By Kendall Gregory
The Weekly Rebound Podcast (CT): Greg Horne and Connor Sauer break down Week 7, make their picks for all the Week 8 games and tell you who their “Surprise on the Rise” is for this week.
MONDAY 8:30PM: NO LIMIT (7-0) vs FLINT TROPICS (5-2)
No Limit continued their win streak as they beat Team Moose, while the Flint Tropics lost a close one to The Chasers last week. In order to keep their hopes alive for a high playoff seed, the Flint Tropics will need to come ready to play this week. As long as Mike Bozzuto is playing well, so does the rest of the Flint team. However, in order to beat the only undefeated team in the league, they will need to play their best defensive game yet against a stacked No Limit offense.
Players to Watch: Tarell Vargas (No Limit), Mike Bozzuto (Flint Tropics)
- Vargas: He is the third highest scorer on the team, having 121 points on the season, averaging 17.3 PPG. While teammates Howie Miller and Eric Singleton get a lot of attention for their contributions to their offense, Vargas has been consistant throughout the entire season. He will be a key facilliator for their offense as they take on the Flint Tropics
- Bozzuto: As said above, if Bozzuto plays well the Flint Topics play well. Bozzuto posted 26 points last week in their loss to the Chasers. He had very little offensive help last week. If he can post the same numbers this week and have at least one teammate put up something similiar, the Tropics can have a shot at winning this game.
Potential Breakout Players: Shaquan Jackson (No Limit), Nick Japs (Flint Tropics)
- Jackson: No Limit has a pretty set lineup that starts every single game. Jackson is the player that comes off the bench and teams are unable to handle. Not only is he adding a fresh set of legs into the game, but Jackson is the fastest player on their team. He is one of their best defensive players, having 19 steals on the season.
- Japs: Though he had a quiet week last week, look for Japs to come back this week in full force. Japs will look to fulfill the gap in their offense and possibly start his first game of the season. He will need to get the ball in his hands and take more shots this week in order to put up those big numbers.
Legacy Leagues Picks:
Joe: No Limit
Mike: No Limit
Kendall: No Limit
Taylor: No Limit
Stuckey: No Limit
MONDAY 8:30PM: BLOOD, SWEAT & BEERS (2-5) vs THE CHASERS (6-1)
Blood, Sweat & Beers went on a two-game winning streak these past two weeks, but that will all come to an end as they take on the Chasers this week. The Chasers just took down the Flint Tropics last week, even without Jerry Washington. This week should be an easy win for the gang in green as they take on a less talented team in BS&B.
Players to Watch: Diontay Washington (The Chasers), Robo Peryer (BS&B)
- Washington: Diontay completely carried the team last week in their win over the Tropics. Because of their match-up this week, it won’t be necessary for him to put up the same performance, but I would expect him to. Especially with his brother out of the lineup, he will remain their dominant scorer.
- Peryer: With some of his teammates missing last game, he took the game into his own hands. In his breakout performance he had 25 points, shooting 44.4 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from 3-point range. While I don’t expect him to put up that many points again this week, I do expect him to have another solid game.
Potential Breakout Players: Jhamal Jones (The Chasers), Chuck Dannenberg (BS&B)
- Jones: Though Washington does most of the work on offense, Jones is the most communicative on the team. He works to let everyone on the court be aware of the things they may not see. He had nine points last game, but should be able to beef up his stats this week.
- Dannenberg: Another BS&B player that had a breakout game last week, he should be able to have another solid game this week. He scored 18 of his 45 points this season last week. With key teammates out, he is getting his hands on the ball more and able to be productive while doing so.
Legacy Leagues Picks:
Joe: The Chasers
Mike: The Chasers
Kendall: The Chasers
Taylor: The Chasers
Stuckey: The Chasers
MONDAY 9:30PM: SHOOTERS SHOOT (0-7) vs SEMI PRO (0-7)
The battle of the final two winless teams goes down this week. While both teams are stuggling to compete with most of the league, I think Shooters Shoot will finally get their first and probably only win of the season this week. They were able to keep their game last week against the Rim Breakers close for the first three quarters, playing way better than everyone thought they would. Semi Pro had the chance last week against BS&B, but couldn’t capitalize. I don’t think they will be able to this week either.
