9/10 House Basketball Power Rankings

by Britton Barthold

House Ball Sunday was easily better than Super Bowl Sunday, and if you were lucky enough, you were able to see some fine basketball instead of what the NFL called #1 vs. #1 (I’m pretty sure the Puppy Bowl was closer than the actual “Big Game”). But back on track; Sunday’s games were full of action and upsets, along with a beat-down here and there and some new rivalries budding along the way. So without further interruption, let’s take a look at the new power rankings. (Brackets indicated previous ranking)

1. [2] Missouri (8-1)

Missouri overpowered Syracuse 47-42 in a game that shot the Tigers to the #1 spot in the power rankings. Sophomore Timmy Graham’s MVP campaign continued Sunday, but he still received great support from the play of sophomores Burke Blatney and Tyler Grant, along with the beautiful warm up pants worn by sophomore Spencer Stovall. Freshman Mac Keating continued his quest for Underdog of the Year, as the amount of swagger worn Sunday was a major intimidation factor in the win. The game was a close one however, as it was only a five-point win. Blatney had a reason for this however, saying, “We got tired of smacking them and wanted to make things interesting.” Doing it for the fans… what a guy. Missouri is also now statistically the #2 offense in the league, only trailing Missouri by .7 points (per game) for that lead. Missouri continues to roll ever since their loss to Stanford, and don’t expect them to slow down any time soon.

Sunday Game vs. Kansas

Oh boy. This game should be a good old fashion scoring battle, as the Missouri offense against the struggling Kansas defense is going to be legit. When asked about their opponent, team sources said “Kansas? Child please”. Missouri rolls in this one.

2. [1] Stanford (7-1)

Stanford lost a heartbreaker as they were defeated by underdog Washington by a score of 56-52. Down goes Frazier. The stingy offense of Washington, led by sophomores Jamie Schofield and Charlie Burke, along with the shutdown defense by sophomore defensive stud Sam Giorgio, proved too much. But before anyone gets too excited about this, it doesn’t mean Stanford is a walk in the park. They still are the #1 offense in the league statistically, and barely remain the #1 defense in the league in the same category. The full court press by sophomores Sean Edgar and Colin Minicus should still be feared along with the tight open jump shot of Jack Wells. So before you think you’ll beat these guys, just remember what they did in the first 7 games of their season. They’re vulnerable, but still dangerous. 

Sunday Game vs. Duke

Stanford should be able to rebound against a struggling Duke squad if they can contain sophomore big man Aidan Coyle. It should be a good one, but Stanford pulls it off.

3. [3] Georgetown (7-2)

Georgetown took Kentucky to town on Sunday, defeating the Wildcats by a score of 37-21. The energy of this team is too much for many teams to handle. Sophomore Mark Evanchick is unstoppable right now, as his domination in the paint has been nothing short of perfect in the past few games. Sophomore teammate Andrew Mathew said that Evanchick was so good that he thought “he was going to kill someone”. It’s no surprise that Evanchick has done so well, as the same strength he uses on the football field is used to control the paint and manage the boards. Mathew is also the perfect big man to replace a tired Evanchick, as his speed and athleticism are perfect for the style of offense run by the Hoyas. The fast break is also a thing of beauty, and Georgetown has almost perfected it this season. With a relentless defense backing this offense up, you can’t stop a fully charged and energetic Georgetown team.

Sunday Game vs. Syracuse

The utter dominance of Evanchick will be tested against fellow big man Dolan Gregorich as former DJFL stars are set to collide. The winner in the paint wins this one, and Georgetown ultimately takes it with its depth in the paint along with its defensive stars.

4. [4] North Carolina (5-4)

North Carolina dropkicked Georgia Tech 52-42 in a game where the Tarheels’ offense showed up. Even without sophomore leader Brendan Seiler, fellow sophomore Jack Kniffin’s harsh fast break lay-up proved fatal against Georgia Tech, and the blocking job of freshman Emmet Sheehan was a lot to handle. Sophomore Kevin Kingman’s floater made its return Sunday, as they were falling out of the sky all day long. Freshman star Brett Durbin also added assists along the way to help secure the win. The Heels however need to fix their rebounding, as it disappeared in this game, along with the ongoing on-court “beef” between freshman Kyle Fisher and myself. I wouldn’t be surprised if that turns into the next Holyfield vs. Tyson with an on-court brawl happening between teammates. The Tarheels have finally secured their first win streak of the season, as they continue to make a late season playoff push.

