Wednesday, November 20, 2013

House Basketball Preview: Preseason All-Star Lineup (11th and 12th Grade)

Much like the first snow of winter, the first weekend of House Basketball is something that everyone looks forward to. From buzzer-beaters to single-elimination playoffs to Wilt Chamberlain-esque individual performances, there’s nothing like watching history be made at the MMS Old Gym on a Sunday morning. Now that perennial MVPs like Jack Sherwood and Jackson Whiting have left the league, people wonder who will become the next players to go down as legends in the House Ball history books. Here’s a prediction as to who will have the most consistently outstanding performances in the 2013-14 House season:

Point Guard Austin Crane
The Fairfield Prep sub-6-footer made his return to the House league last year and didn’t disappoint. Aside from his athletic ability (he’s a recruited varsity baseball player), Crane’s a great player because of his off-the-charts basketball IQ. His vision is unparalleled and when he’s not lighting it up on the scoreboard, Crane is making his teammates better.

Shooting Guard George Reed
The official Blue Wave Sports Blog MVP from last season, George Reed dominated the 9th and 10th grade league last season. It’s hard to place exactly what position Reed plays, as he has the size/strength to bang down low with forwards as well as the ball-handling and shooting ability to have success as a guard. Reed’s a complete player, and don’t be surprised to see him earning a few MVP votes as the season winds down.

Small Forward – Charlie Travers
It’s always difficult to judge how a player will adapt to the style of House Ball after spending years playing for the High School team, but for someone as skilled as Charlie Travers, it shouldn’t be much of a problem. Travers’ game is much more refined than that of the average House baller, and he’ll use his linebacker-size to bully kids up and down the court.

Power Forward – Kevin Pendo
Pendo is another tweener who can effectively play any of the five positions. A Carmelo Anthony-prototype, Pendo will score on you, whether it’s via him shooting right over you with his long arms or going right through you with force that’s incredibly hard to slow. Especially if Pendo is reunited with his older brother Matt, a 6-foot-5-or-so center, watch out. This kid’s a winner.

Center – Max/Alex Skolds
Some House Basketball savants have been declaring that the Skolds are overrated, and that they’ll be non-factors this season because everyone’s caught up to them in size and skill. But who can forget the time Alex had a breakaway dunk over Trevor McGovern as a sophomore? Or who can forget the time the twins combined to score 32 of their team’s 36 points? Until someone can have a season to erase the Skolds’ spots in House Basketball history, they’ll go down as two of the all-time greats.



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