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Part 2
“He’s as big as Weinstein and better than both the other rookie point guards already. He’s raw, toolsy, and there’s a chance he moves to the shooting guard spot. We insert him with the bigs for training immediately; I want him to learn to use his size to his advantage.”

“So What I’m hearing is we get to beat guards up some more. Hear that Byron? I told you we’d get more chances to beat those smurfs up!” Marshall was pleased. So was Byron, as evidenced by his smile. A very large smile.

Roberto spoke. “It seems we have a consensus on the status of small forward. So I’m going to make a minor change. Seeing as we’re down to the guards, evaluate Kops as a guard. I like the idea of a two-headed monster at small forward. Enfes and Kops are similar enough defensively that the difference is negligible. Offensively, they are nearly identical. Air, make the case for Kops as a guard. Marshall, make the case for forward. Specifically what do he need to do to excel at that spot.”

Air jumped all over this. “He’s just gotta tighten the handle a bit and make a bit better decisions with the ball. Do that and his turnovers cleanup. His range has to improve; he’s got a pretty jumper, he just needs to increase his range. If his range increases, his efficiency will increase. He’s leaving points on the court at the free throw line. I think it’s why he relies on his jumper. He has to improve his free throw shooting and get more aggressive. I think the free throw issue is why he isn’t as aggressive attacking the rim. Even when you see the kid’s talent and recognize his potential, he’s sneaky good. He’s the kind of guy that other teams are going to forget about because we will have bigger threats, but he’s going to absolutely wreck teams. He’s going to become a matchup nightmare.”

Marshall was a little disgusted. He was about to agree with Air. You could literally see it on his face. Roberto saw it. “Marshall, you ok?” Marshall cleared his throat and took a drink of water. “I’m ok; must have been something I ate not agreeing with me.” Never one to accept a win with grace, Air retorted. “That must be the crow I just force fed you, son.” Without missing a beat, Marshall replied. “Air, if memory serves, that delivery was for you.” [Editor’s note: for those of you who weren’t around, see the Season 60 thread. This is a call back to when Linndale got into the playoffs and someone had to eat crow.]

Marshall continued. “I hate agreeing with him, but everything Air said was dead on. To be the best small forward he can be, we want him to make those same improvements. We also want to see him get more aggressive inside, both offensively and defensively. That includes on the boards. He has the talent. We just have to unlock it. Not much to say there, so I’m just gonna get to Shooter. He has no inside game whatsoever. He’s a guard. Not a true point guard, but he can play there. He’s a Rod Guyton point guard.”

Air interrupted. “My colleague forgets Guyton was not a point guard.”

Marshall coldly replied, “While my colleague argues, the fact remains he was the starting point guard on a team that quite literally made him eat crow, and I will forever be in debt to Mr. Guyton for his contributions to that effort. Now, back to Shooter. His defense is improving. The guy can shoot it. Build around him? No, but if we were a playoff team seeking scoring, he’s a guy we’d go after. Put him out there with Enfes and Kops? I wouldn’t want to have to try and guard that. He’s tremendous getting to the basket and a proficient enough passer to get the ball to the open man. Those three on the court together could prove deadly. Add Beko and MacNeur? That’s going to be a problem for the rest of the league.”

Part 3
Pio sat quietly and listened intently. Roberto noted that. “Air, your floor. Point guards.”

“I see Tovar as a point; we’ve already discussed him. Weinstein is a developmental project who likely slides in at small forward. Probably as a bench piece long term if he sticks; he's a project. Gets to the basket, strong passing skills, strong in the paint on defense. Plus, you can’t teach being 6 feet 6 inches. Jimenez has a far better inside game than Tovar. He shows strong skills driving to the rim and finding the open man. He also shows up with his perimeter defense. Definitely a point guard in there, but very raw. The new rookie, his defense plays right now as a backup point guard. He can get to the rim. He’s also very raw. He’s also 6 feet 6 inches, so you might see him develop the versatility you like. Start trying to get him ready now and watch it pay off next season. Ball skills and shooting need work. The other new guy, Leao, his inside game is trash. A pure drive and dish point, can defend, and can shoot some, but lacks range. He gives you the option to start him at point or back up the position. He is playable, but still raw. Long term, point guard appears to be in solid hands. Now Cerri, he’s interesting. Can get to the rim with ease and finish. Can’t shoot from the outside. Not gonna scare you at the free throw stripe, but can handle, drive and dish it. If he ever gets any range, it wouldn’t be a question of who’s the guy. His defense is tremendous on the perimeter. Overall, he still has room to grow. He’s not the long term guy, I don’t think, but he’s not easily replaced.”

