BLOOMINGTON SOUTH: Week 8 Preview

After a brief hiatus last week, so that players and their families could celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, the buzz surrounding the final week of the Fall 2011 season - and postseason - continues to grow exponentially.

With only one game remaining for most teams in Bloomington South and Fridley - except for the Nets and D.Y. Nasty, who each have a doubleheader - there is still a lot at stake. The Players' Committee will meet Thursday night to determine 8 at-large bids and they will likely have some tough decisions to make.

I thought I would briefly run down the games this week and what could be at stake in each of them.


Blue Chips (4-3) vs. Inception (3-4)

At stake for the Blue Chips: A potential automatic bid into the playoffs. If the win is by a wide enough margin, it could impress members in the committee for a higher seed.

At stake for Inception: A win would all-but-guarantee them an at-large bid. A close loss could have them on the bubble, while a blowout loss would likely eliminate them.

My prediction: Blue Chips are a very solid team this year and I don't expect them to have much trouble.

Blue Chips by 20


Thunder (4-3) vs. Tropics (4-3)

At stake for the Thunder: Doubtful they could get an automatic bid, since they don't hold the tiebreaker against many teams ahead of them (aside from the Riddlers), but a win over the Tropics would result in a much higher seed.

At stake for the Tropics: Even at 4-3, the Tropics do not have a win over a team over .500 on their resume and only beat the Blazers by 6. A quality win over the Thunder would go a long way for them when the committee determines their seed.

My Prediction: Save for last week's thrashing of the Raptors, who barely qualify as a team, the Tropics seem to play to their level of competition. If its a close game, I think the Thunder will pull it out.

Thunder by 3



Clem's Kidz (1-6) vs. Panthers (1-6)

At stake for Clem's Kidz: A second win would be an impressive accomplishment for this team, which had not won a single game previous to this season. It would also restore some confidence in members of the team not named Benjamin Wagner.

At stake for the Panthers: If this team is looking to come back next season, they cannot have a loss to Clem's Kidz on their resume. Getting an easy win over a team they should beat would be a nice way to finish the season.

My Prediction: The Panthers have some solid players, they just need some time to get used to the competition in Bloomington South. I think they are by far the better team in this matchup and should win easily.

Panthers by 10



The Bulls (4-3) vs. Lakers (4-3)

At stake for The Bulls: With a solid performance, The Bulls can make sure to get an at-large spot (although, I think they'll get one even if they lose) and Roderick Powell can keep his name on the short list for Bloomington South MVP.

At stake for the Lakers: After starting the season off 3-1, this team has sputtered. Much of that is due to not having a full roster in recent weeks. A win would help them stay on the radar and clinch at least an at-large bid.

My Prediction: If Justin Martin shows and the Lakers have a full squad, this game will be close. If he doesn't, The Bulls will win easily.

The Bulls by 5



Riddlers (5-2) vs. Timberpuppies (5-2)

At stake for the Riddlers: An automatic bid in the playoffs and possibly a top-4 seed in the tournament. A 9-point loss to The Bulls was a bit of a shock last week and two losses in a row would drop the Riddlers in the seedings.

At stake for the T-Pups: Pretty much the same thing as the Riddlers. While the Pups didn't lose last week, only winning by 10 over the Panthers is not the type of quality performance that will get things done in the playoffs. They need to show that they can play up to the level of the big boys in Bloomington South.

My Prediction: The T-Pups just haven't looked sharp for much of the season. They did play well against St. Baul, but they've looked far too ordinary this season to think they can beat the Riddlers.

Riddlers by 8


Blazers (1-6) vs. Huskies (2-5)

At stake for the Blazers: Dignity. This has not been a great season for the Blazers, While they finally got a win last week against Clem's Kidz, another win to end the season would at least give some hope for next season. Plus, they would get a chance to play spoiler and knock the Huskies out of the playoffs.

At stake for the Huskies: Even with a win, its not a given that the Huskies are in the playoffs. But it would at least give them a chance. Rumors have it that Junius Ho will be playing at least a few minutes, so that could help their chances.

My Prediction: Even without Junius, I think the Huskies will win this game. The Blazers have played very poor defense this year and the Huskies have multiple players who can take advantage of that.

Huskies by 14



Thundercats (4-3) vs. Raptors (0-7)

At stake for the Thundercats: It is hard to fathom that the T-Cats could lose this game and a win would lock down an automatic bid. A win here won't really impact much else, although winning by less than 10 could have a negative impact when it comes time to seed these teams.

At stake for the Raptors: This would be a major upset victory for a team that managed to lose to Clem's Kidz and Inception so far this season. While this team is unlikely to return in its current form next season, that would at least provide a nice ending to this one.

My Prediction: No chance the Raptors win. I'd be impressed by a 20-point loss.

Thundercats by 38



Rebels (7-0) vs. St. Baul (7-0)

At stake for both teams: This is the biggest game of the season so far this year and will likely determine who is the #1 overall seed in the playoffs (yes, even over the W.C.C.O.). The stakes are pretty much the same for both teams in that respect.

The team that loses will still get an automatic bid and will likely get a top-4 seed, but if the margin is large one way or the other, it might persuade the committee to rank them below the Ninja Turtles or RTG.

This game could also have an impact on the MVP race, as the Samuelsons and Dustin Dupont are high on that list right now.

My Prediction: This game should come down to the wire. Both are great teams and, frankly, I don't know who is better. I expect this to be a classic, so if you're near Bloomington South, come by and watch.

Rebels by 1 (but who knows?)



All-Star Voting

If you have not yet voted for the All-Star Starters for Bloomington South and/or Fridley, please do so using the links below.

Bloomington South
Fridley

Over 250 people have submitted votes so far. Here are the current top-5 for each division:

Bloomington South
1. Dustin Dupont, Rebels (39)
2. Justin Samuelson, St. Baul (29)
3. Roderick Powell, The Bulls (29)
4. Sam Halverson, Blue Chips (26)
5. Ryan Samuelson, St. Baul (23)

Mike Byrne and Ryan Jansen each have 21.

Fridley
1. Bryant Marmol, Ninja Turtles (48)
2. Roderick Powell, The Bulls (34)
3. Marcus Marshall, Celtics (33)
4. Ahmed Helmy, Hand Down...Man Down (29)
5. DeAngelo Purnell, Respect The Game (25)

Garland Sanchez and Justin Samuelson each have 24.