#1 Crazy Pirates (6-1)
Nearly flawless in the regular season, the Crazy Pirates are known for their superior team work and ball movement. The Pirates are truly the complete team, with a true post, a versatile wing player, perimeter shooting and guards who make the right decisions and play harassing defense. Never blowing teams out, their Achilles heel may be that they let teams hang around as they did against the Afro Boys in their lone defeat. Their first round match-up is a rematch against the up and coming BP, whom they struggled with in the last game of the season.
Scouting Report
- Ben Warner - Dead eye shooter with little hesitation to pull the three; loves German soccer teams
- Mathias Meinte - Lefty has Tayshaun Prince like game, using his length to bother foes
- Joe Mallon - The glue guy for the team, won’t beat you one on one but leave him and he will make you pay
- James Ewing - Handles the ball like its on a string, great vision; dubbed “Rubio” by the scorer’s table, plays with spirit(s), enjoys live music
- Kenneth Bechtel - Fan favorite for his great defense, crafty mid range game and energy
- Kegan Gonzalez - “Spiderman” like sensibilities on and off the court, senses danger yet plays unfazed
- Tom Schnakeberg - Team MVP, relentless on the board, capable of stepping out to hit the three
- Filip Johnson - “Beast”, gets more rebounds than reflected on the stat sheet
#2 LetsGetIt (5-2)
LetsGetIt has had another one of those seasons. The highs included a huge come from behind victory against the VA G-Ballers in spite of a fifteen point deficit. The lows include losing to the then winless BP and choking away a lead on the first place Crazy Pirates. One of the best teams in the league when everyone is there, but everyone rarely is. The offense runs mainly through Claude Cox and Byron Shelton, who are capable of going for 30 on any night. Defensive breakdowns and a lack of the intangibles could be their downfall.
Scouting Report
- Bryan Shelton - “That’s enough room”, when hot, watch for the long ball
- Stephon Davis - Cerebral player, the calming influence on the team, directing the offense like a surgeon
- Carl “Jr” Jordan - Mysterious; his game will speak for itself
- Byron Shelton - Big Smooth. Gives “casual work” on the block; capable of extending the defense with his outside shooting
- Tim “Tootie” Ortega - They call him the microwave, because he can get hot in a hurry
- Kunal Patel - Former GUS Leagues 3 Point Champion; plays with a keen sense of awareness
- Claude Cox - One of the most prolific scorers in GUS history; loves to shoot the pull up mid range and three point shot, but capable of taking it to the rack, drawing contact and finishing; favorite CD is the Fugees “The Score”
- Tim Hammond - The coach of the team; he loves the game; a difference maker who will be vital to the teams playoff run
#3 Team VA G-Ballers (5-2)
The VA G-Ballers had a proud regular season. In their eyes, they are the best team and should be undefeated. The lone defeats came at the hands of the two teams above them in the rankings; and in both of those games they held late game leads. The team can score in a variety of ways, including downtown via Nick Brannon and James Cooley; on the block with Chris Allen; slashing with Kevin Charles or off the dribble with Bassey Ekong. The one consistency with the team is their dissatisfaction with either each other, or the refs. When playing with a focused mindset, this team may be unstoppable.
Scouting Report
- Kevin Charles - GUS Leagues Thursday Men’s Basketball Scoring title holder; most athletic player in the league and impossible to stop his dribble drive penetration
- Maurice Stringfellow - Sharp analytical coaching mind; plays the game like a cagey veteran
- Chris Allen - Man in the middle, will get the rebound and let you know he got it; vocal leader
- James Cooley - Silent assassin, will unassumingly kill you from deep
- Bassey Ekong - Work horse; point forward with extreme range; could have side job as model for the Duke hair products
- Nick Brannon - Can get hot at any second; known to fans as “Instant Offense”
- James Enecio - Plays within his game; never gets rattled by the big moment
- Korey Moultry - Known to make big time plays down the stretch; not afraid to take and make the big shot
- Tony Clark - Nothing can prepare you for the inferno that is Tony Clark
J-Crew (4-3)
It has been a great turnaround season for J-Crew. After losing games last season by the slimmest of margins, the team retooled a bit, and have found their traditional winning ways this season. After a heart breaking loss in week 1, in which the game was in grasp, the team then went on a four game win streak, taking down foes with their excellent team work, ability to knock down the long ball and overall style. Unfortunately, with a chance to take the top seed, the team folded down the stretch, losing to the Blazers and LetsGetIt in the last two weeks of the season, falling from a tie for first, to fourth. Now having to face those same Blazers again, it will be a tough road to the title.