Roberto spoke. “I want a consensus best offensive 5, and best defensive 5. Pio, you sit this out. I want to see what they think.” Pio smiled. He liked where this was going. After a few minutes of sometimes heated discussion, the three assistant coaches were ready. “Best 5 on offense would be MacNeur, Pemwieser, Kops, Enfes, and Cerri.” Air explained. “Pemwieser is weak passing; that's his weakness offensively. The others can cover for that, except for Enfes. While that’s his biggest weakness, he’s too good to keep off the floor. Enfes, Kops, and Pemwieser can provide shooting. All 5 can attack the rim. The big weakness as a group is free throw shooting. Tovar can’t shoot all the free throws; so one of his strengths is minimized in that regard.” Air sat down.

Byron took over. “The 5 best on defense starts with Beko. Add Enfes and Kops, Hatfield, and Cerri. You want perimeter defense? The weakest of the bunch on the perimeter is a prominent defender. The second weakest is prolific. Neither of those guys is a 7 footer. Want to bang inside? You’ll have a better shot at that, but that doesn’t make it easy, plus the argument can be made that Cerri could be replaced by Uzek on defense. The difference between them on the perimeter defensively is erased when you compare them defensively on the inside. There’s also the promise of shot blocking from Uzek, Hatfield, and Enfes. The rebounding could be better; Beko is a beast there, and Hatfield and Enfes are not bad either.”

“Gentlemen, you’ve given me much to consider. Pio, we have more to discuss.”

“Agreed,” Pio replied as both men went to Roberto’s office.

“Marshall,” Air asked, “what was that in there?”

“Someone was looking for information. I’m not sure who was looking for what.” Marshall wondered about that too.

“I have a few ideas about that,” replied Byron. “Let's go grab a bite and continue this.”

Air cackled, “It's almost like you respect my thoughts. What’s this warm feeling I’m having? I don’t like it.”

Marshall, rarely passing a chance to stick it to Air, whiffed. Byron didn’t.

“Marshall, you drive; that man is not getting in my car after pissing himself.” Both erupted in laughter.

“Oh, that’s right; I friggin’ hate you guys” Air mumbled.

San Dominica Huddle Coach Stephenson miced up

Coach Stephenson:
If you thought coming to this bench with a four point lead was gonna stop me from unloading on y’all. Y’all were dead wrong! (points to the other team bench) They’ve come to play. I know you thought our size advantage was gonna make this a cake walk. Well you were wrong. D-Up! We’re giving them easy points. This is our house! Our house! Now you go out there this quarter and defend it!

(zips back to Samantha Walsh)

Sam Walsh:
Guys Coach Stephenson was not happy with his team when they came to bench at the end of the first quarter. Both he and Gordo Long were letting the players have it. He told me just as the quarter began that his team was playing too lax and too hesitant and probably were a little shell shocked from that early barrage of three points. Back to you guys!

Charles:
Yeah from what we heard, no Stephenson is not happy at all. He probably still not happy as the Warriors are now up 44-32

Last edited by Coach Stephenson at 1/6/2024 8:34:41 PM

Happy Ourer: Sam Dunkley of the Basketball Times joins us on the Linndale Pre Game Show to talk some Linndale basketball. Sam, welcome! It’s been a while since we last saw you.

Sam Dunkley: Hi Happy, it has been awhile. Great to be here! Been a while since I was on the Linndale beat, and already I have breaking news for you. Effective immediately, I am the newest member of the broadcast team.

HO: Well, congratulations, and welcome to the team! That is great news!

Joshua Doe: That is great news! Welcome to the team!

SD: Thanks, Joshua!

HO: Gentlemen, let’s get right to it. This roster has undergone a transformation. It’s younger, more athletic, it’s versatile, and there’s a strong defensive framework being laid here. What’s going on, and why?

JD: Happy, I haven’t had a chance to speak with Coach Pio Reina or General Manager Roberto Gurgone, so I don’t know what their thoughts were. On the surface, it looks like a reset to me. Strong defense and positional versatility have always been hallmarks of Linndale basketball. It looks to me like that’s what they’re getting back to. It’s well known that the last few seasons had some budget trouble, but they’ve navigated through those waters. They’ve got some players to build around, some up and comers, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few more guys moved. The transformation isn’t done.

