TEMPE, AZ: Brandon's All Star Preview | Who's Getting Snubbed?

Can you hear it? The whispers and rumblings have started…it’s time to start talking about Tempe’s All Star rosters. The level of talent in the summer session is amazing and it is difficult to narrow the roster down and leave some players out, but it has to be done. Just recently, preliminary votes were cast by league officials and here are the front runners thus far...

Team Hashtag: This team is loaded with talent and they’ve proven they know how to utilize it by maintaining the number 1 seed thus far. Brad Carroll and Joseph Hormes have combined forces to form a very potent and high scoring offense. Joseph Hormes is second in league scoring averaging 28.2 points per game while Brad Carroll is not far behind with 24 points per game. Brad will be representing Scottsdale should he maintain his position in all-star balloting; as a result Joseph Hormes is the clear-cut front-runner to represent Team Hashtag for the Tempe All Stars.

Splash Brothers: Another talent laden team with high-powered offensive weapons. Guard Nick Tomsick has the current honor of leading the league in scoring up to this point with a whopping 39.2 points per game. Nick has never met a shot he didn’t like or couldn’t make! Nick will join Brad Carroll in representing Scottsdale should he make the All Star roster and as a result it is a toss up at this point for who will represent the Splash Brothers. Guard Brett Bernbaum is a dark horse candidate due to his often overlooked 22.8 points per game. Forward Richard Azevedo is also playing quite well despite having an injury or two, he is certainly capable of being an all star and representing Tempe. And what kind of All Star game would it be if we didn't have Mark Price in it? This is going to be a tough decision for the voters..

The Bulls (*did not write this section to avoid bias) : The Bulls entire starting 5 could be considered an All Star. They share the ball better than any other team I have seen in Ultimate Hoops. But if we had to choose one player it would have to be our very own Brandon Walker. His entire body of work for the season speaks for itself; he’s the team’s leading scorer and has been there every game for them. He’s the heart and soul for the Bulls and the All Star game would not be complete with out Brandon in the game. –Donald Dangmuk

Downtown: This veteran heavy squad has a couple of potential standouts in Omar Waller and Gerald Williams. They are averaging 23.8 and 24.8 points per game respectively and would both be great representatives for Tempe. But with all the guards on the team already Omar will be an easy selection for the Tempe team.

Monstars: Kenny Mahone and Francisco Ahumada are playing some great basketball and keeping this struggling team afloat. Kenny Mahone is a strong player with explosive scoring ability, while Francisco has what I would term a quiet yet fierce energy. Kenny is averaging 27.7 points per game and is currently the top candidate from the Monstars.

Who’s Next: Guard Weylan Towns is the current standout for this team. He is an explosive and agile player with the ability to score at will. His style of play is exciting to watch and he would definitely provide some highlight for the Tempe All Stars.

The Wolves: Guard/Forward Brandon Host is averaging 24 points per game for a squad that is really struggling this season. His offensive production has earned him the right to be considered as an all-star.

Bad Guys: Another team struggling with offense and wins…captain Michael Rose is leading this team with 18.2 points per game. Rose has been embroiled in a bit of controversy this season so he will have to find a way to “unburn” some bridges if he is able to play for the Tempe All stars.

The Free Agents: Elward Fuson may have shot his way into the all star ballot with 20.3 points per game. Playing for a team that is considered an easy win for other teams has been tough but he has persevered offensively.

So with only 9 teams in the Tempe League, League Coordinator Jovan Wright will be choosing the 10th player from any team as the "wild card" and coaching the team as well. So who will get the final spot? You have 3 weeks to prove yourself!

Scoring points is definitely not the only way to become an All Star, defensive effort is extremely important as well as the intangibles. Don’t be discouraged as a player if you are not mentioned in the All Star conversation at this point, there is still plenty of time left to get on the radar.

See you on the court,
Brandon Walker

Follow me on twitter, I brought cookies: @BeeEmDubya

The Entire Playoff Bracket will be posted under Tempe Schedule. Click Here

PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

THURSDAY SEPT 4TH AT SCOTTSDALE LIFETIME (1ST ROUND)
• 7PM SCOTTSDALE #1 VS. TEMPE #8
• 7PM SCOTTSDALE #2 VS. TEMPE #7
• 8PM SCOTTSDALE #3 VS. TEMPE #6
• 8PM SCOTTSDALE #4 VS. TEMPE #5

TUESDAY SEPT 9TH AT TEMPE LIFETIME (1ST ROUND)
• 7PM TEMPE #1 VS. SCOTTSDALE #8
• 7PM TEMPE #2 VS. SCOTTSDALE #7
• 8PM TEMPE #3 VS. SCOTTSDALE #6
• 8PM TEMPE #4 VS. SCOTTSDALE #5

THURSDAY SEPT 11TH AT SCOTTSDALE LIFETIME (ELITE 8)
• 7PM TBD
• 7PM TBD
• 8PM TBD
• 8PM TBD

TUESDAY SEPT 16TH AT TEMPE LIFETIME (FINAL 4)
• 7PM TBD
• 8PM TBD

THURSDAY SEPT 18TH AT SCOTTSDALE LIFETIME
• 7PM CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
• 8PM ALL STAR GAME SCOTTSDALE VS TEMPE