The Full Court Press: Nate’s Notes – Season 9 Divisional Championship Recap

Championship weekend in the IBL went off without a hitch this past Sunday as we crowned two new champions (Dino’s Finest, Quiksilver) and we had our first back to back champion in Division 3 (HiiiPower).  The first two games were nail biters but HiiiPower took all the suspense out of the building with a late second half run that garnered them the lead and their second championship.

#3 Knicee vs. #4 Dino’s Finest

The division 1 final between Knicee and Dino’s finest was a game for the ages. It was just the type of game needed to cap of our 9^th spectacular season.  The #3 vs. #4 match-up was the most anticipated of the night, it was the battle of the heavyweights. Larry Dew made a guarantee that his team would indeed win the championship and they did just that. In large part to some clutch shots from Dew.

Many league analysts predicted that this was Knicee’s season to take it all, I said ‘3^rd time is the charm” due to Knicee making to the championship in seasons before but falling to the former IBL powerhouse Morningwood. On the other hand you have the Finest from the land of Dino, who had entered the league two seasons prior and won the championship in their inaugural season and were looking to hoist their second golden ball. So the matchup was set, two championship caliber teams looking to ink their name in the IBL record books.

Dino had the early lead and the momentum throughout the game getting key baskets when it needed. Both teams excel defensively, but the question was, in a defensive battle who would leave their offensive imprint on the game for both teams. Early in the game for Knicee Kenneth Ubom (12 pts, 2 rbs, 1 stl) was looking to find his offensive game after falling off mightily in the latter stages of the season. Ubom and big man Dewayne O’Neal (11 pts, 9 rbs, 2 blks) carried the offensive load in the first half and early into the second half until Reggie Smith (24 pts 9/18 FG) decided to go to work offensively. Smith caught fire offensively and brought Knicee back into the game after John Shields (11 pts, 4 rbs, 1 asts) and Derrick Andrews (11 pts) contributed mightily for their team in the first half. Late in the game, while Smith was catching fire for Knicee, Larry Dew (24 pts, 7 rbs, 2 asts, 2 stls) was heating up himself.

Dew played as if he had nothing to lose all game leaving everything out on the court, and was simply out did his backcourt counterpart Ray Hong ( 0 pts) in the game.  The game was decided in the final minutes with Knicee garnering a 2 point lead after a couple of 3-point plays. Reggie Smith had an opportunity to ice the game at the line but missed both free throws which led to the game winning/ go-ahead 3-point make from Larry Dew with 1 second remaining.

After the game Dew reminded me about the guarantee he had made in Week 7, and made another guarantee along with teammate David Layne (Big City) that the team would in fact win the championship in Season 10.

Final Score

Dino’s Finest: 51

Knicee: 50

#4 Quiksilver vs. #7 HighLife

After falling behind early and entering halftime with a 16 point deficit (39-23) Quiksilver goes on a miraculous run to claim their second division 2 championship. Their first since Season 2.

HighLife got out to an early double digit lead and without the services of Jaime Villalobos for Quiksilver; things seemed to be on the decline. Going into the game the scouting report for HighLife was. “The backcourt tandem of Sango Niang and Chris Fowler can score and the do so in bunches” Not only did Niang and Fowler score early in the game, they got their teammates involved.  The idea of them actually winning the game grew as the first half progress any doubt of them losing was all but gone.  Fowler (19 pts, 6 rbs, 5 asts, 5 stls) initiated the offense in the first half, while Niang (19 pts, 3 rbs, 1 asts) shouldered the scoring load in the second half. The duo had help from their teammates as well. Storm Venegas (8 pts, 3 rbs), Willie Jones (7 pts, 4 rbs, 3 asts), & Jiros Vickson (6 pts) were key players in building the teams lead.

HighLife won the first half of play with their energy, disrupting Quiksilver’s chemistry and knack of scoring quick and often. They however, lost the second half of play due to not sticking to the initial game plan.  To open the second half, HighLife had 4 offensive possessions end with a jump shot which was missed. Those jump shots led to fast break opportunities’ from Quiksilver’s Johnny Earl (25 pts, 8 rbs, 7 asts), who took advantage of the height he had over the opposing players.

Earl simply bulldozed his way to the basket to and was the catalyst behind Quiksilver’s run. In the second half Quiksilver finally realized that they were supposed to win the game due to sheer height advantages in 4 of the 5 positions.  David Aguilera (10 pts, 4rbs, 3 asts) along with Earl, scored easy baskets with uncontested layups, on the break or from a teammates assist.  Richard Coombs (7 pts, 9 rebs) provided a huge boost off the bench with his rebounding. Late in the game, the ball was in GM Richard Hak’s (12 pts, 7 rbs, 3 asts) hands and he delivered. Making key plays and hitting the go ahead three pointer in the final minutes to give Quiksilver a 55-54 lead that they would hold on to, and come away with the win.