HO: Sam, your thoughts?
SD: Joshua is correct in linking the budget issues and the roster reset. The budget issues were a poorly kept secret, but the recent roster transformation is also in line with Pio Reina’s desire to get back to the basics of Linndale basketball.

All three, in unison: Defense, rebounding, and taking care of the basketball!

HO: What happened to get away from that?

SD: Floyd Hearn was a blessing and a curse. He was the big man Linndale needed at the right price, right age, and right time. He was injured when he was acquired, but the team was willing to wait for his services since he was acquired for under $400k if my memory serves. He was the game changer they needed and those in the organization will tell you that he was worth it and then some, but also losing him was the most painful thing that happened.

JD: I can confirm that! In my conversations, various sources have indicated a desire to find a Floyd Hearn kind of player to pair with the recently acquired Joy Beko. That would be one heck of a duo!

HO: So, the reset is to build around Beko and add a Hearn type of player?

SD: Yes and no. They’d like to add a Hearn type player, but I don’t think they’ll go that high salary wise. The plan appears to be get them young and polish them. Leandro Leao, Ercan Uzek, Cafer Enfes, Midas Kops, and Joy Beko are all 23 and under with high upside. They are all still growing, and in the case of Beko, Enfes and Kops, these are guys that are going to be here a bit even with salary increases. That means they’re going to get a chance to grow together.

HO: Folks, we're gonna sneak in a commercial and get back to talking about tonight's game. See you on the other side!

Last edited by Speedtraps at 1/7/2024 12:23:10 AM

Happy Ourer: Joshua, Sam, this game had some of everything! Both teams were over 40% from deep. There was plenty of scoring. If you like ball movement, 59 assists. Then it got chippy!

Joshua Doe: If you had Linndale with with a 37 point second quarter to lead at the half, or Linndale up by 1 after 3 quarters, you’re lying!

Sam Dunkley: Trenton Tovar put the team on his back in that first half. 7 of 13 from the field, 4 of 8 from deep, he scored 20 of his team high 28 in the first half.

HO: Yeah, but the star of the first half was recently acquired point guard, Leandro Leao. In only 6 first half minutes, Leao had 5 points, a rebound, 3 assists, and 3 steals. He was electric!

JD: He was, and the team was playing as close to perfect as they could in that first half. Up by 8 at the half, forced 9 turnovers and only turning it over 3 times. This was everything they wanted to see in the first half!

HO: Let’s join Pio Reina in his post game presser and see what he thinks.

[switch live to the presser]

Pio Reina: I don’t know what the final numbers were, but my eyes told me we put them on the free throw line a lot and they took advantage of that. We did not defend the three point line or rebound well. We went toe to toe with them, and went into the fourth quarter up 1. We just couldn’t get any stops in the fourth quarter. How many times do you see a team score 28 in the fourth and still get outscored by 14?

Jimmy Buckitts: Coach, Jimmy Buckitts, Basketball Times. With so much roster movement in such a little time, what positive do you take from this game?

PR: I haven’t seen Tovar or Cerri as physical as they were defensively since either has been here. The bench played well. The ball movement was good, the ball security was solid. We haven’t played motion much at all this season; we needed to do other things. With the roster changes, I though it was a good time to see if it would be a good fit. It’s not a bad fit, but I see some things to work on before we go back to this.

Trey Swisher: Coach, Trey Swisher, Basketball America.

PR: That’s a great name! You play any?

TS: No; I was never good enough. Coach, what were you hoping to see out there?

PR: I wanted to see us attack the rim more. I mentioned motion as a Linndale staple, but I don’t like that we play with a lack of aggressiveness in attacking the rim when we play that style. Ball movement and ball security go well with that style, as does good outside shooting, so I was happy to see those things on display. Still, we are not a good outside shooting team, we are not the rebounding team I need us to be. As evidenced by the 42 points we gave up in the fourth quarter, we are not the defensive team we want to be yet.

Jay Rando: Jay Rando, LWTA.

PR: Who?

JR: LWTA. Last Week’s America, Tomorrow.

PR: That’s a rather unfortunate name. Talk them into a rebranding?

JR: We’ll see. Coach, there’s been a noticeable drop in turnovers recently. To what or whom do you attribute that to?