Sunday Game vs. Washington

North Carolina will have a lot to handle with Jamie Schofield and Washington, but with defensive genius Coach Klein at the helm, they should be able to take this one in a very close game.

5. [7] UConn (5-4)

UConn managed to beat a struggling Duke team this Sunday with a 49-46 win over the Blue Devils. Sophomore Jack McCann had an off game, as shots simply didn’t fall for the up-and-down player. Freshman of the Year candidate Charlie Sealy saved the day for the Huskies, as his size and overall presence, along with his jumper were a lot for Duke to handle. Sealy also was a beast on the defensive side of the ball, taking it away whenever the chance was given. Freshman Peter Hartigan also provided some help against Duke’s big man Aidan Coyle, as they were able to somewhat stop Coyle for a small amount of time. The Huskies have also been able to reach 40 points in the past two games after starting the season with some pretty bad offensive numbers. After the win, McCann was feeling good, as he called out fellow sophomore Brendan Seiler, saying, “I’m coming for you Seiler”. Seiler, a member of North Carolina, tells league sources that “McCann is a joke and has nothing on me”. These teams do not meet again this season, so hopefully this rivalry can be put to a test come playoff season.

Sunday Game vs. Miami

This is a tough one to call, as Miami has been on a roll as of late. If Sealy continues to put up big numbers, they can win this one, but if not, Miami can pull off another big win.

6. [6] Syracuse (4-5)

Syracuse remains at the #6 position after losing a closely contested battle against #1 Missouri, only losing by a margin of five points. Sophomore Dolan Gregorich had a solid game, but wasn’t enough to beat out the tough Missouri offense. Syracuse still remains a legit team and contender, as the three balls by the Drake twins continue to fall. When asked which was better, Gregorich said he had “no idea, they’re the same to me.” But seriously, they’re the same person. Now even though their three game win streak is over, Syracuse still has a lot to look forward to come playoff season. If no team has a legitimate defender to put on the Drake twins or a sizeable opponent for Gregorich, they can do some serious damage along the way. Three balls aside, watch out for Syracuse.

Sunday Game vs. Georgetown

Evanchick vs. Gregorich. Two Big Man of the Year candidates look to make a push for the award, as the paint will be a no-no for both teams’ guards. It will be a close one, but Georgetown wins it.

7. [5] Duke (4-4)

Duke has now dropped two straight games after starting the season on fire. They lost a painful game against UConn, as all they needed was four points to win it. Sophomore Jack Murray made a huge difference on the court however, as the difference between a Murray-less Duke and Duke with Murray is astronomical. He adds a whole new element to the game, with speed and finesse along with some bright neon socks that could blind a man. Sophomore Aidan Coyle played a big role in the paint, adding a nasty spin move lay-up early in the game. Sophomore Gianni Filippone continues to add insurance on the deep ball, but the lack of defense is what is hurting the Blue Devils during their losing streak. Along with the poor defense, they lack a backup big man to support Coyle, and need to give Filippone the ball more when Murray is out. Duke is still a solid team, and just need to get back into the groove of things before the playoffs roll around.

Sunday Game vs. Stanford

Stanford is coming off an upset loss against Washington, and will be looking to get back on track against Duke. I think if Coyle can have a big game and Murray is able to defend the guard duo of Edgar and Minicus, Duke can pull off the upset. But I’m going with Stanford in this one.

8. [9] Miami (3-5)

Miami has been able to turn it around late in the season with two consecutive wins against Washington and Kansas. Sophomore Connor Mulliken continues to do what he does, but has received amazing support from freshman Peter Marren, who has come out of nowhere in the past two games. After an 18-point performance against Washington, Marren put on a clinic against Kansas. He also nailed a clutch three pointer at the buzzer to give Miami the lead at halftime. The key to this current win streak is the ball movement, as Miami is starting to realize the talent they have other than their star, Mulliken. The Hurricanes have a great chance to end the season at 5-5 and conduct a huge turn around, and I think they can. If they move the ball and continue to score, they can be a legitimate dark horse in this year’s playoffs.

Sundays Game vs. UConn

Miami is playing a UConn team coming off a big, much-needed win against Duke. In the end though, ball movement is once again key, and Miami will win this one.