Final Score

Quiksilver: 60

HighLife: 59

#7 Burger Kings vs. #8 HiiiPower

The final game of the evening took place when the defending champs HiiiPower took the court to take on the Burger Kings. Both teams played higher seeds throughout the playoffs to make it to this point and they would not disappoint. Due to their earlier loss in division 2, the dynamic duo of Sango Niang and Chris Fowler had revenge on their mind and would not allow their team (s) to go 0-2 on championship Sunday.

The Burger Kings started the game hot, and had a smooth flow and rhythm to their offense. They got out to an early lead which was quickly made up by HiiiPower. Tony Banta (16 pts, 5 rebs, 3 asts) was the main catalyst behind the Burger Kings first half surge.  His jump shot was simply money, and his teammates fed off of him.  David Aguilera  was “eating up” whatever Banta was cooking  and poured in (15 points, 5 rebs, 3 asts) to help his team get out to an early lead.  With 13 mins left in the game, things seemed to be going south for HiiiPower, their shots weren’t falling and the Burger Kings were, Alvaro Nunez (10 pts, 4 rebs, 4 asts) and Mike Criscione (10 pts, 7 rbs, 6 asts) hit shots that pushed their teams lead to as much as 13 points, before HiiiPower finally decided to turn it on.

Climbing out of the 13 point hole looked very easy for the team as they put the ball in Chris Fowler’s ( 20 pts, 6 rebs, 2 asts, 3 stls) and allowed him to blow past the defense and get to the basket to finish lay-ups that weren’t falling in the first half. Sango Niang (33 pts, 7 rebs, 2 stls, 3 blks) followed, hitting shot after shot and dare I say making defenders fall with his crossover moves. Niang and Fowler combined for 53 of the teams 68 points.  Their overall team defense is what really won the game for them. Late in the second half they applied a press that the opposition had trouble breaking. In applying that press HiiiPower managed to record multiple steals which led to many fast break opportunities and easy lay-ups to help them put the game out of reach.  Xavier Brasswell really put the game on ice for his team as he hit two 3-pointers in the final 2 minutes to solidify the win.

When your two guards combined from 53 of your 68 points, in certain situations you may lose. However HiiiPower thrives on their two guard set.  Team defense and a scoring barrage by arguably the best duo in the league helped HiiiPower to their second Division 3 championship.

 

Final Score

HiiiPower: 68

Burger Kings: 59

-Nathan Apolonio

The Full Court Press: Nate’s Notes – Divisional Championship Preview

 

 

After  10 grueling weeks of play, a resolution will finally be seen as we crown two new division champions (Division 1 & 2) and possibly a third in Division 3, that is, if HiiiPower fails to repeat.  In a post season that has seen none of the three divisions Top 2 teams to make it to the championship round, we are left to wonder. “What if”.  Now 6 six teams remain all wanting to stamp their name in the IBL history books, before we approach our decade mark of season 10.

#3 Knicee vs. #4 Dino’s Finest

With the pressure to deliver a championship Larry Dew will try his best to make due on his promise of another division championship, the stars have aligned for this 3 vs. 4 match-up and it will be sure to be a  barn burner.   To many analysts, I would have to agree that Knicee’s time is now, but Dino has been on a run as of late and that run has built this team’s already endless confidence.  Dino has played tough completion so far this post season with victories over a tough Dynasty team and their last win coming at the expense of the #1 seed Cali Raisins. Knicee has struggled to come away with a decisive win in the first two rounds, almost falling to the #6 seeded Rebels in the quarterfinals and giving us an offensive blunder of a game while playing The Pack. If they perform the way they have in the first two rounds, I’d have to believe Larry Dew will be holding the golden ball once more.

Prediction: I see Knicee coming out on top is this heavyweight bout. Dino may be a favorite, but due to the poor performance by Kenneth Ubom so far in these playoffs I’d like to think he’d have a big game in the season’s most important game. Ubom is a primetime performer and no stage is bigger in the IBL than the division championship.  Knicee just has the size, with their 3 interchangeable big men ( Jeron Devine, Dewayne O’Neal, & Odell Howard) and size speaks volumes in the IBL. If Knicee can play the game at their tempo and limit their turnovers then I see Knicee hoisting their first golden ball. However, if Dino gets hot as they did in Week 8 while playing the Rebels, then Knicee should be in for a very long night.

X-Factors:

Knicee: Ray Hong and Reggie Smith

Dino: Paul Miller and John Shields

 

#4 Quiksilver vs. #7 HighLife

This championship matchup is a surprising one to say the least. Well on one side of the bracket at least. As I stated in my earlier notes, HighLife was not even expected to get passed the #2 seed Wonton Soup in the first round, however due a forfeit, HighLife advanced and shocked the #3 seed Special Delivery in the Semi Final round in large part to the play of their Dynamic Duo in the backcourt of Sango Niang and Chris Fowler.

