In Division 2, with Double Dribble folding after their embarrassing collapse in last season’s semi-finals, Primetime took the role of Alpha-dog in the division. They have distanced themselves from the rest of the division so far, and in the process they’re favorites to repeat. That is; if UNDFTD doesn’t have anything to say about it. The two teams met in Week 1 with Primetime escaping with a 61-60 win.
Primetime is 5-0 and is clicking on all cylinders, they are truly a team to fear. They look to run the table and enter the playoffs as the #1 seed, which is unfamiliar territory to this team. However they’re playing great basketball and I have a feeling they will sustain this momentum going forward as we enter the latter weeks of the season.
Special Delivery is the surprise sitting at #1 in the standings at 5-0. It’s strange to think about Special Delivery being #1 in the division seeing as they didn’t even make the playoffs in a lower division last season. Yet somehow they sit in the #1 spot in Division 2 through 5 games. That is a pleasant surprise.
Coming into the season, UNDFTD was nabbed as the favorites to become the Season 8 champions. The team is a fusion of UKnow and Double Dribble. Led By the Pickett’s (Derrick and Diahnte), Tray Caples and Buai Tut, this team is unstoppable when fully engaged. The team is at 5-1, with their only loss coming at the hands of Primetime in Week 1.
A team flying well below the radar would have to be the new free agent team known as “Them Guys“, the team is 3-1 through their first 4 games. Their schedule has been favorable to say the least and the team got their first real test in Week 5 when they met UNDFTD, the team was shorthanded but they went down swinging with the players that they did have. The chemistry and comradery is definitely there when the team has the full roster at its disposal, this team will go as far as its members take it.
The Secret Agents is one those teams, that gets better as the seasons go on, although their record sits at 3-2, this team is still a contender in the division. The addition of Gary McNelly’s has been key so far, McNellys is averaging 16.0 ppg and 7.5 rpg for the Agents. Look for this team to make a strong push in regards to seeding for the playoffs.
After a shaky start to their season, Wonton Soup has rebounded and are a game above .500. GM Ashwin Sharma has done a great job of having two sets of teams (D2 & D3) for “fatigue” purposes. This team is coming together at the right time and making a playoff push. They also have gained Aaron Sanchez back from what was thought to be a season ending injury. He probably wont be as effective as he was before but he may still be a factor.
The X-Men are the last 3-2 team in the Division, this is a quality team, who I find to be extremely underrated. They will make the playoffs no doubt about that, and I’m making a bold prediction now. This is my dark horse pick to make a deep run in the playoffs, they have solid team, with Gold Okolugbo (12.0 ppg) and Adrian Miles (20.3 ppg) leading the way, this team can kill you in a variety of ways. If this can come out of this bye week on a hot streak, it may be bad news for opposing teams.
A host of team’s sit at 2-3, Beatdown, Blacktop, Wesst, and Limitless all sit at (2-3) coming out of this Memorial Day bye week. A few of these teams will be matched up in the up coming weeks and at this point in the season, its win or your season may be over. Out of the teams listed above, the team most likely to drop out of the playoff picture in my opinion would have to be Beatdown. They haven’t played the top-tier teams and when they do, they’ll pick up an L.
GM Marcus Dillard always does a solid job of putting a competitive team on the court every season. This Goonz team is no different. Though this team sits at (2-3) through 5 games, you can credit their losses to the level of competition they play, they lose to the élite teams but beat the teams that they are supposed to beat, and that is why they are poised to make the post season. They still need to record at least two more wins to have a legitimate shot at making the post season, a couple of losses and they will most likely fall directly out of the playoff race.
Outside Looking In
Quiksilver sits at 2-4 through the teams first 5 weeks of play. This team goes as far as the divisions leading scorer Jordan Block (26.0 ppg) will take them. Block is a 20 and 10 guy every game but after Block the team really doesn’t have a second offensive option. If this team can win their next 2 games by a wide margin, they have a shot at creeping into the playoffs at a very low seed. This is strange to fathom, seeing as Quiksilver was last season’s runner-up after losing in the championship to Primetime. It seems as if the Division 2 and 3’s runner up’s are having a rough season, both teams are at 2-4.
On paper, Rail Splitters should be better than their record indicates. They are filled with players that have played and won championships in IBL’s highest division (Division 1) yet they sit a 2-4 and are tied for the #11 seed at this point. This team will go as far as Rich Cobarrubias takes them, and so far the keys are in the ignition for this team they just have no gas in the tank. If this team can gas it up, and end the season hot, they have a shot of sneaking in the post season. Another loss and they can kiss their post season dreams good-bye.
IBL Full Court Press 