PR: Credit goes to Air Allnite, but there’s still plenty of work to be done. We’ve tasked him with ball security, and after a rocky start, he seems to have gotten a handle on it. [crowd chuckles]

JB: Coach, what did you think of the other, Leandro Leao, and when will we see Ercan Uzek on the floor?

PR: Leandro Leao only played 10 minutes, but he was very impactful. He was ultra aggressive on both ends, and gave us a huge spark. Air did a great job of getting him up to speed and it showed. Uzek has work to do but will be on the court soon.

HO: Folks we’re going to have cut away for a word from our sponsors. We;ll be back in studio when we return.

Week Five [LATE] Power Rankings
As we approach the mid-way point of the season, we're going to assess each team's Cup progress. The Cup is typically a devil of a thing, especially for those of us in Div. III's Inferno where your luck can go from a string of 3 bots and two Div. IV teams to a Div. I matchup in the second week. Spoiler alert, this wasn't a good week for our league in the tourney!

Through three interconference games, the Big 8 is currently leading the way with 14 wins to 10. This week saw several blow outs and a couple of closer matchups with one upset in 16 games. Here's a couple of quick observations related to league-wide efficiencies:

1. Offensive EFFG - There's a clear distinction between the top, the middle, and the bottom in EFFG. The gap between the bottom and the middle is at least 30 points, while the gap between the middle and the top is just about 9 points. However, the bottom has a 30-point range, the middle has a two point range, and the top has a 20 point range.

2. Defensive EFFG - There's a top and a bottom with a clear 25-point separation between them. I will say, there are three teams at the top of the bottom half that are clearly "better" in OPP EFFG than the rest of them.

There’s not a lot of big jumps up and down the rankings for each category, which is generally expected as we get closer to the all star break.

On to the rankings!

1. Super Sonics
Last Week's Ranking: 3
EFFG: 141.1 (+4.8)
OPP EFFG: 76.7 (+1.7)

zhouzhaoxu's boys have had a pretty meteoric climb up these rankings since Week One's 10th ranked placement. They haven't lost a game since then either going from a -1 point differential after that loss to +244 in the next 8 games. This week they defeated 209's on the road by 17 (they were up 31 after three quarters) and then trounced Muffin Men at home by 53 (and while you might find it disconcerting they gave up 76 points to the Muffs, that's par for the course for the Doughboys, and 26 of those points came in the final quarter).

CUP ACTION
The Sonics are out of it after 4 games with a 19-point loss to the 153rd ranked team in the States after three bot matchups. And it's not for lack of effort, but they only made 9 of 32 shots from beyond the arc (and only 18 shots otherwise) with their Run and Gun tactic against III.6's Bolts.

Next Up: at Linndale before hosting F.Day

2. Lion Rebels
Last Week's Ranking: 1
EFFG: 139 (+1.5)
OPP EFFG: 70.9 (+2.9)

The Lion Rebels' coach all but admitted out-loud at his press conference this week after their relatively narrow home TV victory against Balls to the Walls that the team was more interested in staying alive in the Cup than proving their efficiency greatness to influence this writer's league rankings. There wasn't any question, though, in their next game as each position for the Rebels were shooting at a rate of at least 109 points per 100 shots against CB Bethesdorf on the road.

CUP ACTION
Two bot matchups followed by a third-round matchup against then ranked 59th Puff_Puff_Pass from II.2 that resulted in a win. Since then, they've had the luck of drawing three straight Div. IV teams to make it to the round of 128 which is the second furthest they've made it into the tournament (somehow making it to the round of 64 during their regulation stave off seasons in Season 59.)

Next Up: host to Tasty then at VileOnes

Week Five [LATE] Power Rankings - Part Two

3. Tasty Tardsicles
Last Week's Ranking: 2
EFFG: 139.3 (-7.6)
OPP EFFG: 88.7 (+6.9)

Yes, a 7.6 drop in EFFG seems relatively high, but last week's league leading EFFG team can afford to drop a bit of efficiency here and there. And that comes as a result of an upset loss (don't shoot me Mc KR) to F.Day on the road before holding on in another close matchup against the Golden Lions at home.

CUP ACTION
Faced with a tough choice this week, an even matchup against similarly ranked Missouri City Sounders, from III.8, and two difficult league matchups, with another tough game looming, after two bots and two Div. IV tourney games, they turned the game over to EZ Dickens to put it on his back and, without sacrificing enthusiasm, they came up short - a fact they seemed resigned to.