Now looking at their opponents, Quiksilver was a sleeper pick to get to this point. The acquisition of Jaime Villalobos, Johnny Earl, Richard Coombs & Mike Criscione go along with their core group of players as well as their star Jordan Block, this team was an early season favorite to win it all. With Block’s departure for college after Week 4, Quiksilver seemed to become a slight after thought in the championship discussion.  They pulled through and things have come together at the right time, Quik has been on the cusp of a championship as recently as Season 7 when they fell to the eventual champions Primetime.  This seems to be their season of redemption as they’ve defeated the last two division champions (Primetime [Season 7], UNDFTD [Season 8] ) to get to this point.

Prediction:  Although HighLife has made it this far, their luck has ran out, Quiksilver’s front line is just too much to overcome, Niang and Fowler will both have to drop 40 a piece to give their team a chance to compete. On top of that, HighLifehas no one to defend Johnny Earl or Jaime Villalobos. Look for Villalobos to have his way and lead his team to the golden ball, and hoist his 3^rd IBL Championship.

X-Factors:

HighLife:  The supporting cast, everybody but Niang & Fowler will be this teams X-Factor.

Quiksilver:  The play of their big men, if the big men can get easy baskets, it will force the smaller HighLife to double the post which will lead to wide open three-point shots.

 

#7 Burger Kings vs. #8 HiiiPower

 

HiiiPower takes the court to defend their championship by taking on the #7 seed Burger Kings. It’s amazing to see that out of a field of 12, the 7 & 8 seeds make it to the championship round. It goes to show that the division is immensely filled with talent. The Burger Kings have let it be known that this game was supposed to take place last season. After falling to Justice League, which led to JL eventually making it to the championship round and falling to the eventual champs HiiiPower.  The Kings are back and they’ll get to show us that they could indeed win a championship in a division dominated by younger teams.  Looking at the teams, it looks like Men vs. Boys. Don’t take HiiiPower lightly they’re an IBL franchise on the rise, after securing their first championship last season they look to repeat this season as the first team to do so in the division. Their D2 team which comprises of the same players from D3 also clinched a championship berth last season, so I’m going to go out on a limb and say HiiiPower takes home at least the D3 championship. They’re a well oiled machine, the chemistry is great and everyone knows their role. The Burger Kings will give this team a run for their money, but I see them running out of gas if they do not control the tempo.

 

Prediction: HiiiPower is just too young and explosive to let this opportunity slip away. They’re taking on an older team, that’s experienced in many facets of the game.  I see HiiiPower defending their crown and coming out on top, this team’s time is now and they will not relinquish the throne. They’re young, explosive and hungry.  HiiiPower will become the first champion to repeat in the division since its inception in Season 5.

 

X-Factors:

Burger Kings: The Burger Kings X-Factor is not a player, it’s a task, & that task is winning the rebounding battle, more so the offensive rebounding battle, in the semi finals their second chance opportunities, helped them solidify their win, look for them to do the same in this game.

HiiiPower: Storm Venegas andJerry Devora, Fowler and Niang need help, look for these two to provide that spark, these quartet of players are familiar with each other.

 

 

-Nathan Apolonio

The Full Court Press: Nate’s Notes – Divisional Semi Final Recap

Divisional Playoff Recap

 

#1 Cali Raisins vs. #4 Dino’s Finest

In what was anticipated as the battle off the point guards (Ramos vs. Dew) turned into a coming out party for the former division champions two seasons removed from their inaugural championship campaign. The #4 seed Dino’s Finest pulled an upset as they defeated the regular season champs and #1 Overall seed Cali Raisins in the final game of night this past Sunday.

A few weeks back, Dino’s Finest PG Larry Dew and big man David Layne (Big City) took to the cameras once again to proclaim that Dino was making a run to their second championship.  Now this may be strictly a coincidence but every season that I pull Dew aside for an in-depth interview; he guarantees that his team will win the championship.  After witnessing what they did in Season 7, I had no choice but to believe what he said due to circumstances. Dino made little work of and eliminated the #5 seeded Dynasty in the first round to have a date with the Raisins who had defeated them in the final regular season game by 1 point after two missed free throws by John Shields. Dino had revenge on their mind and avenged their lost with Larry Dew and Paul Miller leading the way with (16 points) apiece. Dew wreaked havoc on the defensive end recording 7 steals and pulling in 8 rebounds. He was no slouch on the offensive end either dishing out assists (4).  John Shields was the team’s third leading scorer with an 11 point performance.

