By Kendall Gregory
The Weekly Rebound Podcast (CT): Greg Horne and Connor Sauer break down Week 5, make their picks for all the Week 6 games and tell you who their “Surprise on the Rise” is for this week.
MONDAY 8:30PM: NO LIMIT (5-0) vs MONSTARS (4-1)
No Limit cruised past Stranger Danger last week, while the Monstars squeaked one out against Shooters Shoot. We are given a treat Monday night in the form of the rematch of the Summer ’17 Championships in which the Monstars handled No Limit by twenty-plus. Though No Limit’s offense this winter is way too hot to be shut down, I do think this game will be much closer in score compared to some of the other games these teams have played this season.
Players to Watch: Howie Miller (No Limit), Reggie Stewart (Monstars)
- Miller: He is one of only two 100-point scorers on his team this season (Eric Singleton), averaging 20.8 PPG. He had 24 points last week, shooting 66.7 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from the field.
- Stewart: During the Fall ’16 season, Stewart averaged 28.4 PPG. So far this season he has averaged 19.2 PPG, the highest since that Fall ’16 season. He is shooting 42.9 percent from three-point range, making three-of-five last week.
Potential Breakout Players: Rashawn Hendricks (No Limit), Chris Rosario (Monstars)
- Hendricks: Coming back for his first game of the season last week, he had 10 assists, nine rebounds, and four steals. Though he only had two points, he works as a facilitator for the offense and makes their defense a lot stronger. If he can find his rhythm and score some points, he will find himself as a great asset to this already stacked No Limit team.
- Rosario: He had a 12-point game last week and was the third-highest scorer on the team. If he can continue to put up double-digit points this week, his team will have a better shot of out-scoring No Limit.
Legacy Leagues Picks:
Joe: Monstars
Mike: No Limit
Kendall: No Limit
Taylor: No Limit
Stuckey: No Limit
MONDAY 8:30PM: BLOOD, SWEAT & BEERS (0-5) vs SHOOTERS SHOOT (0-5)
Both of these teams have yet to win a game this season, but one of them will get their first win on Monday night. While this should be a close game, Shooters Shoot have been able to stay competitive in games, only losing to the Monstars last week by eight points. If they can play like they did against the Monstars, I think this is the week they get that first win.
Players to Watch: Brandon Guittard (Shooters Shoot), Edgar Trujilo (Blood, Sweat & Beers)
- Guittard: He is second on the team in PPG, with 10.2. He is one of the more reliable offensive players on the team and his presence will play a huge role in this game. He needs to dominate the boards and be a threat in the paint in order for them to win this game.
- Trujilo: Plays a huge role in coming off the bench, playing in five games but only starting in one. He is second on the team in points (44) and should have another big offensive showing this week.
Potential Breakout Players: Alex DeMeis (Shooters Shoot), Pat Gilson (Blood, Sweat & Beers)
- DeMeis: He had 12 points against the Monstars last week along with seven rebounds. They will need him have a big offensive game this week and not turn over the ball.
- Gilson: Though he does not help their defensive game, he is one of few that can help Trujilo and the stagnant BS&B offense get some points on the board.
Legacy Leagues Picks:
Joe: Shooters Shoot
Mike: Shooters Shoot
Kendall: Shooters Shoot
Taylor: Shooters Shoot
Stuckey: Shooters Shoot
MONDAY 9:30PM: GOON SQUAD (1-4) vs SEMI PRO (0-5)
Though the Goon Squad only has one win on the season, they are a better team than their record shows. A favorable matchup should lend the Goon Squad a paved road to victory if they can execute. Semi Pro has yet to win a game and I don’t believe they will be getting one this week either.
Players to Watch: Dom Migliaro (Goon Squad), Jacob Caselli (Semi Pro)
- Migliaro: The “Potential Breakout Player” from Week 5 has emerged as one of Goon Squad’s star players. He is able to help Matt Marconi on the offense, averaging 15.2 PPG by shooting 50.0 percent from the field and 18 assists.
- Caselli: The leading point-scorer on the team had a massive game last week scoring 23 points. He will need another game like that for Semi Pro to get their first win.
Potential Breakout Players: Brandon Massaro (Goon Squad), Kyle Murphy (Semi Pro)
- Massaro: The point guard is a massive threat when shooting from the perimeter. He has 13 threes made on the season, which should go up after this game as he is always willing to pull the trigger from behind the arc.
- Murphy: The fifth-season vet had 13 of his 19 points this season last week. Caselli will need help on the offensive side of the ball and Murphy is an option to look to if he can get going.
Legacy Leagues Picks:
Joe: Goon Squad
Mike: Goon Squad
Kendall: Goon Squad
Taylor: Goon Squad
Stuckey: Goon Squad
MONDAY 9:30PM: TEMPTATIONS (3-2) vs BLUE DEVILS (4-1)
This will be a huge game for both teams this week. The Temptations have Carmine Santorelli back in the lineup, which is a massive relief for their offense. Mike Davis has been unstoppable for the Blue Devils, scoring 14 points in the second quarter in their win over Team Moose last week. As both offenses are hot, it will be up to each team’s defenses to get them the win this week.
Players to Watch: Davon Pratt (Blue Devils), Carmine Santorelli (Temptations)
- Pratt: Another “Potential Breakout Player” from last week, Pratt has proved to be a dominant player on this team. He is second on the team in PPG, with 73 points on the season. He will need to get his hands on the ball and work the post while Davis covers the perimeter.