Scouting Report
- Matt Butler - Strong man in the middle who has enough Sam Perkins in him to step back and knock one down from outside if need be
- Earl Robertson - GOAT; former GUS MVP; scoring aficionado; a true marksmen who will quietly give you buckets
- Ivan Lambert - Andrew Bynum; intimidating force in the middle; one of the top shot blockers in the league
- Jason Loh - Shifty on offense, finds gaps you weren’t aware of, excellent hang time and body control
- Michael Barber - Attacks the basket like his life depends on it; possesses excellent body control; gets to the free throw line with consistency; good team player but better scorer
- Tim Lebita - Slices through the lane with the ball well, has a nice tear drop floater; finds the open man every time; makes GUS Leagues jerseys look good
- Jason Sigaran - Herky jerky, unorthodox jumper but very accurate; capable of exploding offensively; wears inappropriate t-shirts on team picture day
- Jason Gardner - Solid defender and good all around player capable of scoring in a variety of ways; perfected the Blue Steel pose in 2004, has been his moneymaker ever since
- Jason Santana - Defensive monster capable of shutting down even the most potent scorers; lives La Vida Loca
#5 Blazers (4-3)
After narrowly losing the GUS Championships last season (on a buzzer beater) the Blazers lost some of their top scorers this season. It has been a struggle to find the chemistry they once played with, starting out the season 0-3 against three of the best teams in the league. However, since that time, the Blazers have gone on a tear, knocking off then #1 seed J-Crew. Now with the playoffs on the line, they face J-Crew hungry for revenge. Like LetsGetIt, you never really know who you will get with this team with a roster too big to count. One thing is for sure, the Blazers want to run and shoot, and are at their best when they do so.
Scouting Report
- Dave Boettcher - Great passer and superior rebounder; has the all around ability to control the game from the high post with his mid range jumper and passing ability
- Jack Payne - Most versatile offensive player in the league; used mostly as a facilitator, but can light it up with the best of them
- Paul Brewer - Dead eye shooter; loves to score; favorite catch phrase is “And 1″
- Brett Shelton - Game is finally coming around; one of the premier shooters in the league; is capable of driving to the bucket as well; once shot 3 under par over 18 holes of putt putt golf
- Darren Fulton - X factor; the everything guy; is a good athlete who plays with heart and defends with tenacity; loves scoring in transition or slashing to the basket
- Bostin Biamonte - When he has confidence, his jumper is fire; plays a heady game; Orlando Magic Mike Miller
- Josh Prasatik - Rebounds with the best; excellent scorer in transition; loves to shoot the pull up jumper;
- Jay Sutaria - Versatile point guard able to switch styles from pass first to score first point guard; nearly unguardable when aggressive; most photogenic basketball player in Thursday league
- Brian Egwauth - Might play for the Thunder professionally
- Robert Schudy - Best professional smile in the GUS Leagues; rebounds the ball with tenacity; moves well off the ball to take quality shots
#6 Afro Boys (4-3)
The Afro Boys are one of the most beloved teams in GUS history. If there is one thing for certain, it is that the Afro Boys will play a nail biter. Whether possessing a large lead, or down 12 with 2 minutes left, the Afro Boys will find a way to make the game close. It is that big game experience that they hope will pay dividends this playoffs. Their first round match-up with the VA G-Ballers may have been the most unfortunate draw of the season though, as it represents their lone double digit defeat. However, we will never count the Afro Boys out. Whether it is Jimmy, Alan and Abdul knocking down the long range buckets, OJ, Chima and Emeka doing work inside, David and Peter running around hitting shots from all over, or Deen doing what Deen does, this team can beat you in a variety of ways. With some of the best defense in the league, the one weakness of the team is their internal turmoil. If they can find a way to bond together, this team could go all the way.