The Raisins just seemed to have been outplayed for the first time this season. Boasting a 7-1 record entering the game, many of the leagues analysts projected them as a sleeper pick entering the playoffs to win it all based on their regular season performance.  The Raisins were led by Alan Husted who poured in a game high 23 points to go along with 8 rebounds on 8-12 shooting from the field.  A.J. Baylon backed Husted in the scoring column and was the only other Raisin player in double figures with 10 points.  Kwasi Mensah and Daniel Torres rounded out the scoring quartet with 9 points apiece. The X-Factor for the Raisin was supposed to be the play of PG Jordan Ramos who just seemed to have an off day. Ramos ended with a stat line of 6 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Now to the average eye, that may seem like a well-rounded game. However Ramos finished with 8 turnovers, in large part to the defense of Dino’s Finest, which was stifling.  The end result from a lack luster performance from the Raisins and a very well executed defensive game plan from Dino, is a 65-53 win for the #4 seed who now advance to the championship to take on the #3 seed Knicee.

Final Word:

Larry Dew and his teammates are well on their way to making their promise of another division championship become a reality.  As I predicted in last week’s notes, the return of Paul Miller to the lineup was huge as he gave the team solid minutes and logged a double double to help his squad come away with the win and clinch a finals berth.

#3 Knicee vs. #7 The Pack

In what was a low scoring affair, the #3 seed Knicee did what many analysts predicted and moved on to the Championship round by defeating the #7 seed The Pack 48-37 in the division 1 semi final round.  Entering the game, The Pack was coming off a huge confidence building win over the #2 seed Washed Up. The Pack wasn’t favored to get out of that game, but did so in stunning fashion by knocking off the higher seeded team.

The key to the game was to contain Kenneth Ubom, The Pack did well as Ubom finished with 4 points on 1-10 shooting, the other key was win the rebounding battle. Again The Pack did just that winning the rebounding battle 42-34. Now with the opposing teams most potent offensive threat shut down and the rebounding battle in their favor, I’d like to think The Pack would have made this game interesting. Truth be told, both these teams just had a “tough day at the office”. They just couldn’t score,  as a team The Pack shot 15-52 (29%) from the field while Knicee a team that has a plethora of offensive options to get easy shots, shot 17-48 (35%). Now this game was just flat-out ugly with a first quarter score of 7-6 in favor of the Pack, but Knicee pulled though after a big second quarter and never looked back. Reggie Smith led the way for Knicee with 20 points, however it was an inefficient 20 points as he took 23 shots to get to 23 points. Dewayne O’Neal really ended up being the teams X-Factor his shimmy move in the post was really what allowed him to score an efficient 12 points on 3/5 shooting from the field and 6/8 shooting from the line.   The Pack’s perimeter based offense was led by sharpshooter Luke Finalet (13 points, 5 rebounds) and CJ Srader (10 points). They just couldn’t get shots to fall, shooting a combined 9/24 from the field.

Final Word:

We will now see a #3 vs. #4 championship match-up with the #4 seed being heavily favored. Knicee has a very potent offense and defense but they’ve slipped up in both games this post season, their performance in both of their games doesn’t warrant their #3 seed, hopefully they are on top of their game when they face off against the Finest from the land of Dino if not they may be in for a very long night.

 

#1 UNDFTD vs. #4 Quiksilver

Defending champions UNDFTD’s  season came to a screeching halt after falling to the #4 seed Quiksilver in the Division Semi’s this past Sunday. UNDFTD seemed to be in the driver’s seat until the finals minutes of the first half where Quiksilver made their run cutting a 13 point UNDFTD lead to 6 and building on that momentum in the 2^nd half to come away with the 76-71 win after a strong performance from Johnny Earl, Richard Combs and in particular a very strong second half performance by Jaime Villalobos.

Quiksilver advanced to the semi final round after a 67-65 win over the #5 seed Primetime. UNDFTD opened their post season by putting the Top Dawgz to sleep late in the second half to come away with a 64-48 win.

Now granted that UNDFTD was without the services of wingmen, Buai Tut and Max Barkeley; Quiksilver captured this win with pure grit. Richard Coombs (17 points, 3 rebounds) carried the team in the first half knocking down, mid-range jumper after mid-range jumper.  The play of Coombs and Johnny Earl (25 points, 11 assists & 7 rebounds)  kept Quiksilver afloat after the strong play of Gary McNellys (20 points, 8 rebounds) and Diahnte Pickett (18 points) of UNDFTD tried to sink the Quiksilver fleet.   The play of Jaime Villalobos solidified the wing play of Quik as he poured in (15 points and 8 rebounds) in just 20 mins of play.  Quiksilver took the lead late in the second half and would not relinquish it. The game was still attainable for UNDFTD in the final minutes after clutch 3 point shots by Tray Caples ( 14 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists), but Quik put the game out of reach at the free throw line.

