MONTVALE, NJ: Who's Going To Beat These Guys?
Old School has good reason to smile
After thoroughly embarrassing a talented squad, is there anyone out there that Old School should be worried about?
It’s not exactly news that Old School has consistently been among Montvale’s best. If we ranked our teams 1-8 right now, they would likely be #1. They beat RUNt in Week 1 and dismantled Just Ball 54-33 in Week 2 in a game that was even uglier than the final score indicates.
There’s a lot of sloppy basketball that goes on in our league, even among good teams. What Old School continues to prove is that if you play stupid, careless or inconsistent against them, they will kill you. Looking at their roster, Just Ball seemed to have a decent shot against the champs. Come game time, that decent shot turned into a 20-point halftime deficit and a shooting percentage of just over 25%. Justin Leon and Reed Johnson combined to go 3-of-22.
So why would Old School “likely” be #1 in the power rankings? Well, enter Lane Train and Ferrall Ballerz. RUNt will definitely be in the mix for the title, but they already got the first crack at Old School this season, so let’s focus on a few teams that we don’t know as much about at the moment.
In order to beat a great defensive team like Old School, balance is a big deal. In fact, while they have upped their talent level, being top-heavy may have been RUNt’s downfall in the past. Lane Train and the Ballerz don’t have that problem. Everyone on the Ferrall Ballerz is averaging at least 5 points per game. The Lane Train, meanwhile, has four double-digit guys, led by Nick Bigos.
The only other interesting unknown we have thus far is USDA Prime. While the new UHoops squad sits at 0-2, they showed some real signs of life against RUNt. However, they’ve also shown early signs of being top heavy. Tucker Diestel and Hannah Jensen are combining for nearly 70% of their team's points.
The Lane Train and the Ferrall Ballerz, both 2-0 teams, have played the same two opponents thus far, all relatively easy wins. It’s safe to say the Super Splash Brothers are toast. As for the Bergen Tropics…Well, just ask George Graham. George, who is actually a former Old School member, was Ferrall’s interview before Wednesday night’s action.
So, with just a small sample size, how do we evaluate Lane Train? How will their up and down style fare against Old School’s more methodical pace? Do the Ferrall Ballerz finally have enough talent to avoid a disappointing end to their season? The match ups certainly appear to be interesting on paper. Then again, that’s what you could have said about Just Ball…
|