Week 5 Boys Matchups

6:00 - Bellevue (5-3) vs. Team 518 (8-0)

A largely new Bellevue team, with many of its players at Live in AC with City Rocks, takes on undefeated and dominant Team 518. They will be missing standout Andrew Sischo (19 PPG), and standout PG Kaden Baugh is still out with injury, but Bellevue will still have their hands more than full. Look for Zac O'Dell (Schalmont) and Tyler Lamport (South Kortright) to step forward for Team 518, and Bellevue will need big performances in the blocks from Josh Gonzalez (Canajoharie/Spire Institute) and Damonte White (Mekeel Christian Academy). With those two wide 6'6" bodies and 6'6" wing Keenan Loder (Cobleskill-Richmondville) still around tonight, they're the only team that can match Team 518's size.

Rising Stars (5-3) vs. Marcella Appliances (4-4)

Rising Stars is in unfamiliar territory - low numbers. The team that normally has EVERYONE show up will have 6 tonight. It'll still be a dynamic six though - backcourt mates Joe Girard III (Glens Falls) and Kobe Lufkin (Argyle) had their best nights of the season last week, and they'll look to build off that. Marcella, a team that went through a spell of dangerously low numbers, may have 10... weird, right? New addition Devin Boyle (Johnstown) has jumped on the opportunity, now 5th in the league in scoring (14.3 PPG) and tied for 2nd in threes made (11) in just 2 weeks of action. Stillwater's Mitchel Wayand has now crept into the top 10 in scoring at 11.7 PPG after a knockout game last week. They'll be aided by the return of 6'5" CBA stretch 4 Ian Schultz as well, who's missed the last two weeks. They're the top 2 teams in the league in made 3s (well, Marcella is tied for 2nd), so this could be a shootout at the OK Corral.

7:00 - Upstate Select (1-7) vs. Marcella Appliances (4-4)

The two teams tied for 2nd in threes made will duke it out. Last time they played, Marcella gutted out a win in their 2nd game of the night with just 5 guys. The aforementioned Ian Schultz and Amsterdam PG Kory Bergh were instrumental in that victory, as both caused matchup issues. Select will need to guard the line... or just play better defense in general. Giving up 74 PPG, they're by far the worst defensive team in the league. Upstate Select will be aided in a big way by the return of Johnson City's Patrick Garey - his shooting and defensive ability were missing desperately from this crew the last two weeks. Also, they may also be gifted with the debut of explosive Oneonta senior Albert Odero, who's now been offered by three Division I schools after a stellar July. If he comes, that instantly makes Upstate Select an entirely different team with shooters Garey & Tyler Bertram (Cooperstown) and effective big man Gavin Giroux (Sherburne-Earlville) on the floor.

Bellevue (5-3) vs. Man Up (1-7)

Man Up has been killed by having low numbers and a lack of size this year. They may have 8, which is a plus for them, and a new entry in this week is the tallest player to put on a jersey this summer in 6'10" John Jay junior Logan O'Donnell. He's a raw 6'10" with a lot of work to do, but his height and very quickly improving skill level may make an instant difference. Man Up actually has 3 of the league's 4 leading scorers on their roster - imagine if they were all here? Only one will, Guilderland's Mike Wine, but he has 20+ ability every time out. They're looking like they'll hit a good point and be a tough out come playoff time. This will be a test for them though, as they're still small outside of O'Donnell, and Bellevue's got that previously mentioned strength in Gonzalez & White. This may be a battle of who gets the game to their pace.

8:00 - Upstate Select (1-7) vs. Man Up (1-7)

Upstate Select's only win so far - a 76-73 triumph in Week 2 over Man Up. With Garey, Bertram, Derek Newman (Herkimer), Louden Porter (Canton), and maybe Odero against Wine, Kevin Townes Jr. (Our Lady of Lourdes), Justin Houck (Berne-Knox-Westerlo), Rob Veith (Rhinebeck), and Cole Ackerman (Greenville), this may turn into a track meet just like the first one. Whoever plays defense for a few minutes is getting this win!

Rising Stars (5-3) vs. Team 518 (8-0)

Oh God, last time these teams played... they were both 2-0 heading into Week 2, with one impressive W and one blowout W. Looked like it would be a good game, until it happened and Team 518 was up 25 at halftime. Size vs. speed again on this night. Size won by a long shot last time, but with Girard and Lufkin finding their groove last week and always consistent Matt Higgins (South Glens Falls) at the wing, it's tough to count Rising Stars out of anything. They will need to find a way to contain 518 on the boards, though. Even without Sischo, 518's bigs are an absolute load. That's led by Zac O'Dell (Schalmont), Joe Werner (Ichabod Crane), and Alex Skaine (Saratoga - normally a big but playing a wing with this group, they're that big). They'll look to wear the Stars down and end it early.