 Final Word:

UNDFTD fell in what was a shocker to everyone but the players on the team. Early in the season,  you could see the lack of chemistry would be detrimental to the team and it showed in this game,  the team’s leading scorer from last season Derrick Pickett (9 points, 10 rebounds) took a backseat in the scoring trying to get everyone involved (7 assists)  but that proved to be detrimental to the team’s success in the long run.  Now with UNDFTD’s championship reign coming to an end, we have Quiksilver looking to place their name in the IBL’s pantheon of greatness as they square off with the #7 seed HighLife next week in the championship game.

#3 Special Delivery vs. #7 High Life

Heading into the game, Special Delivery had just come off a 102-70 rout of Team 2k and were oozing confidence. On the other hand you had HighLife who won their first round match-up due to forfeit over the #2 seed Wonton Soup.

So the stage was set, #7 vs. #3. Special Delivery got out to the early lead in large part to the play of Sammeon Waller ( 18 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals), Waller dictated the pace of play for the majority of the first half that is until HighLife’s Sango Niang (32 points, 12-21) decided to put himself in the skillet and started cooking, he got hot in a matter of seconds. By  nailing four consecutive 3-pointers to give his team lead, and they would not look back.  Alwyn Jordan ( 10 points, 7 rebounds,  David S. (12 points) and Lester Cole (18 points, 7 rebounds) tried their best to counter the momentum that High Life had gotten, in large part to consecutive successful offensive possessions.  Niang didn’t single handedly win this game, the play of his teammate and backcourt counterpart Chris Fowler (20 points) was huge.  Special Delivery has many chances to tie the game in the final minute but just could capitalize on opportunities.

Final Word:

I find it amusing, how many teams discredit HighLife saying they are a bunch of kids, but these “kids” can and will compete with the best of them. They advance to the championship round after a predicted first round exit by many analysts, this team is the real deal when their backcourt is fully engaged and I think their time is now.

 

 #6 Undrafted vs. #7 Burger Kings

Heading into the game, the younger top seeded Undrafted was the favorite to make a run at the divisions championship, however they hit a brick wall of the Burger Kings and their season came to a halt after a 57-49 loss.

The Burger Kings entered this game after pulling a shocking upset over the #2 seed the Raisins. They handled business executing the perfect game plan, staying attack on the offensive glass and opportunistic fast break opportunities as well as clutch shots down the stretch by Tony Banta (13 points). Early in the game David Aguilera was the teams bread and butter and he finished with a team high (15 points). Domo Criss was the teams X-Factor with 7 points off the bench, which in large part were wide open layups.  Early in the game, Undrafted managed to get the Burger Kings out of their zone defense by either penetrating the defense or hitting 3 point shots. Jaden Radcliffe (12 points, 12 rebounds) was the team’s most viable 3 point threat early in the game as he hit two early jumpers but went cold and missed his next 6. Wes Draffen and Brandon Kinard (16 points apiece) tried their best to keep their team in the game, but defensive lapses and failing to communicate cause their team the game.

The team’s regular season leading scorer Charles Grays goes around bragging about how many points he averages, yet in this game he was a non factor (2 points) and a defensive liability. You can credit that to his injury or whatever you like, but that was indeed the case. If you want to win or put your team in the best position to win, you leave the floor if you’re hurt, you don’t go around stating how hurt you are, you just play the game.  The same goes for Daimon Fleming, heading into the game, rumors were that he wouldn’t play as he said he quit the team, for whatever reason. So none of his teammates expected him to play. So he shows up to the game, stating that he was injured, that he can’t go and the next thing you know he’s dressed and expecting playing time, and when it wasn’t granted he took offense and started whining and bitching as always, soon after putting the blame on his GM for putting the best 5 on the court. After such a promising 9 weeks of play, it’s shame to see their season end this way, and bridges burned but oh well. Life goes on.

Final Word:

Lack of Chemistry and lapses on the defensive end is what lost the #6 seeded Undrafted this game. Now with their offseason starting earlier than expected,  faced with many questions, holes in the roster and just uncertainty.  The Burger Kings move on to face an even younger team who’s backcourt tandem will be a major issue to contain.

#4 A$AP vs. #8 HiiiPower

The highest seed left standing #4 A$AP’s season came to an end this past Sunday after falling to the defending champs #8 HiiiPower .

This was predicted by many analysts to be a win by HiiiPower and they did just that, although A$AP may dispute they had a chance to win the game, let’s be honest with ourselves, in a game that seen Sango Niang score 38 points, and his backcourt counterpart Chris Fowler score 23 points while dishing out 7 assists.  The dynamic duo was clicking on all cylinders, and even a balanced attack from A$AP couldn’t stop them.