Next Up: at Lion Rebels before hosting the Warriors

4. F.Day Internet Lovers Club
Last Week's Ranking: 4
EFFG: 128.4 (+0.8)
OPP EFFG: 82.6 (-2.5)

F.Day is actually tied in the average rankings this week with Tasty, but loses the tie breaker thanks to last week's score. They saw an opportunity and took advantage of it this week, sending Tasty home packing, taking advantage in the third quarter and then solidifying in the 4th for the win. That was followed by a handily on the road defeat of VileOnes to maintain their status in the top 4 of the league.

CUP ACTION
Three bot matchups led to a III.2 showdown with Cal Bulldogs which they won and their gift for that was a home matchup against the 16th ranked Knights of Autumn. Needless to say, they took the opportunity to bow out of the tournament.

Next Up: hosting Jumpstop before traveling to Key Arena against the Sonics

5. San Dominica Warriors
Last Week's Ranking: 5
EFFG: 121 (+10.1)
OPP EFFG: 80.6 (-1.5)

San Dom has the highest increase in EFFG from last week (though just barely, thanks to Jumpstop's "jump") with games against Fort Wayne and Balls this week, both which they won handily, but they were presented with a different sort of challenge in their Cup matchup.

CUP ACTION
Bot, bot, Div. IV, and Div. III matchup’s (and wins) led them to a Div. II opponent in Wobbles, ranked 126, and while they underperformed in the first, their second quarter surge put them up 9 at the half. Two minutes into the 2nd half, they were up 15 and a minute later, Miguel Tercero attempted a jump shot and was flagrantly fouled and injured on the play. His replacement, J. Manley, came in and made the first free throw, and then Wobbles scored seven points before the Warriors scored again, and they chipped away the rest of the quarter to trim the Warriors lead to 3. Coach Stephenson's team held on as best they could, but by the halfway point of the quarter, the score was tied and after that, though they kept it close until the final 22 seconds, they couldn't mount a come back and find themselves in scrimmages again.

Next Up: hosting CB Bethesdorf before visiting Tasty

Week Five [LATE] Power Rankings - Part Three

6. Mindless Zombies
Last Week's Ranking: 7
EFFG: 123.8 (+6.9)
OPP EFFG: 97.1 (+9.6)

Good improvements in both categories bumped Mindless up one spot in each ranking, resulting in swapping places with last week's 6th ranked squad. They drug Dragmort through the mud for a 64-point victory before turning their sites on 209's and dredging them through it for a 30-point victory to improve to 7-3 on the season.

CUP ACTION
They faced two bots in the Cup before hosting Arizona Desert Storm, then 423rd in the US from Div. IV in the third round, a game in which they opted to run their scrubs out there - led by Ethan Richardson, who thanks to shooting 11-11 from the free throw line, managed 20 points on a dreadful shooting night for the team, in which they only made 16% of their shots and ungracefully exited the Tournament.

Next Up: on the road at Drury Lane before hosting Linndale on TV

7. Shandong Golden Lions
Last Week's Ranking: 6
EFFG: 112 (-3.3)
OPP EFFG: 89 (+3.8)

Shandong's top 5 defense has helped them to a 6-4 record, while their offense has been middling when it matters. In what looked like a closer matchup than it was, they beat Bethesdorf at home and then took a 10-point loss to Tasty's Tards after that.

CUP ACTION
They might be the unluckiest of the group, so far, with two bot matches followed by a road trip to the 10th ranked US team Visionaries. Personally, I hate third round exits, because I've had a lot of them.

Next Up: VileOnes at home and then at Jumpstop

8. CB Bethesdorf
Last Week's Ranking: 8
EFFG: 112.1 (-13.8)
OPP EFFG: 117.8 (+2.4)

CB's losing streak has extended to five games now, and their EFFG drop this week is the largest of any team, but it still keeps them in the middle of the pack in that category. While they scored 31-points in their final quarter against Shandong in their first of two Lions matches this week, it wasn't enough to come back from their 18-point deficit heading into that quarter. Tuesday's game wasn't much fun, though they do get to brag about holding the Rebels' up and comer Sherwood Hollins to 1-12 from the field, while everyone else shot at least 44%.