Scouting Report
- Peter - X factor, does everything right; solid combo guard who provides stability on the court; injury prone
- Emeka Kanu - He’s bigger than you; affinity for mid-range jumpers
- Olumide “OJ” Oni - Rebounding king; slashing, powerful scorer; known as OJ because he’s got the Juice
- Ben Eliah - Always makes the shot when it matters, count on that
- David Rugaju - Dubbed “Ruger” because he is the shot caller for the boys; the spark plug and mastermind behind the team
- Abdul Bishi- Rain man; when he catches fire, he’s capable of changing the tone of any game within a minute; plays through injury
- Jimmy McClure - Undersized big, oversized small; game big enough for all positions, constant feature in (imaginary) GUS Kicks on Court
- Alan Redmond - The Closer; always where you need him, doing the dirty work, but making it look clean; do it all, team first, player
- Gbolahan Babayale - “The Wild Card“; capable of doing everything on the court; likely to do anything on the court, they call him Deen… but it should be Dean because the court is his classroom
- Chima Nwokolo - Back to the basket game is slick; don’t come to the paint when he’s there, it’s better for all parties involved
- Jason Snow - Game changer at the point; rarely shoots instead opting to pass; Eric Snow with a better jumper
#7 Team SWAG (2-5)
SWAG is the team of free agents assembled to take on the world. Each of these guys is playing for a contract, and hungry for the win. It has taken some time for these guys to finally mesh, but every week they seem to grow and get better. With standout Blake Meyers leading the way, the other players have gotten more comfortable as the season has progressed. With the vocal leader Mudassir leading the way with his anecdotes, SWAG looks to make some noise in the playoffs. Unfortunately, they will have to play LetsGetIt, who last time took out SWAG to the tune of a 20 point victory. If SWAG wants to win, team work and solid defense will be the key.
Scouting Report
- Eric - Energy guy; has good handles and capable of getting to the basket with ease
- Seun Alonge - The Boss; specializes in making big moves and doing big things
- Ben Jones - Psuedo big man; cerebral player; habitual hafltime-shower-upper; loveable
- Liam Morrissey - Steve Nash in his prime; able to hang in the air and contort body to make difficult shots look easy; Justin Bieber looks, Drake sensibilities; foreign exchange student
- Marlon Bailey- Defender extraordinaire; agile and aggressive; one of the true nice guys in the league
- Lee Hoang - Team enforcer; super glue for team chemistry; well rounded player on both ends of the court; if left open he will make you pay
- Mudassir Siddiqui - Team vocal leader; player-coach; teller of excellent fireside tales
- Brad Macafee - 3 point specialist, prefers early games, small rosters and cuddling up with a book and a glass of Pinot Grigios on Friday evenings
- Blake Myers - Sharpshooter that is capable of taking it to the rack and finishing; THE premier pick pocket in the league, leading all players averaging over 5 steals a game; candidate for GUS Leagues MVP
- Stephen Krause - Out for the season: torn ACL; Just means his upper body will get even stronger
#8 Block Party (BP) (2-5)
Block Party (BP) began the season as one of the underdog teams. New to the league and taking a few crucial losses in the first few weeks, it looked to be a long season, with the playoffs but a dream. But since that time, the team has really come together and begun to gel. With the mid-season addition of Ralph Charles, BP gained a #1 option on offense and stability to build itself around. After the big mid-season toppling of powerhouse LetsGetIt, BP let the world know it was a real contender. Since that win, BP took down Blue Chips and narrowly missed toppling contenders such as the Crazy Pirates and the Blazers. With a roster that boasts a complete team, BP should be a tough out, as their first round opponent the Crazy Pirates found out last week.
