanted last night, he just couldn’t finish plays. His legs just looked tired and they just might be even more so tonight. Arasmo was the same, FAS defenders couldn’t stay in front, but the help defense was there. GMM’s help D should be even better than FAS, but Arasmo torched them in the reg season. |
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Key Players: (G) Jason Crowell, (F) Darnell Cudjoe
Crowell can be a bit erratic at times, generally playing on emotion, but in last night’s semifinal, he was patient and efficient, and that made all the difference. Cudjoe really does play a Draymond Green role for MWW, he’s their toughest 1-on-1 defender, can knock down open shots and create if he has to. If only GMM had a better pick & roll play. |
TDL Spring 2016 Playoff Results (Semifinals)
RECAP: The Free Agents put up a hell of a fight, as they are apt to do. They took the finesse right out of this game and forced Meta World War to grind with them, which frustrated the Metas for three quarters. But in the end, FAS’s lack of depth did them in. Meta was no deeper, but in the 4th qtr, when both teams were tired, MWW’s athleticism took over. The game turned into a battle of muscle memory and instinct, and MWW was a step quicker and a thought faster on every play down the stretch to win this one decisively. MWW forced 23 TOs on 15 stls, including 9 in the final quarter. That’s pretty much impossible to overcome, and proved to be the difference here. Meta World War will return to the title game. |
RECAP: It seemed like at any moment, the NY Dynasty would get over the hump, but they just never did. Both teams had the length and athleticism to make this one a defensive battle, and that’s exactly what they did. But whereas it seemed like Guard Me Maybe didn’t quite play with enough urgency at times, DYN played with too much. Every time DYN started to make a run, they forced a pass in transition or rushed a shot that let GMM off the hook. They just never looked composed in this game, even missing 6-9 FTs in the 4th qtr. GMM, on the other hand, never let up. Led by another Draymond-esque night from (F) Darnell Cudjoe and efficient shooting from (G) Jason Crowell, they got the result and will play for the spring title tonight. |
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TDL Spring 2016 Playoff Preview (Semifinals)
(1) META WORLD WAR vs (5) FREE AGENTS
| Comments | Team | Score | Team | Comments |
| Meta World War won a chip and took a season off, but they haven’t missed a beat. The champs are the prohibitive favorite to win it all again this season. They’ll have to do it with less depth than the first time, but (F) Nick Pelletier has been a great fit with his heady all-around game. (G) Shamel Arasmo is shooting well late into the season, always a good sign for MWW, but the key to MWW’s dominance is the reliable defensive play of (F) Chaz Thomas. | MWW 6-1 |
68-60 |
FAS 4-3 |
They may be called the Free Agents but this team has played two full seasons together now, some players have been on the roster for three. With their veteran scoring, and all out hustle play, this is as good a team as any to sneak in and upset MWW. Especially if they’re missing (F) Stedford McCleod, the only glaring mismatch here. FAS can otherwise keep pace with MWW’s offense, the key will be getting the stops when they need them, which hasn’t been easy this season. |
| Key Player: (F) Stedford McCleod MWW knows what to expect from its players, and they usually get it, but McCleod has the biggest advantage vs an FAS team that plays small ball. They have no obvious match-up here, and if they’re forced to double, the entire offense will open up for MWW. |
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Key Player: (G) Morgan Blakely Blakely has been playing MVP level ball all season. He is what you call a power guard, bigger than many of the league’s forwards, but he’s as good a shooter and playmaker as anyone in the league. When he gets it going offensively, FAS becomes a very difficult team to stop. |
(2) NY DYNASTY vs (6) GUARD ME MAYBE
| Comments | Team | Score | Team | Comments |
| The veteran NY Dynasty are slow and steady wins the race pretty much every season, finding a way to get back in the mix. This season, it’s been the return of (F) George O’Garro and the addition of (F) Fred Simpson. Buth give DYN the kind of length on defense that few teams have. For an offense that tends to get stagnant at times, it’s their defense that gives this team a chance to win any game. | DYN 5-2 |
72-68 |
 GMM 4-3 |
This is Guard Me Maybe’s m.o.: they’re a wild card. They have a deep roster, but they never know who’s going to show up, metaphorically speaking, because they’re always rding 8-10 deep. Will it be (G) Landon Glover, (F) Askia Davis or (F) Jason Crowell carrying the load? Maybe they don’t even know, but there’s enough talent on this team to beat anyone if they start clicking. |
| Key Player: (F) Fred Simpson With O’Garro on the back line, Simpson can completely take over a game with his defense alone, and much of it is because of how much a surprise it is. He is an assuming player, who often looks injured getting up and down the court, but he’ll sneak up on you every time. |
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Key Player: (G) Ian Yu Yu is the key player for this team, not because of his team-high 20 pts with 5 3FGs last week. He is the de facto PG of this team. When he keeps his TOs down and makes good decisions, his team plays well. When he doesn’t, not so much. It’s been about 50/50 this season. |
TDL Spring 2016 Playoffs Results (1st Round)
RECAP: The three-point field goal was the main factor of this game. Tim Nubina was making them and Boomtown was not. This one got a little chippy late, but Nubina used their size to effectively in the middle quarters when BOO had to overextend their defense to cover the three. |
RECAP: Championship hopefuls Sal Team 6 had to play short-handed, and Guard Me Maybe took full advantage. (G) Ian Yu and (F) Askia Davis were aggressive early and making shots. SAL wasn’t ready for GMM’s energy and never really recovered. |
