House Basketball Power Rankings

-By: Matt House Brown-

This weekend kicks off the eagerly-awaited YMCA House Basketball season on the Middlesex Middle School court. The rosters include some super freshmen talent expected to light up the court along with some well-respected sophomores including the Knicks' Craig LaMantia.

The Blue Wave Sports Blog will be all over the action with our own House specialist Matt “House” Brown (pictured above) who kicks it off with 9^th & 10^th grade power rankings.

1. Knicks- The undeniable favorite in the league this year, led by the natural scorer sophomore Craig LaMantia. He is equally phenomenal driving to the basket as well as shooting, and is in my opinion the best player in the league this year. The story does not stop here with this team. Craig will be accompanied by two sophomores who played on the freshmen team last year for the high school: Patrick Reilly and Jack Travers. Reilly with a good shot and Travers with great driving ability, few teams have players able to guard both of them, without counting LaMantia. Carter Watt is also a tall freshman looking to make his name known around the league. The only problem this team faces is if there isn’t enough ball to go around, and even then they are tough to beat.

2. Heat- A team filled to the brim with eight sophomores and only two freshmen. They will be lead by the 10th grade Whiting twins Jackson and Pierce, who both used to be household names in the travel basketball circuit. Jackson is a stupendous guard with the ability to shoot and drive. Down low he will be helped out by his skilled brother Pierce as well as myself. Sophomore Ben Highton has great handles at point guard and sophomore Drew Dirvin will look to light up the stat sheet with assists.

3. Bucks- A good looking squad with almost as much height as the rest of the league combined. Sophomore Eric Christensen is likely the tallest player in the league, and played on the Darien freshman team last season. He is accompanied by sophomore Patrick Durkin and freshmen Ryan Ehlers, both at least 6’1. In the backcourt they have a good shooting guard in sophomore Andy Mogenson as well as the only player in the league that has a championship ring, Brunswick sophomore Jack Sherwood. Sherwood can reek havoc on any team he faces, making his team a formidable opponent at any time.

4. Raptors- The Raptors are a well-rounded team with a mix of solid sophomores and freshmen that are sure to make an impact. In the backcourt they will be lead by sophomore Spencer Dean who will be a good leader as well as a good player. In the post they have more leadership in form of the aggressive sophomore Paul Genco, as well as a towering and athletic freshman Christian Cochran. More freshmen include two strong and bulky bruisers Alex Gunn and Peter Traver. When you play this team you might consider wearing football pads.

5. Hornets- The Hornets are a team lacking in height but have a plethora of talented guards. They have a sophomore with travel experience in Casey Burke as well as another guard Carl Stowell, who holds one of the best strokes in the league. They have little big men down low, however the one they have is talented. This big man is freshmen Cam Smith who is at least one inch above 6 feet and has a jumping ability that gives him an advantage over all comers. Smith will need to be the constant on this team this year, and if Burke and Stowell both get hot in one game, they’ll be tough to beat.

6. Bulls- A freshman rich roster that will need to prove itself to the rest of the league before they can be considered serious contenders. They are led by sophomore Christian Bognar, one of the best players in the league, and one of the most competitive kids I know. Other players include sophomore Jack Nichols who is known for his above average long range shooting ability. The question with this team is if the supporting cast can settle in around their star before the star's competitiveness turns into frustration.

7. Celtics- They are a team without a superstar, but an extremely low amount of weak players. The lack of a star also comes with a lack of ego, and I expect the Celtics to be successful because they will be able to play as a team. They have great size down low in form of the immense sophomore Corey Davis. The Celtics also have a sleeper pick up, freshmen Matt Pendo, who is a great hybrid of size and speed. They will need to look to sophomore Nick Pettit for leadership as well as scoring. Finally, Jay Harrison, a well known freshmen football player must be able to make plays when his number is called.

8. Wizards- The Wizards are a group that is looking to make a quiet playoff push this year. They will be led by freshmen twins Max and Alex Skolds who will cause problems for opponents down low. The twins will find help from sophomore Brian Weil who is a good shooter known around the league for getting hot once the playoffs roll around. This team has “surprising playoff run” written all over them.

9. Nets- A freshman filled yet greatly talented team that I like a lot. The excitement starts in the backcourt where freshmen twins Curry and Reilly Bloom will be sure to work the fast-break and electrify the league. Beyond the twins, they also have Brad Magnusson who is a tall freshman will an uncanny ability to put the ball in the basket. The Nets will be a fun team to watch whether they win or lose.

10. Bobcats- A youthful squad looking to play a sleeper role in the league this year. They are lead by Fairfield Prep sophomore Danny Coyle, who has B-team travel team experience that will be sure to show in House. They also have very athletic freshmen like Matt Coley who I feel will be a very solid player, if not, a stud.