11/12 House Basketball Power Rankings Week One

by George Reed

1. Lakers (1-0)

I know that this may seem rash to many, changing a supposed #11 ranked team to the top of the rankings, but I did not realize the overall talent obtained by the Lakers club. Let’s start out with senior Zach Basu. Many would consider Basu a lesser-known house baller but his performance Wednesday speaks for itself. He scored in bunches as well as spreading the wealth to fellow studs Matthew Sherwood and Brendan Donahue leading to a blowout win with a final score of 46-18 against a Charlie Travers-less Heat. Along with the role-playing of junior John Mackie, this squad has all the makings of a dominant team.

2. Celtics (1-0)

Junior Philip Rech proved that he will be a scoring machine in the league again this year with a resounding 19 points on opening night. Junior Davis Nixon also knocked down a clutch three down the stretch to aid the Celtics’ chances against the Bulls. Jack “The Magicman” Feeley was also an inside force for the C’s. Rech’s scoring ability combined with this team’s chemistry should prove to be deadly as the year progresses.

3. Nets (1-0)

The Nets showed serious promise with an opening win against the Knicks. As the game entered its final moments, senior leader Dan Murphy took the game into his own hands and converted multiple steals into layups at the other end of the court. Overtime was needed to settle this one, but after it was all said and done the Nets improved to 1-0. The only thing visibly missing from this year’s Nets club was a true scorer, which hopefully will be resolved Sunday when football players re-enter the league after Saturday’s State Championship at Boyle Field in Stamford.

4. Wizards (1-0)

Junior Michal Maccarone is sure to have led all players in the league in assists on Wednesday as he spread the wealth with consistency. And when Maccarone’s 21 points and 11 dimes are combined with a 24 point outing by the big lefty himself, Jack Garfield, the Wizards are going to be tough to beat. Even without senior Graham Helgans and junior Peter Archey, you can see this team’s athleticism, and when these two players return… Watch out for the Wizards.

5. Nuggets (1-0)

The Nuggets-Cavs affair was probably the best game of the night. The fast-paced play of junior Daniel Traver and senior Austin Crane led to a wild one in the North Gym. Brad Magnusson (and his pink socks) dominated the boards all night and the shooting of senior Peter Traver lifted the Nuggets past the Cavs. If the Nuggets can solidify a scoring option, they should have success throughout the winter.

6. Knicks (0-1)

The Knicks high-powered offense was slowed by a steady Nets defense, but senior Dylan Carruthers and the Crew still managed to put up 42 points. Senior Chris Chi’s activeness on both ends of the court may end up being the key to the Knicks’ success this season. If Carruthers can find his offensive game and the Knicks show up week after week, they should find themselves near the top of the rankings in January.

7. Mavericks (1-0)

I share my condolences with the Mavericks that were upset with their #12 ranking last week. They proved me wrong. A convincing 60-40 victory over the Thunder has this team nestled in safely at the #7 position. Junior Danny Siemers controlled the overall tempo of this game and truly knows the game of basketball better than anyone in the league. When football stars Sam Bowtell and Myles Ridder return from States, the Mavericks will be a team that should not be reckoned with this year.

8. Heat (0-1)

It’s tough to gage this year’s Heat but honestly on Wednesday it looked like the 7/8th grade Heat might’ve had a better chance against the Lakers. The main reason was the absence of the man, the myth, and the legend that is junior Charlie Travers. With Travers’ return multiple victories for this drowning Heat squad will surely come. Travers, however, has been quoted on the record expressing that not all of his effort will be there week after week, which may cause rambunctious actions by many in Darien.

9. Bulls (0-1)

How could I be a makeshift reporter if I did not recognize the performance by junior Calvin “The Show” Crosby? Crosby dazzled those in attendance on Wednesday with his dribbling ability and marksmanship from downtown. Tallying 24 total points Crosby was not the only bright side on the Bulls. The Pendos’ defensive attention made it difficult for the Celtics to get anything going offensively in-turn leading to a relatively low scoring affair that was decided in the waning seconds on Wednesday.

10. Cavs (0-1)

It was a bittersweet loss for the Cavs last night. They lost a close battle with the Nuggets but showed promise on both ends of the court. Senior Blake Lange and the crew struggled at times on the offensive side of the ball, but it was obvious that when the ball was in the hands of former travel star and junior Stephen Barston, things seemed to calm down. Junior Brian Walsh was money from downtown making 5 triples. Overall, it was not a horrendous performance by the Cavs but not enough for advancement in the rankings.

11. Thunder (0-1)

The Thunder let me down this week by getting blown out by the Mavs. Without the injured junior Cooper Drippé, the Thunder lack an inside presence and the spectacular guard play of juniors Conor Davey and Jamie Schwartz was nowhere near enough to will the Thunder to a victory. Davey will need to step it up in order to have his team prevail in competitions down the stretch.

12. Jazz (0-1)
I did not like what I saw out of the Jazz. Senior Harry Gillespie’s 28 points were not enough fuel for the Jazz to produce a victory this week. Senior Matt Plank played “Robin” to Gillespie’s “Batman” by slashing to the basket with consistency. Overall, there was not enough ball movement by the Jazz, and it showed in the final score of the game.