Scouting Report
- J.P. Kouassi (BP) - One of the team’s best perimeter defenders, often checking the best perimeter scorer
- Ralph Charles (BP) - Team MVP; hits the outside shot with regularity, takes contact and finishes strong; unselfish player who swings the ball to the open shooter
- Jamyle Michael (BP) - Lightning quick speed; good outside shooter; gets the team into the offense and provides veteran leadership
- Thomas Cleveland (BP) - A vacuum cleaner on the boards; possesses a nose for the ball like none other, loves to wear different colored green than his teammates
- Alex Tripp (BP) - Hard nosed player, willing to mix it up inside; not afraid to kick ass and take names
- Pat O’Connor (BP) - Quietly efficient scorer, especially off of the screen and roll
- Jason Belovich (BP) - One of the smoothest shooters in the league; has range out to 40 miles
- Flavio Medina (BP) - Consistent player; holds down the low block on defense; backs down from no man
- Greg Preston (BP) - Standing tall and talented; a force on the inside; blocking shots and pulling in boards; has a surprising ability to knock down shots from the outside
- Rhodes Coffey (BP) - Defender extraordinaire; think Tony Allen but with an offensive polish
- Cable Warren (BP) - A true all around player; won’t kill you scoring, but will find his teammates for open shots; especially kindred spirit Jason Belovich
- James Longville (BP) - Jack of all trades; consistent rebounder and defender, willing passer; a classy gentleman in the running for GUS Citizenship award for his great behavior both on and off the court
Blue Chips narrowly missed the playoffs this season, but if you heard it from them, they designed it this way. “We surveyed the competition in the league this season, and decided we had won already. We had our shine, now it was time for others to get theirs,” said an unnamed team source. Throughout the season we got to see some amazing highlights from these guys, usually at the hands of David Lindner and his acrobatic moves, but also by Jon Mock and his fancy dribbling, the Norris Brothers and their circus shots, or Brian Harrington and his tomahawk dunks. A statement from Blue Chips was released to the other eight teams of the league. “We will see yall next season when you work on your game a little more.” Asked what they will do in the off season, Jake Norris replied, “What we do every offseason.”
- Cody aka “Sixth Man of the Year” (Blue Chips) - Name says it all.
- Ben Jones (Blue Chips) - Patrick Ewing
- Colin McCulley (Blue Chips) - David Robinson
- Brian Harrington (Blue Chips) - Chris Mullin
- Jon Mok (Blue Chips) - Charles Barkley
- David Lindner (Blue Chips) - Scottie Pippen
- EJ Talamas (Blue Chips) - Clyde Drexler
- Noor Sammour (Blue Chips) - Karl Maolone
- Jude Rofles (Blue Chips) - John Stockton
- Jake Norris (Blue Chips) - Michael Jordan
- Nate Norris (Blue Chips) - Magic Johnson
- Seth Norris (Blue Chips) - Larry Bird
- Ryan Sims (Blue Chips) - Christian Laettner with the handles of God Shamgod
And that’s all I wrote.
Some people were asking for a playoff breakdown. LetsGetIt and VA tied for the #2 seed. #2 seed went to LetsGetIt over VA because of the head to head battle. J-Crew, Afro Boys and Blazers tied for #4 seed. J-Crew got the #4 seed because of point differential, Blazers got #5 seed because of point differential (J-Crew beat Afro Boys, Afro Boys beat Blazers Blazers beat J-Crew). SWAG and BP tied for #7. SWAG beat BP in week 1 and therefore got the #7 seed.
Don’t forget to sign up for next season if you haven’t already. We have several leagues available, including bringing back the Tuesday league and an all new Thursday Rec League (less competitive), as detailed below.
- Tuesday Men’s Basketball (Open) in the Houston Heights @ Lutheran High North – Mid July
- Thursday Men’s Basketball (Open) in the Houston Heights @ Lutheran High North – Mid July
- Thursday Men’s Basketball (Recreational) in the Houston Heights @ Lutheran High North – Mid July
- Saturday Men’s Basketball (Open) in the Houston Heights @ Woodland Community Center – Mid July
See you all tonight!