By Taylor Purpura
The Weekly Rebound Podcast (CT): Connor Sauer and Greg Horne recap Week 9 and preview all six First Round Playoff matchups.
Legacy Leagues Winter 2018 Playoffs: First Round (Tuesday March 13 at 9pm)
#7 Flint Tropics (5-4) vs #10 Stranger Danger (3-6)
First Matchup: Flint Tropics defeated Stranger Danger, 150-50, in Week 6
Current Streak: Flint Tropics (L3), Stranger Danger (W1)
Highest Power Ranking: Flint Tropics – 4, Stranger Danger – 10
The Flint Tropics absolutely annihilated Stranger Danger in their first meeting winning by an absurd 100 points. Since that game, the Flint Tropics have lost three in a row, although those three games were all against very formidable opponents. Stranger Danger got their third win of the year in Week 9 with a 14-point victory over Semi Pro. The Flint Tropics should win this one easily, and advance to the quarterfinals.
Players to Watch: Mike Bozzuto (Flint Tropics), Matt Zocco (Stranger Danger)
- Bozzuto: Averaging 25.2 points per game on the season, Bozzuto has established himself as one of the best players in the league. In the first matchup with Stranger Danger, Bozzuto scored 49 points on 22-26 shooting. I expect him to have another big game in this week’s first round matchup.
- Zocco: On the year, Zocco averaged 21.0 points per game and finished third in the league in three-pointers made. If Stranger Danger wants to keep this game close, they will need to get hot from behind the arc, and Zocco will likely be the one leading the charge.
Potential Breakout Players: TJ Gianni (Flint Tropics), Tyler Feldman (Stranger Danger)
- Gianni: In the first matchup with Stranger Danger, Gianni scored 38 points on 15-18 shooting and 8-11 shooting behind the arc. Gianni is one of the best three-point shooters in the league, shooting 43.2 percent on the season. He is averaging 9.2 points per game this year, but I expect him to score the ball a lot more in this game.
- Feldman: He does not score the ball at a high rate, but Feldman rebounds well and does a good job protecting the paint. He will need to play well in this one if Stranger Danger wants to pull off the upset.
Legacy Leagues Predictions:
Joe: Flint Tropics
Mike: Flint Tropics
Kendall: Flint Tropics
Taylor: Flint Tropics
Stuckey: Flint Tropics
Legacy Leagues Winter 2018 Playoffs: First Round (Tuesday March 13 at 10pm)
#6 Rim Breakers (5-4) vs #11 The Throne (2-7)
First Matchup: Rim Breakers defeated The Throne, 88-73, in Week 8
Current Streak: Rim Breakers (L1), The Throne (L4)
Highest Power Ranking: Rim Breakers – 5, The Throne – 3
The Rim Breakers began the season 3-0, but finished at just 5-4. They lost their final game of the season to the Blue Devils by 15 points. The Throne finished the season with a 2-7 record, but I believe that they are a much better team than their record shows. They lost a lot of close games to some of the very best teams in the league. I expect this game to be very close, and would not be surprised if The Throne pulled off the upset.
Players to Watch: Kievon Turnbull (Rim Breakers), Jason Hernandez (The Throne)
- Turnbull: He scored 23 points in last week’s loss against the Blue Devils and averaged 15.0 points per game on the season. Turnbull is a big body who can dribble and is tough to stop in the open floor. Look for Turnbull to play a big part in the Rim Breakers offense this week.
- Hernandez: He is an excellent outside shooter and is able to create his own shot off the dribble. He scored 26 points last week against No Limit and is averaging 18.5 points per game this season. He struggled against the Rim Breakers in Week 8, and The Throne will need him to play much better this week if they want to pull off the upset.
Potential Breakout Players: Carl Fairfax (Rim Breakers), Dashawn Moffatt (The Throne)
- Fairfax: He scored 10 points in Week 8’s matchup with The Throne and the Rim Breakers will need him to hit some outside shots and run the offense well to advance to the Quarterfinals.
- Moffatt: He scored 13 points against the Rim Breakers in Week 8 and has been playing well as of late. He and his teammates will need to help Hernandez on the offensive end in this contest if they want to win this week.
Legacy Leagues Predictions:
Joe: Rim Breakers
Mike: Rim Breakers
Kendall: Rim Breakers
Taylor: The Throne
Stuckey: The Throne
Legacy Leagues Winter 2018 Playoffs: First Round (Tuesday March 13 at 10pm)
#3 The Chasers (8-1) vs #14 Semi Pro (0-9)
First Matchup: The Chasers defeated Semi Pro, 110-58, in Week 5
Current Streak: The Chasers (W6), Semi Pro (L9)
Highest Power Ranking: The Chasers – 2, Semi Pro – 14
The Chasers finished the season at 8-1, with their only loss coming in Week 3 to the Blue Devils. The Chasers have two of the best players in the league in the Washington brothers. On the other hand, Semi Pro finished the year winless, and was only competitive in two of their nine games. Expect this game to get out of hand early and expect to see a lot of highlight dunks from The Chasers.
Players to Watch: Jayron Vines (The Chasers), Jesse Doucette (Semi Pro)
- Vines: He had a monster game last week against the Monstars, posting 32 point and 16 rebounds. His size is an issue for a lot of teams and this week should be no different. Expect Vines to have another solid game this week.
- Doucette: He is Semi Pro’s leading scorer and will need to get hot to keep his team in the game. Doucette is a crafty playmaker who looks for his teammates and can hit outside shots.
Potential Breakout Players: Brandon Seabrook (The Chasers), Mike McClean (Semi Pro)
- Seabrook: He scored 17 points last week against the Monstars, knocking down five three pointers. He can get hot from outside and score in bunches.
- McClean: He had an excellent game last week, posting 15 points on 6-7 shooting. He is a big man who can shoot from outside and score in the paint as well. Semi Pro will need all the scoring they can get this week if they want this game to stay competitive.
Legacy Leagues Predictions:
Joe: The Chasers
Mike: The Chasers
Kendall: The Chasers
Taylor: The Chasers
Stuckey: The Chasers