9. [11] Washington (3-6)

Washington is coming off a major upset, as they dethroned the formerly undefeated Stanford squad from its #1 spot and its reign of terror over the league. With that said, the talent of Washington was evident during the game. Sophomore Jamie Schofield has been going off against opponents all season, and Sunday was no exception. Schofield does it all: shooting, defending and driving to the basket. It is all there. He has a great sidekick in sophomore Charlie Burke, who can get the ball in the basket however you need him to. The defense, however, is what makes this team so good. Sophomore Defensive Player of the Year candidate Sam Giorgio continues to do what he does best: create turnovers. He proved too much for the Stanford guard duo, as his tight defense gets into the heads of opponents early. If Washington can continue this style of play, it will be no surprise if they make run in the playoffs.

Sunday Game vs. North Carolina

Washington is coming off a huge upset of the former #1 team in the league. Now they face North Carolina, who has been rolling lately. North Carolina has too many weapons along with too much size, and will pull this one out in a tight one.

10. [8] Kentucky (3-6)

Kentucky continues to fall in the power rankings as they have dropped their fourth straight after starting the season 3-2. Sophomores Bobby and Christian Trifone continue to have to carry this team, as a third option for the twins hasn’t been able to emerge this season. The lack of a legitimate big man has also hurt this Kentucky team, as it has become evident that athleticism isn’t all that you need in House ball. Now for the Fun Fact for the day: Kentucky is statistically the #2 defense in the league, only trailing Stanford by a point in that category. So that gives the Wildcats the answer they need to fix this skid: score, score, and score. Kentucky holds the honor of the 2nd worst offense in the league as well, only beating out Kansas for that title. So there is no surprise that this team is where they are when they have the 2nd best defense but the 2nd worst offense. Kentucky needs to find ways to get the ball in the basket or their season will end in a first round defeat.

Sunday Game vs. Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech is continuing to go on and off, and when playing this team, you can easily get to them early. Kentucky wins this one and grabs some type of momentum heading into the final game of the season.

11. [10] Georgia Tech (2-7)

Georgia Tech was annihilated by North Carolina in a game where defense didn’t matter for the Yellow Jackets. Georgia Tech did what they did best: stayed with their opponent for about five minutes before the worst defense in the league showed up. They couldn’t stop a single player on North Carolina, as they let sophomore Andrew Crane get his first points of the season and allowed me to score 14 points. When I score 14 points, there is something wrong. Sophomore Mark Schmidt couldn’t keep the ball in his hands as turnovers were all over the place. All in all, Georgia Tech was a mess and has been all season. I asked freshman Brian Keating what was going on, and his response was that there was a “lack of fundamentals and teamwork.” Georgia Tech needs some work done or they will be embarrassed by the top seed in the playoffs.

Sunday Game vs. Kentucky

Things are going to get worse for Georgia Tech, as Kentucky will grab a much-needed win against the Yellow Jackets.

12. [12] Kansas (1-7)

Fortunately, Kansas can’t go any lower in the power rankings. The Jayhawks’ season has been characterized by their current losing streak of six games, a trend that doesn’t make much sense considering they are one of the biggest teams out there. Now for some more fun facts: Kansas is the 3rd best defense in all of House Ball. Good right? Not really, since they have only scored 27 points a game, which is a league worst along with a .125 winning percentage. Sophomore Matt Sealy is hoping to save the day however, as he made his debut against Miami on Sunday. Sealy didn’t miss a beat, as he played solid defense and created turnovers during the minutes he was actually in. It still confuses me since they are so big, but it’s just that scoring just doesn’t happen for these guys. Jumpers don’t fall, and layups sometimes don’t even hit the rim. Kansas has had a terrible year, and really just needs to catch a break soon.

Sunday Game vs. Missouri

Unfortunately, they won’t catch a break. Instead, they’ll catch Timmy Graham and his quartet of support in what will be a Missouri win.

That does it for this week, but I do have some news regarding award season. Along with the list of awards that will be included at the end of this article, I have decided that along with a few other house ball members from teams across the league, I will hopefully create three All-House teams along with one All-Freshman team. Voting for the awards will occur right after the season ends, and will be open to all of DHS to vote. Thanks and see you for the next rankings in a week.

List of 9/10 House Awards:

• Most Valuable Player
• Freshman of the Year
• Big Man of the Year
• Defensive Player of the Year
• Best Three Point Shooter
• Mr. Bank Shot
• Game of the Year
• Moment of the Year
• Coach of the Year
• Sportsmanship Award
• Twins of the Year
• Underdog of the Year