Players to Watch: Alex DeMeis (Shooters Shoot), RJ Woodson (Semi Pro)
- DeMeis: With a short bench last week, DeMeis came alive on the offense. He had 17 points and 13 rebounds. I expect him to be a dominant force on the boards this week against a team that does not have much height.
- Woodson: Along with Jesse Doucette, he is one of the more reliable players on the team. Semi Pro will need him to have his best game of the season if they want to come out with a victory this week.
Potential Breakout Players: Steven Parravano (Shooters Shoot), Rob Koripsky (Semi Pro)
- Parravano: Steven had a great game against the Rim Breakers. With the opportunity to get more time on the court and get the ball more, he took full advantage. He had 21 points off of 55.6 percent shooting from the team. He only has 58 points on the season, but he should be able to have the same type of game as he did last week.
- Koripsky: Rob dominated the boards last week against BS&B and will need to do so again this week. He pulled down seven and had six points to add to that, he will need that and more this week for a win.
Legacy Leagues Picks:
Joe: Semi Pro
Mike: Shooters Shoot
Kendall: Shooters Shoot
Taylor: Shooters Shoot
Stuckey: Shooters Shoot
MONDAY 9:30PM: GOON SQUAD (3-4) vs TEMPTATIONS (4-3)
Both teams are coming off of a Week 7 win. Goon Squad played without Matt Marconi last week, but had DJ Ellis make his season debut. While they struggled to beat Stranger Danger in overtime, the Temptations had an easy win over The Throne. The Temptations are starting to get hot at just the right time and are looking to have their first back-to-back wins of the season.
Players to Watch: Brandon Massaro (Goon Squad), Jaylon Eggleston (Temptations)
- Massaro: In the absence of Marconi, the offense went through Massaro. Along with scoring 16 points, he had three assists and three steals. If Marconi is back in the lineup this week, him and Massaro need to find a way to play together and share the ball so they can both put up good numbers.
- Eggleston: It might be hard to make a name for yourself while your teammates are Melquan Horton or the Santorelli brothers, but Jaylon has been a consistant player all season. Whether it be adding points or keeping the team energized, he is always involved during their games.
Potential Breakout Players: DJ Ellis (Goon Squad), Troy Brunson (Temptations)
- Ellis: In his first game of the season, he had 15 points, six assists, five rebounds, and five steals. He became the big man that Goon Squad so desperately needed. With him in the lineup, Goon Squad is a new team that might be able to win games against some better teams in the league.
- Brunson: On a team full of shooters, Brunson is the biggest guy on the court that you can rely on to get a rebound and a put-back. He is an asset the Temptations need and can always be counted on to step up when needed. He will have a tough matchup with Ellis in the paint, but it should be fun to watch.
Legacy Leagues Picks:
Joe: Temptations
Mike: Temptations
Kendall: Goon Squad
Taylor: Temptations
Stuckey: Temptations
TUESDAY 9PM: STRANGER DANGER (2-5) vs BLUE DEVILS (6-1)
Stranger Danger lost a close game in overtime to Goon Squad last week. While they want to win another game, this won’t be a favorable week to do so. With Mike Davis coming off a hot game last week against the Monstars, he should be able to repeat it again this week. Stranger Danger doesn’t currently have the tools to beat an elite team like the Blue Devils.
Players to Watch: Destin Simmons (Blue Devils), Matt Zocco (Stranger Danger)
- Simmons: Although it was hard to out play Davis last week, Simmons had himself a game in the absence of Davon Pratt. While they don’t have a tough matchup against Stranger Danger, Simmons is proving his right to play on this team.
- Zocco: It seems like a weekly competition to see which Zocco brother will out-shoot the other. Matt won last week, shooting 57.1 percent from perimeter, dropping 28 points. This has become something to expect every week, so watch out for Zocco again this week.
