BLOOMINGTON SOUTH, MN: Week 4 Preview

Week 4 is here, and while Week 3 gave us only a single game that was decided by less than 10 points, a new set of matchups looks more promising.


Tropics (2-1) vs. Inception (1-2)

So far, the Tropics have had one of the easiest schedules in the league. They've beaten two of the worst teams in the league - the Blazers and Panthers - by a combined 10 points and lost to the Lakers by 8. If they beat Inception this week, they'll have 3 wins and a playoff berth will be likely with a matchup against the Raptors still on the schedule.

Inception has had two rough games in a row with a 19-point loss to St. Baul in Week 2 and a 38-point loss to the Thunder in Week 3. Considering that their one win has come against the winless Raptors - and that was by a mere point - I can't see them getting by the Tropics.

Predicton: Tropics by 5

What to Watch For: Despite averaging 5.7 rebounds per game for his career, last week was only the third time in four seasons that Mitch Hanson pulled down double-digit rebounds in a game. His career high is 14 rebounds.




Rebels (3-0) vs. Thundercats (3-0)

In the marquee matchup of the evening, two undefeated squads are facing off against one another.

Dustin Dupont of the Rebels has to be considered one of the top MVP candidates so far this season. He is averaging a ridiculous 11 points, 9 assists, 9 rebounds and 4 steals per game, and although his shooting percentages are not fantastic, his defense more than compensates.

The Thundercats, meanwhile, rely upon great shooting from Derek Batiste and Chris Maher. The additions of Ben Boeding and Kyle Radde have given them some much-needed size. Although the T-Cats are full of great scorers, I don't think their defense is good enough to get them the win over the Rebels.

Predicton: Rebels by 12

What to Watch For: The other seven Rebels have only 3 more assists (31) than Dustin Dupont (28). Amazingly, Dupont is also tied for the most rebounds on his team (26). Sean Ball is the only other player in Bloomington South leading his team in both assists (13) and rebounds (22).




Timberpuppies (2-1) vs. St. Baul (3-0)

It has been hard to analyze the Timberpuppies so far this season.

They lost in Week 1 by double digits, but it was to the Rebels and it was their first game with new addition Mike Wolf. In Weeks 2 and 3, they easily beat a couple of teams that have 0-3 records.

Now that they've had time to gel, and they are going up against St. Baul, what T-Pups squad will we get?

St. Baul, meanwhile, continues to be underrated, despite having one of the most talented rosters ever assembled. Given that the T-Pups will likely challenge them throughout the game, I don't see one of St. Baul's patented second-half let downs coming tomorrow. I expect this to be a tight one throughout.

Predicton: St. Baul by 2

What to Watch For: The Timberpuppies have shot the fewest amount of three pointers in the league this season (40) with the Clem's Kidz having the second fewest with 48. Inception has shot the most three pointers (90).




Riddlers (2-1) vs. Thunder (2-1)

If the Riddlers can get a full squad to their games, they are going to be a handful. That has yet to happen this season, however, with Nick Roell and Isaac Vogel missing the opener, Andy Steingas sitting out in Week 2 with an injury and both Steingas and Mark Buettner out in Week 3.

They can get away with those losses against teams like the Huskies, but against a solid squad like the Blue Chips or the Thunder, they're going to find much more of a challenge.

The Thunder are two points away from being undefeated this season. Their franchise has yet to miss the playoffs, but if the team wants to be considered as a top-tier squad, they need to start winning games like these.

If the Riddlers' full squad shows up, it could be a double-digit win. If Steingas is still out and another key player does not show up, it could be much closer. I'll split the difference.

Predicton: Riddlers by 8

What to Watch For: Don Kahl needs 3 rebounds to pass Joe Epple for 3rd All-Time in Bloomington South history (925). 3rd is where he'll likely stay, however, since he is about 300 rebounds behind Paul Ferber (1219) and Sean Ball (1264).




Huskies (1-2) vs. Clem's Kidz (1-2)

The Huskies' squad is slowly coming along, but given the absence of Junius Ho and Lawrence Barnes last week, they didn't really have a chance against the Riddlers. Fortunately, a matchup against Clem's Kidz awaits them this week.

Still, they'll need to improve their defense if they want to win, even against a team like Clem's Kidz. They're allowing 78 points per game through the first three games and teams are shooting 52% against them (46% from 3).

After getting their first win over the Raptors, Clem's Kidz has already beaten expectations for this season. I still don't see them getting a win this week, but I don't think it'll be that large of a margin.

Predicton: Huskies by 10

What to Watch For: Lawrence Barnes is currently shooting 2-of-11 from three point range so far this season, but is shooting 52% from inside the arc. This fits well with his career shooting percentages of 26% from three and 51.6%. Barnes need to keep taking shots close to the basket where he is twice as effective.




Blazers (0-3) vs. Panthers (0-3)

The Blazers seem to have gotten worse with each passing week. After a close loss to the Tropics in Week 1, they've had consecutive 35+ point blowouts to the Rebels and Thundercats.

This week, they face another 0-3 squad, the Panthers.

The Panthers' woes have stemmed from poor shooting for the free throw line (47%), three point line (28%) and from the field (39%). The addition of Andy Heieie was supposed to bolster the team, but with Heieie going 2-of-7 for 5 points, that hasn't happened yet.

I expect a lot of bricks in this game, but at least it should be close at the end and one of these teams will get its first win of the year.

Predicton: Blazers by 3

What to Watch For: The Blazers only drew 2 fouls against the Thundercats last week, which is the lowest number of fouls committed in a game this season. The highest is 25 fouls, which St. Baul committed on the Rebels in Week 1.




Lakers (2-1) vs. Raptors (0-3)

The Lakers, after winning their first two games, ran into St. Baul last week and were beaten by 19. Given that they face the Thundercats and Rebels in the next two weeks, this will be their last opportunity to get a win until mid-November.

The Raptors were absolutely throttled last week against the Blue Chips, losing by 40 points. One of the biggest problems for the Raptors so far this season has been rebounding. In three games, their opponents have outrebounded them by nearly a 2-to-1 margin (50 to 26.6 per game).

When a team only manages 13 defensive rebounds - and the other team missed 39 shots - it is going to be a rough night. Thankfully for the Raptors, the Lakers are not a great rebounding team, but they'll still need to box out a lot better than they have been.

Predicton: Lakers by 22

What to Watch For: Jordan Jensen has 13 blocks through 3 games so far this season for an average of 4.3 per game. No other player is averaging more than 1.7 per game. Paul Ferber has blocked 2 shots total this season.




The Bulls (0-3) vs. Blue Chips (2-1)

So far, The Bulls have been one of the most disappointing teams in the league at 0-3. They have barely been competitive in their three games so far this season, and at the end of last game, you could see that the frustration was getting to these guys.

The Blue Chips, meanwhile, are pretty much where everyone expected. They beat the Panthers by double-digits, had a close game with the Riddlers and crushed the Raptors. With Keilon Riddley and Sam Halverson, this team is a quality second tier team.

Unless something changes with The Bulls that causes them to play better this week, which will start with improvements to their defense and rebounding, the Blue Chips should get the win.

Predicton: Blue Chips by 9

What to Watch For: Last week's win over the Raptors could be the start of a 4-game winning streak for the Blue Chips, with games against The Bulls, Thunder and Huskies in the next three weeks. The Blue Chips have previously won three games in a row twice, but have never won four in a row.