CUP ACTION
CB's tournament run came to an end after two bot games and then two nice victories, one over 168th Ron Swanson and the other against Urban flow, then ranked 235, both on the road. That run came to an unfortunate end when they took a 2-point lead into the fourth against 110th Caerbannog who came from behind to take the lead with 9 minutes left and then extended it to 8 points before CB mounted their own come back, finally tying it back up with 3 minutes left. With 24 seconds left, York fired off a 3 ball that tied it at 108 and then the opposition scored on an offensive rebound. York again showed some heroics with a shot with four seconds left to tie it at 110 but it all fell apart when Cartaxo was caught on a foul on the buzzer beating attempt to send them to the free throw line where they sealed it with no time left and eliminated them from the Cup. Nice run though!

Next Up: at San Dominica then hosting Dragmort

Last edited by Baine at 1/7/2024 1:54:03 PM

Week Five [LATE] Power Rankings - Part Four

9. Jumpstop Jumpers
Last Week's Ranking: 10
EFFG: 90.6 (+9.8)
OPP EFFG: 91 (-3.1)

Despite a resurgence into playoff contention on the back of a 5-game winning streak, Coach Randall El appears to have shifted course, having listed four players, two of which will probably be sold before I finally get this posted. A dominant win over the Muffins on the road was followed by a nice victory over Linndale with a 9-point win despite giving up mid-20 scores to three of Linndale's top players thanks to not listed The Mismatch Valentin who had 46-points to improve his chances to win the scoring title this season.

CUP ACTION
Two bots led them to a matchup with then 192nd ranked AZ Sunburn of III.13, where they abandoned the tournament ship and gifted the Sunburn a win to enter scrimmage territory.

Next Up: at F.Day before hosting Shandong

10. Linndale
Last Week's Ranking: 11
EFFG: 110.6 (+3.8)
OPP EFFG: 114.9 (-6.1)

A satisfying demolition of VileOnes by 44 was superseded by Tuesday's loss on the road to the Jumpers, especially after jumping out to a 32-17 lead in the first quarter, only to trip over themselves enroute to scoring just 10 points in the second (while giving up 34 and eliminating every source of good will from their coaching staff). Down 15 heading into the final frame, they mustered a ridiculous 46 points, but gave up 40 themselves to fall short in their come back bid.

CUP ACTION
Two bots led to a matchup with then ranked 646th The Adams Family (bu-du-du-dump!) in round three, where they got outscored in every quarter enroute to their ouster from the tournament.

Next Up: Super Sonics at home, then at Mindless on TV

11. Fort Wayne Pistons
Last Week's Ranking: 12
EFFG: 112.5 (-2.9)
OPP EFFG: 133.7 (+0.7)

Fort Wayne has ventured into a three-game losing streak (spoiler alert, they broke it!), with losses this week on the road to the Warriors by 18 and then succumbing to Dragmort 117-111 at home in overtime. Down six heading into the final quarter, they mounted a comeback and finally took the lead at the 2:46 mark, extended it to three, and then were down 1 with 26 seconds left. They fouled Dragmort's Pesen who made the first, but missed the second. They couldn't capitalize and fouled the Dragons' Petrinksi who missed the first, but made the second to make it a 3-point lead with just two seconds. U. Jaén somehow got the buzzer beater off in time to tie it at 94 and send it to overtime. It was close until 1:10 when the Dragons pulled away and free throws, this time sealed the deal.

CUP ACTION
Two bots then a Div. IV win led to a Div. III opponent they beat before then facing III.4's Batnobili on the road. It looked like a good game with Fort Wayne battling back before losing by five to send them home from the tournament.

Next Up: at 209's then hosting Muffin Men

Week Five [LATE] Power Rankings - Part Five

12. Dragmort Dragons Utd
Last Week's Ranking: 9
EFFG: 84.8 (-1.5)
OPP EFFG: 117.1 (+4.7)

Dragmort broke a 5-game losing streak with their overtime victory over Fort Wayne last Tuesday. That came on the heels of the Zombie's bringing an apocalypse to the Dungeon where the Dragons got smoked out by 64. But, most impressive, the Dragons are the only other team still in the tournament - so let's get to that!