A$AP was without the services of 3 point Marksman Robel Kevorkian, and hustle guy Matt Achucarro.  However they still managed to put in a valiant effort, with balanced scoring from their entire team. Jesse Jimenez and Jesus “Chuy”  Contreras led the way for A$AP with 17 points apiece.  Contreras pulled in 10 rebounds as well, to record a double-double. While Jimenez pulled in 5 rebounds and dished out 6 assists.  Jimmy Huynh assumed the role as the teams go to three-point threat shooting 5-17 from beyond the arc  for 15 points.  Ashwin Sharma poured in 13 points to go along with his 10 rebounds.  Richard Hak rounded out the scoring load with 11 points.  Now looking at the box score, you see a team with 5 players in double figures you’d think they would be the eventual victor, however Niang and Fowler combined for 61 of the teams 84 points.

Final Word

If A$AP did have the services of Kevorkian and Achucarro things may have been different however, we head into the championship round next week with a 7 vs. 8 finals matchup. It goes to show, anything is possible and seeding is no issue.

Note from Author:

First things first, I do not “steal formats” of writing and eliminate “substance/opinions”. I write in a format that allows me to make factual statements. I could sit here and give you my opinion(s) weekly but what purpose would that serve. You read to be informed, you’re informed with facts, and my opinion is just as good as the next guys. SO let’s not write an entire “article” bashing my name for being a productive part of the league.  Now I was regulated to writing “box scores”, but the notes were in publication (Season 3) with gritty, in-depth stories way before you came into fold, so what you’ve seen in not necessarily all I’ve done, so before you speak, research. 

Another thing, we make teams to compete,  I just so happened to have a talented team on paper of proven guys that have played in this league for many seasons.  As a GM, I surround myself with guys who want to win, after all, we don’t play for fun now, do we. I don’t “stack” my teams, I understand a rule was being thought up to prevent the “stacking” team rule in Division 2, however with UNDFTD’s loss, I assume that rule will be thrown out, because well it’s not needed. A “stacked” team fell to a team who complains about other teams having immense talent, yet their team is “stacked” in its own right.

-Nathan Apolonio

The Full Court Press: Nate’s Notes – Division 3 Playoff Review & Preview

 

In Division 3 we are in the final four. We have #4 A$AP taking on the #8 seed HiiPower and on the other side of the bracket we have #6 Undrafted taking on #7 Burger Kings. There has been some parody in the playoffs thus far as the top 3 seeds failed to advance past their 2^nd round game. HiiPower pulled off the upset over the #1 seed Jedi Knights, Burger Kings knocked off the #2 seeded Cali Raisins, and Undrafted knocked off the #3 seed Justice League. The #4 seed A$AP was literally seconds away from elimination if only Xavier Goss (Dream Chasers) could connect on his free throws.

All that aside we’re down to four very deserving teams. Four teams vying for Division 3 supremacy. The Champs HiiiPower literally crept into the post season and as the great Rudy Tamjonovich once said, “Never underestimate, the heart of a champion” and I didn’t. With the return of Sango Niang, HiiiPower picked up where they left off and secured a post season berth. Who could have fathomed this moment a few weeks back when we had learned Niang had “retired” from the IBL due to school obligations. However that rumor was quickly dispelled after I had a conversation with Niang in Week 8. When asked about his return to IBL he simply replied “I came back for a ring”.

HiiiPower will take on A$AP in a game which looks more and more like a win for HiiiPower. Not to discredit A$AP or anything but as I stated, they were seconds away from elimination and shouldn’t even be in this position, the guard play on the Dreamchasers isn’t nearly even as potent as the backcourt of HiiiPower. That and the comradery of HiiiPower will be too much to overcome not to mention their confidence and swagger that their dripping after knocking off the #1 seed and let’s not forget that they’re the defending division champions.  A$AP will have a chance if Jimmy Huynh can get hot from downtown, Huynh and Robel Kevorkian are the teams three-point specialist so if both players can get their shot to fall, A$AP may have a chance. It’s crazy to fathom the idea of a #8 seed being favored over a #4 seed but that is the case with this match-up.

 

On the other side of the bracket, we have the #6 seed Undrafted taking on the #7 seed Burger Kings. Mike Criscione went on record saying that because of both teams drastically different style of play’ this is the equivalent to the Utah Jazz taking on the Boston Celtics, but I just couldn’t figure out which team was which.  The Burger Kings defeated Happy Hour in the opening round handily and squeaked out a win in the Quarter Finals over the #2 seed the Raisins and are at this point. Undrafted as the #6 seed really puzzle many people, nonetheless this team has played like the #1 seed, simply dismantling the competition In the playoffs by winning both of their first two games by a combined 28.0 ppg. The X-Men and Justice League are both younger teams, but they couldn’t stop the run n’ gun style of Undrafted and seen their season come to an end.  This Sunday the Burger Kings will have to take the court with a young energetic team ready to run and prove everyone wrong. Undrafted’s main goal is and has always been a division championship, as a franchise they won the championship 3 seasons ago, and have two remaining players from that season on the team that crave their second championship. The Burger Kings offensive attack consists of speedy guard Alvaro Nunez, and the sharpshooting Tony Banta. Mike Criscione and David Aguilera are also viable offensive options at times. If Undrafted can keep the pace and fluidity of the game flowing fast. Then the Burger Kings will be eliminated. This game will be very competitive and fun to watch as both teams will leave it on the court.