Potential Breakout Players: Steven Echols (Blue Devils), Stephen Castanga (Stranger Danger)
- Echols: While trying to be last week’s Stuckey Standout, he posted 13 points on 60.0 percent from the field. Though it was not enough to be featured, if he continues to play well like he did last week, that adds another threat to a stacked Blue Devils team.
- Castanga: Since Brendan Prutting when down with a leg injury in Week 5, Castanga has really stepped up. Last week against Goon Squad, he put up 16 points and had 13 rebounds, 10 of them on the defensive side. Stranger Danger will need him to continue to play like this if they want another win this season.
Legacy Leagues Picks:
Joe: Blue Devils
Mike: Blue Devils
Kendall: Blue Devils
Taylor: Blue Devils
Stuckey: Blue Devils
TUESDAY 9PM: MONSTARS (4-3) vs TEAM MOOSE (4-3)
These are two teams with the same record, but play two completely different styles of basketball. Both team had heartbreaking losses last week. As we know, Team Moose plays lockdown defense and the Monstars have a very dominating offense. This should make for an interesting matchup, whichever team can take advantage of the weakest part of their game will come out with a victory this week.
Players to Watch: Kintwon Miles (Monstars), Brad Seaman (Team Moose)
- Miles: It is now customary to expect Miles to have good performances every week. In their loss to the Blue Devils last week he put up 30 points. Team Moose will have a game-plan to try and shutdown Miles, but it will be a real testament to how good he really is against the best defense in the league.
- Seaman: We all know that Team Moose runs under the direction of Seamen. He had one of the best games of his season last week scoring 11 points, bringing down 10 boards, and having seven assists. He must recreate this game in order for Team Moose to steal a game from the Monstars.
Potential Breakout Players: Reggie Stewart (Monstars), Josh Balabuch (Team Moose)
- Stewart: Paired with Miles, he adds another threat to their offense. He is the facilitator of their offense and when he is hot, they are winning. It will be interesting to see how Team Moose’s defense handles these two.
- Balabuch: With Rob Harrigan not in the lineup, Balabuch has taken over the duties of being the big man. He only had seven points last week, but it will be crucial this week for him to be a bigger part of their offense this week.
Legacy Leagues Picks:
Joe: Team Moose
Mike: Monstars
Kendall: Monstars
Taylor: Team Moose
Stuckey: Monstars
TUESDAY 10PM: THE THRONE (2-5) vs RIM BREAKERS (4-3)
The Throne have struggled immensely since losing their star player and are still trying to find their team chemistry. The Rim Breakers are also a team that have surprised everyone and not done as well as expected. With both teams having their own problems, it is The Throne that I believe will have a harder time trying to win this game.
Players to Watch: JR Wright (The Throne), Richard Bronson (Rim Breakers)
- Wright: While The Throne had a short bench last week, Wright came into his own and picked up some of the slack offensively. While they should have their team back this week, Wright needs to be incorporated more as he has proven that he can play in the league.
- Bronson: Though the stats are padded from not playing a good team last week, Bronson put up 17 points. The rookie leads the team in points (106), averaging 17.7 PPG. Expect him to add to this against a weaker team in The Throne.
Potential Breakout Players: Dashawn Moffatt (The Throne), Zeek Howard (Rim Breakers)
- Moffatt: Here is another player that contributed while his team was missing players. He had nine points and eight rebounds last week. Should he continue to put up solid numbers every week, The Throne might be able to find their rhythm.
- Howard: He is second on the team in rebounds (44), averaging 6.3 per game. Though he is not a complete threat on the offense, he allows his team to get second chance points in which the team is able to capitalize on. He is yet to attempt a three-point shot, something I would like to see him do this week.
Legacy Leagues Picks:
Joe: The Throne
Mike: Rim Breakers
Kendall: Rim Breakers
Taylor: Rim Breakers
Stuckey: Rim Breakers