- Santorelli: After missing two weeks, Santorelli came back last week and had a monster game. He scored 27 points on 43.5 percent shooting from the field. He is the star player for the Temptations and is their best chance for someone to match Davis’s shooting.
Potential Breakout Players: Markey DesRuisseaux (Blue Devils), Nick Santorelli (Temptations)
- DesRuisseaux: He started his season during Week 3 and during his dunk performance during the fourth quarter of that game it is easy to see how he was the Winter ’17 champion. The Blue Devils need to utilize his athleticism more by getting him the ball in the paint.
- Santorelli: In his brother’s absence, Santorelli was able to guide the team. He had 33 points in those two games (1-1) and added another 15 last week. He has 26 rebounds on the season and 12 steals, all stats he needs to add to in order for his team to win this game.
Legacy Leagues Picks:
Joe: Temptations
Mike: Blue Devils
Kendall: Blue Devils
Taylor: Temptations
Stuckey: Blue Devils
TUESDAY 9PM: TEAM MOOSE (3-2) vs THE THRONE (2-3)
Team Moose had their best game of the season in a loss to the Blue Devils last week. They are one of the few teams in the league that actually plays defense. The Throne has been struggling to get in their groove while they move on from their loss of Joe Bacciello. Though Jason Hernandez has taken over the team, they need to get their entire unit on the same page and work together to close out games.
Players to Watch: Erik Silva (The Throne), Rob Harrigan (Team Moose)
- Silva: Silva adds a much needed presence on the boards, second on the team in offensive rebounds. He has recently stepped up on the offensive side of the ball, scoring 13 points against BS&B last week.
- Harrigan: The team’s big man had 10 points last week, all in the paint. While his team has players who can shoot from the outside and drive to the hoop, Harrigan is reliable and the man to go to in the paint.
Potential Breakout Players: Jacobson Jean-Baptiste (The Throne), Matt Mazzochi (Team Moose)
- Jean-Baptiste: A defensive threat, Jean-Baptiste had three blocks last week and has 11 steals on the season. He should find lots of playing time this week as Team Moose is one that likes to drive to the basket.
- Mazzochi: This man is a major help to their defense. He has blocked three shots this season and is able to collect defensive rebounds every game. He also shoots 40.0 percent from three point range, occasionally coming off the bench to add new life to the team.
Legacy Leagues Picks:
Joe: Team Moose
Mike: The Throne
Kendall: Team Moose
Taylor: Team Moose
Stuckey: The Throne
TUESDAY 9PM: RIM BREAKERS (3-2) vs THE CHASERS (4-1)
The Rim Breakers lost to the Temptations last week by 16 points. The Chasers beat the Temptations in Week 2 by 10 points. Following that logic, the Chasers get another win this week and improve to 5-1, while the Rim Breakers’ slide would continue with their third straight loss.
Players to Watch: Jhamal Jones (The Chasers), Zeek Howard (Rim Breakers)
- Jones: The Winter ’17 All Star had an incredible game last week, leading the team with 24 points. He helped facilitate the offense with six assists and should continue to put up numbers like that as long as his team continues to pass the ball around on offense.
- Howard: Though quiet last week, Howard has been a steady player for the Rim Breakers. He has 47 points in four games and adds a dominant presence in rebounding, both offensively and defensively.
Potential Breakout Players: David Armstrong (The Chasers), Kievon Turnbull (Rim Breakers)
- Armstrong: A force to come off the bench, Armstrong has 41 points on the season, 40 of them from the field. He is averaging 6.0 RPG, which The Chasers need so they can keep the ball out of their opponents hands.
- Turnbull: The Rim Breakers need to find ways to score and Kievon is doing that for them. He shot 83.3 percent from the field last week, only missing one shot.
Legacy Leagues Picks:
Joe: The Chasers
Mike: The Chasers
Kendall: The Chasers
Taylor: The Chasers
Stuckey: The Chasers
TUESDAY 10PM: STRANGER DANGER (2-3) vs FLINT TROPICS (4-1)
The Flint Tropics have proven that they are an elite team in the league. A much more physical team, they should be able to take care of Stranger Danger with no problem. Flint poses a serious threat as we look towards the playoff picture. Stranger Danger will look to clean things up defensively after giving up a season-high 124 points to No Limit last week.
Players to Watch: Matt Cyr (Flint Tropics), Brendan Putting (Stranger Danger)
- Cyr: He may not lead the team in points, but he leads Flint in assists (17) and rebounds (35). Second-chance shots are a huge part of Flint Tropics basketball and he is the man in charge to do that.
- Putting: Though he suffered an injury early in the first quarter last week, Putting is constantly putting up big numbers every week on both sides of the ball. Stranger Danger will need to have him in their lineup if they want a shot at winning this week.
Potential Breakout Players: TJ Gianni (Flint Tropics), Tyler Feldman (Stranger Danger)
- Gianni: Averaging 5.8 PPG, TJ is an unselfish player who allows his other, open taemmates to score. He is second on the team with 13 assists, allowing his team to take and make better shots.
- Feldman: Against the best team in the league, Tyler recorded a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Should he be able to repeat this, Stranger Danger could limit the amount of second chance shots the Flint Tropics take.
Legacy Leagues Picks:
Joe: Flint Tropics
Mike: Flint Tropics
Kendall: Flint Tropics
Taylor: Flint Tropics
Stuckey: Flint Tropics