 

Final Word:

Mike Mic’d picked HiiiPower and Burger Kings to advance to the championship game, but I beg to differ. With all facts stated I agree that HiiiPower will make it to the championship game to defend their title BUT, I have Undrafted meeting them there. Both teams met in Week 2 with Undrafted narrowly escaping a furious HiiiPower comeback to win the game. The Finals will pit these two young teams; who excel by using the Run n’ Gun style of play.

-Nathan Apolonio

@50ShadesofNate

The Full Court Press: Nate’s Notes – Division 1 & 2 Playoff Review & Preview

Guess who’s back, back by popular demand after a long hiatus from the writing world, Nathan Apolonio is back with another edition of the widely popular Nate’s Notes. I’m here to feed you with my knowledge of the league we all love so much. As the lead staff writer since Season 3, I’ve seen my fair share of IBL basketball, I’ve seen teams come and go, I’ve seen Dynasty’s put together and I’ve seen Dynasties crumble right before my eyes, so believe me when I say, I know what, I’m talking about. We are about to enter the second week of postseason play and this is shaping up to be a very intense/interesting post season to say the least. I’ll indulge you with the playoff picture from Division 1 and of Division 2 with Division 3 coming just a little later tonight.

In Division 1, the #1, #3, & #4 seeds have all moved on to the second round, the #2 seed FORMER division champions Washed Up, faltered in the quarter-final round and came up very short against the #7 seed The Pack. I think Washed Up took The Pack a little too lightly this time around. Last season, The Pack almost pulled off the upset as the #8 seed while playing Washed Up, but failed to do so which led to Washed Up moving on and claiming their second championship. This season I believe The Pack seized the opportunity and utilized their shooters and executed their game plan to perfection to come away with such a big win.

After reading this week’s edition of the new face of the Full Court Press “Mike Mic’d”; I noticed in Mike’s article he seemed a bit sour and neglected to show The Pack any type of love for pulling off the upset, so I’m here to give The Pack and GM Craig Crampton as my fellow writer Mike Criscione would say “3 slaps and a salute” for advancing to the second round and shocking the Division and the naysayers The Pack’s opponent in the next round will be the new favorites to capture their first division title the #3 seeded Knicee, Knicee advances to the second round after a 65-64 overtime scare in the quarterfinals after the #6 seeded Rebels gave Knicee everything they could handle and in reality would have won the game if they could have connected on their free throws. However that’s neither here nor there so I’ll move on.

The top half of the bracket we’ll see the #1 seed Cali Raisins take on the #4 seed Dino’s Finest, this is another intriguing matchup, the Raisins are the first team in my opinion to be a sleeper pick as the #1 seed. They handled the #8 seed Mile High in the first round with ease. They have the right personnel and a floor general in Jordan Ramos who is like no other. He is arguably the best Point Guard in the IBL. I know many dispute that claim but his team’s numbers don’t lie. He transformed the Raisins from a middle of the pack team in D2 & D3 to title contenders, this season he brought in a Division 1 team and they’ve been on a roll since their first game.

Dino’s Finest on the other hand has a core of proven players who have been to the top of the mountain, hoisted the gold ball and crave that elusive 2^nd championship, riding the coat tails of their explosive floor general Larry Dew they’ll look to do just that. HOWEVER, as every other game in the IBL is, it’s hard to predict a winner because we’re never really sure who will show up for each team until the game starts, I feel the Cali Raisins have a legitimate shot at beating Dino and advancing to the second round. In round 1 Dino wasn’t favored to defeat the #5 seed Dynasty but came away with a convincing win, after playing solid defense. I feel Dino can win this game, if they can play that aggressive style of defense. Another factor is if Dino is without the services of their big man Paul Miller, Miller has played in a few games this season, but due to his size and shot blocking ability to go with David Layne’s ability to clog the paint and body the opposing teams post player, I can see Dino coming away with the win. This one is tough to call due to the excellent guard play as Mike Mic’d stated this is the equivalent to CP3 vs. Derrick Rose, an all around point guard who makes everyone around him better in Ramos and an explosive scoring guard in Dino’s Larry Dew.

Final Word:

I see Knicee coming out on top in their match-up with The Pack, Knicee is too deep in the middle, they have 3 interchangeable big men (J.Devine, Dewayne O’Neal & Odell Howard) their SF is a ticking time bomb when it comes to scoring, Kenneth Ubom and their guards (Reggie Smith & Ray Hong) aren’t slouches by any stretch of the imagination. At the end of the day Knicee is too deep and just too big down low, their first round match-up was a wakeup call and look for Kenneth Ubom to have an inspired game, and carry his team into the Finals.  In a perfect world if all the stars aligned and The Pack and their shooters (CJ Schrader and Luke Finalet) got hot I’d give this team a chance. Knicee will win this game purely off second chance opportunities; they’ll also dominate in the battle of the boards.

