2 weeks through, and we've seen 1 team beat up on the other 5, and the other 5 beating up on each other. Quick thoughts for today.
- How are low numbers going to affect today's outcomes? Man Up & Marcella Appliances have felt them in a major way at times, both forfeiting games. Upstate Select has felt it both weeks, despite not forfeiting. Everyone's feeling it today. Marcella will fight to have 5 again, Bellevue is in the 5-6 range, even Team 518 - with 12 & 9 its first two weeks - will have 7 today. It will be interesting to see the difference it makes in these teams for tonight's games. For example, Upstate Select will have lower numbers, but they have in the first two weeks, too, and the main missing piece is Patrick Garey. 518 will be missing their consensus 1st team PG Kaden Baugh and all-star tweener Zac O'Dell. Bellevue is missing 3 Division I prospects. Let's see how they respond.
- One statement in that begs another question. Is this the night someone knocks off Team 518? They probably won't have as many important pieces missing at any point this season as they do tonight, and they may run into a challenge early in Man Up. In their first matchup, Man Up forfeited. They won't be at full strength either, but Zach Radz will be back in action this week. Radz proved quickly last Wednesday that he may be the best pure scorer in the league. If he gets hot, what will happen? It's not like 518 is bringing nobody though - Andrew Sischo will be there, who has been the most dominant player. Alex Skaine & Tyler Lamport will hold down the fort at the wings, and Adam Anderson can provide a nice scoring punch, so it's going to be much easier said than done for ANYONE.
- Another statement begs another question. Who's got that Radz guy? Anyone? With scoring outputs of 26 & 20 last week, he's atop the leaderboard in points per game, and he didn't do it by volume shooting. As scary as this sounds, he may not have shot enough. Both games went the same way - he tried to get everyone else involved in the 1st half, and decided he'd shoulder the load after halftime. 36 of his 46 points on the night came in the 2nd half. If he's in that sort of attack mode from front to back, what will we be seeing from him now?
- We have a couple new bodies - or old bodies in different places - tonight. Jamie Gonzalez, a standout at Leominster HS in Massachusetts, makes his debut tonight for a very undermanned Marcella Appliances. He's a very solid scorer from the PG spot, and they'll need it. There's also been a roster switch - Canton standout Louden Porter, along with younger brother Declan (who is at Peach Jam), have made the switch to Upstate Select due to dire need. Louden is a 20 PPG scorer at his high school, and moving to a team with lower numbers that needs scoring and toughness may suit him very nicely.
Check out Week 3 of the boys' action at Union College this evening. Games tip off at 6:00, with Man Up taking on Team 518 and Marcella Appliances battling Rising Stars. The 7:00 games pit Marcella Appliances against Bellevue and Team 518 against Upstate Select. At 8:00, Upstate Select takes its 2nd game against Rising Stars & Bellevue/Man Up ends the night on the other court. It's just $1 to get in - check it out!
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