COMMERCE REC: Pre-season power rankings | Who has the best team

Kicking off a new season is always great, but seeing new faces and new competition is even better. Let's take a look at this season power rankings prior to opening night.

1) C4

The defending champs are put in this spot but will have to overcome a huge loss in Justin Dabish if they are going to win back to back championships. As of now they have not replaced Dabish (27.4 ppg) or Brandon Cassise, but still return a solid core centered around a dynamic guard in Brandon Nafso, a dominate big man in Joseph Kassis, and arguably the best all-around player in the league in Jeff Jayson (25.6 ppg). The wildcard may be the addition of Sean Mattia, although his availability on a week to week basis could be inconsistent. The defending champions will get everyone’s best shot including The Sons of Basketball on opening night.

2) Shelby’s Finest

GM “The Legend” Mckinsey Golfin has put together a roster of the best players from the East Side. Golfin and Vaughan Gray have played in Commerce before and put up big numbers. Those two, along with Johnnie Brown and a host of relative unknowns to the Commerce league are looking to come in and show that Shelby’s best can play with the Commerce teams any day. We will know a lot more about this team after week one, where they matchup with our pre-season #3 team, the Weekend Warriors.

3) Weekend Warriors

For 2 seasons in a row, the Weekend Warriors have made it all the way to the championship game. For 2 seasons in a row, the Weekend Warriors have lost in the championship game. Bringing back 6 players from last season’s runner-up team and adding in sharp shooting big man Scott Kapeller, GM Mike Hand is hoping his team can finally make that final leap to win a championship. Forwards Darryl Foster (24.6 ppg) and Dominique Washington teamed with an athletic backcourt of Robert Douglas and Phil Nelson make these guys a matchup nightmare on a week-to-week basis. Look for them to be right back in the mix at the top of the standings.

4) Running Rebels

GM Rashodd Ross has a team centered around possibly the top duo in the league with Steven Reynolds (F) and Julius Barnett (G). The versatile Reynolds was the newcomer of the league last session averaging 22.3 ppg and 8.9 rpg. The chemistry between Reynolds and Barnett, one of the strongest, most dynamic scoring guards in the league could catapult this team to the top of this list. A host of solid players who understand their role on the team surround these two stars making the Running Rebels a tough team to beat every night they take the floor.

5) Sons of Basketball

The Sons of Basketball followed up their championship season by…missing the playoffs last session. GM Darius Statum lost his star player Toriano Adams in the middle of the season, and the Sons of Basketball never recovered. This team returns a ton of defensive grit including one of the league’s best defensive players in Joel Simpson AKA “J-Dee”. The X-factor on this team may be how GM "Dee State" and Ultimate Hoops journeyman Julio Alvarado can co-exist. A solid defensive team with a group of shooters who can get hot any night make the Sons of Basketball a team that could sneak up and beat anyone, any given Thursday night.

6) Hit Squad

After losing in last sessions’ semi-finals to the Weekend Warriors and former Hit Squad member, Dominique Washington, the team was hit with some more news of attrition in the form of the lost of Desmond Sain and Derrick Foster. This team still has a core of 7 players who have played together forever and have great chemistry together. From a talent standpoint, they took a major hit with the lost of Desmond Sain, but still return two of the best wings in the league in Jordan Jefferson and Ryan Matthews, who are matchup nightmares.