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RECAP: NY Dynasty (F) Fred Simpson was just in beast mode all game. He was unyielding, hustling for every ball, red hot from every spot on the floor. It took the entire Spartans team to stop him, and when they did, he just dumped the ball off to open DYN teammates. SPA did their best, but DYN had too many weapons. |
RECAP: For one of Premier’s biggest lineups, That 70s Team sure looked small in this one. 70S struggled offensively and did a lot of walking on defense. The Free Agents were always running, no matter what, trying to find an quick, easy basket. If not for some key shots by 70S (F) Dee Ferguson, this would have been a blowout. |
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RECAP: Both teams had just 5 available players, but it was Tim Nubina with the obvious size advantage. They used it well in 1st quarter to take an early lead, but eventually, Meta World War took over the tempo and with it, control of this game. TIM could not contain MWW (G) Shamel Arasmo‘s speed. And despite their size, TIM mostly settled for 3FGs, shooting 29 and making just 5. It was a risky formula all season, and it ends with a 1st rd exit. Defending champs MWW move on to the semis. |
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TDL Spring 2016 Week 7 Results
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TDL Spring 2016 Week 6 Player Awards
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Premier Division Player of the Week(F) RASHAUN BANJO (SAL TEAM 6)23 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block |
| Runner-up: Will Haile (DYN) 23 points, 12 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal | |
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Wat Misaka Defensive Player of the Week(F) KAREEM MERRICK (META WORLD WAR)8 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks |
| Runner-up: (F) Darnell Cudjoe (MWW) 9 rebounds, 1 steal, 4 blocks | |
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The Sam Lo Hustle Award(G/F) FRED SIMPSON (NY DYNASTY)18 points, 14 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks |
| Runner-up: Jason Crowell (GMM) 17 points, 13 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks | |
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Spot Dessert Bar Most Outstanding Rookie(F) RASHAUN BANJO (SAL TEAM 6)23 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block |
| Runner-up: Perun Kovacevic (TIM) 16 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks | |
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The High-5 ClubRashaun Banjo (SAL) 23-10-3-1-1 |
Week 6 League LeadersPTS: Shamel Arasmo (MWW) 28, Morgan Blakely (FAS) 28, Will Haile (DYN) 23 3FG: Josh Wohl (SAL) 6, Shamel Arasmo (MWW) 5 REB: Max Shillalies (SAL) 17, Fred Simpson (DYN) 14 AST: Gus Gauntlett (FAS) 11, [3 players] 5 STL: [4 players] 3, [3 players] 2 BLK: Darnell Cudjoe (GMM) 4, [5 players] 2 |
TDL Spring 2016 Week 6 Results
RECAP: Both teams missed key players, and it was anyone’s game through 3 quarters. But in the 4th, the NYK Spartans’ depth of size and physicality won out, which was somewhat surprising given their opponent. Tim Nubina just never got it going from the 3-point line, an integral part of their offense. |
RECAP: Boomtown started well, but Sal Team 6 seemed to take control in the 2nd qtr. But, (G) Jack Delighter wouldn’t let his BOO squad fall out of reach, knocking down tough look after tough look. But, on this night, strong play from (G) Josh Wohl (20 pts) and (F) Rashaun Banjo (game-high 23 pts) never let BOO get over the hump. |
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RECAP: NY Dynasty led by as much as 24 pts on opportunistic defense and easy transition points, but as any team is prone to do, they let up in the 2nd half, which opened the door for the Free Agents to make this one a battle. FAS got to as close as 6 pts in the 4th qtr, but key stops down the stretch (and made clutch FTs) helped DYN hold on. |
RECAP: Guard Me Maybe started terribly in this game, scoring a franchise-low 2 pts in the 1st qtr, but Meta World War never quite put enough distance between them. A big 3rd qtr suddenly gave GMM the lead going into the 4th qtr, but ultimately, this was MWW (G) Shamel Arasmo‘s night. His game-high 28 pts gave MWW the 4th qtr and the game. |
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TDL Spring 2016 Week 5 Player Awards
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Premier Division Player of the Week(G/F) CHAZ THOMAS (META WORLD WAR)19 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 7 steals, 1 block |
| Runner-up: (G/F) Fred Simpson (DYN) 19 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 steals, 2 blocks | |
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Wat Misaka Defensive Player of the Week(G/F) FRED SIMPSON (NY DYNASTY)8 rebounds, 5 steals, 2 blocks |
| Runner-up: (G/F) Chaz Thomas (MWW) 9 rebounds, 7 steals, 1 block | |
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The Sam Lo Hustle Award(F/C) GEORGE O’GARRO (NY DYNASTY)19 points, 13 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks |
| Runner-up: Paul Kirchner (BOO) 13 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block | |
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Spot Dessert Bar Most Outstanding Rookie(G/F) FRED SIMPSON (NY DYNASTY)19 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 steals, 2 blocks |
| Runner-up: (F/C) Perun Kovacevic (TIM) 13 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block | |
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The High-5 ClubShaun Crummy (70S) 15-2-1-5-1 |
Week 6 League LeadersPTS: Jake Moreno (BOO) 25, Askia Davis (GMM) 20, Stedford McCleod (MWW) 20 3FG: Jake Moreno (BOO) 6, Ace Watanasuparp (NYK) 6, [3 players] 4 REB: Paul Kirchner (BOO) 13, George O’Garro (DYN) 13, Askia Davis (GMM) 12 AST: [5 players] 6, [10 players] 4 STL: Chaz Thomas (MWW) 7, Shaun Crummy (70S) 5, Fred Simpson (DYN) 5 BLK: Darnell Cudjoe (GMM) 4, Chris Lemoine (NYK) 3 |