Wednesday, December 18, 2013

11/12 House Power Rankings: Game 2, Sunday

By Anthony DiMeglio

1. LAKERS (2-0)
The Lakers have been victorious the first two winning in dramatic fashion, 48-16 in the first game 38-26 in the second game.  Granted the Lakers have won both games while the top players from each opponent have been out, they still have what it takes to be the best team in the league with players like junior TJ Adiletta, senior Zach Basu, junior John Mackie and junior Matt Sherwood.  Adiletta, a 3 point specialist, hit a three in Sunday’s game and celebrated with a somersault on his way back to his side of the court.  Basu is just too much for any team to handle with his shooting ability and athleticism, not to mention he is fierce while pulling in rebounds.  Mackie and Sherwood feast on the boards and use put-backs for points, not to mention they also have the aptitude to shoot from beyond the arc.

2. CELTICS (2-0)
The Celtics, in my opinion, are one of the best teams in the league, as their team is extremely athletic and big in the paint, with ruthless players fighting for the key offensive rebounds.  This starts with big man junior Jack Feeley.  Not only can Feeley grab any rebound he wants to, he can also shoot from any spot on the court.  Feeley is not the only player that contributes to this team as teammates like junior Matt Pettit and senior Luke Mangan also control the floor. Pettit, comparable to Feeley, is a ferocious defender, blocking and stealing the ball with his incredibly long arms.  Mangan was all over the Nets defense, finding his way through lanes and knocking down shots inside the paint.  Junior Phil Rech also contributed to the team’s efforts with a few points of his own in the Celtics win over the Nets.

3. WIZARDS (2-0)
The Wizards have been shocking the league within the first two games of the House season.  With a major win in their first game with only four players, the team added two key players to the team in senior Graham Helgans and junior Peter Archey.  Junior Michael Maccarone continued to impress, while putting up 16 points after a solid 22 points in the first game.  Junior Jack Garfield followed up his 24-point game with another extraordinary performance, dominating the boards.  Even though it is early in the season look for the Wizards to make a run into the playoffs, as they thrive in every part of the game.

4. NUGGETS (2-0)
The Nuggets came out on top Sunday and improved to 2-0 on their season with a win over the Mavericks.  Seniors Austin Crane and Brad Magnusson did most of the damage, as the Mavs just couldn’t find a way to stop them.  Crane continuously beat the Mavs inside the paint and dished the ball out to Magnusson who hit some clutch threes to seal the deal for the Nuggets.  Junior Daniel Traver had an outstanding Wednesday raking up 8 steals.  Look out for him to be the force on defense for the Nuggets, as he will do damage week in and week out.  The Nuggets have exceeded expectations so far and they look like they aren’t going to take it easy on a team anytime soon.

5. NETS (1-1)
Despite the loss the Nets suffered on Sunday, they are a talented team that is hard to match up with.  They have the height in seniors Christian Cochran and Andrew Boe and athleticism in point guards Dan Murphy (senior) and Vinny Puzio (junior).  Sharpshooter and junior Colin Cochran hit two threes in his first game with the team.  A major loss for the team is the absence of last year’s house MVP, junior shooting guard George Reed, as he suffered a broken hand in the State Football game Saturday.  With a healthy lineup, I can assure you that the Nets will roll into the playoffs and be one of the most lethal teams in the league.      

6. KNICKS (1-1)        
The #1 preseason team showed people on Sunday why they deserved to be number one then.  After watching the Knicks take their first win, it’s evident that there are few teams that will be able to stay with them throughout the season.  The Knicks may have struggled a little bit in the first game of the season but came together in game two and it showed in the play of senior point guard Dylan Carruthers and his stellar shooting ability from three point range.  Another standout player from the Knicks is senior Robbie James, a tall, strong player underneath the rim constantly hauling in offensive rebounds and consistently putting them back up for points, keeping his team in the game.  With that advantage the team is able to take risky shots, as they rely heavily on their big man.  Senior Jack Foley, another shooter on the Knicks, is able to knock down shots from anywhere and also racks up the assists with multiple options to pass to, including seniors Chris Chiamulera and Carter Watt.  Look for the Knicks to make a surge into the postseason with their aggressive play. 

7. BULLS (0-2)
The Bulls may be 0-2 in the standings, but it is still very early in the season, and they have the type of team to power through the rest of the season, if every player shows up.  With the combination of the two Pendo brothers and junior point guard Calvin Crosby, the Bulls could be serious championship contenders.  Crosby, in the first game, was unbelievable beyond the arc, but was quieter in the second game, leaving the Pendo brothers to do all of the work from three.  Despite their performances on Sunday, the Wizards responded well and were simply too much for the Bulls. 

8. JAZZ (1-1)
Coming off an upsetting loss to the Wizards, the Jazz came back in the second game and played an overall stellar game.  With the return of senior Nick Kunze and junior Dylan Cunningham from a long football season, the Jazz acquired exactly what they needed in order to succeed.  Senior Harry Gillespie and Cunningham took over late in the game for the Jazz after the Heat got off to a strong start, and Kunze was huge on the offensive boards.  Seniors Matt Plank and Brian Alter were able to contain the Heat on the defensive side of the ball and contributed on offense when the situation called for it. This Jazz victory was unexpected, however they deserved it after a performance like the one they had on Sunday.

9. CAVALIERS (0-2)
The Cavaliers matched up well with the Knicks, and hung with them the whole game, but in the end, the Knicks outplayed the Cavs to beat them by one.   This loss for the Cavaliers puts them at 0-2 for the season, however, like the Bulls, they have the potential to be one of the more dominant teams in the league.  This all begins with junior point guards Stephen Barston and Brian Walsh.  Both of these players are lights-out from three and with contributions from senior Colin Meier, the points add up and keep them in the games.  The defense for the Cavs all starts with the intensity of junior Timmy Grozier, followed by the long arms and height of junior Alex Hager and his six blocks in the first half of Sunday’s game.  Teams also can’t sleep on senior forward Blake Lange, as he is an all-around offensive and defensive strength for the Cavs. 

10. MAVERICKS (1-1)
After a win that stunned the league on Wednesday, the Mavericks just couldn’t find a way to control the Nuggets on Sunday.  Junior big man James Fox did all his teammates could’ve asked for and grabbed multiple rebounds leading to baskets for the Mavs.  Floor general and junior Danny Siemers coordinated the tempo of the game and used his knowledge of basketball to do everything he could in order to try and get his team the victory, but unfortunately they fell short.  The Mavs are a type of team that can be very shaky and inconsistent, but overall a very talented team that can put a dent into the league. 

11. HEAT (0-2)
It has been a truly disappointing start for the Heat, and what looked to be an auspicious year has started off on the wrong foot.  The Jazz stunned the Heat in the second game of the season and junior Charlie Travers’ house return.  Travers put up 23 points and was automatic from 3, but it just wasn’t enough to get the win.  Senior Chris Rehm came up clutch in situations per usual, but his efforts came up slightly short as well.  Overall the Heat have not been what people wanted to see so far, but with their talent they can spark at any time during the season and beat any team. 

12. THUNDER (0-2)
The Thunder simply don’t have anything going their way at this point in the season.  Junior Conor Davey, the team’s obvious stud wasn’t on his A game during game one due to a hamstring injury and wasn’t in attendance during game two.  Aside from these past two weeks, Davey will eventually break out and be one of the most dominant players in the league.  Taking Conor’s place in game two was junior Jamie Schwartz, contributing to the team’s point total with several threes.  Overall the Thunder’s season doesn’t look too promising but anything can happen, especially this early in the year.


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