We are now a little over the halfway point of IBL Season 10. Through the first 6-7 weeks of the season, teams have jockeyed for playoff positioning. All 8 teams will make the post season but we merely play the games for positioning.
1.California Raisins (5-0) A familiar staple at #1 in the rankings are the California Raisins. This is nothing new for this team. They’ve been together for 7 seasons and now in their 3rd season in Division 3. They look to make a run to the playoffs after this hot start. PG Jordan Ramos is usually praised when this team is performing well. However this season it has been a team effort. Early in the season Ramos had a string of bad games but the team carried its own weight and won games. If the raisins can continue this stellar play into late January, a division title that eluded them for the past 7 seasons, is all but inevitable.
Grade: B-
Reason: The Raisins get a B- grade because they shouldn’t be 5-0. They’ve gotten lucky on several occasions, where they’ve been outplayed the entire game but manage to do one thing right in the final seconds. With that being said, this team finds a way to win, but who’s to say if things didn’t go their way, that they’d be where they are at this moment.
2.AM/PM Too Much Good Stuff (5-2) With a name that long, you should be a noteworthy team. AM/Pm Too Much Good Stuff sits at 5-2 through 7 games. They have clinched a top 5 spot for post season play, and their play of late has been great. Elbert Chen has really been the bright spot for the team this season. “Chensanity” is leading his team in the scoring column with 18.6 ppg. This team can score with the best of them, and they really enjoy playing with each other. If they can finish the season the same way they started it, then a championship is a real possibility
Grade: A+
Reason: 3 games over the .500 mark with 1 game left on their schedule. AM/PM has played stellar so far this season, with energy and chemistry they are getting it done on both ends.
3.A.D.A.N (4-1) GM Chris Johns has been in IBL since Season 4, he has been on average teams, and when he finally decided to take the role of GM in Season 8 his teams did fairly decent. However after 2 seasons of missing the playoffs. Johns has put together a unit capable of postseason contention. With a 4-1 record heading into Week 7 the only way A.D.A.N would miss the post season would be if they flopped the rest of the season which seems very unlikely. This team is one of the surprise teams in the division.
Grade: A-
Reason: A.D.A.N has gotten it done this season; they have big time wins over the MadVillians, HiiiPower and most notably the team right above them in the standings AM/PM. This team is the real deal.
4.A$AP (4-2) Slowly and silently team A$AP is making their ascent to #1 at 4-2 through their first 6 games, this team has played very well this season, the team is a hybrid of former season 7 champions Wonton Soup and the Dirty Homies. One time foes have joined forces and have played well so far.
Grade: B
Reason: The experiment has worked out so far, but this team should be better than 4-2. If everyone on your team has won an IBL championship at one point or another, there should be no reason, that you’ve lost a game.
5.HiiiPower (3-3) At 3-3 HiiiPower is at the same point this season that they were in last season. Personally, I thought this season was a lost cause with their dynamic tandem of Chris Fowler and Sango Niang out for their college seasons. However Fowler decided to forego this season of college play (personal reasons) and has returned to HiiiPower in the IBL.
Grade: C
Reason: Chris Fowler is doing his best holding the team down, but let’s face it, this is the best this team is going to be. Sango Niang isn’t walking through that door anytime soon.
6.California Swag Bears (2-2) The Swag Bears are 2-2, the only team in the entire league, all 3 divisions that have played less than 5 games. The team this season is really looking for an identity after adding several new faces to fill the roles of players that have departed since last season. The Swag Bears are in prime position to make a legitimate shot at the #1 or #2 spot in the standings before the season comes to an end, but they will have to beat the next 4 teams they face.
7.MadVillains (3-4) Last season the Mad Villains caught fire around this time of the season, and finished with the division’s best record at (7-1) this season through their first 7 games, they are (3-4) and have no control of where they end up when the season is all said and done.
Grade: D-
Reason: With the same core from last season. That held the distinction of best team in the regular season. This team has regressed.
8.Slaughterhouse (2-3) at 2-3 Slaughterhouse is another team added to the list of teams whose seasons can go either way. If they win 2 or more games there playoffs chances are stronger than ever, but if they falter in the upcoming weeks their season will end while 8 other teams continue theirs.
Grade: C
Reason: Slaughterhouse leaves it all on the court every Sunday.
9.Burger Kings (2-3) Season 9 runners-up sit at #8 in the standings through their first 5 games. Not really a shock nor is it expected. Mike Criscione and his crew simply do not care about the regular season. The group they have assembled has already shown they are more than capable of being a championship contending team.
Grade: B
Reason: Having played two full games with 4 players, I have to give it up to the Burger Kings. David Aguilera broke the Division 3 scoring record earlier this season with a 54 point outburst, the reason he had 54 was the fact that he only had 3 other teammates to pass the ball to for a 32 min stretch.
10.Those Guys (2-5) After securing a playoff berth last season “Those Guys” formerly “demDoe” have regressed quite a bit this season. Through 7 games the team is 2-5. 3 games below the .500 mark, this team has failed to win close games, they’ve dropped 3 games that could have been won with better execution down the stretch.
Grade: D-
Reason: If you make the playoffs as a low seed in your first season. Statistics say you should be fairly better the following season. At 2-5 Those Guys have been a flop this season, after making the post season in Season 9.
11.X-Men (0-5) The X-Men hold the distinction as the lone winless team so far this season. The playoffs are out the question, as these last 3 games of their season they will use to play spoiler for opposing teams. The X-Men are one of those teams that have played many seasons in IBL; they haven’t really gotten it together.
Grade: F
Reason: 0-5. I mean things can’t get much worse….right?
IBL Full Court Press 