CUP ACTION
Like most of us, they've had the pleasure of a couple of bots to start the tournament, but then round three presented them with fellow Div. III Chiefers, then ranked 148 (to Dragons 159). Both teams brought it, but thanks to a 9-point advantage in the second quarter, the Dragons held on for a one point victory to advance. That gifted them a matchup on the road against then ranked 119 Galloping Sloths of Div. II.1. Despite the Sloths playing their studs, Dragmort again took advantage of a strong second quarter and held them to just 58 points for a 12-point victory. Their next matchup, this week, came in the form of rebuilding Evergreen Xenos, currently ranked 280th who they took down 84-58. And that paid off in the form of a (yet another) road game, this time against 167 Wizards BC from IV.9. And with games against two struggling squads this week, they have an opportunity to advance to the round of 64!

Next Up: hosting Balls, then at CB Bethesdorf.

13. VileOnes
Last Week's Ranking: 13
EFFG: 70.9 (-6.6)
OPP EFFG: 127.9 (+2.6)

Welcome to our final quartet, the series of 1-9 teams currently battling it out for the top pick - it's been a few seasons since we haven't had at least one, if not two bots down here, but I'd much prefer real humans occupying the cellar than bots. This week, Vile fell to Linndale on the road before getting pummeled by F.Day 98-69. Still league leader in scoring, J. Bover consistently plays in just one game a week, with maybe a few seconds here or there in the 2nd game. Word on the street is they're outright tanking and don't want to risk Jordi's heroics winning them another game on accident as they tank for that first pick.

CUP ACTION
Vile faced two bots and then two Div. IV squads before being eliminated by 688th DVine Lions in round four.

Next Up: Lions week: at Shandong before hosting the Rebels.

14. Muffin Men
Last Week's Ranking: 14
EFFG: 66.4 (-4.5)
OPP EFFG: 130 (+4.9)

The Muffin Men were ousted by the Jumpers at home and then Girl Interrupted by the Sonics on Tuesday by 53. Newcomer Bhavisa Lal, whose had a couple of games played on India's junior national team, has played 5 games for the Muffs, and in his first game he appeared to be a godsend, despite the loss, with 41 points on 21 shots, going 5-7 from the three-point line. Since then, however, he's averaged just 13.5 PPG on 36% shooting. As a whole, the team is struggling with their shot, averaging 32.5% on the season thus far.

CUP ACTION
Their two bot start to the Cup was ended when they traveled to face 134th Spider Monkeys. They put forth a decent effort, but just couldn't keep up to get ousted in the third round.

Next Up: hosting Mindless before at Fort Wayne

Week Five [LATE] Power Rankings - Part Six
(This is the last one, I swear!)

15. 209's MostWanted
Last Week's Ranking: 15
EFFG: 81.8 (+1)
OPP EFFG: 136.1 (+0.1)

Alex's boys faced two of the top 3 teams in the Great 8 this week, with a home loss to Super Sonics followed by a road loss to Mindless. While neither game was close, they're avoiding getting blown out for the most part this season. Ioannis Kavoukas has been a breath of fresh air, however, averaging a double/double for them at power forward and leading the league in offensive rebounds.

CUP ACTION
Their Cup run came to an end this week after a three bot start then a Div. IV opponent defeat which led them to #216 Swiss Cheese Defense on Thursday. And they didn't live up to their name allowing 209's to score just 15 points in the first half, though they valiantly tried to come back before losing by 9 to get the boot.

Next Up: hosting the Pistons before visiting Balls

16. Balls to the Walls
Last Week's Ranking: 16
EFFG: 59.8 (+2)
OPP EFFG: 150 (+2.1)

Scags crew had a glimpse of unbelievable hope last weekend as they marched into Daylis Arena to take on the Rebels and were only down by 1-point in the first. The lead grew to six by the half and then, remarkably, Balls outscored the Sad Sack Lions by two in the third quarter to cut the lead to four. But, giving up 34 points in the final frame sealed their fate and the brief hope of an impossible upset returned to being just a dream. San Dominica gave them no such ideas, however, jumping out to an 18-point lead by scoring 40 points in the first and never looked back enroute to 135 points dumped on the Balls to the Walls Arena.

CUP ACTION
Scags handled their first two bots and then, on the road in the third round decimated 202nd ranked Amsterdam Chimps by nearly 50 points in what could be categorized as a catastrophic upset. But then, in round four, #218 Rogues gave them no such feeling and held them out of the rest of the tournament after gifting them a 10-point lead in the first quarter before turning it on and outscoring them by 21 in the 2nd to never look back.

Next Up: visiting Dragmort before hosting 209's

Apologies for the lateness of the rankings. Good games last night - ever closer to the all star break!