In the #1 vs. #4 matchup, I see Dino’s Finest advancing to the Finals and taking the crown again as Larry Dew promised in his Week 7 interview, looking back at the archives, and the last time Washed Up didn’t win the championship Dino wound up as the eventual champions, so I’ll hold Larry Dew to his promise and count on Dino to advance past this game and into the finals. Even though it won’t be the easiest game, the Raisins won’t be an easy task; they’ve played many games down to the wire and are just a cohesive unit.

In Division 2, the brackets are finally set. After their Week 2 loss to Wonton Soup, the divisions reigning champions UNDFTD will tip-off the postseason as the #1 overall seed in the division for a second consecutive season. They had seemed to hit the proverbial brick wall in Week 2 with their convincing loss to the #2 seed Wonton Soup but soon after got things rolling once again as the season progressed. They embark on their road to the repeat with a first round matchup against the #8 seed Top Dawgz, the same Top Dawgz team that seemed to have them on the ropes in their Week 6 matchup. Look for UNDFTD to advance past the #8 seed as they are just too deep to even fathom an upset taking place.  The winner of this game will then take on the winner of the #4 vs. #5 game when Quiksilver takes on Primetime.

Both of these teams have a division title under their belt, Quiksilver captured the first ever Division 2 championship in season 2 and Primetime captured their golden ball in Season 7, so experience is not lacking. Both these teams have the necessary ingredients to CONTEND for the division’s championship. Quiksilver has been built this season to dethrone the champs of UNDFTD, and although they pack a pesky punch in Johnny Earl (16.6 ppg), Jaime Villalobos (15.0 ppg) and Julius Clark (14.8 ppg) , they also boast a slightly unproductive bench (19.8 ppg). Primetime is in the same category, their pesky punch is the play of C Mark Davison (26.8 ppg) and G Chris Escoto (19.2ppg) who are the teams leading scorers.  An interesting game is upon us if all these things on paper actually play out on the court.

On the bottom half of the bracket, we have #3 Special Delivery taking on the #6 seed Team 2k, Special Delivery has the edge in this game due to the amazing point guard play of their lead guard Sammeon Waller, Waller is easily a top 3 PG in the IBL regardless of division, he makes his teammates better, and can score in bunches if needed. Team 2k is an athletic bunch, very athletic, they’ve crept into the post season as the #6 seed but they’re very capable of pulling off a first round upset.  However I don’t see it happening, Team 2k at times seem to be very dense offensively, and have long dry spells while Special Delivery is known to score in bunches. I say Special Delivery will take control of this game in the second half and advance into the semi finals.

The #2 vs. #7 game is by far the match-up I’m, looking forward to seeing, it pits a Wonton Soup team, that once seemed to be a virtual shoe in to run the table to the championship after man handling UNDFTD earlier in the season, against a HighLife team that has solved all personnel issues that nagged them for the majority of the season. The guard play of Sango Niang and Chris Fowler will be really crucial if High Life wants any shot of winning this game. They’ll also need big man Rudy Williams to show up and be an inside presence. For Wonton Soup, Hakeem Nance is their alpha dog, their go to guy the source of their offense. Nance leads the team in scoring and is a pest for opposing guards with his play and trash talking. Wonton is coming off a loss to a convincing loss to Primetime who basically used a fast break style of play to defeat them. High Life utilizes the same style of play and I would place Wonton on upset alert.  The deciding factor in this game is the play of Aaron Sanchez, and Shawn McAllister, Sanchez is a beast on the boards and is regaining his old form of double double machine, while McAllister is instant offense off the bench. If those two players play a solid game, Wonton Soup will move on to the next round for a matchup with Special Delivery.

The Hypothetical Matchup of Wonton & Special Delivery would be an instant IBL classic, the teams have played twice this season with Special Delivery coming away with the first win and Wonton narrowly escaping with a 1 point win in Week 9 after they blew a 24 point first half lead. Hypothetically speaking, I feel the that Special Delivery has the formula to pull off what would not be deemed as an upset, but to come away with a win to secure a spot in the championship game. However Wonton is fully aware that Special Delivery is capable of beating them and erasing any type of lead they build so they’ll be very focused for this game.

Final Word:

At the end of the day we will see two team’s stand on top ready to battle for the divisions ultimate prize next week, and I would be discrediting all 8 teams if I had to pick just two. HOWEVER I will do just that, my prediction for the two teams are #1 UNDFTD and #3 Special Delivery.

-Nathan Apolonio

@50ShadesofNate