No-Limit claims the top spot, despite nearly losing on Opening Night to newcomers, Red-Emption. No-Limit got off to a hot start in the first half, before taking their foot off the pedal a bit, letting Red-Emption back into the game in the second half. John Rullan’s 27 points helped them secure the win. Their next test will be the Temptations in week 2.
2
Monstars
(1-0)
The Monstars come in at number two, after an utterly dominant performance over the Avengers. The pace was furious throughout the game as the Monstars got dunks and three’s in transition. Brandon Seabrook and Ty Alston led the way with 18 and 16 points respectively. Even with Reggie Stewart being held in check (12 points), the Monstars still nearly hit the century mark on the scoreboard.
3
Temptations
(1-0)
With Carmine Santorelli picking up right where he left off from last season, the Temptations find themselves at number three. Santorelli poured in a triple double: 34 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists. Santorelli and company dominated from start to finish, forcing 15 turnovers and capitalizing in transition. They will look to build on this momentum in a big-time matchup with No Limit next week.
4
Goon Squad
(1-0)
Despite star player Matt Marconi having an off night, Goon Squad crushed Light It Up, and found their way into the top five of the rankings. With defensive emphasis on Marconi, he only attempted six shots, however, DJ Ellis stepped up with a double-double (16 points, 13 rebounds) showing off the team’s depth. Goon Squad was also dominant on the glass, winning the rebounding battle 47-23. Goon Squad’s next challenge comes against the Cereal Killers.
5
Cereal Killers
(1-0)
A strong second half propelled the Cereal Killers to a victory over Sportslook, and land them at no. 5. Constant pressing was implemented to the start the second half. Davon Pratt led the way with 20 points, while Christian Pierre added a double-double (18 points,11 rebounds). The will be tested again next week vs Goon Squad.
6
Red-emption
(0-1)
Despite losing in their first game as a member of The Legacy Leagues to No Limit, Red-Emption finds themselves in the top half of the week 1 rankings. This is mainly due to the narrow loss and signs of promise they showed against the number one-ranked team in the league. Jalen Graham came up big, dropping 25 points on 56 percent shooting. Red-emption will look to get on track in week 2 vs The Rookies.
7
Sportslook
(0-1)
Another team, just like Red-Emption, that lost in week 1, but had a solid enough showing to find themselves in the upper-half of this week’s rankings is Sportslook. They got off to a great start against the Cereal Killers, leading 41-30 at halftime, but the game began to get away from them in the second half due to turnovers. Promise was shown, specifically in Scott Benzing, who had 17 points without missing a single shot the entire game. Up next is a familiar foe in Run TMC.
8
Run TMC
(1-0)
After truly putting the “run” in Run TMC in a 20-point victory over the Renegades, Run TMC finds themselves as the first team in the second half of the rankings. Despite playing at an extremely fast pace the entire game, Run TMC was only able to muster up 55 points, led by Will Hudson’s double-double (17 points, 11 rebounds). Run TMC, however, dominated defensively, only allowing 35 points.
9
The Firm
(1-0)
In perhaps the best game of week 1, The Firm defeated Lob 203, 54-52, with clutch late free throws. The Firm locked down defensively in the tight fourth quarter, holding Lob 203 to 6 points to secure the comeback victory. Chris Martinez led the team in scoring with 13 points. The Firm will look to further their fourth-quarter momentum next time out against the Monstars.
10
Stranger Danger
(1-0)
After a dominant defensive performance in the second half, Stranger Danger came back to defeat White Magic, 51-41. Stranger Danger only allowed 15 second-half points, and proceeded to seal the game with late baskets and free throws by Steven Echols, who had 15 points. With some room for improvement, Stranger Danger will look to continue their momentum next week against Light It Up.
11
Lob 203
(0-1)
Despite their slim, Opening Night loss to The Firm, Lob 203 showed promise, mainly in the form of Paul Mirmina, who led all scorers with 17 points on 88 percent shooting from the field. Lob 203 will look to get more contributions and be better in clutch time in week 2 vs their in-town rival the Renegades.
12
Renegades
(0-1)
The Renegades come in at number 12 after their poor showing offensively against Run TMC, losing 55-35. They were held scoreless in the third quarter, and shot 0-for-20 from downtown for the game. However, Ty Reed had a nice performance with 13 points and seven rebounds. They will look to shoot the ball better and get back to the team they were at the end of last season when they take on Lob 203.
13
Avengers
(0-1)
The Avengers find themselves number 13 in their first rankings after a blowout loss to the Monstars on Opening Night. Despite the lopsided loss, the Avengers showed one quality that could lead to future success: the ability to shoot from long range. They nearly shot 50 percent from beyond the arc, going 12-for-25, with Zach Shapiro’s 5 threes and 24 points leading the way. They will look to improve defensively, and continue the hot shooting next week against White Magic.
14
White Magic
(0-1)
After a lackluster second half performance in their loss to Stranger Danger, White Magic finds themselves in the lower fourth the rankings. Poor shooting from downtown, (6-35), and poor shooting from their top players realy hurt. Steven Buczek was 5-for-26, and Justin Silva shot 5-for-19. White Magic will look to break out of their shooting slump next week against the also-winless Avengers.
15
Rookies
(0-1)
A poor defensive performance led to a lopsided loss in week 1 against Temptations, 80-52. Despite the poor showing on defense, this team has room to improve as they become more familiar with each other on the court. One of the league’s newest team will look to upset Red-emption in week 2.
16
Light It up
(0-1)
In one of the most lopsided games of the week, Light It Up only mustered up 35 points while giving up 71 to Goon Squad. Despite the poor showing, Light It Up’s Devin Luzietti had a big game, posting a double-double (15 points, 12 rebounds). Luzietti and Light it Up will look to get hot offensively next week against Stranger Danger.
