WESTMINSTER, CO: Week 1 Preview | New faces fall in to place

The leaves aren't the only thing that's changing in Colorado. There's a lot of new blood for the fall season of Ultimate Hoops Westminster. Here's a look at the week one matchups.

Long Shots vs. The Bad Boys

Two well-known teams head off another great season of Ultimate Hoops Basketball. The Bad Boys are COMPLETELY revamped and have added some serious size. The Long Shots have had a solid team dynamic for several seasons and this season are coming in with most the same team plus a few additions. The Bad Boys will be considered serious contenders on paper, but if there is any downside to their roster it is on speed and outside shooting which just so happens to be the Long Shots strength. This game should be a matchup of contrasting styles, so look for The Bad Boys to pound it inside to one of their many posts, and the for the Long Shots to push the ball up the court and score points quick.

The Gladiators vs. The Kardashians

The Gladiators were once a dominant team in this league but as of late have struggled in the last couple seasons. Captain Saul Chavira went out and recruited some new talent and it will be interesting to see what kind of team he put together. The Kardashians retained most of their same team while adding one of the best players in the Colorado Springs league in Chris Morgan. Roger Lester is also back and is sure to be a huge spark for the Kardashians. These two teams didn’t get to play each other in each of the last two seasons so it will be a good game that both teams want to show up for.

Eat, Sleep, Ball, Repeat vs. Havoc

ESBR is one of the newest teams and in my opinion is the one team that will surprise a lot of people. Team Captain Erick Saengchanh went out and did some heavy recruiting and was able to put together a very solid team that will likely have a great team dynamic. Blake Mahler is fresh off a championship season last year and now went off on his own to ESBR who promised him a hefty signing bonus. Havoc is another new team this year and its hard to say just how good they will be because they have so many new players. With Matt Cannizzaro on the team however, its for certain that Havoc has a big man that can put up points and get rebounds. This will be a great game for both teams to prove to the rest of the league that they are serious and future contenders.

IMPACT Basketball vs. FireSquad

Preseason favorite IMPACT Basketball is at it again and with a revamped team that possibly even looks better than last year. PG Carlos Matos is reunited with League MVP Beau Barney and will be helpful in being able to take the ball out of his hands and letting Beau play off ball. FireSquad was the most impressive team last year having posted an almost undefeated season. They are back with the same team and will be tested this week harder than they were all last season. This is FireSquad's chance to prove all the doubters wrong and show that last season wasn’t a fluke.

Purple Cobras vs. The Gladiators

In the first double header of the season the Gladiators will get another game to fine tune their team chemistry. The Purple Cobras are a brand new team with some familiar faces from leagues past. This team will likely be led by Dane Christiansen, who used to fill up the stat sheet in Ultimate Hoops Basketball. This team has a lot of youth and athleticism and will need to use it to their advantage if they want to be successful this season. On paper, both these teams seem to be evenly matched so it is sure to be a game that will be close in the final seconds.